cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Assessing MAARDEC: A Comparison with Other Assistive Device Workshop and Disability Organization Models (Innovations Case Discussion: MAARDEC)

Appliances Research and Development Center (MAARDEC) features a multifaceted approach to serving the disabled community in Nigeria. In this issue of Innovations, Cosmas Okoli describes the system model he employs that goes beyond just providing mobility aids, including the mechanisms through which he is able to offer products and services that holistically improve the lives of people with disabilities. Although this model is not new and is practiced in similar forms by many other workshops in the developing world, it is insightful because it encompasses the range of disabled needs. Cosmas Okoli should be commended for working to provide opportunities, advocating for peoples’ rights, and running a sustainable organization that has multiple profit streams. Two major challenges face providers of mobility aids in developing countries: making and providing products that are appropriate for the environment in which they will be used, and finding financial mechanisms through which the products can be produced and purchased. Many of the products Okoli mentions in his article are innovative and were designed specifically for the Nigerian disabled. This is
Recombinant varicella vaccines induce neutralizing antibodies and cellular immune responses to SIV and reduce viral loads in immunized rhesus macaques

The development of an effective AIDS vaccine remains one of the highest priorities in HIV research. The live, attenuated varicella-zoster virus (VZV) Oka vaccine, safe and effective for prevention of chickenpox and zoster, also has potential as a recombinant vaccine against other pathogens, including human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). The simian varicella model, utilizing simian varicella virus (SVV), offers an approach to evaluate recombinant varicella vaccine candidates. Recombinant SVV (rSVV) vaccine viruses expressing simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV) env and gag antigens were constructed. The hypothesis tested was that a live, attenuated rSVV-SIV vaccine will induce immune responses against SIV in the rhesus macaques and provide protection against SIV challenge. The results demonstrated that rSVV-SIV vaccination induced low levels of neutralizing antibodies and cellular immune responses to SIV in immunized rhesus macaques and significantly reduced viral loads following intravenous challenge with pathogenic SIVmac251-CX-1.
Biodiversity : A selector's guide to monographic works

Over the last ten years a substantial literature has been produced on the subject of biodiversity, the sum of variation inherent in the living world. Controlling the subject bibliographically has proved difficult, however, as it pertains not only to fundamental natural realities but to social, economic, and ethical links between human beings and the natural world as well. A sizable subject-indexed and rated bibliography of books pertaining to biodiversity is provided for the benefit of selectors, both to better familiarize them with the subject and to facilitate purchase decisions.
An algebraic analysis of cladistic characters

Abstract Cladistic characters are used by many numerical axonomists in the estimation of evolutionary history. We make use of semilattice theory to give an algebraic formulation of the ideas involved in this process and to give rigorous proofs of theorems which justify certain operational procedures in current use. In particular, we discuss certain compatibility tests for a collection of characters
Genomic imprinting of H19 and insulin-like growth factor-2 in pediatric germ cell tumors.

BACKGROUND Insulin-like growth factor-2 (IGF2) and H19 are reciprocally imprinted genes on chromosome 11; IGF2 is expressed paternally and H19 is expressed maternally. Loss of imprinting (LOI) at both H19 and IGF2 has been reported in seven fully informative adult testicular germ cell tumors (GCTs) and may contribute to germ cell carcinogenesis. METHODS Genomic DNA from 61 pediatric GCTs was amplified by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and screened for heterozygosity at both IGF2 and H19 using either ApaI or RsaI, respectively. If heterozygous, polyadenylated RNA was isolated and reversed-transcribed into cDNA. cDNA then was amplified by PCR and the products were digested with restriction enzymes to evaluate GCT expression of IGF2 and H19. RESULTS Eleven pediatric GCTs were fully informative for H19 and IGF2, including 5 ovarian GCTs, 2 testicular GCTs, and 4 extragonadal GCTs. Consistent with prior studies, both testicular GCTs showed LOI at both H19 and IGF2. In contrast, three of the five ovarian GCTs had LOI at both IGF2 and H19; one had LOI at IGF2 only, and one retained imprinting at both loci. Only one of the four extragonadal GCTs had LOI at IGF2 whereas three of the four had LOI at H19. CONCLUSIONS These data suggest that LOI at H19 and IGF2 also may be common in pediatric testicular GCTs. However, ovarian and extragonadal pediatric GCTs showed variable patterns of LOI that may indicate differences in the timing of carcinogenesis in germ cells at these sites. Cancer 1999;85:1389–94. © 1999 American Cancer Society.
MODERATING THE PREDICTION OF GRADES IN FRESHMAN ENGINEERING1

This study concerned the identification of an optimal moderator within a test battery for enhancing prediction of first semester engineering grades for 522 college freshmen. Moderated multiple regression disclosed high school rank (HSR) as the best moderator of SAT-M, the best predictor, in both a validation and hold-out group. SAT-M overall validity of .39 was increased to .53 and an overall R of .47 was raised to .61 when only those highest in HSR were considered.
Overstepping the garnet isograd: a comparison of QuiG barometry and thermodynamic modeling

The consequences of overstepping the garnet isograd reaction have been investigated by comparing the composition of garnet formed at overstepped P–T conditions (the overstep or “OS” model) with the P–T conditions that would be inferred by assuming garnet nucleated in equilibrium with the matrix assemblage at the isograd (the equilibrium or “EQ” model). The garnet nucleus composition formed at overstepped conditions is calculated as the composition that produces the maximum decrease in Gibbs free energy from the equilibrated, garnet-absent, matrix assemblage for the bulk composition under study. Isopleths were then calculated for this garnet nucleus composition assuming equilibrium with the matrix assemblage (the EQ model). Comparison of the actual P–T conditions of nucleation (the OS model) with those inferred from the EQ model reveals considerable discrepancy between the two. In general, the inferred garnet nucleation P–T conditions (the EQ model) are at a lower temperature and higher or lower pressure (depending on the coexisting calcic phase(s)) than the actual (OS model) nucleation conditions. Moreover, the degree of discrepancy increases with the degree of overstepping. Independent estimates of the pressure of nucleation of garnet were made using the Raman shift of quartz inclusions in garnet (quartz-in-garnet or QuiG barometry). To test the validity of this method, an experimental synthesis of garnet containing quartz inclusions was made at 800 °C, 20 kbar, and the measured Raman shift reproduced the synthesis conditions to within 120 bars. Raman band shifts from three natural samples were then used to calculate an isochore along which garnet was presumed to have nucleated. Model calculations were made at several temperatures along this isochore (the OS model), and these P–T conditions were compared to those computed assuming equilibrium nucleation (the EQ model) to estimate the degree of overstepping displayed by these samples. A sample from the garnet isograd in eastern Vermont is consistent with overstepping of around 10 degrees and 0.6 kbar (affinities of around 2 kJ/mole garnet). A sample from the staurolite–kyanite zone in the same terrane requires overstepping of around 50 °C and 2–5 kbar (affinities of around 10–18 kJ/mole garnet). A similar amount of overstepping was inferred for a blueschist sample from Sifnos, Greece. These results indicate that overstepping of garnet nucleation reactions may be common and pronounced in regionally metamorphosed terranes, and that the P–T conditions and paths inferred from garnet zoning studies may be egregiously in error.
Localization of muscarinic acetylcholine receptor in plant guard cells

Acetylcholine (ACh), as an important neurotransmitter in animals, also plays a significant role in various kinds of physiological functions in plants. But relatively little is known about its receptors in plants. A green fluorescence BODIPY FL-labeled ABT, which is a high affinity ligand of muscarinic acetylcholine receptor (mAChR), was used to localize mAChR in plant guard cells. InVicia faba L. andPisum sativum L., mAChR was found both on the plasma membrane of guard cells. mAChR may also be distributed on guard cell chloroplast membrane ofVicia faba L. The evidence that mAChR localizes in the guard cells provides a new possible signal transduction pathway in ACh mediated stomata movement.
Characteristic lengths in soil-vehicle mechanics

Abstract Previous attempts to render the sinkage equation for dimensionless flat plates were plausible only either in sand or in clay. A descriptive equation has been derived by considering three-dimensional probes and defining their dimensions at an arbitrarily chosen sinkage. This generalized equation demonstrates not only that two-dimensional theories are inadequate (conspicuously in accounting for the effect of wheel width) but also that a fundamental characteristics soil length is lacking.
Statistical Modeling of Semiconductor Devices for the Tree Environment

The modeling of semiconductor devices for use with circuit analysis computer codes is a very important endeavor. The accuracy of the model ultimately will determine the accuracy of the analysis and its relation to actual circuit operation. The transistor model used in the Autonetics Transient Radiation Analysis by Computer (TRAC) code is discussed. Particular emphasis is placed on the simulation of radiation-induced photocurrent in the p-n junctions. The photocurrent generator is first derived for a single junction. The result is then extended to the transistor model by appropriately combining two junctions which interact. The interaction is accomplished by including a current transport factor at each junction, as in the Ebers and Molll) formulation. The photocurrents are then examined in terms of defining equations which lead to the criterion for measuring the photocurrent parameters which, in turn, are related to the conventionally defined primary photocurrents in the devices.
Synthesis and Stereochemical Studies of 1-Phosphabicyclo[4.4.0]decane and 4- t -Butylphosphorinane Derivatives

Abstract The title compounds and their derivatives have been prepared in good yield. Several of the synthetic steps are novel and have general applicability. Isomer assignments for these materials were based upon nmr and x-ray data. A two bond phosphorus-carbon coupling Karplus relation has been established for phosphines and applied to the systems under investigation. Extensive stereochemical studies were conducted. The conformational energy barrier in cis-“phosphadecalin” (2) was estimated to be 12.3–13.6 kcal/mol. Hydroxide ion attack on cis-phosphonium salt 5 went with retention at phosphorus, while cis or trans 4 proceeded with considerable inversion. Nucleophilic displacements on derivatives of phosphorinane generally went with inversion of configuration.
Quark models of nuclear isobaric energy differences

We study the energy differences between mirror nuclei in both nonrelativistic (NR) and relativistic quark models based on the one-gluon exchange interaction. Both six-quark (6q) and resonating-group (RG) methods are used to treat the effects of overlapping nucleons in nuclei. The 6q method is simple and useful, but it can give only qualitative results because of a lack of precision and the neglect of non-(1s)6 configurations. It is used here to compare bag and potential models of quarks and to study the effects of kinetic energy, quark-quark interaction and nucleon size. Six-quark results show that the usual Breit-Fermi NR reduction has serious limitations in treating quark masses and nucleon sizes. In contrast, the RG method is much more complete, but it is also much harder to use. It is used here with simple NR potential models to study the effects of complicated 6q configurations, nucleon size and nucleon-nucleon short-range correlations. We find that NR potential models tend to give Nolan-Schiffer anomalies larger than experimental results, while bag models give too small results, especially if the bag radius is as small as 0.6 fm.
Television's role in the culture of violence toward women: A study of television viewing and the cultivation of rape myth acceptance in the United States.

This study approached cultivation from a feminist, ecological perspective that recognized television at the macrosystem level as a purveyor of cultural norms embedded in a culture of violence towards women. The results suggest that general television consumption is related significantly to first- and second-order rape myth beliefs among men and women. Data also indicate positive relationships between soap opera viewing and both rape myth acceptance (second order beliefs) and the overestimation of false rape accusations (a first order belief), and a negative relationship between crime-show viewing and rape myth acceptance. Gender was a significant predictor of rape beliefs above and beyond the contributions of television viewing and other individual- and micro-level variables.
Measuring the intra-individual variability of the plasma proteome in the chicken model of spontaneous ovarian adenocarcinoma

The domestic chicken (Gallus domesticus) has emerged as a powerful experimental model for studying the onset and progression of spontaneous epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) with a disease prevalence that can exceed 35% between 2 and 7 years of age. An experimental strategy for biomarker discovery is reported herein that combines the chicken model of EOC, longitudinal plasma sample collection with matched tissues, advanced mass spectrometry-based proteomics, and concepts derived from the index of individuality (Harris, Clin Chem 20: 1535–1542, 1974). Blood was drawn from 148 age-matched chickens starting at 2.5 years of age every 3 months for 1 year. At the conclusion of the 1 year sample collection period, the 73 birds that remained alive were euthanized, necropsied, and tissues were collected. Pathological assessment of resected tissues from these 73 birds confirmed that five birds (6.8%) developed EOC. A proteomics workflow including in-gel digestion, nanoLC coupled to high-performance mass spectrometry, and label-free (spectral counting) quantification was used to measure the biological intra-individual variability (CVW) of the chicken plasma proteome. Longitudinal plasma sample sets from two birds within the 73-bird biorepository were selected for this study; one bird was considered “healthy” and the second bird developed late-stage EOC. A total of 116 proteins from un-depleted plasma were identified with 80 proteins shared among all sample sets. Analytical variability (CVA) of the label-free proteomics workflow was measured using a single plasma sample analyzed five times and was found to be ≥CVW in both birds for 16 proteins (20%) and in either bird for 25 proteins (31%). Ovomacroglobulin (ovostatin) was found to increase (p < 0.001) over a 6 month period in the late-stage EOC bird providing an initial candidate protein for further investigation.
The puzzle surrounding luminescence models

Luminescence models are critically reviewed. It is shown that they all are unsatisfactory and that some assumptions previously believed to be correct must be re-examined.
Romanian Authoritarianism 10 Years after Communism

Four studies were conducted examining authoritarianism in Romania. It was found that authoritarianism could be measured reliably and was consistently related to political attitudes, political support, and prejudice. More specifically, authoritarianism was positively related to support for communist principles of distributive justice and a communist economy. However, authoritarianism was unrelated to actual support for the socialist left, positively related to support for the noncommunist, fascist right, and negatively related to support for the pro-Western centrist parties. The strength and consistency of the findings more than 10 years after the fall of communism suggest that authoritarianism’s relationship with communism in Eastern Europe might be more resistant to change than originally thought and may extend on to future generations. Implications for current authoritarianism theory are discussed.
Slavery, the Civil War Era, and African American Representation in U.S. History: An Analysis of Four States' Academic Standards

This study is a mixed-methods text analysis of African American representation within K-12 U.S. History content standards treating the revolutionary era, the early U.S. republic, the Civil War era, and Reconstruction. The states included in the analysis are Michigan, New Jersey, South Carolina, and Virginia. The analysis finds that the reviewed standards devote considerable space to African Americans during the formation and development of the United States, but the nature of this inclusion is typically superficial and tends to trivialize the systemic institutional contexts of slavery and racial hierarchy. The standards also typically do not engage students in cognitively demanding historical thinking processes and avoid engaging students in critical analysis of historical racial tensions in order to promote a consensus narrative of social cohesion and national development. While the standards cannot be faulted on the grounds of numeric inclusion of African American names and events, they do not substanti...
AN EFFICIENT ANALYSIS OF VERTICAL DIPOLE ANTENNAS ABOVE A LOSSY HALF-SPACE

The electromagnetic modeling of radiation by vertical dipole antennas above a lossy half-space is an important subject. The modeling often encounters Sommerfeld-type integrals that are normally highly oscillatory with poor convergence. Recently, an efficient computation of the electric field radiated by an infinitesimal electric dipole above a lossy half-space has been reported, in which the Sommerfeld-type integrals are reduced to rapidly-converging integrals. Using such efficiently-calculated electric field as the Green's function, in this paper, an electric field integral equation (EFIE) is formulated for the analysis of a vertical dipole antenna above a lossy half-space. Then, the EFIE is solved numerically employing the Method of Moments (MoM). Sample numerical results are presented and discussed for the current distribution as well as the input impedance and radiation pattern of the antenna. In particular, the EFIE solutions of the current distribution on an antenna in free space are checked with that obtained using a traditional approach of solving the Pocklington's equation. Also, the current distributions on an antenna above a very lossy half- space are checked by comparing them with that for the antenna above a PEC plane. Data of the current distribution and the input impedance show that for an antenna close to the media interface separating the two half-spaces, the electromagnetic parameters of the lower half-space can significantly affect the antenna characteristics. The radiation patterns of the antenna presented all exhibit properties as expected and similar to that documented in literature for infinitesimal vertical dipoles above a lossy half-space.
Does the molten globule have a native-like tertiary fold?

One of the mysteries in protein folding is how folding intermediates direct a protein to its unique final structure. To address this question, we have studied the molten globule formed by the $\alpha $ -helical domain of $\alpha $ -lactalbumin ( $\alpha $ -LA) and demonstrated that it has a native-like tertiary fold, even in the absence of rigid, extensive side chain packing. These studies suggest that the role of molten globule intermediates in protein folding is to maintain an approximate native backbone topology while still allowing minor structural rearrangements to occur.
Exploratory study of vortex-generating devices for turbulent flow separation control

Flow phenomena and the relative performance associated with several devices for controlling turbulent separated flow were investigated at low speeds. Vortex-generating devices examined included: submerged vortex generators (Wheeler doublet and wishbone types), spanwise cylinders, large-eddy breakup devices (LEBU) at small angle of attack (alpha), and vortex-generator jets (VGJ). Dye flow visualization tests in a water tunnel indicated that wishbone vortex generators in the forward orientation shed horseshoe vortices; wishbone vortex generators oriented in the reverse direction and doublet vortex generators shed streamwise counterrotating vortices; a spanwise cylinder located near the wall and LEBUs at alpha = -10 deg produced eddies which rotated with the same sign as the mean vorticity in a turbulent boundary layer; and the most effective VGJs produced streamwise corotating vortices. Comparative wind tunnel tests conducted on a curved backward-facing ramp indicated that transferring momentum from the outer region of a turbulent boundary layer by embedded streamwise vortices is more effective than by transverse vortices for separation control applications.
FEMALE LIFE SPAN AND FERTILITY ARE INCREASED BY THE EJACULATES OF PREFERRED MALES

In animals with internal fertilization, sperm competition among males can favor the evolution of male ejaculate traits that are detrimental to females. Female mating preferences, in contrast, often favor traits in males that are beneficial to females, yet little is known about the effect of these preferences on the evolution of male ejaculates. A necessary condition for female preferences to affect the evolution of male ejaculate characteristics is that females select mates based on a trait correlated with ejaculate quality. Previous work has shown that females of the variable field cricket, Gryllus lineaticeps, prefer males that produce calling songs containing faster and longer chirps. In this study, we tested the hypothesis that females receive more beneficial ejaculates from preferred males. Females were placed on either a high- or a reduced-nutrition diet then mated twice to a male of known song phenotype. Females received only sperm and seminal fluid from males during these matings. There was no effect of male song phenotype on any fitness component for females on the high-nutrition diet. Reduced-nutrition females mated to males that produced preferred song types, however, lived longer, produced more eggs, produced more fertile eggs, and had a higher proportion of their eggs fertilized than those mated to other males. The life-span benefit was positively associated with male chirp duration, and the reproductive benefits were positively associated with male chirp rate. We explored two possible mechanisms for the life span and reproductive benefits. First, a path analysis suggested that part of the effect of male chirp duration on female life span may have been indirect; females mated to males that produced longer chirps showed delayed oviposition, and females that delayed oviposition lived longer. Males that produce longer chirps may thus transfer fewer or less potent oviposition stimulants to females in their seminal fluid. Second, there was a positive correlation between male chirp rate and the number of sperm transferred to females. The fertility benefit may thus have resulted from females receiving more sperm from males that produce faster chirps. Finally, there was a negative phenotypic correlation between male chirp rate and chirp duration, suggesting that females may have to trade off the life span and reproduction benefits when selecting a mate.
Improving Face Recognition Technology

US-government-sponsored evaluations and challenge problems have helped spur more than two orders of magnitude improvement in face recognition system performance.
Impact of Culling on Sire Evaluation by Mixed Model Procedures

Abstract Records from the North Carolina State University dairy where each of 130 females produced second records regardless of first lactation yield provided data to compare sire evaluations from three mixed model procedures: single trait evaluations of first and second lactations (Model 1); evaluations of both lactations together including a random component for cow effects (Model 2); and a multitrait procedure where first and second lactation evaluations were calculated simultaneously (Model 3). Relationships among the 45 sires were included in all models. Culling was simulated at intensities of 10, 20, and 30% on deviation of first lactation from population means. Variation in Model 2 evaluations was least affected by increases of culling intensity. Evaluations by second lactation from Model 1 were most affected by culling. The effect of culling on variability of sire evaluations by Model 3 was not large but was dependent on the genetic correlation assumed between first and second lactations. Expected values for correlations between sire evaluations on first and second lactations were derived and tested.
Integrated Pest management in Forage Alfalfa

Alfalfa, Medicago sativa L., is among the most prized of forages, and is grown worldwide as a feed for all classes of livestock. It is one of man's oldest crops, and its cultivation probably predates recorded history. In addition to its versatility as a feed, alfalfa is well known for its ability to improve soil structure and, as a legume, is an effective source of biological nitrogen. As a perennial crop, alfalfa has a lifespan approaching 5 years, but in some areas of the world fields may remain productive for considerably longer. Such a long stand life affords ample time for the establishment and development of a diverse community structure by an abundance of organisms. In spite of system perturbations caused by frequent harvests and occasional pesticide applications, an alfalfa field provides a temporal stability which is uncommon among field crops. As a result of this stability, alfalfa supports an immense diversity of flora and fauna which, at times, exceeds that of riparian ecosystems. While most of alfalfa's inhabitants have little or no impact on it as a crop, a few are capable of causing extensive damage. Arthropods, plant pathogens, weeds, vertebrates, and plant parasitic nematodes can all cause significant yield and/or quality reductions and frequently contribute to shortening the productive life of the stand. This paper reviews the major strategies which have been developed to manage many of these alfalfa pests including: host plant resistance; cultural controls, such as harvest strategies, irrigation management, sanitation, planting schedules, and crop rotation; mechanical and physical controls; chemical control; and biological controls. Multiple pest interactions, e.g. insect-insect; insect-disease; insect-weed, and their management are discussed. Potential conflicts arising from the use of strategies which may reduce one pest but exacerbate others are also examined. A cross index of management strategies and their role in managing multiple pests is provided. Computer models, both ecological and economic, and their role in alfalfa pest management are discussed. Selected information sources on alfalfa and alfalfa IPM available over the Internet are listed. Alfalfa's role in the agricultural landscape, as it relates to pests, natural enemies, and pest management in other cropping systems as well as its role in crop rotation, is considered.
Quantitative immunocytochemistry of DARPP-32-expressing neurons in the rat caudatoputamen.

DARPP-32, a dopamine and cAMP-regulated phosphoprotein with an apparent molecular weight of 32 kD, is enriched in dopaminoceptive brain regions. Chief among these regions is the caudatoputamen which contains a large number of DARPP-32-containing medium sized spiny neurons. Since medium spiny neurons are a heterogeneous population with respect to connections and chemical neuroanatomy, it seemed of interest to determine whether DARPP-32 is present in all medium-sized neurons, or only within a specific subpopulation. The present study used immunocytochemistry and quantitative analysis to address this issue. We demonstrate that DARPP-32 is contained in almost all medium-sized neurons (96.4%) and is not detected in large neurons. Taken together with previous observations that the DARPP-32-containing medium-sized neurons project heavily to all neostriatal targets, these data demonstrate that DARPP-32 is present in virtually all neostriatal output neurons. Thus, the DARPP-32 cascade represents a final common pathway through which convergent afferent fibers using a variety of neurotransmitter agents may modulate striatal outflow.
Fibrin: mediator of in vivo and in vitro injury and inflammation.

We examined the role that fibrin deposition and fibrin-associated factors (FAF) play in acute anterior segment inflammatory responses in the rabbit eye. It was demonstrated by immunofluorescence that fibrin represented a major component of the exudative meshwork deposited within the anterior chamber and on leukocyte surfaces therein. Using our in vivo model of endocu lar inflamnation we next demonstrated that fibrin and fibrinogen-derived paptides, but not thrombin, induced inflammatory responses characterized by both leukocyte influx and endothelial cell injury. Fibrin formation within the anterior chamber induced a leukocyte influx consisting primarily of PMN's. Fibrinogen-derived peptidas induced primarily a monocyte influx. This dichotomy suggests that multiple inflammatory mediators are elaborated or released during endocular fibrinogenesis and fibrinolysis.To investigate direct effects of fibrin deposition on the corneal endothelial cells (CEC) an in vitro “corneal cup” organ culture model was next ...
The take-up of cash assistance among private kinship care families

Abstract Many children in private kinship care arrangements live in families that endure financial hardships. Even though these families are eligible for TANF child-only grants, only one in five receives cash assistance. The purpose of this study is to better understand the take-up of cash assistance for this group. Using national level data, we explore the relationships among child and caregiver characteristics and the receipt of cash assistance. We provide evidence that disadvantaged families are more likely to receive cash assistance than less disadvantaged families. For example, older caregivers and those with less education have higher take-up rates than their counterparts. Similarly, being poor and having received welfare in the past increase the likelihood that assistance is received. Nonetheless, it is important to note that take-up rates are low compared to other social programs. Our results suggest some possible reasons for this. For instance, our findings point to the possibility that many private kinship care families do not take-up cash assistance because they do not know that they are eligible for it through the TANF program. This suggests that outreach may improve participation. It also raises the issue of whether the receipt of cash assistance could be improved if benefits were provided through a program other than TANF.
Recognition of Facies, Bounding Surfaces, and Stratigraphic Patterns in Foreland-Ramp Successions: An Example from the Upper Devonian, Appalachian Basin, U.S.A.

ABSTRACT A detailed stratigraphic study of the Upper Devonian Lock Haven Formation in the Appalachian basin provides new interpretations applicable to understanding sedimentation and stratigraphic architecture in the foreland-ramp setting. The common occurrence of graded beds, hummocky cross stratification, and shell lags indicates that storm processes played an important role in deposition. Gradational-based, coarsening-upward shoreface sequences of interbedded sandstone and mudstone formed during gradual fall in relative sea level. In contrast, sharp-based regressive sequences consist of laminated sandstone facies overlying a submarine erosion surface that developed in response to more rapid fall in relative sea level. Transgressive sequences become finer grained upward from conglomerate lag, which was deposited on a basal transgressive surface, to heterolithic facies and mudstone facies. A combination of eustasy and tectonic subsidence of the foreland ramp produced changes of relative sea level. These fluctuations provided a means for transporting sand onto the ramp and for producing repetition of stratigraphic patterns in the Lock Haven Formation. The Upper Devonian clastic succession, which includes both the Lock Haven Formation and the Catskill Formation, represents northwestward progradation of shoreline to nonmarine environments as sediment supply to the foreland ramp exceeded the rate of formation of accommodation. Compared to passive-margin shelves, thick fine-grained successions such as the Lock Haven Formation are more likely to form in foreland basins, where tectonic subsidence provides a mechanism for creating accommodation. Sediment influx from uplifted areas and absence of a slope break on the foreland ramp results in a higher rate of fine-grained clastic sedimentation than occurs on shelves of passive margins.
Is Radiologic Assessment of Alveolar Crest Height Useful to Monitor Periodontal Disease Activity

The mainstay of periodontal assessment is clinical probing. Radiographic assessment provides quantitative information on the status of tooth-supporting bone. This article reviews methods to assess periodontal structures, including basic radiograph acquisition, assessment of alveolar crest levels, and typical patterns of bone loss. Computer technology to objectively assess loss of alveolar crest from radiographs is reviewed. Developments in computer-assisted quantitation of alveolar crest height are described. Although probing measurements continue to be viewed as more practical than radiographic measurements, radiographic assessment can be made quantitative and is likely easier and more precise than probing for routine assessment of periodontal disease activity.
How Prosorba Apheresis Came to Be Used for Rheumatoid Arthritis: A Personal Historical Perspective

: The Prosorba column is an effective treatment for refractory rheumatoid arthritis. In this article, I review how membrane methodologies evolved with regard to the management of the disorder through a focused review of rarely cited key references and personal experience.
Music Rehearsal Increases the Perceptual Span for Notation

DESPITE EVIDENCE FOR IMPROVED VISUAL PROCESSING of the printed score among skilled musicians, the effect of music rehearsal on the effective visual field ("perceptual span") for a musical score has never been directly examined. Following 1––20 rehearsals, 11 skilled and 10 less skilled adult musicians reported whether a variant note appeared within a melodic sequence of 3––18 notes, presented onscreen for 200 ms in a tachistoscopic task designed to evaluate the perceptual span. Initially, skilled musicians showed a slightly larger perceptual span for challenging passages (5 notes vs. 4 notes for less skilled musicians). Perceptual spans increased incrementally in both groups, but skill differences in span size disappeared by 20 rehearsals (span of 11 notes). A correlation between improvements in visual perceptual span and performance speed suggests that perceptual learning could underlie early improvements in performance during music rehearsals.
Beclomethasone Dipropionate Aerosol in the Treatment of Steroid-Dependent Asthma: A 12-Week Double-Blind Study Comparing Beclomethasone Dipropionate and a Vehicle Aerosol

In a randomized double-blind 12-week trial of steroid-dependent patients with chronic asthma, ten (59 percent) out of 17 patients receiving beclomethasone dipropionate aerosol in a total daily dose of 400µg were able to discontinue systemic corticosteroid therapy successfully, compared to two (13 percent) out of 15 patients in the placebo group (P = 0.002). At the end of the trial, the average 8 AM plasma cortisol level in the group receiving beclomethasone was more than twice the pretherapy value, whereas the level in the placebo group showed no significant change. There was no significant difference between the beclomethasone group and the placebo group in the overall incidence of side effects related to the aerosol and the effects of systemic corticosteroid withdrawal. Oral candidiasis was not found in any patient receiving beclomethasone dipropionate aerosol. Allergic nasal symptoms were disabling in many patients when the oral dosage of corticosteroids was tapered.
Severe Tuberculosis Induces Unbalanced Up-Regulation of Gene Networks and Overexpression of IL-22, MIP-1α, CCL27, IP-10, CCR4, CCR5, CXCR3, PD1, PDL2, IL-3, IFN-β, TIM1, and TLR2 but Low Antigen-Specific Cellular Responses

The immune mechanisms by which early host-mycobacterium interaction leads to the development of severe tuberculosis (TB) remain poorly characterized in humans. Here, we demonstrate that severe TB in juvenile rhesus monkeys down-regulated many genes in the blood but up-regulated selected genes constituting gene networks of Th17 and Th1 responses, T cell activation and migration, and inflammation and chemoattractants in the pulmonary and lymphoid compartments. Overexpression (450-2740-fold) of 13 genes encoding inflammatory cytokines and receptors (IL-22, CCL27, MIP-1alpha, IP-10, CCR4, CCR5, and CXCR3), immune dysfunctional receptors and ligands (PD1 and PDL2), and immune activation elements (IL-3, IFN-beta, TIM1, and TLR2) was seen in tissues, with low antigen-specific cellular responses. Thus, severe TB in macaques features unbalanced up-regulation of immune-gene networks without proportional increases in antigen-specific cellular responses.
Intracellular Assembly of Cyanophage Syn5 Proceeds through a Scaffold-Containing Procapsid

Syn5 is a marine cyanophage that is propagated on the marine photosynthetic cyanobacterial strain Synechococcus sp. WH8109 under laboratory conditions. Cryoelectron images of this double-stranded DNA (dsDNA) phage reveal an icosahedral capsid with short tail appendages and a single novel hornlike structure at the vertex opposite the tail. Despite the major impact of cyanophages on life in the oceans, there is limited information on cyanophage intracellular assembly processes within their photosynthetic hosts. The one-step growth curve of Syn5 demonstrated a short cycle with an eclipse period of ∼45 min, a latent phase of ∼60 min, and a burst size of 20 to 30 particles per cell at 28°C. SDS-PAGE and Western blot analysis of cell lysates at different times after infection showed the synthesis of major virion proteins and their increase as the infection progressed. The scaffolding protein of Syn5, absent from virions, was identified in the lysates and expressed from the cloned gene. It migrated anomalously on SDS-PAGE, similar to the phage T7 scaffolding protein. Particles lacking DNA but containing the coat and scaffolding proteins were purified from Syn5-infected cells using CsCl centrifugation followed by sucrose gradient centrifugation. Electron microscopic images of the purified particles showed shells lacking condensed DNA but filled with protein density, presumably scaffolding protein. These findings suggest that the cyanophages form infectious virions through the initial assembly of scaffolding-containing procapsids, similar to the assembly pathways for the enteric dsDNA bacteriophages. Since cyanobacteria predate the enteric bacteria, this procapsid-mediated assembly pathway may have originated with the cyanophages.
The antibiotic treatment of gunshot wounds

The antibiotic treatment of gunshot wounds continues to evolve. As gunshot wounds become more prevalent, cost-effective treatment protocols gain greater importance. The basic principles in the management of gunshot wounds include treatment of the soft tissue wound, fracture stabilization, and antibiotic administration. Although the use of antibiotics is only one aspect of the prevention of infection, the appropriate administration remains one of the most controversial aspects of gunshot wound treatment. While the high velocity injury continues to require more aggressive treatment, the management of the low velocity wounds has become more conservative. The purpose of this article is to review the use of antibiotics in the care of gunshot injuries.
Wind-tunnel measurements of transition on the face of a blunt entry capsule at angle of attack.

Boundary layer transition point on forward portion of blunt Apollo type entry capsule model measured in high Reynolds number wind tunnel
Dynamics of computational ecosystems: implications for DAI

Recently, Huberman and Hogg analyzed the dynamics of resource allocation in a model of computational ecosystems that incorporated many of the features endemic to most proposed DAI systems, including distributed control, asynchrony, resource contention, extensive communication among agents, and the concomitant problems of incomplete knowledge and delayed information. In this paper, we present computer simulations that verify quantitatively their theoretical predictions of complicated modes of behavior (such as persistent oscillations and chaos) for certain ranges of parameters. The simulations have also led to the discovery of new phenomena, including extremely long-lived metastable states and chaos induced by overly-clever local decision-making algorithms.
Training Intraverbal Naming to Establish Matching-to-Sample Performances.

The current study evaluated whether training intraverbal naming would be sufficient to establish visual-visual matching-to-sample (MTS) performances in college students. In the first experiment, we used a multiple-probe design across stimulus sets to assess whether six participants could match arbitrary visual stimuli (AB) after learning to tact their two experimentally defined classes (A’ and B’) and then intraverbally relate their names (i.e., “A’ goes with B’”). All participants matched the stimuli accurately after training, as well as emitted the trained intraverbals. In the second experiment, we used a multiple baseline design across four participants to assess whether the same training would produce bi-directional intraverbals in the form of “B’ goes with A’,” and MTS performance consistent with symmetry (BA). All participants responded accurately during matching and intraverbal tests. Across both experiments, participants stated the trained intraverbals while performing the matching task. Results showed that MTS performance can be established solely by verbal behavior training.
Resting state of the human proton channel dimer in a lipid bilayer

The voltage-gated proton channel Hv1 plays a critical role in the fast proton translocation that underlies a wide range of physiological functions, including the phagocytic respiratory burst, sperm motility, apoptosis, and metastatic cancer. Both voltage activation and proton conduction are carried out by a voltage-sensing domain (VSD) with strong similarity to canonical VSDs in voltage-dependent cation channels and enzymes. We set out to determine the structural properties of membrane-reconstituted human proton channel (hHv1) in its resting conformation using electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy together with biochemical and computational methods. We evaluated existing structural templates and generated a spectroscopically constrained model of the hHv1 dimer based on the Ci-VSD structure at resting state. Mapped accessibility data revealed deep water penetration through hHv1, suggesting a highly focused electric field, comprising two turns of helix along the fourth transmembrane segment. This region likely contains the H(+) selectivity filter and the conduction pore. Our 3D model offers plausible explanations for existing electrophysiological and biochemical data, offering an explicit mechanism for voltage activation based on a one-click sliding helix conformational rearrangement.
How social entrepreneurs facilitate the adoption of new industry practices

This paper explores how social entrepreneurs use rhetoric to facilitate the pervasive adoption of new, socially focused, industry practices. Our conceptualization proposes that the nature of social entrepreneurs’ rhetoric hinges on perceptions of their relationships to the industry members they seek to influence. We develop a framework that explains the effects of two cognitive structures – identity and power – on social entrepreneurs’ perceptions of industry members and, in turn, the social entrepreneurs’ rhetorical strategies for persuading the industry members to adopt new practices. Our framework specifies mechanisms through which social entrepreneurs facilitate systemic social change and, in doing so, informs theory at the intersection of social entrepreneurship, sustainable social change, and rhetoric.
The economics of state emergence and collapse

Rational choice work on state emergence and collapse has significant unrealized potential. This essay discusses how scholars using a law and economics approach might make useful theoretical contributions to various topics regarding the dynamics of sovereign statehood in public international law. It begins by introducing the rational choice framework and our approach to the topic. It proceeds to examine the possibilities for future research, probing state emergence and recognition and the revocation of legal personality from failed states. The topic areas include an illustrative game based upon an empirical case and recommendations about how law and economics might contribute. A rational choice approach helps to clarify the stakes surrounding fundamental decisions regarding membership in the international community. Some communal norms seem to conform to international law while others depart from it. The chapter closes by noting the potential, but usually surmountable, obstacles to employing rational choice to matters of fundamental system dynamics.
Tubular reabsorption of protein in experimentally produced proteinuria in rats.

SummaryAn attempt was made by labeling plasma proteins with the blue dye T-1824 to estimate the amount of protein filtered and reabsorbed by the kidney under several conditions. A single intravenous injection of 2.5 mg of T-1824 into normal rats did not cause the urine to be blue and the kidneys examined 24 hours after the injection exhibited only faint blue staining of the proximal convoluted tubules of the cortex. When proteinuria was produced by a single small injection of uranyl acetate, the injection of T-1824 was followed by blue staining of the urine. However, the cortices of the kidneys contained less blue dye than those of control animals, indicating, presumably, that there was less protein reabsorption than normal by the damaged tubular cells. Injection of the blue dye into nephrotic rats with proteinuria due to administration of nephrotoxic anti-rat kidney serum was followed by blue staining of the urine and intense blue staining of the cortices of the kidneys. This presumably indicated that pr...
Shell Characteristics and Their Relationship to the Breaking Strength

Abstract THE EGG DIMENSIONS PEARL and Surface (1910) made a rather exhaustive study of the relationships among some shell characteristics. The usefulness of their data has been evidenced by the great frequency with which one sees them quoted in poultry literature both here and abroad. Others have contributed in an incidental way to this subject. The author had opportunity to obtain a great deal of data on some of the shell characteristics of hens’ eggs. Two large egg shows * provided a large number and variety of eggs. As many as possible were measured. The shell factors which were chosen for measurement are listed: 1. Egg weight 2. Air cell size 3. Egg width 4. Egg length 5. Length from acute pole to maximum width 6. Egg width one centimeter from acute pole 7. Breaking strength Complete data on 1066 eggs were obtained. The handling of such a large amount of these . . .