cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Understanding In Vivo Response and Mechanical Property Variation in MgO, SrO and SiO2 doped β-TCP

Abstract The aim of this work is to evaluate the influence of MgO, SrO and SiO 2 doping on mechanical and biological properties of β-tricalcium phosphate (β-TCP) to achieve controlled resorption kinetics of β-TCP system for maxillofacial and spinal fusion application. We prepared dense TCP compacts of four different compositions, i) pure β-TCP, ii) β-TCP with 1.0 wt.% MgO + 1.0 wt.% SrO, iii) β-TCP with 1.0 wt.% SrO + 0.5 wt.% SiO 2 , and iv) β-TCP with 1.0 wt.% MgO + 1.0 wt.% SrO + 0.5 wt.% SiO 2 , by uniaxial pressing and sintering at 1250 °C. β phase stability is observed at 1250 °C sintering temperature due to MgO doping in β-TCP. In vitro mineralization in simulated body fluid (SBF) for 16 weeks shows excellent apatite growth on undoped and doped samples. Strength degradation of TCP samples in SBF is significantly influenced by both dopant chemistry and amount of dopant. Compressive strengths for all samples show degradation in SBF over the 16 week time period with varying degradation kinetics. MgO/SrO/SiO 2 doped sample shows no strength loss, while undoped TCP shows the maximum strength loss from 419 ± 28 MPa to 158 ± 28 MPa over the 16 week study. In case of MgO/SrO doped TCP, strength loss is slow and gradual. TCP doped with 1.0 wt.% MgO and 1.0 wt.% SrO shows excellent in vivo biocompatibility when tested in male Sprague–Dawley rats for 16 weeks. Histomorphology analysis reveals that MgO/SrO doped TCP promoted osteogenesis by excellent early stage bone remodeling as compared to undoped TCP.
An Assessment of Printed Diabetes-Prevention Materials Available to a Northern Plains Tribe

The purpose of this study was to characterize the literacy demands of print materials used to encourage diabetes prevention on the Crow Reservation. Diabetes-prevention materials included pamphlets, booklets, and fact sheets provided to Crow people. Readability was assessed using the SMOG formula. Diabetes related vocabulary was assessed to determine whether medical/scientific words were used and if they were defined. Numeracy demand was assessed by counting the number of times different numeracy concepts were used in each material. Lists, charts, and graphs were assessed using the PMOSE/IKIRSCH tool. We found that materials were written at a readability level higher than recommended. Across all materials, vocabulary terms were used often but not always defined. Numeric terms were not often used, but when used they were not defined. Most of the materials required the reader to read numbers or count. However, overall numeracy demand was relatively low. The PMOSE/IKIRSCH scores for materials were adequate. The authors found a mismatch between the level of skills required in some of the materials and the skills of the average person, including adults on the Crow Reservation. This study highlights the need for designing materials specifically for the intended audience, including rigorous pilot testing of materials.
Why MBA education … ? An examination of the reasons for pursuing a management course

This study tries to examine the causes which have led to the rise in the number of students pursuing an MBA in India. Qualitative methods have been used to collect the data. Data were collected via six focused group discussions with 60 postgraduate students associated with different management institutes in western India. In addition, data were obtained from 15 in-depth interviews with the parents of the participating students so as to complement the findings. Discussion with the participants led to the emergence of six reasons that explain why there has been a rise in the demand for pursuing an MBA. These were remedy for growing unemployment, advice from colleagues, creating demand in the marriage market, avoid marriage, status symbol in the society, and for a dynamic career. This study finds that Indian society is influenced and hence promotes the persuasion of such higher educational courses (like management) that are likely to provide employment opportunities. It also highlights the role that social c...
Information‐seeking during acquaintanceship: Effects of level of social understanding and personal relevance

Two studies examined how individual differences in social understanding influence children's information-seeking orientations during an initial meeting with a peer, in which they do or do not anticipate future interaction. Study 1 involved a relatively controlled, laboratory setting in which 7-9 year old children were presented a list of questions from which to choose what to ask the peer. The findings indicate that children who view a person's behavior in terms of stable dispositional characteristics (high SDC), express greater interest in gathering trait-related information about an unfamiliar peer than children who do not perceive people in terms of stable traits (low SDC), but only when they expect to play games with that peer in a future interaction. Study 2 involved a more naturalistic observation of the actual questions 7-9 year old children ask during an initial meeting with an unfamiliar peer. The findings showed that high SDC children asked more questions of the peer when they expected interaction than when they did not, whereas low SDC children did not differ significantly across conditions. Taken together, the two studies indicate that the future, predictability orientation of high SDC children leads to a more extensive information search about a peer when they expect interaction with that peer involving instrumental choices.
A Novel Way To Design Suitable Inorganic Material from the Smectite Family for Sorption of 2,3,7,8-Tetrachlorinated Dibenzo-p-dioxin

The activities of 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorinated dibenzo- p-dioxin (2,3,7,8-TCDD), a highly toxic pollutant, and its suitable sorbent from the dioctahedral smectite family are investigated using a range of reactivity indexes using density functional theory (DFT). From the values of the local softness and the charge on the hydrogen atom of the bridging hydroxyl attached to the octahedral metal site present in smectite, used as a first approximation to the local hardness, it is concluded that the local acidities of the inorganic material systems are dependent on several characteristics which are of importance within the framework of the hard and soft acids and bases principle. We first rationalized an understanding of the electronic structure of 2,3,7,8-TCDD, followed by the local softness calculation, to locate its active site. We compared its activity with that of the OH group of the isomorphously substituted (Fe 3+ ,M g 2+ ,F e 2+ , and Li + ) dioctahedral smectite family. The recently proposed local hard-soft acid-base principle characterizes the reactive centers of two systems on the basis of equal local softness. We validate the proposition by considering the interaction between systems with different global softnesses, which further paves the way for proposing a novel qualitative way to choose the best sorption material. The results were compared with the interaction energy calculations using DFT. The ordering for best sorption follows the order Mg 2+ > Fe 2+ > Fe 3+ > Li + .
Assessing Comprehension: A Classroom‐Based Process

Standardized tests are increasingly used to determine students' growth in reading comprehension. In some U.S. school districts, the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 has led to a focus on multiple-choice questions to better prepare students for these types of tests. Even though such questions can provide some important information, they do not enable the teacher to get at the heart of comprehension. To truly understand students' constructed meanings, teachers should use ongoing, classroom-based assignments to distinguish variations in comprehension and adjust instruction. This article describes an authentic classroom-based comprehension assessment process. The authors have been collaborating with one district in Wisconsin where reading specialists and teachers have developed a unified approach to classroom-based assessment of comprehension, and they describe how this process influenced practice. Student examples are provided that demonstrate how one teacher used this assessment process in her fourth-grade classroom to inform instruction and support her students' individual needs.
Metabotropic glutamate receptor activation decreases epileptiform activity in rat neocortex.

Abstract Intracellular and extracellular recordings were obtained from layers II-III of slices of adult rat neocortex maintained in vitro. Excitatory postsynaptic potentials (EPSPs) and epileptiform discharges (paroxysmal depolarizing shifts, PDSs) were evoked in the presence of bicuculline methiodide. Responses were monitored before, during, and after bath application of the putative metabotropic glutamate receptor agonists, 1S,3R-ACPD and L-AP4. Peak EPSP amplitude and both PDS amplitude and duration were reduced during 1S,3R-ACPD application. Area measurements indicate that PDSs were reduced to 51.7 ± 19.9% of control. Stimulus threshold for evoking a PDS was increased in the presence of 1S,3R-ACPD or L-AP4. Pretreatment of slices with 1S,3R-ACPD did not prevent the generation of epileptiform events when bicuculline subsequently was applied. These results indicate that mGluR activation by 1S,3R-ACPD has significant suppressive effects on evoked epileptiform activity in the adult rat neocortex in vitro.
Classification of newspaper image blocks using texture analysis

Abstract An important step in the analysis of images of printed documents is the classification of segmented blocks into categories such as half-tone photographs, text with large letters, text with small letters, line drawings, etc. In this paper, a method to classify blocks segmented from newspaper images is described. It is assumed that homogeneous rectangular blocks are first segmented out of the image using methods such as run-length smoothing and recursive horizontal/vertical cuts. The classification approach is based on statistical textural features and feature space decision techniques. Two matrices, whose elements are frequency counts of black-white pair run lengths and black-white-black combination run lengths, are used to derive texture information. Three features are extracted from the matrices to determine a feature space in which block classification is accomplished using linear discriminant functions. Experimental results using different block segmentation results, different newspapers, and different image resolutions are given. Performance and speed with different image resolutions are indicated.
The electro-optic properties of epitaxial KTaxNb1−xO3 thin films

Abstract The electro-optic properties of epitaxial KTaxNb1−xO3 thin films were measured throughout the entire solid solution range, 0⩽x⩽1. For unpoled films, electro-optic coefficients measured at 100 kHz exhibited an average value of 4.7 pm/V at x=0 and a monotonic decrease with increasing Ta concentration. Upon poling with a DC bias field to align ferroelectric domains, the electro-optic response of the films increased. Under the DC bias field, the electro-optic coefficient exhibited two local maxima with respect to composition of 40 and 30 pm/V at x≈0.20 and x≈0.70, respectively. These maxima correspond to the room temperature phase boundaries of the KTaxNb1−xO3 thin film system. The observation of a sharp maximum in the DC bias field response of the EO effect at x≈0.70 gives evidence of easy domain alignment at the ferroelectric phase boundary.
The Production of Multinucleated Lymphocytes by Cytochalasin B. An Electron Microscopic Study

The cytochalasins are newly derived from moulds and are useful in studying nuclear division. Multinucleated fibroblasts were produced by CARTER [Nature 213: 261, 1967] and lymphocytes by us [Nature 216: 1134, 1967]. Lymphocytes with up to eight nuclei were seen. Progressive nuclear addition [1, 2, 3 etc.) was found instead of a doubling of the nuclei (1, 2, 4, etc.). The term ‘pseidomitosis’ was proposed for the process of synchronous mitosis, but which results in the division of only one nuclei. Our observations, using the light microscope shows the nuclei of binucleated cells to be similar in size and shape; however, in cells with more than two nuclei there is marked vaiation in size and shape of each nucleus. What might have appeared, in many instances, as separate nuclei are seen by electron microsopy to be lobes of a rather large and irregular nucleus. In other instances, small nuclear bridges connected what might appear as separate nuclei. Variation exists in nuclear size from rather large nuclei to very small micronuclei. Serial sectioning of cell nuclei verified the morphological variability seen in single sections. Spindle fibers and kinetochore attachment to the chromosomes revealed no unusual features. Electron microscopy showed synchronous division of nuclei. Golgi apparatus remained as a single large unit. There was a doubling of centrioles in binucleated cells. What appears as separate nuclei under the light microscope were connected by nuclear bridges. The finding suggests that as nuclei accumulate that the spindle bridge is unable to accurately divide the large numbers of chromosomes present.
Insulin-like growth factor binding proteins modulate Müller cell responses to insulin-like growth factors.

Purpose Muller cells are consistently identified in diabetic fibrocontractive ocular tissues and, in response to insulin-like growth factor I, generate tractional forces of the type that cause retinal detachment. Recent studies suggest that diabetes-associated increases in vitreous insulin-like growth factor activity cannot be attributed to simple increases in concentration alone, suggesting that more complex biochemical changes in vitreous growth factor control mechanisms are involved. The goal of this study was to evaluate the contributions of vitreous insulin-like growth factor-binding proteins (IGFBPs) toward control of growth factor activity. Methods Native and recombinant IGFBPs effects were evaluated on IGF-I- and -II-stimulated Muller cells in tissue culture assays that involved cell incubation on three-dimensional collagen gels and that monitored progressive matrix condensation. IGFBP degradation by Muller cell-secreted proteases was assessed in Western ligand blots, and direct stimulatory effects were evaluated by incubating cells with IGFBPs alone. Results IGFBP direct stimulatory effects on Muller cells were significant, but relatively modest, and IGFBP modulation through Muller cell-secreted proteases was undetectable. In contrast, IGFBP inhibitory effects on IGF-I and -II were highly variable and, in some cases, profound. IGFBP-3 effectively inhibited IGF-I and -II stimulation with detectable effects at concentrations equimolar to the growth factor. IGFBP-1, -2, -4, and -5 were of intermediate effectiveness as inhibitors, 3- to 11-fold less active than IGFBP-3. IGFBP-6 had virtually no inhibitory effects on IGF-I, but was moderately effective against IGF-II. Conclusions IGFBP effects on IGF-I- and -II-stimulated Muller cells are primarily inhibitory with only modest direct stimulatory effects of limited physiologic relevance. IGFBP-2 and -3, the major binding proteins identified in vitreous, most likely function as the vitreous growth factor sink and control ligand activity through sequestration.
A total body irradiation stand for bone marrow transplant patients

A stand designed for the immobilization of patients standing during total body irradiation (TBI) with horizontal 10 MV X rays is described. The stand reduces patient movement and facilitates the initial positioning and repositioning of patients during 11 fractions of TBI over a 3 2/3 day period. Details of design and use are presented. The stand is regularly used to treat TBI patients.
NESTING OPTIMAL MAIN EFFECTS PLANS AND OPTIMAL FOLDOVER DESIGNS

Optimal main effects plans (MEPs) and optimal foldover designs can often be performed as a series of nested optimal designs. Then, if the experiment cannot be completed due to time or budget constraints, the fraction already performed may still be an optimal design. We show that the optimal MEP for 4t factors in 4t + 4 points does not contain the optimal MEP for 4t factors in 4t + 2 points nested within it. In general, the optimal MEP for 4t factors in 4t + 4 points does not contain the optimal MEPs for 4t factors in 4t + 1, 4t + 2, or 4t + 3 points and the optimal MEP for 4t + 1 factors in 4t + 4 points does not contain the optimal MEPs for 4t + 1 factors in 4t + 2 or 4t + 3 points. We also show that the runs in an orthogonal design for 4t factors in 4t + 4 points, and the optimal foldover designs obtained by folding, should be performed in a certain sequence in order to avoid the possibility of a singular X'X matrix.
A Multivariate Logit Analysis of Farmers' Use of Financial Information

The financial statements considered here are the farm's balance sheet and pro forma cash flow statements. Analysis of factors influencing a farmer's decision to complete one or both of these statements involves an estimation technique appropriate for binary dependent variables. In addition, the two decisions considered here, whether to complete a balance sheet and/or a pro forma cash flow statement, are viewed as jointly determined. Hence the multivariate logistic model is used (Nerlove and Press). This paper is organized as follows: first, a conceptual framework for the acquisition of information is briefly detailed: second, the sample data used in this analysis is reviewed and a brief description of the multivariate logit model presented; finally, results for the sample are presented and discussed.
Rapid Synthesis of Pharmaceutical Oxidation Products Using Electrochemistry: A Systematic Study of N-Dealkylation Reactions of Fesoterodine Using a Commercially Available Synthesis Cell

A new method for the fast and convenient synthesis of pharmaceutical oxidation products is described. Two oxidation products of fesoterodine were electrochemically synthesized, isolated, and characterized. The influence of synthetic operating parameters such as pH, percentage of organic solvent in diluent, initial electrolyte concentration, and substrate concentration on the oxidation product profile was investigated. This synthetic procedure proved to be rapid, clean, and efficient compared to traditional synthetic methods and may be particularly useful for generating milligram quantities of reference samples of degradation products used as markers in chromatographic methods.
Does the Menstrual Cycle Play a Role in Sexual Arousal

Menstrual cycle effects on erotic arousability were tested in 13 women aged 20–28. Vaginal blood volume and pulse amplitude were measured with a light emitting diode photoplethysmograph, labial temperature was measured by a small thermistor, and subject self-report of arousal was estimated on a 7-point Likert scale in response to audio erotic tapes and fantasy over five different phases of the menstrual cycle. Pre-session levels of blood volume and labial temperature showed no important changes across the cycle, but pooled blood volume, pulsatile blood volume and labial temperature reliably demonstrated sexual arousal during tape and fantasy sessions. Repeated measures analyses of variance and covariance of physiological change scores from baseline and subjective ratings failed to demonstrate that significant changes in self-reports, vaginal blood volume, vaginal pulse amplitude, or labial temperature occurred as a function of menstrual cycle phase. This study provides objective physiological evidence that there appears to be no one phase in the menstrual cycle during which women are more sexually arousable to erotic stimuli as detected by these physiological measures.
Abstract CN07-04: Patient-specific pathway analysis using PARADIGM identifies key activities in multiple cancers.

While common pathways are believed to be shared within specific cancer types, the mechanisms of why particular patients respond differently to treatment is not fully understood. Current - omics studies such as The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) give us powerful tools to search for pathways universal or specific to cancers. Our integrated approach makes use of multiple measurements including large-scale whole-genome mRNA expression, DNA copy number, and epigenetic features. Typical analysis of these measurements relies on integrating data from multiple samples to distinguish signal from noise. However, few analytical methods allow for sample-specific differences to identify features and pathways that are significant for prognosis and clinical treatment classifications. Using our pathway analysis method PARADIGM (PAthway Recognition Algorithm using Data Integration on Genomic Models) (Bioinformatics (2010) vol. 26 (12) pp. i237) we computed pathway activities for the approximately 1685 available TCGA samples with both copy-number and gene expression data across 10 tissues to identify both common and differential pathway features When clustered together using hierarchical clustering methods, we see well-known associated cancers as clustering together such as Colon adenocarcinoma (COAD) with Rectum adenocarcinoma (READ) and Ovarian serous cystadenocarcinoma (OV) with invasive Breast carcinoma (BRCA). Interestingly Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) and both types of Kidney (KIRC, KIRP) tend to cluster together, apparently driven by relatively low integrin signals and lower DNA damage response levels shared among the three tissues. Using this global cancer dataset we find striking similarities between subtypes of cancers from different tissues of origin. In particular, we find that a signature trained to recognize Lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) versus Lung squamous cell carcinoma (LUSC) can be used to classify breast cancer subtypes Luminal A versus Basal with a surprising accuracy of 0.972. This analysis illustrates the molecular similarities between these cancers and warrants further characterization to assess the viability of bridging treatments between these and other cancers. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR-NCI-EORTC International Conference: Molecular Targets and Cancer Therapeutics; 2011 Nov 12-16; San Francisco, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Mol Cancer Ther 2011;10(11 Suppl):Abstract nr CN07-04.
Method for achieving high selectivity and resolution in selectively deposited diamond films

Abstract A process for depositing CVD diamond selectively on silicon is presented. Using standard photolithography techniques, wafers are patterned with 0.6 μm resist features. Chromium is then deposited through electron beam evaporation and lifted off of the desired growth areas with acetone. After scratching with 0.5 μm diamond powder, the chrome film is etched off and diamond deposited in a hot filament CVD system. Micrographs demonstrating a high degree of selectivity and micron-scale resolution are presented. These include contiguous, single crystallite wide lines and square arrays of individual nuclei with 10 μm periodicity
A solution of Mx(double dot) + Cx(dot) + Kx = 0 applicable to the design of active dampers

A solution is presented for the equations of motion for the damped linear oscillator, Mx(double dot) + Cx(dot) + Kx = 0. The algorithm solves a transformed set of equations in terms of the modal variables of the undamped system and, at the same time, solves the adjoint equation of the transformed problem. The adjoint solution is normalized to give the inverse of the solution matrix of the transformed problem. The normalized inverse is useful in design for direct computation of sensitivity derivatives of damping ratios with respect to damping rates. The algorithm is programmed to reduce storage requirements by a factor of three-fourths compared to standard complex eigenvalue subroutines. A numerical example is included.
Late Quaternary uplift and earthquake potential of the San Joaquin Hills, southern Los Angeles basin, California: Comment and Reply

[Grant and et al. (1999)][1] rather unequivocally demonstrated that the San Joaquin Hills, located in Orange County, California, have risen at a rate of 0.021–0.027 mm/yr over the past 122 k.y. Based largely on geomorphic evidence, they attribute this uplift as a fault-bend fold above a southwest-
Immunoregulatory dysfunctions in type I diabetes: Natural and antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxic activities

Peripheral blood lymphocytes from 13 patients with established insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM) and 2 prediabetic patients were examined for natural killer (NK) and antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxic activities (ADCC), lectin-dependent cellular cytotoxicity (LDCC), interferon- and interleukin-2-induced cytotoxicity, and concanavalin A-induced suppressor-cell activities in comparison with age-matched normal controls. IDDM patients demonstrated normal levels of NK and ADCC activities against K562 and antibody-coated SB target cells, respectively, compared to controls. IDDM patients showed normal levels of LDCC activity. Notable deviations from control values were, however, observed with diabetic lymphocytes in the following systems. Interferon-and interleukin-2-induced NK activities were significantly higher with IDDM lymphocytes than with control cells. IDDM lymphocytes precultured with concanavalin A demonstrated lower NK and ADCC activities than control cells and manifested decreased suppressor effects on the NK activity of normal allogeneic lymphocytes. Lymphocytes from one of two prediabetic patients showed increased NK, ADCC, and LDCC activities in comparison to controls. The increased interferon- and interleukin-2-induced enhancement of NK activity and reduced suppressor activity of lymphocytes from IDDM patients may be involved in the pathogenesis of the disease.
Quasi-Monte Carlo approach to efficient 3D seismic image reconstruction

Wozniakowski recently achieved a mathematical breakthrough in understanding the tractability of multidimensional integration using nearly-optimal quasi-Monte Carlo methods. Inspired by the new mathematical insights, we have studied the feasibility of applying quasi-Monte Carlo methods to seismic imaging by 3D pre-stack Kirchhoff migration. This earth imaging technique involves computing a large (109) number of 3- or 4-dimensional integrals. Our numerical studies show that nearly-optimal quasi-Monte Carlo migration can produce the same or better quality earth images using only a small fraction (one fifth or less) of the data required by a conventional Kirchhoff migration.© (1994) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
An analysis of the effects of retinoic acid and other retinoids on the development of adrenergic cells from the avian neural crest.

Abstract In the present work, we have investigated the role of all- trans -retinoic acid (all- trans RA), and several other natural and synthetic retinoids, in the development of adrenergic cells in quail neural crest cultures. Dose response studies using all- trans RA and 13- cis RA revealed a dose-dependent increase in the number of adrenergic cells in neural crest cultures. Similar dose response studies using RA isomers and other natural retinoids did not result in the same increases. In order to determine the receptor mediating the effects of all- trans RA in the neural crest, we tested several synthetic analogs which specifically bind to a particular RA receptor (RAR) subtype. We found that the compound AM 580, which activates the RAR-α, produced an increase in adrenergic cells similar to that seen with all- trans RA. The compound TTNPB, which activates all RAR subtypes, also resulted in an increase in adrenergic cells. We conclude that the increase in adrenergic cells seen with all- trans RA is mediated by RAR-α and possibly RAR-β. To further define the actions of all- trans RA on the neural crest we incubated cultures with 5-bromo-2′-deoxyuridine (BrdU) to determine whether all- trans RA could affect the rate of proliferation. The results show that while all- trans RA did not increase the fraction of cells incorporating BrdU into their nuclei at early time points (24 h), it did increase BrdU incorporation by tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) positive cells at 5 days in culture. These findings demonstrate that the increase in adrenergic cells seen with all- trans RA in neural crest cultures is likely due to an increase in the proliferation of cells already expressing TH.
Longitudinal propagation of myogenic activity in rabbit arteries and in the rat portal vein.

Longitudinal spread of induced activity was analysed in the rat portal vein and rabbit aorta and compared to propagation in the brachial, radial, ear, mesenteric, femoral and posterior tibial arteries of the rabbit. Isometric force in spiral strips or intact preparations was measured during superfusion with Krebs' solution. The lower 20 per cent of the preparation could be selectively exposed to exogenous noradrenaline (NA) or to transmural field stimulation. Propagation was inferred to occur when the amplitude of the local response, relative to that when the entire preparation was stimulated, exceeded the relative length of the locally stimulated tissue. No propagation was found in the rabbit aortic strip. Propagation was less in proximal than in distal muscular arteries. The calculated distance of propagation was greatest in the rat portal vein. The intact limb vessel preparations reponded to NA with phasic contractions. In the ear artery, here was propagation only of the first phase of this biphasic response. These results show that different sections of the rabbit vascular tree display individuality in their ability to support propagation. In general, propagation in the arterial tree appears to be greatest in the smaller vessels.
ORGANIZATION AND INSTIGATION IN DELINQUENT GROUPS

The group character of delinquency has been recognized for more than 60 years, but the nature of delinquent groups remains poorly understood. Data from the National Survey of Youth are used to examine delinquent groups, with special attention to the identity and role of instigators in those groups. Delinquent groups are small and transitory, but offenders commonly belong to multiple groups and thus have a larger network or pool of accomplices. Groups appear to be more specialized than individuals, which suggests that offense specialization is the primary source of group differentiation. Most delinquent groups have an identifiable instigator, a person who tends to be older, more experienced, and emotionally close to other members. Males almost always follow other males, whereas females are much more likely to follow a member of the opposite sex. As a rule, offenders do not consistently assume the role of instigator or joiner over time, but instead switch from one role to the other depending on their relative position in the group in which they are participating at the time. The roles that offenders adopt are thus determined, not by some stable individual trait, but by the situational interaction of group and individual characteristics.
Synthesis and Characterization of CuII Complexes with Amino Acid Substituted Di(2‐pyridyl)amine Ligands

The two-step syntheses of the substituted di(2-pyridyl)amine ligands (dpa), dpa-CH2CO2H (1) and dpa-PhCO2H (2), are described. Ligands 1 and 2 are successfully coupled to the amino acid phenylalanine, yielding the derivatives 4 and 6, respectively. Four CuII(dpa)2 complexes, [Cu(dpa-CH2CO2tBu)2(NO3)2] (3Cu), [Cu(dpa-CH2CO-PheOMe)2(H2O)2](NO3)2·2MeOH (4Cu), [Cu(dpa-PhCO2Me)2 (MeOH)2](ClO4)2 (5Cu) and [Cu(dpa-PhCO-PheOMe)2(ClO4)2] (6Cu) have been prepared and characterized, including their single crystal X-ray structures. Fluorescence emission at UV (for 3 and 4) or blue (for 5 and 6) wavelengths of the free ligands is preserved in the corresponding Cu complexes, although with lower intensity. X-band EPR spectra of 4Cu and 6Cu both revealed one axial CuII signal with hyperfine and superhyperfine splittings. Complexes 4Cu and 6Cu are chiral inorganic complexes with amino acid bioconjugates that may serve as nucleoside analogs in modified peptide nucleic acids (PNA). (© Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, 69451 Weinheim, Germany, 2007)
MOLECULAR RYDBERG SPECTROSCOPY MAGNETIC FIELD EFFECTS IN ALKYL HALIDES

Resume. Le moment angulaire total de tous les niveaux du premier complexe s de Rydberg des molecules HI, CH3I, CD3I et CH3 Br se revele etre quantifie, et cela meme dans les molecules de symetries 'C pour lesquelles la brisure de symetrie implique l'absence d'une telle quantification. Ceci suggere que la symetrie effective est celle d'un "bit" moleculaire dans lequel la transition est localisee tandis que le reste de la molecule se comporte de maniere perturbatoire. Les moments angulaires des differents etats vibroniques ont aussi ete mesures. On a trouve que des vibrations non totallement symetriques couplees a la partie electronique produisent souvent des changements importants du moment magnetique. Une approche perturbationnelle completement moleculaire permet d'expliquer toutes les observations. Elle comporte des termes decrivant (i) la deviation de la molecule de la non-linearite .(ii) les effets Renner-Teller.(iii) les effets Jahn-Teller.
Self-administered treatment of sleep onset insomnia and the importance of age.

This study examined the effects of two self-administered manuals on sleep latency insomnia using self-monitored records. All subjects under 55 were randomly assigned either to: a manual on relaxation and stimulus control treatments for insomnia, a manual suggesting physical exercise and activities in bed, or a self-monitor only group. Seven subjects over 55 received the relaxation and stimulus control manual. At 4 weeks, both treated groups of young subjects improved relative to the untreated self-monitor group on sleep onset; the group receiving the stimulus control and relaxation instructions was significantly better than the self-monitor only group on rated quality of sleep. At 12 weeks, when the waiting group had received the treatment manual, there were no significant differences among young groups on any of the sleep variables. Older subjects improved significantly less than younger subjects (who received the same manual) on sleep latency. Moreover, older subjects failed to improve significantly during treatment or at follow-up.
Weak-polish banach spaces

Abstract A Banach space X which is a subspace of the dual of a Banach space Y is said to be weak ∗ -Polish proviced X is separable and the closed unit ball of X is Polish in the weak ∗ -topology. X is said to be Polish provided it is weak ∗ -Polish when regarded as a subspace of X ∗∗ . A variety of structural results are obtained for Banach spaces with the Point of Continuity Property (PCP), using the unifying concept of weak ∗ -Polish Banach spaces. It is proved that every weak ∗ -Polish Banach space contains an (infinite-dimensional) weak ∗ -closed subspace. This yields the result of Edgar-Wheeler that every Polish Banach space has a reflexive subspace. It also yields the result of Ghoussoub-Maurey that every Banach space with the PCP has a subspace isomorphic to a separable dual, in virtue of the following known result linking the PCP and weak ∗ -Polish Banach spaces: A separable Banach space has the PCP if (Edgar-Wheeler) and only if (Ghoussoub-Maurey) it is isometric to a weak ∗ -Polish subspace of the dual of some separable Banach space. (For completeness, a proof of this result is also given.) It is proved that if X and Y are Banach spaces with X ⊂ Y ∗ , then X is weak ∗ -Polish if and only if X has a weak ∗ -continuous boundedly complete skipped-blocking decomposition. Combined with the above-mentioned linkage, this characterization of weak ∗ -Polish Banach spaces gives the known result that a separable Banach space has the PCP if (Bourgain-Rosenthal) and only if (Ghoussoub-Maurey) it has the boundedly complete skipped blocking property. (The proof of the characterization is a variation of the original arguments for this result.) The characterization also yields that a Banach space is Polish if and only if it has the reflexive skipped-blocking property. It is moreover demonstrated that a Banach space has the PCP provided it has the PC-skipped-blocking property. In particular, this yields an exposition of the result of Bourgain that a space has the PCP provided each of its subspaces with an FDD has the PCP. It is proved that the PCP is a three-space property, thus completing the solution to a problem posed by Edgar-Wheeler; that is, if Y and X are Banach spaces with Y ⊂ X , then X has the PCP provided both Y and X Y have the PCP. It is also shown that a Banach space X has a separable dual provided it has the dual-separable skipped-blocking property. The proof yields the dividend that X ∗ is separable provided [x j ] ∗ is separable for every basic sequence ( x j ) in X .
Does the measurement of peer deviance change the relationship between self-control and deviant behavior? An analysis of friendship pairs

Abstract Purpose The measurement debate between social learning and self-control theories has predominantly focused on self-control, leaving an unexplored and equally important measurement controversy concerning the operationalization of the peer delinquency construct. This study addresses how self-control's relationship with deviant and criminal behavior changes when peer deviance is statistically controlled for using an indirect, perceptual measure or a self-report directly from a peer. Methods Data from 796 friendship pairs are used to estimate a series of regression models that regress respondent deviance onto indirect and direct peer deviance and attitudinal and behavioral self-control measures while controlling for elements of the social bond and demographic characteristics. Results When an indirect measure of peer delinquency is replaced with a direct measure from respondents’ friends, the relationships between self-control – attitudinal and behavioral measures – and deviance and criminal behavior are consistently larger. The use of a direct peer deviance measure does not prove the peer deviance-crime relationship spurious, but does substantially weaken the relationship between self-control and deviance and criminal behavior. Conclusions The strength of the relationship between self-control and deviant/criminal behavior is contingent on how peer deviance is operationalized, regardless of how self-control is measured (attitudinally or behaviorally).
On David Hart's The Beauty of the Infinite

In “The Beauty of the Infinite,” David Hart offers a persuasive case for why the beauty of God's infinity is at the heart of the Christian evangel of peace, a peace funded by our analogical participation in God's Trinitarian life. At the heart of his argument is an appropriation of Gregory of Nyssa's concept of infinity, which presupposes a “non-dialectical creation of out of nothing.” He then links this understanding of infinity with what he calls the “Christian evangel of peace”, which he contrasts with what he calls a “genealogy of violence” (identified with Hegel, Nietzsche, and Heidegger). His main contribution lies in his use of this understanding of God's infinity to rethink important issues in Trinitarian and Christological doctrine. Nonetheless, the question can be raised about whether his argument does justice to classically Christian understandings of the following: the presupposition, rooted in creation, of a shared human rationality, the importance of law, the centrality of the prophetic critique of idolatry and individual and corporate sin, and the place for lament in biblical depictions of Christ's death and the Christian life.
Differences in the antidiuretic responses of rats to the intravenous administration of lysine and arginine vasopressins.

When injected intravenously into rats anesthetized by ethanol, lysine vaso-pressin causes an antidiuresis that is as intense as that caused by arginine vaso-pressin. Its duration is, however, less. Accurate quantitative comparison of the two vasopressins in terms of this assay forantidiuretic activity is impossible unless antidiuretic activity be rigidly defined.
Characteristics of Patients Receiving Pharmaceutical Samples and Association Between Sample Receipt and Out-of-Pocket Prescription Costs

Background:Pharmaceutical samples are widely used for promotion and marketing, yet little is known about who receives samples or how their use is associated with patient's prescription costs.Objective:To examine the characteristics of those receiving samples and the relationship between sample recei
Degeneration of nuclei and mitochondria in human hairs

It is generally accepted that nuclei degrade in developing hair shafts but the point at which such occurs has not been investigated. The fate of mitochondria in the keratinizing hair shaft has been less clear. This study uses transmission electron microscopy to investigate when nuclei and mitochondria are no longer visible in the developing hair shaft. Serial sections were obtained from anagen head hairs absent follicles in order to determine the sequence of degradation of nuclei and mitochondria in the hair shaft by starting at the root bulb and proceeding toward the hair tip. It was demonstrated that nuclei and mitochondria become invisible in the keratinizing hair shaft at about the same time. This was found to occur fairly early in the process at the level of the hair shaft where the hair cuticle becomes permanent.
Prediction of specific optical density for smoke obscuration in an NBS smoke density chamber

Values for the specific optical density as calculated from a theory, based on light scattering and coagulation, using measurements of particulate mass concentration are found to be in good agreement with measured values of the specific optical density for alpha cellulose and Douglas fir under smoldering conditions in an NBS Smoke Density Chamber.
H2 blockers decrease gut mucus production and lead to barrier dysfunction in vitro.

Background Pneumonia and other gut-related infectious complications have been associated with the use of histamine 2 (H2) receptor antagonists such as cimetidine in critically ill patients. The mechanism(s) may include acid suppression with resultant effects on the gut flora. Other possibilities include immunologic effects and perturbation of gut barrier function. Recent work has demonstrated the importance of mucus on the gastrointestinal mucosal barrier. We studied the effect of cimetidine on mucus production and mucosal barrier function in vitro. Methods HT29–MTX, a mucus-producing intestinal epithelial cell line, was used. HT29–MTX cell monolayers were grown to confluence in the presence of cimetidine for 0, 3, or 6 days. Mucus production was quantified by Western Blot analysis and O-linked oligosaccharide chain release and mucin content by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Fluorescein-labeled Escherichia coli (EC) or unlabeled EC were added to quantify bacterial adherence (60-min co-culture) and passage thru HT29–MTX cell monolayers (120-min co-culture), respectively. Results Cimetidine treatment decreased mucus/mucin content after 3 or 6 days of treatment. The effect was more profound after 6 days. There was nearly a 2-fold increase in passage of EC across HT29–MTX monolayers after cimetidine treatment. Conclusion Cimetidine seems to contribute to gut barrier dysfunction by its effect on mucus production. This study supports the increasing clinical suspicion that routine administration of H2 blockers in critically ill patients may be ill advised.
A Route for Intravenous Injection in the Albino Rat

Drs. Everett and Sawyer1 claim to have found that the small saphenous vein on the foot of the rat is far more satisfactory than the more commonly used tail vein for intravenous injection.
Social Media and News Gathering: Tapping into the Millennial Mindset

Social media are transforming the way information travels within and between networks of individuals. Many pundits claim that individuals no longer seek news but instead news finds individuals, particularly on social media websites. The current study is an exploratory look at how one specific group of individuals—Gen Y—gathers news. Data was collected from an online survey and results indicate that Gen Y is increasingly relying on social media for information and news. Interestingly, despite their preference of social media for news gathering, young adults still perceive traditional media sources as more credible than social media sources. Other findings are presented, and both theoretical and practical implications are drawn.
Deforesting the riverscape: the effects of wood on fish diversity in a Venezuelan piedmont stream

While deforestation of tropical ecosystems has been shown to have significant impacts on terrestrial habitats, its effects on aquatic habitats are poorly studied. Deforestation dramatically reduces the input of woody debris to streams, and given the importance of large woody debris to fish communities in temperate streams, this might be one mechanism by which logging could affect aquatic ecosystems in the tropics. To examine the effects of large woody debris on the diverse fish assemblage of a tropical stream, we surveyed pools with and without wood at Rio Las Marias, Venezuela. Pools containing wood contained greater numbers of individuals and more species of fish than pools without wood, and the two types of pools differed in their composition. To test whether these results were due to the presence of woody debris, we conducted an experimental wood addition. Pools to which wood was added showed marked increases in both fish abundance and species richness relative to wood-free pools, and the composition of the fish assemblage in experimental pools approached that of pools with naturally occurring woody debris. These results demonstrate that large woody debris plays a major role in structuring fish communities in tropical streams. As a consequence, logging practices that reduce the input of woody debris to tropical streams or directly remove wood from streams could have serious impacts on aquatic habitats, affecting both the diverse fish communities and local economies dependent on stream fisheries.
Multilingual Dramas at the Tanjavur Maratha Court and Literary Cultures in Early Modern South India

This article examines literary multilingualism at the South Indian Maratha court of Tanjavur (aka Thanjavur) (1675–1855), where the Telugu yakṫagāna dance–drama, a Nayaka legacy, developed into a polyglot form and the premier literary and performance genre.Composed in Telugu, Tamil, Marathi, Sanskrit and Bhā ṫā (Hindi), and in combinations of these languages, Tanjavur yaksagānas were performed at court and temple. This article argues that these dramas both embodied and self-consciously represented the encounter of languages and literary cultures. The privileging of performance and the application of Tamil–Telugu formal conventions to Marathi, Sanskrit and Bhā ṫā resulted in the evolution of a hybrid, polyglot ‘vernacular’ literary culture, one which was simultaneously local and cosmopolitan, and in which differences were muted. At the same time, the dialogic texts and tropes of the polyglot dramas served as playful, imaginative representations of interlingual and inter-cultural encounter, often emphasizin...
Basolateral amygdala responds robustly to social calls: spiking characteristics of single unit activity.

Vocalizations emitted within a social context can trigger call-specific changes in the emotional and physiological/autonomic state of the receiver. The amygdala is implicated in mediating these changes, but its role in call perception remains relatively unexplored. We examined call and pitch selectivity of single neurons within the basolateral amygdala (BLA) by recording spiking activity in response to 5 pitch variants of each of 14 species-specific calls presented to awake, head-restrained mustached bats, Pteronotus parnellii. A response-wise analysis across neurons revealed seven types of temporal response patterns based on the timing and duration of spiking. Roughly half of the responses to different call types were significantly affected by changes in call pitch. A neuron-wise analysis revealed that ∼12% (8/69) of the neurons preferred the same pitch across all call types. Ninety-three percent (93/100) of neurons were excited by at least one call type and 76% exhibited either complete or transient sup...