cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Effect of particulate filler on cell size in membranes formed via liquid–liquid thermally induced phase separation

Abstract This paper discusses the effects of adding particulate filler to a system undergoing liquid–liquid thermally induced phase separation (L–L TIPS). While much is known about the growth of droplets in L–L TIPS, little is known about the effect particular fillers have on droplet growth and the final cell size in the resulting microporous membranes. In this work, zeolite particles are shown to have a significant effect on the final cell size of these microporous membranes, the extent of which depends on the particle loading and processing conditions used to form the membrane. Two polymer–diluent–zeolite systems are reported: isotactic polypropylene–diphenyl ether and poly(methyl methacrylate)–cyclohexanol, both with zeolite 4A particles.
Colorectal carcinoma survival among hereditary nonpolyposis colorectal carcinoma family members

BACKGROUND Patients with hereditary nonpolyposis colorectal carcinoma (HNPCC) reportedly have better prognoses than sporadic colorectal carcinoma (CRC) patients, but it has been unclear whether this could be due to differences in stage at diagnosis. The current study compared stage and survival in a retrospective cohort of HNPCC family members who developed CRC with the same factors in an unselected hospital series of patients with sporadic CRC. METHODS This retrospective cohort study compared HNPCC cases (274 cases from 98 HNPCC families) with an unselected hospital series comprising 820 consecutive CRC cases. All patients were staged according to the TNM system of the American Joint Committee on Cancer and the International Union Against Cancer. Median follow-up among living patients was > 10 years and 8.5 years, respectively, for the two cohorts. Cox regression was used to compare survival in stage-stratified analyses of time from diagnosis to death. RESULTS Compared with the unselected series, the HNPCC cases had lower stage disease (P < 0.001), and fewer had distant metastases at diagnosis (P < 0.001 in an analysis stratified by T classification). In stage-stratified survival analysis, the HNPCC cases had a significant overall survival advantage regardless of adjustment for their younger age. A conservative estimate of the hazard ratio (of HNPCC cases to the unselected series) was 0.67 (P < 0.0012). CONCLUSIONS HNPCC patients had lower stage disease at diagnosis than the unselected CRC cases, mainly due to rarer distant metastases at diagnosis. They survived longer than unselected CRC patients with tumors of the same stage. The estimated death rate for the HNPCC cases, adjusted for stage and age differences, was at most two-thirds of the rate for the hospital series. [See editorial on pages 201-3, this issue.] Cancer 1998;83:259-266. © 1998 American Cancer Society.
Dislocation dynamics and lamellar termination softening in CoCoAl eutectics

Explication des effets observes de terminaisons lamellaires sur la contrainte d'ecoulement. Proposition d'un modele unidimensionnel decrivant le comportement de la contrainte d'ecoulement a partir de l'espacement interlamellaire et de la densite de terminaison lamellaire transversale. Determination de la relation empirique de Hall Petch de l'espacement interphase a partir du modele et de la dynamique de dislocations. Analyse de l'adoucissement du point de vue de la dynamique des dislocations. Comparaison avec les resultats experimentaux
Atomistic simulation of grain boundary energetics - Effects of dopants

Many enhancements in properties of nanocrystalline materials due to the ultra-fine grain size are lost if grain growth occurs during application. As a preliminary study, molecular statics (MS) and molecular dynamics (MD) simulations are used to study the energy of a two-dimensional coincident site lattice Σ7 symmetric tilt grain boundary in a Cu bicrystal. Impurity atom(s) of various characteristics and concentration were added to the near vicinity of the grain boundary to determine the structural and energetic affect. The dopant atoms are capable of altering the grain boundary energy even if several atomic spacings separate the two. Also, it is shown that the grain boundary energy can be reduced to zero, which has been theoretically proposed as necessary for achieving a metastable state for nanocrystals. The results of this investigation will aid further computational and experimental work aimed at stabilizing the microstructure of nanocrystalline material.
The Case for a 60-Day Interlibrary Loan Lending Period

This article looks at standardizing the loan period among 16 higher academic institutions in the state of Florida. A standardized loan period became a topic of conversation during the creation of a new resource sharing service. The resulting discussion led to a critical look at loan periods for all resource sharing activities.
Displacement response of juvenile arthritic wrists during grasp.

Objective To analyze the displacement response of juvenile arthritic wrists during grasp in order to diagnose early ligamental laxity and facilitate early splinting. Methods X-rays of the wrists, made under standardized conditions, of 30 children with juvenile chronic arthritis (mean age 10.4 years, range 4.5–16.9) were analyzed after being digitalized. Osseous landmarks were identified, and coordinates were calculated from measured angles and lengths with an accuracy of 0.01′. Lunate and carpal–ulnar distance were obtained according to Youm, and ulnar variance according to Hafner. Results Overall, an increase in ulnar–lunate displacement and carpal narrowing and a decrease in ulnar variance were found. However, not all wrists responded to the same extent. Radial displacement of the lunate, though slight, was found in 2 wrists and the amount of ulnar displacement varied substantially (3.1% to 22.5%). The variance in amount of displacement could suggest that juvenile wrists do not respond to increased compressive forces to the same extent. Conclusion The changes found are similar to those found in the healthy wrist. Furthermore, our findings suggest that the juvenile wrist acts in accordance with the generally accepted explanation for the development of malalignment in adult wrists. It seems that laxity of ligaments can be diagnosed early by the force grip maneuver during x-ray. It would have a significant impact on the moment of orthotic intervention as well as the design of the orthotic device. Further study along this line seems justified.
EXAFS study of the atomic structure of amorphous Tb20Fe80

The atomic structure of amorphous Tb20Fe80 thin films has been studied by Extended X-ray Absorption Fine Structure (EXAFS) of both FeK and TbL III absorption edges. The local site geometry around Fe atoms shows predominantly Fe nearest neighbors with an Fe-Fe distance distribution centered on 2.50±0.02 A and a coordination number of 9.1±1. In contrast, the radial structure function (RSF) obtained at the Tb edge is broad and asymmetric. The peak in the RSF corresponds to a Tb-Fe near neighbor distance of 2.94±0.1 A with no evidence for Tb-Tb nearest neighbor coordination. The width and the shape of the RSF suggest that the Tb-Fe atomic environment is anisotropic and strained probably as a consequence of the growth process. This distorted atomic environment is suggested to be responsible for the magnetic anisotropy in these alloys. Thermal annealing at 200 °C leads to reduction inK u. We propose that this results from reordering of the Tb local environment such that the average structural anisotropy in the distribution is reduced. EXAFS data show that annealing at 400°C causes precipitation of bcc polycrystalline Fe. The addition of 7 at.% Au to the alloy prevents this recrystallization and preserves the amorphous state but does not prevent the structural relaxation which reducesK u at lower temperatures.
Specimens versus sequences.

In his Perspective “GenBank—natural history in the 21st century?” (24 October 2008, [p. 537][1]), B. J. Strasser claims that GenBank follows the tradition of natural history studies. I argue that GenBank is inconsistent with some important aspects of the tradition of natural history and it
Saturation behavior of ascites tumor cell chloride exchange in the presence of gluconate.

Abstract Steady state Cl− flux across the Ehrlich mouse ascites cell membrane was studied when gluconate replaced Cl− in the external medium. Saturation behavior was observed; K 1 2 was 23.9 mM Cl− and V was 758 μmol · g−1 dry weight · h−1. The cells lost K+, Cl− and H2O, consistent with relative impermeability to gluconate, and the Cl− efflux rate coefficient was elevated. The results indicate that a major portion of Cl− exchange occurs as a membrane transport process and suggest that the process is sensitive to intracellular Cl− levels.
Three-dimensional structure of the water-insoluble protein crambin in dodecylphosphocholine micelles and its minimal solvent-exposed surface.

We chose crambin, a hydrophobic and water-insoluble protein originally isolated from the seeds of the plant Crambe abyssinica, as a model for NMR investigations of membrane-associated proteins. We produced isotopically labeled crambin(P22,L25) (variant of crambin containing Pro22 and Leu25) as a cleavable fusion with staphylococcal nuclease and refolded the protein by an approach that has proved successful for the production of proteins with multiple disulfide bonds. We used NMR spectroscopy to determine the three-dimensional structure of the protein in two membrane-mimetic environments: in a mixed aqueous−organic solvent (75%/25%, acetone/water) and in DPC micelles. With the sample in the mixed solvent, it was possible to determine (>NH···OC<) hydrogen bonds directly by the detection of h3JNC‘ couplings. H-bonds determined in this manner were utilized in the refinement of the NMR-derived protein structures. With the protein in DPC (dodecylphosphocholine) micelles, we used manganous ion as an aqueous par...
Replication Protein A Confers Structure-specific Endonuclease Activities to the XPF-ERCC1 and XPG Subunits of Human DNA Repair Excision Nuclease

XPF-ERCC1 and XPG proteins are nucleases that are involved in human nucleotide excision repair. In this study, we characterized the structure-specific junction-cutting activities of both nucleases using DNA substrates containing a bubble or loop structure. We found that the junction-cutting activities of XPF-ERCC1 and XPG were greatly stimulated by human replication protein A (RPA), while heterologous single-stranded DNA-binding proteins could not substitute for human RPA. To test for specific interaction between RPA and XPF-ERCC1 as is known to occur between RPA and XPG, we employed a pull-down assay with immobilized "bubble" substrate. We found that the binding of XPF-ERCC1 complex to the bubble substrate was enhanced by RPA, suggesting a possible mechanism for RPA in the excision nuclease system, that is the targeting of the nuclease subunits to their specific sites of action. Furthermore, the RPA-promoted junction cutting by XPF-ERCC1 and XPG nucleases was observed with "loop" substrates as well, raising the possibility that XPF-ERCC1, XPG, and RPA may function in removing loop structures from DNA, independent of the other subunits of the human excinuclease.
Steady-state and limit cycle activity of mass of neurons forming simple feedback loops(II): distributed parameter model.

It is shown that there exist spatial distributions of nonzero steady state mean pulse rates of the periglomerular and mitraltufted neuron populations and of nonzero EEG in the mammalian olfactory bulb. Such distributions are stable, i.e., if there are small perturbations, the population state variables return to the equilibrium states. It is predicted that the sensory and centrifugal inputs to the neuron populations in the bulb determine existence of such active states.
Team processes for adaptive and innovative outcomes

Purpose – The aim of this paper is to consider how exploitative and exploratory team processes contribute to adaptive and innovative outcomes. The paper integrates the team learning and team adaptation literature and examines factors that stimulate and support exploitative and exploratory processes in interdisciplinary and homogeneous teams. This has implications for team learning research and facilitation that fosters adaptation and innovation. Design/methodology/approach – The paper reviews how teams learn to be exploitative and exploratory and the extent to which adaptive and innovative outcomes ensue. The paper suggests the value of teams understanding how different conditions (environment, leadership, member characteristics, and team composition) affect team members' interactions as they learn and apply exploitative and exploratory processes to produce adaptive and/or innovative outcomes. Findings – Teams learn frames of reference for being exploitative and exploratory influenced by environmental con...
Molecular cloning, functional expression and chromosomal localization of a human homolog of the cyclic nucleotide‐gated ion channel of retinal cone photoreceptors

We have cloned from human retina a cyclic nucleotide-gated (CNG) ion channel that is distinct from the one found in rod photoreceptors. This channel protein is highly homologous to the CNG channel that recently has been cloned from bovine testis and kidney and has been shown to be present in retinal cone photoreceptors. When expressed in human embryonic kidney cells, the protein forms functional ion channels with properties broadly similar to those described for the cloned bovine channel. The gene for this channel resides on chromosome 2.
A Parameterized Consideration Set Model for Airport Choice: An Application to the San Francisco Bay Area

Airport choice is an important air travel-related decision in multiple airport regions. This paper proposes the use of a probabilistic choice set multinomial logit (PCMNL) model for airport choice that generalizes the multinomial logit model used in all earlier airport choice studies. The paper discusses the properties of the PCMNL model, and applies it to examine airport choice of business travelers residing in the San Francisco Bay Area. Substantive policy implications of the results are discussed. Overall, the results indicate that it is important to analyze the choice (consideration) set formation of travelers. Failure to recognize consideration effects of air travelers can lead to biased model parameters, misleading evaluation of the effects of policy action, and a diminished data fit.
Omphalocele: A prognostic classification

A classification for infants born with an omphalocele is proposed that is based on the recognition of four syndromes and two common associated anomalies. The recognition of these syndromes and anomalies in our newborns with an omphalocele provided a better estimate of expected mortality and morbidity than the size of the omphalocele, preoperative rupture, delay in treatment, or low birth weight. This classification should aid the physician in determining priorities regarding the timing and type of treatment for the omphalocele itself.
Bivalirudin compared with IIb/IIIa inhibitors in patients with in-stent restenosis undergoing intracoronary brachytherapy

Abstract Background Bivalirudin is replacing heparin in percutaneous coronary interventions (PCIs), including vascular brachytherapy (VBT). The aim of the study was to compare bivalirudin with eptifibatide in patients with in-stent restenosis (ISR) undergoing PCI and VBT. Methods One hundred forty-four patients treated with bivalirudin as a single antithrombotic agent were compared with 150 patients treated with eptifibatide. Bivalirudin as a bolus of 0.75 mg/kg followed by 1.75 mg/kg/h infusion until the end of the procedure, and eptifibatide as a double bolus of 180 μg/kg followed by 2 μg/kg/min infusion for 18 h after the procedure were used. The main outcome measures were in-hospital events and 30-day clinical outcomes. Results Baseline clinical characteristics were similar except that patients in the eptifibatide group were younger ( P =.02) and had more saphenous vein graft lesions ( P P P P P =.01) and a trend toward lower major bleeding and major adverse cardiac events (MACE) in the bivalirudin group ( P =.06). Thirty-day outcomes showed a significantly lower incidence of non-Q-wave myocardial infarction (MI) in the bivalirudin group ( P =.004). Conclusion Bivalirudin, as a single antithrombotic agent during PCI and VBT, is associated with significantly lower postprocedural CPK-MB elevation, minor bleeding complications, 30-day non-Q-wave MI rates, and a trend toward lower major bleeding and in-hospital MACE when compared with eptifibatide.
Reduction of backgating in GaAs/AlGaAs MESFETs by optimisation of active-layer/buffer-layer interface

Backgating measurements made on GaAs MESFETs with abrupt, graded alloy and graded superlattice interface AlGaAs buffer layers were compared to measurements made on conventional GaAs buffer-layer MESFETs. Only the superlattice interface structure showed a reduction in the backgating transconductance (by a factor of 24 compared to the GaAs buffer-layer FET). The lack of reduction in the backgating transconductance for the abrupt and graded alloy interface devices is attributed to traps resulting from GaAs growth on an AlGaAs layer.
Can intrinsic sphincter deficiency be diagnosed by urodynamics

Abstract Intrinsic sphincter deficiency (ISD) is a pathologic condition that is diagnosed by using urodynamics to measure Valsalva leak point pressure and maximal urethral closure pressure. The diagnosis can be difficult to reach given natural discrepancies in these values in women of different age groups and with varying degrees of incontinence. By standardizing urodynamic methodologies and interpretations to better diagnosis women with ISD, it may be possible to improve preoperative planning and outcomes for these patients treated surgically with synthetic midurethral slings.
Formation and characterization of chitosan formed-in-place ultrafiltration membranes

Formed-in-place (FIP) ultrafiltration (UF) membranes were formed from dilute solutions of chitosans with different molecular weights in 1% acetic acid on a macroporous titanium dioxide substrate. The ultrafiltration properties were characterized by investigating the rejection and permeability of a 1.0 g/L bovine serum albumin (BSA) solution at various pH and ionic strength conditions. The membrane stability to the crossflow shear and to the ionic strength was investigated. There was very little dependence of the membrane-formation capability and the membrane properties on the chitosan molecular weight. In contrast, pH had a marked effect on membrane surface properties, membrane stability, and membrane morphology. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 67: 513–519, 1998
Multiple Quantum 13C NMR Spectroscopy in Solids under High-Speed Magic-Angle Spinning†

We demonstrate an approach to efficient excitation and detection of high-order multiple quantum (MQ) 13C NMR signals in solids under high-speed magic angle spinning (MAS). This approach combines ho...
Differences in positional esterification of 14,15-epoxyeicosatrienoic acid in phosphatidylcholine of porcine coronary artery endothelial and smooth muscle cells

Epoxyeicosatrienoic acids (EETs) are readily incorporated into phospholipids of smooth muscle cells (SMC) and endothelial cells (EC). Incorporation of EETs into intact porcine coronary arteries potentiates EC-dependent relaxation, but not vasorelaxation induced by agents that act solely on SMC. To explore the potential mechanisms responsible for this difference, porcine coronary artery SMC and EC preloaded with [3H]14,15-EET were treated with calcium ionophore A23187. Although the amount of EET incorporated into EC and SMC was similar, A23187 stimulated a five-fold increase in release of radioactivity from EC, but only a 21% increase in release from SMC. Thin layer chromatography (TLC) examination of cell lipids demonstrated that > 70% of the incorporated radioactivity was present in phosphatidylcholine (PC) in both SMC and BC. After treatment of EC PC with PLA2, TLC analysis indicated that approximately equal to 75% of radioactivity was present as free EET, and 25% of radioactivity was present as lyso-PC. Therefore, most of the 14,15-EET was esterified into the sn-2 position of PC in EC. However, in SMC, approximately equal to 70% of radioactivity was present as lyso-PC after PLA2 treatment, indicating that the EET was predominately esterified into the sn-1 position. In contrast, all of the 14,15-EET was esterified into the sn-2 position of PI in both EC and SMC. These results suggest that the preferential incorporation of 14,15-EET into the sn-1 position of PC in SMC may help to explain the greater retention of the compound in SMC, while incorporation into the sn-2 position of PC in EC may facilitate agonist-induced 14,15-EET release and potentiation of EC-dependent porcine coronary artery relaxation.
ROLE OF RIBOSOMES IN REINITIATION OF MEMBRANE INSERTION OF INTERNAL TRANSMEMBRANE SEGMENTS IN A POLYTOPIC MEMBRANE PROTEIN

The topogenesis of membrane proteins with a single transmembrane (TM) segment is well understood. However, understanding the topogenesis and membrane assembly of membrane proteins with multiple TM segments (polytopic) is still incomplete. Recently, several studies on P-glycoprotein (Pgp) suggested that the topogenesis of polytopic membrane proteins is likely more complicated than anticipated. While studying the mechanism by which Pgp topogenesis is determined, we unexpectedly found that ribosomes or proteins associated with ribosomes are involved in regulating the membrane insertion and folding of Pgp during its translation. We discovered that when Pgp was translated by wheat germ ribosomes in vitro, TM3 could not reinitiate the insertion of the protein into microsomal membranes following the membrane insertion of TM1 and TM2. In contrast, TM3 could reinitiate membrane insertion when the protein was translated by rabbit reticulocyte ribosomes. These findings suggest that ribosomes or proteins associated w...
Discrete methods of solution for dynamic linear and nonlinear problems

Abstract Based on the recursive explicit form of Newmark γ-β method developed by Zienkiewicz for displacements, similar recursive expressions for velocities and accelerations are developed. The general solution of dynamic linear and nonlinear problems using the developed relations is discussed first. Reutilizing the same explicit relations, two more approaches for analysis of general dynamics problems are introduced. The first one is a nonrecursive state matrix approach. The second is a first-order reduction of the original second-order form. Algorithms for the solution of both linear and nonlinear problems are outlined and applied to simple dynamic systems. The developed methods present a unifying, algorithmic and consistent approach for the discrete solution of dynamics problems.
Echocardiographic and clinical predictors for outcome of elective cardioversion of atrial fibrillation

Abstract Previous studies have suggested that success of elective direct-current cardioversion for atrial fibrillation (AF) can be predicted from clinical features and M-mode echocardiographic left atrial diameter. We evaluated clinical variables as well as M-mode and 2-dimensional echocardiographic measurements of atrial size in 85 patients undergoing electrical cardioversion for AF. Of 65 patients who were initially converted to sinus rhythm, 45 (69%) and 38 (58%) remained in sinus rhythm at 1 and 6 months, respectively. No historical feature predicted initial success, although patients with cardiomyopathy or pulmonary disease underlying their AF had significantly lower success rates compared with those having other etiologies. Furthermore, no M-mode or 2-dimensional echocardiographic measurements of atrial size predicted initial success of cardioversion. Maintenance of sinus rhythm at 1 month was related to short duration of AF before cardioversion ( 12 months, p 2 and 65 ± 9 vs 59 ± 8 mm, respectively, both p
Crowding out: A test of some direct substitutability hypotheses☆

Abstract The crowding-out effect has received considerable attention in recent years. Models of crowding out can be categorized into ex-ante and ex-post theories. Within the category of ex-ante theories are those models that rely upon direct substitution effects [e.g., Bailey (1972) , David and Scadding (1974)) . This paper presents a theoretical model that includes different theories of direct substitution effects as special cases. Once parameter restrictions are associated with the various forms of direct substitutability, the paper performs tests of the alternative hypotheses.
FemaRepViz: Automatic Extraction and Geo-Temporal Visualization of FEMA National Situation Updates

An architecture for visualizing information extracted from text documents is proposed. In conformance with this architecture, a toolkit, FemaRepViz, has been implemented to extract and visualize temporal, geospatial, and summarized information from FEMA national update reports. Preliminary tests have shown satisfactory accuracy for FEMARepViz. A central component of the architecture is an entity extractor that extracts named entities like person names, location names, temporal references, etc. FEMARepViz is based on FactXtractor, an entity-extractor that works on text documents. The information extracted using FactXtractor is processed using GeoTagger, a geographical name disambiguation tool based on a novel clustering-based disambiguation algorithm. To extract relationships among entities, we propose a machine-learning based algorithm that uses a novel stripped dependency tree kernel. We illustrate and evaluate the usefulness of our system on the FEMA National Situation Updates. Daily reports are fetched by FEMARepViz from the FEMA website, segmented into coherent sections and each section is classified into one of several known incident types. We use concept Vista, Google maps and Google earth to visualize the events extracted from the text reports and allow the user to interactively filter the topics, locations, and time-periods of interest to create a visual analytics toolkit that is useful for rapid analysis of events reported in a large set of text documents.
Girls, Why Do You Want to Become Police Officers? Career Goals/Choices Among Criminal Justice Undergraduates

Three main research questions were examined in the present study. First, are there differences between male and female criminal justice undergraduates when it comes to selecting their future careers? Second, are male criminal justice students more likely than their female counterparts to pursue careers in law enforcement? Third, are men more likely than women to hold unfavorable attitudes toward women criminal justice practitioners? Data were collected from 256 undergraduates majoring in criminal justice at an urban university located in a metropolitan area in the midwestern United States during the early spring of 2006. Significant gender differences were found among the respondents in terms of their career goals/choices and motivations.
The effects of age and infant hearing status on maternal use of prosodic cues for clause boundaries in speech.

Purpose The present study examined the effects of age and hearing status of a child on maternal use of pitch change, preboundary vowel lengthening, and pause duration, all of which are prosodic cue...
Expression and localization of prolactin messenger ribonucleic acid in the human immune system

Pituitary PRL is involved in immunoregulation. Also, a PRL-like molecule is secreted by peripheral blood mononuclear cells. In this study, we examined tissues of the human immune system to evaluate if the PRL gene is expressed and to determine the location and type of cells involved in its synthesis. To evaluate the expression of PRL messenger RNA (mRNA) in normal and abnormal human lymphoid tissues, we used RT-PCR to generate a specific 276-bp product from normal human thymus, spleen, tonsil, lymph node, and lymphoid tumors. Restriction enzyme digestion confirmed that this PCR product was expressed PRL. Furthermore, we developed a specific and sensitive nonisotopic in situ hybridization technique for PRL mRNA, and cells containing PRL mRNA were found in each tissue of the human immune system. Also, PRL mRNA was widely distributed throughout neoplastic tissue from a thymoma and lymphomas where mitogenic and anti-apoptotic properties of PRL could be involved in tumor progression. PRL mRNA was localized in lymphocytes, epithelial cells, and vascular endothelial cells. The presence of PRL mRNA in vascular endothelium cells suggests other roles for PRL in these tissues in addition to immunomodulation. In conclusion, the presence of PRL mRNA in human lymphoid tissue implies that locally synthesized PRL may play a critical role in immunocompetence by providing an important regulatory signal to the microenvironment of human lymphoid organs.
Sexual orientation harassment in the workplace: When do observers intervene?†

Summary Little is known about when and why observers of harassment incidents choose to intervene. On the basis of a model of observer intervention by Bowes-Sperry and O'Leary-Kelly (2005), we examined situational (directness of harassment, relationship to target, knowledge of target orientation, recurrence beliefs) variables as potential predictors of observer decisions to intervene when witnessing sexual orientation harassment. We also examined how costs and benefits analysis and recurrence beliefs relate to the level and immediacy of involvement. Relationship to the target, directness of the harassment, recurrence beliefs, knowledge of target orientation, and costs evidenced some connections to the nature of intervention. We discussed implications for organizations. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
The Impact Peer Mentoring Can have on Freshman Students

The transition from high school to college can be very difficult for many students. At the University of Pittsburgh, we have a system of courses and academic counseling that is designed to address these issues and help with this transition. One major component to help the freshman make this major transition is a series of mentoring courses that the entering student can select for the first semester. This paper will discuss how these courses are integrated and describe the interaction of counseling with the first semester engineering problem solving course. The paper will also discuss the mentor selection process, the mentor-training program, and the topics covered in the mentoring sessions. Finally the impact of mentoring will be compared to the student learning styles to show how mentoring can have a major impact on a group of students.
PRENATAL DIAGNOSIS AND MANAGEMENT OF ABNORMALITIES IN THE UROLOGIC SYSTEM

We have reviewed the prenatal diagnosis and management of abnormalities in the urologic system. Urologic anomalies may be caused by embryologic aberrations, genetic disease, or a nonrandom association with other structural abnormalities. There is a wide range of prognoses, depending on the cause and the impact of the anomaly on the production of amniotic fluid. Management focuses on obtaining an accurate prenatal diagnosis, providing appropriate counseling, and ensuring the proper surveillance or treatment before and after birth.
The -159 C-->T polymorphism of CD14 is associated with nonatopic asthma and food allergy.

Abstract Background: CD14, the receptor for LPS, plays an important role in innate immunity. A polymorphism in the promotor for CD14, −159 C→T, has been implicated in atopy. Objective: We explored the relationship of this polymorphism with both atopic and nonatopic asthma, as well as with food allergy. Methods: Patients with asthma and food allergy were recruited along with nonatopic, nonasthmatic control subjects. The −159 C→T polymorphism was genotyped by using the PCR-based RFLP assay. Results: The −159 T allele was more common among patients with nonatopic asthma and food allergy than among control subjects (χ 2 = 6.03, P = .01 and χ 2 = 4.94; P = .03, respectively). Patients with food allergy had a 4-fold increased odds of having the TT genotype versus carriers of the C allele compared with control subjects (odds ratio [OR] = 3.9, 95% CI=1.5-10.3), whereas patients with nonatopic asthma had a 3-fold increased odds of having the TT genotype (OR = 3.1 [95% CI=1.1-9.1]). Controlling for sex differences between groups did not alter this relationship, which remained significant for patients with food allergy (OR = 3.7 [95% CI=1.4-10.1]) or nonatopic asthma (OR = 2.7 [95% CI=0.9-8.0]). We performed a stratified analysis, limited to white patients, to reduce population stratification. The relationship with the TT genotype was stronger in white patients with nonatopic asthma (OR = 4.4 [95% CI=1.3-14.8]) and patients with food allergy (OR = 5.1 [95% CI=1.6-16.2]), even adjusting for sex differences (OR = 3.9 [95% CI=1.1-13.5] and OR=4.6 [95% CI=1.4-14.8], respectively). Conclusions: The TT genotype of −159 C→T CD14 is associated with nonatopic asthma and food allergy, particularly in white subjects. Thus CD14 is a candidate gene specifically for nonatopic asthma and not for asthma in general. This indicates that atopic and nonatopic asthma might be distinct conditions in their genetic predisposition, despite the fact that they are very similar once they have been established. (J Allergy Clin Immunol 2003;112:438-44.)
Competition among serologically different clones of Trypanosoma brucei gambiense in vivo.

When different antigenic variant clones are injected in equal numbers into white mice one variant clone always replaces the other. This phenomenon appears to be a predictable one, even under conditions analogous to a chronic infection. It is hypothesized that a constant ratio is approached between the number of cells of different antigenic serotypes present in a single population, in such a manner that there is always a major antigenic variant and minor populations of different antigenic variants. It is further suggested that these ratios can undergo rapid changes in response to changes in the environment, e.g. nutritional status of the host, changes in body temperature, antibody synthesis, etc. The changes in these ratios are discussed in relation to the mechanism(s) of antigenic variation.
An Age Penalty in Racial Preferences

The authors document an age penalty in racial discrimination: Charitable behavior toward African American children decreases—and negative stereotypical inferences increase—with the age of those children. Using data from an online charity that solicits donations for school projects, the authors found that proposals accompanied by images of older African American students (Grades 6–12) led to fewer donations than proposals with images of younger African Americans (pre-K-Grade 5), with the opposite pattern for proposals with images of multiples races or of all White students. A laboratory experiment demonstrated that negative stereotypical beliefs about African Americans (e.g., that they are lazy) increased with age more for African American children than for White children, a pattern that predicted decreases in giving.
Is there a correlation between venlafaxine therapy during pregnancy and a higher incidence of necrotizing enterocolitis

Background Novel antidepressant drugs are increasingly used by women of child bearing age. However, potentially harmful effects on fetus and newborn remain unknown.
An SOI-based High-Voltage, High-Temperature Gate-Driver for SiC FET

A high-voltage and high-temperature gate-driver chip for SiC FET switches is designed and fabricated using 0.8- micron, 2-poly and 3-metal BCD on SOI process. It can generate output voltage swing from -5 V to 30 V and can operate up to 175degC ambient temperature. This gate-driver chip is intended to drive SiC power FETs in DC-DC converters in a hybrid electric vehicle. The converter modules along with the gate-driver chip will be placed very close to the engine where the temperature can reach up to 175degC. Successful operation of the chip at this temperature without heat sink and liquid cooling will help to achieve greater power-to-volume as well as power-to-weight ratios for the power electronics module. Initial test results presented in this paper also validate the simulation.
A Longitudinal Analysis of Body Image as a Predictor of the Onset and Persistence of Adolescent Girls' Depression

The importance of body image in early adolescent girls' depression was evaluated in a longitudinal study. Depression scores of over 500 girls were assessed twice, in the fall (TI) and spring (T2) of a school year, and four subject groups were identified: Persistent Depressed (depressed at Ti and T2); Remitting Depressed (depressed at Ti, nondepressed at T2); Onset Depressed (nondepressed at Ti, depressed at T2); and Stable Nondepressed (nondepressed at Ti and T2). Discriminant analyses indicated that body image at Ti was more important to the prediction of persistence of depression (i.e., to the discrimination of Persistent Depressed from Remitting Depressed girls) than to the prediction of onset of depression (i.e., to the discrimination of Onset Depressed from Stable Non depressed girls). Results therefore clarify the relationship between body image and depression and demonstrate the heuristic value of discriminating questions of onset and persistence of adolescent girls' depression.
Design of Signal Windows in High Throughput Screening Assays for Drug Discovery

High Throughput Screening (HTS) assays are used to rapidly identify promising drug candidates or leads from hundreds of thousands of compounds. Hence, it is important that the assay should be desig...
High energy density physics (HEDP) research at Sandia National Laboratories

Summary form only given, as follows. Summary form only given. A comprehensive high energy density physics (HEDP) research program is being pursued at Sandia National Laboratories. Investigations to date include laboratory astrophysics, shock physics, equation-of-state, radiation transport, opacity physics, hohlraum physics, and inertial confinement fusion physics. This research is primarily being conducted on Sandia National Laboratories' Z facility. This large pulsed power facility is capable of driving peak currents of 20 MA in magnetic flyer plate and Z-pinch loads that produce flyer velocities of 28 km/s, X-ray energies of 1-2 MJ and X-ray powers of 100-220 TW. The various arrangements of Z-pinch driven soft X-ray sources on Z to produce hohlraums suitable for HEDP experiments will be described. Additionally, HEDP experimental arrangements on Z that directly employ large magnetic fields associated with its 20 MA peak pulsed current will also be examined. The paper will focus on recent HEDP experiments that have been conducted on Z that include opacity measurements that have astrophysical significance, deuterium equation-of-state measurements, hohlraum symmetry measurements using a laser back lighter, and ICF capsule implosion experiments.
BLAST Filter and GraphAlign: rule-based formation and analysis of sets of related DNA and protein sequences

BLAST Filter and GraphAlign are web-based tools that offer novel methods for building and analyzing sets of related (i.e. similar) DNA and protein sequences. They can be used separately or together. BLAST Filter generates related sequence sets in an automated, objective and reproducible way based on an input query sequence. Sequences matched by BLAST are filtered through a set of 15 user-configurable rules based on full-length query/subject comparisons, high-scoring segment pair statistics and the level of redundancy in the sequence set. Such sets can be used for multiple alignments, profile hidden Markov models and other bioinformatics applications, including GraphAlign, which provides several novel methods for analyzing global query/subject alignments along with graphical representations of sequence similarities. These services are available at the following URLs: http://darwin.nmsu.edu/cgi-bin/blast_filter.cgi and http://darwin.nmsu.edu/cgi-bin/graph_align.cgi.
The SANDBOX: a virtual reality interface to scientific databases

Much of the data that is stored in scientific databases is collected through experimentation. We propose a new interface to scientific databases: the SANDBOX: Scientists Accessing Necessary Data Based On eXperimentation. The SANDBOX is a virtual reality tool which allows an investigator to recreate the original experiment. The investigator places virtual instruments into a virtual reenactment of the original experiment and collects data from the scientific database in much the same way that the original data was collected. These instruments give visual and auditory feedback, allowing the user to browse through data of any type. We have implemented a prototype of the SANDBOX on NASA's FIFE scientific database using the CAVE virtual reality theatre. >
Measuring Percutaneous Coronary Intervention Quality by Simple Case Volume

Monitoring health care and developing metrics to gauge optimum systems from suboptimum ones is a multidimensional effort that spans the spectrum of health services research and administration. The quality assessment tools for operative procedures range from policies requiring measurement of general compliance within medical society guidelines, in terms of medical indications and procedural techniques, to local hospital peer review and medical executive committee oversight focused on case review. Although these quality measures are certainly labor intensive and require the highest level of objective reasoning and judgment, simpler metrics have been proposed that offer better ease of use and objectivity. Probably the most practical of the simpler methods for operative procedures is the measurement of periodic operative count, usually by physician and hospital, and a comparison of this count to a specified number or threshold felt to signify the highest quality. Inherent in this comparison of volume and quality is the operation-specific assessment of volume and outcomes to support the notion of a positive or negative (ie, not flat) relationship. In virtually all analyses in which a significant relationship has been demonstrated, an inverse relationship between volume and adverse outcomes was seen.1,2 Such relationships have also been seen for percutaneous coronary interventions (PCI), and the American College of Cardiology and American Heart Association (AHA/ACC) Joint Task Force guidelines for PCI have recommended minimum threshold goals for hospitals and operators to ensure the highest quality of PCI care.3 See p 1171 Hannan et al have analyzed the New York State Percutaneous Coronary Interventions Reporting System (PICRS) database for all 34 nonfederal hospitals and all 264 PCI operators from 1998 to 2000.4 The authors draw on this comprehensive and unique reporting system and its high ascertainment to provide adjusted analysis for comparison of expected and observed adverse events. They have …
The Social Distance Theory of Power

We propose that asymmetric dependence between individuals (i.e., power) produces asymmetric social distance, with high-power individuals feeling more distant than low-power individuals. From this insight, we articulate predictions about how power affects (a) social comparison, (b) susceptibility to influence, (c) mental state inference and responsiveness, and (d) emotions. We then explain how high-power individuals' greater experienced social distance leads them to engage in more abstract mental representation. This mediating process of construal level generates predictions about how power affects (a) goal selection and pursuit, (b) attention to desirability and feasibility concerns, (c) subjective certainty, (d) value-behavior correspondence, (e) self-control, and (f) person perception. We also reassess the approach/inhibition theory of power, noting limitations both in what it can predict and in the evidence directly supporting its proposed mechanisms. Finally, we discuss moderators and methodological recommendations for the study of power from a social distance perspective.
Extensive Prolongation of aPTT with Argatroban in an Elderly Patient with Improving Renal Function, Normal Hepatic Enzymes, and Metastatic Lung Cancer

OBJECTIVE:To report a case of an elderly male with improving renal function and normal hepatic function who sustained an elevated activated partial thromboplastin time (aPTT) after an infusion of argatroban was discontinued.CASE SUMMARY:A 77-year-old white male with a history of heparin-induced thrombocytopenia (HIT) and metastatic lung disease was started on argatroban for treatment of a right upper-extremity deep vein thrombosis (DVT). The infusion was initiated at 2.0 μg/kg/min and was titrated to a goal aPTT of 60–80 seconds. Argatroban was discontinued due to an aPTT elevated to >100 seconds; the aPTT remained elevated for 130 hours after discontinuation of the infusion.DISCUSSION:Argatroban dose reductions in patients with impaired liver and renal function test values have been reported. Elderly subjects may have a prolonged clearance compared with young healthy subjects, although the duration of effect has not been established. As of April 18, 2005, the effect of liver metastasis on argatroban phar...
Room Rates of U.S. Airport Hotels: Examining the Dual Effects of Proximities

Location-based premiums for hotels have been observed in various segments, such as downtown and resort hotels. However, the location effect of airport hotels has not yet been studied, despite the longstanding history and significance of this market, which is arguably the most location-sensitive segment. It has also been found that former models for hotel location based on firms’ bid-rent functions were not directly applicable to airport hotels, even when the monocentricity assumption holds. Thus, the current study applied the household bid-rent function to provide a theoretical justification for premiums on airport proximity and estimated their effects on room rates using the hedonic pricing method. Results indicated that location premiums for airport hotels are simultaneously affected by their proximity to the central business district as well as the airport. Implications for the hotel industry and suggestions for future research are discussed.
Dominance, Personality, and Social Behavior in Women

(1939). Dominance, Personality, and Social Behavior in Women. The Journal of Social Psychology: Vol. 10, No. 1, pp. 3-39.
An infant with Williams-Beuren syndrome and Ebstein anomaly.

We report an infant with Ebstein anomaly of the tricuspid valve and severe branch pulmonary artery stenosis who was diagnosed with Williams–Beuren syndrome.
The SUNY Assessment Initiative: Initial campus and system perspectives

The State University of New York (SUNY) is in the process of implementing a remarkably ambitious and collegial system-wide assessment of general education and academic majors across its 64 campuses. The SUNY Assessment Initiative is founded upon a balanced view of assessment as both accountability and improvement as well as the utilization of best assessment practices. Another fundamental component is the critical role of faculty governance in the assessment of student learning outcomes, at the campus and system levels. This paper explains the rationale underlying the SUNY Assessment Initiative, describes specific procedures and processes involved in its implementation, and provides a preliminary report on its status.
A CV technique for measuring thin SOI film thickness

A technique is developed to measure silicon-on-insulator (SOI) silicon device film thickness using a MOSFET. The method is based on CV measurements between gate and source/drain at two different back-gate voltages. The SOI devices used in this study were n/sup +/ polysilicon gate n-channel MOSFETs fabricated with modified submicrometer CMOS technology on SIMOX (separation by implanted oxygen) wafers. The SIMOX wafers were implanted with a high dose of oxygen ions (10/sup 18/ cm/sup -2/) at 200 keV and subsequently annealed at 1230 degrees C. The NMOS threshold boron implant dose is 2*10/sup 12/ cm/sup -2/. This method is simple, nondestructive, and no special test structure is needed. Using this technique, SOI film thickness mapping was made on a finished wafer and a thickness variation of +or-150 AA was found. >