cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Powerful genes: Myostatin regulation of human muscle mass

In this issue of the Journal, Schuelke et al. (pages 2682–2688) describe a child with substantial muscle hypertrophy and a splice-site mutation in the gene encoding myostatin. Myostatin is a member of the transforming growth factor β (TGF-β) family. Members of this family are diverse but have in common the regulation of growth and differentiation from the earliest stages of embryogenesis to mature adult tissues and cell types. Myostatin, or growth and differentiation factor 8 (GDF-8), was first defined as a negative regulator of muscle mass on the basis of a mouse model from which the gene encoding myostatin had . . .
APL on a multiprocessor architecture

Several computers have been built experimentally which incorporate a large number of identical CPUs. One example known to this author contains 65 identical microprocessors: one is the “master” and issues orders (normally identical or nearly so) to the other 64, called “slaves”. The master and each slave has its own storage unit. It is proposed that such a computer could be used as an auxiliary to a conventional computer to assist in the execution of APL code. APL vectors would be stored in scattered fashion, one element per slave memory, so that they can be processed in parallel. Reduce and scan operations are considered in detail, and requirements are derived for the data interconnection paths among the processors.
Efficacy of prostaglandin E1 in the treatment of lower extremity ischemic ulcers secondary to peripheral vascular occlusive disease *: Results of a prospective randomized, double-blind, multicenter clinical trial

Abstract Most previous reports suggesting beneficial effects of prostaglandin E 1 (PGE 1 ) have been retrospective and uncontrolled. Therefore, this study was undertaken to assess the efficacy of PGE 1 in the treatment of ischemic ulcers in patients with peripheral vascular occlusive disease (PVOD). One hundred twenty patients with one to three ischemic ulcers not healing for 3 weeks with standard care were randomized to receive either PGE 1 (20 ng/kg/min) or a placebo for 72 hours through a central venous catheter. Ulcers were measured and photographed, and the rest pain was evaluated before and after infusion and at 1- and 2-month follow-up intervals. Fifty-seven patients with 95 ulcers received PGE 1 . Seventeen ulcers healed (18%); 22 ulcers decreased in size (23%); 37 ulcers remained unchanged or increased in size (39%); five new ulcers developed during the study (5%); and 14 ulcers had inadequate follow-up (15%). Sixty-three patients with 115 ulcers received a placebo. Nineteen ulcers healed (16%); 38 ulcers decreased in size (33%); 45 ulcers remained unchanged or increased in size (39%); three new ulcers developed during the study (3%); and 10 ulcers had inadequate follow-up (9%). None of the above differences between the drug-treated group and the placebo-treated group was statistically significant. This study did not demonstrate efficacy for intravenously administered PGE 1 in the healing of ischemic ulcers in patients with PVOD. (J VASC SURG 1984;1:160-70.)
Secondary effects in particle-size classification by opposing jets

Abstract An aerosol-laden airjet, directed against a coaxially-opposed clean airjet, transfers high-inertia particles across the fluid interface between the jets and separates the original particle-size distribution into two aerodynamic size fractions. When the distance from the stagnation point of the opposing jets to the leading edge of the separation plate, which separates the two effluent streams, exceeds a critical value fluid dynamic oscillations, known as edgetones, occur. Primary particle losses occur on the leading edge of the separation plate. Secondary losses occur on both sides of the separation plate as spatially distinct deposits. The deposits are also observed when the device is operated as a conventional solid plate impactor and are attributed to vortices formed in the airflow which is decelerated between the impaction region and the end wall of the receiving chamber.
Getting in Deep: Using Qualitative Research in Business and Technical Communication:

Researchers have been calling for more empirical studies with which to build theory and improve practice in business and technical communication. Al though quantitative empirical research abounds, ...
Cardiac failure presenting as sleep apnea. Elimination of apnea following medical management of cardiac failure.

A patient with symptoms of sleep apnea syndrome had signs of congestive cardiac failure. A sleep study fulfilled the criteria for sleep apnea. Features of Cheyne-Stokes respiration coexisted. Management of the cardiac failure by weight loss principally due to diuretic use eliminated the symptoms of sleep apnea. (Chest 1988; 94:1298-1300)
The literacies of the 20th century: Stories of power and the power of stories in a hypertextual world

The authors review and comment on issues raised in Literacy in American Lives (Brandt, 2001) and Literate Lives in the Information Age (Selfe and Hawisher, 2004).
Electrophysiological effects of MK-801 on rat nigrostriatal and mesoaccumbal dopaminergic neurons

Abstract The electrophysiological effects of the non-competitive N- methyl - d - aspartate (NMDA) antagonist (+)-MK801 (MK-801) on nigrostriatal and mesoaccumbal dopaminergic (DA) neurons were evaluated in chloral hydrate-anesthetized rats. MK-801 (0.05–3.2 mg/kg, i.v.) stimulated the firing rates of 14 (74%) of 19 nigrostriatal DA (NSDA) neurons and all 16 mesoaccumbal DA (MADA) neurons tested. Stimulatory effects of the drug were more prominent on MADA neurons. Interspike interval analysis revealed that MK-801 also regularized DA neuronal firing pattern. Acute brain hemitransection between the midbrain and forebrain attenuated the stimulatory effects of MK-801 on firing rate and blocked the effects on firing pattern. Similar to MK-801, hemitransection itself increased NSDA and MADA cell firing rates and regularized firing pattern. Both i.v. and iontophoretic MK-801 blocked the excitatory effects of iontophoretic NMDA but did not effect excitations caused by the non-NMDA glutamatergic receptor agonists quisqualate and kainate. Iontophoretic MK-801 had no effect alone. These results suggest that the excitatory effects of i.v. MK-801 on DA neuronal activity are not due to direct actions on DA neurons. Glutamatergic projections originating anterior to the hemistransection appear to play a role in the effectrs of MK-801 on DA neuronal activity.
Observation of d(d,p)t Reactions in the Princeton Large Torus

Protons from d(d,p) t fusion reactions have been observed in the Princeton Large Torus (PLT) using a surface-barrier detector. The time evolution of the escaping protons agreed with the d-d neutron evolution. The proton energy spectrum was measured during Ohmic, lower-hybrid and ICRF heating. The proton spectrum during lower-hybrid heating indicates non-thermal enhancement of the d-d fusion rate, in agreement with charge-exchange data.
Ontogenetic expression of D2 dopamine receptor mRNA in rat corpus striatum.

Abstract The ontogenetic expression of the D2 dopamine receptor (D2R) mRNA has been characterized in rat corpus striatum by in situ hybridization histochemistry and Northern and slot blot analyses using oligonucleotide probes directed toward either the D2R-A subtype of the D2R mRNA or to both the D2R-A and D2R-B subtypes of the D2R mRNA. The results showed that both D2R mRNAs were detected in rat striatum at birth, gradually increased until day 16 postnatally (P16), then declined slightly. At early stages of development, the hybridization signal, when viewed under low magnification, was fairly evenly distributed throughout the striatum. However, later in development (P16) a cluster pattern became manifest. Autoradiographic studies using the μ-opiate receptor as an indication of striatal ‘patches’ in serial, adjacent sections of striatum indicated that the cluster pattern of the D2R mRNA was not associated solely with the patch or matrix compartments of the striatum. A cellular analysis showed that at early developmental stages the quantity of D2R mRNA per cell was very low in striatum. During the first two postnatal weeks, certain subpopulations of striatal neurons evidenced a marked increase in the expression of D2R mRNA per cell. Administration of 6-hydroxydopamine into neonatal rats failed to significantly change the developmental profile of D2R mRNA in the rat striatum of 16- and 32-day-old animals, although the same treatment caused a marked increase in proenkephalin mRNA. These results suggest that the postnatal development of the D2R mRNA in rat striatum correlates well with the ontogeny of theD 2 dopamine receptor, that the developmental expression of the D2R mRNA is highly associated with the maturation and differentiation of striatal neurons, and that the development of the D2R mRNA in rat striatum, unlike that of proenkephalin mRNA, can proceed even with reduced dopaminergic afferent input from the substantia nigra.
The Economic Value of Open Space: A Review and Synthesis.

Communities increasingly face development pressures that can irreversibly alter open space lands. While the monetary costs and benefits of development are typi- cally known, the corresponding values of natural lands are complex and difficult to measure. This paper reviews differ- ent concepts of economic value in relation to open space, describes methods for quantifying these values, and presents examples of each from published literature. Open space benefits accruing to citizens as market values or con- sumers' surplus include market and enhancement values, production values, natural systems value, use and nonuse values, and various intangible values. Economic impacts that open space lands have on local communities and economies include fiscal impacts on municipal budgets, expenditures from open space-related activities, and im- pacts from employment and tax revenues. These values are not universally present within a given community, nor are they quantitatively additive. However, a comprehensive con- sideration of the multiple values of open space will better inform community decisions about land conservation and development.
Consumer Responses Toward Sexual and Nonsexual Appeals: The Influence of Involvement, Need for Cognition (NFC), and Gender

This research examines the influence of involvement, need for cognition (NFC), and gender on consumer response toward sexual and nonsexual appeals. The results show that sexual appeals lead to bett...
Benzo[a]pyrene Diol Epoxide Forms Covalent Adducts with Deoxycytidylic Acid by Alkylation at Both Exocyclic Amino N4 and Ring Imino N-3 Positions

The carcinogen 7r,8t-dihydroxy-9t,10t-epoxy-7,8,9,10-tetrahydrobenzo[a]pyrene (anti-BPDE) alkylates DNA at dGuo, dAdo, and dCyd. dCyd adducts, formed in small amounts, elute near the more abundant dGuo adducts. We isolated the dCyd adducts formed with dCMP. Each BPDE enantiomer forms three major adducts with dCMP, two cis and one trans. The trans adduct and one of the cis adducts form by alkylation at exocyclic N4, while the second cis adduct is a dUrd adduct formed by alkylation at ring N-3 followed by deamination. Epoxide ring-opening geometries were assigned on the basis of halide and temperature effects on adduct yield, the sign of the major CD band, and benzo ring proton NMR coupling constants. One of each set of cis adducts is fluorescent (FL), and the other is nonfluorescent (NF). The trans and FL cis adducts have fluorescence quantum yields 40−50% of that of the BPDE hydrolysis product. The long wavelength UV maxima of the FL and NF cis adducts are red-shifted 1 and 3 nm relative to the trans addu...
Different regions of bovine deep digital flexor tendon exhibit distinct elastic, but not viscous, mechanical properties under both compression and shear loading

Tendons in different locations function in unique, and at times complex, in vivo loading environments. Specifically, some tendons are subjected to compression, shear and/or torsion in addition to tensile loading, which play an important role in regulating tendon properties. To date, there have been few studies evaluating tendon mechanics when loaded in compression and shear, which are particularly relevant for understanding tendon regions that experience such non-tensile loading during normal physiologic function. The objective of this study was to evaluate mechanical responses of different regions of bovine deep digital flexor tendons (DDFT) under compressive and shear loading, and correlate structural characteristics to functional mechanical properties. Distal and proximal regions of DDFT were evaluated in a custom-made loading system via three-step incremental stress-relaxation tests. A two-relaxation-time solid linear model was used to describe the viscoelastic response. Results showed large differences in the elastic behavior between regions: distal region stresses were 4-5 times larger than proximal region stresses during compression and 2-3 times larger during shear. Surprisingly, the viscous (i.e., relaxation) behavior was not different between regions for either compression or shear. Histological analysis showed that collagen and proteoglycan in the distal region distributed differently from the proximal region. Results demonstrate mechanical differences between two regions of DDFT under compression and shear loading, which are attributed to variations of composition and microstructural organization. These findings deepen our understanding of structure-function relationships of tendon, particularly for tissues adapted to supporting combinations of tension, compression, and shear in physiological loading environments.
Organizational diagnostics: integrating qualitative and quantitative methodology

In the present study, the challenge to apply theory in the practice of organizational change management is addressed in the context of a field setting. The research explains the process of conducting an organizational diagnosis reflecting current practices of using theory‐based assessment models; demonstrates the benefits of collecting and analyzing quantitative and qualitative data in organizational diagnosis; and discusses the results of the organizational diagnostic process that highlight organizational problems encountered during change. Directions for future research are discussed. Implications to readiness and resistance to change are offered.
Realizability of negative pore compressibility in poroelastic composites

For elastic materials containing fluid-saturated porosity, the pore compressibility is a measure of the deformation of a unit pore volume in response to a change in fluid pressure. Rather than being measured, this quantity has been routinely set equal to an effective solid compressibility, since this equality is exact whenever a single solid component is present. However, we show that the pore compressibility and solid compressibility may be uncorrelated in general. In certain special circumstances they do not even share the same sign. Although thermodynamic and mechanical stability constraints cause solid and drained-frame bulk moduli of a porous composite to be positive and bounded by component properties, the pore compressibility is unconstrained and, therefore, can have negative values. For special realizable model materials, the value of the pore compressibility can be found using an exact expression valid for a composite made up of one fluid and two solid components, i.e., two porous components. In order to quantify how various factors affect the sign and magnitude of the pore compressibility, pore compressibilities were calculated for models that used two porous components having the micro geometry of an assemblage of concentric spheres. This model implicitly assumes the pores are on a much smaller length scale than the concentric spheres. Modeling results show that with the stiffer porous material forming the outer shells of the concentric spheres, the pore compressibility of such materials is negative when solid component bulk moduli differ by at least a factor of 5, if in addition, the porosities and drained frame moduli of the two porous components are relatively low. Negative pore compressibilities were found for realizable models whose two porous constituents had the properties of silicon nitride and either sandstone or clay. For models using combinations of alumina and glass foam properties, pore compressibilities were non-negative but smaller than the compressibilities of the solid components.
Preliminary observations on enzymatic galactosylation of glycoproteins on the surface of rat caput epididymal spermatozoa

Experiments are reported on enzymatic galactosylation of rat caput epididymal spermatozoan plasma membrane glycoproteins. It is shown that molecules of Mr 37 000 and 23 000 are the most heavily labelled, although up to 12 other bands appear on an autoradiogram of a one dimensional polyacrylamide gel electrophoretogram. It is also concluded that the galactosyltransferase of RTF is a glycoprotein galactosyltransferase. These results are discussed in relationship to the role of cell surface glycosylation in spermatozoan maturation.
Experiences of Mandated Reporting Among Family Therapists

Mandated reporting of child abuse has rarely been examined in terms of its impact on Family Therapy (FT) systemic processes. This study is designed to assess negative experiences FTs have with mandated reporting. A survey instrument was devised to assess negative experiences of FTs with mandated reporting. The instrument was administered to 101 FTs. The results indicate four statistically significant findings regarding frequent negative experiences, largely related to the under funding and understaffed nature of Child Protective Services (CPS). The results also indicated that negative experiences with CPS begin in the early stages of FTs’ careers.
Plasma prostaglandin concentration and abortifacient effectiveness of a single insertion of a 3 mg 15(S)-methyl-prostaglandin F2a methyl ester vaginal suppository.

Abstract A single intravaginal insertion of a long acting 3 mg 15(S)-15-methyl-prostaglandin F 2a methyl ester suppository successfully induced abortion in 34 of 39 patients between the 8th and the 19 weeks of gestation. The mean abortion time was 15.38 hours, parous patients aborted somewhat faster than nulliparous patients, 14.69 hours versus 17.03 hours. There were five failures, who all were aborted utilizing a different technique. The plasma levels of 15-me-PGF 2a methyl ester in the 14 patients studied varied widely, but none of the patients had any detectable levels until 2 hours after the suppository insertion. The maximum level was achieved at 12 hours, but there was only a slight increase in the plasma level from 8 to 12 hours. These levels correlated well with the side effects which were more frequent at that time. There were no clear correlation between the plasma levels of 15-me-PGF 2a methyl ester and the abortion time. Vomiting and diarrhea were the most common side effects, they were in general well tolerated by the patients. A single insertion of a 3 mg 15-me-PGF 2a methyl ester suppository appears to be an effective means of abortion induction, but additional studies are required to determine if 3 mg is the optimal dose of the prostaglandin suppositories.
Tissue-Specific Knockout of the Insulin Receptor in Pancreatic β Cells Creates an Insulin Secretory Defect Similar to that in Type 2 Diabetes

Dysfunction of the pancreatic beta cell is an important defect in the pathogenesis of type 2 diabetes, although its exact relationship to the insulin resistance is unclear. To determine whether insulin signaling has a functional role in the beta cell we have used the Cre-loxP system to specifically inactivate the insulin receptor gene in the beta cells. The resultant mice exhibit a selective loss of insulin secretion in response to glucose and a progressive impairment of glucose tolerance. These data indicate an important functional role for the insulin receptor in glucose sensing by the pancreatic beta cell and suggest that defects in insulin signaling at the level of the beta cell may contribute to the observed alterations in insulin secretion in type 2 diabetes.
Polar Temperatures and Coal Measures

I THANK Mr. Bonacina for his sympathetic comment in NATURE of September 22, p. 436, on my letter on “Polar Temperatures and Coal Measures” and for the added clarity he has brought to this subject. He mentions disagreement with me on one minor issue only, and that relating to the south polar regions. In that connexion I am glad of the opportunity to confess that my thinking on the subject of polar coal measures has really been based almost exclusively upon my knowledge of the Arctic. My suggestion that similar conditions might explain Antarctic coal was a sort of parenthetical remark made without any special consideration of the Antarctic problem.
Reflective Micro-concentrator Arrays from Holographic Photopolymerization

We report a reflective micro-concentrator array developed using low-cost holographic photo-patterning based on polymeric materials. Selected wavelengths can be focused on the micro/nano-scale to enable promising applications in integrated/ on-chip optics and biomimic photonics.
Ion and Bumetanide Binding by the Na-K-Cl Cotransporter IMPORTANCE OF TRANSMEMBRANE DOMAINS

The Na-K-Cl cotransporter (NKCC) plays a key role in electrolyte secretion and absorption across polarized epithelia. The structure of the Na-K-Cl cotransporter transport protein is not known, but from analysis of the primary amino acid sequence and biochemical studies, it has been inferred that the protein has large cytoplasmic N and C termini and a hydrophobic central domain containing 12 transmembrane helices. Both the central domain and the C-terminal domain are highly conserved within the cation-chloride cotransporter family. This paper examines the role of these three domains in interacting with the transported ions and with the inhibitor bumetanide. We have used a chimera approach, exploiting the functional differences between the structurally similar shark and human secretory Na-K-Cl cotransporters (sNKCC1 and hNKCC1). These transporters are 74% identical to one another and have similar transport and regulatory behaviors; however, sNKCC1 differs markedly from hNKCC1 with regard to apparent affinities for the cotransported ions and for bumetanide. We prepared six sNKCC1-hNKCC1 chimeras in which N and C termini were interchanged between species. When transfected in HEK-293 cells, each chimera carried out bumetanide-sensitive 86Rb influx, demonstrating transporter synthesis and cell surface delivery. Monoclonal antibodies J3 and J7 were used to detect the chimeric proteins, and the epitopes for these antibodies were localized to residues 49–196 and 1050–1168, respectively, in the shark sequence. For each of two chimeras that were examined, the time course of activation in low Cl− medium was the same as for the parent proteins; activation was found to proceed through a change inV max rather than K m. For the six chimeras, the apparent affinities for Na+, K+, Cl−, and bumetanide segregated exactly according to whether the large hydrophobic central domain was derived from sNKCC1 or hNKCC1. Significantly, the well-conserved C terminus does not appear to contain residues involved in the shark-human affinity differences. These results demonstrate that residues involved with ion translocation and inhibitor binding are within the large central domain that contains the 12 predicted transmembrane helices.
Somatostatin-like immunoreactivity is expressed in neural crest cultures

Embryonic neural crest cells give rise to many adult cell types, including some neurons that contain the neuroactive peptide somatostatin. The development of somatostatin-like immunoreactive cells has been investigated in quail neural crest cultures. Somatostatin-like immunoreactive cells were first detected in such cultures after 5 days in vitro by immunocytochemistry. The number of immunoreactive cells and the intensity of the immunoreactivity increased dramatically between 5 and 6 days in vitro. The immunoreactivity was present in a small subset of cells in the culture. It was seen in the perikaryon and cellular processes, but was absent from the nucleus. Immunoreactive cells with and without processes were observed. Somatostatin immunoreactivity was absent if the anti-somatostatin serum was preincubated in the presence of somatostatin. A sequential procedure for detecting catecholamine-containing cells histochemically followed by immunocytochemistry for somatostatin-like immunoreactivity showed that about 20% of the cells which contained catecholamines also contained somatostatin-like immunoreactivity. Greater than 90% of the somatostatin-containing cells in this analysis also contained catecholamines. Somatostatin-like immunoreactivity was also detected and quantitated by radioimmunoassay. The somatostatin-like immunoreactivity developed in vitro in medium that contained horse serum and chick embryo extract, but in the absence of other embryonic cell types such as notochord and somitic mesenchyme. These in vitro results together with prior in vivo data indicate that expression of somatostatin-like immunoreactivity is an early event in the development of some neural crest cells which also express adrenergic properties.
Why all the confusion? Experimental task explains discrepant semantic priming effects in schizophrenia under “automatic” conditions: Evidence from Event-Related Potentials

The schizophrenia research literature contains many differing accounts of semantic memory function in schizophrenia as assessed through the semantic priming paradigm. Most recently, Event-Related Potentials (ERPs) have been used to demonstrate both increased and decreased semantic priming at a neural level in schizophrenia patients, relative to healthy controls. The present study used ERPs to investigate the role of behavioral task in determining neural semantic priming effects in schizophrenia. The same schizophrenia patients and healthy controls completed two experiments in which word stimuli were identical, and the time between the onset of prime and target remained constant at 350 ms: in the first, participants monitored for words within a particular semantic category that appeared only in filler items (implicit task); in the second, participants explicitly rated the relatedness of word-pairs (explicit task). In the explicit task, schizophrenia patients showed reduced direct and indirect semantic priming in comparison with healthy controls. In contrast, in the implicit task, schizophrenia patients showed normal or, in positively thought-disordered patients, increased direct and indirect N400 priming effects compared with healthy controls. These data confirm that, although schizophrenia patients with positive thought disorder may show an abnormally increased automatic spreading activation, the introduction of semantic decision-making can result in abnormally reduced semantic priming in schizophrenia, even when other experimental conditions bias toward automatic processing.
Properties of MoO3 Thin Film Polymorphs

Thin film polymorphs of molybdenum trioxide have been synthesized by RF sputtering. Films deposited on thermally floating substrates are polycrystalline and exhibit preferred orientation. Depending upon the oxygen partial pressure maintained during sputtering, the films can be made to crystallize in either the thermodynamically stable orthorhombic a MoO3 form (unique 2D-layered structure) or the metastable monoclinic /3 MoO3 phase (3D ReO3-related structure). Metastable β films can be converted thermally to the a phase and the transformation appears topotactic. Films deposited on cooled substrates are amorphous. A correlation between the particular phase formed and adatom mobility is noted.
2-aryl acetals as acyl anion equivalents

Abstract Metallation of 2-H in aryl acetals produces a stable anion when the oxazoline moiety is present in the para position. Selective hydrolysis and metallation allow the formation of a variety of substituted aromatics.
Percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG) in children is not a minor procedure: risk factors for major complications

Percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG) provides for enteral nutrition in children with feeding problems. PEG, however, is not without complications. The present study has a twofold aim: (1) comparing our incidence of major complications after PEG with the incidence in other centers, and (2) identifying risk factors for major complications. All patients receiving a PEG or laparoscopic-assisted PEG (lap PEG) in the period 1992-2008 were reviewed. Primary outcome was the occurrence of major complications, defined as the need for surgery, nonprophylactic antibiotics, or blood transfusion, and procedure-related death. Potential risk factors, eg, age under 1 year, mental retardation, scoliosis, constipation, hepatomegaly, upper abdominal surgery, ventriculoperitoneal shunt, peritoneal dialysis, esophageal stenosis, and coagulopathy, were analyzed. Of the 467 patients (448 PEG, 19 lap PEG), 12.6% developed major complications. The complication rate significantly decreased ( P = 0.003) over the years. A significantly higher complication rate of 32% ( P = 0.02) occurred in children with a ventriculoperitoneal shunt. None of the lap PEG procedures was associated with a major complication, but the difference was not significant, perhaps because of the small numbers in the latter group. The major complication rate after PEG in children is high. Preexisting ventriculoperitoneal shunt is a significant risk factor. Laparoscopically assisted PEG procedures seem to be associated with a lesser major complication rate.
Room-Temperature Electrophilic 5-endo-dig Chlorocyclization of Alk-3-yn-1-ones with the Use of Pool Sanitizer: Synthesis of 3-Chlorofurans and 5-Chlorofuropyrimidine Nucleosides

The 5-endo-dig chlorocyclization of 1,4-disubstituted alk-3-yn-1-ones (propargylic ketones) with the use of trichloro-s-triazinetrione (trichloroisocyanuric acid, TCCA; 0.4 equiv.) in toluene, at room temperature, in the absence of base, provides 2,5-disubstituted 3-chlorofurans in high yields (79–96 %). The reaction can be accomplished by using commercially available swimming pool sanitizer. Selected 3-chlorofuran was validated as a substrate for Suzuki–Miyaura coupling. In a similar manner, chlorocyclization of 5-alkynyl-2′-deoxyuridines produces 5-chlorofuropyrimidine nucleosides (76–83 %), which are analogues of potent anitviral agents. (© Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, 69451 Weinheim, Germany, 2008)
The Influence of an Extensive Inquiry-Based Field Experience on Pre-Service Elementary Student Teachers’ Science Teaching Beliefs

This study examined the effects of an extensive inquiry-based field experience on pre service elementary teachers’ personal agency beliefs, a composite measure of context beliefs and capability beliefs related to teaching science. The research combined quantitative and qualitative approaches and included an experimental group that utilized the inquiry method and a control group that used traditional teaching methods. Pre- and post-test scores for the experimental and control groups were compared. The context beliefs of both groups showed no significant change as a result of the experience. However, the control group’s capability belief scores, lower than those of the experimental group to start with, declined significantly; the experimental group’s scores remained unchanged. Thus, the inquiry-based field experience led to an increase in personal agency beliefs. The qualitative data suggested a new hypothesis that there is a spiral relationship among teachers’ ability to establish communicative relationships with students, desire for personal growth and improvement, ability to implement multiple instructional strategies, and possession of substantive content knowledge. The study concludes that inquiry-based student teaching should be encouraged in the training of elementary school science teachers. However, the meaning and practice of the inquiry method should be clearly delineated to ensure its correct implementation in the classroom.
Room-temperature operation of In0.4Ga0.6As/GaAs self-organised quantum dot lasers

We report the room-temperature operating characteristics of InGaAs/GaAs self-organised quantum dot lasers grown by molecular beam epitaxy. The emission wavelength is 1.028 µm and Jth = 650 A/cm2 for a 90 µm × 1 mm broad-area laser. Steady-state and time-resolved photoluminescence measurements confirm that lasing occurs through the e1-hh2 higher-order transition, and the spontaneous recombination time for this transition is ≃ 200 ps.
A single approach to the recovery of DNA and firearm discharge residue evidence

The Laboratory of the Strathclyde Police Forensic Support Department extracts DNA from cellular material recovered from garments submitted as evidence. The standard method used an adhesive tape attached to a plastic or acetate support. This paper demonstrates a method whereby a single sample, recovered from clothing, can be examined for Firearm Discharge Residue and then extracted for DNA.
Laboratory Measurements of Axial Pressures in Two-Celled Tornado-like Vortices

Abstract An experimental study of two-celled vortex flows was conducted in a Ward-type tornado vortex chamber (TVC). Time-averaged, stream-static pressure measurements on the vortex axis and observations of the visualized flow in two-celled vortices are reported. The static pressure measured on the vortex axis increases with height downstream of the vortex breakdown, with the axial pressure gradient tending to zero only well aloft. Visualization indicates that the flow downstream of the breakdown in the TVC is everywhere two-celled, with the strongest axial downflow occurring at middle levels. Analysis of the vertical momentum equation strengthens the argument that the turbulent stresses can play an important role in the axial momentum balance of two-celled vortices by opposing the “filling” of the vortex core with higher stagnation pressure fluid from aloft, therefore helping to maintain low pressure and high velocities near the surface.
Automatic tracking of land cover transformation through Landsat multispectral scanner (MSS) images using neural network classifiers

In this paper, we report an automatic land cover tracking system which is based on a neural network classifier to extract the land cover from multi-temporal satellite images. The neural network classifier has a three-layer feedforward structure. The input layer has several input units for each of the preprocessed spectral bands of the LANDSAT multispectral scanner, one unit for the digital elevation model, and several units for texture features obtained from a 5 by 5 moving window. The output layer has a neuron for each of the land-cover classes. A pixel is classified with the label of the output layer neuron with the largest activation. The proposed approach provides a quick assessment on the land cover transformation for multitemporal satellite images.
Observed north‐south asymmetries in the long‐term Bz mean average

[1] Several publications have reported a north-south asymmetry of the solar magnetic polarity in variations of the solar wind, geomagnetic activity, and polar coronal holes. The present study analyzes the polarity of the z-component of the interplanetary magnetic field (IMF Bz), finding long-term periods with a predominant polarity. IMF data was averaged using a 13-month ‘boxcar’ long-term averaging method that has been used to smooth the sunspot number for use in the McNish-Lincoln forecasting method. Both the averaging technique and the McNish-Lincoln forecasting method have also been used to forecast the average magnitude of Bz. However, this previous work did not examine the effect of polarity. The work reported here used the same averaging method to examine the long-term average of Bz, but also considered the polarity. The resulting averages for the period 1963–2002 showed long periods where one polarity dominated the other. Examination of the data has led us to believe this predominance is caused by a shift of the heliomagnetic equator away from the heliographic equator.
The impact of delayed chemotherapy on its completion and survival outcomes in stage II colon cancer patients

Background Delayed chemotherapy is associated with inferior survival in stage III colon and stage II/III rectal cancer patients, but similar studies have not been performed in stage II colon cancer patients. We investigate the association between delayed and incomplete chemotherapy, and the association of delayed chemotherapy with survival in stage II colon cancer patients. Patients and Methods Patients (age ≥66) diagnosed as stage II colon cancer and received chemotherapy from 1992 to 2005 were identified from the linked SEER–Medicare database. The association between delayed and incomplete chemotherapy was assessed using unconditional and conditional logistic regressions. Survival outcomes were assessed using stratified Cox regression based on propensity score matched samples. Results 4,209 stage II colon cancer patients were included, of whom 73.0% had chemotherapy initiated timely (≤2 months after surgery), 14.7% had chemotherapy initiated with moderate delay (2–3 months), and 12.3% had delayed chemotherapy (≥3 months). Delayed chemotherapy was associated with not completing chemotherapy (adjusted odds ratio (OR): 1.33 (95% confidence interval: 1.11, 1.59) for moderately delayed group, adjusted OR: 2.60 (2.09, 3.24) for delayed group). Delayed chemotherapy was associated with worse survival outcomes (hazard ratio (HR): 1.75 (1.29, 2.37) for overall survival; HR: 4.23 (2.19, 8.20) for cancer-specific survival). Conclusion Although the benefit of chemotherapy is unclear in stage II colon cancer patients, delay in initiation of chemotherapy is associated with an incomplete chemotherapy course and poorer survival, especially cancer-specific survival. Causal inference in the association between delayed initiation of chemotherapy and inferior survival requires further investigation.
Observations on the Life History of Telenomus alsophilae, an Egg Parasite of the Elm Spanworm, Ennomos subsignarius

The parasite Telenomus alsophilae Viereck oviposits on eggs of its host, the elm spanworm, Ennomos subsignarius (Hubner), during April and May. Peak parasitism occurs about 3 weeks prior to the time host eggs hatch in the field. Development in the host occurs over a 2-month period and parasite adults emerge during June and early
Effects of timber harvest intensity on macronutrient cycling in oak-dominated stands on sandy soils of northwest Wisconsin

Abstract In Wisconsin there is concern that timber harvesting on nutrient-poor, sandy soils could lead to depletion of nutrients. This concern could become exacerbated by the increasing demand for biofuels, followed by intensified utilization practices. This project measured dry matter and macronutrient (N, P, K, Ca, and Mg) pools and major inputs (bulk precipitation, weathering + mineralization index) and outputs (leaching losses) on four treatment plots at each of five sites on sandy soils at the Governor Knowles State Forest in northwest Wisconsin: an unharvested treatment, a conventional removal of stem and branches down to a diameter of 5 cm, a removal of stem and branches down to a diameter of 10 cm, a removal of all aboveground biomass. All treatments were applied during the early winter, leaf-off period. Data collected over 2 years (2010 and 2011) were applied to a nutrient-balance equation to determine if there were treatment-related differences in nutrient accumulation or depletion. The labile soil was the leading pre- and post-harvest pool for P, K, Ca and Mg in the ecosystem. Biomass removed during Whole-tree harvests constituted ∼50% of the ecosystem nitrogen and contributed significantly to the removal of the other macronutrients. From nutrient input–output balances, N (NH 4 and NO 3 ), K, Ca, and Mg were calculated to be accumulating on all harvest treatments. During the first year after harvest (2010), N mineralization, along with P and Ca accumulation rate, was significantly greater than unharvested treatments. Nitrogen accumulation rates, along with leaching losses of N and P, were significantly lower on all harvest treatments than on unharvested treatments. There were no significant differences in mineralization rates and leaching losses among treatments for the other macronutrients. During the second year (2011), differences in N mineralization, leaching and accumulation rates had largely disappeared. Phosphorus was the only nutrient that showed a net depletion, and this depletion was detected for all harvested treatments. However, the depletion rates were so low that it would take several rotations for any P deficiencies to become apparent. The results of this study may not apply to other sandy soils.
Abdominal aortic aneurysm repair with the W.L. Gore excluder endovascular stent-graft: technique and potential pitfalls

The W.L. Gore Excluder (W.L. Gore, Inc, Flagstaff, AZ) is a new endovascular aortic stent-graft undergoing clinical evaluation in the United States and Europe for the treatment of infrarenal abdominal aortic aneurysms. It consists of expanded polytetrafluoroethylene fully supported on a self-expanding nitinol stent and is constrained on the delivery catheter using a novel lacing suture. The device is delivered through an 18F transfemoral sheath to the target site under fluoroscopic guidance and deployed by pulling the restraining suture. For aortoiliac aneurysms, a modular design is used in which the trunk/ipsilateral iliac leg component is initially deployed followed by placement of the contralateral iliac leg (12F). The dimensions of the device, technique of stent-graft deployment, potential pitfalls, and problem-solving maneuvers are described.
On the effective capacities of multiple-antenna Gaussian channels

The concept of effective capacity offers a novel methodology to investigate the impact that design decisions at the physical layer may have on system performance at the link layer. Assuming a constant flow of incoming data, the effective capacity characterizes the maximum arrival rate that a wireless system can support as a function of its service requirements. Service requirements in this framework are defined in terms of the asymptotic decay-rate of buffer occupancy. This article studies the effective capacity of a class of multiple-antenna wireless systems subject to Rayleigh flat fading. The effective capacity of the multi-antenna Gaussian channel is characterized, and system performance is evaluated in the low signal-to-noise ratio regime. Additional to the power gain of the multiple receive antenna system, we show that there is a statistical gain associated with a multiple transmit antenna system. When the number of transmit and/or receive antennas becomes large, the effective capacity of the system is bounded away from zero, even under very stringent service constraints. This phenomena, which results from channel-hardening, suggests that a multiple-antenna configuration is especially beneficial to delay-sensitive traffic.
Attraction- and Entrapment-Based Commitment among Competitive Female Gymnasts

The purpose of this study was to examine correlates of attraction- and entrapment-based commitment among young competitive female gymnasts. Participants were 124 gymnasts (Levels 9, 10, and Elite) ranging in age from 10 to 18 years. Based on theory and research (Raedeke, 1997; Schmidt & Stein, 1991), commitment profiles were determined based on benefits, costs, enjoyment, personal investments, and attractive alternatives. Three profiles emerged when using cluster analysis. Attracted gymnasts were higher in enjoyment and benefits but lower in costs and attractive alternatives. Entrapped gymnasts were lower in enjoyment and benefits but higher in costs and attractive alternatives. Vulnerable gymnasts were moderately lower in enjoyment and benefits, average in costs, and moderately higher in attractive alternatives. These groups were significantly different on social support, social constraints, motivational orientation, and training behaviors. The three profiles were similar but not identical to Schmidt and...
Connectivity at the hillslope scale: identifying interactions between storm size, bedrock permeability, slope angle and soil depth.

The links between soil water movement at the plot scale and runoff generation at the hillslope scale are highly non-linear and still not well understood. As such, a framework for the general characterization of hillslopes is still lacking. Here we present a number of virtual experiments with a 3D physically-based finite element model to systematically investigate the interactions between some of the dominant controls on subsurface stormflow generation. We used the well-studied Panola experimental hillslope to test our base case simulation and used the surface and subsurface topography and the stormflow data of this site as a framework for a subsequent series of virtual experiments. The parameterization of the soil and bedrock properties was based on field measurements of soil moisture and saturated hydraulic conductivity. After calibration and testing against multiple evaluation criteria including distributed trench flow data and internal tensiometric response, we varied slope angle, soil depth, storm size and bedrock permeability across multiple ranges to establish a set of response surfaces for several hillslope flow metrics. We found that connectivity of subsurface saturation was a unifying descriptor of hillslope behavior across the many combinations of slope type. While much of the interplay between our four hillslope variables was intuitive, several interactions in variable combinations were found. Our analysis indicated that, e.g. interactions between slope angle, soil depth and storm size that caused unexpected behavior of hydrograph peak times were the result of the interplay between subsurface topography and the overlying soil mantle with its spatially varying soil depth distribution. Those interactions led to new understanding of process controls on connectivity .
Cooperative response strategies for large scale attack mitigation

We introduce models for cooperative mitigating response strategies to suppress large scale Internet worm attack. In our models, cooperating members communicate with others using a "friend protocol" that spreads attack reports to potentially vulnerable uninfected sites. We use mathematical models for the simplest strategies and a simulation for more complex models of mitigation. We investigate the performance of different strategies both in the presence of large scale worms and of false alarms.
Mission-Market Tension in Managing Nonprofit Organizations

Private not-for-profit organizations combine characteristics of a public sector agency with those of a private, proprietary firm. In particular, nonprofits are required to address designated social missions while breaking even financially. This structure underlies the difficulty that nonprofit organizations face in making decisions with important resource implications. Specifically, choices that would achieve maximal mission impact may differ from choices that reward the organization in purely financial terms. As result, nonprofit managers face a variety of trade-offs between missionresponsive and financially rewarding actions. This paper considers some of these tradeoffs by exploring how tensions between mission and market manifest themselves in a variety of nonprofit decision making applications. The analysis is based on a set of task forces assembled by the National Center on Nonprofit Enterprise in eight areas of nonprofit decision making. The paper suggests the development of metrics to reconcile mission goals with market incentives and research on appropriate nonprofit practices in areas such as pricing, employee compensation, outsourcing, collaboration, investment,fund raising and the undertaking of commercial ventures.