cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Wisconsin Charter School Policy and its Effect on Private School Enrollment

Proponents of school choice policies assume that such policies will create competition between schools for nearby students. This paper discusses the differences between choice and competition in education and why the existence of choice does not necessarily translate to competition. Vouchers and charter schools have been the twin pillars of school choice-based reform. Due to the limited number of voucher programs, charter schools provide a much better case for evaluating whether choice leads to competition. This paper suggests that evaluating private school enrollment impacts of charter school enrollment sheds light on the degree to which competition is present. A significant decrease in private enrollment in response to charter schools indicates more competition; whereas, an insignificant effect indicates choice that falls short of the necessary conditions of competition. The results of this study indicate Wisconsin charter schools do not disproportionately enroll students from private schools.
Ocular toxicity from pesticide exposure : A recent review

Toxic effects on eyes result from exposure to pesticides via inhalation, ingestion, dermal contact and ocular exposure. Exposure of unprotected eyes to pesticides results in the absorption in ocular tissue and potential ocular toxicity. Recent literature on the risks of ocular toxicity from pesticide exposure is limited. Ocular toxicity from pesticide exposure, including the dose-response relationship, has been studied in different animal species. Cholinesterase enzymes have been detected in animal ocular tissue, with evidence of organophosphate-induced inhibition. Pathological effects of pesticides have been observed in conjunctiva, cornea, lens, retina and the optic nerve. Pesticide exposure has been associated with retinopathy in agricultural workers and wives of farmers who used pesticides. Saku disease, an optico-autonomic peripheral neuropathy, has been described in Japan in people living in an area where organophosphates were used. Pesticide exposure is also associated with abnormal ocular movements. Progressive toxic ocular effects leading to defective vision are a serious health concern. Agricultural workers are at high risk of exposure to pesticides and associated ocular toxicity. Primary prevention is the appropriate method of protecting eyes from pesticide-related damage. This includes improved eye safety and care in workplaces, and effective pesticide regulation for maintenance of public eye health.
Generation Y values and lifestyle segments

Purpose – Although Generation Y has been extensively examined in the popular and academic literature, there have not been any studies to date that have identified the psychographic profile of this market segment using the VALS scale. The purpose of the research presented in this paper is to provide a segment characterization of Generation Y using the VALS typology and provide insights into the media habits of this population. Design/methodology/approach – The research sample consisted of subjects from Generation Y that were drawn from a population of college students. To determine the VALS types, participants completed the VALS survey in addition to responding to questions related to demographics and media habits. Originality/value – The results contribute to the literature by providing for the first time a segmented characterization of Generation Y consumers. The research provides a detailed perspective of this important market segment and provides marketers with insights on their values, attitudes, and ...
Studies on the biosynthesis of cyclopropane fatty acids in Escherichia coli.

Abstract By use of various mutants either defective in unsaturated fatty acid biosynthesis or altered in the level of S-adenosylmethionine we have tested the effects of changes in the intracellular concentrations of these substrates on in vivo cyclopropane fatty acid synthesis. A 1.5-fold change in unsaturated fatty acid content produced an equivalent change in cyclopropane fatty acid content. A 20-fold difference in S-adenosylmethionine content had little or no effect on cyclopropane fatty acid formation. Studies with unsaturated fatty acid auxotrophs showed that unsaturated fatty acid synthesis is not required for cyclopropane fatty acid synthesis. Other studies demonstrated that cyclopropane fatty acid content had little effect on phospholipid stability. Finally, we have shown by three methods (gas-liquid chromatography, proton and 15C nuclear magnetic resonance spectra) that the cyclopropane ring of these Escherichia coli acids has the cis configuration.
The intention-to-CAUSE bias: Evidence from children’s causal language

The current study explored causal language in 3.5- to 4-year-old children by manipulating the type of agent (human acting intentionally or unintentionally, or inanimate object) and the type of effect (motion or state change) in causal events. Experiment 1 found that the type of agent, but not the type of effect, influenced children's production of causal language. Children produced more causal language for intentionally caused events than for either unintentionally- or object-caused events, independent of the type of effect. Experiment 2, which tested children's judgments of descriptions for the events, found a similar pattern. Children preferred causal descriptions more for the intentionally caused events than the unintentionally- and the object-caused events. Experiment 3 found no evidence of bias in children's non-linguistic representations of the events. Taken together, these results suggest an intention-to-CAUSE bias in children's mapping of conceptual representations of causality into linguistic structure. We discuss the implications of these results for the acquisition of causal language and for the development of conceptual representations of causality.
Confirmatory factor analysis of the Mayer–Salovey–Caruso Emotional Intelligence Test V 2.0 (MSCEIT)

Abstract Gignac (2005) and Palmer, Gignac, Manocha, and Stough (2005) recently raised important issues concerning the construct validity of the Mayer–Salovey–Caruso Emotional Intelligence Test Version 2.0 (MSCEIT; Mayer, Salovey, & Caruso, 2002). This study sought to further examine the constructs measured by the MSCEIT by replicating and extending their research through confirmatory factor analyses (CFA) of the following models: (a) a one-factor model reflecting general emotional intelligence (EI); (b) an oblique two-factor model reflecting the Experiential and Strategic areas; (c) an oblique four-factor model reflecting the four branches or scales of the ability model; (d) an oblique three-factor model reflecting the Perceiving Emotions, Understanding Emotions, and Managing Emotions factors; (e) a general factor model with a nested orthogonal Perceiving Emotions factor and oblique Understanding Emotions and Managing Emotions factors; and (f) a hierarchical model reflecting the MSCEIT’s implied theoretical structure, with oblique first-order factors reflecting the four branches, two oblique second-order factors, and a third-order general EI factor. Results of these analyses replicate those of Gignac (2005) and Palmer et al. (2005), suggesting that the MSCEIT does not measure all the constructs intended by its authors. Further refinement of the test, underlying theory, or both, is needed, with particular emphasis on the Using Emotions factor.
Information Theory in Scientific Visualization

In recent years, there is an emerging direction that leverages information theory to solve many challenging problems in scientific data analysis and visualization. In this article, we review the key concepts in information theory, discuss how the principles of information theory can be useful for visualization, and provide specific examples to draw connections between data communication and data visualization in terms of how information can be measured quantitatively. As the amount of digital data available to us increases at an astounding speed, the goal of this article is to introduce the interested readers to this new direction of data analysis research, and to inspire them to identify new applications and seek solutions using information theory.
Weather Variation as a Cost-Price Uncertainty Factor as It Affects Corn and Soybean Production

The process of attempting to predict climate and its resultant impact on agricultural output and prices is hardly a new venture. Herschel conducted a detailed study of solar activity in the late 1700s, noting an apparent relationship with severity of climate. He subsequently compared these relationships with wheat price statistics compiled by Adam Smith. Wallace, in 1920, used multiple regression methods to estimate the impact of meteorological variables on corn yield. This work contributed to the idea of the ever-normal granary. A number of studies examining climatic variability and food reserve policy were developed in the mid-1960s at the Center for Agricultural and Economic Development at Iowa State University and in the U.S. Department of Agriculture (Thompson 1966). Review articles on climatic change and its impact on agriculture include Bryson, Kalnicky, Newman and Pickett, and Thompson (1975). This article reviews an attempt to integrate climate into priceforecasting methodology, to develop supply implications for use in formulation of inventory policy, and to assess impacts on cost of production.
Automaton models of reproduction by self-inspection

There is a strategy by which an automaton can examine itself to obtain a complete description of its own constituent structure. This strategy is here employed to show that machine self-reproduction by means of selfinspection is possible. Since the parent automaton structure serves as the sole model for the structure of offspring, the result shows that there is a logically consistent strategy of self-reproduction in which any acquired structural characteristics of parent could perforce be transmitted to the offspring.
Quantitative Relationships between Pollen Shed Density and Grain Yield in Maize

Pollen production generally is not considered a limiting factor in modern maize (Zea mays L.) production. In some modern hybrids, however, smaller tassel size, use of male sterile blends, and top cross production may limit pollen availability. This study was conducted to establish the lower limits for pollen production needed to ensure maximum kernel set, and to devise a method for predicting pollen production from simple measures of tassel development. Isolated blocks of male fertile plants were established in a field of male sterile plants. The level of male fertility was varied from 0 to 100% by detasselling (Pioneer 3978) or by using mixtures of male fertile and male sterile isolines (Pioneer 3925 and 3925S). Pollen shed was measured daily with passive pollen traps. A Population Index, derived from the percentage of plants shedding pollen and the average pollen production per plant, accurately predicted the seasonal pattern and total pollen shed for each male fertility treatment. Hybrids used in this study shed pollen for 10 to 12 d, with a peak intensity 2 to 3 d after anthesis (50% plants shedding pollen). Individual tassels produced 4.5 × 10 6 pollen grains on average, and shed pollen for 5 or 6 d. Variation in grain yield across male fertility treatments was closely correlated to kernels per plant (r 2 = 0.998). Seasonal pollen production limited kernels per plant at pollen densities less than 3000 pollen grains silk -1 . This lower limit for effective kernel set occurred at male fertility levels less than 50% for both hybrids. Grain yield, however, was maintained at male fertility levels as low as 20% because of compensation in grain size. These results demonstrate that a minimum pollen shed density per exposed silk is required to achieve maximum kernel set and grain yield. They also show that the seasonal pattern of pollen shed can be predicted from simple measures of staminate flower development. Together, these results provide a rational basis for achieving high kernel set under field conditions in which pollen production might be limiting.
Abstract 1861: Autophagy and cell death in breast cancer cells following oxidative stress by mitoquinone.

Mitoquinone (MitoQ), a mitochondrially-targeted redox-active ubiquinone agent, selectively killed breast cancer cells compared to healthy cells mammary epithelial cells. While mitoquinone treatment led to irreversible loss in clonogenicity, the exact mechanism by which this agent was cytotoxic was unknown. We demonstrated that mitoquinone, although a synthetic derivative of the antioxidant ubiquinone, generated superoxide in MDA-MB-231 cells. Investigation into the cytotoxicity mechanism of MitoQ showed that a greater number of cells undergo autophagy than apoptosis. Drug treatment increased protein levels of the autophagosome-associated light chain 3 (LC3-II) that is responsible for the formation and nucleation of the autophagy bodies. Autophagy was confirmed by ultrastructural analysis using electron microscopy. However, the relationship between mitoquinone-induced oxidative stress and autophagy as a primary cellular response was not clear. We found that MitoQ induces Atg7-dependent but Beclin-1-independent cellular autophagy. Cancer cells and mouse embryonic fibroblast (MEF) lacking the autophagy related gene 7 (Atg7) had lower levels of autophagy after MitoQ treatment than Atg7 wild-type counterparts. In addition, we observed higher levels of oxidation in Atg7 deficient cells. Keap1, an oxidative stress sensor protein that regulates an antioxidant response via the transcription factor Nrf2, underwent oxidation and degradation in drug-treated cells. However, in Atg7 deficient cells Keap1 degradation decreased, suggesting Atg7-dependent Keap1 degradation. Conversely, knockdown of Keap1 decreased autophagy levels, but had no apparent effect on apoptosis. In vivo studies using spontaneously hypertensive rats implanted with a tumor confirmed that treatment with MitoQ reduced tumor size and increase autophagy in tumor cells. We established the anti-tumor activity of Mito-Q in breast cancer cell lines and in an animal model. We also provided preliminary evidence for an Atg7- and Keap1- dependent autophagy as one of the mechanisms that respond to the oxidative stress by Mito-Q. Citation Format: Yanira Gonzalez-Berrios, Baikuntha P. Aryal, Leena M. Chehab, Ashutosh Rao. Autophagy and cell death in breast cancer cells following oxidative stress by mitoquinone. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 104th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2013 Apr 6-10; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2013;73(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 1861. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2013-1861
Differential associations between types of verbal memory and prefrontal brain structure in healthy aging and late life depression

Verbal memory deficits attributed to late life depression (LLD) may result from executive dysfunction that is more detrimental to list-learning than story-based recall when compared to healthy aging. Despite these behavioral dissociations, little work has been done investigating related neuroanatomical dissociations across types of verbal memory performance in LLD. We compared list-learning to story-based memory performance in 24 non-demented individuals with LLD (age ~ 66.1 ± 7.8) and 41 non-demented/non-depressed healthy controls (HC; age ~ 67.6 ± 5.3). We correlated significant results of between-group analyses across memory performance variables with brain volumes of frontal, temporal and parietal regions known to be involved with verbal learning and memory. When compared to the HC group, the LLD group showed significantly lower verbal memory performance for spontaneous recall after repeated exposure and after a long-delay but only for the list-learning task; groups did not differ on story-based memory performance. Despite equivalent brain volumes across regions, only the LLD group showed brain associations with verbal memory performance and only for the list-learning task. Specifically, frontal volumes important for subjective organization and response monitoring correlated with list-learning performance in the LLD group. This study is the first to demonstrate neuroanatomical dissociations across types of verbal memory performance in individuals with LLD. Results provide structural evidence for the behavioral dissociations between list-learning and story-based recall in LLD when compared to healthy aging. More specifically, it points toward a network of predominantly anterior brain regions that may underlie the executive contribution to list-learning in older adults with depression.
COMPOUNDING CONSUMER INTEREST: Effects of Advertising Campaign Publicity on the Ability to Recall Subsequent Advertisements

It is frequently assumed by marketing practitioners that ad effectiveness could be substantially improved by publicity surrounding advertising campaigns. This assumption was empirically tested by examining the effects of Super Bowl advertising campaign information in news stories on consumers' memory of the subsequent ads. Synergy between two promotional tools--marketing publicity and advertising--was detected. Previous advertising research has explained, to a degree, why some ads are better recalled from the crowded pool of ads. The present study suggests preadvertising publicity about an ad campaign as another consideration. Such publicity could be an effective tool in integrated marketing communication (IMC).
An Empirical Test of the Information Processing Theory

According to the propositions in the information processing theory, this study tests the relationship between task uncertainty and three organizational design strategies, i.e., creation of lateral relationships, investment in information systems, and creation of self-contained tasks. Data from 125 North American manufacturing firms are used and business environment uncertainty is employed to measure task uncertainty. Sourcing practice and delivery practice measure the creation of lateral relationships, while Information quality measures the investment in information systems. Also, just-in-time production and human resource management measure the creation of self-contained tasks. Regression analysis shows that business environment uncertainty has significant positive influence on sourcing practice, delivery practice, information quality, just-in-time production, and human resource management. While the information processing theory was proposed more than thirty years ago, this study empirically extends the relevance of information processing theory to todayâ€™s supply chain environment.
Caregiver health: health of caregivers of Alzheimer's and other dementia patients.

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is the most common type of dementia and is a significant public health problem that will intensify as the population ages. The behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSD) present a significant burden to patients, their families, and their caregivers. The majority of care is provided at home by family caregivers. Caring for a person with AD and other dementias is associated with significant risk to the caregiver’s health and well-being. Healthcare providers must recognize that family caregivers often present as secondary patients. Given the importance of these caregivers to patients with AD and other dementias, it is vital to understand the risk factors that impact caregiver health and well-being. Non-pharmacological interventions can reduce the negative impact of caregiver burden on caregiver health, reduce premature institutionalization of patients, and improve quality of life for patients, their families, and their caregivers. This article summarizes recent relevant research concerning AD and dementia caregiver health and psychosocial interventions.
Relationships of red-cockaded woodpecker reproduction and foraging habitat characteristics in Arkansas and Louisiana

Red-cockaded woodpecker (RCW; Picoides borealis) productivity is influenced by characteristics of forests in which they forage. Thus, we investigated the relationships between stand conditions and RCW reproduction. We conducted focal animal sampling two to three times per season for ten RCW groups from September 1999–September 2001 in southern Arkansas and northern Louisiana, USA. We measured overstory and understory vegetation characteristics associated with observed foraging sites. Mean diameter at breast height (DBH) of hardwood trees and autumn forb cover were inversely correlated with number of eggs laid. The numbers of eggs, hatchlings, and fledglings were similar between groups with and without helpers, though helpers tended to remain in higher quality habitat. Groups with helpers used foraging areas with greater basal area of pines (Pinus spp.) ≥25.4 cm DBH, conifer canopy cover, leaf litter cover, litter depth, autumn vine cover, and winter woody cover than groups without helpers. Our results suggested that foraging habitat recommendations should include understory conditions, although additional research is required to clarify the interrelationships between RCW reproduction, forest stand characteristics, and the arthropod community.
Nutrients related to one-carbon metabolism and risk of renal cell cancer.

Purpose Folate, vitamins B6 and B12, methionine, choline, and betaine are nutrients related to one-carbon metabolism and have been hypothesized to decrease cancer risk. Few studies have evaluated dietary intakes of these nutrients in relation to renal cell cancer (RCC).
Factors related to information acquisition in exporting organizations

Abstract An increasing number of small firms are moving into export operations. Accompanying this movement is the need for such businesses to acquire foreign market information to attend to export threats and opportunities. We report the results of a study that used transaction cost analysis to examine potential factors related to whether small companies utilize in-house or external sources to obtain foreign market information. Results suggest that use of internal sources is associated with a small organization's management strategy, the nature of its products, the distance from its market, and the international expertise of its employees.
The partitioned exponential file for database storage management

The rate of increase in hard disk storage capacity continues to outpace the rate of decrease in hard disk seek time. This trend implies that the value of a seek is increasing exponentially relative to the value of storage. With this trend in mind, we introduce the partitioned exponential file (PE file) which is a generic storage manager that can be customized for many different types of data (e.g., numerical, spatial, or temporal). The PE file is intended for use in environments with intense update loads and concurrent, analytic queries. Such an environment may be found, for example, in long-running scientific applications which can produce petabytes of data. For example, the proposed Large Synoptic Survey Telescope [36] will produce 50---100 petabytes of observational, scientific data over its multi-year lifetime. This database will never be taken off-line, so bursty update loads of tens of terabytes per day must be handled concurrently with data analysis. In the PE file, data are organized as a series of on-disk sorts with a careful, global organization. Because the PE file relies heavily on sequential I/O, only a fraction of a disk seek is required for a typical record insertion or retrieval. In addition to describing the PE file, we also detail a set of benchmarking experiments for T1SM, which is a PE file customized for use with multi-attribute data records ordered on a single numerical attribute. In our benchmarking, we implement and test many competing data organizations that can be used to index and store such data, such as the B+-Tree, the LSM-Tree, the Buffer Tree, the Stepped Merge Method, and the Y-Tree. As expected, no organization is the best over all benchmarks, but our experiments show that T1SM is the best choice in many situations, suggesting that it is the best overall. Specifically, T1SM performs exceptionally well in the case of a heavy query workload that must be handled concurrently with an intense insertion stream. Our experiments show that T1SM (and its close cousin, the T2SM storage manager for spatial data) can handle very heavy mixed workloads of this type, and still maintain acceptably small query latencies.
Age and ratings of manic psychopathology.

Although manic syndromes can occur across thelife cycle into old age (1), there has been littleempirical description of these across adulthood.While the diagnosis of mania (DSM-IV) requirescharacteristic signs and symptoms, some clinicianshave stated that in older compared to youngeradult patients there is attenuation of overallseverity, and either accentuation or attenuationof particular features (2). Empirical investigationof the clinical characteristics of late-life mania hasbeen limited, however, and as yet has providedlittle support for these impressions.Aspects of mania represent exaggerations ofnormal behaviors. Aging is associated withreductions in some behaviors, including speedof motor response (3), and in aspects of sexualactivity (4). Gurland (5) suggested that retarda-tion of speech was characteristic of aged com-pared to younger patients with variouspsychiatric disorders. We (6) reported a negativecorrelation between age and scores on anIncreased Activity-Energy item on the YoungMania Rating Scale (YMRS) (7) in a mixed-age sample of bipolar (BP) manic patients.However, Broadhead and Jacoby (8) did not
Multiple melting peak analysis with gel-spun ultra-high molar mass polyethylene

The multiple melting peaks observed on differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) of ultrahigh molar-mass polyethylene fibers (UHMMPE) are analyzed as a function of sample mass. Using modern DSC capable of recognizing single fibers of microgram size, it is shown that the multiple peaks are in part or completely due to sample packing. Loosely packed fibers fill the entire volume of the pan with rather large thermal resistance to heat flow. On melting, the fibers contract and flow to collect ultimately at the bottom of the pan. This process seems to be able to cause an artifact of multistage melting dependent on the properties of the fibers. A method is proposed to greatly reduce, or even eliminate, errors of this type. The crucial elements of the analysis of melting behavior and melting temperature are decreasing the sample size and packing the individual fibers in a proper geometry, or to introduce inert media to enhance heat transport.
E-2-ethylhexenal, E-2-ethyl-2-hexenol, mellein, and 4-hydroxymellein in Camponotus species from Brunei.

E-2-ethyl-2-hexen-1-ol (1), mellein (4), and 4-hydroxymellein (5) were identified as the major volatile compounds in the head and/or thorax of Camponotus quadrisectus. Neither 1 nor 5 have been previously detected in insects. Also identified were small amounts of m-cresol (2) and 6-methyl salicylic acid (3). E-2-ethylhexenal (6) and small amounts of 3 were identified in heads of Camponotus irritibilis from Kuala Belalong, Brunei. Compounds 2–4 occur in other Bornean camponotines with hypertrophied mandibular glands, and 4 is widespread in the tribe. The possibility of semiochemical parsimony (multiple functions) for these mandibular gland compounds is reviewed in the context of existing data on mandibular gland products of other camponotines, reported biological activities of the compounds, and secondary loss of metapleural glands in this ant group.
A TEST OF GAME SENSE IN BADMINTON

Intellectual abilities which might contribute to success in competitive situations in badminton were studied. Test items and factors of intelligence previously reported were considered, and 10 test...
Monte carlo analysis of a free electron laser in a storage ring

This paper contains studies of the operation of a one-dimensional storage ring free-electron laser (FEL) using a Monte Carlo technique to generate the electron energy fluctuations produced by the FEL. The energy and phase equations of motion have been numerically integrated to calculate equilibrium values of: a) electron energy spread, b) electron phase spread (e.g. electron bunch length), and c) efficiency of conversion of electron energy into laser radiation. The operation of the storage ring free-electron laser was studied for five different FEL magnet designs. It is found that a “one-dimensional” storage ring free-electron laser can operate on a steady-state basis only with reduced overall efficiency due to the inability of the system to damp effectively the electron energy fluctuations produced by the FEL. Results of operation of a SRFEL in a pulsed mode are also presented.
From Joseph to Moses: The Narratives of Exodus 1-2

AbstractIn this paper it is argued that the canonical text of Exodus 1-2 is a compilation of three originally independent narratives belonging to the pentateuchal sources J, E, and P. The text of Exodus 1-2 is divided source-critically, and each individual narrative analyzed on its own terms. Each of these stories contains specific narrative claims that are distinct from that of the canonical text as a whole, and each represents a continuation of the patriarchal narratives into the Exodus account.
NMR study of rotational tunneling in the partially deuterated methanes

We have observed the deuteron NMR absorption line at 46 MHz in phase III of the partially deuterated methanes in the temperature range 40 mK to 4 K. For CH${\mathrm{D}}_{3}$ the line shape depends strongly on the temperature up to 700 mK. A model is developed for the tunneling states of CH${\mathrm{D}}_{3}$ which reproduces both the derivative NMR line shape and the temperature dependence of the line area. We find that the line shape is determined by the interaction of the deuteron quadrupole moment with the gradient of the electric field of the molecular carbon-deuteron bond. The coupling constant for this interaction, $\frac{{e}^{2}\mathrm{qQ}}{h}$, is measured to be 158\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}8 kHz, and the broadening of the NMR line is found to be consistent with the strength of the intramolecular dipole-dipole interactions. The data imply an absence of spin-species conversion in CH${\mathrm{D}}_{3}$ on a time scale of 10 h. Our tunneling-level model for CH${\mathrm{D}}_{3}$ is also compared with thermodynamic measurements. For C${\mathrm{H}}_{2}$${\mathrm{D}}_{2}$ in the temperature range 40 to 60 mK, the NMR line is compared with the predictions of an energy-level scheme deduced from neutron scattering and thermodynamic measurements. We conclude that the tunneling of the deuterons around the ${C}_{3}$ symmetry axis in CH${\mathrm{D}}_{3}$, and around the ${C}_{2}$ symmetry axis in C${\mathrm{H}}_{2}$${\mathrm{D}}_{2}$, proceeds at a rate fast compared with $\frac{{e}^{2}\mathrm{qQ}}{\ensuremath{\hbar}}$. No absorption lines of satisfactory signal-to-noise ratio were observed for C${\mathrm{H}}_{3}$D.
The relationship between the metabolic pools of photosynthetic and respiratory intermediates

Using radioactive carbon dioxide, an attempt has been made to distinguish the various pools of intermediary metabolism which may be physically or chemically separate within the cell. Some correlation between the structural elements of the cells and these pools appears possible.
Crystal Structure of Human Kynurenine Aminotransferase II

Human kynurenine aminotransferase II (hKAT-II) efficiently catalyzes the transamination of knunrenine to kynurenic acid (KYNA). KYNA is the only known endogenous antagonist of N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptors and is also an antagonist of 7-nicotinic acetylcholine receptors. Abnormal concentrations of brain KYNA have been implicated in the pathogenesis and development of several neurological and psychiatric diseases in humans. Consequently, enzymes involved in the production of brain KYNA have been considered potential regulatory targets. In this article, we report a 2.16 A crystal structure of hKAT-II and a 1.95 A structure of its complex with kynurenine. The protein architecture of hKAT-II reveals that it belongs to the fold-type I pyridoxal 5-phosphate (PLP)-dependent enzymes. In comparison with all subclasses of fold-type I-PLP-dependent enzymes, we propose that hKAT-II represents a novel subclass in the fold-type I enzymes because of the unique folding of its first 65 N-terminal residues. This study provides a molecular basis for future effort in maintaining physiological concentrations of KYNA through molecular and biochemical regulation of hKAT-II.
The effect of orally administered sodium iodide and sodium iodate on blood sugar response to thiourea in rats.

Sodium iodide and sodium iodate, when administered in drinking water for a period of two days as a 0.2 per cent solution, greatly diminished the hyperglycemia which normally follows the intraperitoneal injection of thiourea. The mechanism of action is not definitely known, but the protection may result from the prevention of epinephrine release, or the inhibition of hepatic glycogenolysis.
Fibrin-Loaded Porous Poly(Ethylene Glycol) Hydrogels as Scaffold Materials for Vascularized Tissue Formation

Vascular network formation within biomaterial scaffolds is essential for the generation of properly functioning engineered tissues. In this study, a method is described for generating composite hydrogels in which porous poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) hydrogels serve as scaffolds for mechanical and structural support, and fibrin is loaded within the pores to induce vascularized tissue formation. Porous PEG hydrogels were generated by a salt leaching technique with 100–150-μm pore size and thrombin (Tb) preloaded within the scaffold. Fibrinogen (Fg) was loaded into pores with varying concentrations and polymerized into fibrin due to the presence of Tb, with loading efficiencies ranging from 79.9% to 82.4%. Fibrin was distributed throughout the entire porous hydrogels, lasted for greater than 20 days, and increased hydrogel mechanical stiffness. A rodent subcutaneous implant model was used to evaluate the influence of fibrin loading on in vivo response. At weeks 1, 2, and 3, all hydrogels had significant tissue...
A Multimeasure Performance-Based Assessment of Social Competence in Young Children with Disabilities.

Social competence is a concept that has been defined and measured in many ways. Odom and McConnell (1985) proposed a performance-based assessment of social competence that involved significant social agents in children's environments to make judgments about the competence of the children's social behavior. This study constructed and initially evaluated such an approach for assessing social competence of young children with disabilities. A multimethod assessment of children's social competence (i.e., direct observation, observer impressions, teacher rating, peer ratings) was conducted with 222 preschool children with and without disabilities. Principal component analysis yielded four factors, the first of which accounted for the largest percentage of variance and may be the better global assessment of social competence. Results of this investigation are discussed conceptually with respect to the adequacy of multiple-measure performance-based approaches and empirically with regard to the possibility of usin...
Is Accelerated Partial Breast Irradiation Appropriate Adjuvant Therapy for Patients with Ductal Carcinoma In-Situ?

Introduction: Accelerated partial breast irradiation (APBI) using high-dose rate (HDR) balloon catheter breast brachytherapy following wide segmental resection of the breast has been shown to be equivalent to whole breast irradiation (WB-XRT) in the treatment of stage-I breast carcinoma. Because the majority of all breast cancers recur in the same quadrant as the original tumor, the advantages of this treatment compared with WB-XRT include concentration of radiation in the area where cancer is most likely to recur, shorter treatment duration, and greater patient acceptance. This study examined the rate of local/regional recurrence in patients diagnosed with stage-0 breast cancer, specifically ductal carcinoma in-situ (DCIS), following wide segmental resection of the breast and treatment with APBI using HDR balloon catheter breast brachytherapy.Methods: An IRB-approved, single-institution, retrospective chart review was conducted identifying 40 patients diagnosed with stage-0 breast cancer between March, 2004 and April, 2008 who were treated with wide segmental resection of the breast followed by APBI using HDR MammoSite™ balloon catheter breast brachytherapy. Outcome measures included rates of same-quadrant recurrence, ipsilateral second-primary occurrence, and regional recurrence.Results: Patient age ranged from 44 to 89 years (median = 69 years) with a median follow-up of 40 months (range: 16 to 60 months). All 40 patients had DCIS. One patient of 40 (2.5%) had DCIS with an additional focus of lobular carcinoma in-situ. 29 of 40 patients (72.5%) were estrogen receptor (ER) positive. Of these 29 patients, 17 were also progesterone receptor (PR) positive. One patient (2.5%) at 38 months experienced a local recurrence of DCIS with micro-invasion and a synchronous focus of invasive ductal carcinoma in a separate quadrant. This was subsequently treated with total mastectomy, sentinel lymph node mapping, and axillary lymph node dissection. No other patients experienced local-regional recurrence or ipsilateral primary breast cancer occurrence.Conclusion: Patients with DCIS can be effectively treated with APBI/HDR balloon catheter breast brachytherapy following wide segmental breast resection. The rate of local-regional recurrence was 2.5% at a median follow-up time of 40 months. This is consistent with that of patients with DCIS treated with wide segmental breast resection followed by WB-XRT. Long-term follow-up will be required to assure these rates remain favorable. Citation Information: Cancer Res 2009;69(24 Suppl):Abstract nr 2116.
A Cellwise Block-Gauss-Seidel Iterative Method for Multigroup SN Transport on a Hybrid Parallel Computer Architecture

A Fourier analysis is conducted in two-dimensional (2-D) geometry for the discrete ordinates (SN) approximation of the neutron transport problem solved with Richardson iteration (source iteration) ...
Evaluation of Mutagenicity of Restorative Dental Materials Using the Ames Salmonella/Microsome Test

Compounds of five commercially available dental material kits were examined for mutagenic potential by use of the Ames Salmonella/microsome test. Dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) was used as the solvent for all materials, except MONO-LOK2 Primer and Right-On Activator, which were dissolved in 95% ethanol. The Tenure, Fuji, and Gluma materials were initially screened at 2 mg (solids) or 2 μL (liquids) per plate, without S9 (Aroclor 1254-induced rat liver microsomes), and dose-response studies were conducted for those materials showing potential mutagenicity. The components of three dental kits, MONO-LOK2, Right-On, and Gluma, were further examined, both with and without S9 activation, at doses of 0.2, 4, 20, 100, 500, and 2500 μg (nL for liquid components) per plate. The data showed no mutagenic potential for the components of Fuji Glass Ionomer (Type III), Tenure Dentin Bonding System, and MONO-LOK2 kits, or Right-On Paste. However, Gluma 3, a component of the Gluma/Lumifor Bonding System, exhibited mutagenic ac...
Value of inpatient diagnostic CCTV-EEG monitoring in the elderly.

Summary: Purpose: To examine the outcome of inpatient diagnostic closed circuit TV-EEG (CCTV-EEG) monitoring in a consecutive series of elderly patients admitted to an adult epilepsy-monitoring unit (EMU) over a continuous 6-year period. Methods: Retrospective review of all admissions to a university hospital adult EMU. Those older than 60 years were identified. Patients who were monitored for status epilepticus were excluded. Data on duration of events, frequency of events, physical examination, medications, preadmission EEG, brain imaging, length of stay, and interictal and ictal EEG were obtained. Results: Of the 18 patients admitted for monitoring only, mean age was 69.5 years (range, 60–90 years). Mean length of stay was 4.3 days (range, 2–9 days). Five patients had complex partial seizures recorded. Three patients, all treated with antiepileptic drugs (AEDs), had no spells recorded, and no additional diagnostic information was gained from the admission. The other 10 patients, eight of whom had been treated with AEDs, were symptomatic during their admission, leading to a variety of neurologic but not epileptic, psychiatric, or other medical disorders, and allowing tapering of AEDs. Conclusions: In elderly patients with suspected epilepsy, CCTV-EEG is a very useful diagnostic tool. In this series of 18, 10 patients were diagnosed with potentially treatable medical illnesses not responsive to AEDs.
Workers behaving badly: Associations between adolescent reports of the Big Five and counterproductive work behaviors in adulthood

Abstract There is increasing interest in identifying the personality traits correlated with the propensity to engage in counterproductive work behaviors (CWBs). The current study contributes to this literature by conceptually replicating and extending previous research documenting associations between personality traits and CWBs. Adolescent reports of Agreeableness and Conscientiousness were correlated with self-reports of CWBs 18 years later. The effects held even after controlling for indicators of adolescent academic performance and for current reports of job satisfaction. These results suggest that personality traits assessed in adolescence are prospectively associated with the propensity to engage in CWBs in adulthood.
Bounds for eigenvalues and condition numbers in the p -version of the finite element method

In this paper, we present a theory for bounding the minimum eigenvalues, maximum eigenvalues, and condition numbers of stiffness matrices arising from the p-version of finite element analysis. Bounds are derived for the eigenvalues and the condition numbers, which are valid for stiffness matrices based on a set of general basis functions that can be used in the p-version. For a set of hierarchical basis functions satisfying the usual local support condition that has been popularly used in the p-version, explicit bounds are derived for the minimum eigenvalues, maximum eigenvalues, and condition numbers of stiffness matrices. We prove that the condition numbers of the stiffness matrices grow like p 4(d-1) , where d is the number of dimensions. Our results disprove a conjecture of Olsen and Douglas in which the authors assert that regardless of the choice of basis, the condition numbers grow like p 4d or faster. Numerical results are also presented which verify that our theoretical bounds are correct.
Improved iterative soft-reliability-based majority-logic decoding algorithm for non-binary low-density parity-check codes

Non-binary low-density parity-check (LDPC) codes have some advantages as opposed to their binary counterparts, but unfortunately their decoding complexity is a significant challenge. Hence, the iterative soft-reliability-based (ISRB) majority-logic decoding algorithm is attractive for non-binary LDPC codes, since it involves only finite field additions and multiplications as well as integer additions and comparisons. In this paper, we propose an improved ISRB majority-logic decoding algorithm by using a new reliability update. Our improved algorithm achieves better error performance and faster convergence, while further reducing the computational complexity. For instance, for a (16, 16)-regular (255, 175) cyclic Euclidean geometry LDPC code over GF(28), the proposed algorithm achieves a 0.15 dB coding gain and improves the convergence speed by 10% at a block error rate of 10−4 versus the ISRB majority-logic decoding algorithm. Compared with the ISRB majority-logic decoding algorithm, the proposed algorithm requires the same numbers of finite field additions and multiplications but fewer integer additions and comparisons. Furthermore, the ISRB majority-logic decoding algorithm is based on the accumulation of reliability information, and hence the numerical range of the reliability information increases with iterations. In contrast, the proposed reliability update has a fixed numerical range and thus simplifies hardware implementations.
Living Polymerization of Butadiene at Both Chain Ends via a Bimetallic Nickel Initiator. Preparation of Hydroxytelechelic Poly(butadiene) and Symmetric Poly(isocyanide-b-butadiene-b-isocyanide) Elastomeric Triblock Copolymers

A bifunctional nickel initiator, bis([mu]-trifluoroacetato) ([eta][sup 3]:[eta][sup 3]-2,2[prime]-biallyl)dinickel(II), IV, was synthesized to promote the living polymerization of butadiene to high cis-1,4-content polymer with both chain ends active. Other potential initiators, [1,4-phenylenebis(([eta][sup 3]-1-allyl)nickel trifluoroacetate)][sub n], II, and [1,4-cyclohexanediylbis(([eta][sup 3]-1-allyl)-nickel trifluoroacetate)][sub n], III, were found to be completely ineffective due to intermolecular carboxylate bridges which gave the complexes polymeric structures. The intramolecular bridges in IV and its molecularity were confirmed by X-ray crystallography. IV cocrystallizes in space group P[bar 1] with 0.5 equiv of 2.3-bis((trifluoroacetoxy)methyl)-1,3-butadiene in the unit cell with constants of a = 9.5600(8) [angstrom], b = 9.6554(9) [angstrom], c = 11.7615(10) [angstrom]; [alpha] = 73.711(7)[degree], [beta] = 73.537(7)[degree], [gamma]= 71.938(7)[degree]; V = 967.50(15) [angstrom][sup 3]; and Z = 2. Refinement of the model, which contained a disordered C[sub 6]H[sub 8] unit, led to convergence with R[sub F] = 5.8%, R[sub WF] = 6.9%, and GOF = 2.21 for 276 variables refined against those 2852 data with [vert bar]F[sub o][vert bar]> 3.0[sigma]/([vert bar]F[sub o][vert bar]). The living polybutadiene samples were successfully used to prepare triblock copolymers of the structure poly(1-phenylethyl isocyanide-b-butadiene-b-1-phenylethyl isocyanide). 24 refs., 5 figs., 1 tab.
An analysis of strong discontinuities induced by strain-softening in rate-independent inelastic solids

Ket qualitative features of solutions exhibiting strong discontinuities in rate-independent inelastic solids are identified and exploited in the design of a new class of finite element approximations. The analysis shows that the softening law must be re-interpreted in a distributional sense for the continuum solutions to make mathematical sense and provides a precise physical interpretation to the softening modulus. These results are verified by numerical simulations employing a regularized discontinuous finite element method which circumvent the strong mesh-dependence exhibited by conventional methods, without resorting to viscosity or introducing additional ad-hoc parameters. The analysis is extended to a new class of anisotropic rate-independent damage models for brittle materials.