cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Measuring perceptions of brand image

Summary.-Research workers typically use forced-choice instruments to measure subjects' perceptions of social objects such as apparel brands. Advantages and disadvantages of alternative methods to measure apparel brand image are discussed. In a recent article by Kwon (2), perceptions of apparel brand images were measured by asking subjects to respond to a list of adjectives provided by the researcher. Adjective pairs included career-leisure, dressy-casual, daring-conservative, trendy-classic, urban-country, and young-old. Analysis indicated that for that sample of female students and working women, the Calvin Klein apparel brand was perceived as young, trendy, casual, leisure, and country; the Ralph apparel brand was perceived as old, classic, conservative, and career; and the Leslie Fay apparel brand was perceived as old. Although forced-choice instruments such as the one used by Kwon (2) to measure humans' perceptions of social objects (in this case apparel brand) are widely used and offer a relatively easy means of quantifying responses, there may be problems with the construct validity of such measures. The main disadvantage is that the subject must respond to items provided by the researcher so adjectives listed on the instrument actually structure the information elicted from subjects. The net effect of using researcher-selected descriptive adjectives may be to omit some descriptors and to include some that would otherwise not have been thought of by the respondents. Such an instrument may constrain information that might be obtained from subjects as well as its accuracy (3). If so, the forced-choice instrument may not be the best way of assessing perceptions of apparel brand image. Research on social perceptions can provide insights to alternative ways of measuring human's perceptions of apparel brands (1). For example, projective techniques often used to study humans' perceptions of other people (3, 5), could be used to study perceptions of apparel brand image. In applying the technique, the apparel brand would serve as the stimulus item about which subjects would write or talk, using association, construction, and completion. This method enables subjects to describe verbally the apparel brand in their own terms. Such verbal descriptions are then content analyzed by trained coders according to categories based upon content of the descriptions. The primary advantage lies in the amount and accuracy of information
Differential gene expression in the gastrula of Xenopus laevis

A modified cloning method designed to produce differential complementary DNA libraries permits the isolation of sequences that are present in the RNA population of any developmental stage or tissue, but are not present or are much less abundant in another stage or tissue. Selective complementary DNA cloning is especially useful when the differentially expressed RNA's are of low to moderate abundance in the cells in which they occur. A class of cytoplasmic polyadenylated RNA's differentially expressed in gastrula embryos of Xenopus laevis (DG RNA's) has been isolated. These DG RNA's occur very rarely or not at all in unfertilized eggs and blastulae, accumulate as the result of transcription before and during gastrulation, and, with some exceptions, decline in abundance as development proceeds. Many of these RNA molecules appear to be translated at the gastrula stage. Thus, DG RNA's may encode proteins that are important in the process of gastrulation.
Sampling Program for Estimating Plant Damage Caused by the Onion Maggot (Diptera: Anthomyiidae) on the Regional and Field Levels

Regional and field level sampling programs were developed to assess onion maggot, Delia antiqua (Meigen), damage to plants during first-and second-generation larval periods. Log variance/log mean regressions were used with simple and two-stage sampling techniques to estimate sample precision for different sizes of sampling units and numbers of samples taken. Optimal sampling strategies were developed based on minimizing the cost of sampling while maximizing precision. Four years of implementation results show the techniques to be efficient, precise, and useful for various applications.
LeGRP1: A new member of glycine‐rich proteins from tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum)

Glycine-rich proteins (GRPs) are members of a family of proteins with unique repeats of glycine-containing motifs. This feature facilitates their association with plant structural components such as cell wall and vascular tissues. A transcript encoding a new member (LeGRPI) of the GRP family was identified from roots of tomato by the method of differential display of mRNA species. The cDNA is 1.15 kb in size and has an open reading frame encoding a peptide of 284 amino acids. Glycine residues make up 55% of the deduced peptide and the sequence is characterized by repeating (Gly-X) n domains. The presence of a hydrophobic N-terminus with a putative signal peptide indicates a probable association of the protein with the cell wall. Southern analysis shows that several LeGRPI homologues are present in the genome. The LeGRP1 transcript accumulates predominantly in the roots, stem and petioles of tomato. A relatively lower level of LeGRP1 message was observed in the leaf mid-rib, while the message is undetectable in the leaf lamina. Abiotic stresses like cold, heat, salt, desiccation and phosphate starvation did not significantly affect the expression of LeGRPI, whereas wounding resulted in a significant repression of the gene expression. Temporal regulation of LeGRP1 was observed during fruit development.
Coupled dielectric and thermodynamic considerations for the design of vaporization-cooled electrical systems

Abstract This paper develops the formulation of Paschen's law for the case of a 2 component non-isothermal system. In particular we analyze a system in which component separation is possible in that the components form a binary mixture of a condensable vapor and a noncondensable gas. In the present case the extent of component separation, under operating conditions, is such that the noncondensable gas is removed from the stressed zone so that the ultimate dielectric protection is determined not by the sum of the individual sparking potentials, but by one of them at a density determined by thermodynamic considerations. Thermodynamic equations are given which are sufficient for the design of such a system. It is shown that system operating temperature, pressure and ultimate dielectric strength are uniquely determined by system geometry and the amount of noncondensable gas contained. The system discussed permits high dielectric strength at low temperatures while preventing great pressures at high system temperatures. The analysis includes the effect of gas—liquid solubility on final operating pressure and temperature.
Conserving One Water Source at the Expense of Another: The Role of Surface Water Price in Adoption of Wells in a Conjunctive Use System

One potential side-effect of irrigation water rate reform is groundwater substitution. As surface water prices rise, irrigators may find it cheaper to rely on on-farm wells than a regional irrigation district. The impact of surface water price on well adoption is examined in a conjunctive use system where both surface water and groundwater are used to meet irrigator demand. Results indicate that as the price of surface water approaches 62% of the marginal cost of pumping groundwater, irrigators are more likely to have on-farm pumping capabilities. This result suggests that proposed water rate reforms by the United States Bureau of Reclamation may result in irrigators substituting groundwater for surface water by adopting on-farm wells.
Reversed-phase liquid chromatography of proteins and peptides using multimodal copolymer-encapsulated silica.

Abstract Multimodal copolymer-encapsulated particles for liquid chromatography were prepared by bonding 1-octadecene and unsaturated carboxylic acids on silica particles (5 μm diameter, 300 A pores) for liquid chromatography of proteins. These multimodal copolymer-encapsulated particles can provide both hydrophobic and hydrogen bonding interactions with polar compounds. The chromatographic performance of these multimodal copolymer-encapsulated particles for peptide and protein separations was evaluated under reversed-phase conditions. Compared with typical C 8 -bonded silica, polymer-encapsulated particles were more stable in acidic mobile phases and provided better recoveries, especially for large proteins ( M r >0.5·10 6 ). Totally hydrophobic polymer-encapsulated particles were found to produce broad peaks for proteins, and significant improvements were observed by introducing hydrophilic groups (–COOH) onto the polymer-encapsulated surface to form a multimodal phase. For the reversed-phase liquid chromatography of peptides and proteins, improved selectivity and increased solute retention were found using the multimodal polymer-encapsulated particles. More peaks were resolved for the separation of complex peptide mixtures such as protein digests using the multimodal polymer-encapsulated particles as compared to totally hydrophobic polymer-encapsulated particles.
A pulp mill benchmark problem for control: problem description

Abstract This work introduces a benchmark problem of a pulping process, including both the fiber line and the chemical recovery area. The complete details of the pulp mill process are presented, including the control objectives, modes of operation, process constraints, measurements and costs. The dynamic model, including the source/binary code of all the unit operations is made available to the academic community as a benchmark for use in process system engineering studies.
The Embeddedness of a North American Snake in the Wildlife Pet Trade and the Production of Assemblage Biogeographies

The wildlife pet trade has the potential to threaten the viability of free-ranging animal populations. Yet there are potential benefits from the informal biological knowledge produced by breeders and caretakers for these taxa. How the evolution of a species shapes and is shaped by its embeddedness in the unique and changeable spatialities of the pet trade is also of relevance. To convey these points, we invoke materialist approaches from human geography to construct an assemblage biogeography for hognose snakes (Heterodon spp.), one of several North American reptiles in the pet trade. Mixed methods delineated what aspects of hognose biology facilitate their trade, what social and economic sites define their commercialization, and how the snake's natural history is dynamically embedded within them. Interviews with breeders, participatory observations at reptile shows, and content analysis of herpetological Web sites indicated that one of three species of Heterodon, western hognose (H. nasicus), has charact...
Hypertension promotes integrin expression and reactive oxygen species generation by circulating leukocytes.

Hypertension promotes integrin expression and reactive oxygen species generation by circulating leukocytes. Background Compelling evidence has emerged pointing to the role of oxidative stress in the pathogenesis of hypertension (HTN) in experimental animals. Excess production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in the renal and vascular tissues has been shown to raise arterial pressure via inactivation of nitric oxide and generation of isoprostanes. Accumulation of inflammatory cells in the renal interstitium has been shown to increase ROS generation in the kidneys of hypertensive animals. In addition, considerable evidence has emerged pointing to spontaneous activation of circulating leukocytes in animals and humans with hereditary HTN. This study was designed to explore whether induction of HTN in genetically normal animals can lead to spontaneous activation and ROS production in circulating leukocytes. Methods Integrin expression, superoxide, and hydrogen peroxide production were assessed by flow cytometry in the circulating and splenic leukocytes of Sprague-Dawley rats rendered hypertensive by abdominal aorta banding above the renal arteries, and in sham-operated control rats. Results The hypertensive animals studied 4 weeks after abdominal aorta banding exhibited a significant increase in superoxide and H 2 O 2 production in the circulating granulocyte, and a marked increase in H 2 O 2 production in the blood and splenic helper and cytotoxic T-lymphocytes. This was coupled with a significant up-regulation of CD18 and CD11a in splenic helper T-cells and cytotoxic T cells, and of CD18 in the circulating helper T cells. Conclusion Induction of HTN in genetically normotensive rats causes a spontaneous increase in ROS generation in the circulating and splenic leukocytes. This phenomenon can contribute to systemic oxidative stress, inflammation, cardiovascular and renal complications in hypertensive animals.
No Shelter for Singles: The Perceived Legitimacy of Marital Status Discrimination

Providing the first empirical evidence of discrimination against singles, participants in multiple experiments favored married couples over various types of singles and failed to recognize such differential treatment as discrimination. In four experiments, undergraduates and rental agents read descriptions of multiple applicants for a rental property and chose one. The applicant pool, varying across experiments, included a married couple and different types of singles. Although the applicants were similar on substantive dimensions, participants consistently chose the married couple over the singles and explicitly stated that the applicants' marital status influenced their choice. In Experiment 5, participants read examples of housing discrimination against singles and other more recognized stigmatized groups. Participants rated discrimination against singles as more legitimate than discrimination against virtually all of the other groups.
Experimental Cerebral Malaria Pathogenesis—Hemodynamics at the Blood Brain Barrier

Cerebral malaria claims the lives of over 600,000 African children every year. To better understand the pathogenesis of this devastating disease, we compared the cellular dynamics in the cortical microvasculature between two infection models, Plasmodium berghei ANKA (PbA) infected CBA/CaJ mice, which develop experimental cerebral malaria (ECM), and P. yoelii 17XL (PyXL) infected mice, which succumb to malarial hyperparasitemia without neurological impairment. Using a combination of intravital imaging and flow cytometry, we show that significantly more CD8+ T cells, neutrophils, and macrophages are recruited to postcapillary venules during ECM compared to hyperparasitemia. ECM correlated with ICAM-1 upregulation on macrophages, while vascular endothelia upregulated ICAM-1 during ECM and hyperparasitemia. The arrest of large numbers of leukocytes in postcapillary and larger venules caused microrheological alterations that significantly restricted the venous blood flow. Treatment with FTY720, which inhibits vascular leakage, neurological signs, and death from ECM, prevented the recruitment of a subpopulation of CD45hi CD8+ T cells, ICAM-1+ macrophages, and neutrophils to postcapillary venules. FTY720 had no effect on the ECM-associated expression of the pattern recognition receptor CD14 in postcapillary venules suggesting that endothelial activation is insufficient to cause vascular pathology. Expression of the endothelial tight junction proteins claudin-5, occludin, and ZO-1 in the cerebral cortex and cerebellum of PbA-infected mice with ECM was unaltered compared to FTY720-treated PbA-infected mice or PyXL-infected mice with hyperparasitemia. Thus, blood brain barrier opening does not involve endothelial injury and is likely reversible, consistent with the rapid recovery of many patients with CM. We conclude that the ECM-associated recruitment of large numbers of activated leukocytes, in particular CD8+ T cells and ICAM+ macrophages, causes a severe restriction in the venous blood efflux from the brain, which exacerbates the vasogenic edema and increases the intracranial pressure. Thus, death from ECM could potentially occur as a consequence of intracranial hypertension.
Color as a variable in making an erotic film more arousing.

Eight adult male subjects participated in a counterbalanced, repeated-measures design to determine the relative efficacy of color and black-and-white visual sexual stimuli in eliciting sexual arousal, as objectively measured by a mercury-in-rubber strain gauge transducer. There were no consistent or significant differences in either the intensity or the pattern of penile responding during color and black-and-white presentations of the same film.
Frederick Jackson Turner, Archaeologist?

While a student at the University of Wisconsin, Frederick Jackson Turner, excavated a burial mound in Wisconsin in 1886. Best known later for his “frontier thesis,” Turner suggested the skeletal remains might be those of a mound builder, a vanished race that preceded the American Indians. Following the excavation, Turner, a pioneer in interdisciplinary historical research, immersed himself in the limited Midwest archaeological literature of the day and probably came to accept the Native Americans as the makers of the mounds. While his dig remained a one-time event, Turner's interest in archaeology continued in the years to follow.
Nietzsche: An intellectual Nebuchadnezzar

The essay introduces and defines the concept of “an intellectual Nebuchadnezzar”—one who, despite his hostility to religion, serves God's purposes by the depth of his ideas. In terms of this notion, some of Friedrich Nietzsche's views are explored. Specifically, Nietzsche's perspective on artistic creativity is analyzed and applied to the notion of creativity in human relationships. In addition to concluding that Nietzsche is himself an “intellectual Nebuchadnezzar,” the broader point is made that truth and insight should be welcomed by the religious community even if the source of that truth is one ostensibly hostile to religion.
A New Homing Record for the Little Brown Bat

A short-term homing study of Myotis lucifugus lucifugus was conducted in Des Moines County, Iowa, during the months of July and August, 1956. Two bats, released 270 air …
On a Twenty-First-Century Quest for Authoritative Narration: The Drama of Voice in Uwe Tellkamp's Der Turm

This article discusses Uwe Tellkamp's Der Turm (2008) in the context of the early twenty-first-century return to “big novels” and authoritative forms of narration that has been diagnosed by critics as well as scholars. While situating Tellkamp's poetics as part of this trend, I argue that he is only partially successful in redeveloping such forms in Der Turm. Through a detailed narratological analysis, I demonstrate how the novel remains fundamentally shaped by precisely the modernist and postmodernist techniques of challenging authoritative narrative that it tries to move beyond in its attempt to authoritatively narrate the end of the GDR. With its aesthetics of narrative performance—or, more specifically, narrative presence—Der Turm struggles to move beyond the political legacy it denounces.
The Children's Table: Childhood Studies and the Humanities Anna Mae Duane, Editor. Athens: The University of Georgia Press, 2013.

The Children's Table: Childhood Studies and the Humanities Anna Mae Duane, Editor. Athens: The University of Georgia Press, 2013.The idea of "the children's table" signifies the marginal presence of those who occupy space at the family dinner table like at Thanksgiving. But it is also where true children's culture can be seen. Duane's work is a project that takes apart this hierarchical power structure that exists both in American dining rooms and in the academy. Essays compiled in this volume recognize children's agency and resistance. They do so without necessarily denying the fact that childhood is commonly understood as a temporary stage with dependence and fragility. Stemming from theories advanced by Michel Foucault and Judith Butler about power and identity, these essays examine subjectivity that children experience.Annette Ruth Appell problematizes the fact that children are often framed as private subjects whose voices are rarely heard outside of their immediate environment, especially the home. Appell argues that looking at children as legal subjects and as citizens will enable us to recognize children's agency and realize how children from different backgrounds may share similar interests and struggles. While Appell's approach is based in the feminist tradition, Lucia Hodgson relies on critical race theory to examine how African Americans have historically been considered children, regardless of their age, and cannot be autonomous citizens. She shows that this history generates contradiction even for those who study children and who recognize children's agency at the same level as their adult counterparts. Black youths may not possess as much agency as white youths because Black adults have been dissociated from full-agency citizenship. James Marten focuses on wartime children, including those during the American Civil War. He postulates that children do not simply adopt the ideas given by adults about a war but construct their own views about a conflict. John Wall agrees with these authors and states that there is a need for a social revolution that centers on children, just like gender, racial, and other minorities have had in varying degrees.Sophie Bell, Lesley Ginsberg, and Roy Kozlovsky, respectively, write on the matter of discipline. Bell uses Unde Tom's Cabin (1852) to understand how race affected children's education and disciplining. Ginsberg focuses on antebellum American literature that described the power relationship between children and adults. …
Partial Cylindrical Algebraic Decomposition for quantifier elimination

The Cylindrical Algebraic Decomposition method (CAD) decomposes R^r into regions over which given polynomials have constant signs. An important application of CAD is quantifier elimination in elementary algebra and geometry. In this paper we present a method which intermingles CAD construction with truth evaluation so that parts of the CAD are constructed only as needed to further truth evaluation and aborts CAD construction as soon as no more truth evaluation is needed. The truth evaluation utilizes in an essential way any quantifiers which are present and additionally takes account of atomic formulas from which some variables are absent. Preliminary observations show that the new method is always more efficient than the original, and often significantly more efficient.
UreE stimulation of GTP-dependent urease activation in the UreD-UreF-UreG-urease apoprotein complex.

The activation of metal-containing enzymes often requires the participation of accessory proteins whose roles are poorly understood. In the case of Klebsiella aerogenes urease, a nickel-containing ...
Clustering effectiveness of permutation generation heuristics for machine-part matrix clustering

Abstract The first step in the design of a cellular manufacturing system (CMS) is the clustering of the binary machine-part matrix. This provides a visual basis for matching the machine groups to the part families they produce. Essentially, this requires that the orders of the machines and parts in the initial matrix be permuted independently a finite number of times. If machine-part clusters exist, they will appear as blocks of 1's along the diagonal of the matrix. Our study focuses on identifying a generic measure for the compactness of a good block diagonal form (BDF) in the final matrix produced by any heuristic. A difficult matrix in the literature known to have cluster overlap in both dimensions was solved using various graph theoretic heuristics for permutation generation. The compactness of the BDF in each of the final matrixes was evaluated using a new measure of BDF compactness developed by the authors. Comparisons were made with other measures of clustering effectiveness. The paper concludes with a discussion on how these measures could help to identify near-optimal BDFs to simplify machine grouping for detailed cell formation analyses.
Significance of the Pressure Gradient on Fully Developed Turbulent Flow in a Pipe

The assumption of negligible pressure-gradient effects on the momentum transfer for flow conditions such as hydrodynamically fully developed tube flow has generally been justified by dimensional-analysis--order-of-magnitude arguments. Because of the pertinence of this formulation in obtaining an analogical relationship for the mean frequency of surface renewal, a more rigorous analysis of the effect of the pressure gradient is presented for incompressible flow.
RPA2 Is a Direct Downstream Target for ATR to Regulate the S-phase Checkpoint

Upon DNA damage, replication is inhibited by the S-phase checkpoint. ATR (ataxia telangiectasia mutated- and Rad3-related) is specifically involved in the inhibition of replicon initiation when cells are treated with DNA damage-inducing agents that stall replication forks, but the mechanism by which it acts to prevent replication is not yet fully understood. We observed that RPA2 is phosphorylated on chromatin in an ATR-dependent manner when replication forks are stalled. Mutation of the ATR-dependent phosphorylation sites in RPA2 leads to a defect in the down-regulation of DNA synthesis following treatment with UV radiation, although ATR activation is not affected. Threonine 21 and serine 33, two residues among several phosphorylation sites in the amino terminus of RPA2, are specifically required for the UV-induced, ATR-mediated inhibition of DNA replication. RPA2 mutant alleles containing phospho-mimetic mutations at ATR-dependent phosphorylation sites have an impaired ability to associate with replication centers, indicating that ATR phosphorylation of RPA2 directly affects the replication function of RPA. Our studies suggest that in response to UV-induced DNA damage, ATR rapidly phosphorylates RPA2, disrupting its association with replication centers in the S-phase and contributing to the inhibition of DNA replication.
Inhibition of cellular thymidylate synthesis by cytotoxic propenal derivatives of pyrimidine bases and deoxynucleosides.

Abstract A series of cytotoxic propenal (3-oxoprop-1-enyl) derivatives of pyrimidine bases and deoxynucleosides was evaluated for their ability to block thymidylate synthesis in intact and permeabilized murine leukemia L1210 cells. Several were potent inhibitors of this process, likely contributing to their cytotxicity. The IC 50 values of thymidine-3-propenal, the prototype of this series, in intact and permeabilized L1210, L-M and L-M(TK − ) cells were 21, 7.5, and 75 μM and 1.5, 1.7, and 3.5 μM, respectively. The related base analoque, thymine-1-propenal, is a product of bleomycin-induced DNA strand-scission; the results of the present study bear on the mode of action of this antibiotic.
Ape reproduction: science and ethics

Reproductive Biology of the Great Apes: Comparative and Biomedical Perspectives. Edited By Charles E. Graham. Pp.437. ISBN 0-12-295020-8. (Academic: 1981.) $52.50, £34.80.
Molecular size of the Rh0(D) antigen of the human erythrocyte In situ by radiation inactivation

Abstract Radiation inactivation was used to determine the molecular size of the Rh 0 (D) antigen of isolated membranes and of the intact human erythrocyte. Isolated membranes were frozen and irradiated at −50°C. After thawing, the bound 14 C-anti-D was measured and the log residual Rh(D) antigen activity was plotted against the radiation dose. A mol. wt of 60,000 was calculated. Intact human erythrocytes frozen in the presence of cryoprotective reagents were also studied. Rh(D) antigen inactivation occurred as a single exponential function of radiation dose which also yielded a mol. wt of approx. 56,000 upon analysis by classical target theory.
Plasma Induced Oxidative Cleavage of Disulfide Bonds in Polypeptides during Nanoelectrospray Ionization

Cleavage of the disulfide bond within a polypeptide was observed when the nanoelectrospray (nanoESI) plume of a peptide solution interacted with a low-temperature helium plasma in air. Online mass spectrometric analysis revealed that chain separation accompanied by a mass increase of 1 or 16 Da for each chain was common to peptides having an interchain disulfide bond, while for peptides having intrachain disulfide bonds, the reaction products typically showed mass increases of 17 Da. Experimental results suggested that hydroxyl radicals initiated from the plasma were likely to be responsible via dissociative addition to the disulfide bond (RSSR′), giving rise to RSH and R′SO•. When the hydroxyl radical addition product ions ([M + nH + OH]n•+, n is the charge state) generated from peptides having intrachain peptides were subjected to collision-induced dissociation (CID) in an ion trap, a-, b-, and y-type sequence ions within the cyclic structure defined by the disulfide bond were observed in addition to th...
Solution 1H NMR study of the electronic structure and magnetic properties of high-spin ferrous or deoxy myoglobins

Solution 1D and 2D NMR, together with limited isotope labeling, have led to the assignment of the heme, axial His, and numerous heme contact residues in sperm whale, horse, and human deoxy myoglobi...
Exploration of "food addiction" in overweight and obese treatment-seeking adults.

Abstract There is growing interest in conceptualizing obesity as a “food addiction.” The current study investigated the prevalence and correlates of “food addiction” (FA), as defined by the Yale Food Addiction Scale (YFAS) in 178 (133 F, 45 M) persons seeking weight loss treatment. Participants had a mean age of 51.2 ± 11.7 years and a body mass index of 36.1 ± 4.8 kg/m 2 . Fifteen percent of individuals met the YFAS proposed diagnostic criteria for FA. Those who met criteria for FA reported significantly greater depressive symptomatology. There were no differences in BMI, age, race, or gender between participants with and without FA. Among those not meeting criteria, 35% reported 3 or more symptoms in the absence of self-reported clinical distress or impairment. YFAS symptom count was also significantly correlated with depressive symptoms. These findings suggest that 15% of adults presenting for weight loss treatment meet YFAS criteria for FA. The clinical significance of this classification is unknown and needs to be validated in prospective studies.
The forensic analysis of clandestine drug records

Abstract The Racketeering Records Analysis Unit (RRAU) of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Laboratory has developed a protocol for the analysis of suspected clandestine and/or coded drug records. Utilizing this procedure, RRAU personnel have been successful in determining (i) whether the records in question are or are not drug records; and (ii) the scope and extent of the illicit drug business as identified in the records.
Early versus late renal replacement therapy in acute kidney injury: the search for a definition of timing continues

We read with interest the systematic review by Karvellas and colleagues on early versus late renal replacement therapy (RRT) in critically ill patients with acute kidney injury (AKI) [1]. The authors rightly cite enormous heterogeneity between the 15 studies reviewed as a key concern. We would like to focus on the varied approach and lack of consensus in defining early and late initiation of RRT, as all of the 15 studies quote different definitions in their methods. Even those utilising similar markers and criteria for AKI - for example, the RIFLE criteria [2] (two studies) or blood urea and nitrogen (four studies) - utilised and interpreted them in very different ways when distinguishing early and late initiation of RRT. None of the studies reviewed used the Acute Kidney Injury Network (AKIN) criteria [3]. Having applied the AKIN criteria to data from our 20-bed critical care unit for all patients receiving RRT in 2009 (n = 158), we also failed to show RRT initiated at an early stage of AKI to be of benefit in terms of critical care or hospital survival. Figure ​Figure11 shows a higher rate of hospital mortality in patients with AKIN stage 1 AKI (P = 0.01). Patient characteristics including age, sex and Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation scores were similar across all groups. In view of our experience and Karvellas and colleagues' conclusions, surely the matter of greatest urgency prior to any multicentre trial is establishing a satisfactory definition for early and late initiation of RRT. Figure 1 Hospital survival based on acute kidney injury staging. Histogram for hospital survival based on acute kidney injury (AKI) staging according to Acute Kidney Injury Network criteria [3] (n = 143). RRT, renal replacement therapy.
Geology and Mineralogy of the Sedimentary Kaolins of the Southeastern United States—A Review

Beginning with the work of Ladd in 1898, much has been written about the kaolins of the Southeast, with maximum coverage on the deposits of greatest economic value. Early studies were, of necessity, general in nature but also contain excellent detailed descriptions. In the past 15 years increased demands for kaolins to meet specific requirements have resulted in a large amount of detailed research, much of it unpublished. This paper attempts to review the available information placing emphasis upon the geologic and mineralogical data and the interpretation thereof with respect to the occurrence, detailed character and variability, and probable origin of the clay deposits. The commercial deposits of kaolin clay discussed herein lie throughout the sands of the Upper Cretaceous Tuscaloosa formation and are localized in a narrow belt along the southeast edge of the “fall line” from Macon, Georgia, to Aiken, South Carolina. The kaolin lenses are irregular in shape, size and purity, ranging from a few feet to a mile in length, and up to 50 ft in thickness. Variability within the lenses is a function of (1) the concentration and localization of non-clay materials (quartz, mica, gibbsite, pyrite, lignite; Fe2O3, TiO2, MnO), (2) the montmorillonite content, (3) the particle size and X-ray crystallinity of the kaolinite, and (4) the texture of the clay aggregate. These mineralogical, chemical and textural variables are not homogeneously distributed but reveal and help to explain differences between samples, layers, pits and the important hard and soft clay types of the region.
Copper and nickel binding to canine serum albumin. A circular dichroism study

Abstract 1. The binding of copper and nickel to canine serum albumin has been studied using circular dichroism. In the 320–700 nm region, only a single positive extremum was observed at about 664–667.5 nm for copper bound to canine serum albumin. The intensity of this extremum was found to increase until a Cu2+/albumin molar ratio of 3 was reached. Further addition of Cu2+ led to a decrease in ellipticity. 2. The absence of any extrema in the 560–570 and 480–510 nm regions showed that histidines were not involved in copper binding to canine albumin. 3. In the case of nickel, initial binding was found to take place at the N-terminal tripeptide. At higher nickel to albumin molar ratios, circular dichroism spectra indicated the presence sulfur containing ligands but showed no evidence for the involvement of histidines. 4. Canine serum albumin was found to bind six or more Cu2+ and Ni2+ ions with affinities that are lower than for human or bovine serum albumin.
Linking Substance Use and Problem Behavior Across Three Generations

This study examined patterns of between-generation continuity in substance use from generation 1 (G1) parents to generation 2 (G2) adolescents and from G2 adult substance use and G1 substance use to generation 3 (G3) problem behavior in childhood. Structural equation modeling of prospective, longitudinal data from 808 participants, their parents, and their children showed low levels of G1 to G2 cross-generational continuity in the general tendency to use drugs. This effect was fully mediated by G2 early adolescent behavior problems. Drug-specific residual effects were observed across generations for cigarette smoking. Once established in adolescence, substance use in G2 showed stability over time. G2 substance use at age 27 significantly predicted G3 problem behavior. G1 substance use also was related to G3 problem behavior indirectly. These findings highlight the importance of interrupting intergenerational cycles of substance use and problem behavior.
Oxygen vacancy-transition metal-ion impurity association in SrTiO3

Abstract The progressive reduction of SrTiO3:Mn has been monitored by EPR. The results show the conversion of Mn4+ to Mn2+ and Mn2+ to Mn2+-V0 by oxygen-vacancy capture. The latter defect association takes place with the copious oxygen vacancies produced during high-temperature reduction between 1100 - 1300 K. At still higher reduction temperatures, other defects are formed. Analysis of the temperature dependence of the defect association gives a value of 0.7 eV for the enthalpy of association.
Deformation texture transition in brass: critical role of micro-scale shear bands

Abstract The transition in deformation textures between low stacking fault energy f.c.c. metals (e.g. brass textures) and the medium to high stacking fault energy f.c.c. metals (e.g. copper textures) is addressed. A detailed microscopy investigation was conducted in parallel with texture measurements on deformed samples of copper and 70/30 brass to different strain levels in three different deformation paths, namely, plane strain compression, simple compression, and simple shear. The objective of the study was to identify the specific trends in the transition between the brass textures and the copper textures that correlated with the onset of deformation twinning and those that correlated with the onset of micro-scale shear banding. It was found that several important transitions in the evolution of the deformation textures, especially in the rolled samples, correlated not with the onset of deformation twinning but with the onset of micro-scale shear banding. These results strongly suggest that the critical feature in texture transition is not twinning directly, but the shear banding promoted by the high strain hardening rates of low stacking fault energy f.c.c. metal.
The use of graft materials in vaginal pelvic floor surgery.

Abstract Objective To review recent literature on graft materials used in vaginal pelvic floor surgery. Methods A Pubmed-search (“anterior vaginal wall” or “cystocele”), (“posterior vaginal wall” or “rectocele”) and (“vaginal vault” or “pelvic prolapse”) and (“mesh” or “erosion” or “graft” or “synthetic”) from 1995 to 2005 was performed; recent reviews [Birch C. The use of prosthetics in pelvic reconstructive surgery. Best Pract Res Clin Obstet Gynaecol 2005;19:979–91 [1] ; Maher C, Baessler K. Surgical management of anterior vaginal wall prolapse: an evidence-based literature review. Int Urogynecol J Pelvic Floor Dysfunct 2005 (May 25) [Electronic Publication] [2] ; Maher C, Baessler K. Surgical management of posterior vaginal wall prolapse: an evidence-based literature review. Int Urogynecol J Pelvic Floor Dysfunct 2006;17:84–8 [3] ; Altman D, Mellgren A, Zetterstrom J. Rectocele repair using biomaterial augmentation: current documentation and clinical experience. Obstet Gynecol Surv 2005;60:753–60 [4] ] were added. Result There are few prospective randomized trials that prove the benefit of implanting grafts in vaginal pelvic floor surgery. Many articles are retrospective case series with small sample sizes or incomplete outcome variables. Serious complications such as erosions are often not mentioned. Inconsistent or unclear criteria for anatomic cure make it difficult to compare outcomes. Quality of life issues such as dyspareunia, urinary or bowel symptoms are often ignored. Conclusion Due to a lack of well-designed prospective randomized trials, recommendations for using graft materials in vaginal reconstructive surgery cannot be made. At this time, grafts should have limited use in a carefully selected patient population.
Interactive Process Notes: An Innovative Tool in Counseling Groups

The purpose of this study is to begin to explore the use of interactive process notes in a women's counseling group. The use of interactive process notes is a new technique, which consists of weekly written input regarding group member and group counselor feedback. This preliminary study describes the use of interactive process notes results in a 14-week women's counseling group. This qualitative inquiry yielded five group member categories, including: (a) stage formation, (b) monitoring participation, (c) therapeutic factors, (d) psychological insight, and (e) boundaries; and four group counselor categories: (a) directives, (b) affirming, (c) psychoeducation, and (d) monitoring interaction.
In vitro gene expression dissected: chemostat surgery for Mycobacterium tuberculosis

A unique approach, combining defined and reproducible in vitro models with DNA microarrays, has been developed to study environmental modulation of mycobacterial gene expression. The gene expression profiles of samples of Mycobacterium tuberculosis, from independent chemostat cultures grown under defined and reproducible conditions, were found to be highly correlated. This approach is now being used to study the effect of relevant stimuli, such as limited oxygen availability, on mycobacterial gene expression. A modification of the chemostat culture system, enabling largevolume controlled batch culture, has been developed to study starvation survival. Cultures of M. tuberculosis have been maintained under nutrient-starved conditions for extended periods, with 106 – 107 bacilli surviving in a culturable state after 100 days. The design of the culture system has made it possible to control the environment and collect multiple time-course samples to study patterns of gene expression. These studies demonstrate that it is possible to perform long-term studies and obtain reproducible expression data using controlled and defined in vitro models.
Intelligent Guessing

Guessing is what we do when logic and information don't provide sufficient insight to answer a question completely. Current theories and research on intelligent guessingthat is, guessing that's tied to a rational processare limited and disjoint. An integrated theory of intelligent guessing could provide an organizing theme for research currently performed under multiple AI subdisciplines.This article is part of a special issue on the Future of AI.
Assessment and prediction of thermal transport at solid–self-assembled monolayer junctions

Self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) have recently garnered much interest due to their unique electrical, chemical, and thermal properties. Several studies have focused on thermal transport across solid–SAM junctions, demonstrating that interface conductance is largely insensitive to changes in SAM length. In the present study, we have investigated the vibrational spectra of alkanedithiol-based SAMs as a function of the number of methylene groups forming the molecular backbone via Hartree–Fock methods. In the case of Au–alkanedithiol junctions, it is found that despite the addition of nine new vibrational modes per added methylene group, only one of these modes falls below the maximum phonon frequency of Au. In addition, the alkanedithiol one-dimensional density of normal modes (modes per unit energy per unit length) is nearly constant regardless of chain length, explaining the observed insensitivity. Furthermore, we developed a diffusive transport model intended to predict interface conductance at solid–SAM junctions. It is shown that this predictive model is in an excellent agreement with prior experimental data available in the literature.
Protective Effect of Hyaluronidase after Long-Term Aortic Cross-Clamping: Initial Experimental Observations

Abstract This work studies the effect of hyaluronidase on myocardium subjected to long-term aortic cross-clamping (three hours) and moderate hypothermia (28°C). Animals receiving hyaluronidase (1,000 U per liter) through the root of the aorta with a procaine-potassium chloride-plasmalyte cardioplegic solution showed better functional, electrical, and morphological response than the untreated animals. These findings, although preliminary, appear to be promising for potential clinical application.
An applied organizational rewards distribution system

Purpose – How can managers optimally distribute rewards among individuals in a job group? While the management literature on compensation has established the need for equitable reimbursements for individuals holding similar positions in a function or group, an objective grounding of rewards allocation has certainly escaped scrutiny. This paper aims to address this issue.Design/methodology/approach – Using an optimization model based on a financial rubric, the portfolio approach allows organizations to envision human capital assets as a set (i.e. a team, group, function), rather than independent contractors. The portfolio can be organized and managed for meeting various organizational objectives (e.g. optimizing returns and instrumental benefits, assessing resource allocations).Findings – This research introduces an innovative portfolio management scheme for employee rewards distribution. Akin to investing in capital assets, organizations invest considerable resources in their human capital. In doing so, o...
How the Madden-Julian Oscillation affects North American weather

The unusual weather in the United States during the winter of 2013–2014—when the West stayed hot and dry, the Northeast was battered by Arctic winds, and the South was blanketed in snow—was caused in part by an atmospheric phenomenon that blocked normal weather patterns from reaching the West Coast. The jet stream, forced to flow around a stable high-pressure system, became curvier than normal. Over the eastern Pacific, the jet stream flowed far to the north before turning south over Alaska, bringing cold Arctic air to the Midwest.
On the influence of electrostatic charging on coagulation of dust and ice particles in the upper mesosphere

The upper mesosphere, at heights above about 80 km, is the region of the atmosphere in which most ablation of incoming meteoric material takes place, and is thought to contain tiny nanometer-size smoke and dust particles with concentrations of several thousand per cubic centimeter. In the extremely cold summer conditions at high latitudes, these particles probably form the condensation nuclei on which ice particles grow, giving rise to a variety of unique phenomena, including noctilucent clouds and localized electron depletions (“biteouts”). Recent work has shown that the particles become electrically charged by scavenging free electrons and positive ions from the background ionosphere. Under normal daytime conditions, calculations of charge balance have shown that most of the particles will carry a single negative charge, and it has been pointed out that electrostatic repulsion will inhibit coagulation of the particles, which would otherwise be an important mechanism for their growth. It is shown here that the opposite is true when ionization rates are very low, for example at night in the absence of energetic-particle precipitation. In this case, positively and negatively charged particles tend to exist in equal numbers, and coagulation is enhanced by charging, instead of being inhibited. Because of the major unknown factors other than charging that affect coagulation, only idealized semi-quantitative estimates of coagulation rates can be made. Electrical charging, however, appears to be a much less serious barrier to coagulation than had been thought, and may actually be a powerful stimulant.
Phase quadrature components of the 10.4 GHz scattered field on a short tropospheric path

A microwave phase quadrature technique has been newly applied in line-of-sight tropospheric propagation to determine directly the statistics of the incoherent scattered field. The results suggest using the wave-front sphericity sensitivity of the phase quadrature components to explore the eddy size wavenumber spectrum.