cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Implications of the New Governance for Corporate Governance

This chapter examines the implications of the new governance for corporate governance. The main conclusion of this examination is that both the new governance and corporate governance have resulted from broader changes in the competitive environment of business. The main features of these changes are shifts from hierarchical, vertically-integrated firms dependent primarily on financial capital to loose networks that rely heavily on human capital, and from strategies built less on market share and economies of scale to those based more on innovation and quality. These changes have not only driven globalization, which is central to the new governance, but also undermined some of the main assumptions of corporate governance that support shareholder primacy.
Evaluation of Natural Environments

My main concern in this report is to suggest a rapprochement with nature in which nature is respected but we people are not required to hate our presence on the planet. I define “natural environment” as any place where organisms exist in mutual relations that are free of direct management or other drastic human intervention; but presence or absence of people is not a criterion. Plant succession is a key concept for recognizing the vast number and variety of natural areas that are usually not considered natural simply because humans are nearby. With such an attitude, we are free to set up methods for evaluation that are realistic. Two broad categories of environmental traits important for human enjoyment are proposed. These are variety and accessibility. These categories are supported mainly by examples of exploratory evaluations of diverse bits of habitat in the United States, England, Switzerland, and Yugoslavia. Conventional methods are also discussed, and some descriptions of alternatives to these are presented, particular reference being made to the work of Luna Leopold2 and Ian McHarg.3
The Gene Encoding the Act-2 Cytokine. Genomic Structure, HTLV-I/Tax Responsiveness of 5' Upstream Sequences, and Chromosomal Localization

Act-2 is a cytokine that belongs to a superfamily of structurally related proteins. Act-2 expression is rapidly induced in T cells, B cells, and monocytes upon mitogenic stimulation. The Act-2 genomic locus is on chromosome 17q. The exons and exon/intron splice junctions have been sequenced, as have the sequences upstream of exon 1. A classical TATA box is located immediately upstream of the transcription initiation site. The upstream sequences possess promoter activity and can be functionally activated after treatment of Jurkat T cells with phythohemagglutinin plus phorbol myristrate acetate. In addition, Act-2 promoter chloramphenicol acetyltransferase constructs are expressed in human T cell lymphotropic virus type I (HTLV-I)-infected MT-2 cells and in Jurkat cells which can be induced to express the transactivator gene (tax) product of HTLV-I.
Interfacial behavior of uracil at the mercury-solution interface

Abstract The adsorption and related interfacial behavior of uracil at a mercury electrode/electrolyte solution interface has been studied by differential capacitance and maximum bubble pressure methods in 0.5 M NaF plus 0.01 M Na2HPO4 buffer pH 8.0. At concentrations below 24 mM uracil is adsorbed in a flat orientation on the electrode surface and occupies an area of 63 A2. At higher concentrations and at potentials close to −0.5 V the adsorbed uracil undergoes a reorientation and adopts a perpendicular stance on the electrode surface where it occupies an area of 39 A2. In this perpendicular stance uracil undergoes a strong intermolecular stacking interaction with its neighbors similar to that observed between adjacent pyrimidines in nucleic acids.
Low threshold Er 3+ /Yb 3+ co-doped microcavity laser

An Erbium:Ytterbium codoped microcavity-based laser which is lithographically fabricated from sol-gel is demonstrated. Both single-mode and multimode lasing is observed in the C band (1550nm). The quality factor and pump threshold are experimentally determined for a series of erbium and ytterbium doping concentrations, verifying the inter-dependent relationship between the two dopants. The lasing threshold of the optimized device is 4.2 μW.
Reputation under Regulation: The Fair Credit Reporting Act at 40 and Lessons for the Internet Privacy Debate

More than 40 years ago, Sen. William Proxmire (D-WI) guided the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) through Congress, seeking to improve the operations of the credit reporting industry. The complexities and tensions in a reputation system like credit reporting are formidable, however, and the FCRA has not satisfied consumer group demands for accurate, responsive, fair, and confidential credit reporting. In fact, new problems have emerged, such as credit repair fraud and identity fraud.Credit reporting today is anything but the confidential service Proxmire hoped for. Passed in tandem with a financial surveillance law called the Bank Secrecy Act, the FCRA has been turned toward government and corporate surveillance, providing little or no privacy or control for consumers.As economic theory predicts, the credit reporting industry appears to have benefited from the ossifying effects of regulation. Though the information and technology environments have changed dramatically over the last four decades, the credit reporting and reputation marketplace has seen little change or innovation. A potential related market for identity services is also stagnant thanks in part to government policies.When Congress chose to preempt common law remedies for wrongs done by credit bureaus, it withdrew a tool that could have guided credit reporting toward better service to consumers and a more innovative and vibrant marketplace. With uniform national regulations, we cannot know how credit reporting might have evolved for the better.
BRCA2 function in DNA binding and recombination from a BRCA2-DSS1-ssDNA structure

Mutations in the BRCA2 (breast cancer susceptibility gene 2) tumor suppressor lead to chromosomal instability due to defects in the repair of double-strand DNA breaks (DSBs) by homologous recombination, but BRCA2's role in this process has been unclear. Here, we present the 3.1 angstrom crystal structure of a approximately 90-kilodalton BRCA2 domain bound to DSS1, which reveals three oligonucleotide-binding (OB) folds and a helix-turn-helix (HTH) motif. We also (i) demonstrate that this BRCA2 domain binds single-stranded DNA, (ii) present its 3.5 angstrom structure bound to oligo(dT)9, (iii) provide data that implicate the HTH motif in dsDNA binding, and (iv) show that BRCA2 stimulates RAD51-mediated recombination in vitro. These findings establish that BRCA2 functions directly in homologous recombination and provide a structural and biochemical basis for understanding the loss of recombination-mediated DSB repair in BRCA2-associated cancers.
Competitive adsorption of lysozyme and myoglobin on mesostructured cellular foam silica

Abstract A model of multicomponent multilayer adsorption has been developed to describe the simultaneous adsorption of lysozyme (14.3 kDa, pI = 11.35) and myoglobin (17.6 kDa, pI = 7.2) on mesostructured cellular foam (MCF) silica in 0.02 M potassium phosphate buffer at pH 7 and 25 °C. The mechanism of adsorption was proposed based on batch adsorption isotherms and flow microcalorimetry (FMC) traces for the enthalpy of adsorption. Thermodynamic derivations of Guggenheim–Anderson–deBoer (GAB) and Langmuir models were used to develop the model based on the proposed mechanism. Regression analysis demonstrated the effect of each of the proposed mechanistic equations.
Properties of the inclusive pion spectrum from pp collisions: 28.5 GeV/c to about 103 GeV/c

Abstract The spectra of pions are studied in the inclusive reactions p + p → π ± + anything in bubble chamber data at 28.5 GeV/ c . Comparisons are made with ISR π + spectra to examine energy dependence.
Temperature structure of the uranian upper atmosphere

The temperature structure of the upper atmosphere of Uranus at two locations on the planet was determined from observations of the occultation of the star SAO158687 by Uranus on 10 March 1977, carried out at the Kuiper Airborne Observatory. The temperature-pressure relationships obtained from the immersion and emersion data for 7280 A channel show peak-to-peak variations of 45 K for immersion and 35 K for emersion. The mean temperature for both immersion and emersion profiles is about 100 K, which shows that Uranus has a temperature inversion between 0.001 mbar and the 100 mbar level probed by IR measurements. Both profiles show wavelike temperature variations, which may be due to dynamical or photochemical processes.
Reduction of 4-arylidene-1,3-(2H,4H)isoquinolinediones

Catalytic hydrogenation of some 4-arylidene-1,3-(2H,4H)isoquinolinediones (1) afforded the corresponding 4-arylmethyl-1,3-(2H,4H)isoquinolinediones (2), but reduction of 1 by sodium borohydride gave 4-arylmethyl-1(2H)isoquinolones (isocarbostyrils, 3). Compounds of type 1 studied had aryl substituents phenyl, 3,4-dimethoxyphenyl, 3,4-methyleneoxyphenyl and 2-furyl. In one example of sodium borohydride reduction of an N-methylisoquinolinedione derivative (1) the heterocylic ring was opened, and 2-(1-hydroxymethyl-2-phenylethenyl)-N-methylbenzamide (4) was obtained from 4-benzylidene-2-methyl-1,3-(2H,4H)isoquinolinedione.
Write a good technical report

A good technical report can have an important effect on a wide range of people. Here are some techniques to help you prepare, choose a suitable structure, provide the right amount of information in the right places, and make your points with clarity. An informal style — using “I” and “we,” for example — is acceptable for technical reports and publications. To improve your writing, read good writing by others and invite criticism of your own; practice is important.
“instigating”: storytelling as social process

This paper investigates a particular form of storytelling, instigating, that occurs within a gossip-dispute activity called “he-said-she-said.” Through the storytelling a party is informed about another person's having committed the offense of talking about her behind her back. The larger framework of the dispute provides organization for the storytelling process in several ways: (1) it provides structure for the cited characters and their activities within the story; (2) it influences the types of analysis recipients must engage in to appropriately understand the story; (3) it makes relevant specific types of next moves by recipients: for example, evaluations of the offending party's actions during the story, pledges to future courses of action near the story's ending, and rehearsals of future events at story completion and upon subsequent retellings. [conversation analysis, social organization, narrative, gossip, situational analysis, Black English Vernacular]
Experience with the language SR in an undergraduate operating systems course

In undergraduate operating systems classes, students learn about concurrent process synchronization, including such things as shared data, race conditions, critical sections, mutual exclusion, semaphores, monitors, and the test-and-set hardware instruction. They also study interprocess communication, message passing, rendezvous, and remote procedure calls. Solutions to classical problems, such as the dining philosophers, producers and consumers, bounded buffers, and readers and writers, are presented using the above concepts. However, students need to write programs in a language that provides facilities for concurrent programming in order to appreciate fully the above concepts. This paper describes the SR language and discusses its successful use as an environment for concurrent programming in an undergraduate operating systems class.
CUDIA: Probabilistic cross-level imputation using individual auxiliary information

In healthcare-related studies, individual patient or hospital data are not often publicly available due to privacy restrictions, legal issues, or reporting norms. However, such measures may be provided at a higher or more aggregated level, such as state-level, county-level summaries or averages over health zones, such as hospital referral regions (HRR) or hospital service areas (HSA). Such levels constitute partitions over the underlying individual level data, which may not match the groupings that would have been obtained if one clustered the data based on individual-level attributes. Moreover, treating aggregated values as representatives for the individuals can result in the ecological fallacy. How can one run data mining procedures on such data where different variables are available at different levels of aggregation or granularityq In this article, we seek a better utilization of variably aggregated datasets, which are possibly assembled from different sources. We propose a novel cross-level imputation technique that models the generative process of such datasets using a Bayesian directed graphical model. The imputation is based on the underlying data distribution and is shown to be unbiased. This imputation can be further utilized in a subsequent predictive modeling, yielding improved accuracies. The experimental results using a simulated dataset and the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) dataset are provided to illustrate the generality and capabilities of the proposed framework.
Use of xenograft tissue for the initial screening of human monoclonal antibodies by immunohistological technique.

Abstract An indirect avidin-biotin-horseradish peroxidase complex (ABC) method was employed to detect binding activity of human monoclonal antibodies at their early state of production to tissue antigens in either fresh-frozen or formalin-fixed and paraffin-embedded tissue sections. The tissues were obtained from xenograft of human tissues that were grown in immune suppressed BALB/c mice. The reaction was visualized by the use of aminoethylcarbazole (AEC) a chromogen. The procedure described here was as sensitive and, most importantly eliminated an inherent problem associated with the use of human tissue section namely the difficulty in distinguishing binding of the primary human monoclonal antibody from endogenous human immunoglobulins in tissue section.
Combining Structural and Functional Measurements to Improve Detection of Glaucoma Progression using Bayesian Hierarchical Models

Detection of progression plays a central role in the diagnosis and management of glaucoma and standard automated perimetry (SAP) remains the method of choice for monitoring functional changes in the disease. However, there is evidence that many patients can present structural changes in the optic nerve or retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) before detectable changes in SAP.1–9 On the other hand, several patients show evidence of functional deterioration without measurable changes in currently available structural tests.4,5,10 The disagreement between structural and functional methods for detecting progression could be related to the different algorithms used to assess change, the variability of measurements over time, or the different scales used to assess structure and function.8,10–19 Whatever the reason might be, it is likely that a combination of structural and functional measurements would improve detection of clinically significant disease progression compared with either method used alone. An ideal method for detection of glaucomatous progression should give not only an indication of whether the eye or the patient is showing progression, but also an estimate of the rate of deterioration. Although most glaucoma patients show some evidence of progression if followed up long enough, the rate of deterioration can be highly variable among them.9,20–23 Although most patients progress relatively slowly, others have aggressive disease with fast deterioration that can eventually result in blindness or substantial impairment unless appropriate interventions are made. The elucidation of the longitudinal relationship between structural and functional tests and their rates of change over time is essential to determine the relative utility of these tests in monitoring the disease. In the present study, we propose a new methodology for combining longitudinal information from structural and functional tests to improve detection of glaucoma progression and estimation of rates of change. This approach is based on joint modeling of longitudinal changes using Bayesian hierarchical models. The joint modeling approach enables a better characterization of the true underlying relationship between structural and functional tests, as it decreases the impact of measurement error by incorporating it in a simultaneous model of the two longitudinal outcomes. By joint modeling of the two outcomes, information derived from one test is allowed to influence the inferences obtained from the other. For example, a visual field change that would otherwise be declared nonstatistically significant by analysis of visual field data alone may be declared significant after taking into consideration the structural changes occurring in the same eye. We applied our methodology to an investigation of longitudinal changes in SAP and RNFL thickness in a cohort of glaucoma patients and individuals suspected of having the disease followed over time.
Sources of Elevated Chloride in Local Streams: Groundwater and Soils as Potential Reservoirs

Several recent reports document increasing concentrations of chloride in surface waters of northeastern and midwestern North America. These patterns, together with high summertime baseflow concentrations, suggest the possibility of short-term retention of winter-applied chloride within catchments. This study examined the potential of groundwater and soils to act as reservoirs of Cl within the watershed of a small rural stream in New York that has shown a doubling of Cl over the past two decades and almost constant concentrations across seasons. Groundwater samples were obtained from 20 private drinking wells distributed around the catchment to determine whether concentrations were at or greater than surface waters and so could act as a source to the stream. In 16 of the 20 wells, chloride concentrations were lower (mean of 16 samples = 4.10 mg Cl/L (standard deviation = 4.8)) than concurrent streamwater concentrations (mean of eight locations sampled on two dates = 28.9 (5.8)). Four wells, however, showed higher concentrations ranging from 35 to 230 mg Cl/L suggesting either point source contamination or very heterogeneous groundwater chloride sources. Soil cores from the catchment were irrigated in the laboratory with a NaCl solution for 2 weeks followed by 2 weeks irrigation with a chloride-free solution. Chloride concentrations in core leachates were lower than in the irrigation solution during the first 2 weeks indicating some retention of Cl within the cores. After cores were irrigated with chloride-free water, leachate concentrations declined but would not reach streamwater concentrations until the equivalent of 15 cm of precipitation was added to the core.
Rescue Therapy for Acute Migraine, Part 1: Triptans, Dihydroergotamine, and Magnesium

Objective.— To review and analyze published reports on the acute treatment of migraine headache with triptans, dihydroergotamine (DHE), and magnesium in emergency department, urgent care, and headache clinic settings. Methods.— MEDLINE was searched using the terms “migraine” and “emergency,” and “therapy” or “treatment.” Reports from emergency department and urgent care settings that involved all routes of medication delivery were included. Reports from headache clinic settings were included only if medications were delivered by a parenteral route. Results.— Acute rescue treatment studies involving the triptans were available for injectable and nasal sumatriptan, as well as rizatriptan. Effectiveness varied widely, even when the pain-free and pain-relief statistics were evaluated separately. As these medications are known to work best early in the migraine, part of this variability may be attributed to the timing of triptan administration. Multiple studies compared triptans with anti-emetics, dopamine antagonists, and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. The overall percentage of patients with pain relief after taking sumatriptan was roughly equivalent to that recorded with droperidol and prochlorperazine. Sumatriptan was equivalent to DHE when only paired comparisons were performed. While the data extracted suggest that magnesium may be effective in treating all symptoms in patients experiencing migraine with aura across all migraine patients, its effectiveness seems to be limited to treating only photophobia and phonophobia. Conclusions.— Although there are relatively few studies involving health-care provider-administered triptans or DHE for acute rescue, they appear to be equivalent to the dopamine antagonists for migraine pain relief. The relatively rare inclusion of a placebo arm and the frequent use of combination medications in active treatment arms complicate the comparison of single agents with each other.
An Overview of Issues Related to Categorical and Dimensional Models of Personality Disorder Assessment

Despite long-standing efforts to improve the current diagnostic system for Axis II, problems remain with the categorical conceptualization of personality disorders (PDs). Due in part to these problems, interest has developed in dimensional models of PD classification. In this article, we discuss four issues relevant to categorical vs. dimensional assessment of PDs: (a) problems with self-reports in PD patients, (b) methodological issues in behavioral and clinician assessment of PDs, (c) challenges that arise when dimensional models are applied to patient and nonpatient samples, and (d) clinical implications of categorical and dimensional PD models. We suggest that researchers and clinicians address these concerns to avoid implementing a new PD assessment model that-although different from the current system-would otherwise remain fraught with difficulties.
An informal overview of CUINFO (Cornell's computer-based bulletin board)

Judith Turner's article on CUINFO (The Chronicle of Higher Education, July 10, 1985) resulted in a number of requests for more information. This note is intended to answer the most frequently asked questions. For more details, please get in touch with me at 401 Uris Hall, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853; (607)256-4981; SLW@CORNELLA.BITNET.
Lint Yield and Fiber Quality of Cotton Fertilized with Broiler Litter

Poultry litter is generated in large quantities in the same south-eastern U.S. states where cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) is a dominant field crop, but is rarely used as a primary cotton fertilizer partly because of lack of adequate management recommendations. This research was conducted to determine adequate rates of broiler litter and whether supplementation with inorganic N would be necessary for optimum cotton lint yield and fiber quality. The research was conducted from 2002 to 2004 on two commercial farms representing conventional-till (CT) and no-till (NT) systems. The treatments consisted of an unfertilized control, a farm standard (STD) fertilized with inorganic fertilizers, and broiler litter of 2.2, 4.5, and 6.7 M g ha -1 in an incomplete factorial combination with 0, 34, or 67 kg ha -1 N as urea-ammonium nitrate solution (UAN). Litter without supplemental UAN-N increased yield by 23 to 110 kg lint ha -1 for every 1.0 Mg ha -1 litter under both CT and NT. The often-recommended litter rate of 4.5 Mg ha -1 was not adequate to increase yield to be equivalent to that of the STD that received 101 to 135 kg ha -1 as UAN. It was necessary to supplement this or the other litter rates with 34 or 67 kg ha -1 UAN-N to support yield equal to or greater than the yield of the STD. The most consistently well-performing treatment under both tillage systems in all years was the 4.5 Mg ha -1 litter supplemented with 67 kg ha -1 UAN-N. Lint yield was highly correlated (r 2 = 0.83-0.97) with applied total plant-available N (N TPA ) under both systems. Fiber quality, fiber length and micronaire in particular, also responded to N TPA , but the responses were smaller than lint yield. Litter when adequately supplemented with UAN-N did not adversely affect fiber quality. These results show broiler litter as much as 4.5 Mg ha -1 should be supplemented with inorganic N fertilizers when used as a primary cotton fertilizer and when the expected yield is ≈1700 kg ha -1 under CT and ≈1500 kg ha -1 under NT.
Designing online banner advertisements: should we animate?

A common medium for advertising on the Internet is the use of banner ads. This study investigates recall and recognition of animated banner advertisements in an attempt to identify design guidelines. It was hypothesized that animation would increase recall and recognition of novel ads by increasing user awareness. No significant relationships were found between the use of animation and ability to recall and recognize banner ads. Results indicate that animation does not enhance user memory of online banner advertisements.
Acoustic agitation for enhanced development of LIGA PMMA resists

The development of exposed PMMA resist for the LIGA process is very difficult and time-consuming when the resist thickness is large and feature aspect ratios exceed about four. This is due mainly to limitations on the development rate imposed by the diffusive transport of PMMA fragments away form the dissolution surface. Development rates under these conditions can be enhanced significantly by high- frequency acoustic agitation. To study this enhancement, analytical solutions describing the periodic flow field are used to evaluate the time-mean Reynolds stresses that drive streaming fluid motion. The resulting steady flow and transport rates within a feature are then computed by solving the Navier Stokes and species transport equations. For typical acoustic frequencies and power levels of 1 MHz and 6 w/cm2 the streaming flow within the feature is torroidal, with inflow along the feature walls at maximum speeds approaching 1 mm/min, coupled with a slower outflow along the feature center. The computed increase in transport, relative to diffusion, is typically on the order of 4 to 6 for feature aspect ratios ranging from 3 to 10 and for polymer fragment diffusivity on the order of 10-11 m2/s, provided that the feature width is greater than about 10 microns. In smaller features, the streaming speed may be suppressed by overlapping viscous boundary layers on opposing feature walls. Higher frequencies help reduce the boundary layer thickness but may lead to less efficient multi-cellular flow patterns when the acoustic wavelength is less than the feature depth.© (2000) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Stimulatory effects of prostaglandins upon luteinization of rhesus monkey granulosa cell cultures

Prostaglandins (Pg) were added at each medium change to cultures of granulosa cells obtained from 1) mid-follicular phase and preovulatory follicles of 4 untreated monkeys, 2) 8 human menopausal gonadotropin (HMG) treated and 3) 8 pregnant mare's serum gonadotropin (PMSG) treated rhesus monkeys. Pg E1 or E2 stimulated progestin secretion and morphological luteinization in each group of cultures with a minimal effective dose being about 0.01 μg/ml and a maximal dose being between 10 and 100 μg/ml. The effect of Pg E2 was less than that of human luteinizing hormone (hLH). Pg A1 and PgF2α had less of a stimulatory effect compared to PgE2 or PgE1 with an order of effectiveness being PgE2 or PgE1 >>Pg A1 > PgF2α. Addition of 10 μg of PgF2α or PgE2 with a maximal dose of hLH (0.1 μg/ml) markedly inhibited the effect of the LH. It is concluded that prostaglandins are not luteolytic when added alone to monkey granulose cell cultures but at a dose of 10 μg/ml inhibit the luteinizing action of exogenous LH upon monkey granulosa cell cultures.
Characterization of reworkable high-temperature adhesives for MCM-D application

The need to have a high-temperature adhesive that can withstand temperatures in excess of 350°C for MCM-D silicon substrate process application, yet which can be reworkable at slightly high temperature ∼ 400°C for the removal from the glass pallet, is important. A novel, reworkable, high-temperature adhesive based on polyimide–amide–epoxy (PIAE) copolymer was developed and investigated using modulated differential scanning calorimetry (MDSC), thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA), Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) and solid-probe pyrolysis mass spectroscopy (MS). Compared with commercial polyimide–amide (PIA) adhesives, FTIR spectra reveal that the thermally degradative ester groups contribute to the reworkability of the PIAE adhesive at a specific temperature (400°C), yet they remain thermally stable at a lower working temperature (350°C). FTIR spectrum comparison of the residuals of PIAE and PIA are similar after exposure to 400°C. MS spectra of outgassed products identify that the components of radical fragmentation from PIAE are due to polymeric chain degradation at 400°C, while only volatile trace water and N-methyl pyrolidone (NMP) are evolved from the commercial PIA adhesive. TGA results suggest a complementary explanation for the variation of total ion current (TIC) curves on these two adhesives. MDSC curves further verify that the reworkable PIAE adhesive is a copolymer. Furthermore, a reasonable thermal degradation mechanism is presented on the adhesive reworkability. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 73: 997–1005, 1999
Characteristics of a low-molecular-weight factor extracted from mouse tumors that affects in vitro properties of macrophages.

A dialysable low-molecular-weight factor capable of affecting in vitro properties of macrophages was extracted from four different mouse tumors. This factor not only modulates closely related properties of peritoneal macrophages such as spreading and migration but also inhibits lipopolysaccharide-induced tumoricidal activity of these cells. It can be extracted not only from tumor tissues but also from tumor cells grown in vitro. The appearance of this factor is unique to tumors and it is not present in detectable quantities in normal tissues. The factor from one of the tumors, Lewis lung carcinoma, was purified extensively and the partially purified factor retains all the above effects on macrophages. It is not sensitive to pronase or a mixture of bovine spleen phosphodiesterase II, E. coli alkaline phosphatase and pancreatic ribo-nuclease. The factor is lipid-like in character and it is soluble in both organic solvents and aqueous media. It has ionizable group(s) and is anionic at neutral pH but non-ionic under acidic conditions.
Ontogenetic Variations in Cuticle Morphology in the Blue Crab Callinectes sapidus Rathbun, 1896

Abstract In an effort to use aspects of the cuticle as taxonomic characters in phylogenies of fossil and extant decapods, variation due to gender, growth, sample location on the carapace, and molt cycle must be understood so that taxonomically important characters can be identified. In this study, effects of sample location on the carapace and carapace size were examined. A series of male Callinectes sapidus Rathbun, 1896, specimens from 2-6 cm in length were collected on the Rhode River of the Chesapeake Bay, MD, USA. To study the effects of sample location and carapace size on parameters of the cuticle, the cuticle was examined in thin section and on the surface of the dorsal carapace. The distributional density of setal pits and nodes and node size were measured on the surface. In thin section, thickness of the cuticle and construction of the nodes and setal pits was examined. Thickness of the cuticle, node size, and setal pit density increased during growth of the crab. Node density decreased with gro...
Summer diving behavior of male walruses in Bristol Bay, Alaska

Pacific walruses (Odobenus rosmarus divergens) make trips from ice or land haul-out sites to forage for benthic prey. We describe dive and trip charac­ teristics from time-depth-recorder data collected over a one-month period during summer from four male Pacific walruses in Bristol Bay, Alaska. Dives were classified into four types. Shallow (4 m), short (2.7 min), square-shaped dives accounted for 11 % of trip time, and many were probably associated with traveling. Shallow (2 m) and very short (0.5 min) dives composed only 1 % of trip time. Deep (41 m), long (7.2 min), square-shaped dives accounted for 46% of trip time and were undoubtedly associated with benthic foraging. V-shaped dives ranged widely in depth, were of moderate duration (4.7 min), and composed 3% of trip time. These dives may have been associated with navigation or exploration of the seafloor for potential prey habitat. Surface intervals between dives were similar among dive types, and generally lasted 1-2 min. Total foraging time was strongly correlated with trip duration and there was no apparent diel pattern of diving in any dive type among animals. We found no correlation between dive duration and postdive surface interval within dive types, suggesting that diving occurred within aerobic dive limits. Trip duration varied considerably within and among walruses (0.3-9.4 d), and there was evidence that some of the very short trips were unrelated to foraging. Overall, walruses were in the water for 76.6% of the time, of which 60.3% was spent divlllg.
Recent trends in publications of US vascular surgery program directors.

AimWe reviewed the number of vascular publications listed in PubMed from 2001 to 2009 for US program directors in vascular surgery and suggest that this can be used as a benchmark.MethodsPubMed listed 3284 citations published during this time period. The average number of citations in PubMed per program director was 3.68 per year. The top third produced 67% of the publications. Journal of Vascular Surgery publications made up 37%. No statistical differences could be ascertained between the regions of the country and the number of publications.ResultsCompared to the first six years, the number of citations decreased during the last three years (13%). During the first period, there were no programs with no publications and seven with no Journal of Vascular Surgery publication. During the last three years, there were seven programs with no publications and 19 programs with no Journal of Vascular Surgery publications. The number of aortic-endovascular citations peaked in 2002 and 2003, while the number of ope...
When to Start ART in the Setting of Acute AIDS-Related Opportunistic Infections: The Time Is Now!

Despite the substantial benefits of combination antiretroviral therapy (ART), a significant proportion of HIV-infected individuals still present with advanced disease and active AIDS-related opportunistic infections (OIs). The weight of evidence from recent studies supports the early initiation of ART (ie, within 2 weeks of initiating treatment for the acute OIs). Initiating ART early in acutely ill patients can reduce AIDS-related progression and death. Early ART has not been associated with increased rates of immune reconstitution inflammatory syndrome in prospective studies of non-tuberculosis OIs, although this concern is frequently cited as a reason to delay ART. Nor has early ART been associated with increased adverse outcomes. Nonetheless, initiating ART early in acute care settings can be challenging to implement and requires a well-coordinated multidisciplinary team with expertise in ART management.
Survival of Aspergillus flavus conidiospores and other fungi on cowpeas during long-term storage under various environmental conditions

Abstract The survival of fungi naturally present on cowpeas (Vigna unguiculata L. Walp. ssp. unguiculata) as well as Aspergillus flavus (Link ex Fries) inoculated on cowpeas and cowpea flour was monitored over a long-term storage period. The combined effects of water activity (aw), temperature and atmospheric gas content were evaluated. The aw (0.66 and 0.44) did not influence survival of A. flavus at 4 and 21°C, where remarkably high viability was observed after 20 months of storage. At 37°C, loss of viability was greater than at 4 or 21°C. A more rapid reduction in the viability of conidiospores was noted at aw 0.66 than at aw 0.44, both on whole cowpeas and cowpea flour, when storage was at 37°C under atmospheric gas or vacuum. Total fungi (yeasts and molds) and A. flavus populations maintained highest viability when packaged under an atmosphere of nitrogen. The influence of aw and temperature on survival of these populations was minimal in cowpeas stored under a nitrogen atmosphere.
The fine structure of the feline superior vestibular nucleus: Identification and synaptology of the primary vestibular afferents

Abstract The superior vestibular nucleus of the cat and its primary vestibular afferents were examined by light and electron microscopy. The primary vestibular afferents branch within the nucleus in a sheet-like pattern, in the transverse plane. The dendritic fields of many secondary neurons are shaped like discs and are also oriented in the transverse plane. This relation between the primary afferents and dendritic fields may be relevant to the convergence of primary afferents innervating particular endorgans onto secondary neurons. Synaptic boutons in the SV were divided into 3 putative types on the basis of the size and shape of their synaptic vesicles. The primary afferent bouton was identified by comparing the SV of the two sides after unilateral lesions of the vestibular ganglion. Its boutons contain round vesicles of 40 nm average diameter and are associated with prominent postsynaptic densities; the two other putative bouton types contain smaller, round vesicles, and pleomorphic vesicles. The primary afferent boutons largely contact proximal dendrites, their appendages, and cell somata of the secondary neurons. In animals receiving unilateral lesions of the vestibular ganglion and allowed to survive long enough for the primary afferent boutons to disappear (5–6 days), there occurs in the denervated as compared to normal SV: (1) a decrease in the fraction of the somal surface of the secondary neurons covered by boutons with small round vesicles; and (2) a decrease in the ratio: number of boutons with small round vesicles to number of boutons with pleomorphic vesicles. In addition, there appears on the lesioned side a new group of boutons with pleomorphic vesicles smaller than those in boutons from the control side. These observations suggest plastic changes in response to deafferentation, and may be related to the marked behavioral recovery which occurs within a few days after lesion of the vestibular ganglion.
Thrombin-activated and factor Xa-activated human factor VIII: differences in cofactor activity and decay rate.

Abstract The decay of human coagulation factor VIIIa has been studied by kinetic methods that ensure no interference through proteolytic feedback. The rate of decay of factor VIIIa activity was found to vary with the activator used to activate factor VIII. Thrombin-activated factor VIII-von Willebrand factor complex (fVIII-vWf) decayed at a rate of 0.31 min−1, whereas factor Xa-activated fVIII-vWf decayed at 0.11 min−1 under the same conditions. Factor VIII free of von Willebrand factor (factor VIII: C), although decaying at a generally slower rate after activation, still showed a dependence of decay rate on activator: thrombin-activated factor VIII:C decaying at a rate of 0.06 min−1, and factor Xa-activated factor VIII: C at 0.01 min−1. Readdition of von Willebrand factor (18 μg/ml) to factor VIII:C did not alter the observed activity or decay rate. The decay of the two species of factor VIIIa was studied, using the fVIII-vWf complex, in the presence of varying levels of factor IXa. Plots of reciprocal decay rates vs factor IXa concentration were linear, and nearly parallel for the two factor VIIIa species, with a mean slope of 0.56 min · n m −1. In addition to these studies, we have confirmed previous studies showing that the two forms of factor VIIIa differ in cofactor activity, but they do so in the same ratio as in their decay rates. We suggest that this difference and that observed in decay rate have a common cause, and incorporate this into a potential kinetic model of factor VIII activation and decay.
A semi-empirical method for electrically modeling of fuel cell: Executed on a direct methanol fuel cell

Abstract In this paper, a novel semi-empirical modeling method to mathematically derive a nonlinear equivalent circuit from a special group of impedance fuel cell models is proposed. As an example, a 5-cm 2 direct methanol fuel cell (DMFC) was modeled by this method. The derived equivalent circuit is composed of lumped nonlinear resistors, capacitors and an inductor. The nonlinear circuit has an impedance equivalent to the target fuel cell in various operating conditions and provides a good approximation of the static and transient behaviors of the fuel cell. The equivalent circuit fuel cell model was validated by comparing its numerical simulation results with its polarization curve and the dynamic behavior of the target DMFC. These comparisons were performed while the DMFC was operating under square current pulses with different upper and low current levels.
Initiating acamprosate within-detoxification versus post-detoxification in the treatment of alcohol dependence

Abstract Objectives This trial compared the efficacy of acamprosate, started at the beginning of detoxification, to acamprosate started at the completion of detoxification, in the treatment of alcohol dependence. Methods This biphasic clinical trial consisted of a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled Detoxification Phase (DP), followed by a 10-week open-label Rehabilitation Phase (RP). Forty alcohol dependent patients were randomly assigned to receive either 1998 mg of acamprosate daily, or matching placebo, during the DP (5–14 days). After completing detoxification, all patients received open label acamprosate (1998 mg daily) in the RP. Outcome measures during the DP included: treatment retention, alcohol withdrawal, alcohol consumption, and oxazepam used. Outcome measures during the RP included: treatment retention and alcohol consumption. Results There were no significant outcome differences between acamprosate and placebo-treated patients during the DP. Patients given acamprosate, compared to placebo, during the DP drank more alcohol in the RP. Conclusions Starting acamprosate at the beginning of detoxification did not improve DP outcomes. Starting acamprosate after detoxification was completed was associated with better drinking outcomes during subsequent alcohol rehabilitation treatment.
A comparison of photon counting and current measuring techniques in spectrophotometry of faint sources.

The component of dark noise produced by Cerenkov pulses in photomultipliers due to cosmic ray mu mesons is discussed. It is shown by integration of pulse height spectra that this source of noise can be the limiting factor in dc measuring spectrophotometry of faint astronomical sources. Direct current methods of photometry are compared with photon counting, and the advantage of photon counting is demonstrated under various operating conditions.
Polyurethane Foam Medium for Biofiltration. II: Operation and Performance

A polyurethane foam medium with characteristics described in Part I of this paper was tested in a toluene degrading biofilter to demonstrate its ability to support an active biofilm and to study feasibility of a novel nutrient addition and biomass wasting strategy. A laboratory-scale biofilter was fed a model waste stream containing toluene for more than 300 days using empty bed residence times ranging from 1 to 4 min and toluene concentrations ranging from 50 to 200 parts per million by volume. Results reported herein demonstrate that a polyurethane foam medium with high porosity, suitable pore size, low density, and an ability to sorb water was able to remove over 99% of the influent toluene after implementation of a nutrient addition and biomass removal strategy. The strategy, made possible by use of the foam medium, overcame problems such as clogging, high head loss, moisture content control, and nutrient limitation that are often associated with conventional biofilter operation.
Gastrointestinal Blood Loss during Cow Milk Feeding in 10-12-Month-Old Infants: How Significant Is It?

Gastrointestinal Blood Loss during Cow Milk Feeding in 10-12-Month-Old Infants: How Significant Is It?
Aspiration of gastric fluid in pulmonary allografts: Effect of pH

Abstract Background Chronic aspiration of gastric fluid potentially plays a central role in the pathogenesis of obliterative bronchiolitis, which is often associated with chronic pulmonary allograft failure. It remains unknown whether pharmaceutical-induced increases in gastric pH might effectively prevent any putative pulmonary injury associated with chronic aspiration. Materials and methods To test the hypothesis that neutralization of gastric fluid would affect the development of aspiration-associated obliterative bronchiolitis, an established rat lung transplant model (WKY-to-F344) was utilized. Pulmonary allograft recipients were subjected to eight weekly aspirations of gastric fluid at pH 2.5 (low-pH), gastric fluid at pH 7.4 (neutralized-pH), or saline as a control. Results Histologic analysis revealed that the fraction of airways affected with lesions consistent with obliterative bronchiolitis was 0.55 ± 0.08 (mean ± SEM) in rats receiving aspiration with low-pH gastric fluid, 0.49 ± 0.07 in animals receiving neutralized-pH gastric fluid, and 0.07 ± 0.05 in rats receiving normal saline only. The difference between groups receiving gastric fluid, regardless of pH, was significantly different from the saline control (P Conclusions Effective management of gastroesophageal reflux disease in lung transplant recipients should probably include more than neutralization of gastric fluid.
Heredity, Environment, and Personality Change: Evidence From the Texas Adoption Project

Personahty changes over time can be analyzed by the same twin and adoption methods used to analyze the genetic and environmental influences on a trait at a given time Composite parent rating measures of Extra- version, Socialization, and Stability made on two occasions approximately 10 years apart on 229 adopted and 83 nonadopted children from the Texas Adop- tion Project were used to illustrate this point in two ways The first was based on correlations among family members, from which it appeared that by far the chief source of individual change was neither the genes nor shared family environment, but individual experience (and/or measurement error) The sec- ond was via a path-analytic approach to changes in the means of adopted and natural children, from which it appeared that, nonetheless, the children were tending to change on the average m the direction of their genetic parents' personalities