cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Management of the Information Center: The Relationship of Power to End-user Performance and Satisfaction

Information centers are appearing in many large organizations. Some Chief Information Officers CIOs have proclaimed them to be immediate successes, while other CIOs have not been convinced. When questioned further, they often mention the issue of control of the information center as a central concern. This study examines how the coercive and noncoercive use of power affects user performance and user satisfaction within the information center. The causal model is then analyzed by path analysis techniques using data collected from 180 end users in two states. The results indicate that the model is normologically valid and that information centers should rely on noncoercive sources of power in the control of their information centers.
Abstract B232: Preclinical evaluation of AMG479 a fully human insulin‐like growth factor receptor‐1 (IGFR1) antibody in ovarian cancer cells

Background: Dysregulation of the insulin‐like growth factor receptor‐1 (IGFR1) signaling pathway has been implicated in the development and progression of ovarian cancer. Here we explore the therapeutic potential of AMG479 a fully human monoclonal antibody that targets the IGFR1 for the treatment of ovarian cancer. Methods: We examined the effects of AMG479 on tumor cell growth in a panel of 40 characterized human ovarian cancer cell lines. Molecular markers for response prediction were studied using gene expression profiling, multiplexed phospho‐protein ELISA, array comparative genomic hybridization, and mutational analyses. Associations between biomarkers and growth inhibition were analyzed using Spearman9s rho correlation, and absolute levels were compared using the Mann‐Whitney U test. Results: Concentration‐dependent antiproliferative effects of AMG479 were seen in nearly all ovarian cancer cell lines tested but varied significantly between individual cell lines. In vitro sensitive cell lines demonstrated significantly higher expression levels of IGFR1 (r = 0.36, p = 0.024), IGFBP5 (r =0.45, p =0.005), but lower levels of insulin receptor (r = ‐0.28, p =0.096). Eighteen of the 40 (45%) ovarian cancer cell lines demonstrated PI3K, KRAS, BRAF, or PTEN mutations. Cell lines without these mutations in the downstream signaling pathway of IGFR1 were significantly more sensitive to AMG479 when compared to those cell lines with downstream mutations (p = 0.026). Response to AMG479 was significantly correlated with its ability to inhibit (pre‐ versus post‐treatment) phospho‐p70S6K (r = 0.35, p = 0.028), and phospho‐GSK‐3 (r = 0.43, p = 0.005), but not with its ability to inhibit phospho‐IGFR1 (r = 0.21, p = 0.183). Gene copy number gains or LOH of PTEN or PI3K, although common, were not associated with in vitro response to AMG479. Conclusions: AMG 479 is a promising candidate for therapeutic use in IGFR1 dependent ovarian cancers. The present correlative study will help to identify biomarkers that may predict sensitivity to IGFR1 inhibition in ovarian cancer. PTEN, PI3K, or KRAS mutations may inversely correlate with sensitivity. Citation Information: Mol Cancer Ther 2009;8(12 Suppl):B232.
Use of the single subject design for practice based primary care research

The use of a single subject research design is proposed for practice based primary care research. An overview of the rationale of the design, an introduction to the methodology, strengths, limitations, a sample of recent literature citations, a working example, and possible clinical applications are presented.
The preparation of cross‐section specimens for transmission electron microscopy

The structure and chemistry of thin solid films are best studied by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) when they are viewed in cross-section—that is, when the surface normal of the film is made perpendicular to the electron beam. In this orientation, the substrate, the thin film layers, and the interfaces between them can be imaged either simultaneously or individually. Further, information from each of these regions remains distinct from that obtained from the others, eliminating the problems of superimposition that are a consequence of viewing a layered structure in the conventional manner (i.e., parallel to the surface normal). A technique for fabricating TEM specimens that can be viewed in cross-section is described here. Although the majority of our work is with silicon-based materials, the technique can be readily adapted to the study of other systems.
Plasmid mediated enhancement of uv resistance in Streptococcus faecalis

Abstract A 38.5-Mdal plasmid of Streptococcus faecalis subsp. zymogenes has been shown to enhance survival following uv irradiation. In addition, the presence of this plasmid increases the mutation frequencies following uv irradiation and enhances “W”-reactivation. The data presented indicate that S. faecalis has an inducible error-prone repair system and that the plasmid enhances these repair functions.
Altered cortisol metabolism in advanced cancer and other terminal illnesses: Excretion of 6-hydroxycortisol☆

Abstract Excretion of 6-hydroxycortisol (6-OHF) and other corticosteroid fractions in urine were measured in patients with and without progressive cancer. The change in ratio of 6-OHF:17-OHCS (chloroform-extractable) was employed as the principal index of abnormality in cortisol metabolism. Patients with advanced cancer demonstrated the most marked elevation above normal in this ratio. Occasionally the ratio exceeded 1.0, which indicates greater excretion of 6-OHF than of 17-OHCS. Terminal patients without cancer who had prolonged deteriorating courses also showed an elevation in 6-OHF:17-OHCS, but to a lesser degree than that noted in patients with cancer. Patients with chronic stabilized and acute illnesses usually had normal ratios. Analyses of other corticosteroid fractions suggested that the increase in excretion of 6-OHF and an unidentified, more polar compound was compensated for by a decrease in cortolcortolone metabolites. Considering the high level of steroid secretion, a relative decrease in tetrahydro derivatives was probably present also. Thus this study demonstrates further the abnormal metabolism of cortisol in patients with advanced cancer, the mechanism for which is not apparent.
Effects of thyroid hormones and thyrotropin-releasing hormone on thyrotropin biosynthesis by mouse pituitary tumor cells in vitro.

Mouse thyrotropic tumor cells grown in primary culture were shown to synthesize TSH and proteins, as determined by the incorporation of radioactive proline into immunoprecipitable TSH and trichloroacetic acid-precipitable proteins. The net TSH content of the cells and medium determined by RIA is also increased during 24 h of incubation, and newly formed hormone is detected in the medium within 1 h after the addition of proline tracer. To study the effect of T4 and T3 on TSH synthesis, cultures were pulse-labeled with [3H]proline after they had been exposed to either T3 or T4. After 48 but not 24 h, exposure to either T3 or T4 was followed by inhibition. When studied after 48 h of incubation, T4, (10-13 M) or T3 (10-11 M) at the lowest concentration tested, was inhibitory to TSH synthesis. At concentrations of T4 and T3 greater than 10-9 M, the inhibitory effects on TSH synthesis were partially reversed, suggesting a biphasic response. Incubation in TRH (10-7 M) for 24 h led to a significant increase in TS...
Cognitive Science: What One Needs to Know

Cognitive science is a new paradigm that informs and involves several disciplines, including artificial intelligence, neuroscience, cognitive psychology, cognitive ethology, and the philosophy of mind. Cognitive science studies the mind as an information processor, with the computer often operating as a metaphor for the operations of the mind. Developments in the cognitive sciences stand to affect tremendously how we think of the mind and, consequently, how we think of theological and religious claims that concern the human subject. The unity of self, claims of human uniqueness, the relation of mind and body, human nature, and the personal agency of God are all areas of religious import in which the cognitive sciences need to be taken into account.
Short-term exercise training prevents micro- and macrovascular disease following coronary stenting

The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of exercise on coronary blood flow and macrovascular atherosclerosis in response to stent deployment. Male Yucatan swine were placed on a cont...
SU‐C‐WAB‐03: Assessing the Correlation Between Quantitative Measures of Contour Variability and Physician's Qualitative Measure for Clinical Usefulness of Auto‐Segmentation in Prostate Cancer Radiotherapy

Purpose: To assess the correlation between quantitative measures of contour variability and physician's qualitative measure for clinical usefulness of auto-segmentation in prostate cancer radiotherapy Methods: Our study was based on three serial CT images (one planning and two under-treatment image sets) for each of five prostate cancer patients. On each CT image, bladder, prostate and rectum were manually contoured by three experienced physicians. Deformable image registration (ITK Demons) was used to register each of the under-treatment CT images to the planning CT image. The resultant displacement vector fields were used to automatically segment planning CT organs by deformably mapping manual contours on the treatment CT's to the planning CT. For qualitative assessment of automatic and manual contours, trial was conducted with four radiation oncology residents. Each resident was shown sets of randomly chosen manual or automatic bladder, prostate and rectum contours overlaid on the planning CT image in Pinnacle (Philips TPS) using a total of hundred-thirty-five contours. Residents were asked to accept/reject contour based on its clinical usability. Quantitatively, surface distances and DICE coefficient were computed between inter-observer manual contours (manual/manual) and between each automatic and its corresponding manual contour (auto/manual). Results: No statistically significant differences were found in mean surface distances between manual/manual and auto/manual contours for bladder and rectum while manual/manual contour distances were significantly smaller for prostate. The distribution of DICE values between manual/manual and auto/manual contours were also similar. Qualitatively, acceptance rates for manual contours were significantly higher than that for automatic contours. Conclusion: No correspondence was found between qualitative and quantitative measure for manual and automatic contours for rectum and bladder while the two measures appear to be related for prostate. This study suggests that using quantitative measures for evaluating auto-segmentation without a qualitative calibration might not always be predictive of its clinical usefulness.(Supported by NIH P01CA166602) This work was supported by NIH Grant P01 CA 166602 E. Weiss and J. Williamson have grants from Varian medical systems and Philips Radiation Oncology Systems.
Effect of brand familiarity, experience and information on online apparel purchase

Purpose – The purpose of this study is to examine the effect of brand familiarity, the number of pieces of product information presented on a web site, and previous online apparel shopping experience on perceived risk and purchase intention.Design/methodology/approach – The experiment was 2 (brand familiarity)×2 (information availability) factorial design and 166 students participated in this study.Findings – Multivariate and univariate analyses found a significant effect of brand familiarity and previous experience on perceived risk and purchase intention, and no effect of amount of information on perceived risk and purchase intention.Research limitations/implications – Participants may not have carefully considered the product information because the experiment was not an actual purchase situation, although a scenario was given. In future studies, creating an actual purchase situation may be necessary to investigate the effect of the amount of information available on the web sites on perceived risk and...
Genotoxicity of glycidamide in comparison to 3-N-nitroso-oxazolidin-2-one.

Acrylamide (AA) is generated by thermal processing of foods, depending on processing conditions and precursor availability. AA is not genotoxic by itself but becomes activated to its genotoxic metabolite glycidamide (GA) via epoxidation, mediated primarily by cytochrome P450 2E1. In the Comet assay in V79 cells and in human lymphocytes, GA induced DNA damage down to 300 μM concentration (4 h). After post-treatment with the DNA repair enzyme formamidopyrimidine−DNA−glycosylase (FPG), DNA damage became already detectable at 10 μM (4 h). By comparison, the N-nitroso compound 3-N-nitroso-oxazolidin-2-one (NOZ-2) is a much stronger genotoxic agent, significantly inducing DNA damage already at 15 min (3 μM). Post-treatment with FPG in this case did not enhance response. GA induced DNA damage in V79 cells rather slowly, with first response detectable at 4 h. The hPRT forward mutation test encompasses 5 days of expression time during which also repair can take place. GA-induced hPRT mutations only became detectab...
Gene conversion is a convergent strategy for pathogen antigenic variation

Recent studies on three unrelated vector-borne pathogens, Anaplasma marginale, Borrelia hermsii and Trypanosoma brucei, illustrate the central importance of gene conversion as a mechanism for antigenic variation, which results in subsequent evasion of the immune response and persistence in the reservoir host. The combination of genome sequence data and in vivo studies tracking variant emergence not only provides insight into the genetic mechanisms for variant generation and hierarchy in variant expression but also highlights gaps in our knowledge regarding variant capacity and usage in vivo.
Evidence for a direct anterior pituitary site of delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol action.

Abstract The effects of delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), alone and in the presence of estradiol (E), on several estrogen-sensitive parameters in the immature female rat were examined, and it was demonstrated that THC administration antagonized the stimulatory effects of E on anterior pituitary weight and on both the secretion and pituitary content of prolactin. In the current study, the anterior pituitary gland was examined as a potential site of THC action in the ability of this cannabinoid to antagonize E-induced stimulation of pituitary function. A stimulatory dose of E (1 nM) significantly elevated prolactin levels in pituitary cells derived from either immature or retired breeder animals. Whereas THC (1 μM) alone had no effect on prolactin levels when compared to controls, THC completely prevented the E-induced increase in media prolactin levels. Moreover, THC blocked the ability of E to desensitize pituitary cells to the inhibitory influence of dopamine. Together with the findings that THC inhibited E-induced stimulation of total RNA synthesis in pituitary cell cultures, these data strongly suggest that THC antagonizes the stimulatory effect of E on the pituitary by a direct action at the adenohypophyseal level.
Effects of Heating Rate and pH on Fracture and Water-Holding Properties of Globular Protein Gels as Explained by Micro-Phase Separation

: The effect of heating rate and pH on fracture properties and held water (HW) of globular protein gels was investigated. The study was divided into 2 experiments. In the 1st experiment, whey protein isolate (WPI) and egg white protein (EWP) gels were formed at pH 4.5 and 7.0 using heating rates ranging from 0.1 to 35 °C/min and holding times at 80 °C up to 240 min. The 2nd experiment used one heating condition (80 °C for 60 min) and probed in detail the pH range of 4.5 to 7.0 for EWP gels. Fracture properties of gels were measured by torsional deformation and HW was measured as the amount of fluid retained after a mild centrifugation. Single or micro-phase separated conditions were determined by confocal laser scanning microscopy. The effect of heating rate on fracture properties and HW of globular protein gels can be explained by phase stability of the protein dispersion and total thermal input. Minimal difference in fracture properties and HW of EWP gels at pH 4.5 compared with pH 7.0 were observed while WPI gels were stronger and had higher HW at pH 7.0 as compared to 4.5. This was due to a mild degree of micro-phase separation of EWP gels across the pH range whereas WPI gels only showed an extreme micro-phase separation in a narrow pH range. In summary, gel formation and physical properties of globular protein gels can be explained by micro-phase separation. Practical Application: The effect of heating conditions on hardness and water-holding properties of protein gels is explained by the relative percentage of micro-phase separated proteins. Heating rates that are too rapid require additional holding time at the end-point temperature to allow for full network development. Increase in degree of micro-phase separation decreases the ability for protein gels to hold water.
High-affinity, Non-sequence-specific RNA Binding by the Open Reading Frame 1 (ORF1) Protein from Long Interspersed Nuclear Element 1 (LINE-1) *

Long interspersed nuclear element 1 (LINE-1 or L1) is an interspersed repeated DNA found in mammalian genomes. L1 achieved its high copy number by retrotransposition, a process that requires the two L1-encoded proteins, ORF1p and ORF2p. The role of ORF1p in the retrotransposition cycle is incompletely understood, but it is known to bind single-stranded nucleic acids and act as a nucleic acid chaperone. This study assesses the nature and specificity of the interaction of ORF1p with RNA. Results of coimmunoprecipitation experiments demonstrate that ORF1p preferentially binds a single T1 nuclease digestion product of 38 nucleotides (nt) within the full-length mouse L1 transcript. The 38-nt fragment is localized within L1 RNA and found to be sufficient for binding by ORF1p but not necessary, because its complement is also efficiently coimmunoprecipitated, as are all sequences 38 nt or longer. Results of nitrocellulose filter-binding assays demonstrate that the binding of ORF1p to RNA does not require divalent cations but is sensitive to the concentration of monovalent cation. Both sense and antisense transcripts bind with apparent K(D)s in the low nanomolar range. The results of both types of assay unambiguously support the conclusion that purified ORF1p from mouse L1 is a high-affinity, non-sequence-specific RNA binding protein.
Receptivity of Hypersonic Boundary Layers over Straight and Flared Cones

The effects of adverse pressure gradients on the receptivity and stability of hypersonic boundary layers were numerically investigated. Simulations were performed for boundary-layer flows over a straight cone and two flared cones. The steady and the unsteady flowfields were obtained by solving the two-dimensional Navier–Stokes equations in axisymmetric coordinates using the fifth-order-accurate weighted essentially nonoscillatory scheme for space discretization and using a third-order total-variation-diminishing Runge–Kutta scheme for time integration. The mean boundary-layer profiles were analyzed using local stability and nonlocal parabolized stability equations methods. After the most amplified disturbances were identified, two-dimensional plane acoustic waves were introduced at the outer boundary of the computational domain and time-accurate simulations were performed. The adverse pressure gradient was found to affect the boundary-layer stability in two important ways. First, the frequency of the most...
Empty Mills and zombie cities

It was there that the sleight of hand lawyers proved that the demands lacked all validity for the simple reason that the company did not have, never had had, and never would have any workers in its...
Reversible Markov grain sequences in granite

A key feature of an ideal granite is the occurrence of grain sequences which are reversible Markov chains. This property was tested using a χ2 test on a 2 × 6 contingency table consisting of reversible grain pairs for microcline, plagioclase, quartz, and biotite, and on a 2 × 12 contingency table consisting of reversible grain triads. All 28 samples examined from the Pacolet Mills pluton, South Carolina, passed the χ2 test for grain pairs, and all but three of these passed the χ2 test for grain triads. The coefficients of the reversibility matrix were examined for statistical significance after normalization, using a logarithmic transformation. For all three phases of the Pacolet Mills pluton, the average coefficients were in the range 1.08–0.89. Elevated and depressed values of these coefficients suggested possible differences among the three phases of the granite in their crystallization paths.
Pharmacological characterization of arginine vasotocin vascular smooth muscle receptors in the trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) in vitro.

Abstract Arginine vasotocin (AVT) is present in the neurohypophysis of all nonmammalian vertebrates and it appears to be the antecedent of the neurohypophysial nonapeptide hormones. Relatively little is known about AVT receptors in lower vertebrates, especially fish, and the present study was designed to examine AVT receptor interactions in trout vascular and nonvascular smooth muscle in vitro. AVT produced dose-dependent contraction of isolated rings from celiacomesenteric, coronary, and efferent branchial arteries, ventral aorta, anterior cardinal vein, and strips of ductus Cuvier. The greatest efficacy (magnitude of contraction per unit tissue weight) and sensitivity (effective concentration for half-maximal response, EC 50 ) to AVT was found in the efferent bronchial artery (EBA) and its receptors were characterized further. Other neurohypophysial peptides, including arginine vasopressin (AVP), lysine vasopressin (LVP), isotocin (IST), and oxytocin (OXY), contracted EBA with an efficacy order of (most to least) AVT = AVP = OXY > LVP > IST and a sensitivity order of AVT > OXY ≥ AVP > IST > LVP. Neither Desmopressin, an AVP V 2 -receptor agonist, nor the AVP ring fragment, AVP 4–9 , contracted EBA nor did they inhibit AVT contraction. Pretreatment of EBA rings with the selective AVP V 1 -receptor antagonists (deamino-Pen 1 , O-Me-Tyr 2 , Arg 8 -vasopressin and deamino-Pen 1 , Val 4 , Arg 8 -vasopressin), the selective V 2 -receptor antagonist (adamantaneacetyl 1 , O-Et- d -Tyr 0 , Val 4 , aminobutyryl 6 , Arg 8,9 -vasopressin), or the combined V 1 -oxytocin receptor antagonist (d(CH 2 ) 5 [Tyr(Me) 2 , Orn 8 -AVT]) competitively inhibited AVT contractions without affecting AVT efficacy. Receptor affinity constants (pA 2 ) determined by Schild analysis were in the range of 6.8–7.3, with slightly higher constants for the AVP V 1 -/oxytocin receptor antagonists than for the selective V 2 -receptor antagonist. Endothelium removal had no effect on EBA sensitivity to AVT. EBA rings were an order of magnitude more sensitive to AVT than nonvascular gastrointestinal and urinary bladder smooth muscle rings or strips. However, AVT (10 −7 M) was as efficacious as acetylcholine (10 −5 M) in gastrointestinal, gallbladder, and urinary bladder smooth muscle. It is concluded that trout EBA possess an AVT smooth muscle receptor that shares a similar pharmacological profile with the mammalian vascular AVP V 1a -receptor and the OXY-receptor, but it is distinct from the previously reported gill epithelial cell receptor.
Pain and Insecurity, Love and Money

Zhou and Gao (this issue) provide readers with a very interesting, integrative piece of theorizing in which they suggest that people pursue two different paths when confronted with physical or psyc...
Use of reverse genetics to enhance the oncolytic properties of Newcastle disease virus.

Naturally occurring strains of Newcastle disease virus (NDV) have shown oncolytic therapeutic efficacy in preclinical studies and are currently in clinical trials. Here, we have evaluated the possibility to enhance the cancer therapeutic potential of NDV by means of reverse genetics. Mice bearing s.c. implanted CT26 tumors were treated with intratumoral (i.t.) injections of a recombinant NDV modified to contain a highly fusogenic F protein. These treated mice exhibited significant reduction in tumor development compared with mice treated with the unmodified virus. Furthermore, mice in a CT26 metastatic tumor model treated with an i.v. injection of the genetically engineered NDV exhibited prolonged survival compared with wild-type control virus. In addition, we examined whether the oncolytic properties of NDV could be improved by expression of immunostimulatory molecules. In this regard, we engineered several NDVs to express granulocyte macrophage colony-stimulating factor, IFN-γ, interleukin 2 (IL-2), or tumor necrosis factor α, and evaluated their therapeutic potential in an immunocompetent colon carcinoma tumor model. Mice bearing s.c. CT26 tumors treated with i.t. injections of recombinant NDV expressing IL-2 showed dramatic reductions in tumor growth, with a majority of the mice undergoing complete and long-lasting remission. Our data show the use of reverse genetics to develop enhanced recombinant NDV vectors as effective therapeutic agents for cancer treatment. [Cancer Res 2007;67(17):8285–92]
A cryogen-free open superconducting magnet for interventional MRI applications

A 0.5 T cryogen-free superconducting magnet with an open geometry has been designed for use in MRI-guided minimally invasive surgery and other interventional procedures. The magnet consists of a split pair of coils to allow surgeons direct access to the patient within the field-of-view of the imaging system. The magnet is wound using Nb/sub 3/Sn tape conductor and is maintained at approximately 10 K using a pair of Gifford-McMahon refrigerators. High-Tc superconducting current leads have been used in order to minimize the heat leak to the magnet. A passive quench protection system was developed for this unique magnet geometry. High quality MR images have been produced and used for interventional procedures. Descriptions of the design, fabrication, and test results of the magnet are presented. >
The concept of trustworthiness: A cross‐cultural comparison between Japanese and U.S. business people

Abstract A card sorting procedure was used to explore the structure of Japanese and American business people's concept of trustworthiness. Each of115 Japanese and 121 U.S. respondents was asked to sort thirty trust‐related words. Hierarchical cluster analyses and multidimensional scaling indicated that Japanese emphasize organizational commitment, while Americans emphasize personal integrity in judging another's trustworthiness. These differences between the two cultural groups were interpreted as evidence of an “interdependent”; versus an “independent”; view of trustworthiness in an organizational setting, and may help explain persistent miscommunication about trustworthiness between Japanese and U.S. colleagues.
Narrating our Healing: Perspectives on Working through Trauma

Chris N. van der Merwe and Pumla Gobobo-Madikizela. 2007. Narrating Our Healing: Perspectives on Working Through Trauma. Newcastle: Cambridge Scholars Publishing. 106 pp. ISBN 9781847184818. Mark Sanders. 2007. Ambiguities of Witnessing: Law and Literature in the Time of a Truth Commission. Stanford: Stanford University Press; Johannesburg: University of Witwatersrand Press. 257 pp. ISBN 9780804756150.
High Temperature Alkaline Degradation of Phenyl β-D-Glucopyranoside

Abstract Reaction rates and product distributions have been determined for the degradation of phenyl β-D-glucopyranoside in aq. alkali under various conditions. The effects of a stronger nucleophile, variations in hydroxide ion concentration at constant ionic strength, changes in temperature, and the level of 18O incorporation from the solvent into the product phenol were investigated. The degradation rate decreased greatly for the 2-O-methyl analog. The results indicate that, at both 100 and 170°C, phenyl β-D-glucopyranoside degradation proceeded by an SNicB(2) reaction. At both temperatures the expected SNicB(2) product, levoglucosan, formed in less than quantitative yields because of competing reactions which occurred after the rate-determining step.
Social organization and property reform in nineteenth-century rural Mexico

In spite of Mexico's numerous efforts at liberal land reform and privatization in the nineteenth century, Totimehuacan (Puebla) maintained significant continuity in land-holding on a family basis. This undermines confidence in the pauperization hypothesis, the view that privatization necessarily dispossessed the indigenous peasantry. Mechanisms of social control and dispute resolution did change, and particular groups such as women and children lost an important defence in property matters. The effect of legislative changes was protracted, however, and mediated by the customary role of patronym groups, an issue which most other studies have ignored. The article concludes that the impact of property reform on women cannot be understood apart from customary, local forms of social organization.
Fixpoint semantics for rule-base anomalies

A crucial component of an intelligent system is its knowledge base that contains knowledge about a problem domain. Knowledge base development involves domain analysis, context space definition, ontological specification, and knowledge acquisition, codification and verification. Knowledge base anomalies can affect the correctness and performance of an intelligent system. In this paper, we adopt a fixpoint semantics that is based on a multi-valued logic for a knowledge base. We then use the fixpoint semantics to provide formal definitions for four types of knowledge base anomalies: inconsistency, redundancy, incompleteness, circularity. We believe such formal definitions of knowledge base anomalies helps pave the way for a more effective knowledge base verification process.
Barriers to Reducing ETS in the Homes of Inner-City Children with Asthma

This study assessed knowledge regarding the harm of environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) exposure and barriers to reducing ETS from the point-of-view of urban parents of asthmatic children. We conducted in-depth interviews with 15 mothers of children with asthma. All parents had good knowledge regarding the harmful effects of ETS. While all children of smoking parents were exposed to ETS, parents described using various strategies to keep ETS away from children. Many parents experienced significant stress in their lives and used smoking to relieve their stress. Barriers to a smoke-free home included stress, addiction, and the use of ineffective strategies to reduce ETS exposure.
Application Considerations for SCR DC Drives and Associated Power Systems

A rapid growth of silicon controlled rectifier (SCR or Thyristor) dc drive applications has resulted from the many benefits derived by these equipments where adjustable speed of drive is required. These are areas normally served by conventional Ward Leonard M-G sets as well as eddy-current couplings. However, SCR drives are not exact equivalents of M-G sets and special considerations requiring some fundamental knowledge of this conversion technology must be made. This paper presents some of the application considerations regarding successful utilization of SCR drives. The paper will be divided into two parts: The first deals with the static power conversion equipment itself, its characteristics and benefits, as well as its effect on the dc drive motor. The second part deals with the effects of the SCR power conversion equipment on the power distribution system, with suggested approaches to certain problems that may arise, particularly as related to kilovar supply.
A simulation study of a machine interference problem with M machines under the care of N operators having two types of stoppage

Abstract The machine interference problem has been studied by many authors utilizing either analytical models, simulation models, or a mixture. In this study it was determined by a simulation that a complex two-stoppage interference model with N operators and M machines could be approximated by a one-stoppage analytical model with N operators and M machines.
A study of postnatal growth of skeletal muscle in the rat

From each of five litters of Sprague-Dawley rats, littermates were sacrificed at 1, 3, 6, 12 and 24 weeks of age. The musculi extensor carpi radialis longus, soleus and plantaris were treated with glycerine while attached to the extremities and then dissected out and fixed in formalin. A transverse section through the thickest portion of the belly of each muscle was projected by a microprojector on graph paper. The entire section and the individual muscle fibers in representative areas within it were outlined. From this the total cross sectional area of the muscle; the number of fibers contained within it; the size, in terms of cross-sectional area, of fibers; and the ratio of muscle to connective tissue were calculated. As the animals mature, there is an enlargement of the cross-sectional area of the entire muscle and of the individual fibers. There is a definite increase in the number of muscle fibers during the first three weeks after birth which is the result of the differentiation into myofibers of myoblasts present in muscle fiber bundles at birth. A steady increment in the percentage of muscle to connective tissue throughout the entire growth period is present.
PlanetLab: an overlay testbed for broad-coverage services

PlanetLab is a global overlay network for developing and accessing broad-coverage network services. Our goal is to grow to 1000 geographically distributed nodes, connected by a disverse collection of links. PlanetLab allows multiple service to run concurrently and continuously, each in its own slice of PlanetLab. This paper discribes our initial implementation of PlanetLab, including the mechanisms used to impelment virtualization, and the collection of core services used to manage PlanetLab.
Physical Activity and Incident Diabetes in American Indians The Strong Heart Study

risk of diabetes: Odds ratios were 0.67 (95% confidence interval (CI): 0.46, 0.99), 0.67 (95% CI: 0.45, 0.99), and 0.67 (95% CI: 0.45, 0.99) for increasing tertile of physical activity, after adjustment for age, sex, study site, education, smoking, alcohol use, and family history of diabetes. Further adjustment for body mass index and other potential mediators attenuated the risk estimates. These data suggest that physical activity is associated with a lower risk of incident diabetes in American Indians. This study identifies physical activity as an important determinant of diabetes among American Indians and suggests the need for physical activity outreach programs that target inactive American Indians.
Brain Poly(A)RNA During Aging: Stability of Yield and Sequence Complexity in Two Rat Strains

: To evaluate whether major age-related changes occur during aging in the brain, we determined the sequence complexity of total poly(A)RNA and polysomal poly(A)RNA of brains from Sprague-Dawley and Fischer 344 male rats, aged 2-32 months. RNA complexity, determined by RNA-driven hybridization reactions with nonrepetitive DNA, was 6-7 × 108 nucleotides for total poly(A)RNA, whereas polysomal poly(A)RNA had a sequence complexity of 2.3-2.8 × 108 nucleotides. Sprague-Dawley rats had polysomal poly(A)RNA with a yield per gram of brain and a complexity that was 20% greater than Fischer 344 rats. No age differences in total or polysomal poly(A)RNA complexity were detected in either strain. Mixtures of polysomal poly(A)RNA from different age groups gave complexity values that were indistinguishable from the complexity of each component, thereby indicating that most (>80%) of the RNA sequences are common to all age groups studied. Analysis of total poly(A)RNA hybridization kinetics indicated that the major kinetic component had similar pseudo-first-order rate constants and complexity in all age groups. Consideration of interassay variation suggests that the limits of age changes in poly(A)RNA sequence complexity or content are 10%. Thus, age changes may be smaller than interstrain differences in the rat. We conclude that if genomic function is grossly impaired during aging, as presumed in many contemporary theories, the impairments are not expressed in most brain cells.
How do Lyme Borrelia Organisms Cause Disease? The Quest for Virulence Determinants#

Lyme disease Borrelia are invasive, nontoxigenic, persistent pathogens, and little is known about their mechanisms of pathogenesis. In our laboratory, a signature-tagged mutagenesis (STM) library of over 4,000 Borrelia burgdorferi transposon mutants has been constructed and is being screened for infectivity in mice. In this manner, a global view of the virulence determinants (factors required for full infectivity) is being developed. Additionally, the mechanisms of immune evasion involving the VMP-like system (vls) are under analysis, and cryo-electron microscopy is providing a detailed view of the three-dimensional structure of B. burgdorferi. These approaches will contribute to the improved understanding of how Lyme disease Borrelia cause disease.
A 12-Base-Pair Deletion in the Flagellar Master Control Gene flhC Causes Nonmotility of the Pathogenic German Sorbitol-Fermenting Escherichia coli O157:H - Strains

An atypical, Stx2-producing, pathogenic Escherichia coli O157:H− strain has been isolated with increasing frequency from hemolytic uremic syndrome patients in Germany. The lack of the H7 antigen coupled with the strain's ability to ferment sorbitol and express β-glucuronidase have complicated its detection and identification. In this study, we have determined that the loss of motility in these German sorbitol-fermenting (SF) O157 strains is due to a 12-bp in-frame deletion in flhC that is required for transcriptional activation of genes involved in flagellum biosynthesis. Either complementation with a functional flhC or repair of this mutation restored H7 antigen expression and motility. PCR analysis of several nonmotile E. coli O157 strains from various geographical sources confirmed that the 12-bp flhC deletion is found only in the cluster of German SF O157 strains, providing a potentially useful marker by which these atypical strains can be identified. The loss of motility via mutations in the flhDC operon that we observed in the German SF O157 strains is consistent with a similar phenomenon currently observed in a significant subset of other important gram-negative pathogens.
Estimating Preferences in Hedonic Wage Models: Lessons from the Deadliest Catch

This paper uses unique longitudinal survey data to provide new insights on the empirical estimation of hedonic wage models. First, I estimate the bias components caused by latent worker, establishment, and match heterogeneity that have not been previously identified. Second, I remove the confounding effects of endogenous mobility and sorting to identify workers' preferences for occupational fatality risk. The estimates imply that aversion to marginal increases in fatal risk falls as the level of risk rises. I then extend the model to correct for expectational errors about risk, which I find to cause bias that substantially attenuates compensating wage differentials. Finally, I demonstrate the importance of accounting for on-the-job human capital accumulation in hedonic wage models. In the particular industry studied, the bias from ignoring human capital formation is larger than all sources of static omitted variable bias combined. Although industry-specific, the results identify parameters and biases that it has only been possible to speculate about in more general empirical settings, and aim to narrow the conceptual gap between hedonic wage theory and its empirical applications.
Fully Endoscopic Retrosigmoid Vestibular Nerve Section for Refractory Meniere Disease.

Objective This study aims to report our results and technical details of fully endoscopic retrosigmoid vestibular nerve section. Design A prospective observational study was conducted. Setting A single academic, tertiary institution involving neurosurgery and neurotology. Participants Previously diagnosed patients with Meniere disease, refractory to medical therapy, who underwent fully endoscopic vestibular nerve section. Main Outcome Measures Postoperative improvement in vertiginous symptoms as well as hearing preservation, based on the American Association of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgeons score and the Gardener and Robertson-Modified Hearing Classification. Facial nerve preservation based on the House–Brackman (HB) score. Results Symptoms improved or resolved in 38 of 41 (92.2%) patients with only 1 of 41 (2.4%) reporting worsening symptoms. All 41 patients (100%) had a postoperative HB score of 1/6, demonstrating full facial nerve preservation. Hearing was stable or improved in 34 of 41 (82.9%) patients. Three complications took place for a rate of 7.3%, one cerebrospinal fluid leak, and two wound infections. Conclusion The fully endoscopic approach to vestibular nerve sections is a safe and effective technique for the treatment of medically refractory Meniere disease. This technique also utilizes smaller incisions, minimal cranial openings, and no cerebellar retraction with improved visualization of the cerebellopontine angle neurovascular structures.
Immune modulation for autoimmune disorders: evolution of therapeutics

Autoimmune disorders result from either congenital or acquired defects in central or peripheral immune tolerance. A genetic propensity may underlay the development of most such disorders, but an external trigger may be required for the eventual development of the autoimmune disease. The development of pharmacologic agents to treat such disorders by inducing self-tolerance has progressed over the last 60 years. Historically termed immunosuppressive agents, it is now understood that they may modulate the immune system in varied and unexpected ways. The goal of immunomodulation in autoimmune disease is to produce self-tolerance without global immunosuppression place the patient at increased risk of infection and loss of immune surveillance that prevents the development of secondary malignancies.
Arterial stiffness and chronic kidney disease: lessons from the Chronic Renal Insufficiency Cohort study.

Purpose of reviewThe purpose of this review is to highlight what the Chronic Renal Insufficiency Cohort (CRIC) study has taught us regarding arterial stiffness in chronic kidney disease. The CRIC study began in mid-2003 and enrolled more than 3900 people with chronic kidney disease.Recent findingsTh
What First-to-Market Companies Do Differently

OVERVIEW:As firms strive to reduce product cycle times, they face a quandary: Little knowledge exists about which acceleration factors effectively and reliably result in improved time-to-market. A first look at the relationship between order entry, firm structure and performance indicates that U.S. firms tend to use project coordinators most often, followed by matrix, and then dedicated-team structures. Dedicated teams, although used less often, enjoy the highest perceived success, while project coordinator and matrix structures garner much lower success ratings. Managers indicate that the factors that most often delay early-entry firms tend to be strategic in nature, lying within the idea development stage of the new-product development process.
Evaluation of the skill of North-American Multi-Model Ensemble (NMME) Global Climate Models in predicting average and extreme precipitation and temperature over the continental USA

This paper examines the forecasting skill of eight Global Climate Models from the North-American Multi-Model Ensemble project (CCSM3, CCSM4, CanCM3, CanCM4, GFDL2.1, FLORb01, GEOS5, and CFSv2) over seven major regions of the continental United States. The skill of the monthly forecasts is quantified using the mean square error skill score. This score is decomposed to assess the accuracy of the forecast in the absence of biases (potential skill) and in the presence of conditional (slope reliability) and unconditional (standardized mean error) biases. We summarize the forecasting skill of each model according to the initialization month of the forecast and lead time, and test the models’ ability to predict extended periods of extreme climate conducive to eight ‘billion-dollar’ historical flood and drought events. Results indicate that the most skillful predictions occur at the shortest lead times and decline rapidly thereafter. Spatially, potential skill varies little, while actual model skill scores exhibit strong spatial and seasonal patterns primarily due to the unconditional biases in the models. The conditional biases vary little by model, lead time, month, or region. Overall, we find that the skill of the ensemble mean is equal to or greater than that of any of the individual models. At the seasonal scale, the drought events are better forecast than the flood events, and are predicted equally well in terms of high temperature and low precipitation. Overall, our findings provide a systematic diagnosis of the strengths and weaknesses of the eight models over a wide range of temporal and spatial scales.
Impulse ionization and breakdown of liquids in uniform fields

This work is an extension of that reported in 1950 by E. L. C. Larson and G. M. L. Sommerman. At that time, it was shown that photographic records of impulse ionization in liquids could be obtained, by placing dry photographic paper and impregnated paper pressboard between; disk electrodes, immersing them in the liquid to be tested, and applying a single impulse voltage wave of a magnitude somewhat less than that required for puncturing the press-board. The radial progress of impulse ionization streamers from the electrode edges (analogous to Lichtenberg figures in gases) was shown to depend on the chemical constitution of the liquid, and, for chlorinated liquids, on the polarity of the applied voltage.