cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Nutrition-regulated lipolysis in rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) is associated with alterations in the ERK, PI3K-Akt, JAK-STAT, and PKC signaling pathways

Previous studies have shown that food deprivation, which occurs naturally in the life cycle of many species of fish, results in cessation of growth and catabolism of stored energy reserves, including lipids. In this study, we used rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) to identify the cellular mechanisms involved with this metabolic shift. Fish were placed on one of five dietary regimes--fed continuously for 2 or 4 weeks, fasted continuously for 2 or 4 weeks, or fasted 2 weeks then refed 2 weeks--and the effects on organismal growth and lipid catabolism and on the activation state of signaling elements (e.g., Akt, ERK, JAK-STAT, PKC) in selected tissues were measured. Fasting for either 2 or 4 weeks significantly retarded growth in terms of body weight, body length, and body condition; refeeding restored growth such that body length and body condition were similar to measures seen in continuously fed fish. Fasting activated lipid catabolism by stimulating the mRNA expression and catalytic activity of hormone-sensitive lipase (HSL). Two HSL-encoding mRNAs have been characterized, and the expression of both forms of mRNA in 2- and 4-week fasted fish were significantly elevated over levels in fed fish in all tissues. In adipose tissue, liver, and white muscle, HSL activity was significantly elevated in 2- and 4-week fasted fish compared to fed animals; whereas in red muscle, HSL activity was significantly elevated compared to fed fish after 4 weeks of fasting. Refeeding reversed both fasting-associated HSL mRNA expression and HSL activity. Fasting resulted in the deactivation of Akt, JAK2, and STAT5 in adipose tissue, liver, and red and white muscle. By contrast, fasting activated ERK and PKC in all tissues measured. Refeeding reversed fasting-associated alterations in the activation state of all signal elements. These findings suggest that deactivation of Akt and JAK-STAT in conjunction with activation of ERK and PKC underlie fasting-associated growth retardation and lipolysis.
Faceless students, virtual places: Emergence and communal accountability in online classrooms

Abstract A pedagogical problem growing out of virtual classrooms is the temptation to act without communal accountability, the reciprocal commitment among individuals to maintain the health of their interconnections. Drawing on an ethnographic study of a fully online composition class, I argue that teachers can encourage accountability within virtual sites by conceiving of the online classroom as an emergent phenomenon. The relationships and activities among language, physical reality, and interpretant provide the matrix out of which place organizes itself. This ecological orientation provides local and systemic strategies for fostering communal health. I begin my exploration of online place by describing the value of complex systems theory and emergence for conceptualizing place. Next, I describe the roles of language, physical reality, and interpretant, pointing out the contribution of each to the configuration of virtual place and to communal accountability. Then, I focus on the emergence of place, which reorganizes language, reality, and interpretant, opening up a new dimension to communal accountability.
The flux-force relations across complex membranes with active transport

Equations are derived for the total material flux, and the total electric current flux, across a complex membrane system with active transport. The equations describe the fluxes as linear functions of forces across the system, and specifically of electrical potential, hydrostatic pressure, chemical potentials, and active transport rates. The equations can be simplified for experimental studies by making one or more of the forces equal to zero. The osmotic pressure difference across a membrane system is shown to be a function of the electrical potential and chemical potential differences and of the active transport rates. The transmembrane potential is shown to be the sum of a diffusion potential and an active transport potential. A simple equation is derived describing the current across a membrane as a linear function of the electrical potential and the active transport rate. Specific examples of the application of the equations to nerve membrane potentials are considered.
Synthesis of ionic block polymers for desalination membranes

Copolymer containing 2-vinylpyridine–trimethylsilyl methacrylate, styrene–2-vinylpyridine, and styrene–trimethylsilyl methacrylate blocks as well as terpolymers containing the styrene2–vinylpyridine–trimethylsilyl methacrylate blocks were synthesized by initiation of the appropriate monomers sequentially both with butyllithium and sodium. These polymers were subjected to hydrolysis by which the acrylate ester segment is converted to the free acid and to the reaction with methyl iodide, which quaternizes the pyridine segment; finally the hydrolyzed and quaternized polymers were subjected to dehydrohalogenation with external base. The properties of these block polymers and blends of the styrene-containing block copolymers were examined, especially in regard to their suitability as reverse osmosis desalination membranes.
Factors affecting survival of mouse embryos during freezing and thawing.

Abstract Preimplantation-stage mouse embryos suspended in dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) have been used as a model to study details of the response of a simple multicellular system to freezing and thawing. Rapid freezing to −196 °C kills the embryos unless they have first been cooled very slowly to at least below −50 °C. The survival of both 2-cell and 8-cell embryos has been found to depend as critically on the rate at which the frozen embryos were thawed as on the rate at which they were first frozen. The damaging consequences of thawing frozen embryos too rapidly have been shown to occur between −70 and −20 °C. Finally, the survival of embryos as a function of the time in DMSO prior to freezing and thawing has been compared with their volume changes as a function of time in DMSO. This comparison leads to the tentative conclusion that dimethyl sulfoxide need not permeate the embryos to protect them against freezing damage. Overall, the embryos' response to freezing and thawing is qualitatively similar to that displayed by many other cell types.
Temporal changes in replicated experimental stream fish assemblages: predictable or not?

1. Natural aquatic communities or habitats cannot be fully replicated in the wild, so little is known about how initially identical communities might change over time, or the extent to which observed changes in community structure are caused by internal factors (such as interspecific interactions or traits of individual species) versus factors external to the local community (such as abiotic disturbances or invasions of new species). 2. We quantified changes in seven initially identical fish assemblages, in habitats that were as similar as possible, in seminatural artificial streams in a 388-day trial (May 1998 to May 1999), and compared the change to that in fish assemblages in small pools of a natural stream during a year. The experimental design excluded floods, droughts, immigration or emigration. The experimental fish communities diverged significantly in composition and exhibited dissimilar trajectories in multivariate species space. Divergence among the assemblages increased from May through August, but not thereafter. 3. Differences among the experimental assemblages were influenced by differences that developed during the year in algae cover and in potential predation (due to differential survival of sunfish among units). 4. In the natural stream, fish assemblages in small pools changed more than those in the experimental units, suggesting that in natural assemblages external factors exacerbated temporal variation. 5. Our finding that initially identical assemblages, isolated from most external factors, would diverge in the structure of fish assemblages over time suggests a lack of strong internal, deterministic controls in the assemblages, and that idiosyncratic or stochastic components (chance encounters among species; vagaries in changes in the local habitat) even within habitat patches can play an important role in assemblage structure in natural systems.
Molecular Resolution and Fragmentation of Fulvic Acid by Electrospray Ionization/Multistage Tandem Mass Spectrometry

Molecular weight distributions of fulvic acid from the Suwannee River, Georgia, were investigated by electrospray ionization/quadrupole mass spectrometry (ESI/ QMS), and fragmentation pathways of specific fulvic acid masses were investigated by electrospray ionization/ion trap multistage tandem mass spectrometry (ESI/MST/ MS). ESI/QMS studies of the free acid form of low molecular weight poly(carboxylic acid) standards in 75% methanol/25% water mobile phase found that negative ion detection gave the optimum generation of parent ions that can be used for molecular weight determinations. However, experiments with poly(acrylic acid) mixtures and specific high molecular weight standards found multiply charged negative ions that gave a low bias to molecular mass distributions. The number of negative charges on a molecule is dependent on the distance between charges. ESI/MST/MS of model compounds found characteristic water loss from alcohol dehydration and anhydride formation, as well as CO 2 loss from decarboxylation, and CO loss from ester structures. Application of these fragmentation pathways to specific masses of fulvic acid isolated and fragmented by ESI/MST/MS is indicative of specific structures that can serve as a basis for future structural confirmation after these hypothesized structures are synthesized.
Upper Wisconsinan Till Recovered on the Continental Shelf Southeast of New England

Basal till was identified in two sediment cores collected about 69 kilometers southeast of Nantucket Island on the east and west sides of Great South Channel. These are the first samples of till collected on the outer continental shelf off the northeastern United States. The carbon-14 age of the total organic carbon in the tills provides a "no older than" age of about 20,000 years before present and suggests that the tills were deposited during the late Wisconsinan glaciation. This conclusion is in support of the hypothesis of an extensive Laurentide ice sheet that extended to the northern side of Georges Bank.
Alteration of the antigenicity of human lymphocytes by plant lectins and short-term tissue culture.

Abstract Human lymphocytes studied after being placed in culture for 1–6 wk progressively lost stimulating ability, i.e., lymphocyte defined antigens, when tested in one way mixed lymphocyte culture (MLC) but retained several other identifiable membrane components as well as the capacity to respond to mitogenic stimuli. Lymphocytes placed in culture with motogenic doses of PHA and Con-A after 1 and 2 wk strongly stimulated autologous responding fresh lymphocytes, but the MLC response of allogeneic fresh lymphocytes to stimulating lectin treated cells was even lower than the response to stimulating allogeneic cultured lymphocytes. The HL-A antigens on lectin treated cells or on lymphocytes through 6 wk in culture were clearly identifiable. Assays for T cell rosettes and B cell surface immunoglobulin showed both cell types to be present in numbers equal to fresh lymphocytes for up to 5 wk after culturing. However, the Fc receptor site on B cells was lost from cultured lymphocytes at the same time that MLC stimulation was lost. It is concluded that plant lectins can unmask new mitogenic sites on the cell surface as well as mask or delete existing sites, and that culturing lymphocytes for 1–6 wk will produce somewhat similar modulations. Modulation of surface membrane components by tissue culture or lectins may, therefore, have a profound effect in altering transplantation immunogenicity.
Distributio of chylomicron cholesteryl ester between parenchymal and Kupffer cells of rat liver

Kupffer cells and parenchymal cells of rat liver were isolated shortly after a single intravenous injection, or a constant infusion, of either thoracic duct lymph or isolated chylomicrons. The uptake of labeled free and esterified chylomicron cholesterol by the two cell types was compared to that of colloidal chromic [32P] phosphate. On the average, only about 6% of the cholesteryl ester of the chylomicrons taken up by liver was found m Kupffer cells. The chylomicron cholesteryl ester concentration (per mg N) in isolated parenchymal cells was equal to, or greater than, that of whole liver. The findings suggest that chylomicron remnants are removed from the circulation primarily by the parenchymal cells of the liver.
Phenotypic and genotypic characterization of bovine mastitis isolates of Staphylococcus aureus for biofilm formation

Staphylococcus aureus is one of the most common pathogens responsible for contagious mastitis in ruminants. The ability of S. aureus to form biofilm in vivo is considered to be a major virulence factor influencing its pathogenesis in mastitis. The objectives of the study were to examine in vitro slime production, biofilm formation, and the presence of the ica gene locus and icaA and icaD genes in S. aureus isolates from bovine mastitis. Thirty-two of the 35 isolates tested produced slime on Congo red agar, whereas only 24 of the isolates were found to produce biofilm in vitro. However, all the 35 isolates possessed the ica locus, icaA and icaD genes. This study indicates a high prevalence of the ica genes among S. aureus mastitis isolates, and their presence is not always associated with in vitro formation of slime or biofilm. A combination of phenotypic and genotypic tests is recommended for investigating biofilm formation in S. aureus.
Education and training in Analytical Chemistry: II. Undergraduate education in Analytical Chemistry at university level in the US?Industrial needs 2000

Analytical Chemistry is involved in the undergraduate curriculum in the US in many ways. It is one of four required subjects for accreditation of a college or university by the American Chemical Society. However there is much discussion underway in the US about change in the undergraduate training of analytical chemists to more closely reflect the “problem solving” nature of Analytical Chemistry, and to better address the needs of industry. It is suggested that the curriculum should emphasize the fundamentals but also teach applied Analytical Chemistry, the need for teamwork, and the importance of communication skills.
General construction of the unitary representations of anti-de sitter superalgebras and the spectrum of the S4 compactification of 11-dimensional supergravity☆

Abstract We construct the spectrum of the S4 compactification of d = 11 supergravity by simple algebraic methods. The spectrum consists of a special class of positive-energy unitary irreducible representations of the supergroup Osp (8 ∗ /4) = Osp (6, 2 4 ) , the so-called short supermultiplets. This paper shows how to obtain easily all such representations of the supergroup Osp ( 8 ∗ 4 ) . We find that there is an ultra-short supermultiplet, the doubleton, which is analogous to the singleton of Osp ( 8 4 , R ) . The method described here can be used to obtain all positive-energy unitary supermultiplets of Osp ( 8 ∗ 4) and not just those that aise in the S4 compactification.
A actor-based architecture for customizing and controlling agent ensembles

Coordinating agent behavior in agent ensembles is a key challenge for distributed AI. The authors describe a programming model that supports multiagent ensembles, and they present their Java-based prototype system, AgentFoundry.
Conformational Dynamics of the Rpt6 ATPase in Proteasome Assembly and Rpn14 Binding

Juxtaposed to either or both ends of the proteasome core particle (CP) can exist a 19S regulatory particle (RP) that recognizes and prepares ubiquitinated proteins for proteolysis. RP triphosphatase proteins (Rpt1-Rpt6), which are critical for substrate translocation into the CP, bind chaperone-like proteins (Hsm3, Nas2, Nas6, and Rpn14) implicated in RP assembly. We used NMR and other biophysical methods to reveal that S. cerevisiae Rpt6's C-terminal domain undergoes dynamic helix-coil transitions enabled by helix-destabilizing glycines within its two most C-terminal α helices. Rpn14 binds selectively to Rpt6's four-helix bundle, with surprisingly high affinity. Loss of Rpt6's partially unfolded state by glycine substitution (Rpt6 G³⁶⁰,³⁸⁷A) disrupts holoenzyme formation in vitro, an effect enhanced by Rpn14. S. cerevisiae lacking Rpn14 and incorporating Rpt6 G³⁶⁰,³⁸⁷A demonstrate hallmarks of defective proteasome assembly and synthetic growth defects. Rpt4 and Rpt5 exhibit similar exchange, suggesting that conserved structural heterogeneity among Rpt proteins may facilitate RP-CP assembly.
SU‐GG‐T‐125: Optimization of Three‐Dimensional Treatment Plan in Beamlet Domain by Applying Spatial Variation Constraint of the Fluence Maps and by Compressed Sensing Method

Purpose: To establish an inverse planning framework for optimization of 3D radiation therapy (RT) treatment plan with machine delivery parameters modeled by direct constraint on the spatial variation of the fluence maps and a compressed sensing method. Materials and Method: Different from previous wedge optimization based on deposition of the incident fields into a sum of open and nominal wedged fields, the computation here is performed in the beamlet domain. During optimization, two different but related methods are used: (i) a direct constraint that forces the fluence to vary monotonically with an optimal wedge angle; (ii) a total‐variation (TV) regularization which encourages the final fluence to take a form of wedged field by requiring the derivatives of the field fluence maps to be piece‐wise continuous. Results: The performances of the two proposed methods are evaluated and compared by using a braincancer case and a head and neck case. Both methods are capable of providing clinically sensible 3D RT solutions with monotonically varying fluence maps. For currently available 3D RT delivery scheme based on the use of customized physical or dynamic wedges, the constrained wedge field optimization seems to be more useful because the optimized fields are directly deliverable. The TV‐regularized optimization results, on the other hand, may translate into two or more segmented wedged fields, which are readily deliverable using dynamic jaw or MLC.Conclusion: An inverse planning framework is established to automate the 3D RT treatment planning. The proposed methods take advantage of the fact that 3D RT is a special form of IMRT and finds optimal plan by searching for fields with a certain type of spatial variations. The approach unifies the inverse planning of 3D RT and IMRT and thus makes easy the implementation of the proposed methods in an existing IMRT inverse planning platform.
Analysis of recommendation algorithms for e-commerce

ABSTRACT Re ommender systems apply statisti al and knowledge disovery te hniques to the problem of making produ t re ommendations during a live ustomer intera tion and they are a hieving widespread su ess in E-Commer e nowadays. In this paper, we investigate several te hniques for analyzing large-s ale pur hase and preferen e data for the purpose of produ ing useful re ommendations to ustomers. In parti ular, we apply a olle tion of algorithms su h as traditional data mining, nearest-neighbor ollaborative ltering, and dimensionality redu tion on two di erent data sets. The rst data set was derived from the web-pur hasing transa tion of a large Eommer e ompany whereas the se ond data set was olle ted from MovieLens movie re ommendation site. For the experimental purpose, we divide the re ommendation generation pro ess into three sub pro esses{ representation of input data, neighborhood formation, and re ommendation generation. We devise di erent te hniques for di erent sub pro esses and apply their ombinations on our data sets to ompare for re ommendation quality and performan e.
Recognition of contacts between objects in the presence of uncertainties

This paper discusses on-line recognizing contacts of objects for robotics application, using multiple sensor modalities. Specifically, it shows how to integrate and reason about sensor information obtained by position/orientation and vision sensors in the presence of sensing uncertainties.© (1991) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Transcriptional and posttranslational up-regulation of HER3 (ErbB3) compensates for inhibition of the HER2 tyrosine kinase

Sustained and complete inhibition of HER3 and its output to PI3K/Akt are required for the optimal antitumor effect of therapeutic inhibitors of the HER2 oncogene. Here, we show that, after inhibition of the HER2 tyrosine kinase with lapatinib, there is PI3K/Akt and FoxO3a-dependent up-regulation of HER3 mRNA and protein. Up-regulated HER3 was then phosphorylated by residual HER2 activity, thus partially maintaining P-Akt and limiting the antitumor action of lapatinib. Inhibition of HER3 with siRNA or a neutralizing HER3 antibody sensitized HER2+ breast cancer cells and xenografts to lapatinib both in vitro and in vivo. Combined blockade of HER2 and HER3 inhibited pharmacodynamic biomarkers of PI3K/Akt activity more effectively than each inhibitor alone. These results suggest that because of HER3-mediated compensation, current clinical inhibitors of HER2 and PI3K/Akt will not block the PI3K pathway completely. They also suggest that therapeutic inhibitors of HER3 should be used in combination with HER2 inhibitors and PI3K pathway inhibitors in patients with HER2- and PI3K-dependent cancers.
Integrating testing techniques through process programming

Integration of multiple testing techniques is required to demonstrate high quality of software. Technique integration has four basic goals: reduced development costs, incremental testing capabilities, extensive error detection, and cost-effective application. We are experimenting with the use of process programming as a mechanism for integrating testing techniques. Having set out to develop a process that provides adequate coverage and comprehensive fault detection, we proposed synergistic use of DATA FLOW testing and RELAY to achieve all four goals. We developed a testing process program much as we would develop a software product from requirements through design to implementation and evaluation. We found process programming to be effective for explicitly integrating the techniques and achieving the desired synergism. Used in this way, process programming also mitigates many of the other problems that plague testing in the software development process.
Absorptance behavior of optical coatings for high-average-power laser applications.

A modified photothermal deformation technique is used to measure the absorptance behaviors of optical multilayered dielectric coatings for a high-power laser system. The surface thermal-lensing modification uses an enlarged probe beam to facilitate alignment of the laser beam and data acquisition. The coatings, both reflective and transmissive types, are made by a physical vapor-deposition process. Coating absorptances are observed to depend on the laser’s exposure time and power density. Time-dependent absorptance defect models are proposed. Also, micrometer-sized sites of high absorptance and an area with physical damage can be found during the spatial scans. It is proposed that absorptance values reported for coatings in high-repetition-rate or cw-laser systems include time- and power-dependent behaviors in addition to other relevant irradiation parameters.
A Thermocouple System for Measuring Turbine-Inlet Temperatures

A fast-response, unique thermoelement combination of platinum-15 per cent iridium and palladium, whose emf output is about three fourths that of Chromel/Alumel at 2000 F (1093 C), has been found reliable from 1800 to 2300 F (982 to 1260 C) for more than 400 hours in a combustion atmosphere. A new, stable nickel-4.3 per cent silicon matching-lead-wire alloy was prepared for use up to an ambient temperature of 1400 F (760 C). Additional tests provided the best choice of insulation, thermocouple dimensions, sheath material, connectors, and harness design for aircraft jet engines. While it has heretofore been impractical or very difficult to determine turbine-inlet temperatures above 1600 F (871 C), this system is capable of measuring directly the most critical of all operational variables and accordingly allows safe potential increases in engine performance.
Inhibition of the growth of human melanoma metastases in nude mice by melanoma-specific murine monoclonal antibody

The administration of anti-melanoma murine monoclonal antibody (MAB) 16.C8 (IgG2a) to nude mice bearing established human melanoma lung or liver metastases resulted in a significant inhibition of tumour growth. A total dose of 2 mg of affinity purified 16.C8 caused complete inhibition of tumour growth in 89 and 100% of animals in the liver and lung model, respectively. In contrast, a significant tumour growth was found in most control animals which received an irrelevant IgG2a MAB or 2% human serum albumin in Hanks Balanced Salt Solution (HBSS). The MAB was most effective when treatment was started on day 1 or 4 following tumour inoculation. When the 16.C8 MAB treatment was delayed 7 or 14 days, 33 and 67% of 16.C8 treated animals, respectively, developed tumours. The MAB-mediated anti-tumour activity appeared to be dose dependent, and the effect of a suboptimal dose was potentiated by the concomitant administration of recombinant interleukin 2 (rIL-2). Recombinant IL-2 alone in a similar dose did not elicit comparable anti-tumour activity. Moreover, the MAB 16.C8 inhibited tumour growth in irradiated animals which may suggest the involvement of host-radioresistant cellular elements in the 16.C8 antibody-mediated anti-tumour activities in nude mice. These results suggest that MAB 16.C8 alone or combined with rIL-2 may prove useful in the immunotherapy of metastatic melanoma.
A Maximum Principle for Time-Lag Control Problems with Bounded State ~

A maximum principle is obtained for control problems involving a constant time lag τ in both the control and state variables. The problem considered is that of minimizing $$I(x) = \int_{t^0 }^{t^1 } {L (t,x(t), x(t - \tau ), u(t), u(t - \tau )) dt} $$ subject to the constraints $$\begin{gathered} \dot x(t) = f(t,x(t),x(t - \tau ),u(t),u(t - \tau )), \hfill \\ x(t) = \phi (t), u(t) = \eta (t), t^0 - \tau \leqslant t \leqslant t^0 , \hfill \\ \end{gathered} $$ (1) $$\psi _\alpha (t,x(t),x(t - \tau )) \leqslant 0,\alpha = 1, \ldots ,m,$$ (1) $$x^i (t^1 ) = X^i ,i = 1, \ldots ,n$$ (1) . The results are obtained using the method of Hestenes.
Dynamic Programming Optimized Constrained Engine on and off Control Strategy for Parallel HEV

This paper presents a new control strategy to optimize the fuel economy of parallel configured charge sustained hybrid electric vehicles. This new approach is a constrained engine on-off strategy, which has been developed from the two extreme control strategies of maximum SOC and engine on-off, by taking their advantages and overcoming their disadvantages. A system optimization program using dynamic programming algorithm has been developed to calibrate the control parameters used in the developed control strategy, so that its performance can be as close to the optimal solution as possible. For this paper, a passenger car is simulated on a typical highway driving cycle to illustrate the strategy. The methodology developed can be used on other types of vehicles operating in different environments, such as cities, suburban areas, and their combinations.
Spatial changes occurring in fixed partial dentures made as one-piece castings.

U se of base metal alloys to make the metal framework of ceramic veneered crowns and fixed partial dentures has created the need for technical modification in procedures previously applied to gold base ceramic alloys. Making one-piece metal castings for multipleunit fixed partial dentures is one of the more notable technical modifications, since in preand postsoldering procedures it has been difficult to achieve a strong, dependable solder joint in the base metal framework. Thus, one specific problem is assessing the degree of dimensional accuracy in casting a one-piece base metal fixed partial denture. Studies on casting accuracy for single crowns1-4 and multiple-unit fixed partial dentures5-* reported marginal discrepancies after cast specimens were returned to dies of origin. In general, these investigations determined casting accuracy by observing the closeness by which the margin(s) of castings and margin(s) of dies could be brought into apposition. Suffert and Mahler’ suggested that inherent surface roughness of the casting influenced fit and that this variable could create confusion in making an assessment of casting fit. This study was designed to establish a method of assessing the dimensional changes occurring at the margins of a multiple-unit fixed partial denture. The distances between specific precast (wax stage) and postcast (metal stage) points on abutment crown margins were recorded in conjunction with alterations in the expansion of investment material. Comparisons of these measurements provided an evaluation of the accuracies of the castings.
Trait anxiety and children's state anxiety, cognitive behaviors, and performance under stress

Sixty-seven fourth-grade children anticipated and then performed a mathematics task in either a high or a low stress condition. While the children anticipated performing the task, measures of seven cognitive behaviors were obtained by means of both a Think Aloud procedure and a questionnaire. Measures of trait and state anxiety and task performance were also obtained. Trait anxiety was found to be related to state anxiety and the cognitive behaviors of preoccupation, and for females, justification of positive attitude. The performance of high but not low trait-anxious children was found to be affected by levels of stress. This finding aids in reconciling discrepancies in previous research concerning children's trait anxiety and performance.
Do front-seat belt laws put rear-seat passengers at risk?

Cross-sectional economic models of traffic fatalities are estimated to determine the effectiveness of state statutes that require motor vehicle occupants to use seat belts. The estimates provide some support for the theory of offsetting consumer behavior. In the case of primary enforcement front-seat belt laws, models suggest that rear-seat passengers and nonoccupants may be killed as a result of more dangerous driving by belted drivers. In the case of secondary enforcement front-seat belt laws, there is no favorable or unfavorable effect that is statistically significant. Models that employ self-reported seat belt usage rates from the Centers for Disease Control suggest an offsetting effect for rear-seat passengers and non-occupants as in the case of the models for primary seat belt laws.1
Use of the Tactual Performance Test for cognitive ability testing with African children.

Researchers evaluated 195 rural Zairian children between 5 and 12 years of age with the Tactual Performance Test (TPT) used in the Reitan-Indiana Battery. For all of the TPT performance and memory measures, Zairian children with poorer anthropometric indicators of nutritional wellbeing were significantly below the age-matched groups of American and Canadian children. The Zairian children also did not demonstrate the typical improvements between the dominant and nondominant hand trials. Older Zairian children with such decrements tended to do more poorly on the Simultaneous Processing and Nonverbal ability portions of the Kaufman Assessment Battery for Children. Although probably not appropriate for direct intercultural comparisons, the authors concluded that neuropsychological measures derived from tasks such as the TPT may still be useful in monitoring the longitudinal brain-behavior impact of various health interventions for enhancing intellectual development for African children. One of the most tragic and yet pervasive aspects of psychometric assessment worldwide is the intellectual deficits consistently noted with such testing in low socioeconomic strata of underdeveloped countries and in the more impoverished segments of the industrialized world (Alvarez, 1982; Alvarez, 1983). In explaining this phenomenon, researchers have emphasized the impact of poverty and psychosensory deprivation on the developmental milieu of the child. Such early developmental deprivation results in cognitive ability deficits that can best be ameliorated with specific social, educational, health, and nutritional interventions to enrich this milieu during critical periods of child development (e.g., McKay, Sinisterra, McKay, Gomez, & Lloreda, 1978). Another major approach suggests that the apparent cognitive deficits of the lower socioeconomic groups are more the result of industrial middle-class or Westernized testing of children whose skills actually are better evaluated by more ecologically or culturally appropriate techniques. Thus, the culture fairness of the assessments on which the phenomenon is based is called into question (Helms, 1992). An alternate
Carpet Performance Evaluation Part I: The Tetrapod Walker Test

The Tetrapod Walker machine was evaluated as a device for the accelerated testing of carpets. Tufted carpets were prepared from wool, nylon, acrylic, and polypropylene yarns, in both cut-pile and loop-pile construction. Four levels of pile weight, obtained by varying the number of tufts per inch, were prepared for each carpet. The percentage loss in pile height resulting from exposure in the Tetrapod Walker was found to be a linear function of the logarithm of the number of revolutions of the Tetrapod Walker. This function was characteristic of each carpet. Specifications for a tentative test method were developed. The method involves measurement of the percentage decrease in pile height after exposure of the carpet sample to 50,000 revolutions (overnight operation) of the Tetrapod Walker. Studies on the compression and recovery properties of these carpets will be reported in a subsequent paper.
Personnel : a behavioral approach to administration

The article reviews the book “Personnel: A Behavioral Approach to Administration,” by Leon C. Megginson.
Purification of defective interfering T particles of vesicular stomatitis and rabies viruses generated in vivo in brains of newborn mice.

Abstract In contrast to adult mice, newborn mice generate defective interfering T particles after two high-multiplicity passages of cloned VSV B virions inoculated intracerebrally. After three or four serial intracerebral passages massive production of T particles was observed, and milligram quantities of B virions and T particles were purified directly from the brains of several litters of newborns. These purified brain T particles were shown to interfere strongly with B virions in vitro , to replicate true in vivo and in vitro , to contain small discrete subgenomic fragments of viral RNA, and to lack the ability to transcribe full-size viral messenger RNA molecules in in vitro transcriptase reactions. Rabies B virions generate large amounts of T particles during first passage in newborn mouse brains. It is concluded that defective interfering particles are not an artifact of in vitro and in ovo conditions and that at least some cells of mammals can generate and replicate, in vivo , significant yields of deletion mutants of RNA viruses. These particles meet criteria as being defective interfering particles similar to those produced in cell culture.
Increased Capacity for Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbon Mineralization in Bioirrigated Coastal Marine Sediments

ABSTRACT Bioirrigation of marine sediments by benthic infauna has the potential to increase both the rate and depth of bacterial mineralization of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) by recirculating oxygenated bottom water into sediment burrows. Rates of heterotrophic bacterial production and mineralization of PAHs (naphthalene, phenanthrene, and fluoranthene) were measured in sections of sediment cores sampled from stations in San Diego Bay. Data suggest that rates of PAH biodegradation and bacterial heterotrophy were influenced by bioirrigation by benthic infauna. PAH mineralization and heterotrophic production were higher in core sections where sulfide was not detected relative to core sections containing sulfide. Depth-integrated capacity of the upper 17 cm of sediment to mineralize PAHs was 4 to 10 times higher at the station with bioirrigation coefficients that increased with depth. Remedial dredging of sediments to remove contaminant mass (and presumable lower ecological risk) will also remove...
A Comparative Study of Current Medicaid Prescription Reimbursement (MACtEAC) with Prescription Reimbursement Based on a Competitive Market

Many pharmacists have suggested that the current Maximum Allowable CostEstimated Acquisttion Cost (MACEAC) program has departed from its intended purpose of generating savings by taking full but fair advantage of the competitive marketplace. The objective of this study was to compare Medicaid prescription reimbursement under current MACEAC regulations with prescription reimbursement based on a competitive market. Data representing the top selling single source and multiple source drug products for nine states were analyzed. Results indicated thal the current MACEAC system of Medicaid reimbursement produced a small savings when compared to reimbursement based on a competitive market.
Severe drug rashes in three siblings simultaneously.

Background: Adverse reactions to drugs commonly occur sporadically. Certain individuals seem to have an increased susceptibility to develop reactions to multiple drugs. Genetic predisposition has not been elucidated. Our objective was to describe a case of three siblings who developed severe rashes to the same drug simultaneously. Methods: Review of the patients’ medical records for information on the clinical course, and comparing their serum immunoglobulin (Ig) levels initially and during follow-up. Results: The rashes were compatible with erythema multiforme and Stevens-Johnson syndrome and developed in the three siblings within 1–3 weeks after the intake of thiabendazole. Follow-up of serum Ig levels did not show any particular pattern, except for an initial mild to moderate elevation in IgG, IgA and IgM. Conclusions: The occurrence of such severe cutaneous drug reaction in the three siblings to the same drug suggests a genetic predisposition to adverse drug reactions.
Management of the Galileo attitude and articulation control flight software development

Management concepts are presented for software development for a new technology area, i.e., real-time autonomous, computer-based spacecraft control. Flight computer selection and sizing are done initially to maximize performance within constraints of size, power, and cost. A higher order language is chosen to enhance productivity. Because the computer is embedded in the control systems hardware and is tied to the iterative design process of the spacecraft, the management and configuration control of the software is different from more typical applications. The development process must permit early coding but accept late changes. Margin management must be a continuing process in the development. Validation and verification is a special problem because it is not feasible to test the software in the actual operating environment prior to launch.
Final score in laparoscopic cholecystectomy : Cholangiogram 1207, no cholangiogram 116

Background: The role of intraoperative fluorocholangiography (IOC) in laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC) is controversial. We evaluated the use of IOC at an institution where the study is performed routinely.
Some psychophysical and personality correlates of the Strelau temperament inventory

Abstract Pavlov's theory of nervous system functioning is gaining increased attention from Western personality researchers. Major variables from this theory are usually measured by psychophysical or reaction-time parameters and the theoretical constructs involved concern neurological properties. In Strelau's reinterpretation of Pavlovian ideas the theoretical constructs concern behavioral tendencies, and variables are measured via a behavior-oriented self-report instrument—the Strelau Temperament Inventory (STI). The present study examines several theoretically predicted correlates of the English translation of this inventory. Results suggest the scales exhibit predictable relations with behavioral and self-report measures of related constructs (e.g. sensory augmenting/reducing and extraversion). Cattell's (1972) hypothesis that nervous system strength is related to cortical alertness (Cortertia) was not supported, even though psychophysical indicators of the Cortertia factor were employed.
IgG-derived Fc down-regulates virus-induced plasmacytoid dendritic cell (pDC) IFNα production

Abstract Interferon alpha (IFNα) produced primarily by plasmacytoid dendritic cells (pDC) is a potent component of the anti-viral innate immune response, and modulates adaptive immunity. Primary control of IFNα production occurs at a cellular level and is highly dependent upon regulatory factors and their products. Recent studies have identified up-regulation of IFNα production mediated by the adaptive immune response in the form of immune specific IgG. These studies establish a role for the external control of IFNα production. The current work demonstrates that the Fc portion of IgG is a potent inhibitor of IFNα produced by pDCs in response to HIV, HSV, and VSV. Fc down-regulation occurs after IFNα production can be detected by bioassay, and suggests the existence of late regulatory events in the control of IFNα production. Down-regulation of IFNα is not caused by Fc-induced necrosis, apoptosis or neutralization of IFNα activity. Demonstration of Fc-mediated down-regulation of IFNα provides additional evidence of the role of IgG in the regulation of IFNα production.
The Price of Pork: The Seniority Trap in the U.S. House

Abstract Using data on federal outlays and U.S. House elections, I estimate the effect of the pork barrel on the quality of officeholders, taking into account the fact that seniority creates a dynamic linkage across periods. After estimating the parameters governing the influence of seniority on federal outlays and the parameters governing the distributions of candidate quality, I conduct several policy experiments to uncover the size of the welfare loss created by the seniority system. I find that the seniority system negatively impacts the quality of representatives, but has little effect on the outcomes of elections. Furthermore, the most commonly proposed solution to the distortion, term limits, may have a significant, negative effect on the quality of sitting representatives. Instead of a quantity constraint (term limits), I propose a change in the relative price of seniority by way of a Pigouvian tax on seniority. Such a policy achieves the first-best outcome.
Erythrophore cell response to food‐associated pathogenic bacteria: implications for detection

Cell‐based biosensors have been proposed for use as function‐based detectors of toxic agents. We report the use of Betta splendens chromatophore cells, specifically erythrophore cells, for detection of food‐associated pathogenic bacteria. Evaluation of erythrophore cell response, using Bacillus spp., has revealed that this response can distinguish pathogenic Bacillus cereus from a non‐pathogenic B. cereus ΔplcR deletion mutant and a non‐pathogenic Bacillus subtilis. Erythrophore cells were exposed to Salmonella enteritidis, Clostridium perfringens and Clostridium botulinum. Each bacterial pathogen elicited a response from erythrophore cells that was distinguished from the corresponding bacterial growth medium, and this observed response was unique for each bacterial pathogen. These findings suggest that erythrophore cell response has potential for use as a biosensor in the detection and toxicity assessment for food‐associated pathogenic bacteria.
On aggregation and welfare analysis

In this article, the beginnings of a new approach to the theory of aggregation are developed. The basic idea is that aggregation should involve two things: (a) data over which social preferences are defined should be mapped into a smaller-dimensional space, and (b) there should exist an ordering on that lower-dimensional space such that an improvement in this criterion implies an improvement for any of a class of social preference functions and of a class of individual preference relations defined over the original space. Results are developed which show that this conception of aggregation can yield meaningful results; particularly with respect to comparisons of ‘real national income’ in two situations, for a given economy.
Synergy in action: when information systems and library services collaborate to create successful client-centered computing labs

Over the last two decades, institutions of higher education have frequently embraced the "One-Stop-Shopping" concept where information resources are concerned. If not outright merging, campus technology departments and library services have found themselves working in close collaboration, slowly but steadily forming a symbiotic relationship with a greater dependence and reliance on each other for support and mutual survival. Consequently, it has become vital to find common ground between computing and library services, two institutional entities that may possess similar, but often very different mission statements, job performance expectations and departmental goals, all the while occupying the same facility and competing for the same space and resources.In this paper, the authors will discuss the collaboration of Northwest's Owens Library Services and Information Systems Department, and how this relationship has provided greater opportunities for supporting and enhancing the library and technology experience of campus users. In addition, the authors will discuss the services offered and methods deployed by both departments independently and in cooperation with each other to generate the kind of synergy needed to create successful client-centered computing labs.
West Antarctic Ice Sheet grounding events on the Ross Sea outer continental shelf during the middle Miocene

Abstract New seismic–stratigraphic analysis of the Ross Sea continental shelf suggests that there were a at least five shelf-wide grounding events of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet (WAIS) during the middle Miocene. Although the number of WAIS grounding events generally matches the number of extreme δ 18 O enrichments and eustatic lowstands, these results do not support the long-standing assumption that West Antarctica was substantially ice-free. Instead, seismic–stratigraphic evidence from the Ross Sea shelf documents waxing and waning of a well-developed WAIS in the marine environment at least on the Pacific sector of the West Antarctic continental shelf.
Perforated duodenal diverticulitis: a report of three cases.

Background: Duodenal diverticuli are present in up to 22% of the population. However, perforation of a duodenal diverticulum with spillage of enteric contents into the retroperitoneum is rare. Methods: We report three cases of perforated duodenal diverticulitis. Results: Clinical presentations varied widely from patients with acute abdominal findings and generalized sepsis to a patient with mild symptoms of abdominal discomfort. CT scanning was the imaging modality used to make an accurate diagnosis. Treatment approaches for the most stable patient included nonoperative management with antibiotics, bowel rest and parenteral alimentation, while the less stable patients underwent definitive surgery with complete diversion of gastric contents and biliary flow from the affected area of duodenum. Conclusions: This report highlights the salient issues in the presentation, diagnosis and modern management of patients with this potentially catastrophic disease.