cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Hydroxyl radical formation and DNA damage mediated by human NADPH-cytochrome P450 reductase

3556 It is well recognized that reactive oxygen intermediates (ROI), in particular, hydroxyl radicals, can damage DNA and contribute to the carcinogenic process. Cytochrome P450 reductase (NADPH:ferrihemoprotein oxidoreductase, EC 1.6.2.4) is a microsomal flavoprotein present in almost all epithelial cells. Its major function is to transfer electrons to cytochrome P450. In the presence of oxygen and utilizing NADPH as a source of reducing equivalents, an unusual property of the enzyme is its ability to generate ROI in the absence of cytochrome P450 substrates. In the present studies we characterized this process using human recombinant cytochrome P450 reductase. We found that the enzyme readily synthesizes superoxide anion and hydrogen peroxide, as measured by superoxide-mediated oxidation of hydroethidine, and hydrogen peroxide and peroxidase-mediated oxidation of 10-acetyl-3,7-dihydroxyphenoxazine, respectively. These reactions were NADPH-dependent and not altered specifically by various recombinant P450’s and their substrates/inhibitors including zoxazolamine (10-200 μM) and α-naphthoflavone (1 μM), specific for CYP1A2, buprenorphine (3-100 μM) and ketoconazole (1 μM), specific CYP3A4, and chlorzoxazone (10-200 μM), a specific CYP2E1 substrate. Despite formation of superoxide anion and hydrogen peroxide by the enzyme, no hydroxyl radical formation was detected, as measured by oxidation of terephthalate, either in the absence or presence of cytochrome P450 substrates, unless redox active iron (Fe/EDTA complexes) was added to the reaction mix. In the presence of redox active iron, a dose-dependent formation of hydroxyl radical was detected with respect to NADPH and enzyme concentrations. Using plasmid DNA unwinding assays, NADPH-dependent cytochrome P450 reductase mediated formation of hydroxyl radicals, but not superoxide anion or hydrogen peroxide, was found to damage DNA as determined by alterations in migration of DNA in agarose gels. Taken together, our data indicate that cytochrome P450 reductase is able to continually generate ROI in the presence of NADPH. We speculate that regulation of production of DNA damaging hydroxyl radicals will depend on the composition of microsomal constituents including cytochrome P450 reductase, the cellular content of antioxidants, and the accessibility of redox active iron in the microsomal electron transport chain. Supported by NIH grants CA093798, CA100994 and ES05022.
Reducing radiation dose from myocardial perfusion imaging in subjects with complex congenital heart disease

The prevalence of defects and effective radiation dose from various myocardial perfusion imaging (MPI) strategies in congenital heart disease (CHD) is unknown. We studied 75 subjects with complex CHD (ages 5 to 80 years) referred for MPI between 2002 and 2015. A rest and exercise or pharmacologic stress MPI was performed using 99mTechnetium sestamibi, 82rubidium or 13N-ammonia, and Sodium iodide SPECT (single-photon emission computed tomography), SPECT/CT or Cadmium zinc telluride (CZT) SPECT or PET (positron emission tomography)/CT scanners. Deidentified images were interpreted semi-quantitatively in three batches: stress only MPI, stress/rest MPI, and stress/rest MPI with taking into account a history of ventricular septal defect repair. Effective radiation dose was estimated for stress/rest MPI and predicted for 1-day stress-first (normal stress scans), and for 2-day stress/rest MPI (abnormal stress scans). The median age was 18.6 years. The most common type of CHD was transposition of the great arteries (63%). Rest/stress MPI was abnormal in 43% of subjects and 25% of the abnormal scans demonstrated reversible defects. Of the subjects with abnormal MPI, 33% had significant underlying anatomic coronary artery obstruction. Estimated mean effective radiation dose ranged from 2.1 ± 0.6 mSv for 13N-ammonia PET/CT to 12.5 ± 0.9 mSv for SPECT/CT. Predicted effective radiation dose was significantly lower for stress-first MPI and for 2-day stress/rest protocols. Due to the relatively high prevalence of abnormal stress MPI, tailored protocols with a stress-first MPI as well as the use of 2-day protocols and advanced imaging technologies including CZT SPECT, novel image reconstruction software, and PET MPI could substantially reduce radiation dose in complex CHD.
Hollywood Cosmopolitanisms and the Occult Resonance of Cinema

This article examines various circulations of Hollywood productions in Iran and the ways in which audiences, critics, cultural administrators, and activists relate to them. I am particularly concerned with what I call “Hollywood cosmopolitanisms,” forms of receptivity to religious and cultural others as mediated by the U.S. film industry. Rather than dividing attitudes toward Hollywood in terms of openness and refusal, or cosmopolitanism and counter-cosmopolitanism, I suggest that we attend to different modes of openness: those that are overtly acknowledged, those that are concealed, and those that pass altogether unrecognized but make their mark in the form of “occult resonance.”
Applying Multiple Methods of Systematic Evaluation in Narrative Analysis for Greater Validity and Deeper Meaning

Personal narrative is at the heart of how human beings share information, represent identity, and convey ideas. Narrative research is a form of qualitative analysis that assists researchers in gain...
Treatment of phenobarbital intoxication using hemodialysis in two dogs

Objective: To describe the use of hemodialysis in 2 dogs with severe clinical signs from phenobarbital intoxication. Series Summary: Two dogs ingested a toxic dose of phenobarbital, leading to severe neurological dysfunction and a comatose state. Both dogs received a 3-hour session of hemodialysis with complete resolution of clinical signs and returned to normal mentation by the end of the therapy. No negative side effects occurred and phenobarbital concentrations returned to therapeutic range during treatment. New Information Provided: This is the first report on the utility and safety of using hemodialysis for phenobarbital intoxication in dogs.
Research on the Performance of Primary Frequency Modulation of Compressed Air Energy Storage

The compressed air energy storage(CAES) system can participate in the primary frequency modulation of the power grid during the two stages of power generation and energy storage, but how to carry out a primary frequency modulation performance test has not yet been reported in relevant studies. The continuous output signal generator and multi-channel multi-range signal acquisition device are developed by analyzing the primary frequency modulation function of CAES in two stages. The primary frequency modulation performance of the compressed air energy storage system on the power generation side and the power consumption side was comprehensively tested by constructing a test system with a switch and developing static and dynamic test methods. By constructing a test system with a switch and developing static and dynamic test methods, the primary frequency modulation performance of CAES system on the power generation side and the power consumption side was comprehensively tested, and it can provide reliable guarantee for energy storage system to participate in power grid frequency modulation.
From the Disciplines

Entrepreneurship research is decidedly multi-disciplinary, with contributors from various academic fields contributing to advancing knowledge about entrepreneurial phenomena. The eclectic nature of entrepreneurship inquiry is not without its critics who argue that drawing upon various disciplines is undesirable for productive research because too much heterogeneity makes it difficult for scholars to talk to each other. The GAER has been awarded to four scholars for bringing their rich disciplinary knowledge to contribute to our understanding of entrepreneurship: Howard Aldrich in 2000, William Baumol in 2003, Israel Kirzner in 2006, and Josh Lerner in 2010. This chapter discusses the work of these four awardees, identifying their key contributions and the criticisms directed at their work.
Smooth Brome (Bromus inermis) Phenological Variability under Controlled Greenhouse Conditions

Smooth brome (Bromus inermis Leyss.) has been planted widely for use as a forage grass and erosion control. Its competitive nature and rapid growth have allowed smooth brome to become an invasive species throughout the Northern Great Plains. Prescribed burning is commonly employed to control smooth brome in the region's remaining native grasslands. Burning at the initiation of elongation, when smooth brome populations are most vulnerable, destroys the carbohydrate reserves that allow the plants to recover. Identifying the five-leaf stage in phenological development has been recommended to signal the start of elongation in order to time prescribed burning to be most detrimental to smooth brome. Unfortunately, in a recent field survey of 27 sites in the Northern Great Plains, less than 1% of smooth brome tillers were observed to achieve the five-leaf stage prior to elongation, calling the tying of prescribed burning to identification of the five-leaf developmental stage into question. Accumulated growing degree days (AGDD) provides a more reliable indicator of smooth brome's vulnerability to control efforts through prescribed burning than reliance on the observance of the five-leaf stage. This study was designed to monitor phenological development of smooth brome in a controlled greenhouse environment to determine whether the correlation between AGDD and phenological development was exhibited in greenhouse populations across a gradient of nitrogen conditions encountered throughout the Northern Great Plains. It was determined that, while nitrogen treatment did affect the biomass and number of tillers produced, it did not affect the phenological progression of development. The greenhouse population reached 50% elongation at an average of 2287 AGDD.
Legalization and Immigrant Homeownership: Evidence from Spain

A significant homeownership gap still remains between natives and immigrants in most countries. Because of the many advantages of homeownership for immigrants and for the communities where immigrants reside, a variety of countries have tried to implement policies that facilitate immigrant homeownership. Many of these policies hinge on immigrants’ legal status. Yet, owing to data limitations, we still know very little about its impact on immigrant homeownership. We address this gap in the literature and find that legalization raises immigrant homeownership by 20 percentage-points even after accounting for a wide range of individual and family characteristics known to impact housing ownership. This finding underscores the importance of legal status in immigrant assimilation –housing being an important indicator of immigrant adaptation, and the need for further explorations of the impact of amnesties on the housing markets of immigrant-receiving economies.
On interpreting the error pattern in beginning reading.

The error pattern in beginning reading was examined from two perspectives: the location of a misread consonant or vowel segment within the syllable and the phonetic relationship between a consonant or vowel and a misreading of it. The first analysis showed, as earlier work had led us to expect, that consonants in the final position in a syllable were more frequently misread than initial consonants. In contrast, the position of a vowel within the syllable had no effect on the frequency with which it was misread. With regard to the second analysis, consonant errors were found to bear a close phonetic relationship to their target sounds, while errors on vowels were essentially unrelated, phonetically, to the vowel as written. The striking differences, demonstrated by the results of both analyses, between the consonants and the vowels were attributed to the different linguistic functions of the two types of segments and to their different representations in English orthography. These findings underscore the i...
Modeling the Response of an Automotive Event-Based Architecture: A Case Study

While many current vehicle network systems for body bus applications use event triggered analysis processes, the deterministic point of view raises concerns about system timing due to message latency. This paper studies the latency performance characteristics of a typical body bus vehicle network using event triggered analysis over the CAN bus.
The Moderating Effect of Cognitive Capability on Task Conflict: A Longitudinal Study of Task Conflict and Team Performance in Student Software Development Teams.

For software development teams to achieve development success, task conflict needs to be managed skillfully to counteract its undesirable consequences to team performance. Conflict is dynamic in nature, and its effect on team performance varies during software development lifecycle. Based on information processing theory and team cognition theory, this study proposes cognitive capability as an important moderator on the task conflict – team performance relationship. A longitudinal study was conducted in 70 student software development teams and multi-level model of change was applied to analyze the data collected at different time points. Results supported the proposition that while task conflict interferes with team performance, its detrimental effects get more sever over time; and cognitive capability, which develops along with the maturing of team cognition as team members work together on the focal project, helps restrain and convert the undesirable effect of task conflict on team performance toward beneficial and constructive. Keyword: task conflict, software development teams, cognitive capability, longitudinal study He, Moderating Effect of Cognitive Capability on Task Conflict 2 The Moderating Effect of Cognitive Capability on Conflict: A Longitudinal Study of Conflict and Team Performance in Student Software Development Teams
Partitioning variances of growth in ultrasound longissimus muscle area measures in Angus bulls and heifers

The objective of the study was to estimate variance components, heritability, and repeatability of ultrasound longissimus muscle area (ULMA) measures. Data included 4,653 serial ULMA measures from 882 purebred Angus bulls and heifers. Animals were born over a 4-yr period from 1998 to 2001. Each year, bulls and heifers were ultrasonically scanned four to eight times, with a 4- to 6-wk interval between scans. Initially, data were subdivided by scan session across years and were analyzed in a multitrait model (MTM). Data pooled across years and scan session were then analyzed using random regression models (RRM) to estimate trends in genetic parameter estimates. Additive direct genetic variance increased with advancing scan session ranging from 8.67 cm 4 at the first scan (mean age = 35 wk) to a maximum of 19.48 cm 4 at the sixth scan (mean age = 56 wk). Heritability of ULMA increased from 0.35 at first scan to a maximum of 0.48 at the fourth scan (mean age = 50 wk). Additive direct genetic variance and heritability values at about 1 yr of age (fifth scan) were 18.24 cm 4 and 0.45, respectively. Estimates from RRM also showed an increase in σ 2 a and h 2 with age. Trends in σ 2 pe estimates, although tending to fluctuate, also increased with age. Additive direct genetic variance at 1 yr of age ranged from 15.8 cm 4 to 17.0 cm 4 for the different models. Heritability of yearling ULMA measures ranged from 0.40 to 0.42 and repeatabilities ranged from 0.80 to 0.84. For the range of ages used in the current study, both MTM and RRM showed close to maximum heritability values at around 1 yr of age. Therefore, phenotypic differences in yearling ULMA between Angus cattle are better indicators of genetic differences than earlier measurements. Angus breeders could, therefore, use ULMA measures made at around 1 yr of age to select next generation parents.
Spatial accessibility of primary care pediatric services in an urban environment: association with asthma management and outcome

BACKGROUND. Disadvantaged urban children with asthma depend heavily on emergency departments (EDs) for episodic care. We hypothesized that among an urban population of children with asthma, higher spatial accessibility to primary care pediatric services would be associated with (1) more scheduled primary care visits for asthma, (2) better longitudinal asthma management, and (3) fewer unscheduled visits for asthma care. METHODS. We enrolled children aged 12 months to 17 years, inclusive, who sought acute asthma care in an urban pediatric ED. Eligibility criteria included a history of unscheduled visits for asthma in the previous year. We collected comprehensive data on each participant9s asthma medical management and prior health care utilization. In addition, we calculated each participant9s spatial accessibility to primary care pediatric services, reported as a provider-to-population ratio at their place of residence. Patients then were stratified by their spatial accessibility to care and compared with respect to measures of medical management and health care utilization. RESULTS. Among the 411 eligible participants, the spatial accessibility of primary care ranged from 7.4 to 350.2 full-time pediatric providers per 100000 children CONCLUSIONS. Within this highly urban, largely disadvantaged and minority population of children with chronic asthma, patients with higher spatial accessibility to primary care services made significantly more scheduled visits for asthma care.
Prognostic implications of low level cardiac troponin elevation using high-sensitivity cardiac troponin T.

Background High-sensitivity cardiac troponin T (hsTnT) is used in many countries, but is not available in the United States. Prior evidence has been viewed as inconclusive as to whether low cardiac troponin T (cTnT) concentrations detected with hsTnT are prognostically meaningful compared with fourth-generation cTnT. Hypothesis The aim of this study was to assess the prognostic performance of low-level cTnT elevations using the hsTnT assay compared with the assay (fourth-generation) currently available in the United States. Methods We measured serum cTnT in 4160 patients with non–ST-elevation acute coronary syndrome using both the hsTnT and fourth-generation assays. Patients were stratified at the 99th percentile cut point for each assay. Results Patients with baseline hsTnT ≥14 ng/L (n = 3697) vs <14 ng/L were at higher 30-day risk of cardiovascular death (CVD) or myocardial infarction (MI) (9.1% vs 1.9%, P < 0.0001). After adjusting for all other elements of the Thrombolysis In Myocardial Infarction risk score, hsTnT ≥14 carried a 5.2-fold higher risk of CVD/MI (95% confidence interval [CI]: 2.6-10.1, P < 0.0001). Low levels of hsTnT (14–50 ng/L) also revealed increased risk (CVD/MI: 6.4%, P = 0.002). Importantly, patients with negative fourth-generation cTnT but positive hsTnT were at 4.5-times higher risk of CVD/MI (95% CI: 1.9-11.0, P = 0.0008) than patients with negative hsTnT. In contrast, patients with a negative hsTnT but positive fourth-generation cTnT result had a lower rate of CVD/MI than with a positive hsTnT (1.3% vs 8.2%, P = 0.0005). Conclusions Low-level increases in cTnT detected using the hsTnT assay identified patients at a meaningfully higher risk and who might otherwise be missed, and improves upon risk stratification using the cTnT assay currently available in the United States.
Vulvar Langerhans cell histiocytosis: a case report and review of the literature

Abstract Background Langerhans cell histiocytosis (LCH) of the female genital tract is rare. Only, seven cases of primary vulvar LCH have been previously reported in the medical literature. We describe an additional case of LCH in which the disease was confined to the vulva. Case A 33-year-old gravida 0, para 0 Ethiopian woman presented with a nodular lesion on her left vulva. The lesion was biopsied, and the results were consistent with LCH. A metastatic workup did not reveal any evidence of disease beyond the vulva. The patient was initially treated with radiotherapy to the vulva. She was diagnosed with recurrent disease in the vulva 21 months after the completion of radiotherapy. At that time, she underwent a wide local excision. Five months later, we found a lesion on her right labium majus that was consistent with a recurrence. The patient's vulva was treated with a higher dose of radiotherapy than it had been the first time. Six months later the patient again experienced a local recurrence. She underwent a wide radical vulvar excision of diffuse bilateral lesions and was free of disease for approximately 3 months, after which she experienced another recurrence and underwent treatment with thalidomide. Within 2 months of starting thalidomide therapy, the patient experienced resolution of her symptoms and of her vulvar lesions. Conclusion Primary LCH of the vulva is very rare. Its etiology and pathophysiology, as well as the most effective modes of therapy, remain elusive. We propose that thalidomide is a useful alternative for patients with this disease.
Lysine-specific gingipain K and heme/hemoglobin receptor HmuR are involved in heme utilization in Porphyromonas gingivalis

We have previously reported on the identification and characterization of the Porphyromonas gingivalis A7436 strain outer membrane receptor HmuR, which is involved in the acquisition of hemin and hemoglobin. We demonstrated that HmuR interacts with the lysine- (Kgp) and arginine- (HRgpA) specific proteases (gingipains) and that Kgp and HRgpA can bind and degrade hemoglobin. Here, we report on the physiological significance of the HmuR-Kgp complex in heme utilization in P. gingivalis through the construction and characterization of a defined kgp mutant and a hmuR kgp double mutant in P. gingivalis A7436. The P. gingivalis kgp mutant exhibited a decreased ability to bind both hemin and hemoglobin. Growth of this strain with hemoglobin was delayed and its ability to utilize hemin as a sole iron source was diminished as compared to the wild type strain. Inactivation of both the hmuR and kgp genes resulted in further decreased ability of P. gingivalis to bind hemoglobin and hemin, as well as diminished ability to utilize either hemin or hemoglobin as a sole iron source. Collectively, these in vivo results further confirmed that both HmuR and Kgp are involved in the utilization of hemin and hemoglobin in P. gingivalis A7436.
Regression hidden Markov modeling reveals heterogeneous gene expression regulation: a case study in mouse embryonic stem cells

Studies have shown the strong association between histone modification levels and gene expression levels. The detailed relationships between the two can vary substantially due to differential regulation, and hence a simple regression model may not be adequate. We apply a regression hidden Markov model (regHMM) to further investigate the potential multiple relationships between genes and histone methylation levels in mouse embryonic stem cells. Seven histone methylation levels are used in the study. Averaged histone modifications over non-overlapping 200 bp windows on the range transcription starting site (TSS) ± 1 Kb are used as predictors, and in total 70 explanatory variables are generated. Based on regHMM results, genes segregated into two groups, referred to as State 1 and State 2, have distinct association strengths. Genes in State 1 are better explained by histone methylation levels with R2=.72 while those in State 2 have weaker association strength with R2=.38. The regression coefficients in the two states are not very different in magnitude except in the intercept,.25 and 1.15 for State 1 and State 2, respectively. We found specific GO categories that may be attributed to the different relationships. The GO categories more frequently observed in State 2 match those of housekeeping genes, such as cytoplasm, nucleus, and protein binding. In addition, the housekeeping gene expression levels are significantly less explained by histone methylation in mouse embryonic stem cells, which is consistent with the constitutive expression patterns that would be expected. Gene expression levels are not universally affected by histone methylation levels, and the relationships between the two differ by the gene functions. The expression levels of the genes that perform the most common housekeeping genes’ GO categories are less strongly associated with histone methylation levels. We suspect that additional biological factors may also be strongly associated with the gene expression levels in State 2. We discover that the effect of the presence of CpG island in TSS ± 1 Kb is larger in State 2.
Quasi-convex optimization

Given a bounded real function f defined on a closed bounded real interval I , the problem is to find a quasi-convex function f′ so as to minimize the supremum of | f ( s )- f′ ( s )| for all s in I , over the class of all quasi-convex functions f′ on I . This article obtains optimal solutions to the problem and derives their properties. This problem arises in the context of curve fitting or estimation.
37 Studies on the Virulence of Herpes Simplex Viruses Isolated from Different Clinical Entities

Recently, herpes simplex viruses (h.s. No. 1) were isolated at 5 days and 6 months after delivery from an infant with recurrent skin vesicles and microcephaly. Because of the unusual nature of this illness, studies on the virulence of h.s. No. 1 and 4 other strains of h.s. viruses, isolated from cases of recurrent labialis or conjunctivitis, were performed and compared in mice and in plasma clot cultures of human fetal brain. The virus preparations used were produced and quantitated in primary rabbit kidney cell cultures (RK) and, to avoid laboratory attenuation, 2nd to 3rd passage materials were employed as inocula.
Religious Authority and Public Opinion on the Right to Die

Over the past fifty years, numerous public opinion surveys have indicated growing support for physician-assisted suicide, euthanasia, and right-to-die legislation. This pro-euthanasia trend, how-ever, goes against fundamental Judeo-Christian principles that have traditionally been the bulwark against the acceptance of euthanasia. Using Chaves's (1994) definition of secularization as the declining scope of religious authority, we examine to what extent people are likely to reject traditional sanctions against euthanasia and approve physician-assisted suicide. We find that the odds of the nonreligious approving physician-assisted suicide are three times greater than the religious ; yet, only self-identified evangelical and liberal Protestants are significantly different from the nonreligious in attitudes towards physician-assisted suicide. We suggest that secularization does not uniformly affect all religious groups. Although in some traditions, people's euthanasia attitudes are not congruent with the positions of their religious authorities, in other traditions, most notably evangelicalism, religious authority appears to remain strong.
Is impulsivity a link between childhood abuse and suicide

Childhood abuse and neglect are known to affect psychological states through behavioral, emotional, and cognitive pathways. They increase the risk of having psychiatric diseases in adulthood and have been considered risk factors for suicidal behavior in all diagnostic categories. Early, prolonged, and severe trauma is also known to increase impulsivity, diminishing the capacity of the brain to inhibit negative actions and to control and modulate emotions. Many neurobiological studies hold that childhood maltreatment may lead to a persistent failure of the inhibitory processes ruled mainly by the frontal cortex over a fear-motivated hyperresponsive limbic system. Multiple neurotransmitters and hormones are involved in the stress response, but, to our knowledge, the two major biological consequences of the chronic exposure to trauma are the hypofunction of the serotonergic system and changes in the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis function. Some of these findings overlap with the neurobiological features of impulsivity and of suicidal behavior. Impulsivity has also been said to be both a consequence of trauma and a risk factor for the development of a pathological response to trauma. Thus, we suggest that impulsivity could be one of the links between childhood trauma and suicidal behavior. Prevention of childhood abuse could significantly reduce suicidal behavior in adolescents and adults, in part, through a decrease in the frequency of impulsive behaviors in the future.
Tarsiers in Captivity

SPECTRAL tarsiers have been maintained in captivity for varying lengths of time by a number of observers1,2, 3; but only at stations actually within the area of their geographical distribution (Melanesia). No record has been found of this form reaching the zoological gardens of Europe or North America.
Optimization of align marks and overlay targets in VIA first dual damascene process

Due to its low resistance and high electromigration performance, copper is now considered as a better metalization than the currently used aluminum based alloys. Dual damascene architecture is generally proposed for fabrication of multilevel copper interconnection. However, in the case of via first dual damascene scheme, we have great difficulties in M2 Trench photoprocess such as alignments and overlay measurements because this scheme makes too high topography of via patterns. Alignment marks and overlay targets made during via patterning process do not have good image contrasts after coating BARC and photoresist. Deteriorated image contrast of alignment marks and overlay targets increases the uncertainty in the alignment and overlay measurement. The image contrasts of alignment mark become worse after coating BARC and photoresist, resulting in weak, noisy, and asymmetric alignment signals. In this paper, we evaluated the impacts of mark structure, geometry, and BARC processing for the alignments and the overlay measurements using convex or concave structures, bar or slit structures, and special designed structures in M2 trench photo process. We also investigated the copper filled keys on M1 trench layer as alternative alignment targets.
Restricting the mobility of Gs alpha: impact on receptor and effector coupling.

The α-subunit of the stimulatory G protein, Gs, has been shown to dissociate from the plasma membrane into the cytosol following activation by G protein-coupled receptors (GPCR) in some experimenta...
Some properties of the multidimensional complex cepstrum and their relationship to the stability of multidimensional systems

Conditions are obtained for the cepstrum of anl1 sequence having arbitrary support on theM-dimensional lattice to exist also as anl1 sequence with arbitrary support. These conditions are used to show that the cepstrum of a sequence with support on a half-space will, when it exists, also have support on the same half-space. This result is used, in turn, to describe the support of the cepstrum of a sequence with bounded support on a half-space. The relationship between the existence of the cepstrum and bounded-input, bounded-output (BIBO) stability for all three of these cases is considered. Finally, the derivatives of the inversion operator, the homomorphic transform operator, and its inverse are calculated. These results are also useful in the one-dimensional case.
Oxidation of Olefins Representing Some Structural Units of GR-S

Abstract Three olefins were oxidized in the liquid phase with molecular oxygen to determine the kinetics of the oxidation reactions and the relationship to oxidation of rubber. The instantaneous rate of oxidation was found to be related to the analytically determined olefin and peroxide concentrations by the equation : Rate=k (unreacted olefin)(peroxide), where rate equals moles of oxygen per mole of original olefin per hour and the parentheses represent molarities. Presence of a phenyl group was found to affect k, but only in a minor way, indicating that the same fundamental kinetic mechanism applies in both aromatic and aliphatic olefins. The data are consistent with the general kinetic mechanism of Bolland involving oxygen attack at the alpha-methylenic group. However, it appears probable that initial oxygen attack can also occur at the double bond, resulting in the formation of a peroxide biradical, which may then react with other olefin molecules, initiating the usual chain reaction mechanism.
A limit theorem for stochastic acceleration

We consider the motion of a particle in a weak mean zero random force fieldF, which depends on the position,x(t), and the velocity,v(t)=\(\dot x\)(t). The equation of motion is\(\ddot x\)(t)=ɛF(x(t),v(t), ω), wherex(·) andv(·) take values in ℝd,d≧3, and ω ranges over some probability space. We show, under suitable mixing and moment conditions onF, that as ɛ→0,vɛ(t)≡v(t/ɛ2) converges weakly to a diffusion Markov processv(t), and ɛ2xɛ(t) converges weakly to\(\int\limits_0^t {v(s)ds + x} \), wherex=lim ɛ2xɛ(0).
Sex difference in the sensitivity of the human pancreatic polypeptide cell to autonomic nervous stimulation in man.

We have examined the plasma human pancreatic polypeptide (hPP) response to β-adrenergic (infusion of epinephrine- phentolamine), vagal cholinergic, (insulin-hypoglycemia), and extravagal cholinergic (secretin infusion) stimulation in healthy, nonobese, age-matched males and females. β-Adrenergic stimulation caused a rise in plasma hPP concentration in males that was 6 times that of females, whereas there were no differences between the sexes in the mean responses of pulse rate, systolic and diastolic blood pressure, or in plasma concentrations of glucose, insulin, and glucagon. Extravagal cholinergic timulation caused increases of hPP secretion that were similar in males and females. Insulin-induced hypoglycemia was the most efficacious stimulus, and caused a similar rise in hPP response in males and females. Thus, in males there is greater sensitivity of the hPP cell to β-adrenergic stimulation than females. The plasma hPP responses appear to be a more sensitive, discriminating index of adrenergic autono...
A magnetic resonance imaging investigation of potential subclinical complications after in situ cranial bone graft harvest.

The in situ harvest of cranial bone grafts, when assessed by clinical observation, has been shown to be a safe procedure when performed by experienced surgeons. However, might there be adverse sequelae from bone graft harvest that are not severe enough to produce observable changes and thus are missed by studies that rely on clinical outcomes? This study was designed to determine the incidence of “clinically silent” complications following routine bone graft harvest, such as punctate intracranial bleeding and cerebral contusions. This prospective clinical study included 20 patients. All patients had in situ cranial bone graft harvest performed by a single surgeon and underwent postharvest magnetic resonance imaging within 24 hours. Coronal computed tomographic scans were found to be the most helpful in the preoperative determination of donor sites. The average area of bone graft harvest was just under 14 cm2 (range, 3 to 30 cm2). No patients who had not previously undergone skull surgery were noted to have full-thickness breaches. Three patients identified with full-thickness breaches at surgery had harvest sites located in areas in which a previous craniotomy had occurred, suggesting that extreme care be used when harvesting bone from this subset of patients. All 20 postoperative magnetic resonance scans were reviewed by a neuroradiologist and determined to be completely normal. In conclusion, not only is in situ cranial bone graft harvest a safe procedure as assessed by clinical outcomes, but no subclinical complications were identified by postoperative magnetic resonance imaging. (Plast. Reconstr. Surg. 105: 1935, 2000.)
The role of voice input for human-machine communication

Abstract Optimism is growing that the near future will witness rapid growth in human-computer interaction using voice. System prototypes have recently been built that demonstrate speaker-independent real-time speech recognition, and understanding of naturally spoken utterances with vocabularies of 1000 to 2000 words, and larger. Already, computer manufacturers are building speech recognition subsystems into their new product lines. However, before this technology can be broadly useful, a substantial knowledge base is needed about human spoken language and performance during computer-based spoken interaction. This paper reviews application areas in which spoken interaction can play a significant role, assesses potential benefits of spoken interaction with machines, and compares voice with other modalities of human-computer interaction. It also discusses information that will be needed to build a firm empirical foundation for the design of future spoken and multimodal interfaces. Finally, it argues for a more systematic and scientific approach to investigating spoken input and performance with future language technology.
Role of substrate current in the reliability life testing of gaas mmics

GaAs monolithic microwave integrated circuits (MMICs) typically show a dramatic increase in circuit current when operated above 200°C. This increase in current has been found to be in good agreement with a summation of the estimated substrate current flowing from the individual components of these circuits through the bulk GaAs to the back metalization. Although the substrate current for these MMICs was small at room temperature, it can be a substantial portion of the total circuit current at the high temperatures typical for accelerated life testing. A procedure was developed to compensate for the substrate current, thus allowing normal circuit operation during high temperature life testing.
Information systems management issues for the 1990s

This three-round delphis urvey of senior IS executives is the third ain a series designed to determine the most critical issues in IS management. Analysis focuses on respondents' assessments of specific issues as well as emerging trends. Key findings include: (1) continued concern for traditional issues such as strategic planning and organizational alignment; (2) only six of the top issues from 1986 remained in the top 10; (3) one new issue, technology infrastructure, made the top 10: (4) three issues from previous studies rejoined the top 10-IS human resources, software development, and telecommunication systems; and (5) data-related issues now occupy the top two slots. This research reveals two important trends as the field enters the 1990s. First is the rising importance of technology infrastructure issues. Technology infrastructure issues now occupy three of the top 10 slots including the highest position. Second, it appears that internal effectiveness issues have made a strong comeback after being virtually ignored in 1986. IS human resources, software development, and the applications portfolio-issues that make up the core of the IS function-all increased in importance.
Quantitative Isolation of Mouse Thymus Leukemia Antigen, TL

This report describes the purification of TL from papain digests of a tumor line (ASL1) and of an established cell line (L251A). Through the use of gel filtration and ion-exchange chromato-graphy, the TL was purified approximately 100-fold with respect to the original digest. It was noted that the TL isolated from ASL1 had a specific activity 1.4 times higher than that isolated from L251A. The reason for this anomaly is unexplained. However, this work indicates that classical methods of protein chemistry can be used in the purification of these membrane components which are present in only small amounts on the cell surface.
The Interaction of Instruction Components with Cybernetic Feedback Effects in the Voluntary Control of Human Heart Rate

Two groups of 20 subjects were presented with either contingent or yoked feedback for heart rate increase and decrease. Subjects were instructed to either attend to their heart (attention instructions) or to increase or decrease their physiological activity (direction instructions). Half of each contingent group made the signal go on for HR increase (tone-on feedback) and off for decrease. The other half made the signal go off for increase (tone-off feedback) and on for decrease. It was found that direction instructions led to significantly better HR control than attention instructions for yoked but not for true feedback. For true feedback, tone-on led to HR increase, while tone-off interfered, leading to overall HR decrease. This did not occur for yoked feedback, suggesting the importance of contingent feedback in this effect. An additional finding of this study was that subjects' self-ratings of control were identical for true and yoked subjects, and did not correspond to their actual degree of control, suggesting that the feedback effects were mediated unconsciously. It was concluded that the direction component of HR instructions may obscure true cybernetic feedback effects which emerge through the manipulation of contingency and positive/negative feedback loops.
Using Student-Produced Media to Promote Healthy Eating A Pilot Study on the Effects of a Media and Nutrition Intervention

This study evaluated the effectiveness of an intervention in which fourth and fifth graders participated in an after-school program where they produced a media campaign that focused on increasing fruit and vegetable (FV) consumption. Researchers measured the effectiveness of the media campaign in changing the home nutrition environment (e.g., FV availability and parental support). Quantitative and qualitative measures were also used to evaluate the effect of the intervention on the children's self-efficacy, motivation, and perceived parental social support related to FV consumption. Data from the parents indicated greater availability of FV at home and more instrumental support for their children to eat FV.
A general rigorous quantum dynamics algorithm to calculate vibrational energy levels of pentaatomic molecules

Abstract An exact variational algorithm is presented for calculating vibrational energy levels of pentaatomic molecules without any dynamical approximation. The quantum mechanical Hamiltonian of the system is expressed in a set of orthogonal coordinates defined by four scattering vectors in the body-fixed frame. The eigenvalue problem is solved using a two-layer Lanczos iterative diagonalization method in a mixed grid/basis set. A direct product potential-optimized discrete variable representation (PO-DVR) basis is used for the radial coordinates while a non-direct product finite basis representation (FBR) is employed for the angular variables. The two-layer Lanczos method requires only the actions of the Hamiltonian operator on the Lanczos vectors, where the potential-vector products are accomplished via a pseudo-spectral transform technique. By using Jacobi, Radau and orthogonal satellite vectors, we have proposed 21 types of orthogonal coordinate systems so that the algorithm is capable of describing most five-atom systems with small and/or large amplitude vibrational motions. Finally, an universal program (PetroVib) has been developed. Its applications to the molecules CH 4 and H 3 O 2 - , and the van der Waals cluster He 3 Cl 2 are also discussed.
THE EFFECT OF GROUND VIAS ON CHANGING SIGNAL LAYERS IN A MULTILAYERED PCB

generation TDBPMSHG , which is an extension of the linear TDBPM. It involves solving the coupled parabolic nonlinear equations using the explicit finite-difference technique, where all spatial and time variations were retained in the analysis. The technique was also applied to model pulsed optical beams in a dielectric waveguide containing secondorder nonlinear effects. It is concluded that the method is very efficient and simple to implement. The TDBPMSHG is well suited for the study of the unidirectional propagation of compact temporal pulses over long distances in a guidedwave environment. In addition, the method should find application in the study of spatiotemporal optical solitons in media with quadratic nonlinearity 17 .
Cognitive Ageing and Psychological Growth

The present paper argues that some apparent deficits found in cognitive ageing may result from models that focus on youth-centered, formal-logical standards of thinking. An alternative model of adult development is proposed which explains these apparent deficits in terms of progressive reorganizations where decline in performance may be a consequence of the growth of more complex and highly differentiated skills. More specifically, the contextualization of formal logic or the reintegration of logic and affect found in older adult thinking is seen to represent a mature level of cognitive differentiation characterized by an autonomous, socially-oriented, and dialectical mode of reasoning. This theoretical perspective is substantiated by a review of the literature evidencing this kind of progression. Future research implications are discussed.
PICKY, PICKY, PICKY: RANKING GRADUATE SCHOOLS OF SOCIAL WORK BY STUDENT SELECTIVITY

During the past 3 decades dozens of studies have ranked schools of social work using faculty productivity or program reputation to gauge program quality. These studies are often controversial because they rely on only a few dimensions of schools' performance. This study used publicly available admissions data from the past 15 years to examine how selective schools are in admitting full-time MSW and PhD students. The findings demonstrate that selectivity varies greatly among schools, and that rankings by productivity or reputation are somewhat different from rankings by selectivity. Trends in admissions and contextual reasons for wide variation among programs are discussed.
High pressure synthesis of SmNiO3 thin films and implications for thermodynamics of the nickelates

The rare-earth nickelates (LnNiO3, Ln = lanthanide) are interesting from both fundamental and applied perspectives, but synthesis remains a bottleneck to research due to their thermodynamic instability. Here we report the synthesis of SmNiO3 thin films on oxidized silicon wafers by physical vapor deposition followed by high pressure oxygen annealing at intermediate temperatures. The high pressure annealed films show an insulator–metal transition characteristic of bulk samples. Our experimental observations then allow us to estimate bounds on the phase stability regime, which are particularly useful given the dearth of direct thermodynamic data available for LnNiO3. We examine the limitations of these thermodynamic analyses applied to ultra-thin films. The stabilization of SmNiO3 on a canonical semiconductor template creates opportunities to study the utility of the above room temperature insulator–metal transition (at TIM = 400 K) in electronic devices.