cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Correlates and predictors of women's sex trading over time among a sample of out-of-treatment drugs abusers.

This research addressed two research questions: (a) controlling for crack use, what are the factors associated with women’s engagement in ever having traded sex? and (b) controlling for crack use, what are the factors associated with women’s engagement in sex trading in the past 90 days? The sample included 149 sexually active, crack using women selected from a subsample of participants in the Kentucky NIDA AIDS Cooperative Agreement. Bivariate analyses indicated that in addition to the pattern of crack use, 13 of the candidate variables were significantly related to sex trading, ever and 11 related to sex trading in the past 90 days. The multivariate models accounted for more than 40% of the variance in sex trading, ever and almost 59% of the variance in sex trading over the past 90 days. Suggestions for HIV/AIDS prevention and intervention among drug-involved women are discussed; implications for future research are suggested.
Estonia in september 1988: Stalinists, centrists and restorationists

E S T O N I A IN S E P T E M B E R 1988: S T A L I N I S T S , C E N T R I S T S AND RESTORATIONISTS Rein Taagepera, University of California, Irvine The situation in Estonia is changing beyond recognition by the month. A paper I gave in late April on this topic needed serious updating for an encore in early June and needs a complete rewrite now, in early September 1988. x By the rime it reaches the readers, the present article will be outdated, too. Either liberalization will have continued far beyond the present stage or a brutal back- lash will have cut it short. Is the scholar reduced to merely chronicling events? Not quite. There are three basic political currents that took shape a year ago and are likely to continue throughout further liberalization and even a crackdown. This framework will help to add analytical perspective to the chronicling. Political Forces in Soviet Estonia Broadly put, three political forces are vying for prominence in Estonia: Stalinists who want to keep the Soviet empire intact, perestroika-minded cen- trists whose goal is Estonia's sovereignty within a loose Soviet confederation, and restorationists who want to reestablish the pre-WWII Republic of Estonia. All three have appreciable support within the republic population. In many cases the same person is torn among all three: Emotionally he might yearn for the independence of the past, rationally he might hope only for a gradual for- marion of something new, and viscerally he might try to hang on to gains made under the old rules. (These gains include not only formal careers but much more; for instance, a skillful array of connections to obtain scarce consumer goods, lovingly built over a long time, would go to waste in an economy of plenty.) 1. The Stalinists lost control of the republic top leadership in June 1988 but are still entrenched in various bureaucracies. They are supported by the gut-level feelings of many of the Russian-speaking immigrants, who form one third of the population. Some Russian colonists are afraid of losing their privileged status, which they see as a right rather than a privilege. Many more feel that an JBS, Vol. XX, No. 2 (Summer 1989)
c-erbB-2/p185-directed therapy in human lung adenocarcinoma

Background. These experiments were conducted to determine whether p185 can be therapeutically targeted in adenocarcinoma of the lung using an anti-p185-gelonin conjugate. c- erb B-2/p185 is overexpressed in up to one third of non-small cell lung cancers. CALU-3 is a human lung adenocarcinoma cell line that overexpresses p185. mu MoAb-4D5 is a murine anti-p185 monoclonal immunoglobulin G 1 . Gelonin is a potent type 1 ribosomal inhibitory protein. Methods. 4D5 and gelonin were covalently modified and linked. Purification was confirmed by SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Dose-dependent cytotoxicity was quantified using 3 H-thymidine uptake by CALU-3 cells after incubation with 4D5-gelonin conjugate or with control substances (4D5, gelonin, unconjugated 4D5 + gelonin, or control antibody MOPC-21). Results. The 4D5-gelonin conjugate showed a 50% inhibitory concentration of 3.5 × 10 −10 mol/L, but 4D5 alone demonstrated no cytotoxic effect. Gelonin and the unconjugated 4D5-gelonin mixture had one tenth the cytotoxicity of the 4D5-gelonin conjugate (inhibitory concentration=6.5 × 10 −9 mol/L and 8.5 × 10 −9 mol/L, respectively). The conjugate exhibited minimal toxicity against a p185-negative cell line (NIH3T3). Conclusions. Selective and efficient killing of human lung adenocarcinoma cells can be achieved in vitro using c- erb B-2/p185—directed therapy.
Implementing physical telerehabilitation system for patients with multiple sclerosis

Physical rehabilitation was shown to positively affect clinical outcomes in multiple sclerosis (MS). Telemedicine approaches can potentially facilitate home-based rehabilitation however telerehabilitation in MS have not been widely implemented. We developed a Home Automated Telemanagement (HAT) system for the computer-guided management of patients with MS to monitor patient symptoms, educate patients on their disease, and to instruct and monitor an exercise regimen tailored to the patient's specific needs. The home unit runs on a netbook in the patient's home connected to a remote server via internet. The system questions the patient on their condition, gives detailed step by step exercise instructions, records their daily exercise log, and informs and quizzes the patient on their knowledge of multiple sclerosis. The exercise log is transmitted to the remote HAT server where it is analyzed using decision support algorithms to facilitate MS management. Patient exercise regimen is determined by their physical therapist and can be updated on-line, keeping a personalized approach to disease management while taking advantage of the convenience the technology supplies. This telemanagement system has been successfully designed and implemented to optimize the care of patients with multiple sclerosis.
Evidence of impurity banding from the 19F and 55Mn NMR relaxation in antiferromagnetic Mn:FeF2

The nuclear spin-lattice relaxation rates 1/T1 and 1/T2 of impurity-associated 55Mn and 19F nuclei in Mn:FeF2, have been measured for low (c < 1%) Mn concentrations. An impurity-banding model is proposed which explains the magnitude and temperature dependence of the rates. The width of the impurity band is of the order of a few kelvin fo c = 0.28%.
Implementing a Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) Police Presence in a Large International Airport Setting

This report presents findings from two focus groups involving nine Crisis Intervention Team (CIT)-trained officers stationed at a large, international airport. The objective was to uncover themes that could inform crisis intervention approaches in special settings. The focus groups described officers’ motivations for participating in CIT and perceived benefits of CIT training. Additionally, the groups discussed special issues pertaining to the implementation of CIT in the airport setting, as well as areas for improvement of CIT to fit the needs of this venue. Lessons learned could benefit other municipalities intending to implement CIT in special, nonpatrol settings.
Consequence of planting Norgold Russet seed infected withVerticillium albo-atrum

Norgold Russet seed internally infected withVerticillium albo-atrum and free of external tuber-borne inoculum was planted inVerticillium-infested and noninfested soils to determine if intratuber infection affected production of this very susceptible variety. It had no effect on emergence, growth rate, size of plants, appearance and severity ofVerticillium-wilt symptoms, total yield, percent U.S. No. 1 tubers, or specific gravity.
Birefringence studies of the stress‐induced crystallization of rubbers

The change in the fraction crystallinity with time and elongation of synthetic cis-1,4-polyisoprene is studied through simultaneous measurement of birefringence and stress. Results are compared with values estimated from the decrease in stress arising from the crystallization. Various methods for calculating the crystallinity from the data are compared. This method proves to be a sensitive, convenient method for determination of crystallinity of such samples. Die Anderung der Kristallinitat als Funktion der Zeit und des Verstreckungsgrades von synthetischem cis-1,4-Polyisopren wird durch gleichzeitige Messung der Doppelbrechung und der Zugspannung untersucht. Die Ergebnisse werden mit Werten verglichen, die aus der durch die Kristallisation bedingten Abnahme der Zugspannung abgeschatzt wurden. Verschiedene Methoden zur Berechnung der Kristallinitat aus den experimentellen Daten werden verglichen. Es kann gezeigt werden, das diese Methode ein empfindliches, einfach zu handhabendes Verfahren zur Bestimmung der Kristallinitat dieser Proben darstellt.
Inhibition of Urease by Penicillin.

IN treating patients with penicillin, our interest has been attracted to the problem of assay of the drug. Difficulties in this connexion are attached to clinical as well as laboratory studies, since it would be of considerable assistance in formulating principles for therapy to be able to measure small, sub-bacteriostatic quantities in the circulating blood. An attempt has therefore been made to discover easily measurable properties of penicillin, and we have found that even highly purified preparations will inhibit the activity of urease.
Current concepts in the surgical management of temporomandibular joint disorders

A thorough understanding of the structure and function of diarthrodial joints is necessary for clinicians who treat individuals with temporomandibular disorders. Surgical procedures must be based on principles designed to restore and preserve joint physiology. The surgical management of patients with temporomandibular joint disorders not only requires adherence to surgical principles that make sense from a physiologic basis, but also an understanding of the disease process and continued nonsurgical management that is aimed at reducing or eliminating factors which perpetuate joint overloading.
Comparison of several adaptive Newton-Cotes quadrature routines in evaluating definite integrals with peaked integrands

This report compares the performance of five different adaptive quadrature schemes, based on Newton-Cotes (2N + 1) point rules (N = 1, 2, 3, 4, 5), in approximating the set of definite integrals ∫1-1 (x2 + p2)-1dx with relative accuracy e.
Hypnotizability, laterality of eye-movements and functional brain asymmetry.

The direction of lateral eye-movements upon inward direction of attention or reflection is related to hypnotic susceptibility. A predominance of left eye-movements is associated with greater hypnot...
Bariatric Surgery: Crossing a Body Mass Index Threshold

The report by O'Brien and colleagues in this issue provides the strongest evidence to date of the benefits of bariatric surgery compared with lifestyle modification and pharmacotherapy. It will und...
Standards for genital protection in phototherapy units

Background Phototherapy is a useful therapy for many dermatologic disorders and is known for its low side-effect profile. However, one potential notable side effect is genital skin cancer. Unfortunately, no standards for genital protection currently exist for this preventable complication. Patients treated with phototherapy may already have a decreased quality of life because of their primary dermatologic disorder. Development of squamous cell carcinoma of the genitalia may certainly further affect the quality of life. Objective The objective was to determine which readily available materials afford the best photoprotection of the male genitalia. Methods Seven common materials used in phototherapy units for genital protection were placed over ultraviolet (UV) B and UVA monitors and placed in broadband UVB, narrowband UVB, and UVA full-body units. The percentage of light blocked was then calculated. Results Blue and white cotton underwear, blue surgical towels, an athletic supporter with or without a cup, and the psoralen plus UVA pouch provided acceptable means of genital protection; however, surgical masks did not. Limitations Only the most commonly used materials were tested in the phototherapy units. The materials were not of a single material type or similar masses. In addition, only one of each type of full-body phototherapy unit was used to obtain the data. Conclusion Although a polyester composition provides better UV protection, factors such as low porosity and higher mass are intrinsic to decreasing the amount of UV penetration of any fabric. Of the commonly used objects, surgical masks do not provide sufficient protection to the genital area.
Stress voiding characteristics of Cu/low K interconnects under long term stresses

Stress migration has been treated as one of the major reliability concerns for advanced interconnects. Extensive studies and various semi-empirical models have been reported. However, most of these models were developed based on fairly short term (1000 hours or less) stress data. In this paper, we present long term stress results (up to 20,900 hours) on a wide range of layout geometries. The observed stress migration behaviors for different layouts can be classified into four types: I: voiding rate is predominately driven by chemical potential gradient, and it increases with temperature; II: voiding rate is dominated by the combination of stress and chemical potential gradients, and it reaches the peak at intermediate stress temperature; III: voiding behavior shows defect-like characteristics, with a portion of the samples showing open circuit failures; and IV: voiding rate is very low, virtually no resistance change is seen at all stress temperatures. We conclude that to thoroughly investigate stress voiding characteristics, long term stresses with a wide range of layout geometries are needed.
Mission control: A performance metric and analysis of control logic for pipelined architectures on FPGAs

The performance of a pipelined architecture is often limited by incorrectly designed or poorly implemented control logic. Once a design is implemented and meets timing constraints, the mission is to evaluate if it is achieving optimum performance. At this stage, the number of pipelines and functional units are fixed and the amount of resources and memory bandwidth are finalized. If a design is performing suboptimally the only recourse is to improve the control logic. In this paper we present a metric to quantify the achievable performance of a design and use it to analyze performance degradation due to control logic. We analyze the control logic of existing architectures and present improvements that achieve speedups of up to 10.7×.
Measuring efficiency of small and medium-sized manufacturing enterprises using partial least squares

This work involves an application of a data mining technique called Partial Least Squares (PLS) to a QuickView database to compare a Small and medium-sized Manufacturing Enterprise (SME), to other SMEs in the same industry. PLS models some quantitative measure of the company's performance based on the responses to a questionnaire. This approach often provides a more accurate model than conventional regression in that the problems of collinearity and noisy data are not as disruptive on the regression estimates. The result of this analysis provides information about SMEs' operation and performance and therefore, can be used to help SMEs identify their own weaknesses and strengths with respect to their competitors.
A 110dB SNR and 0.5mW current-steering audio DAC implemented in 45nm CMOS

Mobile consumer audio applications are demanding higher performance, longer battery life and lower cost. Achieving low out-of-band noise (OBN) is one of the key elements in designing inexpensive, low-power and robust audio DACs. Lowering OBN reduces the sensitivity to circuit mismatch, glitch energy and clock jitter. The need for an expensive analog post filter that requires high bias currents can be eliminated altogether. Requirements on the application clock are relaxed and low-cost PLLs can be used in the system. To reduce OBN, one needs to increase modulator resolution. The popular method is to increase the number of unit weighted elements in an oversampled DAC. This results in high digital complexity, inter-symbol-interference (ISI) and tonal problems when shaping mismatch errors. Reported multi-bit oversampling audio DACs [1, 2] use noise-shaped segmentation to split a main modulator output into binary weighted sub-DACs. This segmentation increases the resolution that can be used in the main modulator with relatively simple digital signal processing to shape mismatch errors outside the audio band.
Microelectrode study of K+ accumulation by tight epithelia: I. Baseline values of split frog skin and toad urinary bladder.

Toad bladder and split frog skin were impaled with fine-tipped single- and double-barrelled K+-selective microelectrodes. In order to circumvent membrane damage induced by impaling toad bladder, a null point method was developed, involving elevations of mucosal potassium concentration. The results suggest that intracellular potassium activity of short-circuited toad bladder is approximately 82mm, twice as large as earlier estimates. Far more stable and rigorously defined intracellular measurements were recorded from short-circuited split frog skins. The intracellular positions of the micropipette and microelectrode tips were verified by transient hyperpolarizations of the membrane potential with mucosal amiloride or by transient depolarizations with serosal barium or strophanthidin. Simultaneous impalement of distant cells with separate micropipettes demonstrated that both the baseline membrane potentials and the responses to depolarizing agents were similar, further documenting that frog skin is a functional syncytium. Measurements with double-barrelled microelectrodes and simultaneous single-barrelled microelectrodes and reference micropipettes suggest that the intracellular potassium activity is about 104mm, lower than previously reported. Taken together with measurements of intracellular potassium concentration, this datum suggests that potassium is uniformly distributed within the epithelial cells.
Targeting mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase (MEK) in solid tumors

The Raf-mitogen activated protein kinase kinase (MEK)-extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) protein kinase signaling cascade is an important intracellular pathway whose activation influences many fundamental cellular processes and whose aberrancy is associated with cancer cell growth. In addition to activation from within by, for example, Raf mutations, this pathway is frequently activated from above by mutated Ras or epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR). Given the near ubiquity of derangements affecting at least part of this network in cancer, there is a strong and clear rationale for interrupting it. In recent times, in colorectal and lung cancer, Ras and EGFR mutant status have been shown to be critically important and mutually exclusive predictors of response to anti-EGFR therapies. These developments underline the importance of targeting downstream effectors, and MEK inhibition has been the subject of intense scientific and clinical research for some time now. This article reviews the current status of MEK inhibitors with regard to their clinical development.
Interest group demand for taxation

Researchers have typically ignored the determinants of the tax structure of the public sector. Political scientists have concentrated their analyses on the expenditure side of the public ledgers while economists have avoided the issue by assuming that taxes are exogenously determined. In this paper we have shown that a behavioral model of political interest groups can be employed to gain insights into the political selection of taxes. The theory provides a general complement to the well-documented analysis of special interest demand for public expenditures. Our analysis raises several important policy questions. First, is the influence of interest groups on the determination of tax systems desirable from a public policy perspective? For example, special interest groups dominated by high and middle income individuals may prefer regressive tax systems which reduce their own tax burden. Certainly the impact of interest groups on the well-known regressivity of state and local tax systems is an area worthy of additional investigation. Second, does the influence of interest groups lead to tax systems that unduly hamper economic efficiency and retard economic growth? For example, governments with economies dominated by a single industry may forsake diversity and economic development by selecting a tax system favorable to the major industry. Interest group demand for taxes may be a factor in explaining long run regional cycles such as the rise and fall of heavy manufacturing states such as the upper midwest. This research has established that a link exists between special interest group demand for taxation and the structure of local tax systems. However, the extent to which these groups influence tax systems and the exact nature of this influence requires further research. Additional research may also provide insights into the control (e.g., constitutional or legislative) of interest group influence on taxes should it be determined that such control is necessary.
Teacher Testing: A symptom

Teacher testing, as it is currently construed, is a symptom of what is wrong with American public education. The fervor for ever-higher stakes associated with teacher testing illustrates how deeply entrenched and outmoded our wrong-headed approach has become. With the inception of Title II of the Higher Education Act, the federal government has begun a process of employing such tests not only for entry to the classroom by individuals, but for determining which institutions of higher education will have the right to prepare candidates for licensure. Emerging from legitimate origins and egalitarian motives, the uses of standardized tests have moved into increasingly dangerous political waters including attacks on public education. In America, these punitive and unscientific applications are reaching their apotheosis today in high-stakes K-12 student and teacher testing, with consequences that affect the foundations of public education with broad consequences for United States society.
Characterization of Phytase Activity from Cultivated Edible Mushrooms and Their Production Substrates

Phytase is used commercially to maximize phytic acid degradation and to decrease phosphorus levels in poultry and swine manure. To determine phytase content in edible mushrooms, basidiomata of Agaricus bisporus and three specialty mushrooms (Grifola frondosa, Lentinula edodes, and Pleurotus cornucopiae) and spent mushroom substrate (SMS) were surveyed. Enzyme activity ranged from 0.046 to 0.074 unit/g of tissue for four A. bisporus types (closed and open whites and closed and open browns) grown at The Pennsylvania State University's Mushroom Test Demonstration Facility (MTDF). The addition of various nutrient supplements to phase II mushroom production substrate did not alter phytase activity in A. bisporus. Portabella mushrooms (open brown) obtained from a commercial farm had significantly higher levels of phytase activity (0.211 unit/g of tissue) compared to A. bisporus grown at the MTDF. Of the specialty mushrooms surveyed, maitake (G. frondosa) had 20% higher phytase activity (0.287 unit/g of tissue) ...
Photon-assisted tunneling and AC Josephson effect at 246 and 604 GHz in small-area superconducting tunnel junctions

We report the first observations of photon-assisted quasiparticle tunneling and AC Josephson effect in superconducting tunnel junctions irradiated with far-infrared (FIR) radiation. Radiation at 246 GHz (λ=1.22 mm) and 604 GHz (496 μm) from an optically-pumped FIR laser source was used. Tin-tin oxide-lead junctions of ∼1 (μm)2area were fabricated on crystal quartz substrates with integral planar dipole antennas of resonant length at the frequency of the incident radiation. The observed photon-assisted tunneling features are in excellent agreement with the Tien-Gordon theory, and the inferred responsivity approaches the quantum limit at low temperatures for photon energies less than the gap. At 604 GHz, with a 176 ohm junction, we have seen 7 Josephson steps, comparable to point contact performance. The variation of the step widths with laser power is found to agree quite well with both the RSJ model and the Werthamer theory. For low resistance junctions (e.g. 16 ohms), we find the Josephson steps to be flat and to agree well with the shape predicted by the RSJ model without noise rounding, while noise rounding is very evident with the higher resistance junctions. In all cases, the step shape is in reasonable agreement with the theory of P. A. Lee, using a noise temperature of 10-20K with an appropriate small junction capacitance.
Development of a sampling and analytical method for measuring the epoxy content of aerosols: II. Application of the method to epoxy-containing aerosols.

Aerosols generated by epoxy spray painting consist of droplets containing partially-cured mixtures of epoxy resins and curing agents, as well as pigments, solvents and diluents. A sampling and analytical method has been developed to measure the epoxy content of these aerosols. The method collects the aerosol in a midget impinger containing dimethyl formamide, which inhibits the curing reaction between the epoxy and curing agent, preserving the unreacted epoxy functional groups present in the aerosol. The impinger contents are analyzed by reacting the epoxy with an excess of bromide generated in situ from tetraethylammonium bromide, and measuring the unreacted bromide in the reaction mixture by normal pulse polarography. The precision and accuracy of the method have been evaluated using a pure epoxy resin as a model compound. The method was applied to aerosols containing mixtures of epoxy resin and amine curing agents in various degrees of cure, to aerosols containing large quantities of nonepoxy component...
α-fetoprotein and γ-glutamyl transpeptidase response in rats fed aflatoxin B1

Abstract Weanling, male, Fischer rats were fed a semipurified diet containing 0, 0.1, 0.5, 1.0, or 2.0 ppm aflatoxin B 1 (AB 1 ). Plasma α-fetoprotein (AFP) concentrations were determined weekly during weeks 4 to 7. During Week 8, animals were killed and hepatic sections were histochemically stained for γ-glutamyl transpeptidase (GGT). Plasma AFP concentrations increased linearly with increasing level of dietary AB 1 ( Y = 24.9 + 27.0 X ; r = 0.90). There was a corresponding increase in the percentage of hepatic section area stained positively for GGT ( Y = 6.55 + 11.1 X ; r = 0.95). This study suggests that AFP and GGT may both be useful markers for dose-response relationships to hepatocarcinogens.
Is contralateral neck treatment necessary in early carcinoma of the tonsil

Abstract One of the most distressing complications of radiation therapy of the head and neck cancers is xerostomia. Treatment of both parotid glands to high doses would be expected to result in high probability of symptomatic xerostomia. Treatment of early carcinomas of the tonsil with techniques to include bilateral upper neck nodes would result in xerostomia whereas treatment limited to the primary and ipsilateral neck only would avoid it. The latter technique has been used in 32 patients with carcinoma of the tonsil treated in Rush-Presbyterian-St. Luke's Medical Center from 1965 through 1975. Of 20 patients with No or N1 disease treated this way, there were no contralateral neck recurrences with controlled primary and ipsilateral neck.
The preparation, properties and crystal structure of bis(η5-cyclopentadienyldicarbonyliron)dimethylgermyl]oxide, [(η5-C5H5)(CO)2FeGe(CH3)2]2O☆

Abstract One of the main products of oxidation of (η 5 -C 5 -H 5 ) 2 Fe 2 (CO) 3 Ge(CH 3 ) 2 by air has been shown to be [(η 5 -C 5 H 5 )(CO) 2 FeGe(CH 3 ) 2 ] 2 O. The infrared, NMR and mass spectra are consistent with this formula and the detailed structure has been established by X-ray crystallography. In polar solvents the NMR suggests the existence of major and minor conformers interconverting only slowly on the NMR time scale at ≈ 25°. The X-ray diffraction study has shown the compound to consist of two (η 5 -C 5 H 5 )(CO) 2 FeGe(CH 3 ) 2 moieties joined by a bridging oxygen atom. Two rotational isomers are present in the unit cell in a disordered fashion. Some pertinent average distances and angles are: FeGe, 2.372 A; GeO, 1.785 A; GeOGe′, 134°. The compound crystallizes in the monoclinic system, space group P 2 1 / n , with a 8.056(2), b 12.506(2), c 22.631(3) A, β 98.01(1)°, d calc 1.692 g cm −3 . Counter data were collected using Mo- K α radiation. The 1780 reflections above background were used in least-squares refinement which converged at R 1 = 0.051 and R 2 = 0.068.
Reforming the japanese distribution system: will it boost exports to Japan?

Abstract The inefficiency of the Japanese distribution system has been criticized for creating hidden import barriers. One institution responsible for perpetuating such inefficiency is the Large-Scale Retail Store Law. It has been argued that relaxing this law will reduce consumer prices and increase the demand for imports. However, this argument ignores the impact of a reallocation of resources on imports from such a policy change. We show that if the latter effect is properly taken into account a proposed change in the legislation can decrease exports to Japan. Empirical support for this possibility is discussed.
Ambiguity and Choice in Public Policy: Political Decision Making in Modern Democracies

Ambiguity and Choice in Public Policy: Political Decision Making in Modern Democracies. By Nikolaos Zahariadis. Washington, DC: Georgetown University Press, 2003. 208p. $26.95.Nikolaos Zahariadis has written an interesting and ambitious book that extends to other countries and later stages of the policy process John Kingdon's classic insight into agenda setting—that policies are the result of streams of problems, solutions, and politics, coupled by policy entrepreneurs when windows of opportunity open.
Remarkable Surface Synoptic Maps from the 1930s

A set of high-resolution maps depicting the temperature, wind, cloud, and precipitation (2.5 previous hours) have been digitized and reproduced for 1500 LT 12 October 1937 for an area in eastern Ohio. These are only one time sample of map sequences that exist. They are an almost unmined source for research into mesoscale surface weather changes and associated hydrologic phenomena
Comparison of six rabbit liver cytochrome P-450 isozymes in formation of a reactive metabolite of acetaminophen

This laboratory has recently reported the isolation of an ethanol-inducible form of rabbit liver microsomal cytochrome P-450, designated isozyme 3a. In view of the reports of others that the hepatotoxicity of acetaminophen is increased in ethanol-treated animals and the human alcoholic, we have determined the activity of the six available P-450 isozymes in the activation of the drug to give an intermediate which forms a conjugate with reduced glutathione. Isozymes 3a, 4, and 6, all of which are present in significant amounts in the liver microsomes from rabbits chronically administered ethanol, exhibited the highest activities in the reconstituted enzyme system, whereas isozymes 3b and 3c were 10- to 20-fold less effective, and phenobarbital-inducible isozyme 2 was essentially inactive, even in the presence of cytochrome b5. The results obtained thus indicate that induction by ethanol of P-450 isozyme 3a (or a homologous enzyme in other species) may contribute to the toxicity of acetaminophen but that other cytochromes also play a significant role.
Effects of chronic dietary exposure to environmentally relevant concentrations to 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin on survival, growth, reproduction and biochemical responses of female rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss).

Adult female rainbow trout were exposed to dietary 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) at concentrations of 1.8, 18 and 90 ng TCDD/kg (ww) food for up to 300 day. At the end of the exposure fish were spawned and the reproductive outcomes were assessed. TCDD was accumulated into tissues and eggs in a dose-dependent manner with steady state being achieved after 50–100 day of exposure. Biochemical and hematological parameters were monitored at 50, 100, 150, and 200 day after the beginning of exposure. The survival of adult female trout was reduced in a dose-dependent manner by exposure to TCDD in the diet. Fish fed 1.8 ng TCDD/kg, moist weight of diet, showed significantly reduced survival compared with those fed the control diet. TCDD also affected survival of fry from females fed 1.8 ng TCDD/kg. Observed adverse effects in adult fish were as sensitive as early life-stage endpoints. Liver EROD activity was only moderately increased in all exposure groups after 250+ day of exposure. Low rates of edema and deformities were observed in fry from all treatment groups including controls. This study has demonstrated adverse effects of TCDD to both adults and fry at concentrations comparable to current environmental concentrations. This suggests that direct adult toxicity as well as reproductive endpoints need to be incorporated in the current risk assessment paradigm for these compounds.
Legacies from three former manufactured-gas plants: impacts on groundwater quality

Groundwater contamination due to accidental releases of mono- and polycyclic aromatic compounds (MAHs and PAHs) from decommissioned manufactured-gas plants is an ongoing and litigious problem. The MAHs and PAHs are derived from coal tar, which was a by-product of the gas-manufacturing process. While originally designed to contain coal tar, the manufactured-gas plant structures that remain today have often degraded over time and are not completely leak-proof. Over a period of many years, subsurface water has seeped into and out of the structures, resulting in groundwater contamination. This was particularly true once the tops of the structures were removed. In this study, process-based simulations were conducted to estimate the groundwater-quality impacts of accidental releases of dissolved naphthalene (C10H8) from the sites of three former manufactured-gas plants. The results from one-dimensional, transient, unsaturated, near-surface fluid-flow and solute-transport simulations served as input to three-dimensional saturated subsurface fluid-flow and solute-transport simulations. The simulation results and sensitivity analysis reported here indicate that accidental releases of naphthalene had significant, negative impacts on groundwater quality at each of the three sites.
Viscosity and Electrical Resistivity of Molten Alkali Borates

The viscosity and electrical resistance of members of the systems Li2O–B2O3, Na2O–B2O3, and K2O–B2O3 have been measured in the approximate temperature range 600° to 1000°C. The log viscosity isotherms in the range 700° to 800°C. showed a minimum in the low-alkali region followed by a maximum as the alkali concentration was increased. This behavior could be explained by postulating an equilibrium between two antithetical effects caused by the addition of alkali oxide to B2O3. The log electrical resistance isotherms decreased rapidly with increased alkali content up to about five equivalents of alkali ions per liter and decreased less rapidly in a linear fashion with further increase in alkali ion concentration. The equivalent conductance increased with alkali concentration, indicating behavior rather typical of liquids of low dielectric constant. The rate of increase of equivalent conductance was greater in the concentration region where the viscosity was increasing than where the viscosity was decreasing, thus illustrating that viscosity is not a controlling factor in electrical conduction. A plot of log R vs. log gave straight lines whose slopes decreased with alkali content. The hypothesis that electrical resistance and viscosity of each glass were both related to the concentration of weak bonds in that glass was advanced to account for the constancy of the relation between the temperature coefficients of the two properties.
Teaching Elementary Students with Multiple Disabilities to Participate in Shared Stories

Literacy may be one of the most important instructional areas for enhancing quality of life for all students. One way to promote literacy skills is through engaging students in the shared reading of a story. In this study, methods for planning and implementing shared stories for three students with multiple disabilities was evaluated via a multiple probe design across participants. Because the students had few consistent responses and complex physical challenges, a team planned the literacy participation using principles of universal design for learning (UDL). Outcomes indicate that all three students improved literacy skills and added to the literature base that shared stories can promote early literacy. Future research and implications for practical team implementation of the augmentative and alternative communication use and UDL components of representation, expression, and engagement are discussed.
Paying more when paying for others.

Social behavior is heavily influenced by the perception of the behaviors of others. We considered how perceptions (and misperceptions) of kindness can increase generosity in economic transactions. We investigated how these perceptions can alter behavior in a novel real-life situation that pitted kindness against selfishness. That situation, consumer elective pricing, is defined by an economic transaction allowing people to purchase goods or services for any price (including zero). Field and lab experiments compared how people behave in 2 financially identical circumstances: pay-what-you-want (in which people are ostensibly paying for themselves) and pay-it-forward (in which people are ostensibly paying on behalf of someone else). In 4 field experiments, people paid more under pay-it-forward than pay-what-you-want (Studies 1–4). Four subsequent lab studies assessed whether the salience of others explains the increased payments (Study 5), whether ability to justify lowered payments (Study 6), and whether the manipulation was operating through changing the perceptions of others (Studies 7 and 8). When people rely on ambiguous perceptions, pay-it-forward leads to overestimating the kindness of others and a corresponding increase in personal payment. When those perceptions are replaced with explicit descriptive norms (i.e., others’ payment amounts), that effect is eliminated. Finally, subsequent studies confirmed that the effects were not driven by participant confusion (Studies 9A and 9B) and not limited by the specificity of the referent other in the pay-it-forward framing (Study 9C).
Detection of DNA copy number alterations using penalized least squares regression

Motivation: Genomic DNA copy number alterations are characteristic of many human diseases including cancer. Various techniques and platforms have been proposed to allow researchers to partition the whole genome into segments where copy numbers change between contiguous segments, and subsequently to quantify DNA copy number alterations. In this paper, we incorporate the spatial dependence of DNA copy number data into a regression model and formalize the detection of DNA copy number alterations as a penalized least squares regression problem. In addition, we use a stationary bootstrap approach to estimate the statistical significance and false discovery rate. Results: The proposed method is studied by simulations and illustrated by an application to an extensively analyzed dataset in the literature. The results show that the proposed method can correctly detect the numbers and locations of the true breakpoints while appropriately controlling the false positives. Availability: http://bioinformatics.med.yale.edu/DNACopyNumber Contact: hongyu.zhao@yale.edu Supplementary Information: http://bioinformatics.med.yale.edu/DNACopyNumber
Extracellular Matrix: Functions in the Nervous System

An astonishing number of extracellular matrix glycoproteins are expressed in dynamic patterns in the developing and adult nervous system. Neural stem cells, neurons, and glia express receptors that mediate interactions with specific extracellular matrix molecules. Functional studies in vitro and genetic studies in mice have provided evidence that the extracellular matrix affects virtually all aspects of nervous system development and function. Here we will summarize recent findings that have shed light on the specific functions of defined extracellular matrix molecules on such diverse processes as neural stem cell differentiation, neuronal migration, the formation of axonal tracts, and the maturation and function of synapses in the peripheral and central nervous system.
Algebraic Properties of the Mikusiński Convolution Algebra

Let M be the space of all continuous, complex valued functions defined on [0, ∞]. This, with the convolution operation (f*g)(t) = ∫0 t f(t−τ)g(τ) dτ yields a commutative, associative algebra. A new proof that M is a Jacobson radical algebra is given. The ideal structures of M and its Dorroh extension to an algebra, M1, with unity are investigated. The algebraic properties of M are used to obtain new proofs of existence and uniqueness of solutions for certain integral and integro-differential equations.
NIMS3D: A Novel Rapidly Deployable Robot for 3-Dimensional Applications

In this paper, we present NIMS3D, a novel, rapidly deployable cable based robotic system capable of accurate opsitioning within its 3-dimensional span. The system is designed for indoor and outdoor use. In NIMS3D, a node moves via three cables which enable navigation in the 3D volume spanned by the system. The hardware is composed primarily of commercially available components and the software consists of three tiers: low level motor control, motion planning, and user interface. The proposed system has health monitoring capabilities that seek to ensure that robot integrity is not compromised. We provide theoretical and empirical analysis of system characteristics and present results that advocate its use for a variety of applications such as topographical and optical intensity mapping. Finally, we propose a number of future enhancements and plans for the system.
Risk-Benefit Profiles of Women Using Tamoxifen for Chemoprevention

An estimated 15% of US women age 35 to 79 years are eligible for breast cancer chemoprevention; however, less than 5% may have favorable risk-benefit profiles (1). Tamoxifen can decrease risk of invasive breast cancer up to 48% and was US Food and Drug Administration (FDA)–approved for primary prevention in 1998 for women 35 years and older at high risk of breast cancer (typically determined by a five-year probability of developing invasive breast cancer greater than 1.67%) and low risk of serious side effects (including endometrial cancer, stroke, pulmonary embolism, deep vein thrombosis, and cataract) (2–6). It is the only approved pharmacologic agent for breast cancer prevention available to premenopausal women (7). The US Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) recently published a recommendation statement for risk reduction of primary breast cancer that encourages clinicians to offer to prescribe tamoxifen or raloxifene to reduce breast cancer risk (8). National estimates indicate that less than 1% of eligible women use tamoxifen for prevention (9). It is unknown why few women use tamoxifen for breast cancer prevention, although vasomotor symptoms, increased risk of adverse health effects, and difficulties in estimating or communicating risk-benefit profiles can be deterrents. Whether women who do use tamoxifen for breast cancer prevention are among those most likely to benefit is also unknown. In previous studies, willingness to use tamoxifen has not consistently been associated with invasive breast cancer risk (10–13). Further, substantial nonadherence to the recommended five-year course of tamoxifen has been reported in prevention trials. To date, there has been no large study of tamoxifen users outside of a trial setting to evaluate risk-benefit profiles or early discontinuation. We examined risk-benefit profiles of women who used tamoxifen for primary breast cancer prevention and characteristics associated with initiation and discontinuation among a sample of adult US and Puerto Rican women with a first-degree family history of breast cancer.
Ribozyme compromise of adrenomedullin mRNA reveals a physiological role in the regulation of water intake

The adrenomedullin (AM) preprohormone is posttranslationally processed to result in two biologically active fragments, AM and proadrenomedullin NH2-terminal 20 peptide (PAMP). AM is thought to play a role in fluid and electrolyte balance by acting in brain to inhibit salt and water appetite and in the kidney to cause diuresis and natriuresis. We previously have shown that AM is necessary for the short-term regulation of salt intake. In this paper, we have designed a ribozyme, a catalytic RNA molecule, which specifically recognizes and cleaves the AM transcript. In cultured vascular smooth muscle cells, ribozyme treatment lowered AM mRNA and reduced peptide content. Intracerebroventricular administration of the ribozyme lowered hypothalamic AM content and led to an exaggerated drinking response in rats, demonstrating that endogenous, brain-derived AM is physiologically relevant and necessary for short-term control of water intake.
High sugar Eastern gamagrass (Tripsacum dactyloides L) cultivars as potential biofuel feedstock

Maize (Zea mays L) is the leading biofuel crop in the United States. Production of ethanol from maize requires relatively high energy inputs from petroleum-based products. The net energy required for growing maize and consequent contribution to atmospheric CO2 make using maize for ethanol production inefficient. Warm season perennial grasses have excellent potential as alternative biofuel feedstocks. However, one of the drawbacks of using these grasses is their high lignin content, which restricts breakdown of cellulose into carbohydrates and sugar for fermentation into ethanol. This results in low net ethanol yield, a major challenge for biofuel production from cellulosic feedstocks. Eastern gamagrass (Tripsacum dactyloides L) is a warm season native American grass related to maize. To evaluate potential of Eastern gamagrass and gamagrass-Zea recombinant lines as a biofuel feedstock, seven varieties were analyzed for their chemical composition and fermentable sugar production. Based on total sugar yield, gamagrass-Zea recombinant cultivars Eagle Point Devil Corn and Sun Devil reached 595.8 and 456.5 mg g-1 raw biomass, respectively. Compared to the other gamagrass varieties and energy crops switchgrass and bermudagrass, these gamagrass-Zea recombinants gave a significantly higher (P<0.05) sugar yield. DNA fingerprinting revealed Sun Devil contains introgressed Zea alleles at three loci associated with sugar synthesis. At theoretical yield of 386.1 liters of ethanol per ton of dry biomass, the Eagle Point Devil Corn cultivar has potential as a high yielding biofuel feedstock. The next step will be to conduct agronomic studies to evaluate field performance and biomass yield of this promising new feedstock.
Gene Regulation: Silencing Complexes Spread Out

Summary Some protein complexes bind DNA elements and then spread to exert gene regulation over broad domains. The Caenorhabditis elegans dosage compensation complex is one example, and new studies have teased out rules for its recruitment and spreading over X chromosomes.