cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
SU‐GG‐I‐52: Conversion of On‐Board Digital TomoSynthesis (DTS) to HU Values

Purpose: To investigate a method to convert the pixel values of DTS images to HU values with reference HU values from CTimages.Method and Materials: This study included CT and DTS images of two phantoms (Catphan and a chest phantom) and three patients (prostate, head‐and‐neck, and lung). Cone‐beam radiograph projections were acquired to reconstruct the limited angle DTS images, which were expressed in arbitral pixel values after a Feldkamp‐type technique. Regions of interest (ROIs) in the CTimages were selected for low‐ and high‐density areas, and HU values were measured in the ROIs. DTS pixel values were measured for the corresponding ROIs in the DTS images. A linear regression was performed using the DTS pixel values (D) as the dependent variable in terms of the HU (H) for each phantom and patient independently. The linear regression was applied to the DTS images in order to convert the DTS pixel values into HU values. DTS images expressed in HU values were compared to CTimages.Results: The method proposed in this study is simple and feasible to convert DTS images in HU values. However, the DTS image slices certainly contain different image contents than corresponding CTimage slices. The out‐of‐plane objects smear into the plane of interested in DTS images and affect HU values of in‐plane objects. Thus, HU values do not represent correct tissue materials due to underlying/overlaying tissues.Conclusion: This method could be used to convert DTS images in HU values and useful to understand DTS images for positioning purpose. However, DTS images in HU values should not be used for planning purposes due to smearing effect of underlying/overlaying objects. Research partially sponsored by grants from NIH and Varian Medical Systems.
BCR/ABL fusion located on chromosome 9 in chronic myeloid leukemia with a masked Ph chromosome.

A reciprocal translocation, t(10; 22) (q22; q11), resulting in a masked Ph chromosome was identified in a patient diagnosed with chronic myeloid leukemia (CML). Both homologs of chromosome 9 were of the normal pattern. Two signals for the ABL probe, both of them hybridized to chromosome 9, were demonstrated via fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH). Furthermore, cohybridization with two differently labeled BCR/ABL translocation DNA probes indicated a BCR/ABL fusion apparently located on 9q34. Molecular studies revealed a rearrangement of the BCR region and expression of a chimeric BCR/ABL mRNA of CML configuration. These findings indicate that the BCR/ABL fusion resulted from an unusual relocation of the BCR gene from its normal position on 22ql I to 9q34 adjacent to the ABL gene.
Planning and control of Internet-based teleoperation

The real challenge in development of the Internet-based robotic system is to develop a new planning and control method which is capable of coupling with the random communication time delay and independent of a human operator. The technical difficulties include that there does not exist a realistic mathematical model for the Internet time-delay which can be used to design a controller; the probabilistic type of analysis based on a stochastic model is usually not acceptable for some applications such as telemedicine. It is even more difficult to study the common nature of the role of human operators beyond the individual mechanical character. This paper explores a new method for planning and control of Internet-based telerobotic system. The significance of the method is that it can effectively deal with the random time-delay existing in the Internet. In addition, the system stability and dynamic performance is independent of human operator. First, a novel non-time referenced action control scheme will be introduced. Instead of using time as an action reference, a new sensor-based action reference will be developed. As a result, the communication delay will have little impact on the operations, in particular the stability of the system. Furthermore the stability of the system is not dependent on the model of the human operator in the system. All these will lead to the development of the theoretical foundation on the stability of Internet-based telerobotic systems. The implementations and experimental outcomes presented herein will verify the theoretical results.
Special Issue on India Macromarketing Perspectives

This special issue focuses on India as an emergent and major global economy. The various articles selected for this issue provide an interesting set of perspectives that are facing the nation with the world’s second largest population. For macromarketing scholars, the issues addressed in this special issue are retail marketing developments; cultural issues concerning the most visible export of India, the “Bollywood” films; consumption choices in this growing economy; the rise of the middle class amid conditions of poverty; the gradual displacement of family businesses; and, finally, the branding of India for international travelers and cultural aficionados. Collectively, these articles make a significant contribution to the macromarketing literature. From a marketing standpoint, the story of resurgent India and the beginnings of a modern consumer economy begins in the early 1990s. That is, in spite of many challenges and some failed experiments, India is moving forward rather rapidly, and there are many c...
Synthesis and Characterization of Monodisperse Nanocrystalline HZSM-5 Zeolite

A monodisperse nanocrystalline HZSM-5 zeolite was prepared by varying-temperature synthesis method with aluminum nitrate (Al (NO3)3), tetraethyl orthosilicate (TEOS), and tetrapropyl ammonium hydroxide (TPAOH) as raw materials. X-ray diffraction (XRD) characterization results showed that the crystallinity of HZSM-5 prepared by varying-temperature synthesis method was higher than constant-temperature synthesis . The influence of crystallization temperature and time on morphology and particle size of HZSM-5 is represented by scanning electronic microscopy (SEM) characterization: nanocrystalline HZSM-5 with more regular morphology and smaller particle size can be prepared by varying-temperature synthesis method. The minimum average particle size is 0.3μm. The particle size will grow up to 3.0μm with the crystallization time prolonged.
Fulkerson's conjecture and circuits covers

It was conjectured by Fulkerson that the edge-set of any bridgeless graph can be covered by six cycles (union of circuits) such that each edge is in exactly four cycles. We prove that if Fulkerson′s conjecture is true, then the edge-set of every bridgeless graph G can be covered by three cycles whose total length is at most 2215|E(G)|. We also prove that there are infinitely many bridgeless graphs G whose edge-set cannot be covered by three cycles of total length less than 2215|E(G)|.
Development and operation of laser machined microwell detectors

Abstract Arrays of 100 μm diameter cylindrical wells were laser micromachined on a 200 micrometer Cartesian grid, producing MicroWell Detectors (MWD). The substrate was 125 μm thick polyimide foil, more than twice as thick as a typical GEM or WELL detector. An advantage of the laser micromachining process is that the wells are produced with nearly vertical sidewalls, in contrast to the sloping sidewalls characteristic of conventional chemical etching processes. With the steeper sidewall, active elements may be more closely packed than is possible with wet etching techniques. Thicker substrates can be patterned, increasing the length of the charge multiplication region and reducing the internal capacitance per unit element. A series of prototypes have been produced and tested in a counting gas composed of 85% argon and 15% carbon dioxide, with a maximum measured gas gain of approximately 12 000.
Ultrastructure of the reproductive system of the black swamp snake (Seminatrix pygaea): Part I. Evidence for oviducal sperm storage.

Oviducal sperm storage in the viviparous (lecithotrophic) colu- brid snake Seminatrix pygaea was studied by light and electron microscopy. Out of 17 adult snakes examined from May-October, sperm were found in the oviducts of only two specimens. In a preovulatory female sacrificed 14 May, sperm were found in the oviducal lumen and sperm storage tubules (SSTs) of the posterior infundibulum. In a nonvitellogenic female sacrificed 9 June, sperm were found in the lumen and glands of the posterior uterus and anterior vagina, indicating a recent mating. The glands in the posterior infundibulum and vagina were simple or compound tubular, whereas glands in the uterus always were simple tubular. The epithelium of the sperm storage glands was not modified from that lining the rest of the oviduct. The cuboidal or columnar epithelium consisted of alternating ciliated and secre- tory areas. The secretory product released into the lumen by a merocrine process contained mucoprotein. Lipid droplets also were numerous in the epithelium. Portions of sperm sometimes were embedded in the apical cyto- plasm or in secretory material. A carrier matrix containing a mucoid sub- stance, desquamated epithelium, lipids, membranous structures, and possi- bly phagocytes was found around sperm in the posterior uterus. J. Morphol. Sperm storage tubules (SSTs) probably occur in the oviducts of all female snakes (Fox and Dessauer, '62; Devine, '84), and sperm storage in the female oviduct also has been reported in the other extant reptile groups, except Rhynocephalia (for reviews see Howarth, '74; Saint-Girons, '75, '82; Fox, '77; Devine, '84; Gist and Jones, '87; Birk- head and Moller, '93; Blackburn, '98). The reptilian oviduct basically consists of an an- terior infundibulum, into which eggs are ovulated from the ovary; a middle uterus where eggs are held until oviposition or em- bryos develop until parturition; and a poste- rior vagina that opens into the cloaca (Gist and Jones, '87; Blackburn, '98). In addition, turtles and crocodilians have a ''tubal'' re- gion between the infundibulum and uterus where albumen-secreting glands, absent in snakes and lizards, are found. The site of sperm storage in the oviduct of crocodilians is unknown (Davenport, '95), but in turtles SSTs occur in the tubal region (Gist and Jones, '87). In lizards and snakes, SSTs oc- cur at the junction of the infundibulum and uterus, and sperm also may be stored in furrows or glands in the vaginal mucosa (Fox, '56; Cuellar, '66; Halpert et al., '82). Detailed anatomical studies on the histol- ogy and cytology of the sperm storage re- gions of the oviduct in reptiles are few. In snakes, studies at the light microscopy level exist (chronologically) for Thamnophis sirta- lis (Rahn, '40; Fox, '56; Hoffman and Wim- satt, '72; Halpert et al., '82), Crotalus viridis
Clinical evaluation of postoperative sinonasal surgical patients.

Rhinosinusitis is a very common upper respiratory illness. Functional endoscopic sinus surgery has been successfully utilized in the surgical treatment of medically refractory rhinosinusitis. The endoscopic approach has also been extended to various skull base lesion and sinonasal neoplasms. This paper provides a brief overview of the clinical aspect of evaluating sinonasal surgical patients. Judicious use of nasal endoscopy and importance of CT imaging of the sinuses are discussed. Emphasis is placed on establishing communication between the sinus surgeon and radiologist to facilitate evaluation of the sinonasal surgical patients. Timing and specific types of imaging studies before any revision sinus surgery are discussed. Major complications associated with endoscopic sinus surgery are reviewed.
Experimental nickel dermatitis

Abstract Experimental nickel dermatitis can be produced constantly in guinea pigs. The experiments indicate that this is an irritative phenomenon rather than one of specific hypersensitiveness. A certain degree of local skin resistance can be developed. The various factors which influence this reaction have been described.
A comparative study of Brans-Dicke and general relativistic cosmologies in terms of observationally measurable quantities

A comparison between general relativistic and Brans-Dicke cosmologies is made in terms of quantities measurable by an observational astronomer. Numerical integration of the Brans-Dicke field equations was employed to find the relationships of the mean density of cosmic matter, the age, and the time derivative of the gravitational constant to the Hubble constant and deceleration parameter. The difference between general relativistic and Brans-Dicke apparent magnitude-redshift diagrams was found to be negligible even at large redshifts under the assumption of no galactic evolution in absolute magnitude.
Political Participation and Feminist Consciousness Among Women Activists of the 1960s

This paper examined the hypothesis that women who took part in student movements of the 1960s would be distinguishable from their contemporaries in terms of political ideology, political behavior, and feminism in middle age. Women who had been identified as student activists in public records during the late 1960s and early 1970s were compared to a sample of nonactivist peers. Although the two groups scored similarly on variables related to work and family arrangements, former activists scored higher on measures of leftist political orientation and political efficacy, reported greater political salience and collectivism, and reported greater current political participation. Although both groups reported high levels offeminist consciousness and identity, activists scored significantly higher. The difficulty of politically mobilizing women to combat gender discrimination is discussed in light of the discrepancy between consciousness and activism in the comparison group.
Job-Related Threats to Control Among Older Employees

This study investigated those aspects of the work experience of middle-aged and preretirement-aged adults in which personal control is most likely to be threatened, and it identified related problems in performance, job satisfaction, and adjustment. Four dimensions of work experience emerged as sources of threat to personal control: Workload Demands, Limited Growth Opportunity, Personal/Family Crises, and Working Conditions. Diminished control in these areas was associated with increased job stress, generalized stress, depression, injuries on the job, and absenteeism, as well as with decreased job involvement, lower job satisfaction, and disrupted performance. In contrast to popular stereotypes, older workers actually exhibited fewer control concerns and less job stress, and greater job involvement and job satisfaction. Work-specific control problems were related to generalized control beliefs only among the younger age group.
Carbamazepine and behavior therapy for aggressive behavior. Treatment of a mentally retarded, postencephalitic adolescent with seizure disorder.

Seizure disorders and concomitant prodromal or postictal behaviors are usually treated with anticonvulsant medication. This article studies the effects of sodium valproate and carbamazepine given alone and in combination with systematic interruption of aggression that accompanied seizures and with reinforcement for not exhibiting these behaviors. The patient, a 13-year-old mentally retarded female adolescent, showed considerably more improvement with the combined carbamazepine and behavior therapy regimen when it was compared to other treatments. Effects generalized outside the hospital setting.
Providing end-to-end statistical performance guarantees with bounding interval dependent stochastic models

This paper demonstrates a new, efficient, and general approach for providing end-to-end performance guarantees in integrated services networks. This is achieved by modeling a traffic source with a family of bounding interval-dependent (BIND) random variables and by using a rate-controlled service discipline inside the network. The traffic model stochastically bounds the number of bits sent over time intervals of different length. The model captures different source behavior over different time scales by making the bounding distribution an explicit function of the interval length. The service discipline, RCSP, has the priority queueing mechanisms necessary to provide performance guarantees in integrated services networks. In addition, RCSP provides the means for efficiently extending the results from a single switch to a network of arbitrary topology. These techniques are derived analytically and then demonstrated with numerical examples.
A simple method of determination of the distribution and solubility limit of interstitials in substitutional solid solutions

Abstract A simple method for the calculation of the solubility limit of certain interstitial species in solid solutions from a single lattice parameter measurement is described. The calculation is based on thermodynamic considerations, and the result allows qualitative conclusions to be made about the randomness of the solute distribution. The method is used to calculate oxygen solubility limits in Nb-Zr and Nb-Hf alloys and to explain previously reported, but apparently quite different, solubility limits in the two chemically similar alloys.
Photoanthropometric study of craniofacial traits in individuals with Prader-Willi syndrome on short-term growth hormone therapy

An objective photoanthropometric method, useful for delineating craniofacial characteristics, was performed on 20 individuals with Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS; 14 males and 6 females) under 12 years of age and on growth hormone therapy (e.g. for 3-12 months) to determine the effects of therapy on craniofacial features in PWS. Facial parameters were measured from strict frontal and profile photographic 35 mm slides and compared with other facial measurements from the same face (e.g. palpebral fissure width to bizygomatic diameter). We studied 16 photoanthropometric craniofacial indices following previously established protocols. Our photoanthropometric data on 20 PWS subjects meeting diagnostic criteria further supported previous findings of a high midface, a broad interalar distance, a prominent high chin and broad ears in PWS patients without growth hormone therapy. In addition, while on growth hormone therapy, the high midface, broad interalar distance and prominent high chin appeared to accentuate over time in relationship to untreated PWS patients. Conversely, broad appearing ears were not accentuated by growth hormone therapy in the PWS subjects analyzed in this study.
Acquisition and organization of international documents in the university of Iowa libraries

Abstract Even depository libraries do not receive all international documents. Those not included in depository systems are difficult to identify and acquire. A classification scheme for international documents is described which builds upon the Swank scheme for state documents. Methods of maintaining bibliographic control without formal cataloging are discussed.
Role of GABAA/benzodiazepine receptors containing alpha 1 and alpha 5 subunits in the discriminative stimulus effects of triazolam in squirrel monkeys.

Rationale: Conventional benzodiazepines (BZs), clinically used for treatment of anxiety and insomnia, bind to GABAA receptors containing α1, α2, α3, or α5 subunits. The role of these different GABAA receptor subtypes in mediating the subjective effects of BZs remains largely unknown. Objective: The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the role of GABAA receptors containing the α1 or α5 subunits in the discriminative stimulus (DS) effects of the conventional BZ agonist triazolam. Methods: Squirrel monkeys were trained to discriminate triazolam (0.03 mg/kg, i.v.) from vehicle under a fixed-ratio 10 schedule of food reinforcement. Results: The GABAA/α1-preferring agonists zolpidem and zaleplon engendered responses predominantly on the triazolam lever (73–80% drug-lever responding), and the GABAA/α1 partial agonist CL 218,872 engendered an average maximum of less than 50% triazolam-lever responding. The GABAA/α1-preferring antagonists β-carboline-3-carboxylate-t-butyl ester (βCCT) and 3-(propyloxy)-β-carboline (3-PBC) blocked the DS effects of triazolam and zolpidem in a surmountable manner. Schild analyses for βCCT and 3-PBC in combination with triazolam and zolpidem suggest that the interactions between these compounds were competitive in nature and mediated by a common population of receptors, presumably GABAA/α1 receptors. In contrast, the GABAA/α5-preferring agonist QH-ii-66 did not engender triazolam-lever responding regardless of dose and did not alter the DS effects of triazolam when administered in combination. Conclusions: The results are consistent with GABAA/α1 receptor involvement in mediating the DS effects of triazolam. In contrast, binding to GABAA/α5 receptors may not play a critical role in mediating triazolam's DS effects.
Ethylchline aziridinium ion depletes acetylcholine and causes muscarinic receptor supersensitivity in rat retina

Three weeks after a single intravitreal injection of ethylcholine aziridinium ion (AF64A), there was a significant depletion of retinal acetylcholine (ACh) content. The depletion was accompanied by an increase of [3H]quinuclidinyl benzilate binding sites and a greater than control conversion of myo-[3H]inositol to inositol monophosphate following incubation with ACh. These changes are consistent with receptor supersensitivity due to AF64A-induced denervation.
The vertex separation number of a graph equals its path-width

Abstract We show that the problems of finding a graph's vertex separation number and path-width are the same. The equivalence of these problems with the gate matrix layout and the node search number problems then follows immediately from the results of Fellows and Langston and Kirousis and Papadimitriou, respectively. The fixed parameter variants of problems are known to possess O( n 2 ) decision algorithms based on finite but unknown obstruction sets. We show how all tree obstructions in these sets may be constructively obtained.
Dysregulation of the BMP-p38 MAPK signaling pathway in cells from patients with fibrodysplasia ossificans progressiva (FOP)

FOP is a disabling disorder in which skeletal muscle is progressively replaced with bone. Lymphocytes, our model system for examining BMP signaling, cannot signal through the canonical Smad pathway unless exogenous Smad1 is supplied, providing a unique cell type in which the BMP–p38 MAPK pathway can be examined. FOP lymphocytes exhibit defects in the BMP–p38 MAPK pathway, suggesting that altered BMP signaling underlies ectopic bone formation in this disease. Introduction: Fibrodysplasia ossificans progressiva (FOP) is a rare genetic disorder characterized by progressive heterotopic ossification of connective tissues. Whereas the primary genetic defect in this condition is unknown, BMP4 mRNA and protein and BMP receptor type IA (BMPRIA) protein are overexpressed in cultured lymphocytes from FOP patients, supporting that altered BMP signaling is involved in this disease. In this study, we examined downstream signaling targets to study the BMP–Smad and BMP–p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathways in FOP. Materials and Methods: Protein phosphorylation was assayed by immunoblots, and p38 MAPK activity was measured by kinase assays. To examine BMP target genes, the mRNA expression of ID1, ID3, and MSX2 was determined by quantitative real-time PCR. Statistical analysis was performed using Student's t-test or ANOVA. Results: FOP lymphocytes exhibited increased levels of p38 phosphorylation and p38 MAPK activity in response to BMP4 stimulation. Furthermore, in response to BMP4, FOP cells overexpressed the downstream signaling targets ID1 by 5-fold and ID3 by 3-fold compared with controls. ID1 and ID3 mRNA induction was specifically blocked with a p38 MAPK inhibitor, but not extracellular signal-related kinase (ERK) or c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) inhibitors. MSX2, a known Smad pathway target gene, is not upregulated in control or FOP cells in response to BMP, suggesting that lymphocytes do not use this limb of the BMP pathway. However, introduction of Smad1 into lymphocytes made the cells competent to regulate MSX2 mRNA after BMP4 treatment. Conclusions: Lymphocytes are a cell system that signals primarily through the BMP–p38 MAPK pathway rather than the BMP–Smad pathway in response to BMP4. The p38 MAPK pathway is dysregulated in FOP lymphocytes, which may play a role in the pathogenesis of FOP.
Comparative Effects of Candesartan Cilexetil and Amlodipine in Patients With Mild Systemic Hypertension

The comparative antihypertensive efficacy and tolerability of the angiotensin II receptor blocker candesartan cilexetil and the calcium channel blocker amlodipine were evaluated in an 8-week, multicenter, double-blind, randomized, parallel-group, forced-titration study in 251 adult patients (45% women, 16% black) with mild hypertension (stage 1). Following a 4- to 5-week placebo run-in period, patients with sitting diastolic blood pressure (BP) of 90 to 99 mm Hg received candesartan cilexetil 16 mg (n = 123) or amlodipine 5 mg (n = 128) once daily. After 4 weeks of double-blind treatment, patients were uptitrated to candesartan cilexetil 32 mg or amlodipine 10 mg once daily. There were no significant differences between the candesartan cilexetil and amlodipine regimens for reducing BP; mean systolic BP/diastolic BP reductions were -15.2/-10.2 mm Hg versus -15.4/-11.3 mm Hg, respectively (p = 0.88/0.25). Overall, 79% of patients on candesartan cilexetil and 87% of those on amlodipine were controlled (diastolic BP <90 mm Hg). A total of 3.3% of patients on candesartan cilexetil discontinued treatment, compared with 9.4% of patients on amlodipine, including 2.4% versus 4.7% for adverse events and 0% versus 1.6% for peripheral edema, respectively. Peripheral edema, the prespecified primary tolerability end point, occurred with significantly greater frequency in patients on amlodipine (22.1%; mild 8.7%, moderate 11.8%, severe 1.6%) versus patients on candesartan cilexetil (8.9%; mild 8.1%, moderate 0.8%) (p = 0.005). Candesartan cilexetil and amlodipine are both highly effective in controlling BP in patients with mild hypertension. Candesartan cilexetil offers a significant tolerability advantage with respect to less risk of developing peripheral edema.
Linear state representations for identification of bilinear discrete-time models by interaction matrices

Bilinear systems can be viewed as a bridge between linear and nonlinear systems, providing a promising approach to handle various nonlinear identification and control problems. This paper provides a formal justification for the extension of interaction matrices to bilinear systems and uses them to express the bilinear state as a linear function of input–output data. Multiple representations of this kind are derived, making it possible to develop an intersection subspace algorithm for the identification of discrete-time bilinear models. The technique first recovers the bilinear state by intersecting two vector spaces that are defined solely in terms of input–output data. The new input–output-to-state relationships are also used to extend the equivalent linear model method for bilinear system identification. Among the benefits of the proposed approach, it does not require data from multiple experiments, and it does not impose specific restrictions on the form of input excitation.
The toxicity of malathion and its hydrolysis products to the Eastern Mudminnow,Umbra pygmaea (DeKay)

The toxicity of malathion and its major hydrolysis products to the eastern mudminnow,Umbra pygmaea, was determined by utilizing 4-day static toxicity tests and 14-day continuous flow tests. Four-day LC50 values in mg/l were as follows: malathion 0.24; dimethylphosphorodithioic acid 17; diethyl fumarate 8.5; 2-mercaptodiethylsuccinate 47 and dimethylphosphorothionic acid 26. The basic hydrolysis products proved to be more toxic than the acid hydrolysis products and 14-day continuous flow tests were conducted only on malathion and the basic hydrolysis products. Calculations of field application rates for the pesticide reviewed in light of the toxicity results suggest that only the parent compound, malathion, poses an environmental hazard to the mudminnow.
Characterization of serine palmitoyltransferase activity in Chinese hamster ovary cells

Abstract Serine palmitoyltansferase (palmitoyl-CoA: l -serine C-palmitoyltransferase (decarboxylating) EC 2.3.1.50) catalyzes the first unique and regulatory reaction of sphingolipid biosynthesis. Its activity was demonstrated in Chinese hamster ovary cells (CHO-K1) by measuring the incorporation of radiolabel from l -[3H] serine into 3-ketosphinganine, which was found to be the predominant chloroform-soluble product under optimal assay conditions. Most of the total activity (14.8 ± 4.2 pmol/min per 106 cells, measured with sonicated cells) was recovered in particulate fractions, with the highest percentage (54%) and specific activity (102 pmol/min per mg) in the high-speed (airfuge) pellet. The greatest activity was obtained with palmitoyl-CoA; however, other fatty acyl-CoA thioesters were also utilized. Serine palmitoyltransferase required pyridoxal 5'-phosphate for activity, but was apparently fully saturated with this coenzyme when assayed with sonicated cells. Regardless of whether the CHO cells were grown in culture medium containing whole serum with or without sphinganine addition, lipoprotein-depleted serum, lipid-extracted serum, low-density lipoproteins, or no serum, the activities of this enzyme were identical. This finding was confirmed using human fibroblasts. Hence, these results establish that CHO cells, and probably others, are engaged in long-chain base synthesis de novo and that serine palmitoyltransferase activity is not regulated by the availability of such compounds in the culture media.
Sources of (A) First (Class) Resort

All seventeen had graciously agreed to my proposal to gather for a small conference to seek consensus. A generous grant from the Pierian Press Foundation would cover all of our expenses for a long weekend at a resort hotel; the only condition of the grant was that we offer our results to Reference Services Review for first publication. Over the past five years each of the seventeen had in turn accepted my challenge to answer the following question:
Wechsler short forms: A brief status report

Numerous attempts to develop short forms of Wechsler scales of measurement have been proposed in the psychological literature over the last three decades. In this paper, the three major strategies for development of short forms are described, and an overview of the available validity data is presented. Cautions for the clinical use of short forms and related recommendations for future validity research are offered. It is concluded that while Wechsler short forms may be useful as research instruments, their clinical applications are extremely limited at this time.
Interview with Ghada Amer

Interview with Ghada Amer This article is available in Studies in 20th Century Literature: http://newprairiepress.org/sttcl/vol26/iss1/16 Interview with Ghada Amer Conducted and translated by Estelle Taraud University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill
Electrophoresis of lysozyme into Micrococcus-containing agarose gel: Quantitative and analytical applications

Abstract Electrophoresis of lysozyme into agarose gel containing Micrococcus lysodeikticus causes lysis of the microorganism, allowing the development of two methods, one for quantitation (“lyso-rocket electrophoresis”) and the other for electrophoretic characterization (“crossed lyso-electrophoresis”) of lysozyme. The lyso-rocket technique provides an alternative to the method currently used for quantitative assay. By the use of crossed lyso-electrophoresis we have provided evidence, for the first time, of the electrophoretic heterogeneity of urinary lysozyme from patients with monocytic leukemia. We halve also documented the influence of concentration on the electrophoretic mobility of lysozyme.
Evidence-Based and Empirically Supported College Counseling Center Treatment of Alcohol Related Issues.

College counseling center administrators and staff counselors face the increasing challenge to provide best practice counseling in all domains of their work. The present chapter explores the evidence base for alcohol counseling, seeking to determine whether recent empirical evidence suggests the use of particular counseling strategies when working with alcohol related issues. A summary of research findings in general as well as specific to college counseling centers is provided, along with factors to consider when deciding how to best use the current evidence. [Article copies available for a fee from The Haworth Document Delivery Service: 1-800-HAWORTH. E-mail address: Website:  2005 by The Haworth Press, Inc. All rights reserved.]
The cyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterase of Dictyostelium discoideum: the structure of the gene and its regulation and role in development.

The cyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterase (phosphodiesterase) of Dictyostelium discoideum plays an essential role in development by hydrolyzing the cAMP used as a chemoattractant by aggregating cells. We have studied the biochemistry of the phosphodiesterase and a functionally related protein, the phosphodiesterase inhibitor protein, and have cloned the cognate genes. A 1.8-kb and a 2.2-kb mRNA are transcribed from the singlephosphodiesterase gene. The 2.2-kb mRNA comprises the majority of the phosphodiesterase mRNA found in differentiating cells and is transcribed only during development from a promoter at least 2.5 kb upstream of the translational start site. The 1.8-kb phosphodiesterase mRNA is detected at all stages of growth and development, is present at lower levels than the developmentally induced mRNA, and is transcribed from a site proximal to the protein-coding region. The phosphodiesterase gene contains a minimum of three exons, and a 2.3-kb intron, the longest yet reported for this organism. We have shown that the pds A. gene and fourfgd genes affect, the accumulation of the phosphodiesterase mRNAs, and we believe that these loci represent a significant portion of the genes regulating expression of the phosphodiesterase. The phosphodiesterase gene was introduced into cells by transformation and used as a tool to explore the effects of cAMP on the terminal stages of development. In cells expressing high levels of phosphodiesterase activity, final morphogenesis cannot be completed, and differentiated spore and stalk cells do not form. We interpret these results to support the hypothesis that cAMP plays an essential role in organizing cell movements in late development as well as in controlling the aggregation of cells in the initial phase of the developmental program.
Metal-forming practices among the seventeenth century Illinois, 1640-1682

When European copper-based metal trade goods, primarily kettles, first became available to native Americans early in the contact period, they frequently reworked the metal sheet, reforming it into objects that fit into their own indigenous cultural systems. The technical processes through which they converted these products into objects of personal adornment have seldom been investigated archaeometallurgically to determine the elemental make-up of the metals and the techniques involved in reworking them. In this study, undertaken at the University of Pennsylvania Museum's Applied Science Center for Archaeology (MASCA), a sample of 64 copper-based metal artifacts excavated from the Haas/Hagerman Site, Clark County, MO, were examined metallographically to identify manufacturing techniques and technical processes employed by the seventeenth century Illinois to produce these new forms. Proton-induced X-ray emission spectrometry (PIXE) was used to determine the elemental compositions of the artifacts. Results are presented within the larger contexts of early material and technological transformation among the Illinois as European influence intensified.
Exposure to fine particle mass and number concentrations in urban transportation environments of New York City

Abstract Travelers’ real-time exposure to fine particles is assessed in terms of particle mass and number concentrations across various transportation-related micro-environments in New York City. Substantial spatial/temporal variations were observed in both the mass and number metrics of fine particles. Comparisons of exposure levels to fine particles across location categories reveals significant differences between particle mass and number concentration measurements; while the highest particle number concentration is on urban street sides, subway trains, with the lowest fine particle number concentration, has the second highest mass. Statistical analysis confirms this disparity.
H.E.A.L.T.H.: efficacy of an internet/population-based behavioral weight management program for the U.S. Army.

Background: A significant number of soldiers exceed the maximum allowable weight standards or have body weights approaching the maximum allowable weight standards. This mandates development of scalable approaches to improve compliance with military weight standards. Methods: We developed an intervention that included two components: (1) an Internet-based weight management program (Web site) and (2) a promotion program designed to promote and sustain usage of the Web site. The Web site remained online for 37 months, with the Web site promotion program ending after 25 months. Results: Soldiers’ demographics were as follows: mean age, 32 years; body mass index (BMI), 28 kg/m 2 ; 31% female; and 58% Caucasian. Civilian demographics were as follows: mean age, 38 years; BMI, 30 kg/m 2 ; 84% female; and 55% Caucasian. Results indicated that 2417 soldiers and 2147 civilians (N = 4564) registered on the Web site. In the first 25 months (phase 1) of the study, new participants enrolled on the Web site at a rate of 88 (soldiers) and 80 (civilians) per month. After the promotion program was removed (phase 2), new participants enrolled at a rate of 18 (soldiers) and 13 (civilians) per month. Utilization of the Web site was associated with self-reported weight loss (p < .0001). Participants who utilized the Web site more frequently lost more weight (p < .0001). Participants reported satisfaction with the Web site. Conclusions: The Web site and accompanying promotion program, when implemented at a military base, received satisfactory ratings and benefited a subset of participants in promoting weight loss. This justifies further examination of effectiveness in a randomized trial setting.
Suggested Personality Implications of Kuder Preference Record (Vocational) Scores

A set of suggested personality implications of Kuder Preference Record (Vocational) scores based on an integration of published research, interpretation of research findings by recognized authorities, content analysis of the Kuder scales, and “clinical insight” is presented. The interpretations are not seen as definitive statements but rather as plausible hypotheses which, hopefully, will serve as a stimulus to other researchers, theory-builders, and counselors to fill in the present gaps in our knowledge.
Electrooxidative deposition of polypyrrole and polyaniline on self-assembled monolayer modified electrodes

Self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) of ω-substituted alkanethiols on gold display different effects on the kinetics of electrochemical deposition of polypyrrole and polyaniline. Hydrophobic monolayers of dodecanethiol and octadecanethiol initially retard the deposition of polypyrrole. However, as soon as polymerization is nucleated, a rough polymer film is rapidly deposited. Monolayers of 12-amino-1-dodecanethiol, which are protonated under the acidic conditions required for polyaniline deposition, provide a good barrier to aniline oxidation. The response of SAM-modified electrodes to (N,N-(dimethylamino)methyl)ferrocene in acidic solution follows similar trends observed for the blocking of aniline oxidation. Thus, the Coulombic repulsion between the protonated monolayer and the diffusing anilinium monomer appears important in providing a barrier to the electrooxidative deposition of polyaniline.
Anaerobic microbial degradation of the herbicide propanil

Abstract The fate of propanil (3,4-dichloropropionanilide) in an anaerobic soil environment was studied. Two mineral salts media, one amended with 0.05% yeast extract and 0.05% tryptone, and both with 33 μg propanil ml −1 , were inoculated with 10% (v/v) soil to establish enrichment cultures. Cultures were incubated at 30°C under an atmosphere of 95% N 2 and 5% CO 2 . There was a complete loss of propanil in 15 days in soil enrichment cultures. One degradation product was detected and identified by HPLC and TLC co-chromatography as 3,4-dichloroaniline. Propanil was also degraded in a soil-free medium containing 0.05% yeast extract and 0.05% tryptone and inoculated with supernatant from a soil enrichment culture. After 100 days, propanil concentration decreased by 81%; 3,4-dichloroaniline and meta -chloroaniline were produced. No decrease in propanil concentration was detected in soil-free cultures without yeast extract and tryptone. No labeled CO 2 or volatile products were detected after 80 days in soil-free enrichment cultures containing 14 C-ring-labeled propanil.
The efficacy and safety of cefovecin in the treatment of feline abscesses and infected wounds

Objectives: To determine the efficacy and safety of cefovecin for the treatment of bacterial abscesses and wounds in cats at clinics in Germany, France, Spain and the UK. Method: Cats with abscesses or wounds were enrolled. Cats (217) were randomised to treatment with either cefovecin administered by subcutaneous injection at 14 day intervals or amoxicillin/clavulanic acid as twice-daily oral tablets for 14 days. Treatment courses were repeated at 14 day intervals, when deemed necessary. Clinicians assessing lesions were masked to treatment allocation. Only animals with a confirmed pretreatment bacterial pathogen were included in the efficacy analysis. Cases were evaluated 28 days after initiation of the final course of treatment. Results: Cefovecin was as efficacious as amoxicillin/clavulanic acid, and efficacy was 100 per cent for both treatments. Clinical significance: Cefovecin, administered as a single subcutaneous injection repeated at 14 day intervals as required, was shown to be as efficacious as oral amoxicillin/clavulanic acid in the treatment of abscesses/wounds in cats.
EXPONENTIAL SMOOTHING: THE STATE OF THE ART, PART II

Abstract In Gardner [Gardner, E. S., Jr. (1985). Exponential smoothing: The state of the art. Journal of Forecasting 4, 1–28], I reviewed the research in exponential smoothing since the original work by Brown and Holt. This paper brings the state of the art up to date. The most important theoretical advance is the invention of a complete statistical rationale for exponential smoothing based on a new class of state-space models with a single source of error. The most important practical advance is the development of a robust method for smoothing damped multiplicative trends. We also have a new adaptive method for simple smoothing, the first such method to demonstrate credible improved forecast accuracy over fixed-parameter smoothing. Longstanding confusion in the literature about whether and how to renormalize seasonal indices in the Holt–Winters methods has finally been resolved. There has been significant work in forecasting for inventory control, including the development of new predictive distributions for total lead-time demand and several improved versions of Croston's method for forecasting intermittent time series. Regrettably, there has been little progress in the identification and selection of exponential smoothing methods. The research in this area is best described as inconclusive, and it is still difficult to beat the application of a damped trend to every time series.
To have or have not: an examination of feedback, learner control knowledge type in online learning

Online course offerings have not only gained in popularity among technology-mediated training methods, but they also have produced a prominent change in the landscape of academia. It is therefore imperative to obtain a solid understanding of the important elements that contribute to effective online learning. The major contribution of this paper is to investigate a complex set of interrelated factors in the relatively new sphere of online learning. The inter-combination of these particular factors appears to be important from past research, but it has never been explicitly addressed, and never in an experimental setting. Findings of this study have shown that feedback and learner control have a significant interaction effect for declarative knowledge acquisition. For satisfaction, however, feedback is only salient for declarative knowledge learning, and not for procedural knowledge learning. Other factors, such as interest and comfort level produce effects in most situations.
Humanized Rag2−/−γc−/− (RAG-hu) mice can sustain long-term chronic HIV-1 infection lasting more than a year

HIV-1 infection is characterized by life-long viral persistence and continued decline of helper CD4 T cells. The new generation of humanized mouse models that encompass RAG-hu, hNOG and BLT mice have been shown to be susceptible to HIV-1 infection and display CD4 T cell loss. Productive infection has been demonstrated with both R5 and X4 tropic strains of HIV-1 via direct injection as well as mucosal exposure. However the duration of infection in these mice was evaluated for a limited time lasting only weeks post infection, and it is not established how long the viremia can be sustained, and if the CD4 T cell loss persists throughout the life of the infected humanized mice. In the present study we followed the HIV-1 infected RAG-hu mice to determine the long-term viral persistence and CD4 T cell levels. Our results showed that viremia persists life-long lasting for more than a year, and that CD4 T cell levels display a continuous declining trend as seen in the human. These studies provide a chronic HIV-1 infection humanized mouse model that can be used to dissect viral latency, long-term drug evaluation and immune-based therapies.
Educational intervention to control cockroach allergen exposure in the homes of hispanic children in Los Angeles: results of the La Casa study.

Summary Background Cockroach allergy is common among inner city children with asthma, and exposure to cockroach allergen is associated with more severe disease. However, there has been little evaluation of educational approaches for controlling cockroach infestations and reducing allergen exposure. Objective An educational intervention to reduce cockroach allergen exposure in the homes of Hispanic children in Los Angeles was implemented and evaluated. Methods Caretakers of 150 children with asthma were randomly assigned to an in-home intervention or comparison group. In the intervention group, peer health educators trained the caretaker to control cockroaches by reducing harbourage and access to food and by applying boric acid, and to reduce allergen exposure by cleaning. Allergen impermeable covers were placed on the child’s mattress and pillows. Knowledge, reported and observed behaviour, cockroach counts, and cockroach allergen (Bla g 1) in dust samples from the kitchen and the child’s bedding were assessed at study entry and at follow-up 4 months later. Results There was improvement in knowledge and in observed and reported behaviour hypothesized to be associated with cockroach control. The geometric mean cockroach number in the intervention homes at the follow-up visit was 60% lower than in the non-intervention homes (95% confidence interval (CI) 14%, 81%). Geometric mean total cockroach allergen collected from the child’s bedding was 64% lower in the intervention group (95% CI 12%, 85%). In homes with heavier initial cockroach infestation, there was a larger reduction in total kitchen dust allergen and concentration associated with the intervention than in homes with fewer initial cockroaches. Conclusions We conclude that reduction in number of cockroaches and in total allergen in bedding dust can be achieved by caretakers of asthmatic children following a single home educational intervention by peer educators.