cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The entrepreneurial intrapreneur: a managerial approach to building entrepreneurial competencies

This study explores managerial practices that could encourage the development of more intrapreneurs in the organisation based on existing research of entrepreneurial and intrapreneurial competencies and the current shortage of intrapreneurs in existing organisations. We base suggestions for these managerial practices around 13 previously established entrepreneurial competencies taken from earlier entrepreneurship research. For each of these entrepreneurial competencies, we propose specific recommendations for managers that would help shift people from the employee mindset to intrapreneurial competencies and thus creating more intrapreneurs, and as a result, benefiting the organisation. Our recommendations include garnering of resources by the intrapreneur, a greater assumption of risk by the intrapreneur, and the requirement of multiple iterations of the product development process. We suggest incorporating such practices as it could result in more intrapreneurs being created within existing organisations and thus making those organisations more customer centric and efficient. These practices could hence be the basis of firm renewal for existing firms.
The Nature and Practice of Capital Tax Competition

This paper discusses the nature and practice of tax competition, with particular attention to tax competition by national governments to seek the activities of mobile multinational firms. Multinational firms are tax-sensitive in both the location of their real economic activities and especially in their financial arrangements that seek to locate profits in more lightly-taxed jurisdictions. While aggregate capital stocks are not particularly tax-sensitive across countries, the location of profits across countries is very tax sensitive. Evidence suggests that the revenue consequences of tax competition are likely to be large, and the distributional impact of tax competition is likely considerable. This suggests several tax policy design implications, including the likelihood of substantial gains from greater international cooperation, the possibility of improvements through unilateral action, and the importance of acknowledging the role of the corporate tax in the integrity of the larger income tax system.
Performance of adaptive interference suppression for DS-CDMA with a time-varying user population

The performance of adaptive interference suppression algorithms for DS-CDMA is studied with a stochastically varying user population. A multiple cell system is assumed with stochastic arrivals and departures of asynchronous users. The adaptive algorithms considered are based on the minimum mean squared error criterion. A tapped-delay line filter implementation is assumed, where the filter spans a single symbol interval. Adaptive algorithms simulated are the stochastic gradient (LMS), and recursive and block least squares. Both decision-directed and recently proposed blind algorithms, which do not require a training sequence, are compared. In addition, we present a variation on the block least squares algorithm in which the received vectors are first projected onto components of the signal space (eigenvectors) with the largest energy (eigenvalues). The purpose of the projection is to eliminate low-level background interference and noise. Computer simulation is used to obtain error rates and time-averaged signal-to-interference ratio (SIR) as a function of traffic load.
Ion exchange on mixed ionic forms of montmorillonite at high ionic strengths

Adsorption equilibria of inorganic ions between water and minerals in formations control brine composition and, through these, affect many aspects of the chemistry of surfactant solutions. For example, alkaline earth ions influence phase and interfacial properties of aqueous-hydrocarbon systems containing surfactants. Precipitation of surfactants may occur in the presence of alkaline earth ions. Thus information concerning the distribution of alkaline earth and alkali metals between solutions and minerals is basic to the prediction of behavior of surfactant solutions in reservoirs. Because many clays have large cation exchange capacity, they may dominate adsorption properties of those formations in which they are present. Sodium and calcium are very common and representative of the ions under consideration. This paper summarizes studies of the distribution of these ions between a common clay, montmorillonite, as well as several other clays, and a series of solutions of constant total ionic strength (I) with varying ionic strength fraction of sodium. Distribution coefficients D for Na(I) and Ca(II) were determined by batch equilibrations using isotope dilutions with radioactive tracers. Equilibrium quotients (K/T) for the exchange of sodium and calcium were then calculated and the effects of solution composition, of solution phase activity coefficients, of ionic strength, of degree of purification, and of source of clay were investigated. Equilibrium quotients with adjustment for solution-phase activity coefficients did not vary greatly with I, except at low loading of sodium on the calcium form of montmorillonite, where D Na became anomalously high. Values of K/T for illite and attapulgite were within an order of magnitude of those for montmorillonite.
Membrane potential synchrony of simultaneously recorded striatal spiny neurons in vivo

The basal ganglia are an interconnected set of subcortical regions whose established role in cognition and motor control remains poorly understood. An important nucleus within the basal ganglia, the striatum, receives cortical afferents that convey sensorimotor, limbic and cognitive information. The activity of medium-sized spiny neurons in the striatum seems to depend on convergent input within these information channels. To determine the degree of correlated input, both below and at threshold for the generation of action potentials, we recorded intracellularly from pairs of spiny neurons in vivo. Here we report that the transitions between depolarized and hyperpolarized states were highly correlated among neurons. Within individual depolarized states, some significant synchronous fluctuations in membrane potential occurred, but action potentials were not synchronized. Therefore, although the mean afferent signal across fibres is highly correlated among striatal neurons, the moment-to-moment variations around the mean, which determine the timing of action potentials, are not. We propose that the precisely timed, synchronous component of the membrane potential signals activation of cell assemblies and enables firing to occur. The asynchronous component, with low redundancy, determines the fine temporal pattern of spikes.
Importance of public health informatics: a survey of public health schools and graduate programs in the United States.

This paper examines the importance of data, information, and informatics to public health practice. Forty public health academicians from 40 schools and graduate programs of public health were interviewed. All agreed that informatics was important to public health practice. A qualitative analysis of their comments revealed their beliefs on the importance of informatics skills and knowledge to the practice of public health. The resulting comment groups varied from 'some skills are more important than others' to 'need all the skills.' Eight 'importance' comment groups were formed: 1) skills for all professionals; 2) some skills more than others; 3) yes, they need all the skills; 4) skills to become better practitioners; 5) usefulness to practitioners; 6) communication with public; 7) they're [the public] are depending on us; and 8) the future.
Environmental Toxicology, Statistics in

Environmental toxicity refers to the impact of a hazard or stressor at one or more levels of biological organization. This impact can range from molecular and cellular levels to whole organism, population, ecosystem, or landscape levels. The statistical methods employed to examine these impacts will reflect the level of organization and the measurements taken at this level. The methods associated with this spectrum are described and illustrated in this article. Keywords: ecosystem level; genomics; classification; measurement scale; regression; effect concentrations; NOEC; physiologically based toxicokinetic models; Bayesian; bootstrapping
Photoinactivation of Ammonia Oxidation in Nitrosomonas

Photoinactivation of ammonia oxidation in cells of Nitrosomonas was shown to follow first-order kinetics with a rate constant proportional to incident light intensity. The action spectrum for photoinactivation consisted of a broad peak in the ultraviolet range, where both hydroxylamine and ammonia oxidation were affected, and a shoulder at approximately 410 nm where only ammonia oxidation was affected. In photoinactivated cells, hydroxylamine but not ammonia was oxidized to nitrite and hydroxylamine but not ammonia caused reduction of cytochromes in vivo. The amount per cell of the following constituents was not measurably altered by photoinactivation: cytochromes b, c, a, and P460; ubiquinone; phospholipid; free amino acids; hydroxylamine-dependent nitrite synthetase; nitrite reductase; p-phenylenediamine oxidase; and cytochrome c oxidase. Malonaldehyde or lipid peroxides were not detected in photoinactivated cells. Photoinactivation was prevented (i) under anaerobic conditions, (ii) in the presence of methanol, allylthiourea, thiosemicarbazide, hydroxylamine, ethylxanthate, or CO at concentrations wich caused 100% inhibition of ammonia oxidation, and (iii) at concentrations of ammonia or hydroxylamine which gave a rapid rate of nitrite production. Recovery of ammonia oxidation activity in 90% inactivated cells took place in 6 h, required an energy and/or nitrogen source, and was inhibited by 400 mug of chloramphenicol per ml.
Utility of clinical chemical determinations of drug concentrations in biological fluids.

Iatrogenic drug toxicity has become a major medical problem. An approach to avoiding adverse reactions arising from drug accumulation is suggested and explored in depth. Large differences in the rates at which individuals metabolize several commonly used drugs are reviewed, because they illustrate the dangers of prescribing drugs solely according to body weight or surface area, and they emphasize the need for more satisfactory guidelines. Direct measurement of certain drugs in blood is suggested as a convenient, economical, and reliable solution to this problem. In healthy nonmedicated subjects, rates of decay of certain drugs are highly reproducible. In spite of large, genetically controlled differences among subjects in rates of drug metabolism, individuals do not vary significantly with respect to the pharmacological effects produced by certain well-defined blood concentrations of most drugs. For this reason, blood concentrations of most drugs may be conveniently divided into three separate ranges: the low range of therapeutic ineffectiveness; the intermediate range, in which the pharmacologic activity of the drug with negligible toxic side reactions is produced; and, finally, the toxic range. Because many potent drugs with a narrow therapeutic index are in use today—both alone and in combination—it is extremely difficult for the physician to maintain his patients consistently within the therapeutic range and outside of the ineffective or toxic range. Toxicity could be appreciably decreased if this approach of measuring drug concentrations in blood were more widely used in selecting and modifying drug dosage. Clinical advantages and limitations of measuring drug concentrations in blood, as well as the pharmacologic and genetic principles underlying them, are discussed.
Aligning inner and outer visions of technical communication: reflections beyond traditional technical writing

Technical communication is often misunderstood by those outside the profession or the academic field. These outside perceptions of our work, generally based on extremely limited and narrow notions of the field, can influence the opportunities available to technical communicators. In this paper, three faculty members from the University of Washington's Department of Technical Communication describe their academic assumptions and research activities that range far beyond traditional areas from technical writing such as writing, editing and production. They describe projects that represent the expanding boundaries of the field of technical communication, spanning domains (including medicine, corporate, and public service), methods (including contextual inquiry, content analysis, case studies, and log file analysis), and solution types (including content management, user driven content, computer mediated communication, and strategic management of systems). What these projects share is abroad vision of the field of technical communication and a broad vision of the contributions that technical communication professionals have to offer.
The affinities of Lithophytum: A transfer from Solanaceae to Verbenaceae

Lithophytum violaceum Brandegee, until recently known only from a single Mexican collection, has been considered anomalous since it was first described in 1911. This genus was originally assigned to the Solanaceae, but our reexamination of it shows that this relationship is highly unlikely. A plant of xeric habit with small emarginate leaves, it is different from any other known genus. The flowers have five sepals, and the sympetalous corolla is campanulate or salverform. The five equal epipetalous stamens surround a unilocular ovary with two parietal anatropous ovules. Style and stigma are absent, and the locule of the ovary is exposed to the outside by an apical pore. The wood, young stem, leaf, floral anatomy, and pollen were studied in detail, and the aggregate of morphological features accords well with the Verbenaceae.
Sulfur and superplasticity in electrodeposited ultrafine-grained Ni

Abstract The effect of sulfur (S) on superplasticity in ultrafine-grained electrodeposited nickel (Ni) was investigated by comparing the tensile behavior of Ni containing co-deposited S to electrodeposited Ni without S. Superplasticity was observed in Ni containing S in the temperature range of 350–490 °C, at an optimum constant strain rate of 10 −3 s −1 . Superplasticity was not achieved in Ni without S. The role of S on superplasticity was attributed to the combined effect of solute drag inhibited grain growth and the promotion of grain boundary sliding through weakened Ni Ni bonds across S enriched grain boundaries.
Comments On "Testing a Sample Population for the Rayleigh Distribution" and a Succeeding Correction

In a recent correction [2] to previous correspondence [1] it was stated that 3) of the theorem in [1] was invalid due to the statistical dependence of the y i . The joint distribution function of the y i is derived below confirming their dependence, but also upholding the validity of Item 3. Furthermore, an exact goodness of fit test for the Rayleigh distribution based upon the N + 1 observations x_{1}, ... , x_{N+1} is suggested.
A rebound mechanism for misfit dislocation creation in metallic nanolayers

Abstract A version of the Dregia–Hirth rebound mechanism for misfit dislocation creation is observed in atomistic models of Cu–Ni nanolayered structures. Glide dislocations in Cu layers undergo a reaction at the Cu–Ni interface under applied compression to produce another glide dislocation and a misfit dislocation.
Linoleic Acid Hydroperoxide: Impaired Bacterial Uptake by Alveolar Macrophages, a Mechanism of Oxidant Lung Injury

Exogenous linoleic acid hydroperoxide causes in vitro impairment of both bacterial uptake and the phagocytic stimulation of 14 CO 2 production from [ 1 - 14 C ] glucose in rabbit alveolar macrophages by an undefined effect on the cell membrane. This effect may be one mechanism for the defective pulmonary bacterial clearance characteristic of oxidant lung injury.
Slow wave sleep rebound and REM rebound following the first night of treatment with CPAP for sleep apnea: correlation with subjective improvement in sleep quality

Objective: The purpose of this study was to correlate changes in PSG parameters between the diagnostic polysomnogram (dPSG) and the first night of treatment with continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) (cpapPSG) to subjective improvement in sleep quality.Background: In patients with obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS), therapy with CPAP results in reduction of sleep latency, stage 1 sleep, arousal index (Al) and respiratory disturbance index (RDI), and increase in stage 2 sleep, REM sleep and REM density. No data exists on the differences in polysomnographic (PSG) parameters in patients who have subjective improvement in sleep quality and those who do not.Methods: We retrospectively reviewed PSG studies of 44 patients with OSAS who presented to the Sleep Disorders Center at Duke University Medical Center. Patient's qualitative assessment of sleep was noted using a Likert-type scale administered the morning after the dPSG and cpapPSG. PSG indices of patients noting subjective improvement were compared to those with no improvement.Results: Patients noting a subjective improvement in sleep quality showed a decrease in the percentages of stage 1 sleep (P<0.001) and an increase in percentages of stages 3 and 4 sleep (slow wave sleep rebound; P<0.007) and stage REM sleep (REM rebound; P<0.008).
Revision INBONE Total Ankle Replacement

The INBONE total ankle replacement is a unique modular ankle replacement that has the ability to serve as both a primary and a revision total ankle replacement. Despite its versatility, it may need to be revised, either because of poor patient selection, technical error, or infection. This article may be of value to those surgeons embarking on the primary placement or revision of an INBONE total ankle replacement.
DISSECT: integrating computational thinking in the traditional K-12 curricula through collaborative teaching (abstract only)

The goal of the DISSECT program is to integrate computational thinking lessons into general education K-12 classrooms via graduate student/teacher partnerships. The idea of combining the teaching of CT with other disciplines is not new and it has taken shape in a variety of recent efforts in the formal education of youth. What is promising and innovative is the approach as it is implemented in K12 DISSECT classrooms. Through a collaborative teaching partnership, teachers gain a new perspective regarding computer science, and in cooperation with graduate students well-versed in computer science concepts, develop lessons and course modules that serve two purposes: 1.) Address K-12 content standards in core disciplines (e.g., language arts, life science) and 2.) Introduce CT concepts, such as abstraction, algorithms, data analysis and modeling. This poster describes ways computational thinking (CT) is taught in general K-12 classrooms in New Mexico through cooperative teaching. Along with their potential to stimulate interest in computing, these pilot modules were viewed by K12 teachers as enhancing disciplinary course content that teachers are charged with teaching (e.g., middle school science, language arts), deemed vital for sustainability in K12 schools by participating teachers. Preliminary data indicate graduate student and teacher satisfaction with cooperative teaching of CT. Next steps for research will involve student level data collection and analysis.
Assignment of genes encoding dihydrofolate reductase and hexosaminidase B to Mus musculus chromosome 13.

The murine gene encoding dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR) has been localized to a particular mouse chromosome by complementation mapping. Microcells prepared from diploid mouse fibroblasts were fused with mutant hamster cells lacking the dihydrofolate reductase gene (Dhfr),and DHFR+microcell hybrids were selected in medium lacking purines and pyrimidines. The complemented hybrids expressed wild-type levels of DHFR enzyme activity, and selectively retained a single mouse chromosome—chromosome 13. Genomic Southern blots of DNAs prepared from these hybrids and from an independently derived collection of clones isolated without selection on the DHFR phenotype confirmed the assignment of murine Dhfrgene sequences to chromosome 13. This assignment provides further evidence for the existence of genetic homology between regions of mouse chromosome 13 and human chromosome 5. In support of this view, we show that the gene encoding hexosamindase B, a chromosome 5 marker in man, also maps to mouse chromosome 13.
Maternal history of parentification, maternal warm responsiveness, and children's externalizing behavior.

Destructive parentification occurs when children are expected to provide instrumental or emotional caregiving within the family system that overtaxes their developmental capacity. According to parentification theory, destructive parentification in family of origin poses a risk to child development in subsequent generations; however, there is a paucity of empirical research examining the impact of a maternal history of destructive parentification on parenting quality and child outcomes in subsequent generations. The present study examined the potential risk of maternal history of parentification on child adjustment by hypothesizing that a maternal history of parentification in family of origin would have a negative impact on quality of maternal warm responsiveness at 18 months of age which would, in turn, be associated with increased children’s externalizing symptoms at 36 months. Results indicated that there was a significant indirect effect of maternal history of destructive parentification in family of origin on child externalizing behavior in the next generation through maternal warm responsiveness, supporting the hypothesized model. This finding suggests that facilitating the development of maternal contingent responsiveness among mothers with a history of destructive parentification may promote more adaptive child development in the next generation.
Undergraduate students' mental models of the Web as an information retrieval system

This study explored undergraduate students' mental models of the Web as an information retrieval system. Mental models play an important role in people's interaction with information systems. Better understanding of people's mental models could inspire better interface design and user instruction. Multiple data-collection methods, including questionnaire, semistructured interview, drawing, and participant observation, were used to elicit students' mental models of the Web from different perspectives, though only data from interviews and drawing descriptions are reported in this article. Content analysis of the transcripts showed that students had utilitarian rather than structural mental models of the Web. The majority of participants saw the Web as a huge information resource where everything can be found rather than an infrastructure consisting of hardware and computer applications. Students had different mental models of how information is organized on the Web, and the models varied in correctness and complexity. Students' mental models of search on the Web were illustrated from three points of view: avenues of getting information, understanding of search engines' working mechanisms, and search tactics. The research results suggest that there are mainly three sources contributing to the construction of mental models: personal observation, communication with others, and class instruction. In addition to structural and functional aspects, mental models have an emotional dimension. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
cAMP response element-binding protein-binding protein mediates thyrotropin-releasing hormone signaling on thyrotropin subunit genes

Transcription of pituitary alpha-glycoprotein hormone subunit (alpha-GSU) and thyrotropin beta subunit (TSH-beta) genes is stimulated by thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH). Since cAMP response element-binding protein (CREB)-binding protein (CBP) integrates a number of cell signaling pathways, we investigated whether CBP is important for TRH stimulation of the TSH subunit genes. Cotransfection of E1A in GH(3) cells completely blocked TRH stimulation of the TSH subunit genes, suggesting that CBP is a key factor for TRH signaling in the pituitary. CBP and Pit-1 acted synergistically in TRH stimulation of the TSH-beta promoter, and amino acids 1-450 of CBP were sufficient for the TRH effect. In contrast, on the human alpha-GSU promoter, CREB and P-Lim mediated TRH signaling. Intriguingly, CREB was phosphorylated upon TRH stimulation, leading to CBP recruitment to the alpha-GSU promoter. CBP also interacted with P-Lim in a TRH-dependent manner, suggesting that P-Lim is an important factor for non-cAMP response element-mediated TRH stimulation of this promoter. Distinct domains of CBP were required for TRH signaling by CREB and P-Lim on the alpha-GSU promoter, amino acids 450-700 and 1-450, respectively. Thus, the amino terminus of CBP plays a critical role in TRH signaling in the anterior pituitary via both Pit-1-dependent and -independent pathways, yielding differential regulation of pituitary gene products.
Memory-Blocking Agents: Effects on Olfactory Discrimination in Homing Salmon

Homing salmon were injected intracranially with puromycin, actinomycin D, or cycloheximide. From 4 to 7 hours after such treatment these agents markedly inhibited olfactory bulbar discrimination between home water and other natural waters, including spawning sites for other groups of salmon. At longer intervals after treatment there was a partial restoration of olfactory memory-based discrimination. The dosages of the inhibitors used could be shown to have depressed incorporation of H 3 -leucine into protein by 78 percent or of H 3 -uridine into RNA by 41 percent in the salmon brains 4 hours after intracranial injection. These findings suggest that acute blockage of RNA synthesis or protein synthesis can interfere with long-term olfactory memory in anadromous salmon, at least as this function can be analyzed by electrophysiological methods. This implies that long-term olfactory memory depends upon continued metabolism of RNA and continued protein synthesis.
Performance of recursive query processing methods in the presence of cycles

An experimental performance analysis of three recursive query processing methods [the magic-sets method (MAG), the magic-counting method (MCS), and the synchronized-counting method (SCM)] in deductive databases in the presence of cycles is presented. We define a set of characteristics that affects the performance of query processing methods for cyclic data. Although there are other experimental performance analysis studies of recursive query processing methods in the literature, these studies have covered only acyclic databases. There are only some bounds for the worst case and best case analysis of recursive query processing methods on cyclic data. This paper introduces a set of graph characteristics on which similar performance studies can be based, and it is, to our knowledge, the first comparative experimental study on the performance of recursive query processing methods for cyclic data.
Meeting Jimmie Rodgers: How America's Original Roots Music Hero Changed the Pop Sounds of a Century

Long acknowledged as the “Father of Country Music,” singer and songwriter Jimmie Rodgers, who died in 1933 at age 36 from tuberculosis, is enshrined in the Country Music Hall of Fame, Rock and Roll...
Lipid A Acylation and Bacterial Resistance against Vertebrate Antimicrobial Peptides

The Salmonellae PhoP-PhoQ virulence regulators induce resistance to host cationic antimicrobial peptides (CAMP) after infection of vertebrate tissues, and Mg2+ or Ca2+ limitation. The PhoP-PhoQ activated gene, pagP, was identified as important to inducible CAMP resistance and increased acylation of lipid A, the major component of the outer leaflet of the outer membrane. pagP mutants demonstrated increased outer membrane permeability in response to CAMP, supporting the hypothesis that increased lipid A acylation is a CAMP resistance mechanism. Similarly, in response to Mg2+ limited growth, other enteric Gram-negative bacteria demonstrated increased lipid A acylation. Compounds that inhibit the ability to increase lipid A acylation may have utility as new antimicrobial agents.
Similar [DE]XXXL[LI] motifs differentially target GLUT8 and GLUT12 in Chinese Hamster Ovary Cells

The transport of glucose across cell membranes is mediated by facilitative glucose transporters. The recently identified Class III glucose transporter GLUT12 is predominantly expressed in insulin-sensitive tissues such as heart, fat, and skeletal muscle. We examined the subcellular localization of GLUT12 in CHO and HEK293 cells stably expressing murine GLUT12. We have previously shown that another Class III glucose transporter, GLUT8, contains a [DE]XXXL[LI] motif that directs it to late endosomal/lysosomal compartments. Despite also having this highly conserved motif in its amino terminus, GLUT12 does not colocalize with GLUT8. Rather, GLUT12 resides in the Golgi network and at the plasma membrane. Furthermore, GLUT8 and GLUT12 exhibit dramatic differences in trafficking from the plasma membrane. Whereas GLUT8 is internalized following its expression at the cell surface, GLUT12 remains largely associated with the plasma membrane. To further explore the trafficking mechanisms, we created mutant constructs to explore the potential role of GLUT12's NH2-terminal dileucine motif in regulating its intracellular sorting. We show that both the GPN and the LL residues within the [DE]XXXL[LI] motif influence the cell surface expression of GLUT12 and conclude that the mechanisms governing the intracellular sorting of GLUT12 are distinct from those regulating the sorting of GLUT8.
Preventory by L(−) ascorbic acid of isoproterenol-induced cardiotoxicity in primary cultures of rat myocytes

Abstract Primary cultures of rat myocytes were exposed to various doses of L-isoproterenol (ISO) for 4, 12 and 24 h. L-ascorbic acid (AA) was added to some cultures immediatedly after exposure to ISO to determine if antioxidants reduce the toxicity caused by ISO. Leakage of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) and cell viability were used as indices of cell injury. A significant increase in LDH release was found 24 h after exposure to 1 × 10−4 M ISO alone. Higher doses (5 × 10−4 and 1 × 10−3 M) caused significant enzyme release 4, 12 and 24 h after exposure. The viability of cultures exposed to toxic doses of ISO for 4 h was not affected. A dose-dependent decrease in cell viability was observed 12 h and 24 h after exposure to ISO. L-ascorbic acid (5 × 10−3 and 1.5 × 10−2 M) significantly reduced the LDH release caused by ISO. The enzyme release from cultures exposed to 5 × 10−4 and 5 × 10−3 M AA alone was similar to that of control cultures. Howecer, 1.5 × 10−2 and 3 × 10−2 M AA caused marked LDH release. The viability of cultures subjected to ISo in the presence of 5 × 10−3 M AA was similar to that of controls. Our results show that AA protects against the LDH release and decreased cellular viability cuased by toxic doses of ISO.
Semi‐automated measurement of true chord length distributions and moments by video microscopy and image analysis

Summary The distribution of the lengths of airspace chords in pulmonary parenchyma characterizes many architectural features of the alveoli and alveolar ducts. Laborious to obtain manually, the distributions and density functions may be acquired semi-automatically by video microscopy, digitization and image processing. The accuracy of the estimation is influenced by the microscopical methods and also by the techniques used (i) to convert the digitized grey-scale picture to a two-valued image, (ii) to collect the chord lengths and (iii) to compensate for finite field widths. The last problem arises because some chords are completely visible within a field while others are only partially seen, since one of the two air-tissue boundaries lies outside the field of view. This error systematically biases the observed distribution. This paper contains solutions to hardware, software and analytic problems encountered while developing the capability to measure airspace chord length density functions semi-automatically. Formulas for estimating the true chord length density function from samples of observed chord lengths are presented. Also given are formulas for the estimation of the first and second moments of the true chord length distribution from the means of observed chord lengths. These techniques of image preparation and analysis should be suitable for characterizing particle, grain or cell size distributions, especially where many profiles fall partially outside the field of view.
Grinding the sharp tip in thin NiTi and stainless steel wires

Abstract This paper investigates the grinding process to generate the sharp tip of thin nickel titanium (NiTi) and stainless steel (SS) wires, which are commonly used in medical device applications. The large deflection of thin wires and variation of forces during grinding a 15° bevel angle tip are studied experimentally using the cubic boron nitride (CBN) and silicon carbide (SiC) wheels, respectively. During grinding, as the wire length gradually decreases and the stiffness increases, the wire deflection generally reaches a peak value and then gradually decreases. The results show that CBN grinding has a lower (about 1/3−1/2) grinding force and smaller (about 1/4−1/3) wire deflection than that of the SiC. Compared to SS wire, the NiTi exhibits a larger grinding force and wire deflection, lower surface roughness, and the breakage of wire at the collet chucking location using the SiC wheel due to the high stress induced phase transformation and brittle fracture. The grinding forces and wire tip deflection have large effects on the contact length and grinding time. A model based on the measured grinding forces as the input is developed to estimate the wire deflection and grinding time. This model is validated with experimental measurements and the effects of burr formation and NiTi phase transformation on grinding time are discussed.
Epistemic extendedness, testimony, and the epistemology of instrument-based belief

In Relying on others [Goldberg, S. 2010a. Relying on others: An essay in epistemology. Oxford: Oxford University Press], I argued that, from the perspective of an interest in epistemic assessment, the testimonial belief-forming process should be regarded as interpersonally extended. At the same time, I explicitly rejected the extendedness model for beliefs formed through reliance on a mere mechanism, such as a clock. In this paper, I try to bolster my defense of this asymmetric treatment. I argue that a crucial assumption lying behind the argument I used to establish interpersonal extendedness in testimony cases does not apply to beliefs formed through reliance on instruments. In this respect, at least, there appears to be something epistemically distinctive about relying on another epistemic agent.
Micro‐synthesis of deuterium labelled propoxylated trimethylolpropane polyols

A method for preparing specifically labelled propoxylated trimethylolpropane polymers is described.
Effect of acute ethanolic intoxication on the neuraminidase activity of rat liver Golgi apparatus.

Neuraminidase and galactosyltransferase were investigated in total Golgi apparatus and in the three fractions of increasing densities (GF1, GF2 and GF2) isolated from the microsomal fraction of rat liver homogenates by flotation in a discontinuous sucrose density gradient (Ehrenreich, J.H., Bergeron, J.J.M., Siekevitz, P. and Palade, G.E. (1973) J. Cell Biol. 59, 45–72). About 50% decreases in neuraminidase content (units/g liver) and specifixc activity (units/ mg protein) were observed in total Golgi as well as in the three fractions isolated at 45 min, 90 min, 180 min and 16 h after administration of a single oral dose of 50% aqueous ethanol (0.6 g/100 g body weight). Colchicine administration (intraperitoneal injection, 0.5 mg/100 g body weight) caused a similar loss of neuraminidase activity; however, the effect of ethanol plus colchicine was not additive. Golgi galactosyltransferase, on the other hand, experienced marked increases of activity following ethanol administration but, unlike the results reported by others (Gang, H., Lieber, C.S. and Rubin, E. (1973) Nat. New Biol. 243, 123–125), significant increases in total activity and specific activity were already quite evident at 90 min after ethanol ingestion. In contrast with the decreased values observed in Golgi, the total particle-bound neuraminidase was significantly elevated following ethanol administration. Ultrastructural studies revealed increased lysosomal content and detachment of polysomes from the rough endoplasmic reticulum. A model, which takes into account these enzymological and ultrastructural findings and their biological significance, is proposed.
Suggestions for Helping Students Who Are Deaf Succeed in General Education Settings

Research on successful students who are deaf and receive the majority of their education in general education settings suggested the importance of 10 factors for promoting this success. In an effor...
Evaluation of bouvardin, deoxybouvardin, and RA-I - RA-VII partial structures: reassignment of the pharmacophore

Abstract The in vitro cytotoxic evaluation of a set of key partial structures and analogs of deoxybouvardin and RA-I – RA-VII is detailed and has permitted the reassignment of the agent pharmacophore.
Data Assimilation for Dispersion Models

The design of an effective data assimilation environment for dispersion models is studied. These models are usually described by partial differential equations which lead to large scale state space models. The linear Kalman filter theory fails to meet the requirements of this application due to high dimensionality, strong non-linearities, non-Gaussian driving disturbances and model parameter uncertainties. Application of Kalman filter to these large scale models is computationally expensive and real time estimation is not possible with the present resources. Various Monte Carlo filtering techniques are studied for implementation in the case of dispersion models, with a particular focus on Ensemble filtering and particle filtering approaches. The filters are compared with the full Kalman filter estimates on a one dimensional spherical diffusion model for illustrative purposes.
Too Busy to Learn: A "Competing Behaviors" Explanation of Cross-Cultural Differences in Academic Ascendancy Based on the Cultural Distance Hypothesis

Many explanations have been made about the differential secondary school drop-out rates, college attendance levels, and over-all academic performance discrepancies of Black and White students. This article presents a model to describe the difference between the two groups in academic ascendancy based on the Cultural-Distance Hypothesis formulated by Grubb (1983). Basically the poorer Black performance in the formal educational system can be blamed on the need for African American (and especially poor) children to learn a group of functional behaviors related to community survival but unrelated to academic advancement. Euro-American children are spared these responsibilities and their mastery until later in life, usually post high school or college. Blacks and other groups described as "deprived" are therefore seen as having to learn a great many "adult" behaviors at an earlier age than do their White or "privileged" counterparts. This competition for their learning potential during the formative school ye...
Empirical investigation of COBOL features

Abstract This study investigated programming activity in COBOL. Attempts were made to identify problem areas so that improvements can be made in COBOL compilers and in the manner in which COBOL is taught. Identification of problem areas was achieved through examining program changes made by student programmers during the development of four different programs written in COBOL. The data, which was collected from a COBOL course at Purdue University, consisted of all versions of all programs submitted for compilation by each student. Thus, the data represented a complete history of each subject's program development process beginning with the initial version compiled and ending with the final version submitted for grading. All program changes made between two successive versions were classified into four categories: COBOL-related, algorithmic, cosmetic and report-generation-related. A significant number of changes are related to report generation which suggests a need for support in this area. COBOL-related changes were delineated into 104 error categories which suggested that there are several problem areas in COBOL. Finally, the four categories of program changes were observed with respect to various points in the program development process. Most COBOL-related changes occur before the midpoint of the development process whereas most cosmetic changes occur late in the process.
Possible Experimental Consequences of Triangle Singularities in Strange-Particle Production Processes

Observable consequences of anomalous threshold singularity for triangle diagrams are examined with special reference to cases where baryon resonances of narrow width participate as an internal line in the $E$ channel. It is found that the reaction ${K}^{\ensuremath{-}}+p\ensuremath{\rightarrow}K+\ensuremath{\pi}+\ensuremath{\Xi}$, with ${\ensuremath{\Xi}}^{*}$ (1530) included as an internal line of the graph, offers the best experimental situation for detecting an anomalous singularity effect by studying the ($K\ensuremath{\pi}$) mass spectrum in final state.
Immunobiology of Influenza Vaccines

Vaccination is the primary strategy for prevention and control of influenza. The surface hemagglutinin (HA) protein of the influenza virus contains two structural elements (head and stalk) that differ in their potential utility as vaccine targets. The head of the HA protein is the primary target of antibodies that confer protective immunity to influenza viruses. The underlying health status, age, and gene polymorphisms of vaccine recipients and, just as importantly, the extent of the antigenic match between the viruses in the vaccine and those that are circulating modulate influenza vaccine protection. Vaccine adjuvants and live attenuated influenza vaccine improve the breadth of immunity to seasonal and pandemic virus strains. Eliciting antibodies against the conserved HA stem region that cross-react with HAs within influenza virus types or subtypes would allow for the development of a universal influenza vaccine. The highly complex network of interactions generated after influenza infection and vaccination can be studied with the use of systems biology tools, such as DNA microarray chips. The use of systems vaccinology has allowed for the generation of gene expression signatures that represent key transcriptional differences between asymptomatic and symptomatic host responses to influenza infection. Additionally, the use of systems vaccinology tools have resulted in the identification of novel surrogate gene markers that are predictors of the magnitude of host responses to vaccines, which is critical to both vaccine development and public health. Identifying associations between variations in vaccine immune responses and gene polymorphisms is critical in the development of universal influenza vaccines.
Finger localization and finger praxis

Abstract The relations between finger localization and various types of finger praxis were assessed by estimates of the inter-correlations among the performance of 100 six-year-old children. Finger localization was related significantly to those types of finger praxis which involve movements of the individual fingers with respect to each other. Right-left discrimination was related to finger localization, but not to the measures of finger praxis. The findings are interpreted in terms of the construct of the finger schema, which can be viewed as a determinant of performance in both the localization and praxis tasks. This construct can also serve as an explanation of the observed concurrence of finger agnosia and finger apraxia as a consequence of cerebral disease.
Effect of sulfate and carbon dioxide on chloride diffusivity

Abstract The effects of sulfate and CO 2 on chloride penetration fronts and diffusivities were determined at 60 months exposure for ordinary Portland cement concrete and concrete incorporating the partial replacement of the cement with slag. It was found that sulfate and CO 2 decrease the chloride penetration and diffusivity in the ordinary Portland cement concrete whereas the opposite behavior is observed for the slag concrete. However, chloride ingress is always considerably less in the slag concrete.
The Association Between Body Weight, Unintended Pregnancy Resulting in a Livebirth, and Contraception at the Time of Conception

Objectives: Annually, 3 million pregnancies in the United States are classified as unintended, with many of these unintended pregnancies occurring to women who use some type of contraceptive. Obesity may be affecting the biological effectiveness of contraceptives. We investigated whether there is an association between body weight and unintended pregnancy and whether this association differs by a woman's contraceptive status at the time of conception. Methods: We conducted a case–control study using multistate data from the 1999 Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System. A total of 18,445 women provided complete information on pregnancy intention, contraceptive use at the time of conception, weight, height, and other covariates. Multivariable logistic regression was used to obtain odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Results: Among contraceptors, overweight and obese women had nearly twice the odds of having an unintended pregnancy as compared to women with normal body mass indices (OR=1.73 [95% CI: 1.20, 2.36] and OR=1.75 [95% CI: 1.21, 2.52], respectively) after adjustment for age, marital status, education, socioeconomic status, Medicaid, race/ethnicity, and parity. No association was found between heavier weight and unintended pregnancy among noncontraceptors. Conclusions: Though the observed associations could be the result of selection bias or unmeasured confounding, the findings suggest that the effect of obesity on unintended pregnancy is limited to contraceptive failure. Prospective studies designed specifically to examine a body weight–contraceptive failure association are needed to determine if heavier women should be advised to use contraceptive methods other than hormonal contraceptives to prevent unintended pregnancy.
Effect of erythromycin base on theophylline kinetics

Because of several recent reports describing altered theophylline elimination in the presence of salts of erythromycin, the effect of a 10-day course of erythromycin base on theophylline kinetics was studied in eight healthy adult men. Theophylline (4 mg/kg) was given on four separate study days: (1) prior to starting erythromycin, (2) on the third day of erythromycin administration, (3) on the tenth day of erythromycin administration, and (4) 2 weeks after the course of erythromycin was completed. Mean theophylline kinetic parameter values on each of the 4 study days were: apparent volume of distribution (Vd), 0.466, 0.466, 0.472, and 0.470 l/kg; elimination half-life (t½), 7.4, 7.8, 8.5, and 7.0 hr; and total body clearance (ClB), 0.747, 0.723, 0.683, and 0.821 ml/min/kg. A maximum decrease of 20.7% in theophylline ClB was noted by the third study day. Two weeks after erythromycin was discontinued, the greatest increase in ClB observed was 45.7%. Differences in t½ and ClB between the third and fourth study days were statistically significant (p < 0.05). Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics (1981) 29, 601–605; doi:10.1038/clpt.1981.84