cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Lawyers trying to stop malpractice merry-go-round.

During a Canadian Medical Protective Association (CMPA) conference in 1998, a small group of lawyers representing patients and physicians agreed that something had to change in medical malpractice litigation — costs were skyrocketing and proceedings seemed endless. The result was the Holland
Rural-urban disparities in child abuse management resources in the emergency department

Purpose: To characterize differences in child abuse management resources between urban and rural emergency departments (EDs). Methods: We surveyed ED directors and nurse managers at hospitals in Oregon to gain information about available abuse-related resources. Chi-square analysis was used to test differences between urban and rural EDs. Multivariate analysis was performed to examine the association between a variety of hospital characteristics, in addition to rural location, and presence of child abuse resources. Findings: Fifty-five Oregon hospitals were surveyed. A smaller proportion of rural EDs had written abuse policies (62% vs 95%, P= .006) or on-site child abuse advocates (35% vs 71%, P= .009). Thirty-two percent of rural EDs had none of the examined abuse resources (vs 0% of urban EDs, P= .01). Of hospital characteristics studied in the multivariate model, only rural location was associated with decreased availability of child abuse resources (OR 0.19 [95% CI, 0.05-0.70]). Conclusions: Rural EDs have fewer resources than urban EDs for the management of child abuse. Other studied hospital characteristics were not associated with availability of abuse resources. Further work is needed to identify barriers to resource utilization and to create resources that can be made accessible to all ED settings. Language: en
Modelling structure-borne sound transmission at bolted joints

A model based on the wave approach for semi-infinite plates was used to calculate the coupling loss factors for statistical energy analysis. The coupling loss factors are expressed in terms of point mobility functions. The concept of an effective connection length is evaluated for a bolted joint between a plate and a stiffening rib. A parametric calculation is carried out with varying width to evaluate the concept of an equivalent connection length.
A Genomewide Comparison of Population Structure at STRPs and Nearby SNPs in Humans

Patterns of population structure provide insights into evolutionary processes and help identify groups of individuals for genotype-phenotype association studies. With increasing availability of polymorphic molecular markers across genomes, the examination of population structure using large numbers of unlinked loci has become a common practice in evolutionary biology and human genetics. The two classes of molecular variation most widely used for this purpose, short tandem repeat polymorphisms (STRPs) and single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), differ in mutational properties expected to affect population structure. To measure the relative ability of these loci to describe population structure, we compared diversity at neighboring STRPs and SNPs from 720 genomic regions in the four populations that comprise the Human HapMap. Comparing loci from the same genomic regions allowed us to focus on the contribution of mutational differences (rather than variation in genealogical history) to disparities in population structure between STRPs and SNPs. Relative to average values for SNPs from the same regions, STRPs had lower F(st), but higher G(st)' and I(n) values. STRP-SNP correlations in population structure across genomic regions were statistically significant but weak in magnitude. Separate analyses by repeat type showed that these correlations were driven primarily by tetranucleotide and trinucleotide STRPs; measures of population structure at dinucleotides and SNPs were not significantly correlated. Pairwise comparisons among populations revealed effects of divergence time on differences in population structure between STRPs and SNPs. Collectively, these results confirm that individual STRPs can provide more information about population structure than individual SNPs, but suggest that the difference in structure at STRPs and SNPs depends on local genealogical history. Our study motivates theoretical comparisons of population structure at loci with different mutational properties.
A micro method for enumerating T and B cells in mouse peripheral blood

A micro method has been devised to assess T and B cells in mouse peripheral blood. This technique permits simultaneous determination of B lymphocytes and monocytes. T lymphocytes are determined by a cytotoxicity assay. Tests require only 0.2 ml of whole blood and avoid the loss of certain cell populations secondary to flotation separation techniques. Percentages of IgM and IgG bearing B lymphocytes, Thy-1 bearing T lymphocytes as well as monocytes in mouse peripheral blood were determined in a total of 50 mice of 11 different strains.
Library Outreach to Support Groups: A Case Study

Information sharing is a key component of patient and caregiver support groups. Hospital libraries that provide consumer health and patient information services can increase their visibility among support groups through presentations, facilitator training, brochures, and other media. This case study details a project at a regional medical center in Virginia to provide outreach to groups that met regularly at the hospital or nearby facilities. Initial evaluation suggests that group members who attended librarian presentations are likely to use the health sciences library and MedlinePlus in the future.
Parity Nonconservation in $^{18}$F and Meson Exchange Contributions to the Axial Charge Operator

A simple relationship between the one-body and exchange-current contributions to the axial charge operator may allow a separation of these amplitudes in the $\ensuremath{\beta}$-decay transition $^{18}\mathrm{Ne}({J}^{\ensuremath{\pi}}I={0}^{+}1)\ensuremath{\rightarrow}^{18}\mathrm{F}({J}^{\ensuremath{\pi}}I={0}^{\ensuremath{-}}0)$. Since the exchange-current operator is related by isospin rotation to the pion-exchange component of the parity-nonconserving nucleon-nucleon potential, this suggests that the parity-nonconserving pion coupling can be extracted, with minimal dependence on nuclear models, from circular-polarization measurements for the analog $\ensuremath{\gamma}$ decay in $^{18}\mathrm{F}$.
Spatially regulated expression of homeotic genes in Drosophila

The sites of transcript accumulation for six different homeotic loci of the Antennapedia and bithorax gene complexes (ANT-C and BX-C) were identified within embryo tissue sections by in situ hybridization. These six loci belong to the Antennapedia class of the homeo box gene family. Transcripts encoded by each locus are detected primarily in discrete, nonoverlapping regions of the embryonic central nervous system (CNS). The regions of the CNS that contain transcripts encoded by each of these loci correspond to the embryonic segments that are disrupted in mutants for these genes. The maintenance of spatially restricted expression of each ANT-C and BX-C locus could involve hierarchical, cross-regulatory interactions that are mediated by the homeo box protein domains encoded by these genes.
Tolerance of tissue transfers to adjuvant radiation therapy in primary soft tissue sarcoma of the extremity.

Abstract Purpose Treatment of extremity sarcomas occasionally requires tissue transfer in the form of pedicle flaps, free flaps, or skin grafts to repair surgical defects. These tissues are often subject to radiation (RT) and are therefore at risk for wound breakdown requiring reoperation. This study reviews a single center's experience with tissue transfer and postoperative RT. Methods and materials Between 1983 and 2000, 43 adult patients (>16 years old) with primary high-grade soft tissue extremity sarcomas underwent limb-sparing surgery and reconstruction of their surgical defects, followed by adjuvant RT. The reconstructions were as follows: pedicle flaps ( n = 14), free flaps ( n = 10), skin grafts ( n = 4), or a combination ( n = 15). Postoperative external beam radiation therapy (EBRT) (median dose: 63 Gy) alone was given to 27 patients (63%). Adjuvant brachytherapy (BRT) was given to 16 patients (37%); BRT alone (median dose: 45 Gy) was given to 12 patients and combined with EBRT for 4 patients (EBRT: 45 Gy; BRT: 20 Gy). Comorbid conditions such as diabetes, hypertension, tobacco use, and obesity (calculated using body mass index ≥30) were present in 30 patients (70%). Tumor characteristics were as follows: 26 were >5 cm in size, 37 were deep, and 30 were in the lower extremity. The median follow-up time, calculated from the date of operation, was 32 months. Results Five of 43 patients suffered wound complications necessitating reoperation; however, 3 patients developed complications before initiation of RT and were therefore excluded from the analysis. Two of 43 patients (5%) required reoperation for wound complications after RT; 1 of these patients ultimately required amputation for necrosis. The 5-year overall wound reoperation rate was 6% (95% confidence interval: 0–14%). The influence of patient and tumor characteristics, as well as the type of RT, on the wound reoperation rates is as follows: BRT vs. EBRT (17% vs. 0%, p = 0.06); upper vs. lower extremity (0% vs. 8%, p = 0.41); ≤5 cm vs. >5 cm (8% vs. 4%, p = 0.9); comorbidity vs. no comorbidity (3% vs. 13%, p = 0.8); age ≤50 vs. >50 (8% vs. 4%, p = 0.8). Conclusion Based on this review, most tissue transfers (95%) tolerated subsequent adjuvant radiation therapy well. Although more wound complications necessitating reoperation were seen in patients who received BRT, whether this is because of the inherent susceptibility of flaps and skin grafts to breakdown in the immediate postoperative period vs. the direct result of BRT needs further investigation.
Vocalizations of juvenile cowbirds (Molothrus ater ater) evoke copulatory responses from females

The functional attributes of the vocalizations produced by young male cowbirds during their first fall and winter, termed "vocal precursors," were tested by playing the sounds back to female cowbirds. Five classes of vocalizations were tested: subsong, plastic, formatted, and stereotyped song, and songs of nonconspecifics. Females responded selectively to the four classes of cowbird vocalizations. Stereotyped songs evoked the most responding but the key eliciting element was the inclusion of note clusters, which first occurred in plastic song. The data suggest that juvenile cowbirds possess vocalizations capable of evoking biologically relevant responses from companions early in development.
Re-analysis of the antidromic cortical response. I. Potentials evoked by stimulation of the isolated pyramidal tract.

Abstract 1.1. The cortical response to stimulation of the isolated medullary pyramid has been investigated in cats under pentobarbital anesthesia. Control experiments were performed to rule out the possibility that any of the observed potentials resulted from spread of stimulating current to adjacent ascending pathways. 2.2. A single pyramidal shock evoked only the α and β waves of Jabbur and Towe (1961a). Laminar recording experiments indicate that the α wave does not reflect an intracortical event, but probably derives from volume conductor recording of pyramidal tract (PT) axon activity occurring at some distance from the cortex. Similar experiments suggest that the β wave is the composite surface sign of collateral induced post-synaptic responses in layer III and the antidromically evoked discharge of PT cells with slowly conducting axons. 3.3. A brief train of pyramidal shocks evoked a long duration (60–80 msec) surface negativity and a late negative-positive potential that was correlated in time with a corticofugal discharge. Various properties of both potentials indicate that they reflect post-synaptic responses evoked by recurrent axon collaterals.
Effect of FA Chain Length on Normal- and Reversed-Phase HPLC of Phospholipids

Forty-seven saturated synthetic diacyl PA, PC, PE, PG, and PS and five unsaturated diacyl phospholipids (PL) underwent normal- and reversed-phase (RP) HPLC with isocratic isopropanol/hexane/water (5∶4∶1) and methanol/chloroform/acetonitrile/water (79.5∶9∶8∶3.5) mobile phases, respectively. For normal-phase HPLC, capacity factors (k′ i ) decrease with chain length (n) of the two identical PL FA residues, whereas the opposite occurs with RP (C18)-HPLC. Plots of In k′ i vs. n for individual PL classes are in general curved, violating the linear free-energy relationship. For PL of the same n but with different head groups, k′ i with normal-phase HPLC varies as PE<PG<PA<PS<PC, except when n≥16, when the order is PE<PS≈PA≈PG<PC. For RP-HPLC, the order of k′ i values is PG<_A≈PS≤PC≈PE until n≥16, when it is PA≈PG<PS≪PC≈PE. With normal-phase HPLC, k′ i values of PL with unsaturated FA of n=18 are ordered as PE<PA<PC. Increasing degrees of unsaturation lead to increasing k′ i .
Information, Architecture, and Hybridity: The Changing Discourse of the Public Library

In an industrial society, the library is associated with modern economic, political, and social metanarratives. With the rise of digital technology, public libraries are threatened with the possibility of becoming obsolete and irrelevant. Spaces and interfaces intersect with modern and postmodern narratives as the library vies to establish its identity as a legitimizer and purveyor of knowledge in the information age. Through architecture, the library comes to speak the language of hybridity to reassert its relevance and reposition itself.
An immunoelectrophoretic study of the slime mold Dictyostelium discoideum.

Abstract 1. 1. The procedures in preparing antigens of the slime mold Dictyostelium discoideum for antibody production in rabbits and for electrophoretic separation are described. 2. 2. The technique of preparing agar plates for immunoelectrophoretic analysis of the antigens is described. 3. 3. The numbers of antigens or specific combining groups synthesized or eliminated during the transition of the slime mold from the vegetative amebas to the mature spores were determined. 4. 4. The numbers of antigens which vegetative amebas, migrating pseudoplasmodia, and mature spores share were determined by absorption of the antiserum. 5. 5. The possibility that the anterior and posterior regions of a migrating pseudoplasmodium differ in their antigenic constitution is discussed. 6. 6. It is suggested that differentiation of the slime mold from the vegetative amebas to the mature sorocarp is accompanied by the destruction of antigens and by the synthesis or change in specificity of other antigens.
Nonlinear Effects in the Dynamics of Car Following

It is assumed that the velocity of a car at time t is some nonlinear function of the spacial headway at time t-Δ, so the equations of motion for a sequence of cars consists of a set of differential-difference equations. There is a special family of velocity-headway relations that agrees well with experimental data for steady flow, and that also gives differential equations which for Δ = 0 can be solved explicitly. Some exact solutions of these equations show that a small amplitude disturbance propagates through a series of cars in the manner described by linear theories except that the dependence of the wave velocity on the car velocity causes an accleration wave to spread as it propagates and a deceleration wave to form a stable shock. These conclusions are then shown to hold for quite general types of velocity-headway relations, and to yield a theory that in certain limiting cases gives all the results of the linear car-following theories and in other cases all the features of the nonlinear continuum theories, plus a detailed picture of the shock structure.
An integral equation method for spherical Stefan problems

Abstract Many applications in solidification or melting are described by a two-phase Stefan problem with spherical symmetry. Using Green’s representation theorem, the heat equation is reformulated as a system of integral equations for the unknown fluxes on the interface. The unknown radius of the solid–liquid interface is determined from the Stefan condition. The integral equation is discretized with the Nystrom method for which special singularity corrected quadrature rules are discussed. Numerical examples are presented that demonstrate the effectiveness of the method.
Microeconomic Concepts Students Should Learn Before Intermediate Macroeconomics

Before entering into the study of intermediate macroeconomics, students should have mastered four microeconomic concepts: relative prices, general versus partial equilibrium, constrained optimization, and the nature of production inputs.
Distribution and Community Associations of Cape Ivy (Delairea odorata) in California

Abstract Cape ivy (Delairea odorata Lem.) was found to occur throughout coastal California and southern Oregon. It was most abundant in urbanized coastal areas such as the San Francisco Bay, and Santa Cruz, Monterey, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara and Los Angeles counties. Field observations showed Cape ivy to occur in seven different broad community types, including both riparian and non-riparian areas. Of the two morphological forms, the exstipulate type occurred more frequently at the northern and southern ends of the distribution, and the stipulate type was more common in the middle of the distribution range, from southern Humboldt County to Los Angeles County. Only 21 locations were found that supported both stipulate and exstipulate plants, and they were most often located in urbanized coastal areas. Analysis with GIS determined the elevation, temperature and precipitation ranges that Cape ivy occupies in California. The analysis indicated that Cape ivy occurs at elevations between 0 and 891 meters,...
An Integrative Cognitive-Behavioral Approach to Understanding, Assessing, and Treating Female Sexual Dysfunction

There is a new and disturbing trend to medicalize female sexuality with an emphasis on prescribing Viagra, testosterone, and estrogen supplements. An integrated model of sex therapy is described which addresses psychological, relational, medical, sexual skills, erotic scenarios, and situational factors. This model acknowledges the woman's personal responsibility for sexuality and the essential role of the couple being an intimate team. Medical interventions, if used, must be integrated into the couple sexual style which is based on intimacy, pleasuring, and eroticism.
Simultaneous inhibition of guinea pig brain 2′, 3′-cyclic nucleotide 3′-phosphohydrolase and myelin protein synthesis by 2′-adenosine monophosphate

Abstract Although the function of 2′,3′-cyclic nucleotide 3′-phosphohydrolase (CNPase) in myelin is unknown, the enzyme has been implicated in the metabolism of myelin proteins. Using 2′-AMP to inhibit CNPase, we examined the effect of reduced enzyme activity on the in vitro incorporation of 14C-leucine into brain proteins. The results of this study revealed that (1) guinea pig brain homogenates incorporate leucine into protein from a sucrose medium in a linear fashion, (2) all brain fractions (cytosol, myelin, and microsomes) are labelled within 1 hr, (3) 2′-AMP inhibition of CNPase by 50% results in a similar inhibition of brain protein synthesis, and (4) the reduced protein synthesis is accompanied by a shift in label from myelin proteins to those found in the microsomes. These results are consistent with a role for CNPase in myelin protein synthesis.
Control of the proximal segment by lower border wiring in the sagittal split osteotomy

Modifications of the sagittal split osteotomy have been advanced to help improve the procedure. Control of the proximal segment of the split has always been of concern. A lower border wiring technique is presented as a means of stabilizing the proximal segment in its natural pre-operative position.
Using a single-subject design to assess the development of anxiety in humans

Laboratory studies of conditioned anxiety using a between-subjects group design typically involve only one session of conditioning trials. Because research suggests that anxiety disorders develop and change with repeated exposure to aversive events, these studies may fail to mimic the developmental course of anxiety in the natural environment. We highlight the limitations of single-session studies for examining the development of conditioned anxiety within individual participants and discuss how many of these limitations can be avoided using single-subject designs. Furthermore, we suggest that the most comprehensive account of anxiety can be attained by using a single-subject design in conjunction with more commonly used group designs.
Hyperhidrosis Treated by Botulinum A Exotoxin

background. Hyperhidrosis, or excessive sweating, can be emotionally challenging and socially and professionally disruptive, and there have been few effective treatments. Recently, botulinum toxin has been demonstrated to be an effective treatment for hyperhidrosis of the axillae and palms and for gustatory sweating. objective. This article reviews the current treatments and outcomes achieved with chemodenervation of the eccrine sweat glands. results. The antihydrotic response lasted 6–17 months for gustatory sweating, 2–8 months for axillary sweating, and 13 weeks to 12 months for palmar sweating. conclusions. Intracutaneous injections of botulinum toxin offer a simple, safe, and effective alternative to other conservative and surgical options.
Papanicolaou tests associated with cervical mucosal endometriosis: an analysis of cellular features and comparison to endocervical adenocarcinoma in situ.

Endometrium directly sampled from endocervical mucosal endometriosis can mimic endocervical adenocarcinoma in situ (AIS) in Papanicolaou (Pap) tests. We analyzed a series of Pap tests to investigate the cellular features of mucosal endometriosis and to assess the utility of stroma and apoptotic bodies in the differential diagnosis with AIS. Pap test samples from patients known to have endocervical mucosal endometriosis were compared with samples containing AIS. Pap tests from patients with mucosal endometriosis had lesional cells in 13 (62%) cases which includes glandular and stromal cells (10 cases), stroma only (two cases), and glandular cells only (one case). Three (23%) cases had gland-stromal aggregates. Three (23%) cases had mitotic figures and two (15%) had apoptotic bodies. By comparison, only one (8%) AIS case had endometrial-type stroma. Seven (58%) AIS cases had apoptotic bodies and three (25%) had mitotic figures. We conclude that Pap tests from patients with mucosal endometriosis usually (62%) have lesional cells. These lesional cells almost always include stroma, which is useful in the differential diagnosis with AIS. We identified stroma significantly more often in endometriosis cases (92%) than in AIS cases (8%). Pathologists should look for endometrial stroma when considering an interpretation of directly sampled endometrium. In the absence of stroma, AIS should be considered. Diagn. Cytopathol. 2010;38:551–554. 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Methylation of nucleic acids and urinary excretion of 14C-labeled 7-methylguanine by rats and man after administration of 4(5)-(3,3-Dimethyl-1-triazeno)-imidazole 5(4)-carboxomide

4(5)-(3,3-Dimethyl-1-triazeno)imidazole-5(4)-carboxamide (DIC) demonstrated alkylating activity when 14 C-methyl DIC was administered to 2 patients po and to 2 rats ip. Fractionation of urinary purines from the first 6-hr urine samples obtained from these species showed a peak of radioactivity in the 7-methylguanine fraction, with only a trace of radioactivity in the adenine and guanine fractions. The 7-methylguanine was recrystallized to constant specific activity. Three rats were administered 14 C-methyl DIC ip. After 5 hr the animals were sacrificed and the nucleic acids of the livers, kidneys, lungs, and brains were extracted, hydrolyzed, and subjected to ion-exchange chromatography. Radioactivity in the column effluent from the DNA and RNA of the livers was localized in the 7-methylguanine fraction with only a trace of radioactivity in guanine and adenine fractions. Hydrolyzates of nucleic acids obtained from the kidneys, lungs, and brains showed a significant radioactive 7-methylguanine peak, but the proportion of radioactivity in guanine and adenine was higher than that found in the liver nucleic acids. 14 C-Methyl DIC was incubated with rat liver microsomes in vitro. Radioactive 7-methylguanine was isolated by ion-exchange chromatography of the ribosomal RNA hydrolyzate and from the supernatant fraction of the ribosomal reaction carried out in the presence of guanosine. Enzymatic conversion of DIC to 4(5)-(3-monomethyl-1-triazeno)imidazole-5(4)-carboxamide (MIC) which spontaneously generated a methylating intermediate, diazomethane, was proposed as a possible mechanism for the alkylating activity of DIC.
Impact of proper site characterization and ground truthing on test results for UXO detection

This paper describes the impact of proper site characterization and ground truthing on test results for the detection of Unexploded Ordnance (UXO). Techniques employed to do proper site characterization and methods used to generate accurate and meaningful ground truth data are presented within the context of recent data collections held at the Joint UXO Coordination Office's (JUXOCO) test site at Ft. AP Hill VA. The risks associated with poor site preparation or inaccurate ground truthing are presented with illustrative examples based upon past data collection exercises. Key documentation including collection plans and data formats, as well as Web- based data distribution and coordination approaches developed and in use by the Night Vision and Electronic Sensors Directorate (NVESD) in support of the JUXOCO mission are highlighted. Similarities between the UXO mission and the Countermine mission are used to extend the approaches recommended in this paper to related Countermine data collection exercises. The techniques discussed within this paper constitute a key component of a comprehensive Aided Target Recognition (ATR) test and evaluation methodology used by NVESD and made available to the ATR community to further algorithm development and maturity within the industry.© (1999) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
A deep atmospheric eclipse of AL Velorum

I have obtained new International Ultraviolet Explorer (IUE) observations in 1992 to search for an accretion column in and to analyze an atmospheric eclipse of AL Vel, a low luminosity zeta Aurigae binary. Rich shell spectra recorded at three phases of atmospheric eclipse give column densities and excitation temperatures for the chromospheric gas. The chromospheric density falls off exponentially with a scale height of 3 solar radius, an order of magnitude greater than expected for support by thermal motions. Excitation temperatures at 2 - 5 scale heights into the chromosphere are approximately 7000 K, with Doppler widths near 17 km/s. Absorption features that could be formed in an accretion column were detected at phases 0.70 and 0.75 in a series of spectra spanning the range 0.63-0.80 in orbital phase. They imply a very slow acceleration of the wind, consistent with results for other zeta Aur binaries, but the wind speed implied is inconsistent with profiles of wind lines. The terminal velocity of this wind, greater than or approximately = 360 km/s, is higher than that in any of the other zeta Aur binaries. Wind and chromospheric features in 1992 were much more prominent than in 1988, which implies that both the wind and chromosphere were much more massive: we seem to have witnessed in 1992 a burst of activity with a mass-loss rate greater than 10(exp -8) solar mass/yr.
Study of a High Performance AFM Probe-Based Microscribing Process

In this paper, a mechanical microscribing process is described that combines AFM probe-based microscribing with a five-axis microscale machine tool motion platform in order to achieve high scribing speeds, a large working volume, and the capability of cutting curvilinear patterns of grooves. An experiment is described that demonstrates groove formation, groove shape, and tool wear when long grooves are formed using multiple tool passes. A second more systematic experiment is described in which short-distance single-pass cutting tests were used to explore the effects of cutting speed, nominal tool load, and AFM probe mounting angle on groove geometry, tool wear, effective rake angle, and chip formation. Lastly, an experiment is described in which a long curvilinear groove is cut. It is shown that the most well-formed grooves were cut and acceptable tool wear was achieved, when using a high cutting speed, high nominal tool load, and low probe mounting angle. The capability of cutting grooves as long at 82 mm but with depths of only a few hundred nanometers, using a single tool pass at cutting speeds as high at 25 mm/min is demonstrated.
Muskellunge in Missouri: a 10 year strategic plan

In 1995, a 10-year strategic plan for muskellunge program management in Missouri was developed by the Missouri Department of Conservation. Our mission was to efficiently produce and manage muskellunge in order to provide high-quality angling opportunities in suitable, well-distributed lakes throughout the state. The first goal was to increase the number and improve the distribution of muskellunge fisheries in small lakes. In 1995, our three existing muskellunge fisheries were in west central, northwest, and north Missouri. Six additional lakes were stocked with muskellunge from 1995 to 2001 in southeast, northeast, southwest, and central Missouri, plus the St. Louis area. The second goal was to maintain density and size structure of muskellunge populations commensurate with muskellunge angler expectations. Our objective was for muskellunge anglers to catch a muskellunge at least 91 cm (36 in.) in 20–40 h of angling. The Show-Me Muskie Project, a volunteer angler diary program, was initiated in 1996 to help evaluate this objective. The third goal was to inform Missouri anglers about increased opportunities for high-quality muskellunge fishing. We developed a muskellunge web page, created a release poster, updated our muskellunge brochure, published magazine articles, and mailed biannual letters to our Show-Me Muskie Project cooperators.
HONORARY MENTION OF 2006 SUNTA GRADUATE STUDENT PRIZE: Race, Class and the Politics of Multicultural Learning: Chinese Immigrant Workers and the Brokered American Dream in Chicago

This paper examines interactions between a largely middle class-operated social service agency in Chicago's Chinatown, the Chinese American Cultural Center (CACC), and its new Chinese immigrant clientele. Using ethnographic data obtained from the agency's Chef Training Program, the research explores middle class Chinese-Americans' role as cultural brokers in initiating new immigrants into the dominant U.S. race and class system. I argue that CACC's management of recent Chinese immigrants' racial learning is grounded in a middle class racial ideology of strategic colorblindness, which ends up perpetuating new immigrants' racialized position at the bottom of the American labor hierarchy.
Calcium-Dependent Gating in MthK K+ Channels Occurs at the Selectivity Filter

The determination of how ion channels open and close is crucial for understanding their physiological roles and for potential therapeutic modulation, but locating the gate within channels is not trivial. For voltage-gated Kv channels, a primary activation-gate formed by a helical bundle crossing near the intracellular pore entrance has been established. For several types of ligand-gated channels (CNG) and large-conductance Ca2+-activated K+ (BK) channels however, the K+ selectivity filter has been proposed to act as the conduction gate. We investigated the location of the voltage-dependent gate for the prokaryotic MthK channel, a BK channel homologue lacking voltage-sensor domains, using quaternary ammonium (QA) blockers as state-dependent probes. Intracellular QA blockers bind within an aqueous pore cavity between the putative intracellular-facing gate and the selectivity filter. Thus, these blockers ideally probe the gate location: an intracellular gate will only allow binding when open, whereas a selectivity filter gate will always allow binding. A kinetic analysis of tetrabutylammonium block of single MthK channels during gating determined that the voltage-dependent gate is located above the QA binding site in the pore. X-ray crystallographic analysis of the MthK pore with tetrabutylantimony confirmed QA binding immediately below the selectivity filter, unequivocally placing the voltage-dependent gate within the selectivity filter, akin to the C-type inactivation gate in eukaryotic K+ channels. In addition, state-dependent binding kinetics suggested that the selectivity filter inactivation led to conformational changes within the cavity and intracellular pore entrance, suggesting an allosteric connection between cytoplasmic domains and selectivity filter.
Magnetic resonance fluoroscopy using spirals with variable sampling densities

The imaging of dynamic processes in the body is of considerable interest in interventional examinations as well as kinematic studies, and spiral imaging is a fast magnetic resonance imaging technique ideally suited for such fluoroscopic applications. In this manuscript, magnetic resonance fluoroscopy pulse sequences in which interleaved spirals are used to continuously acquire data and reconstruct one movie frame for each repetition time interval are implemented. For many applications, not all of k-space needs to be updated each frame, and nonuniform k-space sampling can be used to exploit this rapid imaging strategy by allowing variable update rates for different spatial frequencies. Using the appropriate reconstruction algorithm, the temporal updating rate for each spatial frequency is effectively proportional to the corresponding k-space sampling density. Results from a motion phantom as well as in in vivo gadolinium diethylenetriaminopentaacetic acid (Gd-DTPA) bolus tracking studies in a rat model demonstrate the high temporal resolution achievable using these techniques as well as the tradeoffs available with nonuniform sampling densities. This paper focuses on the acquisition of real-time dynamic information, and all images presented are reconstructed retrospectively. The issues of real-time data reconstruction and display are not addressed.
Dimension preference and performance on a series of concept identification tasks in kindergarten, first-grade, and third-grade children

Abstract Data are presented relating children's preferences for stimulus dimension (form, color, and number) to performance on concept-identification tasks involving preferred and nonpreferred dimensions. The Ss were 77 kindergarten, first-, and third-grade children. As the measure of dimension preference, all Ss sorted cards from the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test. They then performed concept-identification tasks employing the same cards. Seventy-five of the 77 Ss showed significant dimension preferences, 59 Ss preferring form, 9 number, and 7 color. All 59 form-preferring Ss eventually reached criterion for each dimension task. Trials to criterion on each task, however, varied significantly among levels in school and among dimensions. Performance on the concept identification tasks was directly related to level in school. Across levels in school, the form task was most easily solved, color next, and number least. The superiority of third-graders to kindergarteners on the concept identification tasks was apparently not a function of immediate prior experience on the preference test, since the same difference obtained in control kindergarteners and third-graders who received the concept tasks before the preference test. On the number task, however, significantly more control than experimental kindergarteners reached criterion. Furthermore, 47% of the control Ss had significant dimension preferences compared with 97.4% of the experimental Ss. These differences apparently resulted from differences in immediate prior experience.
Functional Modules Important for Activated Expression of Early Genes of Herpes Simplex Virus Type 1 Are Clustered Upstream of the TATA Box

Functional analysis of two promoters controlling early herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) transcripts encoding the UL37 and UL50 (dUTPase) proteins are described in this report. Transcripts expressed under the control of these promoters were found to be expressed early regardless of the position of the transcription unit within the viral genome. Despite this, wt dUTPase mRNA was 6-10 times more abundant than the UL37 transcript both in wt and recombinant viruses. This same difference in transcript abundance was seen when a reporter gene (beta-galactosidase) was controlled by the two promoters in recombinant viruses in the heterologous glycoprotein C (gC) locus. Thus, both the kinetics and relative abundance of UL50 and UL37 transcripts are a direct function of their respective promoter regulatory elements. Characterization of mutated UL37 and UL50 promoters in recombinant viruses showed that the functional modules important for expression from these promoters are concentrated upstream of the transcription start site; however the extent and composition of these modules in terms of the cis-acting elements they contain was different for each. For the UL37 promoter, both a HiNF-P factor binding site (-53 to -58 bp) and the TATA homology (-22 to -27) were required for any detectable expression, while an Sp1 binding site at -123 augmented this but was not absolutely required. In contrast, the only functional elements crucial for expression from the UL50 promoter were the TATA box (-25 to -31) and an Sp1 binding site at -117 bp relative to the cap site. Despite differences in detail, when the functional architecture of these two early promoters were compared to the extensively characterized HSV-1 thymidine kinase (UL23) promoter, class-specific similarities are clearly apparent.
Preparative Protein Production from Inclusion Bodies and Crystallization: A Seven-Week Biochemistry Sequence

We describe how to produce and purify proteins from E. coli inclusion bodies by adapting versatile, preparative-scale techniques to the undergraduate laboratory schedule. This seven-week sequence of experiments fits into an annual cycle of research activity in biochemistry courses. Recombinant proteins are expressed as inclusion bodies, which are collected, washed, then solubilized in urea. Stepwise dialysis to dilute urea over the course of a week produces refolded protein. Column chromatography is used to purify protein into fractions, which are then analyzed with gel electrophoresis and concentration assays. Students culminate the project by designing crystallization trials in sitting-drop trays. Student evaluation of the experience has been positive, listing 5-12 new techniques learned, which are transferrable to graduate research in academia and industry.
Priority assignment: A conditioned sets approach

Abstract The author suggests how conditioned sets of fuzzy variables may be used to provide priority weights. A case is presented where the conditioned sets approach is contrasted with the prioritization information generated by the Eigenvalue Priority Assignment Model.
Recognition of handwritten and machine-printed text for postal address interpretation

Abstract Postal address interpretation is the task of assigning to letter mail pieces a delivery point encoding, e.g., ZIP+4 Code. The encoding is determined from images of destination addresses on mail piece faces; addresses that are handwritten, are of poor-quality machine printing, are incomplete or incorrect. This paper describes several recognition algorithms used in the interpretation of handwritten and machine-printed address text (digits/symbols/alphabets/words).
The Effect of Nanofiber Alignment on the Maturation of Engineered Meniscus Constructs

The fibrocartilaginous menisci are load-bearing tissues vital to the normal functioning of the knee. Removal of damaged regions of the meniscus subsequent to injury impairs knee function and predisposes patients to osteoarthritis. In this study, we employed biodegradable nanofibrous scaffolds for the tissue engineering of the meniscus. Non-aligned (NA) or fiber-aligned (AL) nanofibrous scaffolds were seeded with meniscal fibrochondrocytes (MFCs) or mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) to test the hypothesis that fiber-alignment would augment matrix content and organization, resulting in improved mechanical properties. Additionally, we proposed that MSCs could serve as an alternative to MFCs. With time in culture, MSC- and MFC-seeded NA and AL constructs increased in cellularity and extracellular matrix (ECM) content. Counter our initial hypothesis, NA and AL constructs contained comparable amounts of ECM, although a significantly larger increase in mechanical properties was observed for AL compared to NA constructs seeded with either cell type. Cell-seeded NA constructs increased in modulus by ~1 MPa over 10 weeks while cell-seeded AL construct increased by >7 MPa. Additionally, MSC-constructs yielded greater amounts of ECM and demonstrated comparable increases in mechanical properties, thereby confirming the utility of MSCs for meniscus tissue engineering. These results demonstrate that cell-seeded fiber aligned nanofibrous scaffolds may serve as an instructive micro-pattern for directed tissue growth, reconstituting both the form and function of the native tissue.
Measurement of the absolute vertical integral and differential cosmic-ray single-muon flux at 3.6 GeV and a measurement of the showerless penetrating particle-pair flux above 3.6 GeV

We have measured the absolute vertical integral and differential cosmic-ray single-muon flux at 3.6 GeV. The apparatus consisted of two 100 in. high iron absorbers placed between large counter arrays. The iron absorbers could be magnetized with current-carrying coils wrapped around term. The differential flux was obtained from flux measurements at different magnetic-field values. Adjacent counters were used to correct the data for cosmic-ray showers and to provide parallel counter telescopes to look for penetrating pairs due to μ,’s or quarks. The measured integral flux at 3.6GeV was (1.83±0.4).10-3/cm2.sr.s, and the differential flux was (l.28±0.25).10-3cm-2.sr.GeV.s. The showerless μ-pair flux was measured to be (0.58.10-6±0.58.10-5)/cm2.sr.s for pairs between 0in. and 30 in. apart, and (1.68 -10-6 ±1.68. 10-5)/cm2.sr.s for pairs between 30 in. and 60 in.
Physical and chemical characterization of atmospheric aerosols by atomic force microscopy

A new approach to the measurement of the size distribution of atmospheric particles as a function of chemical reactivity is demonstrated. In this method, particles are collected on an atomically flat mica substrate and imaged using atomic force microscopy. The particle size distribution is obtained from analysis of the image. The sample is then repeatedly exposed to a reactive gas such as ozone or oxygen atoms and reimaged. The dimensions of organic and graphitic (soot) particles are found to shrink at different rates due to formation of volatile products, while inorganic particles remain unchanged. Using this approach, it is possible to classify particles as organic, graphitic, or inorganic and to obtain the size distribution for each chemical class.
Palladium(II) complexes with polyphosphazene

An allylphenoxy-substituted polyphosphazene has been modified via inorganic chemical concepts. The transition metal salt is bis(acetonitrile)dichloropalladium(II). The coordination complexes have been characterized using acid-base solution chemistry, sol-gel phase transitions, thermomechanical property measurements and infrared spectroscopy. Solid complexes of polyphosphazene and PdC1 2 cannot be dissolved in the original solvent (i.e., tetrahydrofuran) used during sample preparation. These polymeric palladium complexes also cannot be disrupted by a stronger base, like triphenylphosphine. There is a monotonic increase in the glass transition temperature at higher concentrations of palladium chloride. T g of the pure polymer increases by 21°C in the presence of 10 mol% palladium chloride. The increase in high-strain mechanical properties cannot be explained solely by a filler effect. At higher PdC1 2 concentrations, there is a direct correlation between the enhancement in T g , higher mechanical fracture stress, and increased infrared absorbance @ 1092 cm -l because of the formation of a palladium-π-complex with allylic substituents in the phenoxy sidegroup. Palladium chloride relinquishes its acetonitrile ligands after dissolution in THF, and the vacant sites in the first-shell coordination sphere of the transition metal are occupied by these allylic substituents in the sidegroup. This produces interchain coordination crosslinks, which modify the thermomechanical properties of polyphosphazene/ PdCl 2 complexes.
An optimal sensing strategy for recognition and localization of 3D natural quadric objects

An optimal sensing strategy for an optical proximity sensor system engaged in the recognition and localization of 3D natural quadric objects is presented. The optimal sensing strategy consists of the selection of an optimal beam orientation and the determination of an optimal probing plane that compose an optimal data collection operation known as an optimal probing. The decision of an optimal probing is based on the measure of discrimination power of a cluster of surfaces on a multiple interpretation image, where the measure of discrimination power is defined in terms of a utility function computing the expected number of interpretations that can be pruned out by a probing. An object representation suitable for active sensing based on a surface description vector distribution graph and hierarchical tables is presented. Experimental results are shown. >
A DNA aptamer sensor for 8-oxo-7,8-dihydroguanine

Abstract Abasic site-containing DNA duplex is a versatile structural motif that can be used for the design of purine aptamers and sensors. In this study, several modifications were introduced to the abasic site to explore possible specific binding of free 8-oxoG, a product of DNA base excision repair. The nucleoside opposite the abasic site was replaced by pyrrolo-dC as a reporter group. Binding of 8-oxoG quenched pyrrolo-dC fluorescence by as much as 70%. In contrast, adenine, guanine, thymine, and cytosine showed only minimal fluorescence quenching effect. The best aptamer binds 8-oxoG with a dissociation constant of 5.5 ± 0.8 μM. This sensor can be used to accurately measure 8-oxoG concentrations in the presence of guanine.
Fantastic Architecture: Lessons of Laputa and the Unbearable Lightness of Our Architecture

Thoughts of building have always been accompanied by dreams or nightmares of what building might become. Architectural fantasies have thus been an important part of the history of architecture, sometimes guiding, sometimes warning. This article explores some that call into question a direction that too many architects continue to find attractive, even though it threatens to render their work unbearably light. The subtitle calls for some explanation. It refers to two novels: its first half to Part Three of Gul-
On Generalized Matrix Functions

Abstract : The paper contains 2 sections. In section 1 the spectral theory for rectangular complex matrices, as given by Penrose and Hestenes is reformulated so as to include the spectral theory for normal matrices as a special case. These results, which are mostly well known, are used in section 2 to study matric functions of rectangular complex matrices. These functions are shown in theorem 4 to satisfy an appropriate version of the Fantappie requirements. Theorems 5 and 6 are the analogs of Cauchy's integral theorem and Taylor's theorem respectively. (Author)