cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Estimation of expected number of rare alleles of a locus and calculation of mutation rate.

An approach is described for the estimation of the number of rare variants in the population from the number in a sample drawn at random from the population. This quantity is used to derive an estimate of the mutation rate. The data required are the number of rare variants in the sample and the distribution of offspring within a population of well-defined size with little or no immigration. Application of this approach to data on 28 loci assayed in the Yanamamo, a tribe of South American Indians, yields an average mutation rate of 0.1 ∼ 0.2 × 10-5. Determination of this figure is subject to several assumptions concerning the nature of the rare variants and the structure of the population. Violation of these assumptions will generally result in the underestimate of the true mutation rate.
Toughenability of polymers

Abstract We demonstrate that all solid polymers are intrinsically brittle and will undergo a ductile to brittle fracture transition based on the nature of their bonding alone. The most effective way of avoiding a ductile to brittle transition is to reduce the plastic resistance to delay reaching the brittle strength which in unoriented polymers is governed by intrinsic cavitation. While a number of possibilities for this exist, the most widely used techniques involve incorporation of rubbery particles that can cavitate or rigid particles that can debond prior to plastic flow. In both approaches the continuous homo-polymer is transformed into a quasi-regular cellular solid that is much more capable of undergoing large local plastic flow by ligament stretching between cavitated particles and is less susceptible to the propagation of brittle cracks under the usual conditions of tensile straining. Under impact conditions, however, in a notched sample which concentrates the strain rate at the notch root, the plastic resistance of the stretching ligaments rises sharply due to two separate but related effects. First, by an increase in the shear modulus due to the high frequency nature of the Izod impact test to fracture, viewed as a quarter cycle oscillation, which directly elevates the flow resistance and second, by the further effect of increase due to the much increased plastic strain rate. At the notch root then, the plastically stretching and strain hardening ligaments are left with a much reduced capacity to strain further before the cavitation stress is reached. While rubber particle-modified polymers can still exhibit considerable toughening, rigid-particle-modified polymers suffer severely from clustering of rigid particles into super critical flaws that trigger brittle response, much like what is encountered in structural steels. Based on their known mechanical response in neat form six, semi-crystalline polymers have been analyzed in detail to evaluate their potential for toughening under impact conditions. The results correlate very well with the experimental findings.
LONGITUDINAL ANALYSIS OF ABILITY-JOB COMPLEXITY FIT AND JOB CHANGE

The study examines job mobility as a function of congruence between individuals' abilities and their job's complexity. The gravitational hypothesis (McCormick, DeNisi, & Staw, 1979; McCormick, Jeanneret, & Mecham, 1972), a keystone of this objective, posits that individuals will sort into jobs that are commensurate with their ability level. This study used various analytical techniques to examine the relationship between ability, person-job fit, and occupational mobility. First, the gravitational hypothesis was tested. Second, the direction of mismatch between ability and job complexity was hypothesized to predict direction of change in job complexity over time. Two national, longitudinal databases, the National Longitudinal Study of the Class of 1972 (NLS-72) and the National Longitudinal Survey of Labor Market Experience-Youth Cohort (NLSY), were used to test these relationships. Results were supportive in both the NLS-72 and the NLSY. Additional analyses examined the difference between measures of objective job complexity and subjective job complexity (Gerhart, 1988) for the gravitational process and the difference in employer- and employee-initiated job changes. These results have implications for employers, vocational counselors and job applicants. Suggestions for improving the ability-job complexity match are provided.
Liver vessel tree segmentation based on a hybrid graph cut / fuzzy connectedness method

In the monitoring of oncological therapy, the prediction of liver tumor growth from consecutive CT scans is an important aspect in deciding the treatment planning. The accurate segmentation of liver vessel tree is fundamental for successful prediction of the tumor growth. In this paper, we report a 3D liver vessel tree segmentation method based on the hybrid graph cut (GC) / fuzzy connectedness (FC) method. GC is a popular image segmentation technique. However, it is not always efficient when segmenting thin elongated objects due to its "shrinking bias". To overcome this problem, we propose to impose an additional connectivity prior, which comes from the FC segmentation results. The proposed method synergistically combines the GC with FC methods. The proposed method consists of two main steps. First, the FC method is applied to initially segment the liver vessel tree, which provided the connectivity prior to the subsequent GC method. Second, the connectivity prior integrated GC method is employed to refine the segmented liver vessel tree. The proposed method was tested on 10 clinical portal venous phase CT data sets. The preliminary results showed the feasibility and efficiency of the proposed method. The accuracy of segmentation on this dataset, expressed in sensitivity, was 60%, 92% and 100% for vessel diameters in the range of 0.5 to 1, 1 to 2 and >2 mm, respectively.
Flavin affinity chromatography: general methods for purification of proteins that bind riboflavin.

Abstract Analogs of riboflavin that were altered at positions N(3), 8α, and N(10) of the 7,8-dimethylisoalloxazine ring were immobilized by covalent attachment to aminoalkylated agarose and polyacrylamide beads. These materials were used for affinity chromatographic purification of the riboflavin-carrier protein from egg white, egg yolk, and blood from laying hens, of flavokinase from rat liver, and of partially purified flavodoxin from Azotobacter vinelandii (FMN). The apo-carrier protein, which tightly complexes riboflavin ( K d ≈ 2 n m ), was bound by the N(3)-, 8α-, and N(10)-flavinyl beads and was selectively displaced in moderate to high yield by 10 μ m riboflavin or 1 m NaCl at pH 3.5. Flavokinase, which complexes less tightly with riboflavin ( K m ≈ 12 μ m ), was bound by the 8α- and N(10)-flavinyl beads. Binding to the latter was sufficiently tight that the addition of riboflavin was needed to displace flavokinase from the beads. The A. vinelandii flavodoxin, which normally complexes riboflavin 5′-phosphate ( K 3 ≈ 5 n m ) but less avidly complexes riboflavin ( K d ≈ 0.6 μ m ), was bound by the N(10)-flavinyl beads and eluted in low yield upon addition of FMN; most of the apoprotein denatured on the column despite the inclusion of thiol-protecting reagents. These flavin affinity materials may be generally useful for isolating a variety of other proteins that bind riboflavin.
Cognitive effects of the acetylcholinesterase inhibitor, donepezil, in healthy, non-treatment seeking smokers: A pilot feasibility study

Background There is a need to identify medications to aid in smoking cessation. Reducing withdrawal-related cognitive deficits represents a pharmacological target for new pharmacotherapies. Endogenous acetylcholine levels, which are modulated by acetylcholinesterase inhibitors (AChEIs), play an important role in smoking behavior and cognition. This pilot feasibility study tested whether an AChEI, donepezil, enhanced cognitive performance among healthy smokers.
Effects of posttrial hormone injections on memory processes

Abstract This experiment examined the effect on memory of posttrial injections of epinephrine, norepinephrine, ACTH, growth hormone, vasopressin and corticosterone. Rats were trained with a weak footshock (0.7 mA, 0.35 sec) in a one-trial inhibitory (passive) avoidance task. The animals received subcutaneous injections of one of the above hormones or saline immediately after training. On a retention test 24 hr after training, animals which received ACTH (0.03 or 0.3 IU/rat), epinephrine (0.1 mg/kg) or norepinephrine (0.1, 0.3 or 1.0 mg/kg) had retention performance which was significantly better than that of saline control animals. A higher posttrial ACTH dose (3.0 I.U./animal) impaired later retention performance. ACTH (0.3 I.U./animal) and norepinephrine (0.3 mg/kg) injections administered 2 hr after training had no significant effect on retention. Immediate posttrial injections of vasopressin (dose range 0.001–1.0 I.U./animal), growth hormone (0.5–1.0 mg/kg), or corticosterone (0.01–4 mg/kg) did not significantly enhance retention. These findings indicate that epinephrine, norepinephrine, and ACTH injections can enhance memory processes if the hormones are injected shortly after training. Such results are consistent with the view that hormonal consequences of an experience, particularly epinephrine, norepinephrine and ACTH release, may normally have a modulatory influence on memory processes in untreated animals. In addition, it is therefore possible that other posttrial treatments which enhance or impair later retention performance may act through hormonal mechanisms.
Inhibition of mammalian adenosine deaminase by novel functionalized 2',3'-dideoxyadenosines.

Abstract 2′,3′-Dideoxyadenosine (ddA) analogues with a variety of functionalization at the 2-position have been synthesized by a combination of thermal, photochemical and metal-mediated methodolooies. These compounds are either totally resistant to deamination by mammalian adenosine deaminase (ADA) or are very poor substrate of ADA. They are competitive inhibitors of this enzyme.
An immunocytochemical study of the morphological reaction of nerves containing calcitonin gene-related peptide to microabscess formation and healing in rat molars.

Abstract Pulpal inflammation was induced by cutting a class V cavity to within 0.1–0.3 mm of the pulp on the mesial aspect of maxillary and mandibular first molars at the cervical line. The exposed dentine was briefly acid-etched and left open to the mouth until the animals were killed. Histological examination of teeth 4 days after injury showed microabscesses, blood vessel dilation and increased numbers of terminal nerve sprouts around the lesion and in radicular pulp and dentine. Specimens at 7, 11, 21 and 35 days after injury showed progressive healing of the lesions with the formation of reparative dentine and a coincident return to a normal patterns of innervation in the remaining pulp. Thus pulpal nerves are not static structures, but rather are capable of rapid change in response to inflammation. The morphological association of CGRP-immunoreactive nerve fibres with the edges of the healing lesions and with zones of reparative dentine suggests a role for these fibres and for the neuropeptide CGRP in the healing response of pulpal tissue.
Family context as a moderator of program effects in prenatal and early childhood home visitation

Typically research addressing minority family issues focuses on broad cultural differences between majority and minority families, and ignores or minimizes the diversity among families in the minority population. In this article, we address this diversity, specifically the influence of household configuration on the quality of the caregiving environment, and the ability of a nurse home-visitation program for first-time mothers and their infants to affect changes in the environment. Mothers who live with husbands or boyfriends have the best care-giving environments, and mothers who live alone make the greatest improvements. These results are discussed in the context of the nature of the relationship the home visitor is able to establish with key members of the household. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
The effect of feeding techniques on the bandwidth of millimeter-wave patch antenna arrays

Antenna design at E-band frequencies is recently gaining more interest with the development of automotive radar applications and with research focusing on the possibility of using this frequency band for cell phone and data communication. At E-band frequencies, typical coaxial connectors cannot be used to feed printed antennas because their operation is limited to frequencies below 26.5 GHz. The use of other feeding techniques is needed.
Containing the Cold War in East Asia: British Policies Towards Japan, China and Korea, 1948-53

Part 1 Japan: Britain, MacArthur and the occupation the road to a Japanese peace treaty Dulles visits London - the climax to Anglo-American negotiations the San Francisco conference and the end of the occupation. Part 2 China: the fall of the Kuomintang recognition of the communist government and the fate of Taiwan economic sanctions and trade Taiwan, aircraft and the future prospects. Part 3 Korea: Britain and the emergence of two, Koreas rollback the repercussions of Chinese intervention and the dismissal of MacArthur negotiations to end the Korean War.
Attitudes of Persons With Physical Disabilities Toward Physician-Assisted Death: An Exploratory Assessment of the Vulnerability Argument

Physician-assisted death (PAD) has been a passionately debated topic among people with disabilities. Opponents of legalized PAD have argued that social discrimination has rendered persons with disa...
Studies on the mechanism of oxidative phosphorylation. III. Phosphorylating particle types from beef heart.

Abstract Crude mitochondrial suspensions, prepared on a large scale from beef heart, have been fractionated by centrifugation in a buffered medium. Two principal fractions, heavy and light, have been isolated, and some of their properties with respect to the oxidation of citric acid cycle substrates and the accompanying phosphorylation have been studied. The heavy fraction, which resembles intact mitochondria much more closely than the light, catalyzes the oxidation of these substrates very efficiently with P/O ratios quite close to the assumed theoretical values. These preparations can be conveniently stored in the deep-freeze for long periods of time without considerable loss of activity.
Multiwell cell culture plate format with integrated microfluidic perfusion system

A new cell culture analog has been developed. It is based on the standard multiwell cell culture plate format but it provides perfused three-dimensional cell culture capability. The new capability is achieved by integrating microfluidic valves and pumps into the plate. The system provides a means to conduct high throughput assays for target validation and predictive toxicology in the drug discovery and development process. It can be also used for evaluation of long-term exposure to drugs or environmental agents or as a model to study viral hepatitis, cancer metastasis, and other diseases and pathological conditions.
Perioperative processes and outcomes after implementation of a hospitalist‐run preoperative clinic

BACKGROUND: A structured, medical preoperative evaluation may positively impact the perioperative course of medically complex patients. Hospitalists are in a unique position to assist in preoperative evaluations, given their expertise with inpatient medicine and postoperative surgical consultation. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate specific outcomes after addition of a Hospitalist-run, medical Preoperative clinic to the standard Anesthesia preoperative evaluation. DESIGN, SETTING, PATIENTS: A pre/post retrospective, comparative review of outcomes of 5223 noncardiac surgical patients at a tertiary care Veterans Administration (VA) medical center. RESULTS: Length of stay was reduced for inpatients with an American Society of Anesthesia (ASA) score of 3 or higher (P < 0.0001). There was a trend towards a reduction in same-day, medically avoidable surgical cancellations (8.5% vs 4.9%, P = 0.065). More perioperative beta blockers were used (P < 0.0001) and more stress tests were ordered (P = 0.012). Inpatient mortality rates were reduced (1.27% vs 0.36%, P = 0.0158). CONCLUSION: A structured medical preoperative evaluation may benefit medically complex patients and improve perioperative processes and outcomes. Journal of Hospital Medicine 2012. © 2012 Society of Hospital Medicine
Synthesis of RNA and protein required for the mitosis of mammalian cells

Abstract The minimal lengths of the G1, S, and G2 stages of kidney cortex cells cultured directly from the rabbit have been found to be about 32, 10, and 4 hours, respectively. Many agents, for example p -fluorophenylalanine and EDTA, that completely block the passage of cells through the (G1 stage have little or no effect on their continued synthesis of DNA or on their passage through the G2 stage. The G2, unlike the G1 stage, does not appear, therefore, to be characterized by enzyme synthesis or by a cation requirement. Similarly, actinomycin D, in a concentration that can prevent entrance into the S period (0.01 μ/ml), does not interfere with the traversal of the (G2 stage. A higher level of the antibiotic (0.33 μ/ml), added before the completion of DNA synthesis is, on the other hand, inhibitory. Added to cells that have recently completed the replication of their DNA, even the higher level, however, can no longer block the subsequent mitotic division. Since the antibiotic does not appear to act by preventing the completion of DNA synthesis, it would seem that the formation of RNA essential for mitosis is finished at the end of the S period or soon after the cell has entered the (G2 stage. This does not appear to be the case with the protein(s) required for mitosis. Puromycin prevents entry into the mitotic period even of cells that have passed through most of the G2 stage.
Blood attenuation with SSFP-compatible saturation (BASS).

Purpose To investigate a rapid flow-suppression method for improving the contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR) between the vessel wall and the lumen for cardiovascular imaging applications. Materials and Methods In this study a new dark-blood steady-state free precession (SSFP) sequence utilizing two excitation pulses per TR was developed. The first pulse is applied immediately adjacent to the slice of interest, while the second is a conventional slice-selective pulse designed to excite an SSFP signal for the static spins in the slice of interest. The slice-selective pulse is followed by fully refocused gradients along all three imaging axes over each TR. The signal amplitude (SA) from the moving spins excited by the “saturation” pulse is attenuated since they are not fully refocused at the TE. Results This work provides confirmation, by both simulation and experiments, that modest adaptations of the basic True-FISP structure can limit unwanted “bright blood” signal within the vessels while simultaneously preserving the contrast and speed advantages of this well-established rapid imaging method. Conclusion Animal imaging trials confirm that dark-blood contrast is achieved with the BASS sequence, which substantially reverses the lumen-to-muscle CNR of a conventional True-FISP “bright blood” acquisition from 14.77 (bright blood) to −13.96 (dark blood) with a modest increase (24.2% of regular TR of SSFP for this implementation) in acquisition time to accommodate the additional slab-selective excitation pulse and gradient pulses. J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2006. © 2006 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
The obstetrics and gynecology clerkship: building a better model from past experience.

Objective The study was undertaken to identify factors contributing to the poor student perception of the obstetrics and gynecology clerkship. Study design Third-year medical students at the University of Michigan complete an annual questionnaire about the overall quality of their clinical experiences. In addition, at the end of each rotation, the students complete an evaluation form assessing various aspects of their learning experience. We reviewed data collected from 2000 to 2002. We calculated effect sizes using mean scores and SDs to compare individual aspects of the learning environment across the clerkships. Results Twenty-six percent of the third-year medical students at the University of Michigan rated the strength of their obstetrics and gynecology experience as very or exceptionally strong. Compared with the other 6 clerkships, the rotation had one of the lowest ratings for overall quality. Aspects of the clerkship experience we identified as potentially explaining this overall poor rating include the clarity of the clerkship goals and objectives, clarity of expectations for student performance, accessibility of faculty, experiences in learning history-taking skills, experiences in learning physical examination skills, and student perception that they were treated in a respectful/professional manner. Conclusion Aspects of the clerkship experience identified by this study as potentially explaining the low ratings of the obstetrics and gynecology rotation should be studied in greater detail. Addressing these factors will be critical for improving the overall student perception of the obstetrics and gynecology clerkship.
Enzymatic synthesis of cytidine 5′-diphosphate using pyrimidine nucleoside monophosphate kinase

Abstract Nucleoside monophosphate kinase (NMPK, EC 2.7.4.4, from bovine liver or yeast) has been used to prepare cytidine 5′-diphosphate (CDP). The enzyme catalyses the reversible (Keq ≅ 1) reaction of a pyrimidine nucleoside 5′-monophosphate and ATP to produce a nucleoside 5′-diphosphate and ADP. Equilibrium mixtures of CMP, CDP, ADP, and ATP were obtained from the reaction of CMP, ATP, and magnesium chloride with NMPK. The soluble enzyme could be recovered and reused but an enzyme activity half-life of only ca. 2 days was observed. Stabilization of enzyme activity by immobilization via covalent bonding to a carrier surface, and by gel entrapment, was examined. Immobilization yields were optimized by varying protein loading, pH, temperature, ionic strength, type of buffer, and concentration of enzyme substrates. The highest yields of immobilized NMPK activity were obtained by gel entrapment in a poly(acrylamide-co-N-acryloxysuccinimide) gel crosslinked with triethylenetetramine (PAN-500); NMPK immobilized using this method exhibited increased stability of enzyme activity compared to the unimmobilized enzyme.
Cytogenetic studies of a human medullary thyroid carcinoma cell line

Detailed karyotypic analyses were performed on early and late passages of the TT cell line derived from malignant cells of a patient with the sporadic form of medullary thyroid carcinoma. Most of the cells examined were hypodiploid with a modal chromosome number of 43. The cells have a complex karyotype with ten rearranged chromosomes found in early passages and 12 rearranged chromosomes in late passages. The karyotypic pattern was relatively stable with continued in vitro culture, and consistent alterations involved chromosomes X, #1, #3, #5, #7, #8, #9, #10, #11, #12, and #14. Rearrangements of chromosome #11 are of particular interest, because the gene for calcitonin, the polypeptide hormone marker for medullary thyroid carcinoma resides on this chromosome. In early passages, one #11 contained an insertion within band q13, and this abnormality was retained in late passages. In late passage cells the other #11 homolog developed a deletion of part of the short arm, which involves the calcitonin gene region. We were unable to detect any deletion of chromosome band 20p12, previously reported by other investigators to occur in the germ line of patients with the hereditary form of medullary thyroid carcinoma.
Verbal Reports, Noticing, and SLA Research

In the growing interest in the role of attention and awareness in SLA, researchers have employed various introspective measures to uncover cognitive processes underlying SLA. This paper explores the use of a recall technique known as immediate retrospective verbal reports as a qualitative measure of noticing during oral interaction in SLA (compare Philp, 2003). The study employed a pre-test–treatment–post-test design with two groups: immediate report (n = 13) and stimulated recall (n = 10) groups. Using the immediate retrospective verbal report technique, the immediate report group recalled thoughts about language episodes immediately after a brief conversational turn during the treatment as prompted by an auditory stimulus. In contrast, using the stimulated recall technique (Gass & Mackey, 2000), the stimulated recall group recalled thoughts while watching videotaped treatment sessions after the completion of the treatment and post-test. Results indicated no significant between-group differences on the p...
Application of Basic Research Data to Clinical Amblyopia

The rhesus monkey has evolved as a useful model for the study of amblyopia caused by neonatal lid closure and experimental strabismus and anisometropia. In view of the behavioral and anatomic similarities of the visual system in humans and rhesus monkeys, there is reason to believe that the neurophysiologic and anatomic anomalies identified in animals as part of the "visual deprivation syndrome" occur in humans as well. Animal research has led to better understanding of the basic mechanisms responsible for the development of amblyopia and the manner in which form vision deprivation and abnormal binocular interaction contribute to the various forms of unilateral and bilateral amblyopia. The period of susceptibility to abnormal visual stimulation in humans needs to be better defined, and the clinician must take precautions to avoid uncontrolled occlusion or prolonged unilateral cycloplegia in infants. Even though the factors leading to amblyopia in patients with unilateral or bilateral congenital cataracts are now better understood, the visual results are still disappointing. It is possible that the residual aniseikonia after contact lens correction may be amblyopiogenic in these patients.
Critical wall perturbations and a local free energy functional

Abstract On the basis of an ad hoc local free energy postulate recently advanced by de Gennes and Fisher, predictions are made for the local composition/magnetization perturbations induced near a wall by the presence of a second parallel wall at finite separation D , in a system at its bulk critical point. Despite some apparently serious limitations of the postulate, which are exposed, the most striking predictions for the behavior at large D are confirmed by new, exact calculations for the free energy of an n × ∞ spin 1 2 Ising model strip with distinct surface magnetic fields, H 1 and H n , imposed on opposite boundaries.
Human microglial cell isolation from adult autopsy brain: brain pH, regional variation, and infection with human immunodeficiency virus type 1.

Microglia are the main source of productive infection by human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) in the central nervous system (CNS). Infection of microglia is difficult to study because nonhuman microglia are not infected by HIV-1, adult human microglia from surgically removed brain tissues are scarce, and fetal human microglial cells differ from adult cells in potentially important ways. Adult autopsies are a potential source of brain tissue for HIV-1 research, but the technique of isolating and infecting cells postmortem is not completely standardized. The authors determined optimal conditions for isolating and infecting adult microglial cells using 18 adult autopsy brain specimens from HIV-1-infected and noninfected decedents. The yield of mixed glial cells overall was on average 0.5 × 106 cells per gram of wet tissue. There was no correlation between the number of microglia isolated and the postmortem interval (PMI), HIV seropositivity, age, or gender. Brain pH accounted for about 41% of yield variability; a pH of less than 6.0 generally was not compatible with adequate cell recovery. The highest microglial cell yields were derived from anterior brain sectors (frontal lobe and temporal lobe) versus occipital lobe and cerebellum. A PMI of up to 25.5 h produced excellent cell yields in frontal lobe samples with high brain pH. HIV-1 infection of frontal lobe microglia was 100% successful using both CXCR4- and CCR5-tropic strains of HIV-1. With proper selection of cases and brain region, autopsy brain specimens are a dependable source of viable microglial cells to study CNS HIV-1 infection.
Health care providers’ knowledge about contraceptive evidence: A barrier to quality family planning care?

Abstract Background The underuse of effective contraceptive methods by women at risk for unintended pregnancy is a major factor contributing to the high rate of unintended pregnancy in the United States. As health care providers are important contributors to women's contraceptive use, this study was conducted to assess provider knowledge about contraception. Study Design Bivariate and multivariate analyses were performed using data collected from a convenience sample of health care providers (physicians, nurse practitioners and physician assistants) at meetings of the professional societies of family medicine and obstetrics and gynecology. Results Younger providers were more knowledgeable, as were obstetrician/gynecologists, female providers and providers who provide intrauterine contraception in their practice. Conclusions The lack of consistent and accurate knowledge about contraception among providers has the potential to dramatically affect providers' ability to provide quality contraceptive care for their patients, which could have an impact on their ability to prevent unintended pregnancies.
A Raman irradiation system for powders and polymers

Abstract A number of Raman illumination systems have been investigated in an effort to make the experimental task of gaining Raman data on crystalline powdered samples more feasible. A system has been constructed which has allowed satisfactory spectra to be obtained on both crystalline powders and solid polymers. This system which utilizes several features from previous illumination systems [1–3] will be described in detail and its performance and limitations will be discussed.
Major histocompatibility complex class II-transfected tumor cells present endogenous antigen and are potent inducers of tumor-specific immunity

We have developed an immunotherapy in which tumor cells transfected with syngeneic major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class II genes are cell-based vaccines for the treatment of established tumor and metastatic disease. If this strategy is to be used clinically, convenient methods for generating class II+ tumor cells are necessary. Interferon-γ treatment or transduction of the class II transactivator (CIITA) gene induces class II expression but also up-regulates the class II-associated accessory molecules, invariant chain (Ii) and DM. To determine if interferon-γ treatment and CIITA transduction are potential immunotherapies, we assessed the tumorigenicity of sarcoma cells expressing combinations of class II, Ii, and DM. Since we hypothesized that class II-transfected tumor cells not coexpressing Ii and DM present endogenously encoded tumor peptides, we have assessed the transfectants for antigen presentation activity to MHC class II-restricted antigen-specific CD4+ T cells. Tumor challenge studies demonstrate that tumor cells expressing class II without coexpression of Ii or Ii plus DM are highly immunogenic and preferentially present endogenous antigens, while tumors coexpressing class II with Ii or Ii plus DM are not effective immunogens. Because tumor rejection correlates with expression of class II without coexpression of Ii and DM, the most efficacious vaccines will express MHC class II without coexpression of Ii and DM and will preferentially present endogenous antigen.
Cerebral glycosidases in experimental Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease

Abstract In Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD), there are prominent ultrastructural alterations of the plasma membrane, which contains many glycolipids and glycoproteins. Glycosidases can degrade glycolipids and glycoproteins. Gangliosides, a subset of glycolipids, are decreased in amount at the terminal stages of CJD, and CJD infectivity is closely associated with membrane rich fractions. We therefore studied 10 glycosidases, and found a statistically significant increase in β-xylosidase, β-glucuronidase, N- acetyl -β- d -glucosaminidase and N- acetyl -β- d -galactosaminidase activities in CJD. In contrast, α-glucosidase, β-glucosidase, α-galactosidase, α-mannosidase, α-fucosidase, and β-galactosidase were not significantly changed. The above results are consistent with degenerative membrane changes observed morphologically, and with increased degradation of sugar residues on lipids and/or proteins. These changes may be effected by the accumulation of the CJD agent in cell membranes. We suggest that the higher activities of these enzymes in CJD may be partially responsible for some of the structural and biochemical alterations in CJD infected brains.
The activity of purine salvage pathway enzymes in murine and horse models of congenital and acquired dysimmunity.

Abstract Previous studies of human congenital immunodeficiency states and in vitro observations of lymphocyte response to mitogens have implicated two purine salvage pathway enzymes, adenosine deaminase (ADA) and nucleoside phosphorylase (NP), as critical in the normal maturation and/or function of the immune system. Based on this information, ADA and NP activities were examined in a variety of congenital and acquired animal models of dysimmunity. The animals studied herein included: congenitally athymic (nude) mice; congenitally asplenic mice; congenitally athymic-asplenic mice; motheaten mice; New Zealand mice; and Arabian foals with severe combined immunodeficiency. No significant differences in the activities of ADA and NP were observed in any of these animals when compared with either normal littermates or animals with intact immune function. Major species differences were apparent when erythrocyte ADA activity was compared between mice and horses. In contrast, only minor strain alterations in ADA or NP activity were noted between several inbred groups of mice.
RISK‐SENSITIVE CHOICE IN HUMANS AS A FUNCTION OF AN EARNINGS BUDGET

Risky choice in 3 adult humans was investigated across procedural manipulations designed to model energy-budget manipulations conducted with nonhumans. Subjects were presented with repeated choices between a fixed and a variable number of points. An energy budget was simulated by use of an earnings budget, defined as the number of points needed within a block of trials for points to be exchanged for money. During positive earnings-budget conditions, exclusive preference for the fixed option met the earnings requirement. During negative earnings-budget conditions, exclusive preference for the certain option did not meet the earnings requirement, but choice for the variable option met the requirement probabilistically. Choice was generally risk averse (the fixed option was preferred) when the earnings budget was positive and risk prone (the variable option was preferred) when the earnings budget was negative. Furthermore, choice was most risk prone during negative earnings-budget conditions in which the earnings requirement was most stringent. Local choice patterns were also frequently consistent with the predictions of a dynamic optimization model, indicating that choice was simultaneously sensitive to short-term choice contingencies, current point earnings, and the earnings requirement. Overall, these results show that the patterns of risky choice generated by energy-budget variables can also be produced by choice contingencies that do not involve immediate survival, and that risky choice in humans may be similar to that shown in nonhumans when choice is studied under analogous experimental conditions.
The advantages of elliptic curve cryptography for wireless security

This article provides an overview of elliptic curves and their use in cryptography. The focus is on the performance advantages to be obtained in the wireless environment by using elliptic curve cryptography instead of a traditional cryptosystem like RSA. Specific applications to secure messaging and identity-based encryption are discussed.
Targets, strategies, and topics of deception among part‐time workers

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to identify the targets, strategies, and topics of deception employed in the workplace among part‐time service workers.Design/methodology/approach – A taxonomy of deception strategies is used to content analyze 259 narrative accounts of part‐time student employees over two work shifts using Cohen's kappa to measure interrater reliability. Chi‐square analysis is used to determine significant differences between deception strategies and deception targets.Findings – Employees overwhelmingly concealed information and lied primarily to supervisors and customers. Employees deceived in order to cover or protect emotions, evade work, cover mistakes or policy violations, and mislead customers in order to increase sales, commission, or gratuities.Research limitations/implications – Determining the most salient strategies employed becomes clearer if the deception account describes or reveals the employee's motivation to deceive. Future research should consider motivation of the...
Problems in determining the surface density of the Galactic disk

A new method is presented for determining the local surface density of the Galactic disk from distance and velocity measurements of stars toward the Galactic poles. The procedure is fully three-dimensional, approximating the Galactic potential by a potential of Staeckel form and using the analytic third integral to treat the tilt and the change of shape of the velocity ellipsoid consistently. Applying the procedure to artificial data superficially resembling the K dwarf sample of Kuijken and Gilmore (1988, 1989), it is shown that the current best estimates of local disk surface density are uncertain by at least 30 percent. Of this, about 25 percent is due to the size of the velocity sample, about 15 percent comes from uncertainties in the rotation curve and the solar galactocentric distance, and about 10 percent from ignorance of the shape of the velocity distribution above z = 1 kpc, the errors adding in quadrature. Increasing the sample size by a factor of 3 will reduce the error to 20 percent. To achieve 10 percent accuracy, observations will be needed along other lines of sight to constrain the shape of the velocity ellipsoid.
RCCM2–BATS Model over Tropical South America: Applications to Tropical Deforestation

A multiyear simulation of the global climate uses a revised version of the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) Community Climate Model Version 2 (CCM2) coupled to the Biosphere‐Atmosphere Transfer Scheme (BATS). It is compared with global and rain gauge precipitation climatologies to evaluate precipitation fields and European Centre for Medium-Range Forecasts analyses to evaluate the atmospheric circulation. The near-surface climate is compared with data from Amazonian field campaigns. The model simulation of the South American climate agrees closely with the observational record and is much improved from past simulations with previous versions of the NCAR Community Climate Model over this portion of the Tropics. The model is then used to study the local and regional response to tropical deforestation over Amazonia. In addition to the standard deforestation forcing, consisting mainly of increased albedo and decreased roughness length, two additional sensitivity experiments were conducted to assess the individual contributions from these forcings to the deforestation changes. The standard deforestation simulation shows slight increases in annually averaged surface temperature (118C) and reductions in annually averaged precipitation and evaporation (2363 and 2149 mm yr21, respectively). As expected, increases in surface albedo over Amazonia produce a reduction in net downward solar radiation at the surface and consequently a reduction in net surface radiation and surface latent heat flux. The roughness decrease, on the other hand, reduces the surface latent heat fluxes through decreases in the surface drag coefficient. The regional changes in moisture convergence and precipitation during the Amazonian wet season display a shift in the area of maximum precipitation rather than an overall decrease over the deforested area. These shifts are evidently produced by a combination of the changes in the low-level circulation and a decrease in the efficiency of precipitation recycling within Amazonia.
Rational Rhetoric in Politics: The Debate Over Ratifying the U.S. Constitution

During the debate over ratifying the U.S. Constitution, both the Federalists and the Anti-Federalists offered inconsistent arguments. They violated principles of transitivity (e.g., statements such as “A furthers B” and “B furthers C” coexist with the statement “A hinders C”). Using cognitive mapping to extract the network of causal assertions offered during the debate, and transaction resource theory to identify game-theoretic structures in these maps, including coordination, bargaining, and social dilemma games, we find that violations of transitivity have only two sources. They arise in bargaining games, where concessions not only entail costs but also reduce the prospect for a costly conflict, and social dilemmas, where cooperation not only entails individual costs but also increases the amount of public good produced. Thus conflicting valuations of concessions and cooperation generate an ambivalence that is reflected in transitivity violations. Hence these violations serve as markers within the maps ...
Road network connectivity and land-cover dynamics in Lop Buri province, Thailand

Road network development in Thailand aims to improve social and economic development; however, road development can lead to land-cover change. The purpose of this research is to investigate the relationships among road network development, its connectivity, and change of landcover. Fifty-six intensive study areas (ISAs) depicting each stage of the road network development were selected and divided into four groups. Network analysis and graph theory-based network indices were used for determining road connectivity. Land cover information derived from Landsat images was classified into seven classes: forest, water, plantation, rice, upland crops, built-up areas, and clouds. Road network connectivity and land-cover for each group were compared using statistical analysis including Kendall’s Tau and Wilcoxon matched pair tests. The results showed that improvement of road connectivity contributes to significant changes in the amount of forests, upland crops, and plantation.
Current Research and Events in the Spa Industry

From the start of the modern spa in the mid-twentieth century, the spa industry has grown substantially worldwide. Part of that growth involves spas of different types—each with its own business mo...
Cutting Edge: The CD45 Tyrosine Phosphatase Is an Inhibitor of Lck Activity in Thymocytes

A widely accepted model for regulation of the Lck tyrosine kinase is that it is activated by CD45-mediated dephosphorylation of its COOH-terminal negative regulatory tyrosine (Tyr505). Previous work from our laboratory, however, found that despite hyperphosphorylation of Tyr505, the activity of Lck from CD45− T cell lines was actually increased due to hyperphosphorylation of the positive regulatory tyrosine, residue 394. To avoid potential complications introduced by transformed cells, in this study we have characterized the effect of CD45 on Lck activity in normal cells. Lck in thymocytes from CD45−/− mice was hyperphosphorylated on tyrosine residues. Importantly, and in disagreement with the model that CD45 only activates Lck in vivo, the kinase activity of Lck from cells lacking CD45 was substantially increased. These results support a model in which CD45 dephosphorylates both Tyr505 and Tyr394, the net effect in normal thymocytes being a decrease in enzymatic activity.
Psychosocial Treatment of Depression in Women: Nine Single-Subject Evaluations

Social workers are increasingly likely to deal with clients presenting symptoms of major depression. Because of risk of suicide, increased health care costs, plus the lack of available resources and new methodologies, short-term approaches should be studied. The National Institute of Mental Health Collaborative Study on Depression determined that two of the most promising short-term approaches developed for the treatment of depression have been Cognitive- Behavioral Therapy and Interpersonal Psychotherapy. This current study explores the effective ness of integrating these two approaches in a new, short-term social work intervention model for treating major depression. A single-subject, nonconcurrent, multiple-baseline, across-individuals design was used to test the effectiveness of this new integrated treatment modality through use of the Beck Depression Inventory and the Social Adjustment Scale. The findings revealed that this new integrated modality was effective in decreasing the level of depression.
Heterogeneity and its impact on thermal robustness and attractor density

Abstract There is considerable research relating the structure of Boolean networks to their state space dynamics. In this paper, we extend the standard model to include the effects of thermal noise, which has the potential to deflect the trajectory of a dynamical system within its state space, sending it from one stable attractor to another. We introduce a new “thermal robustness” measure, which quantifies a Boolean network's resilience to such deflections. In particular, we investigate the impact of structural homogeneity on two dynamical properties: thermal robustness and attractor density. Through computational experiments on cyclic Boolean networks, we ascertain that as a homogeneous Boolean network grows in size, it tends to underperform most of its heterogeneous counterparts with respect to at least one of these two dynamical properties. These results strongly suggest that during an organism's growth and morphogenesis, cellular differentiation is required if the organism seeks to exhibit both an increasing number of attractors and resilience to thermal noise.
‘Only in Obedience’ to Whom? – The Identity of a Donne Correspondent

This paper is part of a Literature Compass panel cluster on the forthcoming Oxford edition of Donne's letters. Margaret Maurer introduces the cluster which offers papers by the three editors and seeks to examine the new directions the edition will pursue. The papers were originally delivered to the members of the John Donne Society in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, in February 2008. The cluster is made up of the following articles: ‘The Oxford Edition of Donne's Letters: Well Underway’, Margaret Maurer, Literature Compass 5 (2008), DOI: 10.1111/j.1741-4113.2008.00598.x. ‘“Apparitions, and Ghosts”: H(a)unting Donne's Letters’, M. Thomas Hester, Literature Compass 5 (2008), DOI: 10.1111/j.1741-4113.2008.00599.x. ‘“Only in Obedience” to Whom? – The Identity of a Donne Correspondent’, Dennis Flynn, Literature Compass 5 (2008), DOI: 10.1111/j.1741-4113.2008.00600.x. ‘Problems in Editing John Donne's Letters: Unreliable Primary Materials’, Ernest W. Sullivan, II, Literature Compass 5 (2008), DOI: 10.1111/j.1741-4113.2008.00601.x. *** Work on the Oxford edition so far confirms that fifteen of the letters transcribed in the Burley manuscript are Donne's; most of their addressees have been established, and most of them have been dated within a period of about five years, in the late 1590s and early 1600s. In particular, this essay discusses the letter beginning ‘Only in obedience I send you my Paradoxes’– long thought to have been addressed by Donne to Henry Wotton. Though the matter has long been controverted, various evidence now suggests that this letter was instead addressed to Sir Henry Goodere.