cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Rapid prototyping of three‐dimensional nanocomposite hydrogel constructs: Effect of silica nanofiller on swelling and solute release behaviors of the nanocomposite hydrogels

Three-dimensional (3D) patterning and engineering of biomaterials and biointerfaces have helped bioengineers harness the full potential of cell immobilization for different biomedical applications. However, the bioengineering of an efficient cell immobilized tool, having application in cell biology and tissue engineering, often comes into realization only when a cell friendly immobilization technique is combined with a compatible 3D patterning scheme. We have previously demonstrated the successful blue light induced photopolymerization of poly (ethyleneglycol) diacrylate (PEGDA) based hydrogels for the entrapment of Saccharomyces cerevisiae and NIH 3T3 fibroblast cells. In the present work we have modified rheology of the prepolymer solution by mixing fumed silica nanofiller in different concentrations. Here we demonstrate the rapid prototyping of cell immobilized nanocomposite hydrogels, where S. cerevisiae loaded nanofilled prepolymer solution was directly written in layer-by-layer fashion using solid free form fabrication also known as rapid prototyping technique and was cross-linked into 3D cell loaded construct via blue light induced polymerization. The swelling trend was found to be a function of silica nanofiller concentration and transitioned from decreasing to increasing type at 10% w/v nanofiller concentration. Dynamic swelling profile predicted that the swelling agent transported with in the gels via super case II type transport mechanism irrespective of the crosslink density. In contrast, the mode of transportation of the loaded solute was found to be fickian and nonfickian type respectively for loosely and tightly crosslinked gels. Spatial heterogeneity in the crosslinked network was resulted upon blue light curing, subsequently the 3D growth of the immobilized cells was observed to be a function of crosslink density. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part A: 103A: 3237–3249, 2015.
A Just in Time Course Framework: Project-Oriented Courses

Typically, a course's framework is built around a set of topics. Elementary concepts are followed by more advanced topics which build on ideas previously presented. Projects are often added to computer science courses to illustrate and reinforce these concepts. This paper looks at an alternative framework in which the course is built around a project and topics are introduced to support that project. The paper begins by justifying this approach, looking at an example course, comparing it with standard curriculum, addressing some of the issues encountered, and documenting the results of students.
MR Imaging of the Triangular Fibrocartilage Complex

MR imaging has emerged as the mainstay in imaging internal derangement of the soft tissues of the musculoskeletal system largely because of superior contrast resolution. The complex geometry and diminutive size of the triangular fibrocartilage complex (TFCC) and its constituent structures can make optimal imaging of the TFCC challenging; therefore, production of clinically useful images requires careful optimization of image acquisition parameters. This article provides a foundation for advanced TFCC imaging including factors to optimize magnetic resonance images, arthrography, detailed anatomy, and classification of injury. In addition, clinical presentations and treatments for TFCC injury are briefly considered.
Pretesting a Questionnaire

Pretesting is a very important step in survey research. It is an absolutely necessary step to ensure all kinds of errors that are associated with survey research are reduced. It helps to improve the quality of data significantly. Pretesting is done on a small sample of respondents from the target population. After the pilot test, both the interviewer(s) and respondents are asked a series of questions regarding the survey as well as the process of data collection during the debriefing session. Such debriefing sessions can help detect any problem with the questionnaire design leading to ambiguity of words, misinterpretation of questions, inability to answer a question, sensitive questions, and many other problems associated with the questionnaire as well as the process of administering the survey. It also provides an opportunity to give feedback to the interviewer to ensure that she/he follows the proper protocol of data collection procedures to ensure objectivity in data collection. Keywords: pretesting; pilot testing; debriefing session; misinterpretation of questions; quality of data
The Costs and Consequences of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002

This paper considers the economic consequences of Pub.L. 107-204, more commonly known as the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 (SOX). SOX is an act passed by U.S. Congress in 2002 to protect investors from the possibility of fraudulent accounting activities by corporations. The Sarbanes-Oxley Act (SOX) mandates strict reforms to improve financial disclosures from corporations and prevent accounting fraud. SOX was enacted in response to the accounting scandals in the early 2000s. Scandals such as Enron, Waste Management, and WorldCom shook investor confidence in financial statements and brought about an overhaul of regulatory standards. I will address what SOX is, what it does, and the reasons for it; namely, audit and analyst failures. Next I will consider the economic implications of SOX, including its costs, benefits, and market based alternatives. Finally I will discuss the efficiency of the law itself from a Governmental standpoint, ie. litigation regarding SOX. I hope to show that through the Courts and market based solutions regulations such as SOX are inefficient and the practical outcome can be achieved in a more efficient manner.
#TFA: The Intersection of Social Media and Education Reform

Teach For America (TFA), a teaching not-for-profit organization that recruits and places non-certified teachers in traditionally difficult to staff schools and districts, has without doubt helped shape the growing conversation of education reform. And while this contribution can be found in the teachers it trains and the alumni who venture into education leadership roles, it can be readily found in the realm of media, and in particular, the social media of Twitter. This paper provides an analysis of 15,304 “tweets” that were sent by, or to TFA and its top officers as well as all “tweets” including the “hashtag” of #TFA. As an exploratory analysis of the content and audience of tweets sent by core TFA individuals and including TFA related “hashtags,” we show that TFA rarely engages with critics as it uses the media of Twitter to reinforce its reform rhetoric within its own reform coalition. Moreover, we assert that the action of ignoring questions and counter-narratives in social media, for example, is grounded on the assumption that neoliberal educational reforms are seemingly above reproach and beyond critique.
The great chemical residue detection debate: dog versus machine

Many engineering groups desire to construct instrumentation to replace dog-handler teams in identifying and localizing chemical mixtures. This goal requires performance specifications for an “artificial dog-handler team”. Progress toward generating such specifications from laboratory tests of dog-handler teams has been made recently at the Sensory Research Institute, and the method employed is amenable to the measurement of tasks representative of the decision-making that must go on when such teams solve problems in actual (and therefore informationally messy) situations. As progressively more quantitative data are obtained on progressively more complex odor tasks, the boundary conditions of dog-handler performance will be understood in great detail. From experiments leading to this knowledge, one ca develop, as we do in this paper, a taxonomy of test conditions that contain various subsets of the variables encountered in “real world settings”. These tests provide the basis for the rigorous testing that will provide an improved basis for deciding when biological sensing approaches (e.g. dog-handler teams) are best and when “artificial noses” are most valuable.
Using secrecy to fight terrorism? Access, homeland security, and the ‘mosaic theory’ as a rationale for closure

The global war on terror instigated by the attacks on the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001, changed forever the calculus between secrecy and government transparency in the United States, and indeed the world. The post-9/11 climate has forced a recasting of the balance between access and closure, and has witnessed a reordering of the values underlying the timeworn debate between proponents of access and those who favor greater restrictions on information flow between government and the citizenry. One of the principle doctrines to have emerged in US information policy post-9/11, the so-called ‘mosaic theory’, is the subject of this study, which employs legal and policy analysis to illustrate the potential for misuse inherent in ill-defined, subjective tests such as this. The authors demonstrate the overreaching the mosaic theory encourages in the hopes of strengthening arguments for its refinement by policymakers and the courts.
Statistical evaluation of data from multi-laboratory testing of a measurement method intended to indicate the presence of dust resulting from the collapse of the World Trade Center

In this paper we describe a statistical analysis of the inter-laboratory data summarized in Rosati et al. (2008) to assess the performance of an analytical method to detect the presence of dust from the collapse of the World Trade Center (WTC) on September 11, 2001. The focus of the inter-lab study was the measurement of the concentration of slag wool fibers in dust which was considered to be an indicator of WTC dust. Eight labs were provided with two blinded samples each of three batches of dust that varied in slag wool concentration. Analysis of the data revealed that three of labs, which did not meet measurement quality objectives set forth prior to the experimental work, were statistically distinguishable from the five labs that did meet the quality objectives. The five labs, as a group, demonstrated better measurement capability although their ability to distinguish between the batches was somewhat mixed. This work provides important insights for the planning and implementation of future studies involving examination of dust samples for physical contaminants. This work demonstrates (a) the importance of controlling the amount of dust analyzed, (b) the need to take additional replicates to improve count estimates, and (c) the need to address issues related to the execution of the analytical methodology to ensure all labs meet the measurement quality objectives.
Functional Properties of the PTH/PTHrP Receptor

The PTH/PTHrP receptor belongs to a novel family of G-protein-coupled receptors which also includes an insect receptor for a diuretic hormone and the protein encoded by a genomic DNA clone from Caenorhabditis elegans. Despite significant structural conservation, rat, opossum, and human PTH/PTHrP receptor homologs display distinct functional characteristics when tested with either [Arg2, Tyr34]hPTH(1-34)amide or [Nle8.18, Tyr34]bPTH(7-34)-amide. These PTH analogs, and chimeras between rat/opossum and between rat/human PTH/PTHrP receptors, led to the identification of receptor residues that appear to be involved in ligand/receptor interaction and receptor activation, respectively. The search for mutations in the PTH/PTHrP receptor gene in genomic DNA of patients with pseudohypoparathyroidism type Ib (PHP-Ib) revealed several silent polymorphisms and a missense mutation in the receptor's tail region which did not affect receptor function. Mutations in the PTH/PTHrP receptor are therefore rarely, if at all, responsible for PHP-Ib. A mutation in the PTH/PTHrP receptor is, however, the most likely cause of Jansen-type metaphyseal chondrodysplasia, a rare form of short-limbed dwarfism which is associated with severe hypercalcemia despite normal or low levels of circulating PTH and PTHrP. A missense mutation was identified which causes constitutive, ligand-independent receptor activation, and thus explains the laboratory and the growth-plate abnormalities in affected individuals.
Politics and the Economist-King: Is Rational Choice Theory the Science of Choice?

This article is another unapologetic contribution to ‘the gentle art of rational choice bashing’. The debate over rational choice theory (RCT) may appear to have tired out; yet RCT is as dominant in political sciences as ever. The reason is that critics typically take aim at the symptoms of RCT’s failings, rather than their root cause: RCT’s very ambition of being the ‘science of choice’. In this article I argue that RCT fails twice, first as a science of choice and then as a science of choice. Both failures suggest that political sciences need an epistemologic (re)conversion away from the Platonic ideal of a deductive and universal science of choice toward a more inductive and pluralist paradigm. While advocates of RCT rightly insist that ‘you can’t beat something with nothing’, I take their advice, with a grain of salt: in order for alternatives to appear, the frame of references needs to be modified. I draw a few perspectives for the political sciences.
Sustainable development: The promise and perils of roads

A global map of the potential economic benefits of roads together with the environmental damage they can inflict provides a planning tool for sustainable development. See Letter p.229 As the human population and resource use continue to increase, so does the need for transport. Roads bring socioeconomic benefits such as facilitating agricultural production, but road building is often carried out haphazardly, and much of the expected expansion in roads will occur in ecologically important areas. More careful planning could be critical to mitigating its potentially detrimental environmental impacts. This study combines data on the predicted socioeconomic benefits of new roads with measures of environmental value across the world, creating a 'global roadmap' of the balance between human and environmental aspects of road-building. The authors identify areas where road-building can be encouraged, where it should be avoided, and where conflicts of interest will require careful decision-making.
A High Temperature Thermometer

High Temperature Thermometers. The thermometer resembles that of the mercury in glass type but is graduated to 1000°C. It uses fused quartz as the container and the rare metal gallium as the filling liquid.The paper includes a brief description of the Properties of Gallium with reference to its use in thermometers. Gallium is the only metal with a low melting point (29.7°C) and high boiling point (1500–2000°C). Together with these unusual properties and that of undercooling (−20°C or below) which makes it an ideal thermometric liquid if it were not for the tendency to wet glass and quartz surfaces.The experimental investigation recounts the method for overcoming the wetting property whereby additional information was obtained on the properties of gas solution; surface oxidation, undercooling of liquid gallium and the effect of impurities on increasing the wetting property.The filling operation in preparing the thermometer and the successful method of etching quartz and marking the graduations are briefly described.
Effect of Sugar Analogues on Growth, Sugar Utilization, and Acid Production by Streptococcus mutans

Studies on the effect of various structural analogues of glucose of phosphoenolpyruvate (PEP)-dependent sugar transport in Streptococcus mutans showed that sugars with alterations at carbon 2 were markedly inhibitory. Low concentrations of the nonfermentable analogue D-2-deoxyglucose (2-deoxyg) blocked the growth of S mutans in broth media containing various fermentable sugars. Acid production by S mutans from both exogenous glucose and intracellular storage polysaccharide was inhibited by 2-deoxyG. The analogue is bacteriostatic, and large quantities of intracellular 2-deoxyG-6-PO4 accumulate during exposure of S mutans to the sugar.
SU-E-T-540: Volumetric Modulated Total Body Irradiation Using a Rotational Lazy Susan-Like Immobilization System

Purpose: Traditional extended SSD total body irradiation (TBI) techniques can be problematic in terms of patient comfort and/or dose uniformity. This work aims to develop a comfortable TBI technique that achieves a uniform dose distribution to the total body while reducing the dose to organs at risk for complications. Methods: To maximize patient comfort, a lazy Susan-like couch top immobilization system which rotates about a pivot point was developed. During CT simulation, a patient is immobilized by a Vac-Lok bag within the body frame. The patient is scanned head-first and then feet-first following 180° rotation of the frame. The two scans are imported into the Pinnacle treatment planning system and concatenated to give a full-body CT dataset. Treatment planning matches multiple isocenter volumetric modulated arc (VMAT) fields of the upper body and multiple isocenter parallel-opposed fields of the lower body. VMAT fields of the torso are optimized to satisfy lung dose constraints while achieving a therapeutic dose to the torso. The multiple isocenter VMAT fields are delivered with an indexed couch, followed by body frame rotation about the pivot point to treat the lower body isocenters. The treatment workflow was simulated with a Rando phantom, and the plan was mapped to a solid water slab phantom for point- and film-dose measurements at multiple locations. Results: The treatment plan of 12Gy over 8 fractions achieved 80.2% coverage of the total body volume within ±10% of the prescription dose. The mean lung dose was 8.1 Gy. All ion chamber measurements were within ±1.7% compared to the calculated point doses. All relative film dosimetry showed at least a 98.0% gamma passing rate using a 3mm/3% passing criteria. Conclusion: The proposed patient comfort-oriented TBI technique provides for a uniform dose distribution within the total body while reducing the dose to the lungs.
Regulation of the angiotensin type-1 receptor by antisense oligonucleotides occurs through an RNase H-type mechanism

Multiple, diverse sites in the coding region of the angiotensin type-1 receptor mRNA were targeted with 2'-deoxyribonucleotide antisense oligonucleotides (ONs). The uptake of 1 microM concentration of these ONs into Chinese hamster ovary cells was facilitated by the use of cationic liposomes. The antisense sequences reduced binding of 125I-angiotensin II by 57-73%, while mismatch ONs and reverse sequence ONs produced little reduction in receptor binding. These reductions in AT1 receptor binding were accompanied by comparable decreases in AT1 receptor mRNA levels. Furthermore, mRNA cleavage fragments corresponding in size to 3'-cleavage fragments were observed with two of the antisense ONs, consistent with the involvement of an RNase H-type enzyme. When 2'-methoxyribonucleotide analogs of these same sequences were tested, AT1 receptor mRNA levels were unchanged even though small reductions in AngII binding were observed. Antisense effects seen with these 2'-methoxyribonucleotide sequences may have arisen through a translational arrest mechanism. Direct comparisons between 2'-deoxyribonucleotide analogs and their 2'-methoxyribonucleotide counterparts show that antisense effects are significantly larger when they are mediated through an RNase H-type mechanism. 2'-methoxyribonucleotide sequences were most effective when they were directed against the translation initiation codon.
Effects of Experimental Sleep Restriction on Weight Gain, Caloric Intake, and Meal Timing in Healthy Adults

Study Objectives: Examine sleep restriction’s effects on weight gain, daily caloric intake, and meal timing. Design: Repeated-measures experiments assessing body weight at admittance and discharge in all subjects (N = 225) and caloric intake and meal timing across days following 2 baseline nights, 5 sleep restriction nights and 2 recovery nights or across days following control condition nights in a subset of subjects (n = 37). Setting: Controlled laboratory environment. Participants: Two hundred twenty-five healthy adults aged 22-50 y (n = 198 sleep-restricted subjects; n = 31 with caloric intake data; n = 27 control subjects; n = 6 with caloric intake data). Interventions: Approximately 8-to-1 randomization to an experimental condition (including five consecutive nights of 4 h time in bed [TIB]/night, 04:00-08:00) or to a control condition (all nights 10 h TIB/night, 22:00-08:00). Measurements and Results: Sleep-restricted subjects gained more weight (0.97 ± 1.4 kg) than control subjects (0.11 ± 1.9 kg; d = 0.51, P = 0.007). Among sleep-restricted subjects, African Americans gained more weight than Caucasians (d = 0.37, P = 0.003) and males gained more weight than females (d = 0.38, P = 0.004). Sleep-restricted subjects consumed extra calories (130.0 ± 43.0% of daily caloric requirement) during days with a delayed bedtime (04:00) compared with control subjects who did not consume extra calories (100.6 ± 11.4%; d = 0.94, P = 0.003) during corresponding days. In sleep-restricted subjects, increased daily caloric intake was due to more meals and the consumption of 552.9 ± 265.8 additional calories between 22:00-03:59. The percentage of calories derived from fat was greater during late-night hours (22:00-03:59, 33.0 ± 0.08%) compared to daytime (08:00-14:59, 28.2 ± 0.05%) and evening hours (15:00-21:59, 29.4 ± 0.06%; Ps < 0.05). Conclusions: In the largest, most diverse healthy sample studied to date under controlled laboratory conditions, sleep restriction promoted weight gain. Chronically sleep-restricted adults with late bedtimes may be more susceptible to weight gain due to greater daily caloric intake and the con
Intrapair and interpair associations in verbal discrimination learning

As a test of the frequency theory of verbal discrimination (VD) learning, the effect of strong associations between items within pairs was compared to the effect of strong associations between correct and incorrect items in different pairs. The interpair associations produced significant interference in VD learning, whereas intrapair associations had no effect. The results raise questions about the adequacy of the frequency theory.
Factors Related to Reading Performance in Children Exposed to Domestic Violence

The purpose of this study was to determine factors associated with reading performance in children exposed to domestic violence. Twenty children ages 6 to 9 who had been exposed to domestic violence were tested on reading and prereading skills using the Woodcock Reading Mastery Tests-Revised and the Comprehensive Test of Phonological Processing. Results indicated that psychological aggression of the mother toward her partner and externalizing behavior problems were strongly negatively correlated with reading scores. The number of months at the current residence in the past year was positively correlated with reading performance. Physical assault by the partner toward the mother was not significantly correlated with reading skills. Higher incidence of risk factors was significantly associated with risk for reading disabilities.
Circadian Oscillations of Protein-Coding and Regulatory RNAs in a Highly Dynamic Mammalian Liver Epigenome

In the mouse liver, circadian transcriptional rhythms are necessary for metabolic homeostasis. Whether dynamic epigenomic modifications are associated with transcript oscillations has not been systematically investigated. We found that several antisense RNA, lincRNA, and microRNA transcripts also showed circadian oscillations in adult mouse livers. Robust transcript oscillations often correlated with rhythmic histone modifications in promoters, gene bodies, or enhancers, although promoter DNA methylation levels were relatively stable. Such integrative analyses identified oscillating expression of an antisense transcript (asPer2) to the gene encoding the circadian oscillator component Per2. Robust transcript oscillations often accompanied rhythms in multiple histone modifications and recruitment of multiple chromatin-associated clock components. Coupling of cycling histone modifications with nearby oscillating transcripts thus established a temporal relationship between enhancers, genes, and transcripts on a genome-wide scale in a mammalian liver. The results offer a framework for understanding the dynamics of metabolism, circadian clock, and chromatin modifications involved in metabolic homeostasis.
Development of a Teacher Candidate Performance Self-Assessment Instrument

Abstract The intent of this project was to develop a screening instrument to assess preservice teacher education candidates' and induction year teachers' self-perceived knowledge and abilities corresponding roughly to the INTASC principles. Initially, competencies were addressed in light of opportunities to learn, practice, and demonstrate. The initial instruments proved cumbersome and unproductive. The instrument was simplified to request a candidate's self-perception of her/his abilities among 24 competencies. Those individual competencies combined into four generic competencies labeled as teaching skills, classroom management skills, knowledge of children, and technology skills. Analysis of the scales yielded satisfactory psychometric properties. Mean scores on each scale were lowest among those who were least likely to enter the teaching profession.
Three Asset Cash Balance and Dynamic Portfolio Problems

This paper describes the form of the optimal operating policy for a three asset cash balance problem in which 1 holding and penalty costs are proportional to the level of the cash balance, 2 the costs incurred in transferring funds between cash and earning assets are proportional to the amount of funds transferred, and 3 inflows and outflows of cash are to some extent random. There are assumed to be two earning assets, called “bonds” and “stock,” that can be used to change the level of cash. “Stock” assets are the major source of the firm's earnings, and they are assumed to have higher expected returns per period than bonds but also to have higher transactions costs. The major concern, then, is with how “bonds” should be used as a buffer against random fluctuations in the cash account.
An unanesthetized-gerbil model of cerebral ischemia-induced behavioral changes

A surgical procedure has been developed to study the effects of cerebral ischemia in the unanesthetized Mongolian gerbil. The methodology is based upon the surgical isolation and instrumentation of both common carotid arteries. A loop of dental floss is placed around each carotid artery and passed through double lumen catheter material; this allows for later occlusion of the carotid arteries and their release in unanesthetized subjects. Functional changes following transient carotid artery occlusion are readily demonstrated by the occurrence of altered spontaneous locomotor activity at various times postischemia. This model should be useful in the evaluation of potential therapeutic agents in the treatment of cerebral ischemia.
Plasma cell leukemia with an unusual karyotype and prolonged survival following oral alkylating agent therapy.

A patient with primary plasma cell leukemia (PCL) is presented, who had an excellent response to high-dose cyclophosphamide and prolonged survival. The sole cytogenetic abnormality detected in the bone marrow was monosomy 18. Although this karyotypic aberration has been previously described in PCL, it generally occurs associated with additional abnormalities. The peripheral blood plasma cells from this patient reacted intracellularly with the monoclonal antibody OKM-1, which binds to myeloid cells at and above the level of myelocytes and to monocytes. This finding supports the idea of a common precursor cell for plasma cells and cells of the myelomonocytic lineage.
HUELLA, INSCRIPCIÓN, VIOLENCIA: NOTAS A PARTIR DE BENJAMIN Y DERRIDA

If we assume that “deletion of fingerprints” is one of the cruelest consequences of totalitarian practices, a political philosophy that is attentive to the consequences of totalitarian political violence will have to be responsible for the issue of “fingerprints”. The aim of this paper is to address this issue based on Benjamin´s theory of photography. In fact, we attempt to understand the final idea in the Little History of Photography when, referring to Atget‟s photographs, he reveals the political potential of photography in modern times: the reconfiguration of a crime scene where the fingerprints have been erased.
Pseudohalogens for Dye-Sensitized TiO2 Photoelectrochemical Cells

In this paper, we report on the preparation and characterization of two pseudohalogen redox couples for dye-sensitized TiO2 photoelectrochemical cells. The equilibrium potentials of the (SeCN)2/SeCN- and (SCN)2/SCN- couples are respectively 0.19 and 0.43 V more positive than for the I3-/I- couple, providing the opportunity to determine the influence of the redox potential on the open circuit photovoltage. With the sensitizer cis-Ru(dcb)2(NCS)2 (N3), the incident photon-to-current conversion efficiency was 20% for the (SeCN)2/SeCN- couple and 4% for the (SCN)2/SCN- couple. Transient absorbance measurements showed that the quantum yield for electron injection is independent of the pseudohalogen redox couple and that the regeneration rates of the dye decrease in the order I- > SeCN- > SCN-. The effects of the redox potential on open circuit photovoltage were determined by independent measurement of the dependence of the sensitized TiO2 working electrode and the platinum counter electrode potentials on the ce...
Biochemical and morphometric studies of the relationship of acetylcholine synthesis and vesicle numbers after stimulation of frog neuromuscular junctions: The effect of acholine-O-acetyltransferase inhibitor

The present study compares choline acetylase (ChAc) activity with morphometric determinations of synaptic vesicles at the neuromuscular junctions of frog pectoralis muscle subjected to high and low frequency stimulation in the presence or absence of NVP, a ChAc inhibitor. Muscles stimulated at 10/sec for 20 min with one hour rest, in the presence of NVP, showed an approximately 50% reduction in synthesis of Ach, and a 50--60% reduction in the numerical density of synaptic vesicles relative to controls preparations. Similar nerve muscle preparations stimulated at 2/sec for one hour without rest, in the presence of NVP, also showed approximately 50% less synthesis of Ach and vesicle numbers 43% lower than that seen in control muscles treated in the same way in the absence of drug. The results indicate a correlation between the inhibitory effect of NVP on ChAc and the numbers of vesicles present within terminals. In addition, stimulation of nerve terminals, with or without NVP, produced a significant increase in the numerical density of synaptic vesicles over respective unstimulated controls. These and other results are discussed in relation to current hypotheses concerning recirculation of synaptic vesicles.
Use of microcomputers in the preliminary design of wastewater systems

Abstract This paper describes an interactive microcomputer program which was developed for the use in the synthesis of wastewater treatment systems. With on screen instructions and menus, the user can select several techniques to generate different wastewater treatment system design alternative for evaluation. These various design alternatives provide useful information for the decision-maker, and hence more understanding and insight of the design problem can be obtained and the best system design can be located. The feature of interactive data input coupled with screen instruction of this program also ensure that the correct information and data are given to the optimization model to reduce the misuse of the model. Because of the interactive nature of this program, it can be utilized by users who have little experience in computer programming. Thus, the use of optimization models in the preliminary design of wastewater treatment systems can be greatly enhanced.
Purification of micromolar quantities of nucleotide analogs by reverse-phase high-performance liquid chromatography using a volatile buffer at neutral pH☆

The separation of 5'-adenosine di- and triphosphates from inorganic pyrophosphate or imidodiphosphate can be accomplished with reverse-phase HPLC by using a solvent system buffered by triethylammonium bicarbonate (pH 6.7). This buffer was used because it was neutral, readily volatile at 20 degrees C, and formed ion pairs with phosphate compounds to allow their separation by reverse-phase chromatography. Micromolar amounts of radioactive or fluorescent nucleotide analogs have been purified using C-18 columns or a polystyrene divinylbenzene column (PRP-1, Hamilton) with the solvent system described. The method is particularly advantageous in preparing salt-free acid-, base-, or thermally-labile nucleotide analogs. It is possible with this method to remove 32Pi (173 mumol) from ATP (50 mumol, 30 mg) in one run using a C-18 analytical column demonstrating that this approach can be useful for selected semipreparative purifications.
In utero exposures and the incidence of endometriosis.

Objective To investigate the relation between the fetal environment and endometriosis. Design Prospective cohort study. Setting Nurses' Health Study II with 10 years of follow-up. Participant(s) Eighty-four thousand, four hundred forty-six women aged 25–42 who had never been diagnosed with endometriosis, infertility, or cancer at baseline in 1989. Main outcome measure(s) Incidence of laparoscopically confirmed endometriosis according to birthweight, prematurity, multiple gestation, diethylstilbestrol (DES) exposure, and having been breastfed. Result(s) During 566,250 woman-years of follow-up, 1,226 cases of laparoscopically-confirmed endometriosis were reported among women with no past infertility. After adjusting for age, calendar time, parity, race, and body mass index at age 18, we observed a linear increase in the incidence rate with decreasing birthweight (rate ratio [RR] = 1.3 for birthweight P value, test for trend=.01). In addition, women who were born as one of a multiple gestation (i.e., twins or greater number) were at increased risk even after controlling for birthweight (RR = 1.7, CI=1.2–2.5). The rate of endometriosis was also 80% greater among women exposed to diethylstilbestrol in utero (RR = 1.8, CI=1.2–2.8). Neither premature delivery nor having been breastfed were associated with the incidence of endometriosis. None of these effect estimates were modified by infertility status at the time of endometriosis diagnosis. Conclusion(s) The fetal environment is associated with subsequent laparoscopically confirmed endometriosis in this cohort of US women.
18OSO4 and 18OH2O as prospective indicators of elevated arsenic in the Goose River ground-watershed, Maine

Anomalous geogenic arsenic occurs in drinking water from the Goose River crystalline ground-watershed in mid-coastal Maine. Isotope investigations were useful in understanding release areas of arsenic into affected water wells. The isotope composition of sulfate associated with probable arsenian pyrite oxidation is described. Correlation of δ18OSO4 enrichment [+4.57 to +7.46‰ Vienna Standard Mean Ocean Water (VSMOW)] is discussed with specific and recurring areas of elevated arsenic (10–52 µg l–1). Although arsenic concentrations were highly variable over 2 years per well, δ18OSO4 values were always consistent and suggested a specific and consistent risk for elevated arsenic occurrences for each well. The δ18O values in the water molecule (–12.07 to –8.81‰ VSMOW) and the δ18OSO4 values may serve as prospective indicators of prominent zones of aeration at depth in discrete fracture zones. The δ18O values in the water molecule and sulfate ion appear to indicate that more than 60% of O2 incorporated into the SO4 2– ion are from dissolved oxygen and belong to distinct fractured areas. These aeration zones or oxidation fronts, as outlined by oxygen isotopes, are sentinels for high arsenic risk in groundwater.
Perceptions of meritocracy in the land of opportunity

Abstract For years, sociologists have studied mobility patterns and status attainment to determine empirically how well societies meet meritocratic ideals. Few studies, however, have examined whether people believe they live in a meritocratic society. In this paper, we use the 1987 and 2010 General Social Survey to examine people's perceptions of meritocracy in the U.S. Although most Americans agree that getting ahead depends on meritocratic elements like hard work, their beliefs vary in strength. They disagree even more about the importance of non-meritocratic elements such as family wealth, and race. Furthermore, Americans layer these beliefs on top of each other to create a variety of perspectives on meritocracy. Young, upper class Whites are most likely to see the U.S. as a place where meritocratic elements rule. Older, lower class minorities, in contrast, are most likely to believe that non-meritocratic elements dominate. There are also Americans who believe strongly in both types of elements and those who do not believe strongly in either.
Organopalladium approaches to prostaglandins. 4. Synthesis of the first interphenylene PGH2 analogs via benzylpalladation

Abstract The reaction of norbornene, norbornadiene and 7-oxanorbornene with methyl 3-(chloromethyl)phenoxyacetate, (S)-1-octyn-3-ol and 8% Pd(PPh 3 ) 4 affords in one step satisfactory yields of the corresponding, first interphenylene PGH 2 analogs.
Scheduling on a hypercube

Abstract We present a Θ ( n 2 ) worst-case-time algorithm to determine the minimum finishing time for a preemptive schedule of n independent jobs on a hypercube of fixed dimension.
Library Networking: A Bibliography

Algermissen, Virginia, Penny Billings, Sandra Grace, Barbara Guidry, and John Blair. “Subminute Telefacsimile for ILL Document Delivery.” Information Technology and Libraries, I (Sept., 1982), 274–5.
The Local Spectral Expansion Method for Scattering From Perfectly Conducting Surfaces Rough in One Dimension

We present a new analytical approach for scattering from perfectly conducting surfaces that are rough in one dimension. The method is based on expanding the Helmholtz equation using a set of local basis functions. The transformed equations contain the field and its normal derivatives at the surface as source functions. The first order approximate solution, sought for slightly rough surfaces, is obtained using the local tangent plane approximation at the surface. It is shown analytically that the new method reduces to the first order perturbation method in the proper limit. A systematic series solution is proposed using perturbation theory in conjunction with the present formulation. The second order result is given and analyzed. The results of the present theory are not reciprocal and a reciprocity rule is formulated to overcome this disadvantage. We compare numerically the bistatic scattering cross section for Gaussian-randomly rough surfaces predicted by the first order solution with numerical results a...
Concentration forcing of catalytic surface rate processes: Part I. Isothermal carbon monoxide oxidation over supported platinum

Periodic feed switching between carbon monoxide/argon and oxygen/argon mixtures to a gradientless reactor has been found to significantly increase the average reaction rate as compared to the steady state rate, when the time averaged feed concentrations in both cases are stoichiometric. The rate enhancement achieved during periodic reactor operation is attributed to the attainment of more desirable surface concentrations on the platinum catalyst which dramatically increase the surface rate processes leading to carbon dioxide production.
Insulin degludec: a novel ultra-long-acting basal insulin for use in Type 1 and 2 diabetes.

The prevalence of diabetes, a chronic disease that currently poses a significant health burden in both developed and developing countries, is expected to increase significantly over the foreseeable future. In Type 1 diabetes, insulin replacement is absolutely imperative; in Type 2 diabetes, many patients will eventually require insulin replacement therapy to compensate for progressive β-cell failure and maintain blood glucose control. Even though currently available insulin analog preparations more closely mimic physiologic insulin needs when compared with neutral protamine Hagedorn insulin, many patients with diabetes still experience unacceptable glycemic control, in part owing to limitations in insulin therapy, such as hypoglycemia risk, weight gain and the need for patients to adjust their lifestyle to their insulin therapy. Insulin degludec, appropriately labeled as an ultra-long-acting basal insulin, promises to achieve similar blood glucose control to currently available preparations (glargine and ...
Nigropedunculopontine projection in the rat: an anterograde tracing study with phaseolus vulgaris-leucoagglutinin (PHA-L).

The termination of the substantia nigra pars reticulata efferents in the nucleus tegmenti pedunculopontinus was studied in the rat by using the anterograde tracer Phaseolusvulgaris-leucoagglutinin (PHA-L). Both large and small injections of PHA-L in various portions of the substantia nigra pars reticulata labeled varicose fibers in the ipsilateral and contralateral nucleus tegmenti pedunculopontinus, subnucleus dissipatus as well as in the ipsilateral nucleus tegmenti pedunculopontinus, subnucleus compactus. However, the bulk of the nigral fibers appeared to terminate in the medial two-thirds of the ipsilateral subnucleus dissipatus of the pedunculopontine nucleus and exhibited a discrete dorsoventral topographical pattern. The terminal plexus displayed patches of uneven density, which was partly due to the numerous fiber bundles passing through the pedunculopontine nucleus, but also to an obvious preference of nigral fibers for some cells. Electron microscopic examination confirmed that nearly all of the varicosities observed in the light microscope contained synaptic vesicles and represented either terminal boutons or boutons en passant. The labeled boutons were elongated (average length: 1.5 μm) and consistently contained a prominent group of mitochondria. The results suggest that the nigral input to the nucleus tegmenti pedunculopontinus may be directed toward specific subpopulation(s) of pedunculopontine neurons and may influence not only cells in the subnucleus dissipatus, but also in the subnucleus compactus.
The same genomic region is disrupted in two transgene-induced limb deformity alleles.

Mutations of the mouse limb deformity locus, ld, map to Chromosome (Chr) 2 and result in defects in the morphogenesis and patterning of the limb and kidney. Complementation studies have defined the existence of five recessive ld alleles. Remarkably, two of these, ldTgHdand ldTgBri, are transgene-induced mutations. Recovery of the first transgene insertional allele, ldTgHd, facilitated the molecular cloning of a large (>200 kb) candidate gene at the ld locus. This gene is broadly transcribed and encodes a set of novel protein isoforms, termed formins. Here we present characterization of the ldTgBrimutation that supports the molecular identification of the ld gene. We show that the ldTgBrifails to complement both the ldTgHdand the ldORalleles and that it has undergone a genomic deletion that disrupts the cloned ld gene and its transcripts. Curiously, the ldTgBrideletion encompasses the same 11-kb interval in which the ldTgHdinsertion occurred and in which a chromosomal rearrangement has been identified in a third allele, ldIn2. These findings suggest that this region of the ld gene is a preferential site for illegitimate recombination.
Argentine Police and the ‘Dirty War’: A Study of What Not to Do, and When Not to Do It

Martin Edwin Andersen, a former senior advisor for policy planning at the Criminal Division of the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) and the former senior advisor for defense and foreign policy for Senate Majority Whip Alan Cranston (D-Calif.), is the author of two books on Argentine history, Dossier Secreto: Argentina's Desaparecidos and the Myth of the ‘Dirty War’ (1993) and La Policia: Pasado, Presente y Propuestas para el Futuro, as well as numerous scholarly articles on policing and public security. Andersen is also the winner of the 2001 U.S. Office of Special Counsel's ‘Public Servant Award’, the first ever given to a national security whistleblower, for his service in combating security leaks and corruption at the DOJ. This article takes a look at the role ‘political policing’ and military tutelage of Argentina's police forces had in the disastrous conduct of the repression of a challenge by armed leftist terrorists during the 1970s. The author concludes that the origins of such policies date back to the early 20th century and have continued implications for the challenges faced in police reform and citizen security in the country once considered to be the most advanced in Latin America.
An Analytic Method for Evaluating the Performance of Aggregation Rules for Probability Densities

It is shown how infinite sequences of densities with defined properties can be used to evaluate the expected performance of mathematical aggregation rules for elicited densities. The performance of these rules is measured through the average variance, calibration, and average Brier score of the aggregates. A general result for the calibration of the arithmetic average of densities from well-calibrated independent experts is given. Arithmetic and geometric aggregation rules are compared using sequences of normal densities. Sequences are developed that exhibit dependence among experts and lack of calibration. The impact of correlation, number of experts, and degree of calibration on the performance of the aggregation is demonstrated.
Effect of Surfactants on the Interfacial Tension between Supercritical Carbon Dioxide and Polyethylene Glycol

The effects of various surfactants on the interfacial tension between supercritical CO2 and 600 MW polyethylene glycol (PEG) are reported at 45 °C on the basis of measurements with a novel tandem variable-volume pendant drop tensiometer. The interfacial tension of the CO2−polyethylene glycol binary system decreases from 9.0 dyn/cm at 85 bar to 3.1 dyn/cm at 300 bar, primarily because of the increase in the density and likewise the free energy density of the CO2 phase. This result is predicted quantitatively with a gradient model using the lattice fluid equation of state. The experimental results for the effects of three surfactants on the interfacial tension are described by a modified Winsor R theory in terms of the molecular interactions on each side of the interface and the surfactant solubility in each phase. At 276 bar, the addition of 1 wt % ammonium carboxylate perfluoropolyether (PFPE) surfactant reduces the interfacial tension from 3.2 to 2.1 dyn/cm and the interfacial area of the surfactant is 4...
Anomalous low-frequency excitations in diamond-cell studies of hydrogen at megabar pressures

Abstract We report observations of an intense Raman peak at 240 cm−1 that appears abruptly above 150 GPa at low temperatures (e.g., 77 K) in diamond-cell samples of hydrogen and deuterium. The band disappears above a critical temperature. The spectral changes are interpreted as evidence for a new high-pressure transformation.