cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The role of managerial incentives in corporate acquisitions: the 1990s evidence

Abstract This paper examines the relationship between the likelihood a firm is acquired and the governance and financial characteristics of the firm. Given many of the developments in the corporate control market in the late 1980s, I suspect that the process governing takeover likelihood may have changed in the 1990s. I examine a sample of 342 NYSE/AMEX firms that were acquired during the 1990–1997 period and compare them to a matched sample of nonacquired firms. I find that firms that were acquired over this period can be characterized as having lower managerial ownership and higher ownership by outsiders, particularly higher ownership by nonmanagement blockholders with board representation. The fact that managerial ownership is negatively related to takeover likelihood is consistent with studies using data from 1970s and 1980s. This suggests that managerial ownership helps managers maintain control, or alternatively that ownership proxies for how much managers care about control.
Space beam combiner for long-baseline interferometry

An experimental beam combiner (BC) is being developed to support the space interferometry program at the JPL. The beam combine forms the part of an interferometer where star light collected by the sidestats or telescopes is brought together to produce white light fringes, and to provide wavefront tilt information via guiding spots and beam walk information via shear spots. The assembly and alignment of the BC has been completed. The characterization test were performed under laboratory conditions with an artificial star and optical delay line. Part of each input beam was used to perform star tracking. The white light interference fringes were obtained over the selected wavelength range from 450 nm to 850 nm. A least-square fit process was used to analyze the fringe initial phase, fringe visibilities and shift errors of the optical path difference in the delay line using the dispersed white-light fringes at different OPD positions.
UTILITY OF THE COMPLETE BLOOD COUNT AS A SEPSIS SCREEN IN EXTREMELY LOW BIRTH WEIGHT INFANTS. 1789

UTILITY OF THE COMPLETE BLOOD COUNT AS A SEPSIS SCREEN IN EXTREMELY LOW BIRTH WEIGHT INFANTS. 1789
Bayesian approach to image recovery of closely spaced objects

A technique is described for recovering positional and radiometric information on unresolved objects that are so closely spaced that their individual blur functions overlap. Emphasis is on point sources. A Bayesian Spectral Analysis method has been modified to two dimensions and applied to resolving 'clumps' of objects for both simulated and real data. The method is able to judge the amount of noise in the data and provide error bars in the individual pulse positions and amplitudes from a single data set rather than from the deviations observed after measuring many independent sets of data. The Bayesian technique can also estimate the number of discrete objects in a given clump. Noisy simulated data containing three sources was fitted by a one-, two-, three-, and four- source model. By the way it formulates the model, the Bayesian approach naturally includes a factor which reflects the reduction in the number of degrees of freedom for a model with a greater number of sources. As a result, the algorithm gives a higher probability for the three-source model than for the four-source model while resoundingly rejecting the one- and two-source models. The estimated centroids and amplitudes are shown to agree with the truth within the derived error bars to the degree expected by gaussian errors. Studies of data taken during a flight test by a sensor that measured a scene simultaneously in the visible and long-wavelength regions show that positional information derived from visible-wavelength data can be 'fused' with infrared images to derive the LWIR intensities of individual objects in a unresolved clump. The estimated LWIR intensities using the visible assist are shown to be an improvement over working with the LWIR data alone.© (1993) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Analysis of Varying AS Path Lengths from the Edge of the Network

Understanding and analyzing the past and current behavior of the Internet will be instrumental in building tomorrow's more efficient and scalable networks (e.g., the future Internet). In this paper, we study the impact of Autonomous Systems (ASs) paths' end-to-end latency. Unfortunately, due to the diverse set of non-disclosed routing policies among ASs, packets belonging to a certain end-to- end connection may traverse different ASs, causing fluctuating AS paths. Fluctuation of AS paths has been studied in the literature directly from the core of the network. In this paper, we take a different approach to the analysis of the fluctuation, solely from the edge of the network. Specifically, from the end user's perspective, some AS paths may be optimal (or better) and some sub-optimal. Furthermore, there is not a unique definition for sub- optimality as it may be reflected with various measures (e.g., latency) depending on the application requirements and expectations. In this paper we analyze fluctuating AS path lengths (ASPLs) and investigate their impact on the end-to-end latency over the Internet at a greater scale than previous studies. This study was conducted using Scriptroute to probe various PlanetLab nodes. Our results show that all of the source nodes experienced some AS path differences and the ASPL values that the sources use greatly vary. At worst, some nodes experienced different paths over 70% of the time during our measurements. We observed that the largest difference in ASPLs on a particular connection was as high as 6 with an average of 2.5. Moreover, we present real cases where ASPL and latency values are related, inversely related, and not related at all. Finally, we provide a simple definition for suboptimality and analyze the collected data against this definition. We show that overall 82% of the fluctuating paths and 9% of all the traces between source-destination pairs faced sub-optimal AS paths.
The economics of biomass energy: A study of two agricultural wastes

Abstract The production of energy from biomass appears to be a better proposition, at least in the short term, than the production of energy from geothermal, solar, wind and similar sources. Hawaii possesses two major sources of biomass—bagasse and pineapple trash. The operational feasibility and economic potential of these sources of energy are explored and it is concluded that a case exists for the use and development of bagasse and pineapple trash as sources of energy in Hawaii.
Diosgenin targets Akt‐mediated prosurvival signaling in human breast cancer cells

In recent years, Akt signaling has gained recognition for its functional role in more aggressive, therapy-resistant malignancies. As it is frequently constitutively active in cancer cells, several drugs are being investigated for their ability to inhibit Akt signaling. The purpose of this study is to determine effect of diosgenin (fenugreek), a dietary compound on Akt signaling and its downstream targets on estrogen receptor positive (ER(+)) and estrogen receptor negative (ER(-)) breast cancer (BCa) cells. Diosgenin inhibits pAkt expression and Akt kinase activity without affecting PI3 kinase levels, resulting in the inhibition of its downstream targets, NF-kappaB, Bcl-2, survivin and XIAP. The Raf/MEK/ERK pathway, another functional downstream target of Akt, was inhibited by diosgenin in ER(+) but not in ER(-) BCa cells. Additionally, we found that diosgenin caused G1 cell cycle arrest by downregulating cyclin D1, cdk-2 and cdk-4 expression in both ER(+) and ER(-) BCa cells resulting in the inhibition of cell proliferation and induction of apoptosis. Interestingly, no significant toxicity was seen in the normal breast epithelial cells (MCF-10A) following treatment with diosgenin. Additionally, in vivo tumor studies indicate diosgenin significantly inhibits tumor growth in both MCF-7 and MDA-231 xenografts in nude mice. Thus, these results suggest that diosgenin might prove to be a potential chemotherapeutic agent for the treatment of BCa.
Investigation of the Need for Alternative Cleaning Chemistries for 30Å Gate Oxides

A comparative study of pregate cleaning solution chemistries has been conducted, for 30A furnace oxides, to investigate the feasibility of continuing to use current cleaning technologies in this thickness range. The experiment focused on correlating changes of device properties with changes in chemistry. Several options were investigated for growing or etching the surface passivation oxide. Chemistries studied included standard SC1 (with Megasonic)/SC2, final HF, as well as room temperature single bath HF based chemistries (HF only, HF+H2O2, HF+HCl, HF+H2O2+HCl, SPM+HF). These chemistries were evaluated in terms of oxidation rate, metallic contamination from solutions, capacitance-voltage (CV) characteristics, and gate oxide integrity. Data suggest that furnace oxides can be reliably grown using conventional cleaning technology. HF-based mixtures might be justified for even more aggressive gate oxide thicknesses.
Rotational and vibrational temperature measurements of atmospheric pressure normal glow plasma discharges in air, nitrogen, argon, and helium

Summary form only given. Atmospheric pressure DC normal glow discharges were created in air and other gases. The rotational and vibrational temperature of the discharge was measured by comparing optical emission spectra modeled using SPECAIR to spectroscopic measurements from the discharge using the 2nd positive system of N2. In air the temperatures were measured as a function of discharge current, ranging from 10 muA to 30 mA, and discharge length ranging from 50 mum to 1 mm. Rotational temperatures from 400 K to 2000 K were measured over this range. Vibrational temperatures were around 5000 K indicating a non-equilibrium plasma discharge. The discharge temperature appears to be controlled by two cooling mechanisms; 1) radial conductive cooling which, results in an increase in temperature with discharge current and 2) axial cooling to the electrodes which, results a constant temperature with increase in discharge current. Radial cooling appears dominant at lower discharge currents and the axial cooling at higher discharge currents. Spatially resolved measurements show that the highest temperatures are within the negative glow region of the normal glow except for cases where the anode electrode is oxidizable, in which case, a hot anode spot is visible as well. Rotational temperatures, Trot, measured in atmospheric pressure air, nitrogen, argon, and helium are shown. Trace amounts of nitrogen were added to the argon and helium to facilitate temperature measurements
CYCLIC AMP INHIBITS NEUTROPHIL ADHERENCE BY BLOCKING SURFACE EXPRESSION OF THE CELL ADHESION MOLECULE, CR3

Elevation of cyclic (c) AMP levels in neutrophils (PMN) has been shown to inhibit cell adherence, but the mechanism of this inhibition has not been established. Since CR3 (Mac-1, Mo-1) is known to be essential for normal PMN adherence, and its expression is rapidly upregulated when PMN are activated, we tested the hypothesis that cAMP might act by blocking CR3 expression. Peripheral blood PMNs were incubated at 37° with the phosphodiesterase inhibitor, isobutyl methylxanthine (IBMX; 3x10−4M), followed by dibutyryl (db-) or 8-bromo (8Br-) cAMP (10−3M). Cells were then stimulated with n-formyl-methionyl-leucyl-phenylalanine (fMLP; 10−8M) or zymosan-activated serum (ZAS; 1:100). Upregulation of surface CR3 was quantitated using monoclonal antibodies and flow cytometry, and adherence was measured as % PMNs retained by nylon wool. IBMX and dbcAMP together, but not individually, inhibited the increase in CR3 expression (stim./resting ratio) induced by fMLP from 3.98±0.32 to 2.15±0.2 (p <0.01) and by ZAS from 2.56±0.09 to 1.94±0.07 (p <0.01). IBMX + dbcAMP, but neither alone, similarly inhibited PMN adherence induced by fMLP from 33.8±2.1% to 8.2±1.9% (p <0.001), and by ZAS from 25.3±2.5% to 15.6±0.7% (p <0.01). 8BrcAMP gave results similar to dbcAMP. Isobutanol, isobutyric acid, and diluent controls had no effect. Results for CR1 expression paralleled those for CR3. These studies suggest that elevating cAMP inhibits upregulation of surface CR1 and CR3 in PMNs. The decrease in surface CR3 may be responsible for the diminished PMN adherence caused by cAMP.
The nurse's role in rothopaedic pain management

Orthopedics is the specialty that cares for individuals with musculoskeletal injuries and disorders across the life span. Pain is a common denominator in most of these injuries and disorders. It can be chronic or acute, but orthopedic patients generally experience pain in some form. From the neonate with congenital disorders, to the frail elderly person suffering from a hip fracture, orthopedic caregivers help to restore motion and function, and help individuals return to their optimal level of functioning. Nurses functioning in advanced practice roles (nurse practitioners and clinical nurse specialists) have the required education and prescriptive authority to play an important role in the pain management care of the orthopedic patient.
Calorimetric measurement of alpha half-life of 242Cm

Abstract The alpha half-life of 242Cm was found to be 163·2 ± 0·4 days by calorimetric determination of the change in power of two curium oxide sources over a period of 287 days.
Mef2c is a direct transcriptional target of ISL1 and GATA factors in the anterior heart field during mouse embryonic development

The vertebrate heart forms initially as a linear tube derived from a primary heart field in the lateral mesoderm. Recent studies in mouse and chick have demonstrated that the outflow tract and right ventricle originate from a separate source of mesoderm that is anterior to the primary heart field. The discovery of this anterior, or secondary, heart field has led to a greater understanding of the morphogenetic events involved in heart formation; however, many of the underlying molecular events controlling these processes remain to be determined. The MADS domain transcription factor MEF2C is required for proper formation of the cardiac outflow tract and right ventricle, suggesting a key role in anterior heart field development. Therefore, as a first step toward identifying the transcriptional pathways upstream of MEF2C, we introduced a lacZ reporter gene into a bacterial artificial chromosome (BAC) encompassing the murine Mef2c locus and used this recombinant to generate transgenic mice. This BAC transgene was sufficient to recapitulate endogenous Mef2c expression, and comparative sequence analyses revealed multiple regions of significant conservation in the noncoding regions of the BAC. We show that one of these conserved noncoding regions represents a transcriptional enhancer that is sufficient to direct expression of lacZ exclusively to the anterior heart field throughout embryonic development. This conserved enhancer contains two consensus GATA binding sites that are efficiently bound by the zinc finger transcription factor GATA4 and are completely required for enhancer function in vivo. This enhancer also contains two perfect consensus sites for the LIM-homeodomain protein ISL1. We show that these elements are specifically bound by ISL1 and are essential for enhancer function in transgenic embryos. Thus, these findings establish Mef2c as the first direct transcriptional target of ISL1 in the anterior heart field and support a model in which GATA factors and ISL1 serve as the earliest transcriptional regulators controlling outflow tract and right ventricle development.
Assimilation of fuzzy data by the BME method

Modern spatiotemporal geostatistics provides a powerful framework for generation of predictive maps over a spatiotemporal domain by accounting for general knowledge to define a space of plausible events and then restricting this space of plausible events to be consistent with available site-specific knowledge. The Bayesian maximum entropy (BME) method is one of the most widely used modern geostatistics methods. BME results from assigning probabilities of plausible events based on general knowledge through information maximization and then applying operational Bayesian conditionalization that can explicitly assimilate stochastic representations of various uncertain (soft) data bases. The paper demonstrates that fuzzy data sets can be indirectly assimilated by BME through a two-step process: (a) reinterpretation of the fuzzy data as probabilistic through a generalized defuzzification procedure, and (b) efficient assimilation of the probabilistic results of generalized defuzzification by the BME method. A numerical demonstration involves site-specific probabilistic results obtained from the generalized defuzzification of a simulated fuzzy data set and general knowledge that includes the spatial mean trend and correlation structure models. The parameters of these models can be inferred from the hard data equivalent values of the probabilistic results. Accordingly, details of inference based on probabilistic soft data are also considered.
SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND LATTICE PARAMETERS IN FACE-CENTERED CUBIC Pt--W AND Pd--W SOLID SOLUTIONS.

Abstract With the liquid quenching technique adapted to an arc furnace, face-centered cubic solid solutions of Pd and Pt have been retained up to 44 and 67 at.% W, respectively. Minima in the lattice parameter vs. composition curves are observed at 10 at.% W-Pd and 18 at.% W-Pt. Alloys in the composition ranges 26–44 at.% W-Pd and 28–67 at.% W-Pt are superconducting.
Excitons in II-VI heterostructures

Abstract The properties of excitons are examined in two model II-VI heterostructures: the Type-I CdTe/ZnTe system with small valence band offset and the Type-II ZnTe/ZnSe system. The strain induced band offset in the CdTe/ZnTe heterojunction is included to provide the confinement for the heavy hole state. It is found that the large enhancements of exciton binding energy and oscillator strength in the CdTe/ZnTe system are similar to what one finds in systems with a much larger valence band offset. For the ZnTe/ZnSe system, it is found that strong confinement of electrons and holes by the large band offsets can give rise to a very large exciton binding energy for thin heterojunction layers. Also, the mismatch in dielectric constants induces an image charge at the interface, which modifies significantly the exciton Hamiltonian in an asymmetric structure.
Uncertainty and the arbitrage pricing theory

This paper tests the economic importance of income uncertainty in the context of a measured factor arbitrage pricing theory model. This provides a test of the importance of uncertainty using a different methodology and data set than are traditionally used. If income uncertainty affects the investment climate, a statistically significant risk premium will be associated with assets that are affected by uncertainty. The empirical work in this essay finds that a generalized autoregressive conditional heteroskedasticity measure of income uncertainty is a priced factor in a model of the arbitrage pricing theory. The risk premium between a baa-rated 10-year corporate bond and a 10-year government bond, as well as the term structure, also are priced factors.
One Micron Laser Technology Advancements at Gsfc

In recent years, lasers have proven themselves to be invaluable to a variety of remote sensing applications. LIDAR techniques have been used to measure atmospheric aerosols and a variety of trace species, profile winds, and develop high resolution topographical maps. Often it would be of great advantage to make these measurements from an orbiting satellite. Unfortunately, the space environment is a challenging one for the high power lasers that would enable many LIDAR missions. Optical mounts must maintain precision alignment during and after launch. Outgassing materials in the vacuum of space lead to contamination of laser optics. Electronic components and optical materials must survive the space environment, including a vacuum atmosphere, thermal cycling, and radiation exposure. Laser designs must be lightweight, compact, and energy efficient. Many LIDAR applications require frequency conversion systems that have never been designed or tested for use in space. For the last seven or eight years the National Aeronautical and Space Administration (NASA) has undertaken a program specifically directed at addressing the durability and long term reliability issues that face space-borne lasers (The Laser Risk Reduction Program-LRRP).
Military Spending and Economic Growth in Taiwan

This research probes the trade-off between economic growth and military spending, focusing on the experience of Taiwan, a society in which per capita GNP has grown from $100 to $9,000 in the past four decades. Using a production function approach, we explore the direct and indirect effects of the government's military and nonmilitary spending on economic growth. We find that Taiwan has avoided a direct trade-off in that military spending contributes to economic growth. At the same time, we find that Taiwan has paid an opportunity cost for its high level of defense spending, because the civilian sector of the economy has a much greater relative marginal productivity than the military sector,
Culture of Chironomus decorus (Diptera: Chironomidae) and the Effect of Temperature on its Life History

A laboratory culture method for the benthic invertebrate Chironomus decorus Johannsen is described in detail. The culture requires minimal maintenance and produces an abundant supply of midge larvae throughout the year for many types of bioassays. Appropriate food, substrate, space, photoperiod, and temperature are important aspects of successful midge culture. The life history of C. decorus is described, and the effects of varying temperature on the time to hatching, larval growth rate, and time to adult emergence were evaluated. Increasing the temperature over the experimental range (10–28°C) decreased the the time to hatch and the time to adult emergence. Larval growth rates increased from 10 to 20°C and declined at higher culture temperatures. Midges cultured at 28°C were half the size of those cultured at lower temperatures. A length/weight regression for C. decorus larvae cultured at 20°C was calculated. C. decorus is an excellent bioassay organism for both acute and chronic tests because of its relatively short life cycle, wide distribution, ecological importance, and ease of culture in the laboratory. The recommended culture and bioassay temperature for C. decorus is 20°C.
Web shopping expert using new interval type-2 fuzzy reasoning

Finding a product with high quality and reasonable price online is a difficult task due to uncertainty of Web data and queries. In order to handle the uncertainty problem, the Web Shopping Expert, a new type-2 fuzzy online decision support system, is proposed. In the Web Shopping Expert, a fast interval type-2 fuzzy method is used to directly use all rules with type-1 fuzzy sets to perform type-2 fuzzy reasoning efficiently. The parameters of type-2 fuzzy sets are optimized by a least square method. The Web Shopping Expert based on the interval type-2 fuzzy inference system provides reasonable decisions for online users.
Mycobacterium phlei peritonitis: a rare complication of chronic peritoneal dialysis

We report the first case of chronic ambulatory peritoneal dialysis-associated peritonitis caused by Mycobacterium phlei. This organism was isolated from the peritoneal fluid of a patient who presented with recurrent episodes of “culture-negative” peritonitis. The therapeutic regimen was based on previous experience with other rapidly growing atypical mycobacteria, and included removal of the Tenckhoff catheter, institution of hemodialysis, and anti-mycobacterial therapy with amikacin, cefoxitin, and doxycycline. This successfully eradicated the organism, and permitted subsequent cadaveric renal transplantation with routine immunosuppression.
Infantile obesity and later weight control in the baboon

RECENTLY widely quoted studies imply that overfeeding in infancy is associated with increased formation of adipose cells and predisposes to obesity later in life. This has been documented for newborn rats in whom the high adipose cell count persisted after overfeeding was discontinued1. In rats which had been fed sparsely as newborns for up to 21 d, the fat cell count did not increase when they were fed more generously later. The establishment of regulatory controls over food intake has also been related to early experiences.
Development of the ego and discomfort anxiety inventory: initial validity and reliability.

This article reports on four studies regarding the development, reliability, and validity of scales to measure two forms of anxiety, ego anxiety and discomfort anxiety. In the first study 140 undergraduates completed fourteen items related to ego anxiety and discomfort anxiety, as well as the Self-esteem Scale, the IPAT Anxiety Scale, and the Hopelessness Scale. Principal component analyses produced two factors, each with five items that showed differentiation between ego anxiety and discomfort anxiety. Guttman scales were developed from the items in the two factors. The resulting Ego Anxiety Scale had a coefficient of reproducibility of .94, a coefficient of scalability of .67 and estimated scale reliability of .84. The Discomfort Anxiety Scale had a coefficient of reproducibility of .91, a coefficient of scalability of .65 and estimated scale reliability of .83. Significant relationships were found between the scores on the two anxiety scales and scores on the Self-esteem Scale and the IPAT. Correlation...
Correlates of psychological distress among Mexican, Cuban, and Puerto Rican elders living in the USA.

Little is known about the impact of coping resources and health-related and family stresses on the well-being of Hispanic elders, or the extent to which these factors operate differentially for various Hispanic nationality groups. The present study examined the correlates of psychological distress of three groups of Hispanic elders. The researcher analyzed the Mexican American (n = 773) Cuban American (n = 714), and Puerto Rican (n = 368) elderly individuals drawn from the 1988 National Survey of Hispanic Elderly People in the USA. Multivariate analyses results indicated that activities of daily living impairments, poor perceived health, and unmet needs in formal social service were common predictors of psychological distress for all three groups. Older Mexican American women and Puerto Rican women reported higher levels of psychological distress than their male counterparts, other things being equal. For Cuban American elders, fear of depending too much on others, conflicts in the family, and living alone were unique predictors of their psychological distress. jg]Key words gw]Stress gw]Coping gw]Psychological well-being gw]Mexican Americans gw]Cuban Americans gw]Puerto Rican Americans gw]USA
Cleavage specificity of the subtilisin-like protease C1 from soybean

The cleavage specificity of protease C1, isolated from soybean (Glycine max (L.) Merrill) seedling cotyledons, was examined using oligopeptide substrates in an HPLC based assay. A series of peptides based on the sequence Ac-KVEKEESEEGE-NH2 was used, mimicking a natural cleavage site of protease C1 in the alpha subunit of the storage protein beta-conglycinin. A study of substrate peptides truncated from either the N- or C-terminus indicates that the minimal requirements for cleavage by protease C2 are three residues N-terminal to the cleaved bond, and two residues C-terminal (i.e. P3-P2'). The maximal rate of cleavage is reached with substrates containing four to five residues N-terminal to the cleaved bond and four residues C-terminal (i.e. P4 or P5 to P4'). The importance of Glu residues at the P1, P1', and P4 positions was examined using a series of substituted nonapeptides (P5-P4') with a base sequence of Ac-KVEKEESEE-NH2. At the P1 position, the relative ranking, based on kcat/Km, was E>Q>K>A>D>F>S. Substitutions at the P1' position yield the ranking E congruent withQ>A>S>D>K>F, while those at P4' had less effect on kcat/Km, yielding the ranking F congruent with S congruent with E congruent withD>K>A congruent withQ. These data show that protease C1 prefers to cleave at Glu-Glu and Glu-Gln bonds, and that the nature of the P4' position is less important. The fact that there is specificity in the cleavage of the oligopeptides suggests that the more limited specific cleavage of the alpha and alpha' subunits of beta-conglycinin by protease C1 is due to a combination of the sequence cleavage specificity of the protease and the accessibility of appropriate scissile peptide bonds on the surface of the substrate protein.
Compact unsupervised EEG response representation for emotion recognition

In this work, we propose a compact and un-supervised EEG response representation. Instead of directly extracting features from the whole response, as is commonly done for EEG signal processing, the proposed representation employs segment-level feature extraction and leverages a robust two-part unsupervised generative model to transform the segment-level features to a low-dimensional vector. The proposed method leads to rich and compact representation capability, and robust unsupervised estimation. While some previous work [1] based on segment-level features needs labeled training responses to transforms segment-level features to a response representation, the proposed method produces an EEG response representation in an unsupervised fashion, which can be directly used in various EEG response classification problems. We perform binary classification and regression of emotion dimensions on the DEAP dataset (Dataset for Emotion Analysis using electroencephalogram, Physiological and Video Signals) and demonstrate competitive performances.
Mis)treating the pharmacogenetic incidentalome

Genome-wide screening is anticipated to accelerate the development of personalized medicine by identifying and exploiting new associations between genomic variants and drug responses. However, this goal could be undermined if care is not taken to minimize the impact of pharmacogenomic associations that turn out to have narrower implications than suggested by initial studies.
Laser ion time-of-flight velocity measurements using N2(+) tracers

A laser ion time-of-flight technique for velocity measurements using N 2 + tracers has been demonstrated. The ions are formed by a multiphoton interaction with the third harmonic of a Nd :YAG laser and are detected by a negatively biased ion probe. In air flows with positive probe bias, negative ions, possibly O 2 - formed by attachment with free electrons, were detected and could also be used as tracers. The lifetime of the ions is controlled by charge recombination. At atmospheric conditions and after a delay of 600 μs, ion signal was still above background noise level. Measurements of flow velocities in both a low-speed freejet and in the flame of a propane-air torch are presented. Reduced flight time in high-speed flows can produce even higher signals.
Introduction to the special issue: to prosper, organizational psychology should…

This special issue showcases papers by four sets of authors who share opinions about specific things that should be done for the field of organizational psychology to prosper. To begin, Lefkowitz argues that practitioners should embrace a more humanistic set of values. Second, Cascio suggests that the field's success requires integrating the contributions of scientists and practitioners. Third, Edwards identifies 10 key methodological limitations that must be overcome in organizational psychology research. Finally, Gelfand and her associates opine that to prosper, the field's theories and research must embrace a more global perspective. Concluding, Porter comments on what these papers suggest about the present status of the field and offers opinions on where the field appears to be—and should be—going. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Phase separation in inhomogeneous mixed-valence systems

A simple alloy-analogy model for inhomogeneous mixed-valence systems is considered in the context of manganites. It is assumed that the Mn ions coexist in two magnetic configurations, Mn{sup 4+} and Mn{sup 3+}, and that they interact via a nearest-neighbor charge interaction. In addition, two nearest-neighbor ions with equal valence interact antiferromagnetically (superexchange), while ions of different valence are coupled ferromagnetically (double exchange). Assuming classical spins, we show that the system is unstable to phase separation, i.e., to the coexistence of antiferromagnetic and charge ordered ferromagnetic domains. {copyright} {ital 1999} {ital The American Physical Society}
The Clinical Microbiologist's Molecular Toolbox: an Ever-Expanding Resource for Bacterial Identification in the Laboratory

Improved methodologies, availability of genome sequences, automated technology, and commercial database systems have assisted in the transition to using molecular techniques for routine diagnostic purposes. As such, molecular species identification of bacteria by sequencing genes encoding 16S rRNA or other housekeeping functions is rapidly becoming a commonplace tool used in the clinical microbiology laboratory. These non-traditional methods are used as complementary procedures to provide definitive identification of isolates of a slow-growing or fastidious nature or those with ambiguous biochemical profiles. DNA sequencing of conserved genes and mass spectrometry applications offer great potential to assist in rapid bacterial identification and enhance our ability to discover new agents of disease.
The Rise of Non-Traditional Site Use for Online Political Information

This article updates and clarifies what is known about where political information is gathered online. Some studies have found that the online sites of traditional media companies dominate online interest and marginalize non-traditional sites that present independent views, which damages the Internet's ability to provide diverse viewpoints (Blevins, 2001; Dahlberg, 2005; Introna & Nissenbaum, 2000). Other research shows a trend toward more non-traditional site use (Pew Research Center, 2009). This study uses survey data from political information gatherers during the 2008 U.S. presidential campaign to measure how much traditional and non-traditional media sites dominated their attention and whether factors such as demographics, political interest, social ties, and use of offline media limited or contributed to that domination. The survey found that non-traditional sites controlled respondents' online attention as much as traditional media sites in terms of political information, and several factors contri...
Analysis of cleavage site mutations between the NC and PR Gag domains of Rous sarcoma virus.

In retroviruses, the viral protease (PR) is released as a mature protein by cleavage of Gag, Gag-Pro, or Gag-Pro-Pol precursor polypeptides. In avian sarcoma and leukemia viruses (ASLV), PR forms the C-terminal domain of Gag. Based on the properties of a mutation (cs22) in the cleavage site between the upstream NC domain and the PR domain, the proteolytic liberation of PR previously was inferred to be essential for processing of Gag and Pol proteins. To study this process in more detail, we have analyzed the effects that several mutations at the NC-PR cleavage site have on proteolytic processing in virus-like particles expressed in COS and quail cells. Mutant Gag proteins carrying the same mutations also were synthesized in vitro and tested for processing with purified PR. In both types of studies, N-terminal sequencing of the liberated PR domain was carried out to exactly identify the site of cleavage. Finally, synthetic peptides corresponding to the mutant proteins were assessed for the ability to act as substrates for PR. The results were all consistent and led to the following conclusions. (i) In vivo, if normal processing between NC and PR is prevented by mutations, limited cleavage occurs at a previously unrecognized alternative site three amino acids downstream, i.e., in PR. This N-terminally truncated PR is inactive as an enzyme, as inferred from the global processing defect in cs22 and a similar mutant. (ii) In Gag proteins translated in vitro, purified PR cleaves this alternative site as rapidly as it does the wild-type site. (iii) Contrary to previously accepted rules describing retroviral cleavage sites, an isoleucine residue placed at the P1 position of the NC-PR cleavage site does not hinder normal processing. (iv) A proline residue placed at the P2 position in this cleavage site blocks normal processing.
Environmental and economic benefits of non-disruptive demand response as a function of consumer information sharing

Demand response can provide power system services such as regulation and load following, helping support higher penetrations of renewables, reduce power system emissions, and reduce the cost of power system operation. In non-disruptive demand response (NDDR) programs, an aggregator controls electric loads to help balance electricity supply and demand while allowing the loads to perform their end-function. Previous research has shown that aggregators can provide higher quality services with more information about consumer loads. In this paper, we estimate the environmental and economic benefits of NDDR as a function of the amount of information shared by consumers. Specifically, we use simulation data to develop models that capture the ability of NDDR to provide services under a variety of information-availability scenarios. We then determine the amount of traditional power system services required to compensate imperfect NDDR, and use values from the literature to determine the cost and environmental impact of these services. We find that the decrease in benefits from full information sharing to full privacy is large (the latter achieves only 12% of the former). Our results could be used to develop surveys to assess consumer preferences for NDDR participation and information sharing.
Sex Assignment Surgery and the Discourse of Public Television: The Case of NOVA's Sex: Unknown

In 2001 and 2002, the award-winning PBS series NOVA broadcast a film on intersexuality and the ethics of sex-assignment surgery titled Sex: Unknown. This article examines the way in which the discursive nature of PBS undermined the program's attempt to represent a critique of this controversial procedure. Framing the controversy as a scientific argument about gender determination rather than as an issue of medical ethics, NOVA transformed a political debate about medical policy into a scientific mystery to be solved by medical experts. As a result, Sex: Unknownnot only failed in its stated goal to educate the public about the intersex movement and the controversy surrounding this procedure but stands as an example of public television's limited ability to serve as a forum for political commentary and social change.
Norovirus infectivity in humans and persistence in water.

To examine the long-term infectivity of human norovirus in water, 13 study subjects were challenged at different time points with groundwater spiked with the prototype human norovirus, Norwalk virus. Norwalk virus spiked in groundwater remained infectious after storage at room temperature in the dark for 61 days (the last time point tested). The Norwalk virus-seeded groundwater was stored for 1,266 days and analyzed, after RNase treatment, by reverse transcription-quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR) to detect Norwalk virus RNA contained within intact capsids. Norwalk virus RNA within intact capsids was detected in groundwater for 1,266 days, with no significant log 10 reduction throughout 427 days and a significant 1.10-log 10 reduction by day 1266. Purified Norwalk virus RNA (extracted from Norwalk virus virions) persisted for 14 days in groundwater, tap water, and reagent-grade water. This study demonstrates that Norwalk virus in groundwater can remain detectable for over 3 years and can remain infectious for at least 61 days. (ClinicalTrials.gov identifier NCT00313404.)
Interaction of Nocardia asteroides with Rabbit Alveolar Macrophages: Association of Virulence, Viability, Ultrastructural Damage, and Phagosome-Lysosome Fusion

Abstract In vitro-maintained rabbit alveolar macrophages were infected with three strains of Nocardia asteroides. It was found that N. asteroides GUH-2 was resistant to macrophage killing, while N. asteroides 14759 was intermediate in resistance, and N. asteroides 10905 had little resistance to killing by macrophages. These observations correlated well with the data on relative virulence previously determined in mice. To establish the intracellular events leading to these differences, we determined the occurrence of phagosome-lysosome fusion in infected macrophages by both electron and fluorescent microscopic methods. It was found that the virulent strain GUH-2 inhibited phagosome-lysosome fusion; the intermediately virulent strain, 14759, partially inhibited fusion; and the less-virulent strain, 10905, was unable to inhibit fusion. In addition, electron microscopy of infected macrophages demonstrated that cells of the virulent strain, GUH-2, were not damaged, and only some of the cells of the intermediately virulent strain, 14759, were damaged, while most of the cells of the less virulent strain, 10905, exhibited considerable cellular destruction. These data indicated a direct correlation between the virulence of these organisms and their resistance to killing by alveolar macrophages, their lack of macrophage-induced ultrastructural damage, and their ability to inhibit phagosome-lysosome fusion. Thus, it appears that inhibition of phagosome-lysosome fusion in alveolar macrophages may be one of the mechanisms of pathogenicity of virulent strains of N. asteroides.
Reciprocal Changes in Tumor Antigenicity and Antigen-specific T Cell Function during Tumor Progression

Two seemingly incompatible models exist to explain the progression of cancers in immunocompetent hosts. The cancer immunosurveillance hypothesis posits that recognition of transformed cells by the immune system results in the generation of an effector response that may impede tumor growth. Clinically detectable cancer results from the emergence of tumor variants that escape this selective pressure. Alternatively, induction of immune tolerance to tumor antigens may enable cancer progression. We established a model where changes in the function of tumor-specific T cells and in tumor antigen expression could be followed during cancer progression. Early recognition of antigen led to activation, expansion, and effector function in tumor-specific CD4+ T cells resulting in the outgrowth of tumors expressing substantially reduced levels of antigen. Antigen loss was not complete, however, and levels remained above the threshold required for tumor-specific T cell recognition in vivo. In the face of persisting antigen, T cell tolerance ensued, leading to an impaired ability to mediate further antigen loss. Together, these studies establish that the processes of immunosurveillance and tumor editing coexist with a process in which the functional tumor-specific T cell repertoire is also “edited,” reconciling two hypotheses historically central to our attempts to understand host antitumor immunity.
Differences in Characteristics of Heroin Inhalers and Heroin Injectors at Admission to Treatment: A Preliminary Study Using a Large Database of Client Records

Aims. To compare the characteristics of heroin injectors vs. inhalers at their first admission to publicly funded treatment in Texas. Methods. The sample consisted of 9732 unique clients who entered publicly funded treatment programs in Texas between 1997 and 2001 and who had a primary problem with either injected or inhaled heroin, which they had used in the past 30 days. The records were analyzed using a generalized linear model of logistic regression with the outcomes modeled as binomial and multinomial distribution and a hierarchical linear model for continuous outcomes to compare heroin inhalers and injectors. Findings. There were large statistically significant differences between injectors and inhalers. Inhalers were more likely to be older at first use of heroin, to have entered treatment sooner, to have minor children at home, to have higher annual incomes, to be first admissions to treatment, and to have a secondary drug problem with crack cocaine. They were also more likely to be Hispanic [odds...
Comparison of 2.8‐ and 21‐cm microwave radiometer observations over soils with emission model calculations

An airborne experiment was conducted under NASA auspices to test the feasibility of detecting soil moisture by microwave remote sensing techniques over agricultural fields near Phoenix, Arizona at midday of April 5, 1974 and at dawn of the following day. Extensive ground data were obtained from 96 bare, sixteen hectare fields. Observations made using a scanning (2.8 cm) and a nonscanning (21 cm) radiometer were compared with the predictions of a radiative transfer emission model. It is shown that (1) the emitted intensity at both wavelengths correlates best with the near surface moisture, (2) surface roughness is found to more strongly affect the degree of polarization than the emitted intensity, (3) the slope of the intensity-moisture curves decreases in going from day to dawn, and (4) increased near surface moisture at dawn is characterized by increased polarization of emissions. The results of the experiment indicate that microwave techniques can be used to observe the history of the near surface moisture. The subsurface history must be inferred from soil physics models which use microwave results as boundary conditions.
Heterogeneous electron-transfer kinetics with synchrotron 57Fe Mossbauer spectroscopy

Abstract In the first known kinetic application of the technique, synchrotron 57Fe-Mossbauer spectroscopy was used to follow the rate of heterogeneous electron transfer between aqueous reagents and a solid phase containing Fe. The solid, a synthetic 57Fe-enriched Fe(III)-bearing pyroaurite-like phase having terephthalate (TA) in the interlayer [Mg3Fe(OH)8(TA)0.5 · 2H2O], was reduced by Na2S2O4 and then reoxidized by K2Cr2O7 by means of a novel flow-through cell. Synchrotron Mossbauer spectra were collected in the time domain at 30-s intervals. Integration of the intensity obtained during a selected time interval in the spectra allowed sensitive determination of Fe(II) content as a function of reaction time. Analysis of reaction end member specimens by both the synchrotron technique and conventional Mossbauer spectroscopy yielded comparable values for Mossbauer parameters such as center shift and Fe(II)/Fe(III) area ratios. Slight differences in quadrupole splitting values were observed, however. A reactive diffusion model was developed that fit the experimental Fe(II) kinetic data well and allowed the extraction of second-order rate constants for each reaction. Thus, in addition to rapidly collecting high quality Mossbauer data, the synchrotron technique seems well suited for aqueous rate experiments as a result of the penetrating power of 14.4 keV X-rays and high sensitivity to Fe valence state.