cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A single-vial biphasic liquid extraction assay for choline acetyltransferase using [3H]choline

A single-vial liquid extraction assay for choline acetyltransferase that uses (/sup 3/H)choline as the labeled substrate has been devised. (/sup 3/H)Choline is incubated with an excess of acetyl-CoA in a small reaction vial which also serves as a scintillation vial. After a suitable reaction period, unreacted (/sup 3/H)choline is quickly and quantitatively converted to phosphoryl-(/sup 3/H)choline by the addition of an excess of choline kinase. This treatment is followed by the addition of scintillation fluid containing sodium tetraphenylboron after which the vial is capped, shaken, and counted. A two-phase system is produced in which product (/sup 3/H)choline is selectively extracted into the scintillation fluid, where is is counted. Phosphoryl-(/sup 3/H)choline remains in the aqueous phase and is not counted. This assay is rapid, simple, and quite sensitive. In comparison to assays using acetyl-CoA as the labeled substrate, it is less sensitive to interference by other enzymes and thus more suitable for measuring choline acetyltransferase in crude extracts and in the initial stages of purificaton. Similar single-vial radiometric assays are described for choline kinase and acetyl-CoA hydrolases.
The development of excitatory capability in Aplysia californica bag cells observed in cohorts

Abstract The bag cells of Aplysia release egg laying hormone in sexually mature animals. Bag cells cannot sustain the long-lasting excitatory afterdischarge (AD) required for hormone release prior to sexual maturity (T.A. Nick, L.K. Kaczmarek, T.J. Carew, Ionic currents underlying developmental regulation of repetitive firing in Aplysia bag cell neurons, J. Neurosci. 1996;16:7583–7598; L.A. Fieber, Characterization of Na + and Ca 2+ currents in bag cells of sexually immature Aplysia californica , J. Exp. Biol. 1998;201:745–754). To investigate the development of bag cell excitability, whole-cell voltage-clamp experiments were executed in dissociated bag cells from four cohorts (batches) of hatchery-reared A. californica maintained at 13–15°C. K + current densities, representing the sum of at least four different outward K + currents (Nick et al., 1996), declined significantly as a function of age, beginning at least 2–3 months before sexual maturity. The K + current decreases coincided with the first appearance of Na + and Ca 2+ currents in bag cells, which occurred at ages 6–7 months. Whole cell K + currents were not decreased significantly by a cAMP analog earlier than 1 month prior to the onset of reproductive activity. The frequency of observing Na + currents in whole cell recordings was low for developmental times earlier than sexual maturity. In one winter batch, both control and PMA-treated Na + currents increased significantly with age, and PMA-treated current densities were significantly greater than controls, but the other two batches studied had significant differences in Na + current frequency only at sexual maturity. Ca 2+ currents were reliably measured in more cells than were Na + currents. The Ca 2+ current frequency increased significantly with maturity in one winter batch. Ca 2+ currents were significantly increased by phorbol ester treatment beginning 6–8 weeks before reproductive activity in the two winter batches. These observations support the hypothesis that bag cell excitability is not fully developed until shortly before sexual maturity.
KIT D816V-associated systemic mastocytosis with eosinophilia and FIP1L1/PDGFRA-associated chronic eosinophilic leukemia are distinct entities.

Background The broad and overlapping clinical manifestations of D816V KIT–associated systemic mastocytosis with eosinophilia and FIP1L1/PDGFRA-associated chronic eosinophilic leukemia (CEL), coupled with the increase in activated eosinophils and mast cells seen in both disorders, have led to confusion in the nomenclature. It is of paramount importance, however, to distinguish between these 2 groups of patients because of differences in clinical sequelae, prognoses, and selection of treatment. Objective We thus sought to identify clinical and laboratory features that could be used to distinguish these 2 diagnoses. Methods We compared 12 patients with D816V-positive systemic mastocytosis with eosinophilia with 17 patients with FIP1L1/PDGFRA-positive CEL. Distinguishing features were used to create a risk factor scoring system. Results This system correctly classified 16 of 17 FIP1L1/PDGFRA-positive patients with CEL and all 12 patients with systemic mastocytosis with eosinophilia. Thirty-four FIP1L1/PDGFRA-positive patients described in the literature were also classified using this system, and although a complete set of data was not available for any of the historical patients, 21 were correctly classified. Conclusion These results reinforce the hypothesis that the FIP1L1/PDGFRA gene fusion and D816V- KIT mutation cause distinct clinical syndromes. Clinical implications This novel diagnostic approach should prove helpful in clinical practice in the evaluation of patients with increased mast cells and peripheral eosinophilia.
Status of Fast Neutron Nuclear Data for 239 Pu

Abstract Recent energy-averaged data (fission, total cross section, scattering and v p) describing the interaction of fast neutrons with 239Pu are discussed, with emphasis on neutron energies higher than the inelastic scattering threshold. The linkage between such experimental data and new theoretical calculations is described in context of their influence on a new revision to the ENDF/B-V 239Pu evaluation. Results from this new revision are are compared with other current 239Pu evaluations. Incorporation of such information pertaining to neutron emission and v p in the new ENDF revision had a profound impact on calculations performed for fast critical assemblies. Such calculational results are presented with emphasis on systematic improvements achieved in eigenvalues and fission ratios.
A prospective, longitudinal study of the correlates and consequences of early grade retention ☆

Abstract The characteristics of children retained in early elementary school and the effects of retention on achievement and adjustment were examined throughout the elementary years and again at age 16 years. When compared to a group of nonretained children who displayed similar levels of early achievement and were comparable on two measures of intelligence, the retained subjects were more likely to be males with significantly poorer adjustment. Parents of comparison children were higher on IQ and were more involved with the school than parents of retained children. Controlling for initial levels of achievement and adjustment, little evidence was found supporting retention as an intervention for improving educational outcomes. The retained group showed a temporary advantage in math achievement, but this disappeared as both groups faced new material. Moreover, the retained group exhibited significantly lower emotional health in the sixth grade. It is concluded that elementary grade retention was an ineffective intervention for both achievement and adjustment.
Evaluation of reduced bandwidth multistage networks

Abstract This paper presents and evaluates a class of buffered interconnection networks which provide performance and cost levels intermediate to a bus and a delta network. These networks, referred to as hybrid networks, are formed by beginning with a delta network and substituting buses for the final stages of the network. The choice of the number of stages replaced determines the bandwidth of the network. The reduction of network bandwidth is accompanied by a corresponding reduction in network cost. Hybrid networks provide the system architect with a cost-effective solution to design problems in which the required interconnection bandwidth is greater than that of a bus but less than that of a full delta network. The performance of hybrid networks is investigated by developing a numerical model and by using simulation. Two features of the model, buffers of arbitrary length at network switches and resource service times greater than interstage transfer delays, have not been included in previous analytical models of delta networks. Results show that in some cases, the expense of a multistage network is not required in order to maintain the maximum level of system performance.
RETROVIRAL PROMOTER-TRAP INSERTION INTO A NOVEL MAMMALIAN SEPTIN GENE EXPRESSED DURING MOUSE NEURONAL DEVELOPMENT

Abstract We have characterized a retroviral promoter-trap insertion into a novel mammalian septin gene, Sep3. Its predicted amino acid sequence shares significant homology to that of Saccharomyces cerevisiae CDC3, CDC10, CDC11, CDC12, the Drosophila genes Pnut, Sep1, Sep2, and the mammalian genes BH5, CDC10, Nedd5, Diff6, and Sep2, which are implicated in cytokinesis and cell polarity. Sep3 encodes a protein of 465 amino acids, and contains an evolutionary conserved ATP/GTP-binding motif, two coiled-coil domains, and a highly hydrophobic domain at the C terminus. Alkaline phosphatase reporter gene expression in transgenic embryos was first detected at E8.5 in the neural fold, and high levels of expression continued throughout embryogenesis in the neural tube and brain. In addition, a low level of transient expression was detected in the somites, gut, and branchial arches of mouse embryos. Overall, reporter gene expression recapitulated Sep3 mRNA expression during mouse embryogenesis. In adults, Sep3 transcripts were only detected in the brain and testis. Zoo blot analysis revealed that Sep3-related sequences exist in several vertebrate species including zebrafish, frog, chicken, mouse and human. Consistent with the retroviral insertion into the 3′ UTR of the Sep3 gene, no obvious phenotypes associated with the promoter trap were detected in transgenic embryos or adult mice. In summary, we report the first isolation of a novel full-length Sep3 cDNA and extensive characterization of its expression during mouse embryogenesis and in adult tissues.
SU-FF-J-119: Margin Calculations for Prostate Radiotherapy Using Electronic Portal Imaging, Implanted Fiducials and Three Localization Methods

Purpose: To quantify the PTV margin for prostate radiotherapy based on daily electronic portal images (EPIs) of intraprostatic fiducial markers and three localization methods: Skin marks, visual matching and computer aided matching. To correlate with high statistical accuracy the prostate and bony anatomy location based on the EPIs. Method and Materials: A cohort of 20 patients, receiving standard course fractionation, had gold fiducial markers placed in their prostates and marker position relative to isocenter was determined based on CT simulation. Skin marks established initial localization. Daily orthogonal pre‐treatment EPIs were used to visually identify the markers and determine any 3D offsets. Finally, off‐line computer aided localization was performed. 3D localization offsets and margins were determined for each method. Prostate to bony anatomy position correlation was based on an 80 patient cohort and evaluated with Pearson r2 correlation value (r2 > 0.75 suggests strongly correlated). Results: Margins based on localization using skin marks (visual matching) and [computer aided matching] are 5.1 (2.7) [1.5] mm Sup‐Inf, 7.3 (2.9) [2.0] mm Ant‐Post and 5.0 (2.8) [1.0] mm Right‐left. The Pearson r2 correlation value for the bony anatomy vs. prostate is 0.12 Sup‐Inf (not correlated), 0.30 Ant‐Post (not correlated), and 0.79 Right‐Left (strong correlation). Conclusion: There is a substantial reduction in the margin from the skin mark setup to the visually matched localization and further to computer aided localization. A nearly 4 fold decrease from skin mark setup to computer matched localization in the Ant‐Post direction indicates a potential for dose reduction of critical structures and increased dose to the PTV. Correlation results suggest that bony anatomy cannot be used as a predictor of prostate motion (except in the Right‐Left direction), and if so used, may be harmful. Conflict of Interest: Varian Medical Systems partially funded this research.
Social norms, regulation, and environmental risk ✩

We add social norms into Laffont’s mechanism designed for environmental risk. We find with endogenous social norms and asymmetric information about personal norms, the optimal contract induces more (less) effort from the “green” (“brown”) firm.
An information-processing model of maintenance management

Abstract In the past two decades, changes in the production environment have made the task of making decisions about allocating maintenance resources and scheduling maintenance work more difficult. More variables and consequences must be considered requiring increased information-processing capacity. In this paper, Galbraith's (Organization Design, Addison-Wesley, Reading, MA) information-processing model is applied to study how the maintenance function applies different strategies to cope with the environmental complexity. Based on data from a survey of plant managers, the analysis shows that maintenance responds to the complexity of its environment with the use of computerized maintenance management systems, preventive and predictive maintenance systems, coordination and increased workforce size.
Enhanced Killing of Myeloperoxidase-Coated Bacteria in the Myeloperoxidase-H2O2-C1− System

Bacteria preincubated with myeloperoxidase (MPO) are more readily killed upon the addition of H2O2 and Cl- than controls not subject to prior incubation. This effect was evidenced by decreased requirements of MPO and H2O2 (to approximately 33%) for equivalent bactericidal activity. MPO adsorbed onto the bacterial surface is not accessible to other competing substrates such as guaiacol and [1(-14)C] alanine. It appears that when MPO is adsorbed to the bacteria, it carries out a coupled reaction in which the activated chlorine directly attacks the bacterial cell surface.
STAIRS redux: thoughts on the STAIRS evaluation, ten years after

The test of retrieval effectiveness performed on IBM’s STAIRS and reported in Communications of the ACM ten years ago, continues to be cited frequently in the information retrieval literature. The reasons for the study’s continuing pertinence to today’s research are discussed, and the political, legal, and commercial aspects of the study are presented. In addition, the method of calculating recall that was used in the STAIRS study is discussed in some detail, especially how it reduces the five major types of uncertainty in recall estimations. It is also suggested that this method of recall estimation may serve as the basis for recall estimations that might be truly comparable between systems.
Consumer response to online grocery shopping

Reports a preliminary assessment of consumer response to and demand for online food retail channels. Data were collected from 243 US consumers who currently buy their groceries online. The majority of online users were younger than 55 years of age, female, and reported annual incomes of $70,000 or more. Over 70 percent reported convenience and saving time as their primary reasons for buying groceries online but 15 percent cited physical or constraint issues that made it difficult for them to shop at grocery stores. Of the respondents, 19 percent bought all of their groceries online. Also reports demographic and online shopping variables that are significantly related to the primary reason for shopping online, willingness to buy all grocery items online, perception of time spent shopping online vs in the store, and experience with online grocery shopping.
Descartes and the philosophy of mathematics

Descartes was born on 31 March 1596 at La Haye, near Tours; the French authorities have quite properly renamed the place La Haye Descartes. He was given the name RenG which was commonly bestowed on children whose mothers died in or shortly after childbirth. His was a well-to-do middle-class family; his father was a member of the Touraine parliament. This was during the convulsions of the French civil war, for at the assassination of Henry III in 1588, the throne fell to a Protestant, Henry de Bourbon, King of Navarre, and the French Catholics refused to accept a heretic to direct the affairs of the eldest daughter of the Roman Church. The whole business was soon settled, however, when Henry of Navarre sensibly decided that Paris was well worth a Mass and converted to Catholicism; he went on to be the most popular king in French history. Descartes was sent away to school at the nearby Jesuit establishment at La Fl~che; there he first studied mathematics from the textbooks of Peter Clavius, the most famous mathematician of his time. Clavius had acquired a great reputation from his edition of Euclid, in which he pointed out some omissions in the list of postulates and axioms. He was the first to use the decimal point. His chief accomplishment, however, and the real reason that Clavius is remembered, was the reform of the Julian Calendar he undertook for Pope Gregory XIII; the calendar we use today, the "Gregorian" Calendar, is due to him. This got Clavius into a lot of trouble, for some significant mathematicians, Francois Vi6te for example, did not like Clavius's calendar. Furthermore, in order to catch up with the sun, Clavius had ordered that 4 October 1582 was to be fol lowed by 15 October 1582; the people of Frankfurt rioted against mathematicians and the Pope, who were in cahoots to rob them of ten days. Clavius was sorely dismayed by the controversy, though he got the better of his adversaries. While Descartes was learning mathematics from the books of Clavius, he developed a certain life-style at school that he was not to change until 1650, when the change resulted in his death. He petitioned the Most Reverend Head Master of the school, Fr. Charlet, that he be allowed to remain in bed until 11 o'clock and be exempted from all the morning's classes and activities. Surely this must strike a sympathetic chord in the hear ts of all s tuden t s who dislike early morning classes. Descartes' excuse was that he was too sickly to get out of bed so early, and that it was more beneficial for him to remain there and think until 11 a.m. The Jesuits granted him the requested dispensation, and
Endogenous Bone Marrow MSCs Are Dynamic, Fate-Restricted Participants in Bone Maintenance and Regeneration

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) commonly defined by in vitro functions have entered clinical application despite little definition of their function in residence. Here, we report genetic pulse-chase experiments that define osteoblastic cells as short-lived and nonreplicative, requiring replenishment from bone-marrow-derived, Mx1(+) stromal cells with "MSC" features. These cells respond to tissue stress and migrate to sites of injury, supplying new osteoblasts during fracture healing. Single cell transplantation yielded progeny that both preserve progenitor function and differentiate into osteoblasts, producing new bone. They are capable of local and systemic translocation and serial transplantation. While these cells meet current definitions of MSCs in vitro, they are osteolineage restricted in vivo in growing and adult animals. Therefore, bone-marrow-derived MSCs may be a heterogeneous population with the Mx1(+) population, representing a highly dynamic and stress responsive stem/progenitor cell population of fate-restricted potential that feeds the high cell replacement demands of the adult skeleton.
Nurses Develop a Plan for Research on Child and Adolescent Mental Disorders

JCPN Commentary presents a series of observations, opinions, and analyses of issues and trends in education and practice in psychiatric and mental health nursing, and social policy factors that influence families, or the delivery of health services to youth and their families.
Just, in time: cultivating the long arc of justice

Justice is an overused concept that is in danger of losing its meaning altogether. Our generational task is to reclaim its essential teachings of empathy and equality as we strive to find the hidden opportunities within the myriad crises presently before us. By placing our intentions and actions within the ambit of ‘the arc of the moral universe,’ we can recapture a sense of wonder that will serve to guide our choices as we navigate the lesson-filled road ahead.
An Experimental Study on Destructive Nature of Seam Roof Strata with Horizontal Bedding

Subjected to external forces, the structure surface between rocks (ie, bedding planes) should be deformed under external force. If the two side walls of the rock bedding plane has perfectly flat smooth surface, after the composite layered rock subjected to force, bedding plane can be closed as surface contact manner. However, the rock bedding plane side walls generally showed local contact state in the nature, the rock layers of bedding planes will produce compressive deformation under stress. Through complete stress - strain triaxial loading experimental study on the effects of the presence of horizontal bedding on layered composite rock strength and deformation, and the elastic deformation of layered rocks are calculated using elastic mechanics, the result shows that due to the presence of irregular bedding plane, the presence of horizontal bedding formation will reduce the overall strength, and increase the overall rock deformation.
Effects of Shear Flow on Interfacial Ordering in Liquids: X-ray Scattering Studies

X-ray scattering was used to observe the effects of shear on the interfacial structures of two nonpolar/nonmetallic liquids. Unsheared tetrakis(2-ethylhexoxy)silane, a normal liquid with spherical molecules, is known to show a diffraction peak indicating the presence of approximately three layers at a solid−liquid interface. We find that the peak height drops with increasing shear rate but the peak width and position do not change, indicating a decrease in the interface area covered by the layers. With the chain-molecule liquid poly(dimethylsiloxane), where in static conditions no diffraction peak is seen, an interfacial peak appears under high shear ratesmost likely because of chain disentanglementand persists for ∼3 h after we stop applying shear.
The use of lactational amenorrhea as a fertility regulating method.

Lactational amenorrhea has a contraceptive effect during at least the first six months postpartum when mothers fully or nearly fully breast feed. Women practicing the lactational amenorrhea method (LAM) need to know the factors related to the return of fertility. The longer the duration of fully or nearly fully breast feeding the longer the duration of amenorrhea and anovulation. Suckling inhibits secretion of follicle stimulating hormone and luteinizing hormone which thereby suppresses ovulation. No cases of ovulation have been found before the 56th day postpartum in fully or nearly fully breast feeding women. It appears that ovulation and a normal corpus luteum function often precede the first menses. The three criteria that must be met simultaneously for correct LAM use include: no return of menses no regular supplementation of breast milk and no more than six months postpartum. Another or complementary contraceptive method must be practiced immediately when any of these criteria is no longer met if the LAM client wishes to avoid pregnancy. LAM is more than 99% effective at preventing pregnancy. Family planning maternal and child health or primary health care programs should incorporate LAM as one of several family planning choices. They should offer various methods appropriate for breast feeding mothers. Informed voluntary choice is important. Family planning providers must be trained in the provision of LAM and all other family planning options and in counseling. The December 1995 Second Bellagio Conference proposed a practical definition of the return of fertility: the occurrence after day 56 postpartum of two consecutive days of bleeding/spotting or of the womans perception that her menses has returned whichever of the two comes first. It also found that it may be possible to expand LAM beyond six months postpartum. A study found that the pregnancy rate for lactating amenorrheic women at 12 months postpartum was 1.12%.
VXD3 : THE SLD VERTEX DETECTOR UPGRADE

Abstract The SLD collaboration has built and installed a new CCD vertex detector (VXD3) incorporating 96 CCDs. Each 13 cm 2 CCD has 3.2 × 10 6 pixels for a total of 3.1 × 10 8 pixels in the detector. This system is an upgrade of the pioneering CCD vertex detector (VXD2) which has operated in SLD since 1992. The CCDs of VXD3 are mounted on beryllium substrates and arranged in three concentric cylinders, providing at least three space point measurements along each track. The resolution of the space points is approximately 5 μm in all three coordinates. The design and construction of VXD3 builds on three years of successful performance of VXD2. Significant improvements are expected with VXD3 in impact parameter resolution (approximately a factor of 2) and acceptance (about 20% additional) through optimized geometry and reduced material. New readout electronics have also been developed for this system. This new vertex detector will be commissioned in January 1996 and should commence running immediately thereafter.
Functional Characterization of the Internal Ribosome Entry Site of eIF4G mRNA

The eIF4 group initiation factors are required for cap-dependent translation initiation. Infection of mammalian cells by picornaviruses results in proteolytic cleavage of one of these factors, eIF4G, which severely restricts cap-dependent initiation but permits cap-independent initiation to proceed from an internal ribosome entry site (IRES) in picornaviral RNAs. The first 357 nucleotides (nt) of the 5′-untranslated region of eIF4G mRNA also contains an IRES. Using bicistronic constructs for expression in K562 cells, we have now shown that progressive deletions of the 5′-untranslated region can have either stimulatory or inhibitory effects. Furthermore, a 101-nt segment exhibits full IRES activity, and an 81-nt segment exhibits detectable IRES activity. A polypyrimidine tract (PPT) at the 3′ terminus is essential for internal initiation, a property which is characteristic of picornaviral IRESs but not the other host cellular IRESs studied to date. IRES activity does not require sequences beyond 357 nt. Out-of-frame AUGs have no effect on IRES-driven luciferase expression when introduced upstream of the PPT but markedly decrease expression when introduced at sites between the PPT and the authentic initiation codon at nt 369. These results suggest that the ribosomal subunit enters at or near the PPT and then scans downstream for the initiation codon.
The effect of single and multiple lesions of the limbic system on cerebral excitability.

In order to gain further insight into the relationships between the limbic system and cerebral excitability, the threshold for flurothyl-induced seizures was determined in rats with lesions in various parts of the limbic system. Bilateral damage to the dorsal hippocampus resulted in a markedly lower threshold for convulsions. Bilateral lesions of either the amygdala, lateral septal nuclei or olfactory tubercles resulted in some lowering of threshold, but the effects were not statistically significant. Combined lesions of the amygdala, hippocampus and lateral septal nuclei resulted in effects comparable to those produced by hippocampal damage alone. The addition of olfactory lesions to the above combination potentiated the decrease in seizure threshold. The decreases in seizure thresholds took more than one week to develop. An increased susceptibility to the anticonvulsant effects of ethosuximide was seen after damage to the hippocampus, lateral septal nuclei or olfactory tubercles, but not after amygdaloid lesions. It can be concluded that marked changes in cerebral excitability, as determined by increased seizure susceptibility, occur following certain single and multiple lesions of the limbic system.
Foreign Workers, Refugees and Prospects for an Israeli-Palestinian Agreement

David Bartram argues that Israel's recent acquisition of a sizable foreign labour force carries the potential to complicate negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians, especially concerning Palestinian refugees. Though officially temporary, many foreign workers in Israel show signs of long-term settlement, recalling foreign worker experiences in Western Europe and elsewhere. As the Israeli government attempts to manage foreign workers' demands for proper treatment and respect for human and civil rights, what is likely to emerge is the extent to which the country is unprepared to offer any meaningful membership to new populations of non-Jews. The foreign worker episode, then, may reinforce Israel's resistance to demands for the return of Palestinian refugees. As Israel and the PLO/Palestinian Authority stumble towards (and sometimes away from) a comprehensive peace agreement, a new factor in the equation needs to be considered: Israel's new foreign labour force. In this paper the author reviews the history of Palestinian refugees and surveys the problems associated with Israel's recent experience with foreign workers. The importation of these workers signals a transition in Israel's development trajectory that is in all likelihood irreversible, at least in the short term. Specifically, with low-wage foreign labour now constituting more than 10 percent of Israel's labour force, the size of the foreign labour population has easily reached a critical mass that typically leads to permanent settlement and the formation of networks that encourage sustained migration. The availability of low-wage foreign labour is also severely hampering efforts to increase productivity in certain sectors, notably construction. It is argued here that the presence of this new non-Jewish population in Israel is likely to complicate negotiations with the Palestinians concerning difficult outstanding issues, in particular the fate of Palestinian refugees from the 1948 Israeli-Arab war. The structure of the Israeli state is not well suited for coping with the prospect of non-Jewish immigration of any type. The government's handling of the foreign workers issue highlights the difficulties involved and has raised sensitivities concerning Israel's ‘self concept’ as a Jewish state. One likely consequence is an increased resistance to demands for the return of Palestinian refugees. This episode thus illustrates the effect of economic development choices on inter-state relations.
Testing Negative Means I’m Lucky, Making Good Choices, or Immune: Diverse Reactions to HIV Test Results are Associated with Risk Behaviors

Background HIV testing may lead to behavioral changes among some individuals, but no scale has been developed to assess potential mechanisms.
Intuition of a clinical sort.

Excerpt Taking care of doctors can often teach us how to take better care of other patients, especially when a given doctor-patient is a clinician of the highest excellence. I must tell you about D...
Phosphorylation and lipid raft association of fibroblast growth factor receptor‐2 in oligodendrocytes

Fibroblast growth factors (FGFs) and their receptors (FGFRs) initiate diverse cellular responses that contribute to the regulation of oligodendrocyte (OL) function. In order to understand the mechanisms by which FGFRs elicit these cellular responses, we investigated the phosphorylation of signal transduction proteins and the role of cholesterol-glycosphingolipid-enriched “lipid raft” microdomains in differentiated OLs. Surprisingly, we found that the most abundant tyrosine-phosphorylated protein in OLs was the 120-kd isoform of FGFR2 and that it was phosphorylated even in the absence of FGF2, suggesting a potential ligand-independent function for this receptor. Furthermore, FGFR2, but not FGFR1, was associated with lipid raft microdomains in OLs and myelin (but not in astrocytes). This provides the first evidence for the association of FGFR with TX-100-insoluble lipid raft fractions. FGFR2 phosphorylated the key downstream target, FRS2 in OLs. Raft disruption resulted in loss of phosphorylated FRS2 from lipid rafts, coupled with the loss of Akt but not of Mek or Erk phosphorylation. This suggests that FGFR2-FRS2 signaling in lipid rafts operates via the PI3-Kinase/Akt pathway rather than the Ras/Mek/Erk pathway, emphasizing the importance of microenvironments within the cell membrane. Also present in lipid rafts in OLs and myelin, but not in astrocytes, was a novel 52-kd isoform of FGFR2 that lacked the extracellular ligand-binding region. These results demonstrate that FGFR2 in OLs and myelin possess unique characteristics that are specific both to receptor type and to OLs and provide a novel mechanism to elicit distinct cellular responses that mediate both FGF-dependent and -independent functions.
Duplex precipitates and their effects on the room-temperature fracture behaviour of a NiAl-strengthened ferritic alloy

Duplex precipitates are presented in a NiAl-strengthened ferritic alloy. They were characterized by the ultra-small angle X-ray scattering and transmission electron microscope. Fine cooling precipitates with the size of several to tens of nanometres harden the matrix considerably at room temperature. Cracks are likely to initiate from precipitates, and coalesce and propagate quickly through the matrix due to the excessive hardening effect of cooling precipitates, which lead to the premature fracture of NiAl-strengthened ferritic alloys.
Embedded Librarianship Is Job One: Building on Instructional Synergies.

Information literacy instruction is provided in five formats: reference, one-shot sessions, credit courses, library Web sites, and embedded librarians. Each method offers distinct merits as well as limitations. Much can be gained by considering the swirl or interplay of all five and how working with one approach informs the others and results in a better information literacy experience for students. Nevertheless, the question must be asked as to which method delivers the best opportunity for undergraduates to develop research skills and why. Recent findings of Project Information Literacy hold clues which signal embedded librarianship as the approach to pursue.
Urea for Lactating Dairy Cattle. I. Effect of Concentrate Fiber and Urea Levels on Nutritive Value of the Ration

Abstract Sixteen individual digestion balances were carried out, using four Holstein cows in the second through fifth months of their first lactation, to study the effect of concentrate fiber and urea on ration utilization and production. Body weights of the four animals at the beginnnig of the experiment ranged from 400 to 500kg and daily milk production was between 20 and 23kg. Concentrate mixtures containing corn meal, oat mill feed, crimped oats, wheat bran, corn gluten feed, brewer's grains, molasses, soybean oil meal, and minerals were fed according to milk production. Levels of urea (42% N) in the concentrate mixtures were 0 and 2%, and the levels of fiber were 5 and 8%. Fair-quality timothy hay was fed as the only forage at the rate of 2% of body weight. Generally speaking, only minor changes occurred in ration intake, protein digestibility, milk production, blood and rumen metabolite concentrations. Urea significantly improved digestibility of fiber in the ration when included in the low-fiber concentrate mixture and had the opposite effect in the high-fiber concentrate. Otherwise, the higher levels of concentrate fiber and urea significantly depressed ration digestibility and nutritive value, the fiber causing a much more pronounced effect.
Survival after myocardial infarction caused by acute left main coronary artery occlusion: case report and review of the literature

We report a 44-year-old white male presenting with an acute anterior myocardial infarction. Cardiac catheterization at 2 weeks postinfarction revealed total occlusion of the left main coronary artery. There was a normal dominant right coronary artery supplying moderate collaterals to the left coronary system. The patient was managed with conservative therapy and was N.Y.H.A. functional class II on followup 2 years later. A review of the literature relative to myocardial infarction caused by acute left main coronary artery occlusion is presented, and unique features of these cases are described.
Spin-dependent neutralino-nucleus scattering for A ∼ 127 nuclei

We perform nuclear shell model calculations of the neutralino-nucleus cross section for several nuclei in the A=127 region. Each of the four nuclei considered is a primary target in a direct dark matter detection experiment. The calculations are valid for all relevant values of the momentum transfer. Our calculations are performed in the 3s2d1g{sub 7/2}1h{sub 11/2} model space using extremely large bases, allowing us to include all relevant correlations. We also study the dependence of the nuclear response upon the assumed nuclear Hamiltonian and find it to be small. We find good agreement with the observed magnetic moment as well as other obervables for the four nuclei considered: {sup 127}I, {sup 129,131}Xe, and {sup 125}Te. {copyright} {ital 1997} {ital The American Physical Society}
Nanoenergetic Gas‐Generators: Design and Performance

Nanoenergetic gas-generator (NGG) mixtures may have various potential military applications from aircraft fuels to rocket propellants, explosives, and primers. To find reactions generating the highest pressure peak, we studied eight nanoenergetic reactions. The Al/Bi2O3 reaction generated the highest pressure pulse among the eight thermite reactions. We developed a highly efficient, one step process for synthesis of Bi2O3 nanostructured particles. Its use generated about a three times higher peak pressure (∼10 MPa) than when using commercial bismuth oxide nanoparticles (3 MPa). The pressure in the vessel rose very rapidly to a peak value for a duration of ∼0.02 ms and ΔP/Δt of up to 500 GPa s−1. Increasing the crystallinity of the bismuth oxide nanoparticles increased the peak gas pressure by 25%. The maximum pressure×volume (PV) value obtained at m=0.1 g with our synthesized Bi2O3 was 707 Pa m3 much higher than that reported in the literature (33 Pa m3) for the same sample mass. Addition of carbon to the reactant mixtures did not increase the peak pressure. Addition of up to 3 wt.-% of boron to the thermite systems increased the peak pressure by ∼50%.
Surgical treatment of cervical nodal metastases in patients with papillary thyroid carcinoma

Objective To determine if more extensive neck dissection in patients with papillary carcinoma of the thyroid affords a survival benefit vs limited lymphadenectomy of positive nodal disease. Design Survey analysis of a national cancer database. Methods Cases of papillary thyroid carcinoma were extracted from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results database for January 1, 1988, to December 31, 1999, along with demographic, staging, and treatment variables. Cases were limited to patients who underwent total thyroidectomy and postoperative radioactive iodine treatment along with excision of 1 or more positive cervical nodes. Patients were divided into 2 groups: those undergoing limited lymphadenectomy of only positive nodes and those undergoing more extensive neck dissection with removal of positive and negative nodes. Results Among 2097 patients with papillary carcinoma meeting treatment criteria, 880 underwent limited lymphadenectomy and 1217 underwent neck dissection. The mean age, sex distribution, primary tumor extent and size, and follow-up duration were not different between these 2 groups ( P >.05 for all). The mean survival for patients undergoing limited lymphadenectomy was 135 months, vs 136 months for patients undergoing neck dissection. Actuarial 5-year (10-year) survival rates were 94.4% (91.3%) and 95.9% (92.4%), respectively. Kaplan-Meier survival was not different between groups ( P = .40, log-rank test). Conclusions Limited lymphadenectomy of positive nodal disease in patients with papillary carcinoma affords survival similar to that of patients undergoing more extensive neck dissections. Therefore, a formal neck dissection may not be required for the effective treatment of cervical nodal metastases in patients with papillary carcinoma of the thyroid.
The preparation and use of radioactive tracers for the study of communition processes part II. Heterogeneous or Multicomponent materials

Abstract To extend the use of radioactive tracers to the study of the comminution of heterogeneous particulates, the multiple radioisotopes produced from elements intrinsic to the material of interest by irradiation in a nuclear reactor are used. Tracer methods can be developed to determine the number and weight fractions of each of the homogeneous components present when there are at least an equal number of radioisotopes produced as there are homogeneous components, and when each has a different but constant specific activity in each component. The tracer data on components so obtained can be used with the appropriate mechanistic model to determine the required specific breakage rates and breakage distribution parameters. This approach is demonstrated successfully for a phosphate ore known to have separable homogeneous components, by using a simple mechanistic model that consists of the sum of two linear, first-order models. Analytical simulation studies indicate that the propagation of the inherent analysis errors limit the approach to about three or in rare cases four components.
Current status and trends in performance-based risk-sharing arrangements between healthcare payers and medical product manufacturers.

Our objective was to identify and characterize publicly available cases and related trends for performance-based risk-sharing arrangements (PBRSAs). We performed a review of PBRSAs over the past 20 years (1993–2013) using available databases and reports from colleagues and healthcare experts. These were categorized according to a previously published taxonomy of scheme types and assessed in terms of the underlying product and market attributes for each scheme. Macro-level trends were identified related to the timing of scheme adoption, countries involved, types of arrangements, and product and market factors. Our search yielded 148 arrangements. From this set, 65 arrangements included a coverage with an evidence development component, 20 included a conditional treatment continuation component, 54 included a performance-linked reimbursement component, and 42 included a financial utilization component. Each type of scheme addresses fundamental uncertainties that exist when products enter the market. The pace of adoption appears to be slowing, but new countries continue to implement PBRSAs. Over this 20-year period, there has been a consistent movement toward arrangements that minimize administrative burden. In conclusion, the pace of PBRSA adoption appears to be slowing but still has traction in many health systems. These remain a viable coverage and reimbursement mechanism for a wide range of medical products. The long-term viability and growth of these arrangements will rest in the ability of the parties to develop mutually beneficial arrangements that entail minimal administrative burden in their development and implementation.
South Africa's Homelands in the Age of Reform: The Case of QwaQwa

Abstract The removal of the Land Acts, the abandonment of Population Registration legislation, and the move to reincorporate the homelands into South Africa mean that the political status of the homelands is about to be changed once again. Central to the struggle over this change of political status will be the actual conditions on the ground in these areas. Once artificial creations of the apartheid state, the so-called self-governing and independent national states now display increasing levels of materiality with which opponents of the homeland system and future governments will have to deal. The paper documents the changing geography of apartheid's homelands during the period of “reform”(1978–91) through a case study of QwaQwa, the smallest of the homelands. QwaQwa illustrates particularly well this dual process of landscape building and class formation and the ways in which local and national state powers have altered the geography of homelands in recent years. We see quite clearly the rise of a patr...
Construction of domain Web classification ontology based on suggested upper merged ontology

Aiming at the problem of merging heterogeneous semantic taxonomy emerged in Web information integration, a method of building Web classification ontology (WCO) has been proposed. A WCO that is logically consistent with the suggested upper merged ontology (SUMO) is defined, together with axioms needed to classify Web pages. WCO can be used as a foundation of merging heterogeneous semantic taxonomy, and could be used to support Web information integration and classification based Web information retrieval.
Facial composites and the misinformation effect: How composites distort memory

Purpose This study examined how constructing and viewing facial composites affects memory accuracy. Method Participants (n = 240) viewed a target face for 60 s; half were then randomly assigned to construct a facial composite while the other half completed a distracter task. Participants were then randomly assigned to view a composite either once, twice or not at all during a 1-week delay between the first and second session. Those who constructed a composite viewed their own composite during the 1-week delay, while those who did not construct a composite were yoked with someone who did, thereby viewing their counterpart's composite. In session 2, all participants completed a six-person forced-choice identification task. The participant was asked to identify the target from a six-person photo array. The photo array was composed of the target, the composite, and four morphed images that combined certain percentages of both the target and composite. Results Results showed that identification accuracy was lower for those who created a composite versus those who did not. These individuals were likely to identify an image consisting of a blend between the target and composite more often than those not creating a composite. In addition, those who only viewed a composite experienced memory contamination similar to those who created a composite. Conclusion Our findings illustrate that creating a composite or simply viewing someone else's composite hinders identification accuracy and one's memory for the target face. This research provides important implications regarding the methods used in collecting eyewitness descriptions during the investigative process.
Diffraction Dissociation and the Reaction γp-->π + π - p

The diffraction dissociation process for the reaction $\ensuremath{\gamma}p\ensuremath{\rightarrow}{\ensuremath{\pi}}^{+}{\ensuremath{\pi}}^{\ensuremath{-}}p$ is analyzed in detail. Much of the analysis is relevant to reactions initiated by hadrons. A procedure is suggested for adding nonresonant background (the "S\"oding term") to ${\ensuremath{\rho}}^{0}$ production without double counting, and numerical calculations are presented.
“Equilibrium” bubbles in the presence of applied stress and point-defect supersaturations

Spherical bubbles containing a fixed number of insoluble gas molecules n in an isothermal solid can come to equilibrium, provided the total applied stress σt, is less than a critical tensile stress σcr, and the relation (2γρ) + σb(ρ) − σt = 0 is satisfied. Here γ is the specific surface free energy, ρ is the bubble radius, and σb is the negative of the gas pressure. For σt < σcr, the equilibrium values of ρ are among solutions to the above equation. If σb(ρ) has an inflection point in its σb-gas density isotherm, then it is possible to have two equilibrium values of ρ for fixed n and temperature. The stress σt is comprised of the applied mechanical stress σH and a chemical stress σchem that is induced and completely determined by vacancy supersaturations (undersaturations). When vacancies and interstitials are not in mutual equilibrium, a bubble may reach a size that is time invariant if the steady-state flux of vacancies to the bubble (causing expansion) is equal to the steady-state flux of interstitials to the bubble (causing contraction). Here an effective stress σk-chem arises as a result of the opposite effects of vacancy and interstitial fluxes on the bubble size and replaces σchem in the above equation.