cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Technique for accurately measuring the stopping cross sections of reactive metals by ion back-scattering: He ions in erbium

Abstract Measurements of the absolute stopping cross sections of reactive metals have been made by ion back-scattering using in situ film deposition. The success of the method rests on the dual features of (1) an absence of impurities in the film (particularly oxygen) and (2) the measurement of the target areal density to a high degree of accuracy in the vacuum. Contamination was minimized by vacuum depositing the reactive metal onto the target substrate in an ultrahigh vacuum chamber attached to the beam line of a 2.5 MeV Van de Graaff accelerator. In addition, two independent quartz microbalances built into the substrate holder provided accurate measurements of the film areal density. Using this technique, the stopping cross sections for helium ions in erbium have been determined from 250 keV to 2.5 MeV; these cross sections were used to determine the parameters for the analytic expression for the electronic stoppinf cross section formula developed by D.K. Brice. The values of the parameters are: Z = 2.997, a = 0.3197 and n = 3.168.
EVIDENCE FOR SEQUENCE-SPECIFIC RECOGNITION OF DNA BY ANTI-SINGLE-STRANDED DNA AUTOANTIBODIES

Anti-DNA autoantibodies are a serological hallmark of the autoimmune disorder systemic lupus erythematosus. In a process involving antigen recognition, these antibodies are also believed to mediate...
Roles for CD40, B7 and major histocompatibility complex in induction of enhanced immunity by cryptococcal polysaccharide-pulsed antigen-presenting cells

Immunization of mice with activated antigen-presenting cells (APC) pulsed ex vivo with cryptococcal capsular polysaccharide, a glucuronoxylomannan (GXM-APC) results in prolongation of survival and delayed-type hypersensitivity (DTH) responsiveness following infection with Cryptococcus neoformans (NU-2). GXM-APC has both non-specific and GXM-specific effects that influence the immune responses that develop in mice after infection with NU-2. Type 1 cytokine responses are augmented after immunization with APC alone, while GXM must be present for the vaccine to influence survival and DTH reactions. This investigation evaluated the role that major histocompatibility complex (MHC) and co-stimulatory molecules play in the non-specific and GXM-specific responses induced by GXM-APC. APC from CD40 knockout mice were as effective as wild-type APC for the induction of non-specific and GXM-specific responses. Blocking activity of B7-1 and B7-2 by treatment of immunized mice with monoclonal antibodies specific for these molecules just before and for 6 days following GXM-APC immunization decreased the splenic interferon-gamma response of mice subsequently infected with NU-2, but only in mice that were treated with both antibodies. These antibody treatments had no effect on DTH reactivity in similarly treated animals. MHC class I molecules were not involved in the antigen non-specific or GXM-specific activities of the vaccine. MHC class II molecules were not required for augmentation of type 1 cytokine responses but were needed for induction of the GXM-specific response that regulates the expression of DTH reactivity. This investigation has shown that an MHC class II-restricted, GXM-specific response is responsible for altering DTH responsiveness which is the correlate of immunity in this model.
Lymphocyte major histocompatibility complex-encoded class II structures may act as sperm receptors.

Abstract Human sperm and blood cells were cocultured in vitro to determine whether specific interactions occur between gametes and blood cells. Evidence for cell type-specific sperm binding and penetration of lymphocytes is presented together with findings that suggest that either or both events involve major histocompatibility complex-encoded class II molecules on lymphocytes and a sperm ligand that is immunoreactive with antibodies to T-cell surface antigen T4. Involvement of HLA-DR is suggested by the pattern of sperm interactions with HLA-DR-positive and -negative cells and by inhibition of sperm binding to HLA-DR-positive cells by a monoclonal antibody that identifies a nonpolymorphic determinant on the HLA-DR molecule. That the complementary sperm ligand may be a T4-like structure is suggested by specific inhibition of sperm-lymphocyte binding with monoclonal antibodies OKT4 and OKT4A. The results are discussed in terms of possible roles for immunoglobulin-related structures in human fertilization and in the sexual transmission of the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome.
Growth and maturation in Microtus montanus: effects of photoperiods before and after weaning.

Growth and reproductive development of voles are known to be significantly affected by photoperiod. The data presented herein demonstrate that the response of a juvenile vole to a given photoperiod is dependent on the photoperiod present prior to weaning. Voles were raised in one of two different photoperiods prior to weaning. At weaning, voles from each preweaning photoperiod were transferred to photoperiods consisting of either 8 h (8 h light: 16 h dark, 8L:16D), 14 h (14L:10D), or 16 h (16L:8D) of light per day. Voles from the short preweaning photoperiod were inhibited by the 8L:16D postweaning photoperiod, but stimulated by both the 14L:10D and 16L:8D postweaning photoperiods. Voles from the long preweaning photoperiod were inhibited by both the 8L: 16D and 14L:10D photoperiods, but stimulated by the 16L:8D photoperiod. The 8L:16D postweaning photoperiod elicited different amounts of inhibition in voles from the two preweaning photoperiods. Voles from the short preweaning photoperiod were larger and ...
Vibrational Control of Chemical Reactions in a CSTR with Delayed Recycle Stream

Vibrational control is a method of modification of dynamic properties obtained by introducing zero mean oscillations into system parameters. This paper shows that by introducing oscillations into the flow rates of a continuous stirred tank reactor with delayed recycle stream, it is possible to operate reactions in the vicinity of previously unstable steady states.
The collagen VI-related myopathies: muscle meets its matrix

The collagen VI-related myopathy known as Ullrich congenital muscular dystrophy is an early-onset disease that combines substantial muscle weakness with striking joint laxity and progressive contractures. Patients might learn to walk in early childhood; however, this ability is subsequently lost, concomitant with the development of frequent nocturnal respiratory failure. Patients with intermediate phenotypes of collagen VI-related myopathy display a lesser degree of weakness and a longer period of ambulation than do individuals with Ullrich congenital muscular dystrophy, and the spectrum of disease finally encompasses mild Bethlem myopathy, in which ambulation persists into adulthood. Dominant and recessive autosomal mutations in the three major collagen VI genes-COL6A1, COL6A2, and COL6A3-can underlie this entire clinical spectrum, and result in deficient or dysfunctional microfibrillar collagen VI in the extracellular matrix of muscle and other connective tissues, such as skin and tendons. The potential effects on muscle include progressive dystrophic changes, fibrosis and evidence for increased apoptosis, which potentially open avenues for pharmacological intervention. Optimized respiratory management, including noninvasive nocturnal ventilation together with careful orthopedic management, are the current mainstays of treatment and have already led to a considerable improvement in life expectancy for children with Ullrich congenital muscular dystrophy.
“Sediment capacitors” help explain debris flow events

Runoff during rainstorms plays a key role in initiating many debris flow events, but exactly how these debris flow events begin is not well understood. To better understand how debris flows are initiated by runoff, Kean et al. monitored both the triggering rainfall and the associated debris flow at two small catchments: a bedrock-dominated alpine basin in central Colorado and a recently burned area in southern California. They also studied video footage from cameras at the Colorado site.
ACTUAL COSTS OF ASSESSING PRIOR LEARNING: INSTITUTIONS REPORT

A review of the little previous research on the costs of assessing prior learning was conducted. A variety of responses were found for most questions relating to comparisons between methods of crediting prior learning and conventional classroom instruction: while a slightly greater number of institutions thought the costs were comparable, equally steed groups of schools thought the costs were greater for the new programs, less for the new programs or just didn't know. During the present study of 31 four‐year schools and 34 two‐year schools, conducted in October 1976, the same spread of responses was found. A smaller proportion of schools did not know their costs, but to find any such institutions is somewhat remarkable in itself. Those operational areas examined for which the diverse responses may be studied include: special admissions fee, entry course, exit course, challenge exams, portfolio evaluations, training and transcripting.
Pansystems modelling in ecology

Abstract Based on pansystems analysis (pansystems methodology), a pansystems model to simulate the population dynamics in ecosystem is presented by using a set of submodels to calibrate data rather than using data to fix model traditionally. The model has a general formula: set equation, it contains as much biological information as we can possibly have. The whole process of constructing the model can be considered as a self-adapted auto-optimized procedure, which includes data analysis and coefficient estimation.
An Out-of-Core Eigensolver on SSD-equipped Clusters

Obtaining highly accurate predictions on properties of light atomic nuclei using the Configuration Interaction (CI)approach requires computing few extremal eigenpairs of a large many-body nuclear Hamiltonian matrix, H. A forefront challenge in CI calculations is the massive size of H and its eigenvectors. The emergence of clusters equipped with non-volatile NAND-flash memory based solid state drives (SSD) presents unique opportunities. In this paper, we present the implementation details of an out-of-core eigensolver using a novel distributed out-of-core linear algebra framework, called DOoC+LAF. The framework provides an easy-to-use high-level application interface for linear algebra operations while providing efficient execution by orchestrating pipelined execution of computation, communication and I/O. We demonstrate the effectiveness of our out-of-core eigensolver implemented using DOoC+LAF by reporting performance results on large-scale eigenvalue problems arising in nuclear structure calculations.
Comments on Harden CL et al. A pilot study of mood in epilepsy patients treated with vagus nerve stimulation. Epilepsy & behavior 2000;1:93-99.

The objective of this study was to identify a possible effect of VNS on mood in patients with intractable epilepsy. Mood was assessed before and 3 months after VNS implantation in a series of adult patients with epilepsy. The mood scales used were the Cornell Dysthymia Rating Scale, Hamilton Depression Rating Scale, Hamilton Rating Scale for Anxiety, and Beck Depression Inventory. Antiepileptic drug regimens were not changed during the study, and a group of adult patients with epilepsy, also on stable AED regimens, was used for comparison. Each group consisted of 20 patients. The VNS group showed a significant decrease in mood scale scores across time, indicating a decrease in depressive symptoms. The conclusion was that VNS was associated with improved mood scale scores across time. This did not occur in the comparison group. Further, there was no difference in mood scales over time between the VNS treatment responders and nonresponders, suggesting that mood changes were not related to seizure control. This study was conducted a few years after the VNS epilepsy studies (E03 to E05) that led to the approval of VNS for the treatment of epilepsy. It was based on the important clinical observations and confirmed at least a “signal” that patients with VNS seemed to have an improvement in mood.Thus, this wasthe firststudyto report apotentialrole of VNS in mood disorders.
Dissection of Merozoite Surface Protein 3, a Representative of a Family of Plasmodium falciparum Surface Proteins, Reveals an Oligomeric and Highly Elongated Molecule *

Abstract Vaccination with the merozoite surface protein 3 (MSP3) of Plasmodium falciparum protects against infection in primates and is under development as a vaccine against malaria in humans. MSP3 is secreted and associates with the parasite membrane but lacks a predicted transmembrane domain or a glycosylphosphatidylinositol anchor. Its role in the invasion of red blood cells is unclear. To study MSP3, we produced recombinant full-length protein and found by size exclusion chromatography that the apparent size of MSP3 was much larger than predicted from its sequence. To investigate this, we used several biophysical techniques to characterize the full-length molecule and four smaller polypeptides. The MSP3 polypeptides contain a large amount of α-helix and random coil secondary structure as measured by circular dichroism spectroscopy. The full-length MSP3 forms highly elongated dimers and tetramers as revealed by chemical cross-linking and analytical ultracentrifugation. The dimer is formed through a leucine zipper-like domain located between residues 306 and 362 at the C terminus. Two dimers interact through their C termini to form a tetramer with an apparent association constant of 3 μm. Sedimentation velocity experiments determined that the MSP3 molecules are highly extended in solution (some with f/f0 > 2). These data, in light of the recent discoveries of three other Plasmodium proteins containing very similar C-terminal sequences, suggest that the members of this newly identified family may adopt highly extended and oligomeric novel structures capable of interacting with a red blood cell at relatively long distances.
Construct validity of the item-specific deficit approach to the California verbal learning test (2nd Ed) in HIV infection.

Impairment in list learning and recall is prevalent in HIV-infected individuals and is strongly predictive of everyday functioning outcomes. Consistent with its predominant frontostriatal pathology, the memory profile associated with HIV infection is best characterized as a mixed encoding/retrieval profile. The Item-Specific Deficit Approach (ISDA) was developed by Wright et al. (2009) to elicit indices of Encoding, Consolidation, and Retrieval from the well-validated California Verbal Learning Test (CVLT; Delis, Kramer, Kaplan, & Ober, 1987, 2000). The current study evaluated construct validity of the ISDA for the CVLT-II in 40 persons with HIV-associated neurocognitive disorders (HIV+/HAND+), 103 HIV-infected persons without HAND (HIV+/HAND-), and 43 seronegative comparison participants (HIV-). Results provided mixed support for the construct validity of ISDA indices. HIV+/HAND+ individuals performed significantly more poorly than persons in the HIV+/HAND- and HIV- groups on ISDA Encoding, Consolidation, and Retrieval deficit indices, which demonstrated adequate classification accuracy for diagnosing HIV+/HAND+ participants and evidence of both convergent (e.g., episodic memory) and divergent (e.g., motor skills) correlations in the HIV+/HAND+ participants. However, highly intercorrelated ISDA indices and traditional CVLT-II measures showed comparable between-groups effect sizes, classification accuracy, and correlations to other memory tests, thereby raising uncertainties about the incremental value of the ISDA approach in clinical neuroAIDS research.
Relationship between Soil Phosphorus Availability and Phosphorus Loss Potential in Runoff and Drainage

Abstract Elevated soil phosphorus (P) content is common in the central coastal valleys of California, the result of decades of the intensive vegetable production. Undesirably high P concentration in surface water in this region stimulated interest in evaluating techniques to rank the potential for soil P loss to the environment. Phosphorus availability of 25 representative soils from fields in vegetable rotations were evaluated by the following techniques: bicarbonate‐extractable P (Pbc)–calcium chloride, extractable P (Pcc), P extractable by iron‐impregnated paper (PFe), P extractable by anion exchange resin (Pae), and the degree of P saturation (Psat). A column study was conducted in which these soils were evaluated for soluble P concentration in runoff and leachate from two simulated irrigation events. There were strong correlations among all measures of soil P availability (r=0.66–0.90). Runoff soluble P was most strongly correlated with Pcc, Pae, and Pbc (r=0.98, 0.93, and 0.91, or 0.98, 0.90, and 0....
Changes in the expression of specific Müller cell proteins during long-term retinal detachment.

Abstract Retinal detachments were produced in domestic cats by injecting fluid between the retinal pigment epithelium and neural retina. Retinas were allowed to remain detached for 30 or 60 days at which time the animals were killed. Tissue areas from detached and attached retinal regions from the same eye were processed for correlative biochemical and structural analysis, i.e. SDS-PAGE and Western blots of tissue homogenates were correlated with tissue processed for postembedding immunoelectron microscopy. Antibodies to six proteins were used as probes. Glial fibrillary acidic protein in Muller cells has previously been shown to increase after retinal detachment; here we show that vimentin, another intermediate filament protein present in Muller cells, also increases after detachment. In contrast, cellular retinaldehyde binding protein, cellular retinol binding protein, glutamine synthetase, and carbonic anhydrase C—all normally found in Muller cells—decrease after detachment. The results of this study indicate that retinal Muller cells dramatically alter their expression of proteins in response to retinal detachment.
DIFFERENCES IN TASK AND USE OF LANGUAGE: A STUDY OF LATERAL EYE MOVEMENT

The lateral eye movements of 25 right-handed, native-English speakers 18 to 30 yr. of age were recorded. Both task and individual differences in the utilization of cerebral hemispheres were found. Earlier findings of task differences in the direction of eye movements for verbal and spatial questions were confirmed, and previous evidence of the involvement of the right hemisphere with “unpleasant” emotion was supported. No differences in performance on the Scholastic Aptitude Test were found between consistent and inconsistent eye movers. Individual differences between right-eye movers and left-eye movers were found in their choice of college majors, Scholastic Aptitude Test performance, and in their course preferences. The current study also presents evidence of differences in language use by adults which seem related to cerebral hemispheric activity.
Acetylcholine receptor agonists stimulate [3H]taurine release from rat sympathetic ganglia.

Abstract The endogenous taurine content, and the uptake and release of [ 3 H]taurine were examined using the rat superior cervical ganglion. Taurine was found to be one of the most abundant amino acids in the superior cervical ganglion, and the superior cervical ganglion took up [ 3 H]taurine from the incubation medium. Carbachol stimulated the release of [ 3 H]taurine in a concentration-dependent manner with an EC 50 of 26 μM and maximal stimulation at 100 μM. The nicotinic receptor agonist 1,1-dimethyl-4-phenylpiperazinium stimulated release with the same potency but with greater efficacy than carbachol. The nicotinic receptor antagonist hexamethonium (1 mM) inhibited carbachol-stimulated release by 74% (±)-Muscarine stimulated release with an EC 50 of 8 μM but with a maximal effect of only 32% of that produced by 100 μM carbachol. Oxotremorine another muscarinic receptor agonist, was ineffective, even at 1 mM. The muscarinic receptor antagonist atropine inhibited carbachol-stimulated release by 30% at 10μM. These results show that 〈 3 H〉 taurine release from rat superior cervical ganglion can be stimulated by cholinergic receptor agonists. Release is mediated predominantly by a nicotinic receptor and partially by a muscarinic receptor.
Pharmacokinetics of hydrochlorothiazide in fasted and nonfasted subjects: a comparison of plasma level and urinary excretion methods.

The bioavailability of hydrochlorothiazide from 50-mg oral tablet doses was examined in healthy male volunteers under fasting and nonfasting conditions. Bioavailability was examined from plasma levels and urinary excretion of unchanged drug. The pharmacokinetics of hydrochlorothiazide in plasma could be described in terms of a triexpo-nential function, and the mean drug half-lives determined from the three exponents were 1.0, 2.2, and 9.0 hr. Changing the accompanying fluid volume had no significant effect on hydrochlorothiazide absorption in fasted subjects. Plasma drug levels were significantly reduced in nonfasted individuals, compared with those in fasted individuals. A similar trend was observed in the urinary excretion of hydrochlorothiazide, but differences between treatments were not significant (p > 0.05). Mean 48-hr urinary recovery of hydrochlorothiazide was 70.5% of the dose in nonfasted subjects, and 73.5 and 75.0% of the dose in fasted subjects receiving the drug with 20 and 250 ml of water, respectively. The cumulative urinary excretion of hydrochlorothiazide correlated poorly (r = 0.27) with areas under plasma drug level curves, although the correlation between the means of these values for each of the three treatments was high (cp = 0.996). Close similarity was observed between urinary excretion rates of hydrochlorothiazide and the time course of drug concentrations in plasma.
Real Time Point Kinetics Simulation for a Transient Reactor on a 16 Bit Microcomputer

The Transient Reactor Test Facility (TREAT) at Argonne National Laboratory is being upgraded to simulate extreme conditions in an LMFBR. This facility will be used to subject test assemblies of fuel bundles to very rapid and intense power transients. This reactor will be capable of generating transients which increase in power from 50 watts to 10 gigawatts in approximately 0.75 seconds. A real time reactor simulation is needed to verify that the reactor control system will produce the expected transient at run time. This paper describes a solution to the reactor point kinetics equations suitable for real time applications and compares the performance of several different processors in this application. The paper also describes an implementation of a real time simulator based on an Intel 8086 processor with an 8087 numeric data processor.
Structure and physical properties of glow discharge polymers. I. Polymers from hydrocarbons

The polymers deposited from the vapors of pentane, ethylene, butadiene, benzene, styrene, and naphthalene subjected to glow discharge have been analyzed by infrared absorption techniques. The reaction products show unsaturation, hydrogenation, and branching in the polymer chains. Aromaticity is present only in polymers from aromatic monomers.
Conceptualizing the innovation: factors influencing doctoral candidates’ interventions in the action research dissertation

In this action research study, we describe how doctoral candidates conceptualize innovations for their dissertations and outline how we are using the results to improve the doctoral dissertation experience for our new cohort. Over the course of one academic year (2010/11) we documented our students’ process of conceptualizing their innovations as they moved from general ideas to concrete plans, which they would carry out the following year during their dissertation research. We found four major factors influencing the conceptualization of the innovation: the leader–scholar community, prior cycles of action research, interactions with stakeholders, and the student’s work context. As the next cycle in this action research study, we shared the results with our local community and are currently implementing recommended changes based on the study for the next cohort of students.
Integrated multiscale modeling of economic-environmental systems for assessing Biocomplexity of material use

Sustainability assessment of industrial products and processes requires joint consideration of economic, environmental, and social aspects that span multiple spatial and temporal scales. Proper understanding of the complex interrelations at multiple scales is critical for formulating effective policies and long term sustainability. Existing methods for technology assessment and policy analysis tend to focus on a single scale. This work focuses on the need for the integrated multiscale modeling of industrial and economic systems. The broader goal is the development of a framework for the design of industrial processes and analyzing the effect of government policies. We are specifically using the economic input-output model for this work. This work will presents an approach for integrating the coarse scale EIO model with the fine scale engineering process models. The utility of the proposed framework is illustrated with the example of a cogeneration plant generating electricity and steam and operating under the disruptive scenario of the carbon tax. While the EIO model is used for estimating the price dimension, a fundamental physical model based on thermodynamic conservation laws and first principles is utilized for the cogeneration plant. The results and benefits of the proposed integrated multiscale optimization framework are compared with existing engineering optimization approaches that ignore price-demand interactions.
Multiple Coulomb scattering of 160 MeV protons

Abstract We have measured multiple Coulomb scattering of 158.6 MeV protons in fourteen materials from beryllium to uranium including brass and several plastics. Targets ranged from thin (negligible energy loss) to very thick (greater than the mean proton range). The angular distribution was measured by means of a single diode dosimeter scanned typically over two decades of dose falloff. Each data set was fitted with a Moliere scattering distribution (using Bethe's tables) to extract a characteristic angle θM as well as a Gaussian distribution to extract a characteristic angle θ0. As expected in the small angle region, the Gaussian fits about as well as the Moliere shape. The θM values were compared with Moliere's predicted value ( χ c B 2 ) including Fano's correction for scattering by atomic electrons and using Moliere's formalism to account for energy loss and/or compound targets or mixtures. The distribution of the deviation from theory for 115 independent measurements is approximately normal, with a mean value − 0.5 ± 0.4% and an rms spread of 5%. The θ0 values were compared with Highland's formula and with an “improved Highland” formula of Lynch and Dahl, using our own generalization to thick targets. The overall accuracy of Highland's formula is slightly worse than that of Moliere theory. The distribution of the deviation from theory for 115 independent measurements is normal, with a mean value − 2.6 ± 0.5% and an rms spread of 6%. The Lynch formula gives nearly the same average statistics though details of the fit are different. Some data were taken for very thick targets (thickness greater than 97% of the mean proton range) where only a fraction of the incident protons emerge. Here the characteristic angle appears to level off or even to fall slightly with target thickness perhaps due to the filtering out of large-angle protons. These measurements are presented but were excluded from the comparison with theory. We have reviewed six other published proton measurements, partially reanalyzing four whose authors claimed that Moliere theory either did not apply (because of thick targets) or was incorrect. These experiments range from 1 MeV to 200 GeV incident energy. Averaging each measurement including our own over everything but target material we obtain 39 independent measurements of the deviation from theory whose distribution is normal with a mean value − 0.3 ± 0.5% and an rms spread of 3%. We conclude that Moliere theory with the Fano correction is accurate to better than 1% on the average for protons. Systematic discrepancies on the order of a few percent with target thickness and/or target material cannot be ruled out at present. In particular there is some indication that the theory may be ≈ 4% high for the highest-Z materials.
Explicit solutions for boundary value problems in diffusion of heat and mass

Abstract The Fourier's infinite series solutions of transient diffusion in finite solids, with convection boundary conditions, contain eigenvalues, which are defined by implicit transcendental equations. The eigenvalue equations have to be evaluated numerically, making the use of the Fourier's solution difficult. Using the successive substitution method, explicit expressions were derived for the first eigenvalue λ1, in plates, cylinders and spheres, as a function of the Biot number. The derived expressions for λ1(Bi), together with the one-term Fourier series solution, yield simple explicit solutions for temperature or concentration profiles in plates, cylinders and spheres. The explicit solutions are valid for Fo>0.2.
Comparing heterogeneous SNOMED CT coding of clinical research concepts by examining normalized expressions

Objective: A continual problem confronting the implementation of standardized vocabularies such as SNOMED CT is that their expressive flexibility and power provide more than one way to represent a given concept. The goal of this study was to investigate how the CliniClue(TM) Expression Transformer tool could be used to help in discerning similarities and differences among three separate sets of clinical research concepts coded in SNOMED CT by three different paid expert coding companies. Methods: Initial editing of the companies' coded datasets was required to enable accurate input into CliniClue Version: 2006.2.0030 Expression Transformer tool. The normal forms of the company codings for the 319 clinical research question/answer sets were compared to determine whether they were equivalent or otherwise related (e.g., if one was subsumed by the other). Basic frequencies were computed for (957) pairwise comparisons of each of 319 concepts each coded by the three expert coders, and the implications of the results discussed. Results: The primary finding from this study was that, for each of the paired comparisons, approximately half of the time the companies' codings could be related, primarily via subsumption. The greatest percentage of equivalent concepts between any two companies was 33%. These same two companies also agreed most often on the core clinical concept measure from an earlier study by the authors. Conclusion: Heterogeneity among coders using the same controlled terminology appears inescapable despite the extensive efforts of terminological standards developers and implementers. In our study, the computable determination of equivalence of discordantly coded concepts still failed to yield acceptably comparable data. A clearer articulation, and perhaps a simplification, of rules for the consistent use for terminologies such as SNOMED CT is needed.
Microemboli Composed of Cholesterol Crystals Disrupt the Blood-Brain Barrier and Reduce Cognition

Background and Purpose— Microemboli occur frequently in patients with asymptomatic carotid atherosclerosis. In other vascular beds, microemboli are known to initiate an inflammatory response, causing organ dysfunction. In the current study, we investigated whether emboli composed of cholesterol crystals, a component of human atherosclerotic plaque, could also cause inflammation and brain dysfunction demonstrated by cognitive impairment. Methods— Cholesterol crystals of 60 to 100 μm were injected via the rat internal carotid artery. T2-weighted magnetic resonance imaging was conducted after 3 days to estimate infarct volume. Brains were examined for matrix metalloproteinase activation at 24 hours and for albumin leakage and microglia and astrocyte activation at 4 days and 1, 2, and 4 weeks after embolization. To determine changes in cognition, behavioral tests including open field, motor learning, and Barnes Maze tests were conducted on young adult and middle-aged rats 4 weeks after either a single injecti...
The effects of oxygen delignification, complete chloride dioxide substitution, and biological treatment on bleached kraft mill effluent quality

The effects of bleaching modifications on the biotreatability of the resulting Adsorbable Organic Halides (AOX) were studied using laboratory-scale bioreactors and mill-scale bleach plant filtrates. Under conventional pulping/bleaching conditions, biological removal of AOX averaged 40 percent. After modification to oxygen delignification and complete ClO 2 substitution, the removal efficiency increased to 47 percent. Under the treatment conditions employed, the eight percent increase was found to be statistically significant at a 95 percent confidence level. These results indicate that AOX biotreatability efficiencies following bleaching sequence modifications to oxygen delignification and complete ClO 2 substitution remain at least as high as those observed prior to such modifications.
The lateral reticular nucleus of the medulla oblongata of the cat

Abstract The neurons of the parvicellular and magnocellular portions of the lateral reticular nucleus of the medulla of the cat were studied with microelectrode technique. They responsed mainly to pressure and joint movement, but some to touch or touch and pressure. The peripheral receptive fields activating single neurons of the nucleus were predominantly “restricted.” Most neurons responded to ipsi-, contra-, and bilateral stimulation of forelimbs and hind limbs. In spite of a large overlap between the forelimb and hind-limb representation in the nucleus, the forelimb is represented slightly dorsal to the hind limb. The findings suggest that the nucleus relays its spinal input to the neocerebellum and possible spinal afferents to the nucleus are not limited to the ventrospinocerebellar tract.
Des Hégémonies brisées

Dossier de la revue «Research in phenomenology» (XXVIII, 1998, pp. 226-71) consacre a la reception de l'ouvrage de Reiner Schurmann intitule «Des hegemonies brisees» (1996), comprenant les articles suivants: 1) La typologie des «Hegemonies brisees» (R. Lilly); 2) Le Parmenide de Reiner Schurmann: des hegemonies non-brisees (D. A. Hyland); 3) Solve et coagula: Quelque chose d'autre qu'un exercice de dialectique (D. J. Schmidt)
In Vitro Study of Inline Filtration of Medications Commonly Administered to Pediatric Cancer Patients

Intravenous administration of drugs commonly used in patients with acute nonlymphocytic leukemia was simulated using a .22 micrometers air-eliminating filter. Drug concentrations were measured pre- and postfiltration using standard pediatric drug doses and concentrations. The percentage of administered dose recovered in the postfilter sample for chemotherapy drugs was adriamycin, 92%; dactinomycin, 87%; cytarabine, 96%; and vincristine, 90%. For antibiotics, the per cent recovery was carbenicillin, 90%; cephalothin, 96%; and gentamicin, 38%. Gentamicin, and perhaps other drugs evaluated, should not be administered through a filter of the type used in this study.
The critical role of environment in fatigue damage accumulation in deep-reactive ion-etched single-crystal silicon structural films

The importance of service environment to the fatigue resistance of n/sup +/-type, 10 /spl mu/m thick, deep-reactive ion-etched (DRIE) silicon structural films used in microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) was characterized by testing of electrostatically actuated resonators (natural frequency, f/sub 0/, /spl sim/40 kHz) in controlled atmospheres. Stress-life (S-N) fatigue tests conducted in 30/spl deg/C, 50% relative humidity (R.H.) air demonstrated the fatigue susceptibility of silicon films. Further characterization of the films in medium vacuum and 25% R.H. air at various stress amplitudes revealed that the rates of fatigue damage accumulation (measured via resonant frequency changes) are strongly sensitive to both stress amplitude and, more importantly, humidity. Scanning electron microscopy of high-cycle fatigue fracture surfaces (cycles to failure, N/sub f/>1/spl times/10/sup 9/) revealed clear failure origins that were not observed in short-life (N/sub f/<1/spl times/10/sup 4/) specimens. Reaction-layer and microcracking mechanisms for fatigue of silicon films are discussed in light of this empirical evidence for the critical role of service environment during damage accumulation under cyclic loading conditions.
Oncogenic Mutations and Packing Defects in Protein Structure

Oncogenic mutations in expressed proteins are of primary interest to understand tumor formation but their structural consequences bearing on protein function are not clearly understood. In this contribution I report on two illustrative examples, p21ras and p57, revealing that such mutations have an effect on specific structural deficiencies in the packing of the protein structure, i. e., on backbone hydrogen bonds insufficiently shielded from water attack. These structural deficiencies in the wild type are typically "corrected intermolecularly" by protein complexation or protein-ligand association. However, in the oncogenic mutants, these binding signals are partially or completely suppressed: the mutated residues properly wrap or desolvate the hydrogen bonds intramolecularly. Thus, the interactivity of the proteins becomes impaired: their binding affinity decreases sharply, as there is no thermodynamic benefit from removing water surrounding properly desolvated hydrogen bonds. The results, specialized for p21ras and p53, reveal how oncogenic mutations determine a hindrance to GAP-induced hydrolysis (p21) and decrease binding affinity for DNA (p53). Furthermore, the oncogenic potential of mutations in residues not directly engaged in the interface electrostatics is assessed. The results suggest that a high sensitivity of structural defects to genetic accident might be a necessary condition to establish the existence of a proto-oncogene, an angle that merits a systematic study.
Casual Hookups to Formal Dates: Refining the Boundaries of the Sexual Double Standard

“Hooking up,” a popular type of sexual behavior among college students, has become a pathway to dating relationships. Based on open-ended narratives written by 273 undergraduates, we analyze how students interpreted a vignette describing a heterosexual hookup followed by a sexless first date. In contrast to the sexual script which holds that women want relationships more than sex and men care about sex more than relationships, students generally accorded women sexual agency and desire in the hookup and validated men’s post-hookup relationship interest. However, in explaining the sexless date, students typically reasoned the woman was being chaste and withholding sex to redeem her reputation whereas they often characterized the man’s abstinence in terms of a pity date. The findings underscore the tenacity of gendered sexual scripts around heterosexual dates and hookups but also reveal fissures and contradictions that suggest some changes to the sexual double standard.
Minority Voting Rights Can Maximize Majority Welfare

I use Condorcet's information aggregation model to show that sometimes the best possible decision procedure for the majority allows the minority to “enforce” its favored outcome even when overruled by a majority. “Special” voting power gives the minority an incentive to participate meaningfully, and more participation means more information is aggregated, which makes the majority better off. This result can be understood as a mathematical corroboration of Lani Guinier's arguments that voting procedures can be designed to encourage minority participation, benefitting everyone.
Neural Net Receivers in Multiple Access-Communications

The application of neural networks to the demodulation of spread-spectrum signals in a multiple-access environment is considered. This study is motivated in large part by the fact that, in a multiuser system, the conventional (matched filter) receiver suffers severe performance degradation as the relative powers of the interfering signals become large (the "near-far" problem). Furthermore, the optimum receiver, which alleviates the near-far problem, is too complex to be of practical use. Receivers based on multi-layer perceptrons are considered as a simple and robust alternative to the optimum solution. The optimum receiver is used to benchmark the performance of the neural net receiver; in particular, it is proven to be instrumental in identifying the decision regions of the neural networks. The back-propagation algorithm and a modified version of it are used to train the neural net. An importance sampling technique is introduced to reduce the number of simulations necessary to evaluate the performance of neural nets. In all examples considered the proposed neural net receiver significantly outperforms the conventional receiver.
Db/db mice exhibit severe wound-healing impairments compared with other murine diabetic strains in a silicone-splinted excisional wound model

The pathophysiology of diabetic wound healing and the identification of new agents to improve clinical outcomes continue to be areas of intense research. There currently exist more than 10 different murine models of diabetes. The degree to which wound healing is impaired in these different mouse models has never been directly compared. We determined whether differences in wound impairment exist between diabetic models in order to elucidate which model would be the best to evaluate new treatment strategies. Three well-accepted mouse models of diabetes were used in this study: db/db, Akita, and streptozocin (STZ)-induced C57BL/6J. Using an excisional model of wound healing, we demonstrated that db/db mice exhibit severe impairments in wound healing compared with STZ and Akita mice. Excisional wounds in db/db mice show a statistically significant delay in wound closure, decreased granulation tissue formation, decreased wound bed vascularity, and markedly diminished proliferation compared with STZ, Akita, and control mice. There was no difference in the rate of epithelialization of the full-thickness wounds between the diabetic or control mice. Our results suggest that splinted db/db mice may be the most appropriate model for studying diabetic wound-healing interventions as they demonstrate the most significant impairment in wound healing. This study utilized a novel model of wound healing developed in our laboratory that stents wounds open using silicone splints to minimize the effects of wound contraction. As such, it was not possible to directly compare the results of this study with other studies that did not use this wound model.
Religion, Bioethics and Nursing Practice

This article calls nursing to engage in the study of religions and identifies six considerations that arise in religious studies and the ways in which religious faith is expressed. It argues that whole-person care cannot be realized, neither can there be a complete understanding of bioethics theory and decision making, without a rigorous understanding of religious-ethical systems. Because religious traditions differ in their cosmology, ontology, epistemology, aesthetic, and ethical methods, and because religious subtraditions interact with specific cultures, each religion and subtradition has something distinctive to offer to ethical discourse. A brief example is drawn from Native American religions, specifically their view of ;speech' and ;words'. Although the example is particular to an American context, it is intended to demonstrate a more general principle that an understanding of religion per se can yield new insights for bioethics.
SCF E3-Mediated Autoubiquitination Negatively Regulates Activity of Cdc34 E2 but Plays a Nonessential Role in the Catalytic Cycle In Vitro and In Vivo

One of the several still unexplained aspects of the mechanism by which the Cdc34/SCF RING-type ubiquitin ligases work is the marked stimulation of Cdc34 autoubiquitination, a phenomenon of unknown mechanism and significance. In in vitro experiments with single-lysine-containing Cdc34 mutant proteins of Saccharomyces cerevisiae, we found that the SCF-mediated stimulation of autoubiquitination is limited to specific N-terminal lysines modified via an intermolecular mechanism. In a striking contrast, SCF quenches autoubiquitination of C-terminal lysines catalyzed in an intramolecular manner. Unlike autoubiquitination of the C-terminal lysines, which has no functional consequence, autoubiquitination of the N-terminal lysines inhibits Cdc34. This autoinhibitory mechanism plays a nonessential role in the catalytic cycle, as the lysineless (K0)Cdc34(DeltaC) is indistinguishable from Cdc34(DeltaC) in ubiquitination of the prototype SCF(Cdc4) substrate Sic1 in vitro, and replacement of the CDC34 gene with either the (K0)cdc34(DeltaC) or the cdc34(DeltaC) allele in yeast has no cell cycle phenotype. We discuss the implications of these findings for the mechanism of Cdc34 function with SCF.
Wide Viewing Angle Multi-domain In-Plane Switching LCD

The bending angle effect on a multi-domain in-plane switching liquid crystal display (MD IPS LCD) using the chevron-shaped electrodes is investigated through a three-dimensional simulation. We find that when the bending angle of the electrodes increases from 10° to 40°, the threshold voltage is lowered from 1.25 Vrms to 0.75 Vrms. With the optimized uniaxial compensation films, the viewing angle of the film-compensated MD IPS LCD is widened to ±80° viewing cone while keeping a 100:1 contrast ratio. These outstanding performances are expected to make impact to the flat panel display industry.
Triple-negative breast cancer: bridging the gap from cancer genomics to predictive biomarkers

Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) represents a challenge clinically due to a lack of response to hormonal and HER2-targeted agents coupled with an aggressive disease course. As the biology of this breast cancer subtype is better understood, it is clear that TNBC is a heterogeneous disease and one targeted therapy is unlikely to be active in all patients. Biomarkers predictive of response to treatment are thus of great importance in TNBC. This review outlines studies evaluating biomarkers predictive of response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy and to targeted therapies in the advanced setting. The development of validated biomarkers in conjunction with novel targeted therapies represents an opportunity to improve patient outcomes in TNBC.
Does microdamage accumulation affect the mechanical properties of bone

It has never been demonstrated that microcrack accumulation in bone leads to impaired mechanical properties. We hypothesized that microdamage accumulation is positively and linearly correlated with a reduction in bone's elastic modulus. We also tested the hypothesis that damage accumulates more rapidly in tensile cortices, but crack growth is greater in compressive cortices. Canine femurs (n = 26) were tested in four-point cyclic bending under load control until they had lost between 5 and 43% of their stiffness. Ten femurs were used as nonloaded controls. The loaded portion of the bone was stained en bloc with basic fuchsin to detect the presence of microdamage. The number of stained microcracks, their lengths and the area of damaged bone were measured under the microscope. Crack numerical density, surface density, mean crack length, and the percentage of damaged area were calculated. Significant microdamage accumulation was not detected until the bone had lost 15% of its elastic modulus. The relationship between crack density and stiffness loss was approximately quadratic, but the relationship between damaged area and stiffness loss was linear. There were significantly more microcracks in tensile cortices, but on average cracks were significantly longer in compressive cortices. We conclude that microcrack accumulation impairs the mechanical properties of bone by reducing its elastic modulus. We also conclude that damage accumulates more rapidly in tensile cortices, but crack growth is greater in compressive cortices.