cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Impaired Angiotensin II AT1 Receptor Function and Enhanced Na, K-ATPase Affinity for Sodium in Proximal Tubule of Streptozotocin-Treated Diabetic Rats

We determined angiotensin II (Ang II) AT(1) receptor function in terms of Na-K-ATPAse (NKA) stimulation in the proximal tubule (PTs) of streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats. Ang II (10 pM) stimulated NKA activity in PTs of control rats but not diabetic rats. The AT(1) receptor expression was similar, but the expression of G-proteins (G(i)alpha2 and G(i)alpha3) in the PTs was decreased in diabetic compared with control rats. Kinetic studies revealed an increase in NKA affinity, low K(0.5,) for Na, with no changes in V(max) of the enzyme in diabetic compared with control rats. Basal Ser-phosphorylation of NKA alpha1-subunit was lower in diabetic compared with control rats. This data suggest that the higher basal NKA affinity for Na, possibly due to lower Ser-phosphorylaion of alpha1-subunit and not the AT(1) receptor function, in the PTs may be responsible for increased renal Na reabsorption associated with early stage of streptozotocin-induced diabetes.
Effects of longitudinal beam compression in a free-electron laser

When the scaled growth rate of a free-electron laser (FEL) is plotted as a function of the scaled thermal velocity for the case of ideal beam compression, we find two distinct cases. If the FEL is in the energy-spread-dominated regime, the growth rate can be improved as a result of compression provided the scaled thermal velocity is less than unity. Surprisingly, we find that the growth rate is always improved if the FEL is in the emittance-dominated regime.
Cardiovascular Effects of Caffeine in Elderly Men

Ten healthy elderly male volunteers were given 4 mg/kg of caffeine by intravenous infusion on three separate occasions. This resulted in mean peak plasma concentrations of caffeine of 7.4 ± 0.7 μg/ml. Immediately after each of the three caffeine infusions, the mean systolic blood pressures increased 14, 7, and 16 mm Hg, and the mean diastolic blood pressures increased 7, 4, and 7 mm Hg, respectively. Both the systolic and the diastolic blood pressures returned to preinfusion values within 4 hours. The QS2 index and the left ventricular ejection time (LVET) index increased after caffeine, probably as a result of the caffeine-induced increase in arterial blood pressure. The pre-ejection period (PEP), the PEP/LVET ratio, and the diastolic time remained unchanged. Caffeine, in doses equal to those contained in 2 to 3 cups of coffee, produces an increase in blood pressure but has no demonstrable positive inotropic effect in healthy elderly men.
Computational Study of Advanced Exhaust System Transition Ducts with Experimental Validation

The current study is an application of CFD to a 'real' design and analysis environment. A subsonic, three-dimensional parabolized Navier-Stokes (PNS) code is used to construct stall margin design charts for optimum-length advanced exhaust systems' circular-to-rectangular transition ducts. Computer code validation has been conducted to examine the capability of wall static pressure predictions. The comparison of measured and computed wall static pressures indicates a reasonable accuracy of the PNS computer code results. Computations have also been conducted on 15 transition ducts, three area ratios, and five aspect ratios. The three area ratios investigated are constant area ratio of unity, moderate contracting area ratio of 0.8, and highly contracting area ratio of 0.5. The degree of mean flow acceleration is identified as a dominant parameter in establishing the minimum duct length requirement. The effect of increasing aspect ratio in the minimum length transition duct is to increase the length requirement, as well as to increase the mass-averaged total pressure losses. The design guidelines constructed from this investigation may aid in the design and manufacture of advanced exhaust systems for modern fighter aircraft.
Loss of tolerance to self after transplant

Organ transplantation is the widely accepted treatment for end-stage organ failure. Since the first successful kidney transplant from an identical twin donor in 1954, researchers have been studying the effects of the immune system on transplantation outcomes. Although the surgery is technically successful, the majority of grafts from genetically disparate donors are rejected due to a number of factors that stimulate recipient immune responses, ultimately resulting in graft loss despite the chronic use of immunosuppressive (IS) drugs. Unfortunately, while short-term success has greatly improved with the development of novel IS drugs, the long-term graft survival of solid organs has not improved significantly over the last few decades. The problem of late graft loss is mainly attributed to development of chronic rejection. Therefore, understanding all of the immune mechanisms involved in transplant rejection is important to prevent graft dysfunction, and eventually, graft loss. In this review, we will give an overview of allograft rejection, the progression from acute to chronic rejection, and in addition, the recent discovery of a critical role for loss of self-tolerance and development of IL-17-dependent autoimmunity in chronic rejection.
Gendered Organizations: Progress and Prospects

In this paper, we explore the context for the emergence of a theory of gendered organizations and define the basic features of the approach, noting the explosion of scholarship in the area and the now firmly established trend toward understanding gender, race, class, and sexuality as aspects of social structures. We focus on three of the most important emerging areas in research on gendered organizations: the study of intersectionality, the increasing emphasis on the importance of organizational context, and the exploration of mechanisms for organizational change. We conclude by briefly noting prospects for the further development of research on gendered organizations.
Dual human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 blockade for the treatment of HER2-positive breast cancer

The introduction of trastuzumab into clinical practice changed the natural course of HER2-positive breast cancer. Currently, treatment with trastuzumab represents the standard of care for HER2-positive breast cancer and this treatment has been approved in the adjuvant, neoadjuvant, and metastatic settings. Besides trastuzumab, two other anti-HER2 agents—lapatinib and pertuzumab—have been approved for the treatment of HER2-positive advanced breast cancer. Strong biologic data support the concept of dual HER2 blockade, with different anti-HER2 agents demonstrating complementary mechanisms of action. Several neoadjuvant and metastatic studies performed in HER2-positive breast cancer using dual HER2 blockade have been proven to outperform anti-HER2 monotherapies. These dual combinations of agents represent a promising therapeutic strategy that is now reaching clinical practice. In this review we describe the results of studies utilizing dual blockade in patients with HER2-positive breast cancer.
Bioconjugation Strategies for Label-Free Optical Microcavity Sensors

Whispering gallery mode optical microcavities have significantly impacted the field of label-free optical biodetection. By combining the evanescent field generated by the microcavity with biomimetic surface chemistries, it is now possible to use the microcavities as not only biosensors, but as analytical tools to explore fundamental chemical and physical interactions of biomolecules and biomaterials. Here, we review the recent advancements of these applications from a surface chemistry perspective. For example, surface chemistries can be generated from a standard coating perspective, where active molecules, such as laser or fluorescent dyes can be embedded in a biomaterial matrix. Alternatively, direct and reverse grafting techniques can be used to tether biomolecules of interest to the surface to tune the surface properties (hydrophobicity/hydrophilicity, protein adsorption, cell adhesion, etc.). Finally, we discuss how to apply advancements in biomimetic chemistry from other sensor approaches to these devices to continue the development of new analytical tools. All of these developments rely on a firm understanding of how proper surface chemistries can be merged with whispering gallery mode optical microcavities to achieve not just a platform, but a precisely defined tool for a given application.
Neuroinflammation and the plasticity-related immediate-early gene Arc

Neurons exist within a microenvironment that significantly influences their function and survival. While there are many environmental factors that can potentially impact neuronal function, activation of the innate immune system (microglia) is an important element common to many neurological and pathological conditions associated with memory loss. Learning and memory processes rely on the ability of neurons to alter their transcriptional programs in response to synaptic input. Recent advances in cell-based imaging of plasticity-related immediate-early gene (IEG) expression have provided a tool to investigate plasticity-related changes across multiple brain regions. The activity-regulated, cytoskeleton-associated IEG Arc is a regulator of protein synthesis-dependent forms of synaptic plasticity, which are essential for memory formation. Visualisation of Arc provides cellular level resolution for the mapping of neuronal networks. Chronic activation of the innate immune system alters Arc activity patterns, and this may be a mechanism by which it induces the cognitive dysfunction frequently associated with neuroinflammatory conditions. This review discusses the use of Arc expression during activation of the innate immune system as a valid marker of altered plasticity and a predictor of cognitive dysfunction.
Literary Production and Political Crisis in Central America

This paper examines the common traits of the "new fiction" being written in Central America since the early 1970s. By examining three novels of Roque Dalton, Sergio Ramirez, and Marcos Carias, respectively, it seeks to explore how and why this fiction portrays the societies and political crises of the region in a very original way. This phenomenon will be placed in the context of the political role that Central American writers have played in the history of the region.
Hanna, Kantian Non-Conceptualism, and Benacerraf’s Dilemma

Abstract Robert Hanna has recently advanced a theory of non-conceptual content, the central claim of which is that ‘it is perfectly possible for there to be directly referential intuitions without concepts’. Hanna bases this claim in Kant’s account of intuition in the Critique of Pure Reason, and so extends his Kantian non-conceptualism beyond the epistemology of empirical knowledge into the realm of mathematics. Thus, Hanna has proposed a Kantian non-conceptualist solution to a well-known dilemma set out by Paul Benacerraf in his 1973 paper, ‘Mathematical Truth’. I argue that Hanna is right about Kant’s non-conceptualism, but mistaken in its application to Benacerraf’s Dilemma.
Church assistance to discharged patients.

With the revisions in the Medicare reimbursement system, many older pa tients are being discharged "sicker" than was the case ten years ago; thus, most older adults require some type of home-care assistance after being dis charged from the hospital. Given that most older adults attend church regu larly (Markides, Levin, and Ran, 1987), hospital social workers and others have suggested that churches might be able to provide some of the aftercare assistance that is needed upon discharge from the hospital (e.g., transporta tion, meal preparation, cleaning house, etc.). However, past research indi cates that only a small percentage of congregations have developed specific service programs for their older parishioners. For example, Adams and Stark (1987) found that only 20% of the congregations in their sample offered a telephone reassurance program, only 10% had a hospice program, and a mere 1.5% offered a home health-care program. Similarly, in a needs assessment study using a representative sample of one thousand St. Louis senior citizens, only 6% of the sample reported receiving any type of assistance from a church (Smith et al., 1988). Why do so few congregations provide services for their older parishioners? Although research on this topic is limited, prior studies do offer some in sights. In a nursing-home setting, Pardue (1991) found that the clergy and the elderly had different views regarding the spiritual needs of the elderly. Similarly, Shepard and Weber (1992) found that although the clergy had posi tive attitudes toward the elderly, their perceptions regarding the abilities of the elderly were overly optimistic. Finally, Mobey (1983) found that 80% of the clergy in his sample felt inadequate to deal with the elderly. Thus, these findings suggest that inadequate preparation of the clergy may be one of the reasons for the paucity of church-sponsored programs for the elderly. Another explanation can also be advanced however: many elderly may not
Fiscal Retrenchment in State Budgeting: Revisiting Cutback Management in a New Era

Abstract The eight states in the Mid-Atlantic region used a variety of methods to reduce budgets during the recession of the early 2000s. Their behavior was consistent with what had been seen previous recessions. They were similar to the classic cutback strategies and the administrative response models discussed in the literature. The findings have the potential to be instructive as to how states will handle similar situations in the future.
The synthesis and some properties of estriol-15-3H (1)

Abstract The reaction of the 3-benzyl ether of dimethyl marrianolate (I) with triphenylmethylsodium and then 3H2O produced I-3H in good yield. Treatment of I-3H with sodium in liquid ammonia (acyloin condensation) produced 16-ketoestradiol-15-3H. The latter was reduced by sodium amalgam to estriol-15-3H. The product, obtained in 14% overall isotope yield, was about 97% pure after column chromatography. In 2 metabolism studies conducted with human subjects, virtually no exchange of isotope with body water occured.
Introduction to the Special Edition on Rural Community Colleges in America

For those who have tended the quiet vineyards of the rural community college—and this includes practitioners as well as scholars like myself—these are exciting times indeed. We are on the verge of ...
Streptozotocin-Induced Diabetes Increases γ-Glutamyltranspeptidase Activity but not Expression in Rat Liver

Earlier work describing increased biliary excretion of the acetaminophen-cysteine conjugate advanced the hypothesis that streptozotocin-induceddiabetes increases -glutamyltranspeptidase (GGT) expression in Sprague–Dawley rats. To test this hypothesis, rats were divided into control, diabetic, and insulin-treated diabetic groups. Diabetes was induced by intravenous injection of 45 mg streptozotocin/kg body weight and was effectively controlled by insulin treatment in the appropriate group. Densitometric quantification demonstrated that hepatic GGT activity in diabetic rats was significantly increased when compared to normal and insulin-treated diabetic controls. Histochemical staining of liver was greater in female than in male rats, and staining increased in female rat liver as the duration of diabetes lengthened from 30 to 90 days. GGT activity was increased by diabetes in liver canalicular-enriched and basolateral-enriched membrane preparations, and it was unchanged in renal brush border-enriched membranes. Total mRNA isolated from diabetic and insulin-treated diabetic rat livers did not conclusively demonstrate an elevation of GGT mRNA relative to normal. Western blot analysis showed no differences in the amount of GGT in diabetic versus normal rat livers. These data indicate that streptozotocin-induced diabetes does not alter the expression of, but does increase the activity of, GGT in liver. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Biochem Toxicol 12: 219–225, 1998
Personality Moderates the Interaction between Positive and Negative Daily Events Predicting Negative Affect and Stress.

A 30-day diary study examined personality moderators (neuroticism and extraversion) of the interaction between positive and negative daily events predicting daily negative affect and night-time stress. Multilevel analyses revealed positive daily events buffered the effect of negative daily events on negative affect for individuals low in neuroticism and individuals high in extraversion, but not for individuals high in neuroticism or individuals low in extraversion. Positive daily events also buffered the effect of negative daily events on that night’s stress, but only for participants low in neuroticism. As such, this research linked today’s events to tonight’s stressfulness. This study advances our understanding of how neuroticism and extraversion influence within-person associations between positive and negative events predicting negative affect and stress.
A constant-rate indicator-infusion technic for the measurement of central vascular volume in man.

Evans blue dye was injected at a constant rate into the right ventricle or pulmonary artery of 17 subjects in 21 experiments. The consequent arterial dilution patterns were recorded continuously by a cuvette oximeter connected to an indwelling needle in the radial artery. From these dilution patterns the amount and concentration of dye in the intravascular space between the injecting and sampling sites were determined when an equilibrium concentration was attained. From these dimensions the "central vascular volume" was calculated. The values for the central vascular volume thus derived showed agreement with those determined in near-simultaneous estimations by Hamilton's modification of Stewart's method. The values for the "lung blood volumes" by the Newman method in these subjects were systematically smaller than the values for the central vascular volume.
Herpes simplex virus thymidine kinase expression in infection of the trigeminal ganglion.

Abstract Infection of the trigeminal ganglion was investigated using standard thymidine kinase-positive (TK + ) herpes simplex virus (HSV) and two TK − mutants. After corneal inoculation of mice with TK − HSV, the incidence of acute and latent trigeminal ganglion infection was markedly decreased compared to TK + virus. When cell-free virus was titered from mice 1 hr to 5 days post-corneal inoculation, ocular replication of TK − HSV was found to be similar to TK + HSV, but whereas TK + HSV replicated well and was found in substantial amounts in trigeminal ganglia (2 × 10 3 PFU/mg ganglion tissue), TK − HSV did not replicate in the ganglia. Mean TK − trigeminal ganglion virus titers were 10,000-fold less than TK + titers. When a TK + revertant of TK − mutant virus was tested, however, trigeminal ganglion virus replication was similar to that with the parental TK + virus. The results obtained were interpreted as being consistent with impaired axonal transport of TK − HSV from cornea to trigeminal ganglion neurons or more likely, with impaired replication of TK − HSV in ganglionic neurons.
Porosity of very young oceanic crust from sea floor gravity measurements

Porosity and density are two of the most important, but under-determined parameters in studies of igneous oceanic crust. Lacking quantitative measurements of crustal densities, but with plausible expectations of substantial variation with age, previous investigators have used estimates that have varied widely. To address this problem more rigorously, a recent ALVIN program obtained 133 on-bottom gravity stations to calculate crustal densities for three recent volcanic eruptions on the Juan de Fuca Ridge. In the summer of 1995, a Bell-Aerospace BGM-3 gravity meter was mounted in ALVIN and made fixed-station gravity measurements on 11 transect lines from three distinct volcanic environments including (1) the recent CoAxial Segment volcanic eruption that occurred in 1993, (2) two nearby flows with less well-determined ages but dated post-1981, and (3) several older adjacent areas on the Juan de Fuca axial ridge. Densities for the recent eruptive units ranged between 2280 and 2450 kg/m³, while the upper 50 meters of the older, unfractured surrounding flows were approximately 2800 kg/m³. Laboratory grain densities measured from rocks collected in the study area allow crustal porosities to be calculated, which are anomalously high for the recent flows in comparison to the surrounding axial ridge. Porosities for the three youngest flows range between 29–36%, while the adjacent unfractured regions of the surrounding axial region had porosities near 10%. Two localized regions of intense surficial crustal fracturing in older crust, located just south of the 1993 eruption site, also had high porosities of 26–28%. This high variability indicates that the evolution of crustal porosities from young to older oceanic crust is not related only to the collapse and infilling of macroscopic voids, but that tectonic activity can significantly modify the porosity of older crustal structures.
In vitro electro-pharmacological and autoradiographic analyses of muscarinic receptor subtypes in rat hypothalamic ventromedial nucleus: implications for cholinergic regulation of lordosis

Muscarinic agonists can act through the hypothalamic ventromedial nucleus (VMN) to facilitate lordosis. To elucidate the neuronal mechanism(s) underlying this muscarinic facilitation, effects of muscarinic agents on the single-unit activity of VMN neurons recorded in brain tissue slices of estrogen-primed female rats were analyzed. All the agonists tested, including acetylcholine (ACh), oxotremorine-M (OM), carbachol (CCh) and McN-A-343 (McN), evoked primarily excitation (80–100%), some inhibition (0–20%) and occasional biphasic responses (0–8%). By comparing the response magnitude and the effectiveness in evoking a response, the rank order for evoking excitation, the primary response, was found to be: OM > CCh > ACh ∼ McN, which is consistent with that (OM > CCh ⪢ McN) for facilitating lordosis reported by others. This consistency and the frequency of its occurrence suggest that the excitatory electric action of the muscarinic agonists is related to their facilitatory behavioral effect. Experiments with antagonists selective for M1 (pirenzepine), M2 (AF-DX 116) and M3 (4-DAMP and p-F-HHSiD) indicate that muscarinic excitations are mediated by M1 and/or M3, but not M2. Since M1 receptors have been shown to be neither sufficient nor necessary to mediate the muscarinic facilitation, M3 receptor may be crucially involved in this behavioral effect. Autoradiographic assays of binding to [3H]4-DAMP with or without pirenzepine and AF-DX 116, also indicate the presence of M3 receptors in the VMN. Quantitative analyses show that the M3 binding was not affected by the in vivo estrogen priming required to permit muscarinic agonists to facilitate lordosis. Thus, while the excitation mediated by M3 is likely to be involved in muscarinic facilitation of lordosis, the regulation of M3 receptor density does not seem to be involved in the permissive action of estrogen.
Activity of antibodies recovered from immune complexes of ovarian cancer patients

Ascites fluids from ovarian cancer patients contain immune complexes (IC). Attempts were made to characterize those antigens to which the patient is reacting using antibody recovered from these complexes. Polyethylene glycol (PEG) precipitation and protein A Sepharose 4B affinity chromatography were used to isolate IC. Dissociation of the IC was achieved by G-150 gel filtration in 0.1 M acetic acid, 0.15 M NaCl. Activity of antibody preparations was measured using a binding assay with 125I-labeled staphylococcal protein A. Confluent monolayers of various cell lines (including human ovarian and cervical carcinoma lines, human lymphoblastoid cell lines, human and chick embryo fibroblasts) were used. Six of nine antibody preparations isolated from ovarian cancer patient IC contained at least some reactivity against all cell types. Specificity was further defined using cell adsorption assays and polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. These results indicate what appears to be autoreactivity directed against a normal component(s) of many cells. No evidence for an ovarian cancer-restricted response was shown. Immunoprecipitation analyses showed several polypeptide bands on autoradiograms (49K, 46K, 33K, 25K), which deviated distinctly from the pattern obtained for whole cell extracts.
Gallium Arsenide Solar Cell Absorption Enhancement Using Whispering Gallery Modes of Dielectric Nanospheres

Based on a perfectly flat gallium arsenide solar cell, we show that it is possible to modify the flow of light and enhance the absorption without modifying the active material structure or degrading its electrical properties. The sunlight couples into confined resonant modes formed by a periodic arrangement of dielectric nanospheres above the solar cell. The in coupling element is lossless and, thus, has the advantage that no energy is lost within the dielectric nanospheres. This stored energy is absorbed by the underlying active material which directly contributes to the photocurrent enhancement of the solar cell.
Ventricular tachycardia responding solely to digitalis therapy.

Abstract A case of a patient with ventricular tachycardia which was converted to normal sinus rhythm following the administration of digitalis as the sole therapeutic agent is reported.
NATURAL HISTORY OF GUACIMO FRUITS (STERCULIACEAE: GUAZUMA ULMIFOLIA) WITH RESPECT TO CONSUMPTION BY LARGE MAMMALS

Guazuma ulmifolia (Sterculiaceae) is a shrubby tree common in the Central American lowlands in deciduous forest, and in the pastures cut out of it. The tree flowers in April-May (end of dry season) and bears dormant, incompletely expanded fruit until the end of the rainy season (November-December), at which time the fruits rapidly expand and ripen to fall during the first half of the dry season. The fruits are avidly eaten by livestock. A horse may consume 300-2,100 fruits in a meal, does not distinguish between fresh fruits that have been attacked by bruchid beetles and intact fruits, and defecates large numbers of viable seeds 2-5 days later. Moistened seeds germinate readily in horse dung or in soil. There are hard letter-shaped structures in the mesocarp of the fruit wall and a very hard core, both of which are large enough to function in preventing complete occlusion ofthe molar mill, an act which would crush the soft small seeds. Guazuma ulmifolia (guacimo) is probably one of the trees whose fruits would have been eaten and the seeds dispersed by the Pleistocene herbivorous megafauna that once roamed Central
Automated reconstruction of building facades for virtual walk-thrus

In this paper, we present a fast, automated approach to generating a highly detailed, textured 3D building facade model. This model is acquired at the ground level by driving a vehicle equipped with laser scanners and a digital camera under normal traffic conditions on public roads, and then processed offline. We evaluate our approach on a large data set acquired in downtown Berkeley.
TRAINING EFFECTS ON PERFORMANCE IN CONCEPT IDENTIFICATION PROBLEMS WITH VARIOUS TYPES OF SOLUTION SHIFTS

-Extensive training with same-class concept identification problems was expected to produce behavior that is consistent with hypothesis sampling models that assume rather severe memory limitations for previously tested hypotheses. After solving 0, 4, or 8 unidimensional concept problems, 256 undergraduates were transferred to a problem in which solution was ( a ) present on a single dimension-a no-shift problem, ( b ) reversed within a dimension after every second error-a reversal shift, (c ) alternated between two dimensions after every second error-a dimensional shift, or ( d ) based on either of two dimensions-a relevant, redundant problem. Results showed that performance was better o n the no-shift problem than the reversal shift problem but only at 0-prettaining. Performance was better on relevant, redundant problems than dimensional shift problems at 0and 4-pretraining. There were frequent inconsistencies of hypotheses with previous information in the 0and 8-pretraining conditions. The interpretation was that associative learning occurs among some inexperienced subjects and that with a moderate amount of training hypotheses are consistent with previous information. Memory is extremely limited when same-class problems are given repeatedly.
The Regional Energy & Water Supply Scenarios (REWSS) model, Part I: Framework, procedure, and validation

Abstract Water and energy are regionally dependent resources that generate significant environmental impacts. There is a growing body of environmental life-cycle impact data related to energy production and water use, and more cities and states are monitoring local conditions or developing future scenarios to assist in planning. This work presents a model that integrates datasets to calculate annual environmental impacts for a given region under varying future scenarios. The model treats energy and water with the same life-cycle framework and incorporates their interdependencies. Uncertainty and variability are included in results through the use of Monte-Carlo methods. Validation is presented here using greenhouse gas emissions from 1990 to 2010 for the U.S. states of Pennsylvania and Arizona. The REWSS model is publicly available, expandable for new sources or regions, and designed for state-scale questions about changes in impacts from use or removal of specific sources, or the changes in sources necessary to achieve specific changes in impacts. REWSS combines existing data in a novel way to allow the quantitative assessment of policy questions around environmental sustainability.
Adaptive dynamic relaxation technique for static analysis of catenary mooring

Abstract In applying the displacement based finite element method to the static structural analysis of complex catenary mooring systems, lack of bending and compressional stiffness leads to ill-conditioning of the tangent stiffness matrix. Conventional numerical methods for non-linear structural analysis are ineffective. A new algorithm, called adaptive dynamic relaxation, was developed. Use was made of the inertia effect of the structural mass and that of added damping in constructing a conditioning mechanism to the tangent stiffness matrix. The resulting dynamic equations of motion were solved by using Newmark's integration formulas. Detailed adaptive control procedures for the time step and load step sizes, damping level, and the integration parameters were presented. Numerical experiments done indicated satisfactory robustness and efficiency. Comparison with an existing visco-elastic relaxation algorithm on a typical example showed improved robustness and much better efficiency. Advantages and potential applications of the algorithm are discussed.
Unexpected expression of a unique mixed-isotype class II MHC molecule by transfected L-cells

Class II (Ia) major histocompatibility complex (MHC) molecules are heterodimeric integral membrane proteins composed of non-covalently linked α and β glycoprotein chains1,2. Studies of both normal cells and L-cell transfectants have shown that neither α-nor β-chains are found on the cell surface alone, and that αβ dimers are required for membrane expression1-6. In both mouse and man, several distinct non-allelic α and β genes exist. Analysis of Ia molecules by immunoprecipitation and two-dimensional gel electrophoresis has demonstrated apparently selective association of particular pairs of the various α- and β-chains to form the expressed class II isotypes I–A and I–E (mouse) or DQ, DP and DR (human)1. Because the various α- or β-chains encoded by distinct loci exist in many allelic forms within a species1,2,7,8, such specific pairing suggests a special role for isotypically conserved regions of each chain in the association process. In attempting to localize such putative assembly-controlling regions using the technique of DNA-mediated gene transfer, various combinations of murine α and β genes were introduced into L-cells. Here we report the unexpected observation, following transfection, of mixed-isotype (AdβEa/kα) molecules on the L-cell membrane and document that the formation of this pair is strongly influenced by allelic polymorphism of the Aβ chain.
The CHASE domain: a predicted ligand-binding module in plant cytokinin receptors and other eukaryotic and bacterial receptors

Abstract A novel, 200–230 amino acid extracellular domain was identified in the plant cytokinin receptor Cre1, in the receptor-histidine kinase DhkA and the adenylyl cyclase Acg from the slime mold Dictyostelium discoideum, and in a variety of other receptor-like proteins from bacteria and eukaryotes. The domain is predicted to bind diverse low molecular weight ligands, such as the cytokinin-like adenine derivatives or peptides, and mediate signal transduction through the respective receptors.
Entire solutions of singular elliptic equations

On etudie les solutions entieres positives de l'equation elliptique singuliere −Δu=f(x)u − λ, λ>0, ou f∈C loc α(R n ), 0 0 pour |x|>0
Next-Generation Lighting Initiative at the U.S. Department of Energy: Catalyzing Science Into the Marketplace

Solid-state lighting (SSL) is a pivotal emerging technology that promises to fundamentally alter and improve lighting systems-and buildings-of the future, significantly lowering energy use and costs and enhancing the quality of our building environments. No other lighting technology offers our nation so much potential to conserve electricity, at a time when our nation needs bold solutions to achieve greater energy independence. Major research and market introduction challenges must be addressed before the full promise of SSL is realized. This paper discusses the role of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) as a catalyst in accelerating SSL technology advances, as it works in partnership with industry, research and academic organizations, and market transformation partners. Through a series of ongoing, interactive workshops, DOE and its partners have developed an extensive plan designed to ensure that DOE funds the appropriate research and development (R&D) topics and commercialization support strategies to help our nation's best and brightest lighting experts move SSL from the laboratory into the marketplace
The association of ambulatory care with breast cancer stage at diagnosis among Medicare beneficiaries.

OBJECTIVE: Although nearly all elderly Americans are insured through Medicare, there is substantial variation in their use of services, which may influence detection of serious illnesses. We examined outpatient care in the 2 years before breast cancer diagnosis to identify women at high risk for limited care and assess the relationship of the physicians seen and number of visits with stage at diagnosis. DESIGN: Retrospective cohort study using cancer registry and Medicare claims data. PATIENTS: Population-based sample of 11,291 women aged ≥67 diagnosed with breast cancer during 1995 to 1996. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Ten percent of women had no visits or saw only physicians other than primary care physicians or medical specialists in the 2 years before diagnosis. Such women were more often unmarried, living in urban areas or areas with low median incomes (all P≥.01). Overall, 11.2% were diagnosed with advanced (stage III/IV) cancer. The adjusted rate was highest among women with no visits (36.2%) or with visits to physicians other than primary care physicians or medical specialists (15.3%) compared to women with visits to either a primary care physician (8.6%) or medical specialist (9.4%) or both (7.8%) (P<.001). The rate of advanced cancer also decreased with increasing number of visits (P<.001). CONCLUSIONS: Even within this insured population, many elderly women had limited or no outpatient care in the 2 years before breast cancer diagnosis, and these women had a markedly increased risk of advanced-stage diagnosis. These women, many of whom were unmarried and living in poor and urban areas, may benefit from targeted outreach or coverage for preventive care visits.
Cultural influences on Facebook photographs

Prior research in social psychology indicates that East Asians from collectivistic and interdependent sociocultural systems are more sensitive to contextual information than Westerners, whereas Westerners with individualistic and independent representation have a tendency to process focal and discrete attributes of the environment. Here we have demonstrated that such systematic cultural variations can also be observed in cyberspace, focusing on self-presentation of photographs on Facebook, the most popular worldwide online social network site. We examined cultural differences in face/frame ratios for Facebook profile photographs in two studies. For Study 1, 200 digital profile face photographs of active Facebook users were randomly selected from native and immigrant Taiwanese and Americans. For Study 2, 312 Facebook profiles of undergraduate students of six public universities in East Asia (Hong Kong, Singapore, and Taiwan) and the United States (California and Texas) were randomly selected. Overall, the two studies clearly showed that East Asian Facebook users are more likely to deemphasize their faces compared to Americans. Specifically, East Asians living in Hong Kong, Singapore, and Taiwan exhibited a predilection for context inclusiveness in their profile photographs, whereas Americans tended to prioritize their focal face at the expense of the background. Moreover, East Asian Facebook users had lower intensity of facial expression than Americans on their photographs. These results demonstrate marked cultural differences in context-inclusive styles versus object-focused styles between East Asian and American Facebook users. Our findings extend previous findings from the real world to cyberspace, and provide a novel approach to investigate cognition and behaviors across cultures by using Facebook as a data collection platform.
Eight questions for customer knowledge management in e‐business

Customer knowledge is an important asset for all businesses. The rhetoric of e‐business emphasises the opportunities for knowing customers in the digital economy. This article sets the context with a brief summary of the key characteristics of the knowledge management paradigm. This is used as a platform for the formulation of the questions that form the core of this article: What customer knowledge do businesses require? What customer data can be collected? What are the challenges for translating data into information and knowledge? Can knowledge cultures be created in online customer communities? Whose knowledge is it anyway? How can knowledge assets be identified and managed in virtual organisations? How can customer knowledge from e‐business be integrated with customer knowledge from other channels? Who needs customer knowledge anyway?
Palæoclimatic Significance of δ-Oxygen-18-time Trends observed by Oxygen Isotopic Analysis of Freshwater Limestones

AFTER McCrea1 and Epstein et al.2 established the carbonate–water palaeotemperature technique whereby the temperature of calcium carbonate precipitation can bo determined by measuring the oxygen-18 content of the calcite, this tool has been widely utilized by a large number of workers for marine carbonates ranging in age from early Mesozoic to the present. Since the fractionation factor, that is, the isotopic composition of calcite divided by that of sea-water, is temperature dependent, deposition temperatures can be determined by: (1) measuring the 18O/16O ratio of ancient carbonate; (2) assuming a value for the isotopic composition of sea-water at that time.
Management of primary hyperparathyroidism in the elderly

Of 166 surgical patients for whom the diagnosis of primary hyperparathyroidism was established over a 20-year period, about one-third were over 60 years of age. For an additional 9 patients, or operation was advised, usually because of other life-endangering disease and the presence of only a mild degree of hypercalcemia without complications. In recent years, nearly 50 per cent of the patients did not have renal calculi or osteitis fibrosa cystica; this was unrelated to age. Most of the patients with management problems were seen since 1965. Age alone was not a dominant factor in relation to serious complications from hypercalcemia, the presence of other critical disease increasing the risk of operation, or the development of major postoperative complications. The only death from primary hyperparathyroidism occurred in a 74-year old patient who refused re-operation and died from an acute hypercalcemic crisis. A liberal, but selective, policy of surgical treatment is justified for primary hyperparathyroidism in the elderly. Patients for whom the diagnosis of primary hyperparathyroidism is established may be separated into three groups: those for whom early operation is indicated, those for whom operation should be delayed to permit recovery from other life-endangering acute disease, and those for whom operation is unjustified because of minimal uncomplicated hypercalcemia and other serious disease greatly limiting life expectancy. These categories encompass all age groups and are not restricted to the elderly. All patients require periodic re-evaluation.
An evolving database for Quaternary aminostratigraphy

Abstract Amino acid racemization (AAR) dating methods have been used since the mid-1960s. Since that time, information technologies have evolved as AAR laboratories have worked to appropriately catalog sample collections and analyses. The University of Delaware AAR Database (UDAARDB) is a database of AAR and other geochronological data from coastal Quaternary sites in North and South America that has been in development for over 25 years. In that time, database and software platforms have changed and a concerted effort has been made to digitize legacy data for preservation and to make these data available for future use. To ensure data preservation, all or part of UDAARDB is redundantly hosted at three institutions as data files and maps. Furthermore, the flexible nature of accessing the data (i.e., as online maps and common format data files) helps to maintain a public presence and, therefore, assists in their preservation.
Longitudinal regression analysis of spatial–temporal growth patterns of geometrical diffusion measures in early postnatal brain development with diffusion tensor imaging

Abstract Although diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) has provided substantial insights into early brain development, most DTI studies based on fractional anisotropy ( FA ) and mean diffusivity ( MD ) may not capitalize on the information derived from the three principal diffusivities (e.g. eigenvalues). In this study, we explored the spatial and temporal evolution of white matter structures during early brain development using two geometrical diffusion measures, namely, linear ( Cl ) and planar ( Cp ) diffusion anisotropies, from 71 longitudinal datasets acquired from 29 healthy, full-term pediatric subjects. The growth trajectories were estimated with generalized estimating equations (GEE) using linear fitting with logarithm of age (days). The presence of the white matter structures in Cl and Cp was observed in neonates, suggesting that both the cylindrical and fanning or crossing structures in various white matter regions may already have been formed at birth. Moreover, we found that both Cl and Cp evolved in a temporally nonlinear and spatially inhomogeneous manner. The growth velocities of Cl in central white matter were significantly higher when compared to peripheral, or more laterally located, white matter: central growth velocity Cl = 0.0465 ± 0.0273/log(days), versus peripheral growth velocity Cl = 0.0198 ± 0.0127/log(days), p − 6 . In contrast, the growth velocities of Cp in central white matter were significantly lower than that in peripheral white matter: central growth velocity Cp = 0.0014 ± 0.0058/log(days), versus peripheral growth velocity Cp = 0.0289 ± 0.0101/log(days), p − 6 . Depending on the underlying white matter site which is analyzed, our findings suggest that ongoing physiologic and microstructural changes in the developing brain may exert different effects on the temporal evolution of these two geometrical diffusion measures. Thus, future studies utilizing DTI with correlative histological analysis in the study of early brain development are warranted.
IMPROVEMENT RATINGS BY EXTERNAL JUDGES AND PSYCHOTHERAPISTS

Short (10 co 30 min.) pre- and posc-therapy typescripts of 24 University Mental Hygiene Clinic clients were used. These students were seen by eight therapiscs, each carrying three cases. A trained interviewer conducted both the pre- and post-interviews, the "post" interviews being conducted approximately three and one-half months after the beginning of psychotherapy. Typescripts were submitted to two highly experienced clinicians who quartiled the cases according to "improvement in the student's ability to cope with his own life, to resolve those problems which are most irnportanc to him." A third judge decided disagreements. Judges worked blindly with only pre and post typescripcs. Each psychotherapist independently quartiled his own three cases in terms of his experience with cther clients. The psychotherapists varied greatly on such dimensions as age, professional experience, activity, interpreciveness, and incer- nal-external orientation to life. The two primary external judges differed theo- retically in that one is a Jungian, the other a Personal Construct theorist. Structure of intake intmvtew.-The interviewer described the functions of the Mencal Hygiene Clinic and the general nature of the research project. Then he covered the following topics: The problem (s) as the client sees thm: How well does the client describe them? What relationships does he see between different aspects of his life? Does he perceive any background causes of rhe present problem(s), even though he may be uncertain about them? Can he report a specific episode which recently occurred which is relevant to his prob- lem(~) ? Everyday functioning: How is he performing academically? Does he see any correlates to his academic difficulties? How does he relate to his friends and peer group? What is the nature of his dorm and dating relationships? Is he aware of the feelings of his friends? Is he sensitive to them? How does he per- - ceive them? How does he relate to his superiors and to his family? How com- fortable does he feel in relationship to his superiors and family? Can he com- municate with them and in what manner? What is the nature of his dependency
Ileo-anal S-Pouch reconstruction in patients with total colonic aganglionosis after failed pull-through procedure.

Abstract Total colonic aganglionosis (TCA) occurs in 3% to 12% of Hirschsprung's disease patients. Although numerous surgical techniques have been utilized for the treatment of these patients, little information is available regarding optimal surgical management of their frequent complications or failured procedures. The ileoanal S pouch (IASP) technique has been utilized in the treatment of children with familial adenomatous polyposis and ulcerative colitis. The authors present the results of salvage IASP in 3 TCA patients who had poor results after total colectomy and Soave pull-through.
fabrication of diamond membranes for MEMS using reactive ion etching of silicon

Polycrystalline diamond thin film has been grown on a silicon substrate using high pressure microwave plasma-assisted chemical vapor deposition from a gas mixture of methane and hydrogen at a substrate temperature of 950°C. A simple process flow has been developed to fabricate optically transparent polycrystalline synthetic diamond membranes/windows employing reactive ion etching (RIE) of a single crystal silicon substrate using an electron beam evaporated aluminum thin film mask pattern formed by photolithography. Scanning electron microscopy has been used to study the morphology of as-grown diamond thin films.