cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
"Brittle" Hair With Short Stature, Intellectual Impairment and Decreased Fertility: An Autosomal Recessive Syndrome in an Amish Kindred

During a study of an Amish population of Northern Indiana, 25 individuals with a syndrome of brittle hair, short stature, and intellectual impairment were found in one large kindred. Observations in 20 of these affected individuals have shown that the short stature and intellectual impairment are relatively mild except in the propositus who also has a deletion of a portion of the long arm of chromosome 14. The hair in each affected individual has an abnormal appearance by light and scanning electron microscopy with an irregular grooved surface lacking in scales. Polarization microscopy of the hair revealed an alternating birefringent pattern. Neutron activation analysis of the hair of 11 affected individuals showed the sulfur content to average 2.51% by weight (approximately one half that of controls and nine obligate heterozygotes). This condition can be differentiated from Menkes9 kinky-hair syndrome by the microscopic appearance of the hair, the normal copper and ceruloplasmin levels and the mode of inheritance. The syndrome being reported has similarities to and may be identical with a condition previously reported in two siblings by Pollitt et al. in 1968 and that reported in a 4-year-old girl by Brown et al. in 1970. The number of affected individuals and their distribution in this large kindred have provided evidence for the autosomal recessive inheritance of the condition and for its decreased fertility.
The N-terminal K Homology Domain of the Poly(rC)-binding Protein Is a Major Determinant for Binding to the Poliovirus 5′-Untranslated Region and Acts as an Inhibitor of Viral Translation

The poly(rC)-binding proteins (PCBP1 and PCBP2) are RNA-binding proteins whose RNA recognition motifs are composed of three K homology (KH) domains. These proteins are involved in both the stabilization and translational regulation of several cellular and viral RNAs. PCBP1 and PCBP2 specifically interact with both the 5'-element known as the cloverleaf structure and the large stem-loop IV RNA of the poliovirus 5'-untranslated region. We have found that the first KH domain of PCBP2 (KH1) specifically interacts with the viral RNAs, and together with viral protein 3CD, KH1 forms a high affinity ternary ribonucleoprotein complex with the cloverleaf RNA, resembling the full-length PCBP protein. Furthermore, KH1 acts as a dominant-negative mutant to inhibit translation from a poliovirus reporter gene in both Xenopus laevis oocytes and HeLa cell in vitro translation extracts.
Studies on the mechanism of sickling of deer erythrocytes.

Abstract Observations on sickled deer erythrocytes made with the electron microscope confirm conclusions obtained by other means that these cells are very similar, if not identical, to human sickled erythrocytes. Although the experiments reported here may not be conclusive, observations made on sections of erythrocytes during the process of sickling suggest that sickling results from the formation of hemoglobin tactoids under the appropriate conditions. Except for well-documented differences in the factors that induce sickling in deer as contrasted to human erythrocytes, there are many similarities in the sickling phenomenon in these two species. It is likely that the deer might serve as a suitable experimental animal in which to study certain aspects of the human syndrome.
A novel advancement flap for reconstruction of massive forehead and temple soft‐tissue defects

Objectives/Hypothesis: To describe the authors' experience with an extended deep-plane cervicofacial (EDPCF) advancement flap, a modification of the deep-plane cervicofacial flap, for reconstruction of large forehead and temple soft-tissue defects. Study Design: Case series at a tertiary referral medical center. Methods: The charts of 11 consecutive patients who underwent EDPCF flap surgery for reconstruction of forehead and temple skin cancer defects were reviewed for demographics, smoking status, defect size, length of surgery and hospitalization, American Society of Anesthesiologists Physical Status Classification (ASA) grade, and postoperative complications. Results: All patients had reconstruction of large forehead and temple defects following either primary resection or Mohs micrographic surgery for skin cancer. No skin grafting was required for secondary defects. The average defect size was 52.2 cm2. Patient ages averaged 74 years with a median ASA grade of 3. Thirty-six percent of patients admitted to smoking. Average operative time was 100 minutes, with 82% of patients treated on an outpatient basis. There were no complications of ectropion or facial nerve injury encountered. Partial distal flap necrosis occurred in one patient who admitted to smoking and resolved with conservative management. Conclusions: The EDCPF flap is a robust flap with a dual arterial supply and both rotation and advancement components. It is ideal in frail patients with good soft-tissue laxity and provides an immediate one-stage reconstruction with ideal skin color, texture, and thickness matches for large forehead and temple defects.
The effect of extracellular matrix interactions on morphologic transformation invitro

There is emerging evidence that the structure and function of a cell is dependent in part on the contacts that cells make with the extracellular matrix. We report here the effect of extracellular matrices secreted from both normal and tumor cells have on the structure of normal rat kidney epithelial cells. Normal rat kidney cells plated on the basement membrane secreted by tumor cells adopt a morphology and phenotype which closely resembles a Kirsten-ras transformed normal rat kidney cell. This morphologic transformation was not observed for cells plated on individual extracellular matrix components or on basement membrane secreted by normal placenta cells. This suggests that tumor derived basement membrane has unique characteristics which may cause morphologic transformation of normal rat kidney cells.
Pain in chronic pancreatitis: a salutogenic mechanism or a maladaptive brain response?

Pain in chronic pancreatitis is frequently refractory to medical and even surgical treatment. This refractoriness leads us to believe that a pancreas-independent, brain-mediated mechanism must be responsible. If so, several scenarios are worth considering. First, chronic pain could be the consequence of undesirable neuroplastic changes, by which pathology becomes established and causes disability. Alternatively, pain may be linked to the salutogenic (from salutogenesis, the Latin word for health and well-being) central nervous system response (we defined ‘salutogenic response’ as the specific modulation of the immune system induced by brain activity changes) to promote healing of the injured viscera. If so, chronic pain could index the ongoing nervous system attempt to promote healing. In this review, we discuss (1) the mechanisms of pain in chronic pancreatitis; (2) potential brain-related salutogenic mechanisms, and (3) the potential relationship of these two factors to the disease status. Furthermore, we consider these aspects in light of a new approach to treat visceral pain: transcranial magnetic stimulation, a noninvasive method of brain stimulation.
Inflation convergence and currency unions: the case of the East African community

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to investigate inflation convergence within the East African Community (EAC) as it aspires to become a currency union.Design/methodology/approach – An unobserved dynamic factor model was used to decompose the variation in inflation into a component that is common across the countries in the EAC region and a component that is country specific. Convergence was measured by the percentage of variation in inflation that is common across countries.Findings – The estimated results from the dynamic factor model for the pre‐EAC Treaty (1981:3 to 2000:2) period and post‐EAC Treaty (2000:3 to 2009:1) period suggest that the percentage variation in inflation in the EAC that is explained by the common regional component increased significantly during the post‐Treaty period.Research limitations/implications – One of the limitations of this paper is that it does not address the mechanism through which the convergence in a currency union is achieved. Future research should try to ex...
Using computers in higher education: past recommendations, status, and needs

Data from a survey conducted with National Science Foundation support, which was published in December 1970, is reviewed, and it is pointed out that, with regard to computers in higher education, national goals stated in the Rosser and Pierce Reports have not been attained. Quality was lacking in hardware or courses in nearly half of the associate and bachelor's degree programs in data processing, computer science, etc., offered in 1966-67. A plea is made for continuing studies on status and goals for computing in higher education, improvement of degree programs, and a national testing laboratory for educational technology.
Acid-catalyzed pyrolytic synthesis and decomposition of 1,4:3,6-dianhydro-α-d-glucopyranose

Abstract 1,4:3,6-dianhydro-α- d -glucopyranose (1) was formed, together with 1,6-anhydro-3,4-dideoxy-β- d -glycero-hex-3-enopyranos-2-ulose (levoglycosenone, 2) and levoglucosan (4), on acid-catalyzed pyrolysis of d -glucose, amylopectin, and cellulose. Pyrolysis of 1 in the presence of acid provided significant quantities of 2, indicating that 1 can act as a pyrolytic precursor of 2. A pyrolysis product from cellulose previously considered to be 1,6-anhydro-3-deoxy-β- d -erythro-hex-3-enopyranose (12) was shown to be dianhydride 1.
Dual layer hollow fiber sorbents: Concept, fabrication and characterization

Abstract Hollow fiber sorbents are pseudo-monolithic separations materials created with fiber spinning technology using a polymer ‘binder’, impregnated with high loadings of sorbent ‘fillers’ [1] . To increase purified gas recovery during the sorption step and to ensure consistent sorption capacity over repeated cycles, a dense, thin polymer barrier layer on the fiber sorbents is needed to allow only thermal interactions between the sorbate loaded layer and the thermal regeneration fluid. This paper considers materials and methods to create delamination-free dual layer fiber sorbents, with a porous core and a barrier sheath layer formed using a simultaneous co-extrusion process. Low permeability polymers were screened for sheath layer creation, with the core layer comprising cellulose acetate polymer as binder and zeolite NaY as sorbent fillers. Appropriate core and sheath layer dope compositions were determined by the cloud-point method and rheology measurements. The morphology of the as-spun fibers was characterized in detail by SEM, EDX and gas permeation analysis. A simplified qualitative model is described to explain the observed fiber morphology. The effects of core, sheath spin dope and bore fluid compositions, spinning process parameters such as air–gap height, spin dope and coagulation bath temperatures, and elongation draw ratio are examined in detail.
Uniform LP duality for semidefinite and semi-infinite programming

Recently, a semidefinite and semi-infinite linear programming problem (SDSIP), its dual (DSDSIP), and uniform LP duality between (SDSIP) and (DSDSIP) were proposed and studied by Li et al. (Optimization 52:507–528, 2003). In this paper, we show that (SDSIP) is an ordinary linear semi-infinite program and, therefore, all the existing results regarding duality and uniform LP duality for linear semi-infinite programs can be applied to (SDSIP). By this approach, the main results of Li et al. (Optimization 52:507–528, 2003) can be obtained easily.
Moment-method analysis of circularly symmetric reflectors using bandlimited basis functions

To reduce the computational requirements, a quasilocalised, spatially bandlimited set of basis functions is adapted and explored in the context of the moment-method (MM) analysis of circularly symmetric reflectors. By considering the analysis of representative geometries, its performance is evaluated against results produced by entire-domain and local-domain basis functions. It is shown that the use of bandlimited functions is particularly useful in this context, improving the computational efficiency in terms of both storage and CPU time requirements.
Cystathionine Beta-Synthase Deficiency Heralded by Cerebral Sinus Venous Thrombosis and Stroke

Abstract Background Elevated plasma homocysteine is a risk factor for arterial and venous thromboses in adults. Homocysteine is increased in cystathionine beta-synthase deficiency, a treatable amino acid metabolic disorder that may be missed on newborn screening placing children at risk of thrombosis and strokes. Patient We present a 3-year-old girl with normal newborn screening for cystathionine beta-synthase deficiency who developed a symptomatic cerebral venous sinus thrombosis. Subsequent testing revealed marked hyperhomocystinemia and genetic testing confirmed cystathionine beta-synthase deficiency. Conclusions Current newborn screening is limited in its ability to detect cystathionine beta-synthase deficiency and although postanalytical interpretation may provide increased sensitivity, a normal newborn screening result should not replace the importance of physician surveillance.
Adaptive error concealment for Multiple Description video coding using error estimation

Multiple Description Coding (MDC) is an error resilient video coding method suitable for real-time applications when retransmission is unacceptable. A four description MDC architecture is described with temporal and spatial error concealment capabilities at the decoder. In this paper, we present an adaptive error concealment method using error estimation. Experimental results demonstrate the efficacy of the proposed method.
Effect of multiple doses of cadmium on glucose metabolism and insulin secretion in the rat

Abstract The effect of multiple doses of cadmium on insulin secretion from the perfused pancreas was studied. In addition, urine and plasma glucose, plasma immunoreactive insulin, and the rate of evolution of respiratory 14CO2 after administration of [UL-14C] d -glucose were determined. The treated groups received two dose levels, 0.25 or 0.50 mg Cd/kg, ip every second day for 70 doses. Multiple doses of 0.50 mg/kg caused an inhibition in the amount of insulin secreted from the perfused pancreas, whereas multiple doses of 0.25 mg/kg caused a partial inhibition that was not statistically significant. With the exception of the plasma insulin concentration in animals receiving multiple doses of 0.50 mg/kg, statistically significant differences in the plasma glucose, plasma insulin, and insulinogenic index were not detected. A high glucose concentration as well as a high concentration of 14C in the urine of treated animals was found. Treated animals expired smaller amounts of 14CO2 than the controls. Animals receiving the higher dose showed significantly lower weights than either the controls or the animals receiving the lower dose, which did not differ significantly from each other.
The Need for Cross-Cultural Research on the Pervasive Developmental Disorders:

Research on the pervasive developmental disorders within a cultural context and in developing countries has received limited attention from both the fields of mental health and anthropology. Although autism holds considerable potential for expanding the field of transcultural psychiatry, the bulk of research has consisted of case studies and brief reviews, with few studies undertaking a serious discussion of cultural factors. The current article reviews the literature to date on autism within a cultural context and highlights both rationale and directions for future efforts in this area, drawing from research with 109 families of autistic children in urban India.
Isolating One-Cell Interactions

Robust regression can be used to identify one-cell interactions in multiway factorial designs. One-cell interactions appear as mean slippage outliers to a low-order model, and robust regression gives these cells low mean weight. I use mean cell weight as a diagnostic criterion for one-cell interactions and provide approximate critical values for mean cell weights. Several examples illustrate the method.
Relaxation of isolated guinea pig trachea, bronchi and pulmonary arteries produced by vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP)

Abstract Vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) relaxed isolated guinea pig airways contracted with carbamylcholine and isolated pulmonary arteries contracted with prostaglandin F 2α . VIP was more potent as a relaxant agonist on trachea than on bronchi but was equipotent on the main and branch pulmonary artery. The VIP-induced relaxation of either airway or artery segments was not altered by pretreatment of animals with reserpine or pretreatment of isolated tissues with propranolol, metiamide, indomethacin or theophylline. These results are consistent with a direct relaxant effect by VIP in guinea pig lung.
An overview of the transport of galactic and anomalous cosmic rays in the heliosphere: Theory

Abstract The theory for the transport of galactic and anomalous cosmic rays in the heliosphere has been well developed over the last three decades. At present, the dominant physical processes are considered to have been identified and understood. The basic concepts of the theory for cosmic ray transport are reviewed, and the extent to which the theory can account for the observed behavior of the cosmic rays with a consistent choice for the governing parameters is discussed.
Assessing health-related quality of life in NeuroAIDS: some psychometric properties of the Neurological Quality of Life Questionnaire (NeuroQOL).

Several studies were undertaken to assess the psychometric properties (reliability and initial convergent and discriminant construct validity) of the Neurological Quality of Life Questionnaire (NeuroQOL). The NeuroQOL contains 114 items answered in self report Likert format, with higher scores reflecting better quality of life. Study one compared the questionnaire with existing quality of life measures (Symptom Distress Scale, Sickness Impact Profile) and a significant (p < 0.05) correlation was found. Studies two through five evaluated the relationship between the NeuroQOL and disease stage, psychological, neuropsychological and neurological measures, and a significant correlation was also found with each domain. The internal consistency reliability (alpha = 0.96), split half reliability (r12 = 0.97), and test-retest reliability (coefficients were 0.78 for 6 months and 0.67 for one year intervals between test and retest) were all found to be high and adequately stable. Overall, these results indicate acceptable reliability and initial construct validity for the NeuroQOL.
Cosmopolitical obstetrics: Some insights from the training of traditional midwives

Abstract In most countries of the third world, strategies for development in the health sector include efforts to upgrade the skills of village level health care workers, including traditional birth attendants (TBAs). In spite of several decades of experience, training programs for TBAs have not been particularly successful. Drawing on data from several years of ethnographic fieldwork with Maya midwives in Yucatan and on participation in government-sponsored training courses for indigenous midwives, this paper examines some of the reasons underlying this failure. Paramount among these are differences in world view and the misapplication of didactic modes of teaching in situations where learning in the apprenticeship mode in more appropriate and culturally customary.
The design of an epistemology for the management discipline which resolves dilemmas among ethical and other imperatives

We outline an epistemology to resolve dilemmas among conflicting imperatives which arise in management situations involving action programs which are “useful” economically and technically but which, at the same time, must satisfy, among others, aesthetic, ethical, and legal requirements. These “situations” occur in problem domains such as management science, environmental management, conservation management (the science devoted to the protection and preservation of our cultural and historical heritage), urban planning, government administration, and the like. Basically, these actions programs are designed to “improve the state of the real world” and take into account the inevitable conflicts and tradeoffs which inhibit maximization of objectives. In the end, the epistemological framework which is proposed leads to the formulation of a methodology to reconcile the economic, scientific, political, legal, ethical, epistemological, and aesthetic imperatives, in the context of a strategic and pragmatic framework.
Finally, a Python-Based Computational Physics Text

Here, Eric Ayars provides an overview and review of Mark Newman's book, Computational Physics.
Does visual expertise improve visual recognition memory

In general, humans have impressive recognition memory for previously viewed pictures. Many people spend years becoming experts in highly specialized image sets. For example, cytologists are experts at searching micrographs filled with potentially cancerous cells and radiologists are expert at searching mammograms for indications of cancer. Do these experts develop robust visual long-term memory for their domain of expertise? If so, is this expertise specific to the trained image class, or do such experts possess generally superior visual memory? We tested recognition memory of cytologists, radiologists, and controls with no medical experience for three visual stimulus classes: isolated objects, scenes, and mammograms or micrographs. Experts were better than control observers at recognizing images from their domain, but their memory for those images was not particularly good (D’ ~ 1.0) and was much worse than memory for objects or scenes (D’ > 2.0). Furthermore, experts were not better at recognizing scenes or isolated objects than control observers.
Application of Extrinsic Information Transfer Charts to Anticipate Turbo Code Behavior

This paper examines turbo codes that are currently introduced in many international standards, including the UMTS standard for third generation personal communications and the ETSI DVB-T standard for Terrestrial Digital Video Broadcasting. The convergence properties of the iterative decoding process associated with a given turbo-coding scheme are estimated using the analysis technique based on so-called extrinsic information transfer EXIT chart. This approach provides a possibility to anticipate the bit error rate BER of a turbo code system using only the EXIT chart. It is shown that EXIT charts are powerful tools to analyze and optimize the convergence behavior of iterative systems utilizing the turbo principle. The idea is to consider the associated SISO stages as information processors that map input a priori LLR's onto output extrinsic LLR's, the information content being obviously assumed to increase from input to output, and introduce them to the design of turbo systems without the reliance on extensive simulation. Compared with the other methods for generating EXIT functions, the suggested approach provides insight into the iterative behavior of linear turbo systems with substantial reduction in numerical complexity.
The pheromone signal pathway in Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

Haploid cells of the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae normally undergo a budding life cycle, but after binding the appropriate mating pheromone they undergo a different developmental pathway that leads to conjugation. This intercellular communication between the two mating types activates a signal transduction pathway that stimulates the diverse physiological changes required for conjugation, such as induction of cell surface agglutinins, cell division arrest in Gl, morphogenesis to form a conjugation tube, and cell fusion. The components of this pathway include a G protein-coupled receptor, several protein kinases, and a phero-mone-responsive transcription factor. The molecular mechanisms that transduce the pheromone signal are remarkably similar to the mechanisms of hormone signaling used in multicellular organisms. Thus, the analysis of the pheromone signal pathway in yeast directly contributes to the study of cell growth and development in other eukaryotic organisms.
A Thermomechanical Model for Airfield Concrete Pavement under Transient High Temperature Loadings

A simple one-dimensional thermo-micromechanical constitutive and damage model is proposed for airfield concrete pavement under rapid transient high temperature loadings due to vectored thrust. The subsurface temperature fields and time histories, the pore pressure histories, the thermoplastic stress-strain relations with void effects are investigated for both constant and varying thermal properties.In particular, if the thermal properties are constant, the resulting temperature fields and histories can be solved numerically by utilizing the Duhamel's theorem. On the other hand, if the thermal properties are varying with rising temperatures, then the resulting temperature histories can be solved numerically by the explicit finite difference method. Furthermore, based on the ASME Steam Tables and the temperature histories, we are capable of predicting the pore pressure fields and histories. In accord with the theory of linear thermoelasticity, the strain histories and the stress-strain relations at differen...
Asymptotic behaviour of the solution of the projection Riccati differential equation

The solution of the Riccati differential equation (RDE) is shown to be asymptotically close to the solution of the projection Riccati differential equation (PRDE). The asymptotic behaviour of the latter is analyzed in an explicit formula. The almost-periodic asymptote of the solution of the PRDE is computed by an algorithm based upon the concepts of an aperiodic/almost-periodic generator (APG) decomposition of a linear map and unit row-staircase form of a polynomial matrix. The analysis ultimately provides a convergence criterion. In particular, it is shown that the solution of the PRDE always converges in the aperiodic case.
Gα16 Mimics Vasoconstrictor Action to Induce Smooth Muscle α-Actin in Vascular Smooth Muscle Cells through a Jun-NH2-terminal Kinase-dependent Pathway *

Prolonged exposure of vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMC) to vasoconstrictors such as vasopressin or angiotensin II induces hypertrophy and increases expression of muscle-specific genes including smooth muscle α-actin (SM-α-actin). These vasoconstrictors signal through G-proteins, including members of the Gq family. To further investigate the role of Gq family members, VSMC were transfected with a constitutively active mutant of a Gq family member, Gα16(Gα16Q212L). Stable expression of Gα16Q212L persistently stimulated phospholipase C, resulting in increased basal levels of inositol phosphates. These cells were hypertrophied and expressed elevated levels of SM-α-actin compared with wild-type VSMC or cells transfected with a control plasmid (Neo). SM-α-actin promoter activity was markedly increased in cells stably or transiently expressing Gα16Q212L. Basal c-Jun-NH2-terminal kinase (JNK) activity was increased 3–9-fold in cells stably expressing Gα16Q212L, while basal activity of the p42/44 mitogen-activated protein kinases (ERKs) was unaffected. Transient expression of a kinase inactive JNK kinase partially inhibited induction of SM-α-actin promoter activity in response to vasoconstrictors or expression of Gα16Q212L. These results indicate that expression of constitutively active Gα16 in VSMC mimics the effects of vasoconstrictors on hypertrophy and muscle-specific gene expression, and activation of JNK may play a role in these responses.
Effects of hydrolyzable and condensed tannin on growth and development of two species of polyphagous lepidoptera: Spodoptera eridania and Callosamia promethea

The effects of tannins on survival, growth, and digestion were compared in two polyphagous species of Lepidoptera (one, the southern armyworm, a forb-feeder; and the other, the promethea silkmoth, a tree-feeder). Two different types of tannins (hydrolyzable and condensed) were incorporated into artificial basal diets in order to determine whether or not differential survival and growth would result between the forb feeder, which normally does not encounter tannins in its natural diet, and the tree-feeder, whose host species include many tanniniferous plants from several different families. Neonate larvae of the forb-feeding armyworms exhibited significantly suppressed 10-day growth rates at all tannin concentrations tested (0.5, 1.0, 1.5, 2.0, 2.5, and 3.0% of wet weight) for both the hydrolyzable and the condensed tannin compared to the control diet, however no dose-effect was detectable. In contrast, there were no detectable differences in neonate survival or growth through the first 10 days for the tree-feeding promethea silkmoth larvae fed diets with either tannic acid or quebracho tree condensed tannin. In order to determine the physiological mechanisms of action of these tannins against armyworms, we conducted detailed physiological bioassays of biomass and nitrogen utilization by penultimate instar larvae. Standard gravimetric feeding studies with both tannic acid and the quebracho tree condensed tannin demonstrated that reduced relative growth rates (RGR's) of Spodoptera eridania Cram. were due to the suppressed relative consumption rates (RCR's) and decreased conversion efficiencies (ECD's) rather than due to digestibility-reduction (as reflected by approximate digestibility, AD). As with the neonate larval growth rate suppression, there were no detectable dose responses at the different concentrations of tannic acid (0.25, 0.50, 0.75, 1.00, 2.50, and 5.0 percent) and condensed tannins from quebracho (0.25, 0.50, 0.75, 1.0, and 2.5 percent) in our penultimate instar studies.
Surge and Decline: The Impact of Changes in Voter Turnout on the 2010 Senate Elections

Enthusiasm among Republican voters and a lack thereof among Democrats was cited by many post-election analyses as a contributing factor to the outcome of the 2010 midterm elections. Analysis of the aggregate county level voter turnout and results of the 2010 Senate races provides strong evidence of (1) a sharper decline in turnout from 2008 to 2010 in areas in which Barack Obama did well in 2008 and (2) a significant relationship between turnout changes from 2006–2010 and 2008–2010 and changes in the vote share of Democratic Senate candidates in 2010. In addition, a test of the referendum theory of midterm elections shows that declining presidential approval ratings, but not economic indicators, are predictive of the Democratic vote share in 2010. Despite previous findings that midterm and presidential electorates do not fundamentally differ, this analysis of the 2010 Senate elections provides evidence that differential turnout among core and peripheral voters is an important part of the explanation for t...
A two-study investigation of item wording effects on leader–follower convergence in descriptions of the leader–member exchange (LMX) relationship

Abstract The leader–member exchange (LMX) theory of leadership focuses on the quality of relationships built between leaders and subordinates; LMX measures are designed to assess the quality of these relationships. Since the leader and subordinate are jointly embedded in the relationship, it is reasonable to assume that their ratings of their relationship will converge to some reasonable extent. However, leader–member convergence on the most widely used measures, the LMX-7 and SLMX-7 scales, has historically been low. To address this, we conduct two studies to investigate whether item wording and content might be a cause of poor LMX convergence. The obtained results support the conclusion that the wording and content of these measures are, in fact, introducing attributional and social desirability biases into the rating process and causing some of the poor LMX convergence that is commonly seen. Implications for extant and future LMX research are discussed.
Adolescent Girls: Constructing and Doing Literacy, Constructing and Doing Gender

Book reviewed in this article: Just Girls: Hidden Literacies and Life in Junior High. By Margaret J. Finders. 1997. Private Practices: Girls Reading Fiction and Constructing Identity. By Meredith Rogers Cherland. 1994. Sounds From the Heart: Learning to Listen to Girls. By Maureen Barbieri. 1995.
Tunneling potential barrier dependence of electron spin polarization.

Scanning tunneling microscopy experiments reveal that the degree of spin polarization of electrons tunneling from Ni into a semiconductor increases with decreasing potential barrier thickness. The results show that the highly polarized $3d$ bands as well as the low-polarized $4sp$ bands contribute to the tunneling current and that the ratio of their tunneling probabilities depends on the potential barrier thickness and height. Furthermore, the tunneling potential barrier for the $3d$-like levels is estimated to be $\ensuremath{\sim}$1 eV higher than for the $4sp$ contribution.
Proximate Composition, Mineral Content, and Fatty Acids of Catfish (Ictalurus punctatus, Rafinesque) for Different Seasons and Cooking Methods

The effect of conventional cooking methods and the influence of season upon proximate composition, mineral, and fatty acid profile was studied in catfish (Ictalurus punctatus, Rafinesque) fillets. Seasonal (August, December, and April purchased fillets) influences were minimal. As expected, fried catfish fillets had significantly altered (P ≤ 0.05) fatty acid profiles compared to the raw and baked fillets. All three cooking treatments resulted in significant differences (P ≤ 0.05) in proximate composition and in the levels of potassium, phosphorus, magnesium, and iron. The information presented would be useful for nutrient data banks when dietary intake of such items is of interest.
Maximizing business value by optimal assignment of jobs to resources in grid computing

An important problem that arises in the area of grid computing is one of optimally assigning jobs to resources to achieve a business objective. In the grid computing area, however, such scheduling has mostly been done from the perspective of maximizing the utilization of resources. As this form of computing proliferates, the business aspects will become crucial for the overall success of the technology. Hence, we discuss the grid scheduling problem from a business perspective. We show that this problem is not only strongly NP-hard, but it is also non-approximable. Therefore, we propose heuristics for different variants of the problem and show that these heuristics provide near-optimal solution for a wide variety of problem instances. We show that the execution times of proposed heuristics are very low, and hence, they are suitable for solving problems in real-time. We also present several managerial implications and compare the performance of two widely used models in the real-time scheduling of grid computing.
Remote sensing retrievals of fine mode aerosol optical depth and impacts on its correlation with CO from biomass burning

] Globally significant amounts of atmospheric aerosolsand trace gases, including carbon monoxide (CO), areemitted from different types of biomass burning across theglobe ranging from human-induced burning of savanna andgrassland for agriculture and land-clearing to wildfires inboreal regions of the northern hemisphere. Biomass burningsmoke has adverse impacts on air quality and can affect theEarth’s radiative balance [Andreae et al., 1998]. Despite thegreat interest in the subject, quantifying the amount of gasesand particulates emitted from the burning of biomassremains a challenging problem. The challenges stem fromthe fact that amounts of CO and pyrogenic aerosols varystrongly depending on fuel type, oxygen availability, andburning phase. Chemical transport models (CTMs) capableof treating trace gases and aerosol particles are beingincreasingly used to improve our understanding of biomassburning emissions and transport [e.g., Heald et al., 2003].However, these models typically rely on bottoms-up emis-sion inventories with large uncertainties, assumptions onfuel type and burning efficiencies [Andreae and Merlet,2001], and on surface measurement networks with insuffi-cient coverage, particularly in the developing world. Giventhe inherent problems in ground-based measurements ofbiomass burning and a growing number of satellite sensorssuited to observing biomass burning emissions, it would bedesirable to utilize satellite remote sensing to the full extentpossible to improve our understanding of regional andglobal distributions of biomass burning aerosols and tracegases as well as their impacts.[
Silibinin Impairs Constitutively Active TGFα-EGFR Autocrine Loop in Advanced Human Prostate Carcinoma Cells

Epidermal growth factor (EGF) and transformation growth factor-α (TGFα) are potent mitogens that regulate proliferation of prostate cancer cells via autocrine and paracrine loops, and promote tumor metastasis. They exert their action through binding to the cell surface receptor, epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), and cause activation of Erk1/2 mediated mitogenic signaling in human prostate cancer (PCA) at both advanced and androgen-independent stages. Thus, we rationalized that inhibiting this mitogenic pathway could be useful in controlling advanced PCA growth. LNCaP and DU145 human PCA cells were treated with silibinin (100–200 μM) for different time points, and the levels of TGFα, activated signaling molecules (EGFR, Erk1/2 and Jnk1/2) and Erk1/2 kinase activity were analyzed employing ELISA, immunoprecipitation and/or immunoblotting techniques. The mRNA levels of TGFα were analyzed by RT-PCR. Treatment of cells (LNCaP and DU145) with silibinin resulted in a decrease in TGFα protein at both secreted and cellular levels together with a decrease in its mRNA level. Silibinin also caused an inhibition of EGFR activation followed by that of Erk1/2 without any change in their protein levels. The kinase activity of Erk1/2 to Elk1 was also inhibited by silibinin at least in DU145 cells. In other study, silibinin caused strong inhibition of Jnk1/2 activation in LNCaP cells while in DU145 cells, a strong induction in Jnk1/2 activation was observed. These results suggest that silibinin impairs TGFα-EGFR-Erk1/2 signaling in both androgen-dependent (LNCaP) and -independent (DU145) advanced human prostate carcinoma cells. This study, for the first time, identifies the inhibitory effect of silibinin on constitutively active TGFα-EGFR autocrine loop in advanced human PCA cells, which plausible contributes to the strong efficacy of silibinin in PCA prevention and intervention, as reported in recent studies.
Prediction of Ultimate Temperature Rise from Early Heat Run Data

When temperature-time data from heat runs departs markedly from a simple exponential form, existing methods of predicting the ultimate rise from early data may be inaccurate. This paper presents a graphical method for doing this which, although widely applicable, is especially useful on electromagnets. Substantial savings in testing time result from its use.
Hepatic microsomal NADPH-cytochrome P-450 reductase from little skate, Raja erinacea. Comparison of thermolability and other molecular properties with a mammalian enzyme.

Abstract Components of little skate (an elasmobranch) and rabbit hepatic microsomal cytochrome P-450 dependent monooxygenase systems were examined for differences which might explain the decreasing xenobiotic-metabolizing activity of little skate microsomes assayed at temperatures above 30°C. The proportion of saturated fatty acids in microsomal lipids and the habitat temperature are both lower in skate as compared to rabbit, which is consistent with the known adaptive pattern. The more thermolabile enzyme of the skate system in microsomal preparations is NADPH-cytochrome P-450 reductase. The optimal assay temperature for purified skate reductase (30°C) is 10°C lower than that for the purified rabbit reductase. The purified skate reductase differs from rabbit reductase in monomeric molecular weight, in peptides produced by partial proteolysis, in immunochemical properties, but not in flavin content.
Müller’s Muscle Conjunctival Resection Ptosis Repair in the Aesthetic Patient

Posterior eyelid ptosis repair via the Muller’s muscle-conjunctival resection procedure is an effective, reliable, and simple technique for periorbital rejuvenation in the aesthetic patient. This procedure may be performed with other periorbital rejuvenation techniques without sacrificing results. Appropriate candidates are patients with maintained levator function whose ptotic upper eyelid elevates close to a normal eyelid level upon instillation of phenylephrine drops to the superior conjunctival fornix.
Effects of pretreatment with anti-inflammatory drugs on ozone-induced lung damage in rats.

The effects of pretreatment with acetylsalicylic acid (aspirin), hydrocortisone, indomethacine, and heparin administered ip against the pulmonary edema produced by O/sub 3/-exposure (4 ppm for 4 hr) were studied in rats. These anti-inflammatory drugs were found to alter the injurious effect of O/sub 3/ on lung differently. First, aspirin at the high dose (125 mg/kg) accentuated O/sub 3/-induced lung injury, and had no effect at the low dose (10 mg/kg); second, hydrocortisone (50 mg/kg) failed to have any effect; third, indomethacin at a high dose (20 mg/kg) offered a significant degree of protection, but had no effect at the low dose (2.5 mg/kg); and fourth, heparin (1000 units/kg) also offered a significant degree of protection against the lung damage normally induced by O/sub 3/-exposure. Several mechanisms for the favorable and unfavorable interactions of anti-inflammatory drugs with O/sub 3/-exposure were discussed.
Physiological relevance of tumor necrosis factor in mediating macrophage-Leydig cell interactions

Previously, we reported that testicular macrophages constitutively release tumor necrosis factor (TNF) in vitro and are unresponsive to bacterial endotoxins [lipopolysaccharides (LPS)]. These properties are not typical of other tissue macrophages. The goals of the present study were, therefore, to establish 1) if testicular macrophages also release TNF in vivo, and 2) if secretion of TNF in vitro is influenced by the isolation procedure. In vivo TNF production was assessed by assaying testicular interstitial fluid for TNF. Using the L929 cytotoxicity assay for TNF, we found that interstitial fluid contained a cytotoxic factor(s), but this bioactivity was not due to either authentic TNF or a TNF-like molecule acting through the TNF receptor. This was established by showing that 1) antibodies to TNF alpha and -beta could not neutralize interstitial fluid cytotoxicity; 2) interstitial fluid was cytotoxic to TNF-resistant L929 cells; and 3) there was no detectable TNF immunoreactivity in interstitial fluid, a...
Numerical methods for second‐order shape sensitivity analysis with applications to heat conduction problems

In this paper, two finite-element-based schemes for second-order shape sensitivity analysis are presented. In the first formulation, the AV-DD method, the first-order shape sensitivity equation is derived and expressed in terms of state and adjoint variables. The resultant equation is then directly differentiated to obtain the second-order shape sensitivity equation. In the second formulation, the DD-AV method, the functional of concern is differentiated twice to yield the second-order sensitivity equation in which the second-order shape derivatives can be eliminated by introducing a proper adjoint equation. A thermal fin problem and a thermal insulation layer problem have been studied to validate the proposed schemes. It is shown that both methods yield identical results, though the DD-AV method is computationally more efficient.
Tracer from the Sky

The rate of marine photosynthesis is of great importance for the global carbon cycle but is difficult to measure from environmental properties or in vitro. In this Perspective, Bender highlights a study by Luz and Barkan, who exploit the anomalous isotopic composition of molecular oxygen to determine the gross rate of photosynthesis in seawater. The method allows much longer time scales and larger spatial scales to be covered than with traditional oceanographic techniques.
Breakthroughs in genomics data integration for predicting clinical outcome

With the rapid progression of biotechnologies in the last few decades, molecular biology assays have shifted from limited to high throughput. Indeed, we successively witnessed an accelerated development of 'omics technologies at multiple molecular scales: DNA arrays, DNA methylation screening, proteome-wide interaction screening, Chip-Seq, protein array, next generation sequencing, RNA-seq and next generation protein mass-spectrometry. The availability of large repository of 'omics data has stimulated the prolific growth of analytical methods for clinical outcome prediction specialized for one type of 'omics measurement, but comparatively fewer cross-scales ones (2 molecular scales) and very rare multiple scales ones (>=3 molecular scales; ''multiscale''). Of note, abundant original cross-scale and multiscale 'omics methods have been developed for identifying gene function [1], novel disease-gene [2,3] and diseases' biomodules (e.g. biomodules of microRNA-mRNA co-expression [4]). However, these approaches are insufficient for predicting clinical outcome of complex disorders [5,6]. Here, we provide a framework to illustrate the difficulty of increasing the accuracy of a clinical outcome predictor from multiple scales of 'omics data, and position the significance of Kim et al. [7] that appears in this issue of the Journal of Biomedical Informatics. We also include a brief historical perspective of foundational methodologies in cross-scale and multiscale 'omics analytics (single 'omics analytics are out of scope of this perspective).
A double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled, crossover trial of pentoxifylline for the prevention of chemotherapy-induced oral mucositis

Oral mucositis is a frequent side effect of cancer therapy. No effective method of prophylaxis is currently available. We conducted a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover trial of pentoxifylline to evaluate its potential in preventing mucositis in cancer patients receiving chemotherapy. Ten cancer patients were randomized for treatment with a 15-day course of 400 mg of pentoxifylline given orally four times daily. Concurrent chemotherapy consisted of bolus cisplatin and infusional 5-fluorouracil. Mucositis was evaluated with the use of the Oral Assessment Guide developed at the University of Nebraska. Patients completing two cycles of chemotherapy—one with pentoxifylline and one with placebo—were evaluated for prophylaxis efficacy. Comparison of the oral assessment scores of the two cycles with a two-sided Student's t test failed to demonstrate a cytoprotective effect for pentoxifylline over placebo. We conclude that pentoxifylline as given in this study is ineffective for preventing mucositis in patients receiving cisplatin and 5-FU.
Spontaneous luteinizing hormone (LH) surges are associated with more rapidly increasing estradiol (E2) and follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) in in vitro fertilization and embryo transfer.

In a retrospective analysis of 64 patients stimulated with human menopausal gonadotropin (hMG) and/or pure follicle stimulating hormone (FSH); 35 cycles with spontaneous luteinizing hormone (LH) surges were compared with 29 control cycles with respect to serum FSH and estradiol (E2) levels drawn on the day prior to and the day of human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG), approximately 16 hr after gonadotropin stimulation. FSH decreased significantly (P<0.05) in control cycles where two or more preovulatory oocytes (preovs) were obtained, in contrast to cycles with a spontaneous LH surge, where FSH increased irrespective of the number of preovs. The E2 increase in the LH surge cycles was significantly higher (P<0.05) than in the control cycles. However, the increase in E2 did not correlate with the change in FSH levels or with the number of preovs.