cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Carbon dioxide exchange in Cladina lichens from subarctic and temperate habitats.

The survival potential of lichens in a given habitat is determined by the response of CO2 exchange to photosynthetically active radiation (PhAR), thallus temperature, and thallus relative water content (RWC). Therefore morphologically similar lichens from contrasting climatic environments 1) should differ in their CO2 exchange responses, and 2) these differences should reflect adaptations to their climatic regimes. The CO2 exchange responses of a subarctic (55°N, 67°W) Cladina stellaris (Opiz) Brodo population and a temperate (29°N, 82°W) Cladina evansii (Abb.) Hale and W. Culb, population were used to test these two related hypotheses. Infrared gas analysis with lichens collected in September–October 1975 established that the two populations differed in their responses to incident PhAR, thallus temperature, and thallus RWC. Net photosynthesis in C. stellaris had an optimum at a lower temperature and a greater relative photosynthetic capacity at low temperatures than did C. evansii. Cladina evansii maintained net photosynthesis above 35°C thallus temperature; C. stellaris did not. In both species the optimum temperature for net photosynthesis increased with increasing irradiance. The C. stellaris light saturation point was consistently lower than that of C. evansii. Both species had maximal rates of net photosynthesis at 70–80% relative water content. In C. evansii the CO2 exchange rates, expressed as percentages of the maximum rate, declined more rapidly under suboptimal conditions. The absolute CO2 exchange rates of C. evansii were greater than those of C. stellaris. At 20°C and 90–95% RWC, resaturation respiration occurred in both species and continued until 6–7 h after wetting. Contrasts in the temporal patterns of thallus condition at each collection site suggest that not all differences in the two response surfaces reflect climatic adaptation. The two populations appear well adapted to incident PhAR and thallus temperature regimes but the 70–80% RWC optimum for net photosynthesis common to both species is puzzling since their water regimes differ markedly. The overall adaptedness of the CO2 exchange responses in the two species cannot be judged without a comprehensive quantitative analysis of carbon balance under differing climatic regimes.
Negative predictive value of normal nasal endoscopy for sinus disease as a cause of isolated facial pain.

Objective To determine the negative predictive value of normal nasal endoscopy in assessing paranasal sinus disease as the cause of isolated facial pain in the sinus regions. Subjects and methods The study group comprised 42 consecutive adult patients presenting with the isolated symptom of facial pain, and a negative nasal endoscopy. Patients underwent sinus computed tomography to determine whether radiographic findings indicated a sinugenic aetiology. Results Patients comprised 27 women and 15 men, with a median age of 38 years. Twenty patients had unilateral pain, 33 per cent had sinus radiographic findings that might explain their facial pain, and 10 per cent had imaging demonstrating mucosal disease in one or more sinuses correlating with the location of the facial pain. Thirty-one per cent had anatomical radiographic findings that could potentially obstruct the osteomeatal unit. Conclusion Normal nasal endoscopy had a negative predictive value of 67 per cent in excluding a sinugenic cause of isolated facial pain, if radiographically determined anatomical factors and mucosal disease were both included as positive findings; this rose to more than 90 per cent if only those patients with mucosal sinus disease were considered as true positive patients.
Mapping global inequalities: Beyond income inequality to multi‐dimensional inequalities

Current discussions of global inequality are trapped by their core reliance on measures of income. While our field has become ever-knowledgeable on poverty's multi- faceted nature (e.g. the Human Development Index, based on Sen and other's work on the capabilities approach), discussions and debates over global inequalities give short shrift to measurements and understandings of inequality beyond income. The papers in this issue all lend insight to how we may start the long-term process of moving beyond income inequality to re-think common understandings of inequality and to present new questions and opportunities in order to work towards a fuller understanding of the shape and pathways of global inequalities. Copyright # 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Assignment of Enzymatic Functions to Specific Regions of the PLP-Dependent Heme Protein Cystathionine β-Synthase†

Cystathionine β-synthase is a unique heme protein that catalyzes a pyridoxal phosphate (or PLP)-dependent β-replacement reaction. The reaction involves the condensation of serine and homocysteine and constitutes one of the two major avenues for detoxification of homocysteine in mammals. The enzyme is allosterically regulated by S-adenosylmethionine (AdoMet). In this study, we have characterized the kinetic, spectroscopic, and ligand binding properties of a truncated catalytic core of cystathionine β-synthase extending from residues 1 through 408 in which the C-terminal 143 residues have been deleted. This is similar to a natural variant of the protein that has been described in a homocystinuric patient in which the predicted peptide is 419 amino acids in length. Truncation leads to the formation of a dimeric enzyme in contrast to the tetrameric organization of the native enzyme. Some of the kinetic properties of the truncated enzyme are different from the full-length form, most notably, significantly high...
Human growth disorders: molecular genetics of the growth hormone–insulin‐like growth factor I axis

Rotwein P. Human growth disorders: molecular genetics of the growth hormone-insulin-like growth factor I axis. Acta Paidiatr 1999; Suppl 428: 148–51. Stockholm. ISSN 0803–5326 The critical role of the growth hormone-insulin-like growth factor I axis in controlling somatic growth in humans and other vertebrate species has been known for many years. Through molecular cloning and other related techniques many of the components of this axis have been characterized, with the most recent additions being key transcription factors required for pituitary development and for pituitary-specific gene expression. Several of these genes have been shown to be mutated in familial and sporadic human growth deficiency syndromes, thereby validating the central roles of the encoded proteins in the endocrine pathways regulating somatic growth. The purpose of this review is to highlight these recent advances from the perspective of the molecular genetics of human growth disorders. □Growth hormone, growth hormone receptor, growth hormone-releasing hormone, growth hormone-releasing hormone receptor, insulin-like growth factor-I, insulin-like growth factor-1 receptor, Pit-1, Prop-1
Kiton red S and rhodamine B. The spectroscopy and laser performance of red laser dyes

Abstract The lasing performance of kiton red S and rhodamine B (COOH) is shown to be strongly influenced by the substituent bonded to the 9 carbon atom of the main chromophore. The lasing efficiency of these dyes is compared under long and short pulse flashlamp excitation. The results are shown to be predictable based on the relative differences in Φf, Tf and KS1-T1 for these dyes.
Behavioral and pituitary - adrenal responses during a prolonged separation period in infant rhesus macaques

Abstract (1) Separation of infant rhesus macaques from their mothers for 2 weeks induced brief plasma cortisol elevations which returned to near pre-separation levels within 24 hr. (2) Changes in locomotion and distress (whoo) calls paralleled the changes within 24 hr after separation in pituitary - adrenal activity, thus indicating a short-term biobehavioral response to separation in the infant rhesus macaque. (3) Separated infants were behaviorally agitated throughout the separation period, and some behaviors indicative of the “despair” response were infrequently observed. (4) Individual differences in pituitary - adrenal response to separation and reunion were related to aspects of the mother - infant relationship prior to separation.
Making tortillas without lard: Latino parents' perspectives on healthy eating, physical activity, and weight-management strategies for overweight Latino children.

Abstract Latinos are among the most overweight racial/ethnic groups of US children. The study aim was to identify parents' perspectives on healthy eating, physical activity, and weight-management strategies for overweight Latino children. Four focus groups were conducted of Mexican immigrant, Mexican-American, Puerto Rican, and other Latino families with overweight children. Parents were asked 33 questions and sampled four healthy substitutes for traditional Latino foods, including multigrain enchiladas and brown rice. Nineteen parents were interviewed in the focus groups. The children′s median body mass index was 23; 60% had a body mass index ≥95th percentile. Parents identified 22 themes regarding the most important things parents can do to help overweight children lose weight, including encouragement, not making the child feel left out, the whole family eating healthy, and the parent setting a good example. Parents identified 17 themes regarding the most important things overweight children can do to help themselves lose weight, including eating healthier, limiting portion size and second helpings, drinking more water, increased physical activity, decreased screen time, children educating themselves at school, asking parents for help, and participating in interventions that include the whole family. Challenges to getting kids to exercise included expense, time constraints, and neighborhood safety. Parents were open to integrating healthy substitutes into traditional Latino meals/snacks, and found them palatable. One mother stated, "We have to keep our traditional foods, but realize that we can make them more nutritious." Parents reported their children would accept high-fiber foods and low-fat dairy. In designing effective weight-management interventions for overweight Latino children, the study findings may prove useful in identifying healthy, well-accepted foods and beverages; agreeable physical activities; suitable targets for reducing inactivity; and efficacious strategies for enhancing traditional foods and meals so that there is an increased likelihood of healthy diet and weight loss. Parental input on the most important things that children and parents can do to help children lose weight and on challenges faced in trying to get children to exercise might provide valuable guidance in devising effective, evidence-based interventions that are likely to be adhered to.
Intensive Care Unit Management of Aneurysmal Subarachnoid Hemorrhage

The emergence of dedicated neurologic-neurosurgical intensive care units, advancements in endovascular therapies, and aggressive brain resuscitation and monitoring have contributed to overall improved outcomes for patients with aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (aSAH) over the past 20 to 30 years. Still, this feared neurologic emergency is associated with substantial mortality and morbidity. Emergency care for patients with aSAH focuses on stabilization, treatment of the aneurysm, controlling intracranial hypertension to optimize cerebral perfusion, and limiting secondary brain injury. This complex disorder can be associated with many neurologic complications such as acute hydrocephalus, rebleeding, global cerebral edema, seizures, vasospasm, and delayed cerebral ischemia in addition to systemic complications such as electrolyte imbalances, cardiopulmonary injury, and infections. Background routine intensive care practices such as avoidance of hyperthermia, venous thromboembolism prophylaxis, and avoidance of severe blood glucose derangements are additional important elements of care.
The propagation and stability of time-dependent galactodetonation waves

A new analytic approach is applied to the problem of star formation fronts in differentially rotating disks recently studied by Cowie and Rybicki. A quasi-linear equation for the inclination angle of the front is derived, and its characteristic equations are solved. The stability of these fronts found numerically in the previous study is revealed to be a direct consequence of the structure of the front characteristics. The time-dependent solutions found here are potentially useful in describing the evolution of local wave fronts shearing in a galactic velocity field, as observed in spirals lacking 'grand-design' structure.
A molecular orbital study of the rotation about the C-C bond in 1,3-butadiene

The geometry and energy of 1,3-butadiene have been calculated using the 6-311G** basis set as a function of the CCCC dihedral angle-0 ° (trans), 30 °, 60 °, 75 °, 90 °, 120 °, 135 °, 150 °, 165 ° and 180 ° (cis)-assuming that the vinyl groups remain planar. Potential minima are located at 0 ° and 141.4 °, with the trans structure more stable than the gauche by 13.2 kJ mol−1. Potential maxima are located at 76.7 °, giving a barrier height of 25.4 kJ mol−1 relative to the trans structure, and at 180 ° giving a barrier height of 3.0 kJ mol−1 relative to the 141.4 °-gauche structure. Using the 6-31G* basis set the inclusion of electron correlation, accounting for about 52% of the correlation energy, was found to produce no significant change in the shape of the potential energy curve. The magnitude of the expectation energy differences is such that both barriers with respect to the 14l.4 °-gauche maximum structure can be categorized unequivocally as attractive-dominant, whereas the values for the energy barrier with respect to the trans structure, although characteristic of a repulsive-dominant barrier at the 6–311G** level, are sufficiently small that higher level calculations might give the opposite result. Analysis of ΔV nn for the conversion reactions cis → 150 °-gauche, trans → 60 °-gauche, and trans → 90 °-gauche in terms of the individual contributions from the various internuclear interactions shows that nonbonded interactions are important, not only in initiating the destabilization of the crowded cis structure, but also through-out the entire range of CCCC dihedral angles, 0 ° to 180 °.
Early hydrous melting and degassing of the Martian interior

[1] This study investigates the solidus and near-solidus phase relations of a Martian model mantle composition over the pressure range of 1–3 GPa and 775–1000°C. The presence of H2O has a tremendous effect on the solidus temperature of the Martian mantle, which decreases from 975°C at 1 GPa down to 800°C at 3 GPa. We use the results of this experimental investigation to explore the consequences of a wet accretion scenario for the planet Mars. The presence of H2O in accreted materials may profoundly modify the characteristics of planetary differentiation. Serpentine minerals contained in accreted materials are expected to lose most of their H2O through a series of dehydration reactions, thereby triggering massive degassing events. The vapor-saturated solidus is expected to be crossed during accretion, as the temperature of the growing planetesimal is increasing. Hydrous melting processes will contribute to early crust formation and the development of the atmosphere and hydrosphere during early Noachian. Early wet melting events during accretion might produce mantle heterogeneities (residual depleted mantle and enriched “crustal” component) that could be reprocessed during late volcanism as the sources for SNC meteorites. Experimental phase relations also predict that hydrous silicates can be buried deep into the planet, where H2O can be stored in “nominally anhydrous minerals” or in the metallic core. It is thus likely that at least some H2O has been buried in the Martian interior during accretion, with important consequences on geophysical properties during subsequent planetary evolution.
Dynamics of extracellular DNA decomposition and bacterial community composition in soil

Abstract Microbial necromass is an important source of stabilized organic matter in soil, yet the decomposition dynamics of necromass constituents have not been adequately characterized. This includes DNA, a nutrient-rich molecule that when released into the environment as extracellular DNA (eDNA) can be readily used by soil microorganisms. However, the ecological relevance of eDNA as a nutrient source for soil microorganisms is relatively unknown. To address these deficits, we performed a laboratory experiment wherein soils were amended with 13C-labeled eDNA and clay minerals known to interact with DNA (kaolinite and montmorillonite). The amount of eDNA-carbon remaining in the soil declined exponentially over time. Kaolinite amendment decreased eDNA decomposition rates and, after 30 days, retained a higher fraction of eDNA-carbon (∼70% remaining) than control or montmorillonite soils (∼40% remaining), indicating that clay mineral sorption can stabilize eDNA-derived carbon in soil. Sequencing of bacterial 16S rRNA genes showed that during the incubation the relative abundance of the added eDNA's sequence decreased by 98%, 92% and 99% in the control, montmorillonite, and kaolinite amended soils respectively. These results suggest that the fraction of eDNA-carbon that remained in the soil was incorporated into microbial biomass, firmly bound to soil constituents, or fragmented and no longer amenable to sequencing. In addition, the eDNA amendment affected the composition of the bacterial community. Specifically, the relative abundance of select phyla (Planctomycetes and TM7) and genera (e.g., Arthrobacter and Nocardioides) were elevated in soils that received eDNA, suggesting these groups may be particularly effective at degrading eDNA and using it for growth. Taken together, these results indicate that while eDNA is consumed by bacteria in soil, a fraction of eDNA material is resistant to decomposition, particularly when stabilized by soil minerals, suggesting a substantial amount of recalcitrant eDNA could accumulate over time.
Schooling as a regime of equality and reproducing difference in an Afro-Ecuadorian region

In this article I compare and contrast curricular, ceremonial and pedagogical practices with how students and teachers make sense of racial identity and discrimination at the Jaime Hurtado Academy in the city and province of Esmeraldas, Ecuador, which is the only region of the nation where Afro-Ecuadorian people comprise a majority of the population. On the one hand, I found that schooling was structured as a regime of equality, where social science textbooks make invisible the concepts of race and Blackness while school ceremonies enforced membership to the nation. In addition, I demonstrate that pedagogical practices reinforce the notion of a culturally homogenous nation by providing little space for students to interrogate important issues in their lives. On the other hand, I show through an examination of how students and teachers make sense of racial identity and discrimination that race was a significant factor shaping teaching and learning at the research site and argue that schooling practices are...
The integration of cardiovascular behavioral medicine and psychoneuroimmunology: New developments based on converging research fields ☆

The immune system plays a role in the progression of coronary artery diseases and its clinical manifestations as acute coronary syndromes. It is well established that psychological factors can act as risk factors for acute coronary syndromes. This review describes psychoneuroimmunological pathways involved in coronary disease progression and documents that the stage of coronary disease is a major determinant of pathophysiological mechanisms accounting for the association between psychological risk factors, immune system parameters, and acute coronary syndromes. Chronic psychological risk factors (e.g., hostility and low socioeconomic status) are important at early disease stages, episodic factors (e.g., depression and exhaustion) are involved in the transition from stable to unstable atherosclerotic plaques, and acute psychological triggers (e.g., mental stress and anger) can promote myocardial ischemia and plaque rupture. The psychoneuroimmunological pathways are described for each of these three types of psychological risk factors for acute coronary syndromes.
Structural Characterization of Multilayered DNA and Polylysine Composite Films: Influence of Ionic Strength of DNA Solutions on the Extent of DNA Incorporation

Thin films of alternating DNA and poly-l-lysine (PLL) layers were fabricated onto various planar surfaces by the layer-by-layer (LbL) self-assembly technique. For both the polydeoxynucleotide (PDN, polyguanylic acid or poly[G]) and the oligodeoxynucleotide (ODN, a 30-mer) investigated, UV−visible spectrometry and contact angle measurements showed that a uniform layer of DNA can be fully adsorbed onto each alternate PLL layer. Various parameters affecting the DNA loading into the composite film were investigated with a particular emphasis placed on the effect of the ionic strength in the DNA solution used for the film preparation. For the PLL/poly[G] film, it was found that 150 μg/mL of poly[G] solution containing 0.5 M NaCl attains the maximum loading for every poly[G] layer. Atomic force microscopy was utilized to measure the DNA surface density and structure at the topmost layers of several representative composite films. While the DNA film thickness increases with the ionic strength of the DNA solution...
The Bethe and Sinkhorn approximations of the pattern maximum likelihood estimate and their connections to the Valiant-Valiant estimate

For estimating a source's distribution histogram, Orlitsky and co-workers have proposed the pattern maximum likelihood (PML) estimate, which says that one should choose the distribution histogram that has the largest likelihood of producing the pattern of the observed symbol sequence. It can be shown that finding the PML estimate is equivalent to finding the distribution histogram that maximizes the permanent of a certain non-negative matrix. However, in general this optimization problem appears to be intractable and so one has to compute suitable approximations of the PML estimate. In this paper, we discuss various efficient PML estimate approximation algorithms, along with their connections to the Valiant-Valiant estimate of the distribution histogram. These connections are established by associating an approximately doubly stochastic matrix with the Valiant-Valiant estimate and comparing this approximately doubly stochastic matrix with the doubly stochastic matrices that appear in the free energy descriptions of the PML estimate and its approximations.
Sedimentational Influence of Pedernal Uplift: ABSTRACT

Depositional and erosional features outline the late Paleozoic Pedernal uplift as a narrow northward-elongated landmass, connected southward with the Diablo platform and northeastward with the Sierra Grand arch and Amarillo-Wichita uplift. During pre-Pennsylvanian Paleozoic time, north-central and central New Mexico was periodically uplifted epeirogenically, but this "massif" bears little resemblance to late Paleozoic Pedernal uplift. Pedernal should not be applied to the massif in east-central New Mexico (southern part of Sierra Grande arch). Ordovician, Silurian, and Mississippian strata probably were deposited in most of New Mexico and adjoining areas, and Devonian beds in most of southern and western New Mexico, but were removed from large areas during subsequent erosion periods. Early Ordovician El Paso-Manitou was eroded in Middle Ordovician time; later Ordovician Cable Canyon-Harding and Montoya-Fremont as well as Silurian Fusselman Dolomite were partly removed during Late Silurian-Early Devonian time; and only a remnant of Mississippian was left in central New Mexico by erosion during Late Mississippian-Early Pennsylvanian time. Erosional and sedimentational patterns trend east-west for earlier Paleozoic strata, with a positive-trending feature in north-central New Mexico, contrasting with Pennsylvanian and early Pe mian northward trends related to the Pedernal uplift and its adjoining basins, Orogrande and Estancia on the west, and Delaware on the southeast. The northern New Mexico massif supplied some Cambrian sands, some Middle Ordovician Simpson sand and silt, and Late Devonian and Early Mississippian silt and clay. The Pedernal uplift area in south-central New Mexico was covered by early and middle Paleozoic seas, and did not become a detritus-source upland until Early Pennsylvanian time. During Pennsylvanian and early Wolfcampian time it provided much sediment to flanking basins; most of the uplift was worn down and was buried by floods of northern redbed material during late Wolfcampian time. Only remnant hills remained in the sandy seas of Leonardian time. End_of_Article - Last_Page 197------------
Inhibition of mixed-function oxidation in perfused rat liver by fluoroacetate treatment

The effect of fluoroacetate, an inhibitor of the citric acid cycle, on the mixed-function oxidation of p-nitroanisole in isolated perfused livers from fed rats was studied. The citric acid cycle was inhibited by injection of 5 mg/kg sodium fluoroacetate into rats 3 hr prior to liver perfusion experiments. Inhibition of the citric acid cycle was marked by accumulation of citrate (5-fold) and decreases in rates of glycolysis and glycogenolysis by 50-90%. Fluoroacetate treatment inhibited mixed function oxidation in the perfused liver by about 50% without affecting p-nitroanisole O-demethylation by isolated microsomes. Fluorocitrate, at concentrations up to 50 microM, did not inhibit microsomal p-nitroanisole O-demethylation in vitro. These data support the hypothesis that mixed-function oxidation in intact hepatocytes is dependent upon reducing equivalents generated via the citric acid cycle.
Informed Consent in the Nuclear Medicine Setting

In the nuclear medicine setting, the task of obtaining informed consent for procedures that require it is frequently left to the nuclear medicine technologist. Unfortunately, a patient's signature on a consent form does not mean the patient has given informed consent, or what legal scholars call valid consent. On completion of this scholarly bioethics article, the reader will understand the troubled history that led to informed consent as social and regulatory policy. Additionally, the reader will discover the meaning of "informed consent," which includes 3 critical components: disclosure, decision-making capacity, and voluntariness. Finally, this article will discuss which nuclear medicine procedures require informed consent, how to assess whether patients have given informed consent, what to do when the patient refuses a procedure, and what to do when informed consent is unachievable.
Resistance mechanisms in two color forms of the tobacco aphid (Homoptera : Aphididae)

Cultures of the tobacco aphid, Myzus nicotianae Blackman, were collected from tobacco throughout major tobacco-growing regions of North Carolina and maintained in culture in the laboratory. Nine cultures of tobacco aphids were established. Four of these cultures were green in color; five were red. Slide-dip tests were performed with various insecticides and a known synergist. In tests with malathion, monocrotophos, acephate, and the esterase inhibitor S, S, S-tributyl phosphorotrithioate (DEF), resistance of aphids from the five red cultures and one green culture (from Duplin County) increased three to four times compared with the remaining three green cultures. In tests with endosulfan and methamidophos, a breakdown product of acephate, all nine cultures responded equally to treatment. Total carboxylesterase activities of aphids from all nine cultures were measured in a spectrophotometric assay. Aphids from the five red cultures and the green culture from Duplin County demonstrated ≈2.5 times the carboxylesterase activity as aphids from the remaining three green cultures. In all cultures, synergism of malathion, acephate, and methamidophos by DEF was apparent.
Direct numerical simulations of the effects of shear on turbulent Rayleigh-Bénard convection

The interaction between shear and buoyancy effects for Benard convection in plane Couette flow is studied by performing direct numerical simulations. At moderate Rayleigh number (≈10000−50000), shear tends to organize the flow into quasi-two-dimensional rolls parallel to the mean flow and can enhance heat transfer, while at higher Rayleigh number (>150000), shear tends to disrupt the formation of convective plumes and can reduce heat transfer. A significant temporal oscillation in the local Nusselt number was consistently observed at high Rayleigh numbers, a factor that may contribute to the scatter seen in experimental data. This effect, plus the time-varying reversal of the mean temperature gradient in the middle of the channel, is consistent with a flow model in which the dynamics of large-scale, quasi-two-dimensional, counter-rotating vortical cells are alternately driven by buoyancy and inertial effects. An analysis of the energy balance in the flow shows that the conservative pressure diffusion term, which has been frequently neglected in turbulence models, plays a very important dynamical role in the flow evolution and should be more carefully modelled. Most of the turbulent energy production due to mean shear is generated in the boundary layers, while the buoyant production occurs mainly in the relatively uniform convective core. The simulations and the laboratory experiments of Deardorff & Willis (1967) are in very reasonable qualitative agreement, suggesting that the basic dynamics of the flow are being accurately simulated.
Bidding for a process innovation under alternative modes of competition

Abstract This paper examines whether a first-price, sealed-bid auction is efficient in allocating a process innovation amongst oligopolists engaged in either Cournot or Bertrand competition. Standard bidding behavior is modified by the incentive to signal private information in order to influence the oligopoly outcome. It is shown that, for Cournot, there exists a unique equilibrium in strictly increasing strategies that is symmetric, and therefore allocatively efficient. For Bertrand, an efficient equilibrium may not exist. However, efficiency is restored as the market becomes perfectly competitive. The results underline the sensitivity of efficient auction design to downstream market structures.
Pregnancy termination due to fetal anomaly: Clinical considerations

Alors que les ouvrages et articles de recherche ont fait une part de plus en plus importante a la profonde reaction de douleur qui suit l'interruption de grossesse due a une anomalie du foetus, bien des modes de soin medicaux continuent a presumer par erreur que les reactions sont moins fortes, proches des reactions a un avortement volontaire. Cet article etudie en detail les fardeaux psychologiques additionnels et les tâches qu'impose cette perte de grossesse -les defis moraux et matrimoniaux au moment de la decision d'interrompre la grossesse, le dilemme psychologique (est-ce une grossesse ou une vie qui a ete interrompue?), la honte amplifiee et la reticence a partager cette perte avec d'autres du fait de la controverse actuelle (aux Etats-Unis) en ce qui concerne l'avortement par choix, et l'incertitude quant a ce qu'il faut dire a ses enfants a propos de la perte. Des implications et des recommendations cliniques, ainsi que des exemples de cas sont presentes.
Driver Distraction: A Perennial but Preventable Public Health Threat to Adolescents

Although public health efforts have made some progress in reducing risk of adolescent motor vehicle crashes over the last three decades, new technologies and evolving behavior patterns have focused attention on the risk of distracted driving. For many of the same reasons that alcohol-impaired driving represents a distinct risk for adolescents, distracted driving has an elevated impact on this age group. Similarly, many of the strategies used to reduce alcohol-impaired driving among adolescents might be applied to driver distraction, including adults serving as role models with high standards of behavior. The unique challenge posed by the proliferation of new technological distractions may accelerate this risk behavior and may lend itself to innovative prevention efforts.
Reclaiming Davidson's Methodological Rationalism as Galilean Idealization in Psychology

In his early experimental work with Suppes, Davidson adopted rationality assumptions, not as necessary constraints on interpretation, but as practical conceits in addressing methodological problems faced by experimenters studying decision making under uncertainty. Although the content of their theory has since been undermined, their methodological approach—a Galilean form of methodological rationalism—lives on in contemporary psychological research.This article draws on Max Weber’s verstehen to articulate an account of Galilean methodological rationalism; explains how anomalies faced by Davidson’s early experimental work gave rise to his later, canonical claims about rationality and interpretation; and reclaims this Galilean framework for use in contemporary psychological research.
Nonlinear effects in high-density tape recording

Nonlinearities in high-density tape recording have been studied. Dibit responses were measured versus recording density and write current. The dibit responses were then compared to the linear superposition of isolated transitions. It is shown that nonlinear bit shift and transition width changes are required to explain the differences. These nonlinear effects can be parameterized for signal processing purposes using the pulse response by including a timing shift and a time scaling for the second pulse response in a dibit. These parameters explain the observed difference between square-wave spectral response and isolated pulse FFT. A simple technique for obtaining head efficiency, the effective head-medium spacing, and the depth of recording is presented. >
Identification of highly potent and selective inhibitors of Toxoplasma gondii dihydrofolate reductase

Toxoplasma gondii RH was obtained in high yield from culture in RPMI medium on a line of Chinese hamster ovary cells lacking dihydrofolate reductase activity (ATCC 3952 dhfr-; American Type Culture Collection). Dihydrofolate reductase preparations from harvested organisms had specific activities of 22.9 +/- 2.1 nmol/min/mg. The 50% inhibitory concentrations against reference compounds were 0.014 microM for methotrexate, 0.24 microM for pyrimethamine, 2.7 microM for trimethoprim, and 0.010 microM for trimetrexate. The Km value for NADPH was 11 microM and followed Michaelis-Menten kinetics; the Km for dihydrofolate was ca. 11 microM, but substrate inhibition appeared to occur at high substrate concentrations. Dihydrofolate reductase from T. gondii was used to screen 130 compounds from the National Cancer Institute repository. Thirteen compounds were > 100-fold more potent than pyrimethamine toward T. gondii dihydrofolate reductase; six compounds with various potencies were 8 to 46 times as selective as pyrimethamine for the protozoal form of the enzyme over the mammalian form. Four trimetrexate analogs were more potent than trimetrexate, and two were significantly more selective. Representative compounds were also tested in a culture model of T. gondii employing uracil incorporation as an index of growth. One pyrimethamine analog was as effective as pyrimethamine in inhibiting T. gondii in culture (50% inhibitory concentration, 0.45 microM). Three other compounds were also effective at micromolar concentrations.
Phosphorylase a Activity in Rat Uterine Homogenates: Protection by Ethylenediaminetetraacetate

The chelating agent, ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) prevented time-dependent decreases in phosphorylase a activity during assay. Total phosphorylase t activity estimated in the presence of adenosine-5′-monophosphate (AMP) did not change. EDTA appears to prevent conversion of active rat uterine phosphorylase a to a form which requires AMP for catalytic activity. (Endocrinology 82: 795, 1968)
Thermal and living anionic polymerization of 4-vinylbenzyl piperidine

Elevated temperatures that are often required for controlled radical polymerization processes lead to the thermal autopolymerization of 4-vinylbenzyl piperidine. In situ FTIR spectroscopy monitored 4-vinylbenzyl piperidine autopolymerization, and pseudo-first-order thermal polymerization kinetics provided observed rate constants (kobs). Arrhenius analysis determined the thermal activation energy (Ea) for 4-vinylbenzyl piperidine, revealing an activation energy requirement 80 kJ mol−1 less than styrene due to the presence of the piperidine ring. The similarities in chemical structure of styrene and 4-vinylbenzyl piperidine suggested a thermally initiated polymerization according to the Mayo mechanism; however, the piperidine substituent enabled a proposed cationic polymerization to enhance overall polymerization rates. In the absence of thermal polymerization, living anionic polymerization of 4-vinylbenzyl piperidine provided a viable strategy for achieving piperidine-containing polymers with predictable molecular weights and narrow polydispersities. This study also reports piperidine-containing polymeric precursors for subsequent alkylation to form novel piperidinium ionomers and polyelectrolytes.
Quantitative Studies of the Islets of Nondiabetic Patients

In view of the fact that the islets of Langerhans are dispersed into numerous different-sized bodies within the pancreas, the various methods used to determine the number of islets, their volume, and A:B ratio has led to divergent results. Some investigators counted the islets in representative sections. Laguesse,1 by reconstructing a single pancreatic lobule, observed that the actual number of islets was considerably in excess of that obtained by counting them in representative sections. Bensley,2 using his staining procedure, emphasized that when such pancreatic fragments are carefully selected they are to the same extent representative of the part of the organ from which they are taken. He also postulated that a large number of pancreases must be examined in order to ensure a reasonable range of individual variations. Gepts3 warned that the estimation of weight or volume of islets presents a difficult problem and that the estimate should be considered as very rough. He further stated that as a result of errors in the methodology of sampling, quantitative methods are without value for the determination of the proportion of insular tissue in any given pancreas.
Exploiting two-case delivery for fast protected messaging

We propose and evaluate two complementary techniques to protect and virtualize a tightly-coupled network interface in a multicomputer. The techniques allow efficient, direct application access to network hardware in a multiprogrammed environment while gaining most of the benefits of a memory-based network interface. First, two-case delivery allows an application to receive a message directly from the network hardware in ordinary circumstances, but provides buffering transparently when required for protection. Second, virtual buffering stores messages in virtual memory on demand, providing the convenience of effectively unlimited buffer capacity while keeping actual physical memory consumption low. The evaluation is based on workloads of real and synthetic applications running on a simulator and partly on emulated hardware. The results show that the direct path is also the common path, justifying the use of software buffering. Further results show that physical buffering requirements remain low in our applications despite the use of unacknowledged messages and despite adverse scheduling conditions.
Proboscidean die-offs and die-outs: Age profiles in fossil collections

Abstract Distinctive age profiles result from certain types of mortality processes that affect modern African elephants. Large collections of fossil proboscidean bones sometimes have similar age profiles—for example, those of the Lehner and Dent assemblages are identical to age profiles seen in modern drought-caused die-offs. Two other samples of mammoths (one from the Fairbanks muck deposits and one from a site near Waco, Texas) have age profiles suggestive of a stable age distribution in a mature population, resulting in the first case from long-term attritional mortality, and in the other case from sudden “catastrophic” mortality. Other fossil proboscidean age profiles that show high proportions of prime-age adults may have resulted from prolonged or recurring die-offs.
Hydroxymethylglutaryl-Coenzyme A Reductase Inhibitors in Osteoporosis Management

OBJECTIVE:To evaluate the use and potential benefit of hydroxymethylglutaryl-coenzyme A (HMG-CoA) reductase inhibitors (statins) in the management of osteoporosis.DATA SOURCES:Clinical literature accessed through MEDLINE (1994–May 2001) using the key search terms HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors, statins, osteoporosis, and fractures.DATA SYNTHESIS:Osteoporosis is the most common bone disease, affecting millions of people worldwide and leading to significant morbidity and high expenditures, especially when it is not adequately managed. Recent data have documented a potential association between statin use and improvement in fracture risk profile. Therefore, an evaluation of studies investigating the effect of HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors on bone and fracture risk was conducted.CONCLUSIONS:Observational studies suggest an association between HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors and reduction in fracture risk. However, large randomized controlled studies are needed to confirm this association.
Evaluation of genotype, environment, and genotype-by-environment interaction for capsaicinoids in Capsicum annuum L.

The response, in terms of capsaicinoid content, of chile (Capsicum annuum L.) genotypes to different environments was studied. Double haploidlines, an F1 hybrid, and an open-pollinated cultivar estimated the genotype, environment, and genotype-by-environment interaction effect on the total capsaicinoids and on individual capsaicinoids. Significant differences were observed among the genotypes and among genotype-by-environment interactions over the environments. Among the genotypes in an environment, the within-genotype variances were also significantly different. The double haploid line, HDA 207, had low within-genotype variance for individual and total capsaicinoids, with the exception of the isomer of dihydrocapsaicin. Also for HDA 270, the genotype-by-environment interaction was negligible for individual and total capsaicinoids, Indicating stability across environments.
Surface electromagnetic modes in prolate spheroids of gold, aluminum, and copper

Optical absorbance measurements are presented for discontinuous films of gold, aluminum, and copper as a function of wavelength, polarization, and angle. Anomolous peaks in the absorbance spectra are observed for all three metals. Two peaks are detected for gold, and one peak is detected for both aluminum and copper. Comparison with electromagnetic theory is made on the basis that the microstructures can be modeled as prolate spheroids. The theoretical model is tested experimentally for various minor-to-major-axis ratios of the spheroid.
Predicting biometric facial recognition failure with similarity surfaces and support vector machines

The notion of quality in biometric system evaluation has often been restricted to raw image quality, with a prediction of failure leaving no other option but to acquire another sample image of the subject at large. The very nature of this sort of failure prediction is very limiting for both identifying situations where algorithms fail, and for automatically compensating for failure conditions. Moreover, when expressed in a ROC curve, image quality paints an often misleading picture regarding its potential to predict failure. In this paper, we extend previous work on predicting algorithmic failures via similarity surface analysis. To generate the surfaces used for comparison, we define a set of new features derived from distance measures or similarity scores from a recognition system. For learning, we introduce support vector machines as yet another approach for accurate classification. A large set of scores from facial recognition algorithms are evaluated, including EBGM, robust PCA, robust revocable PCA, and a leading commercial algorithm. Experimental results show that we can reliably predict biometric system failure using the SVM approach.
Building With Purpose: Using Lego Serious Play in Play Therapy Supervision

LEGO SERIOUS PLAY is an innovative facilitated methodology, using brick building and metaphoric storytelling that has been successfully utilized in business, training, educational, family, and mentor contexts. This article explores a modifica- tion of the established LEGO SERIOUS PLAY (LSP) process as an expressive tool for use in individual and group supervision, with a targeted focus on play therapist professional identity. The article provides an overview of the LSP methodology and process, adaptations, case examples, implications for practice, and suggests areas for future research within the play therapy community of practice. Slowing down, reflecting, and receiving lie at the nexus of clinical play therapy supervision. A core aim of supervision is to create an experience that encourages the development of clinical competencies, professional values, the- ory integration, and professional identity (Bernard & Goodyear, 2004). Profes- sional identity development is defined as the "successful integration of personal attributes and professional training in the context of a professional community" (Gibson, Dollarhide, & Moss, 2010, pp. 23-24) and is central to counseling professionals' ethical practice (Corey, Corey, & Callanan, 2010; Granello & Young, 2012). Therefore, it is in reflective play therapy supervision that devel- opment of a distinctive identity as a play therapist becomes integrated into clinical practice. The Association for Play Therapy (2014) confers the Registered Play Therapist (RPT) and Registered Play Therapist-Supervisor (RPT-S) credentials upon li- censed mental health professionals to help consumers easily identify those who have specialized experience and training in play therapy. The RPT credentialing process encourages specific supervision with a registered play therapist-supervisor (RPT-S), for clinicians seeking or maintaining the RPT credential. Recent research by Hughes-Bise (2012) posited effective supervision by a RPT-S played a vital role in furthering the professional identity of clinicians specializing in play therapy. Several authors in the play therapy supervision literature espouse the use of playful supervision techniques (Drewes & Mullen, 2008; Guiffrida, Jordan, Saiz, & Barnes, 2007; Robert & Kelly, 2010). Drewes and Mullen (2008) gathered a cross-section of experts in child and play therapy to share both knowledge and
Design and control of motion compensation cardiac catheters

Robotic cardiac catheters have the potential to revolutionize heart surgery by extending minimally invasive techniques to complex surgical repairs inside the heart. However, catheter technologies are currently unable to track fast tissue motion, which is required to perform delicate procedures inside a beating heart. This paper proposes an actuated catheter tool that compensates for the motion of heart structures like the mitral valve apparatus by servoing a catheter guidewire inside a flexible sheath. We examine design and operation parameters that affect performance and establish that friction and backlash limit the tracking performance of the catheter system. Based on the results of these experiments and a model of the backlash behavior, we propose and implement compensation methods to improve trajectory tracking performance. The catheter system is evaluated with 3D ultrasound guidance in simulate in vivo conditions. The results demonstrate that with mechanical and control system design improvements, a robotic catheter system can accurately track the fast motion of the human mitral valve.