cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Chromatographic data of progesterone analogues.

Abstract Several substituted steroids having the same nuclear structure as progesterone have been studied in Zaffaroni type chromatographic systems. In general it was found that hydroxyl groups increase the polarity of the resultant molecule as do additional double bonds and halogen substituents. Methyl congeners showed decreased polarity as compared with progesterone.
High purity sputtered tribological coatings

Abstract A novel red-hot target sputtering system was used to deposit adherent and coherent high purity TiN and ZrN films onto cooled steel components to improve their surface properties. Rotating wear test results indicated that thin layers of these materials can significantly affect the tribological response of mechanical parts and that the presence of a ZrN layer prevents uneven wear.
Virtual temporal bone: Creation and application of a new computer-based teaching tool

The human temporal bone is a 3-dimensionally complex anatomic region with many unique qualities that make anatomic teaching and learning difficult. Current teaching tools have proved only partially adequate for the needs of the aspiring otologic surgeon in learning this anatomy. We used a variety of computerized image processing and reconstruction techniques to reconstruct an anatomically accurate 3-dimensional computer model of the human temporal bone from serial histologic sections. The model is viewed with a specialized visualization system that allows it to be manipulated easily in a stereoscopic virtual environment. The model may then be interactively studied from any viewpoint, greatly simplifying the task of conceptualizing and learning this anatomy. The system also provides for simultaneous computer networking that can bring distant participants into a single shared virtual teaching environment. Future directions of the project are discussed.
Kinetics of ethane hydrogenolysis over silica-supported ruthenium-group IB metal catalysts

Abstract We have studied the ethane hydrogenolysis reaction to determine the effect of adding copper and silver to a silica-supported ruthenium catalyst. Specific activities were measured at a number of temperatures as a function of the fraction of Group IB metal. In addition, the effect of changing the ratio of hydrogen to ethane in the feed gas was used to measure apparent orders of reaction as a function of temperature and Group IB metal added. At the lower temperatures studied we found that the effect of adding copper or silver to the catalyst was virtually the same, the differences being attributed to the greater affinity of copper for defect-like sites on the ruthenium crystallites. At higher temperatures, copper and silver acted differently; copper seemed to be active for the removal of site-blocking hydrogen from the active ruthenium surface, while silver merely blocked the ruthenium sites most active for the removal of hydrogen from the surface. We postulate that the defect-like sites of supported ruthenium crystallites are most active for the desorption of weakly adsorbed hydrogen while the actual carbon-carbon bond cleavage takes place on the basal planes. The increase in specific activity observed as the dispersion of the catalyst decreased was attributed to the increase in relative number of carbon-carbon bond-breaking sites. The order of reaction with respect to hydrogen partial pressure suggests that the adsorbed hydrocarbon intermediate has a stoichiometry of C2H3.
Optical and Infrared Spectroscopy of Laser Irradiated BI Implanted SiO2 Glasses

Optical and infrared reflection spectra for Bi-implanted high-purity silica are reported as a function of dose and 5eV laser irradiation. The extinction coefficient per ion and the reflectance spectra are dose dependent. Subsequent effects of laser irradiation are dependent upon Bi content and total number of laser pulses. Changes reported are attributed to two photothermal processes. One involving diffusion and desorption of Bi ions and annealing of defects, while the second is dominated by annealing.
Prediction of Hybridization and Melting for Double-Stranded Nucleic Acids

This article presents a general statistical mechanical approach to describe self-folding together with the hybridization between a pair of finite length DNA or RNA molecules. The model takes into account the entire ensemble of single- and double-stranded species in solution and their mole fractions at different temperatures. The folding and hybridization models deal with matched pairs, mismatches, symmetric and asymmetric interior loops, bulges, and single-base stacking that might exist at duplex ends or at the ends of helices. All possible conformations of the single- and double-stranded species are explored. Only intermolecular basepairs are considered in duplexes at this stage. In particular we focus on the role of stacking between neighboring nucleotide residues of single unfolded strands as an important source of enthalpy change on helix formation which has not been modeled computationally thus far. Changes in the states of the single strands with temperature are shown to lead to a larger heat effect at higher temperature. An important consequence of this is that predictions of enthalpies, which are based on databases of nearest-neighbor energy parameters determined for molecules or duplexes with lower melting temperatures compared with the melting temperatures of the oligos for which they are used as a predictive tool, will be underestimated.
The Enigma of Nicholas Roerich

Nicholas Roerich: The Life and Art of a Russian Master. By Jacqueline Decter with the Nicholas Roerich Museum. Illustrated. 224 pp. Rochester, Vt.: Park Street Press, 1989. $39.95.
National quality and business excellence awards in a developing country: the Fiji National Quality Award

In this paper, the essence of the Fiji Quality Awards (FQA) is presented. The history, framework, principles, objectives, examination criteria and the award process of the national quality awards will be thoroughly described. Further, a list of all FQA recipients, since its inception, will be provided.
Side-by-side And End-to-end Attraction Of Double-stranded DNA

Genomic DNA is densely packed inside the cell nucleus and viral capsids. Such close packing suggests that electrostatic repulsion between negatively charged DNA in the condensed state is balanced by counterion-induced attraction. Indeed, effective attraction between DNA in high-valence electrolytes has been experimentally demonstrated. Several theoretical models have been proposed to explain DNA attraction, however, specific microscopic mechanisms could not be unequivocally determined. Here, we report sub-microsecond all-atom molecular dynamics (MD) simulations of the effective force between double-stranded DNA in the side-by-side and end-to-end orientations. In a typical simulation, two DNA molecules were placed in an electrolyte solution a certain distance away from one another. An external harmonic potential was applied to keep the distance between the molecules constant, which allowed the effective mean force to be computed directly by averaging over 160 ns-long trajectories. We found that, in a side-by-side conformation, two DNA molecules can form a bond state in the presence of magnesium ions. In the bond state, DNA molecules contact each other via negatively charged phosphate groups, bridged by magnesium ions. For DNA in a monovalent electrolyte, the effective attractive force is too weak to induce DNA condensation in the presence of thermal fluctuations. In the end-to-end orientation, the attraction was found to take place regardless of the electrolyte concentration. The presence of a phosphate group at the 5′-ends of the fragments was found to direct DNA end-to-end self-assembly and produce bound states resembling a continuosus DNA molecule. Our simulations suggest that the end-to-end attraction, rather than being mediated by counterions, is likely caused by hydrophobic and the van der Waals interactions between terminal nucleobases of the fragments.
Distribution of gains from research and promotion in the presence of market power

This article evaluates how marginal returns to producers from promotion and research are affected when market intermediaries have market power in the retail market+ Using an equilibrium displacement model, the relative importance of market power is evaluated for a “typical” food-processing industry, and the empirical analysis focuses on how much profits from advertising, off-farm research, and farm research are affected by a one dollar increase in check-off funds, assuming equal efficiency in funds spent at each level of the marketing channel+ The empirical analysis systematically considers alternative values of the underlying structural parameters of the model using Monte Carlo simulations to generate confidence intervals of marginal returns from each alternative use of the funds+ Important findings are that the results with market power are indistinguishable from those obtained under pure competition and the results are most affected by input substitutability+ @EconLit citations: L660#+ © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc+
Le prêtre, le ministre et l’apostat. Les stratégies pastorales face au protestantisme canadien-français au XIXe siècle

En prenant pour cadre d’etude le diocese de Saint-Hyacinthe, cet article vise a presenter les differentes composantes de la strategie catholique a l’egard du protestantisme canadien-francais au XIXe siecle. Il expose les principaux arguments utilises pour defendre le catholicisme et s’interesse aux efforts deployes par le clerge pour reintegrer les apostats au sein de l’Eglise. Les propos des pretres et leur perception du protestantisme se revelent etre en filiation directe avec l’apologetique post-tridentine condamnant vigoureusement la Reforme et les Reformes. Au total, l’activite pastorale a contribue a forger l’image que les fideles avaient d’eux-memes, de leur Eglise et de leur foi. Elle exaltait l’institution catholique, sa hierarchie et ses rites et tenait, en parallele, un discours intransigeant, et meme intolerant, envers les protestants.
Optical Properties of Gallium Implanted Silicon

We present measurements of the optical constants n and k of gallium-implanted silicon (Si:Ga) in the spectral range 500-1000 nm using ellipsometry and reflectance to assess the usefulness of this material for nanophotonics.
Uranium and thorium in urine of United States residents: reference range concentrations.

We measured uranium and thorium in urine of 500 U. S. residents to establish reference range concentrations using a magnetic-sector inductively coupled argon plasma mass spectrometer (ICP-MS). We found uranium at detectable concentrations in 96.6% of the urine specimens and thorium in 39.6% of the specimens. The 95th percentile concenetration for uranium was 34.5 ng/L (parts per trillion); concentrations ranged up to 4080 ng/L. Thorium had a 95th percentile concentration of 3.09 ng/L; concentrations ranged up to 7.7 ng/L.
The organizing role of the D quadrant as revealed through the phenomenon of twinning in the polycheate Chætopterus variopedatus.

The egg of the polychaete Chaetopterus, like many spiralian embryos, undergoes unequal cleavage during the first two cell divisions following fertilization. The first cleavage gives rise to a large CD blastomere and a smaller AB blastomere. At second cleavage the CD blastomere divides asymmetrically, forming a large D blastomere and a smaller C blastomere while the AB cell divides to give rise to the two smaller blastomeres, A and B, which are virtually identical in size. As in many of the other spiralians which have been studied, the A, B, C, and D blastomeres give rise to characteristic portions of the larval body plan. It has been shown in these related forms that the D blastomere derivatives are necessary for the production of various structures derived from the remaining three quadrants, as well as in organizing the overall symmetry properties of the embryo. If Chaetopterus embryos are compressed underneath a coverslip at the appropriate stage of development prior to first cleavage (the “pear stage”) some of the embryos divide to form two equal sized blastomeres. Each of the two cells in equalized embryos appears to develop as a normal CD blastomere often dividing to generate a four-celled embryo with two C and two D blastomeres opposite one another (CDCD embryos). These embryos often grow up to form larvae which have duplicated structures. We investigated the role of the early cleavage program in the production of double larvae by staining individual blastomeres of normal and equalized embryos with Nile blue sulfate. Our results reveal that previous descriptions of the symmetry properties of twinned larvae are incorrect. Twins are not true Janus larvae of the duplicitus cruciata form but are organized along a single axis. The two halves face one another along a plane of mirror symmetry, each one fused to the other at their ventral surface just above a single, common, fused mouth. Furthermore, the median plane of the two fused heads is the same as that of the two trunks. These labeling studies indicate that cells derived from both of the two C blastomeres in compressed embyos contribute to the formation of similar structures in both halves of the double larva. The two C quadrants within the double embryos each can give rise to two eyes, and the plane of mirror symmetry between the two halves of the double embryo as mentioned above corresponds to a plane running through the two C blastomeres in the fourcelled CDCD embryo. These findings indicate that the two D quadrants in these double embryos interact to organize the development of the double embryo in a coordinating manner. Both D quadrants, therefore, appear to be inductively active within the CDCD double embryos. These results are discussed in view of various hypotheses which have been proposed to explain the phenomenon of twinning in spiralians.
Career development theory

Abstract Super's theory of vocational development, initially formulated in the 1950s, has led to a number of important research programmes, focusing particularly on the concept of vocational maturity. The major findings of these studies are surveyed in this paper. They suggest that vocational maturity is a development characteristic which increases with age, is multidimensional in nature, develops at different rates in different individuals, and can help in the pre-diction of occupational satisfaction, occupational success, and career success.
Next-generation germanium spectrometer background reduction techniques at 2 Me

The Majorana project, a next-generation 76Ge neutrinoless double-beta decay experiment being undertaken by a large international collaboration, has the goal of measuring the neutrinoless double-beta decay rate by observing monochromatic events at 2039 keV in 500 kg of isotopically enriched 76Ge gamma-ray spectrometers. In order to achieve the desired sensitivity limit, the background in the 2037-2041 keV region must be reduced to <1 event per year in the entire germanium array. The effects of various background reduction techniques, and the combination thereof, to produce a huge 76Ge spectrometer array with virtually zero background are discussed.
Evidence for stimulated glutathione synthesis by phenobarbital pretreatment during an oxidative challenge in isolated hepatocytes

Hepatocytes isolated from phenobarbital-pretreated and naive male Sprague-Dawley rats were preincubated with 80 microM N, N-bis (2-chloroethyl)-N-nitrosourea and subsequently exposed to varying concentrations of menadione. We observed that the reduced glutathione levels of the hepatocytes isolated from the sodium phenobarbital(PB)-pretreated, but not the naive rats, recovered to near-control levels after exposure to 200 microM menadione. Since this recovery occurred in the presence of N, N-bis (2-chloroethyl)-N-nitrosourea (an inhibitor of glutathione reductase), we hypothesized that this represented a PB-mediated increase in de novo synthesis of glutathione. To test this hypothesis and to further assess the possible contribution of glutathione reductase in the recovery of the glutathione levels, we preincubated hepatocytes isolated from PB-pretreated and naive rats with 2 mM buthionine sulfoximine, with or without N, N-bis (2-chloroethyl)-N-nitrosourea. Following exposure to menadione, samples were periodically removed for glutathione assessment. Consistent with our hypothesis, the addition of buthionine sulfoximine abrogated the ability of the PB-pretreated hepatocytes to restore glutathione levels following a menadione challenge. Buthionine sulfoximine in combination with N, N-bis (2-chloroethyl)-N-nitrosourea completely abolished hepatocellular glutathione homeostasis for all of the concentrations of menadione employed. The findings from this investigation underscore the importance of phenobarbital-mediated increases in glutathione synthesis, as well as the enhanced levels of glutathione reductase, in maintaining the pool of reduced glutathione and ultimately mitigating the consequences of oxidative stress. In addition, these findings suggest that PB pretreatment increases the reserve capacity of the hepatocyte for glutathione synthesis via a hitherto undescribed hormetic mechanism, a reserve expressed fully only on an oxidative stress of sufficient magnitude.
Modeling a vocabulary in an object-oriented database

Controlled vocabularies have been used as the means for unifying disparate terminologies found within an application field. This unification leads to better administration of information and enhanced communication among various parties. Semantic networks have been shown to be excellent vehicles for modeling controlled vocabularies. However, they often lack the necessary access flexibility and robustness required by external agents such as intelligent information-locators and decision-support systems. In this paper, we describe the process of mapping an existing medical vocabulary based on a semantic network model into an Object-Oriented Database (OODB) system. We first consider two straightforward approaches to carrying out this task and describe their deficiencies. We then present a new approach which yields a very compact OODB schema for the representation of the vocabulary’s entire hierarchy and inter-connectivity. We refer to the resulting OODB as the Object-Oriented Healthcare Vocabulary Repository (OOHVR), which is currently up and running in the context of ONTOS, a commercially available OODB system.
The roles of predator identity and group size in the antipredator responses of American toad (Bufo americanus) and bullfrog (Rana catesbeiana) tadpoles

Summary Prey must integrate several cues to assess predation risk and determine appropriate antipredator responses. Few studies on anuran tadpoles have simultaneously varied multiple cues related to predation risk. We examined how American toad (Bufo americanus) and bullfrog (Rana catesbeiana) tadpoles respond to predator identity (e.g., dytiscid beetle larvae or bluegill sunfish), group size, and, for American toads, tadpole size. American toads were less active in control and with bluegill, and higher with dytiscids. American toads did not alter habitat use with bluegill, but solitary tadpoles avoided vegetation when with dytiscids. American toads in pairs or groups of 8 used vegetation more than solitary tadpoles in the presence of dytiscids. Smaller American toad tadpoles were more active and used open water more than larger tadpoles. Bullfrogs were less active in the presence of either predator relative to the control. Bullfrogs did not adjust habitat use with dytiscids, but used vegetation less in the presence of bluegill. Bullfrogs in groups of 8 were more active than solitary tadpoles or tadpoles in pairs. Group size in bullfrogs affected the response to predator cues. In conclusion, the behavior of tadpoles responds to a variety of factors, including group size, predator cues, and tadpole size.
Stability of Metal−Organic Complexes in Acetone− and Methanol−Water Mixtures

Contamination of soils and groundwaters by trace metals, organic ligands, and organic solvents has been identified at some DOE sites and hazardous landfills. Complexation of metal ions with organic...
Capillary electrophoretic determination of oxalate in amniotic fluid

Abstract A capillary electrophoretic (CE) assay for oxalate has been applied to the quantitative determination of free oxalate in amniotic fluid. Indirect absorbance detection of oxalate is accomplished with a chromate-based background electrolyte modified with ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA). Detection interference due to the presence of high levels (≈4 mg/ml) of inorganic chloride is eliminated through a direct sample clean-up procedure based on cation (Ag+-form) resins. Separation interference from amniotic fluid proteins is prevented through the use of a simple aqueous-based dilution procedure. This method for the determination of oxalate in amniotic fluid provides precision of ≈5% relative standard deviation (RSD). Within-day precisions for the oxalate response and migration time are better than 3% RSD and 1% RSD, respectively. Between-day precisions for the oxalate response and migration time are better than 6% RSD and 3% RSD, respectively. The analytical recovery of oxalate (1000 ng/ml) spiked into amniotic fluid was better than 96%. The limit of detection (LOD) for the method is ≈100 ng/ml oxalate. This method also shows promising results for the determination of oxalate in human blood plasma samples.
Sociopolitical Symposium Ultrasound Education for Emergency Medicine Physicians

The issue of nonsonographers performing ultrasound exams is an extremely controversial subject within our field. The matter should not be just concerned with protecting turf, but should allow for the most effective manner of healthcare for patients. This article is not meant to endorse the practice of ultrasound education, it is meant to address the need for ultrasound education among emergency medicine physicians who are legitimately performing ultrasound exams.
Vocation or Vacation? Perspectives on Teachers' Union Struggles in Southern Mexico1

For decades following the 1910 to 1917 Mexican Revolution, rural maestros (teachers) in the Mexican state of Oaxaca were respected for their “vocation” and the hardships they suffered while working in poor, remote, rural communities where they played an instrumental role in forging a national culture. Since the early 1980s, politicization of Oaxaca's Local 22 of the national educators' union and work stoppages that close schools coupled with teachers' high salaries contribute to negative attitudes toward the profession. Using ethnographic data collected in Oaxaca among teachers and other members of the public, I discuss the support and opposition for federal teachers who practice what was long considered a “noble” profession, and union members' justifications of their labor actions.
A pilot study of 2‐chloro‐2′‐deoxyadenosine in the treatment of systemic lupus erythematosus‐associated glomerulonephritis

Objective. To determine the safety and tolerability, as well as the clinical and immunologic effects, of 2-chloro-2'-deoxyadenosine (2-CdA) in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus-associated glomerulonephritis. Methods. In a phase I study, 12 patients with proliferative lupus nephritis received 2-CdA either in weekly escalating intravenous treatments (0.15 mg/kg/ week x 4, 0.1875 mg/kg/week x 4, 0.225 mg/kg/week x 4; n = 5) or in a continuous 7-day infusion (0.05 mg/kg/day; n = 7). Safety, renal improvement, and immunologic effects were evaluated for 12 months. Results. Patients treated with 2-CdA showed peripheral lymphocyte depletion without a significant reduction in neutrophil, monocyte, or platelet numbers or hematocrit levels. Naive and memory T cells were decreased, as were lymphocytes with markers of early and late activation. Peripheral B cell depletion was not associated with significant decreases in serum immunoglobulin levels. Continuous infusion induced better clinical responses than weekly infusions, as evidenced by 1) the percentage of patients showing complete response (43% versus 0%), 2) the percentage with at least 50% reduction in proteinuria (43% versus 20%), 3) the percentage with at least a 50% reduction in urinary dysmorphic red cells (57% versus 0%), and 4) the percentage in whom cellular casts disappeared (43% versus 0%). Several infections occurred; these responded to standard antibiotic therapy. Conclusion. In this pilot study, 2-CdA was safely administered to 12 patients with lupus nephritis. It induced prolonged reductions in lymphocyte populations and may be efficacious in selected patients with lupus nephritis when administered as a continuous infusion.
Roles of the glycogen-binding domain and Snf4 in glucose inhibition of SNF1 protein kinase.

The SNF1/AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) family is required for adaptation to metabolic stress and energy homeostasis. The γ subunit of AMPK binds AMP and ATP, and mutations that affect binding cause human disease. We have here addressed the role of the Snf4 (γ) subunit in regulating SNF1 protein kinase in response to glucose availability in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Previous studies of mutant cells lacking Snf4 suggested that Snf4 counteracts autoinhibition by the C-terminal sequence of the Snf1 catalytic subunit but is dispensable for glucose regulation, and AMP does not activate SNF1 in vitro. We first introduced substitutions at sites that, in AMPK, contribute to nucleotide binding and regulation. Mutations at several sites relieved glucose inhibition of SNF1, as judged by catalytic activity, phosphorylation of the activation-loop Thr-210, and growth assays, although analogs of the severe human mutations R531G/Q had little effect. We further showed that alterations of Snf4 residues that interact with the glycogen-binding domain (GBD) of the β subunit strongly relieved glucose inhibition. Finally, substitutions in the GBD of the Gal83 β subunit that are predicted to disrupt interactions with Snf4 and also complete deletion of the GBD similarly relieved glucose inhibition of SNF1. Analysis of mutant cells lacking glycogen synthase showed that regulation of SNF1 is normal in the absence of glycogen. These findings reveal novel roles for Snf4 and the GBD in regulation of SNF1.
Youth Programs of the ESA: The Role of the Science Museum in Entomology

The role of the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry as an institution of learning is well known throughout the country. We use every available means to introduce the student to his environment and to give him a solid understanding of as many factors as possible within that environment. Needless to say, insects, next to air, water, and earth, make up the great factors within that environment.
The cribriform pattern identifies a subset of acinar predominant tumors with poor prognosis in patients with stage I lung adenocarcinoma: a conceptual proposal to classify cribriform predominant tumors as a distinct histologic subtype

The 2011 International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer (IASLC)/American Thoracic Society (ATS)/European Respiratory Society (ERS) lung adenocarcinoma classification emphasizes the prognostic significance of histologic subtypes. However, one limitation of this classification is that the highest percentage of patients (∼40%) is classified as acinar predominant tumors, and these patients display a spectrum of favorable and unfavorable clinical behaviors. We investigated whether the cribriform pattern can further stratify prognosis by histologic subtype. Tumor slides from 1038 patients with stage I lung adenocarcinoma (1995-2009) were reviewed. Tumors were classified according to the IASLC/ATS/ERS classification. The percentage of cribriform pattern was recorded, and the cribriform predominant subtype was considered as a subtype for analysis. The log-rank test was used to analyze the association between histologic variables and recurrence-free probability. The 5-year recurrence-free probability for patients with cribriform predominant tumors (n=46) was 70%. The recurrence-free probability for patients with cribriform predominant tumors was significantly lower than that for patients with acinar (5-year recurrence-free probability, 87%; P=0.002) or papillary predominant tumors (83%; P=0.020) but was comparable to that for patients with micropapillary (P=0.34) or solid predominant tumors (P=0.56). The recurrence-free probability for patients with ≥10% cribriform pattern tumors (n=214) was significantly lower (5-year recurrence-free probability, 73%) than that for patients with <10% cribriform pattern tumors (n=824; 84%; P<0.001). In multivariate analysis, patients with acinar predominant tumors with ≥10% cribriform pattern remained at significantly increased risk of recurrence compared with those with <10% cribriform pattern (P=0.042). Cribriform predominant tumors should be considered a distinct subtype with a high risk of recurrence, and presence (≥10%) of the cribriform pattern is an independent predictor of recurrence, identifying a poor prognostic subset of acinar predominant tumors. Our findings highlight the important prognostic value of comprehensive histologic subtyping and recording the percentage of each histologic pattern, according to the IASLC/ATS/ERS classification with the addition of the cribriform subtype.
Immuno - targeted gold nanoparticles as in - vivo molecular - specific contrast agents for optical detection of carcinogenesis

We present continuing developments of immuno-targeted gold nanoparticles as reflectance-based optical contrast agents for cancer-detection in-vivo-. We demonstrate the ability to label EGFR (a hallmark for epithelial cancer) in several models of increasing biological relevance.
Educational Implications of Analogy: A View from Case-Based Reasoning

Case-based reasoning (CBR) focuses on analogy in the context of solving real-world problems. Its research methodology of computational modeling is aimed at deriving hypotheses about cognition. CBR's computational models show the roles of encoding, retrieval, and adaptation in analogical reasoning processes. In addition, its algorithms provide insight into what it might take to enhance human cognition. CBR as a plausible cognitive model can thus advise on educational philosophy, educational practice, and design of educational software.
Polish workers and the post-communist transition, 1989–1993

Abstract Despite the political leverage that blue-collar workers exercised in Poland during the communist era, and despite the much greater freedom for social groups to organize once communism was gone, labor movements were not of major political or economic importance in Poland after 1989. Numerous instances of labor unrest cropped up, and pressure from workers' groups was one of the factors inhibiting large-scale privatization; but overall, organized labor was much less of an impediment to market-oriented economic reform than originally feared. The Polish case highlights the importance of political legitimacy and political consensus for societies embarking on drastic economic changes. It also shows that even when a consensus is initially present, success in implementing economic reform does not always guarantee political tranquility.
Unusual manifestations of non‐Hodgkin's lymphoma

Two patients with biopsy proven lymphomatous infiltration of uncommon sites are presented. One had histiocytic lymphoma, involving the true vocal cord with a squamous cell carcinoma on the opposite vocal cord. The other had diffuse well-differentiated lymphocytic lymphoma, presenting with nodal and periorbital disease. After local radiation therapy and while clinically free of other lesions, he developed hemotochezia due to several polypoid lesions throughout the entire colon and prostatic infiltration with symptoms of lower urinary tract obstruction. Both problems were solved after specific treatment.
Implications Regarding the Energetics Of the Collisional Formation of Kuiper Belt Satellites

Recently it has been discovered that more than 1% of Kuiper belt objects (KBOs) are accompanied by large satellites. Here I examine the energetics of KBO satellite formation via collisions, finding that collisions require a dynamically excited Kuiper belt. Furthermore, even under energetically optimistic formation assumptions, it is found that collisional processes cannot make a large enough number of KBOs with satellites (by a factor of order 40), unless something in the standard assumptions about the Kuiper belt and/or the KBOs themselves is seriously in error. Two possible solutions to this quandary are either that KBO projectiles large enough to generate the observed satellites were ~40 times more numerous in the ancient past than any previous model has indicated or that the fraction of impact energy estimated to be imparted to ejecta is a factor of 5 to 10 times higher (i.e., of order unity) than experimental collision results have indicated plausible. Neither alternative is very palatable. Fortunately, an easier to accept alternative also exists: that KBO primary and/or KBO satellite surface albedos may be significantly underestimated by making the canonical assumption of 4% KBO surface albedos (an assumption for which little direct evidence exists in actual KBO observations). However, surface albedos of KBO primaries and/or their satellites of ~15%, would reduce the required size of the impacting projectiles required to generate KBO satellites, which would in turn increase the available supply of sufficiently large KBO projectiles enough to plausibly generate the observed fraction of KBOs with large satellites. This proposition is expected to be testable by SIRTF and other means in the next 2 to 3 years.
First Report of Cylindrocarpon liriodendri Causing Black Foot Disease of Grapevine in California.

Black foot disease is a recently identified but worsening problem in vineyards worldwide (2). Roots of symptomatic grapevines show black, sunken, necrotic lesions (2). In cross section, the base of the trunk appears necrotic and xylem vessels are plugged with black inclusions and tyloses (2). Aboveground, leaves of infected vines appear to be scorched, and the entire vine becomes stunted and frequently dies (2). In California, we previously identified two Cylindrocarpon species as causal agents of this disease: C. macrodidymum and C. destructans (2). In earlier molecular phylogenetic studies, tremendous variation in C. destructans from diverse hosts was found, indicating that this species might encompass more than one species (2). On the basis of analysis of sequences of three independent DNA regions, we concluded that the group of C. destructans isolated from grapevines in France, South Africa, and California have nearly identical sequences and form a well-supported sister clade divergent from the clade ...
On Licensing Under Bertrand Competition

This paper considers licensing by an innovating firm to its competitor in a differentiated duopoly with Bertrand competition. A principal finding is that royalty licensing may be superior to fee licensing for the innovating firm both when the innovation is drastic and when the innovation is non-drastic.
"Digital signal processing with applications:" a new and successful approach to undergraduate DSP education

The new approach to undergraduate DSP education at Purdue is based on a simple idea: emphasize applications. Students are assumed to have a significant exposure to sampling and discrete-time signals, systems, and transforms at the junior level. In the senior course, the traditional DSP topics of digital filter design, the DFT, radix-2 FFT's, and quantization are covered in the first five weeks of the semester. Coverage of these topics is augmented by treatment in the laboratory component of the course using diverse software tools and by Matlab based homework assignments. The remainder of the course is devoted to treating the topics of speech processing and image processing in substantial depth and involves a design project. The course has been very successful in terms of increasing enrolment and outstanding student evaluations. >
Mutations in a β-Tubulin Disrupt Spindle Orientation and Microtubule Dynamics in the Early Caenorhabditis elegans Embryo

The early Caenorhabditis elegans embryo contains abundant transcripts for two α- and two β-tubulins, raising the question of whether each isoform performs specialized functions or simply contributes to total tubulin levels. Our identification of two recessive, complementing alleles of a β-tubulin that disrupt nuclear-centrosome centration and rotation in the early embryo originally suggested that this tubulin, tbb-2, has specialized functions. However, embryos from tbb-2 deletion worms do not have defects in nuclear-centrosome centration and rotation suggesting that the complementing alleles are not null mutations. Both complementing alleles have distinct effects on microtubule dynamics and show allele-specific interactions with the two embryonically expressed α-tubulins: One of the alleles causes microtubules to be cold stable and resistant to the microtubule-depolymerizing drug benomyl, whereas the other causes cell cycle-specific defects in microtubule polymerization. Gene-specific RNA interference targeting all four embryonically expressed tubulin genes singly and in all double combinations showed that the tubulin isoforms in the early embryo are largely functionally redundant with the exception of tbb-2. tbb-2 is required for centrosome stabilization during anaphase of the first cell division, suggesting that tbb-2 may be specialized for interactions with the cell cortex.
Traffic density and the risk of childhood leukemia in a Los Angeles case-control study.

Abstract PURPOSE: To investigate the relationship between traffic density and the risk of childhood leukemia. METHODS: The study group consisted of 212 cases and 202 controls from the London et al. (1991) study of childhood leukemia conducted in the Los Angeles area during 1978 to 1984. Using GIS methods, traffic counts on all streets within 1500 feet of each subject's residence of longest duration were determined. From these counts, an integrated distance-weighted traffic density measure was calculated for each subject for use as the analytic variable. Additional information, including magnetic fields and wire-code, was obtained from the original case-control study. Association between traffic density and leukemia, and confounding and effect modification by other variables, were assessed using standard matched case-control analyses. RESULTS: Although the unadjusted traffic density-childhood leukemia rate ratios were slightly elevated, this weak association was explained by confounding by wire code. Wire code remained associated with leukemia after controlling for traffic density. There was little evidence of effect modification between traffic density and magnetic fields, wire code or other variables. CONCLUSIONS: There is no evidence of an association of traffic density with childhood leukemia in the Los Angeles case-control study.
Waking up to the importance of sleep in neurologic disorders

Sleep neuroscience is a rapidly expanding discipline. The many functions of sleep are still being characterized, and it is clear that sleep is not a passive state but a dynamic condition during which memories are consolidated, restorative hormones are released, and neuronal excitability is modulated.1 Many clinical syndromes of sleep are intertwined with neurologic disorders. The REM sleep behavior disorder is associated with parkinsonian syndromes and other neurodegenerative disorders. Restless legs syndrome occurs with myelopathy and peripheral neuropathy. The syndrome of sleep apnea interacts with neurologic disorders in several ways. 1) Many patients with neurologic disorders have coexisting sleep apnea simply because obstructive sleep apnea is so common. In one study, 2% to 4% of working adults had obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS), defined as greater than five apneas or hypopneas per hour in association with daytime somnolence.2 2) Neurologic diseases …
Effectiveness Analysis of Subsurface Drainage Features Based on Design Adequacy

To prevent the deleterious effects of undrained moisture in pavement structures, it has become common to incorporate subsurface drainage features such as permeable bases and edgedrains into pavement design. A theoretical design methodology has been developed to ensure that the level of subsurface drainage is adequate for the specific pavement structure. However, recent research has called into question the effectiveness of subsurface drainage for certain types of pavement structures. Correlating the presence of moisture-related pavement distress with drainage features has revealed that drainage features do not significantly reduce faulting of doweled jointed concrete pavements, and that edgedrains may negatively impact hot-mix asphalt pavements. However, the study in which this correlation was accomplished did not attempt to assess the adequacy of the provided drainage features using the theoretical design methodology. This research presents an alternative method of effectiveness assessment based on desig...
Layered representation for motion analysis

Standard approaches to motion analysis assume that the optic flow is smooth; such techniques have trouble dealing with occlusion boundaries. The image sequence can be decomposed into a set of overlapping layers, where each layer's motion is described by a smooth flow field. The discontinuities in the description are then attributed to object opacities rather than to the flow itself, mirroring the structure of the scene. A set of techniques is devised for segmenting images into coherently moving regions using affine motion analysis and clustering techniques. It is possible to decompose an image into a set of layers along with information about occlusion and depth ordering. The techniques are applied to a flower garden sequence. The scene can be analyzed into four layers, and, the entire 30-frame sequence can be represented with a single image of each layer, along with associated motion parameters. >
Using artificial canopy gaps to restore Puerto Rican Parrot (Amazona vittata) habitat in tropical timber plantations

Timber plantations have the potential to catalyze regeneration of natural forest on degraded land. However, effective management methods to restore native tree diversity and wildlife habitat in areas planted with non-native timber species are needed. Our study investigated the effectiveness of creating artificial canopy gaps within timber plantations to increase germination, growth, and survival of native tree species that may be important food plants for the Puerto Rican Parrot (Amazona vittata). Seedling growth increased significantly in gaps; however, there were no differences in percent germination or survival between gap and closed (control) plots. Percent cover of grasses, shrubs, and vines increased in gaps, but the increased growth of competitors did not prevent tree seedlings from growing significantly more rapidly in gaps. Removing leaf litter at time of sowing had no effect on germination, growth, or survival of direct seeded species. Creation of canopy gaps by girdling timber trees reduced basal area of non-native tree species to levels comparable with those of native trees. Both local and landscape level diversity were predicted to increase in canopy gaps; however, plantations will continue to be dominated by non-native and timber tree species because advance regeneration of these species is common in plantation understories. Our results suggest that restoration of native tree diversity and wildlife habitat in plantations will require continued management to remove non-native species and to promote growth of tree species with high wildlife habitat value.
Identification of an α Helical Motif Sufficient for Association with Papillomavirus E6

We recently identified a cellular protein named E6BP or ERC-55 that binds cancer-related papillomavirus E6 proteins (Chen, J. J., Reid, C. E., Band, V., and Androphy, E. J. (1995) Science 269, 529-531). By construction of a series of deletion mutants, the region of E6BP that is necessary and sufficient for complex formation with human papillomavirus type 16 E6 has been mapped to a 25-amino acid domain. The corresponding peptide was synthesized and found by nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy to bind calcium and fold into a classical helix-loop-helix EF-hand conformation. Additional deletion mutagenesis showed that 13 amino acids that form the second alpha helix mediated E6 association. Alanine replacement mutagenesis indicated that amino acids of this helix were most important for E6 binding. Alignment of this alpha helical E6 binding peptide with the 18-amino acid E6 binding region of E6AP (Huibregtse, J. M., Scheffner, M., and Howley, P. M. (1993) Mol. Cell. Biol. 13, 4918-4927) and the first LD repeat of another E6-binding protein, paxillin (Tong, X., and Howley, P. M. (1997) J. Biol. Chem. 272, 33373-33376), revealed substantial similarities among these E6 binding domains. The extent of homology and the mutational data define the peptide as an E6 binding motif.
Generalizing parametricity using information-flow

Run-time type analysis allows programmers to easily and concisely define operations based upon type structure, such as serialization, iterators, and structural equality. However, when types can be inspected at run time, nothing is secret. A module writer cannot use type abstraction to hide implementation details from clients: clients can determine the structure of these supposedly "abstract" data types. Furthermore, access control mechanisms do not help isolate the implementation of abstract datatypes from their clients. Buggy or malicious authorized modules may leak type information to unauthorized clients, so module implementors cannot reliably tell which parts of a program rely on their type definitions. Currently, module implementors rely on parametric polymorphism to provide integrity and confidentiality guarantees about their abstract datatypes. However, standard parametricity does not hold for languages with run-time type analysis; this paper shows how to generalize parametricity so that it does. The key is to augment the type system with annotations about information-flow. Implementors can then easily see which parts of a program depend on the chosen implementation by tracking the flow of dynamic type information.
Domestic Violence A Nursing Imperative

This manuscript describes female partner abuse and reviews its significance to health care providers. Attention is given to the essential nursing roles of screening for abuse, intervening with women at risk for abuse, and completing a needed examination when abuse has occurred. Ideas for an expanded nursing role are provided. Language: en