cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Spatial distributions of aerosol particles : Investigation of the Poisson assumption

Abstract Atmospheric particulates are known to be distributed non-uniformly in space due to spatially localized sources and incomplete mixing. Many studies have extensively examined the variability of aerosol particle concentrations on diurnal, seasonal, and annual timescales. Receiving much less attention, however, are aerosol particle spatial distributions on shorter ( ≲ 5 min ) temporal scales. Knowledge regarding the spatial distribution on these temporal scales is vital to fully understand and predict the properties of microphysical processes like activation, coagulation, and collision/coalescence, as well as some large-scale phenomena like radiation attenuation through a thick yet dilute layer of particles. Traditional treatments of microphysical phenomena often implicitly assume that particles are perfectly randomly distributed (obey Poisson statistics) on short temporal scales, even though this assumption may be inconsistent with observations made on longer scales. This study seeks to explicitly resolve the statistics of particle positions on a variety of temporal scales (over five orders of magnitude) to determine if and when the assumption of perfect spatial randomness can be justified in nature. Some implications of the results are discussed.
Membrane transport and cytokinin action in root hairs of Medicago sativa

In an effort to develop a cellular model for studying cytokinin action in higher plants, we investigated the effect of cytokinins on growth and membrane transport in root hairs of alfalfa (Medicago sativa␣L.) seedlings. Alfalfa seedlings grown for 24 h in the presence of cytokinins showed increased root hair length and formation of root hairs close to the root cap. Increased growth of root hairs was observed within 10 min of cytokinin application and was accompanied by a hyperpolarization of the plasma membrane. The ion-transport inhibitor diisothiocyanostilbene-2,2′-disulfonic acid (DIDS) blocked both cytokinin-induced root hair growth and hyperpolarization but did not, by itself, alter growth or membrane potential. Finally, hyperpolarization was induced by extracellular cytokinin but not by injection of cytokinin into the cytoplasm. These findings show that root hairs undergo several rapid responses to cytokinin, including changes in membrane transport and growth. We conclude that multiple cytokinin response in root hairs may be mediated by events involving perception and ion transport at the plasma membrane.
Fragmentation processes of methylbutyl trifluoroacetates studied by tandem quadrupole mass spectrometry and isotope labeling

The fragmentation patterns of 3-methyl-2-butyl trifluoroacetate and 2-methyl-2-butyl trifluoroacetate were investigated by GC/MS/MS, with electron impact and collision-induced dissociation, on regular and isotope-labeled (deuterium and 18O) esters. The atoms found in various fragments could be traced back to specific positions in the parent molecules. In this way, molecular rearrangements potentially occurring during the formation of esters by trifluoroacetolysis of 3-methyl-2-butyl p-toluenesulfonate or trifluoroacetic acid addition to various 2-methylbutenes could be shown. Rearrangements also occurred during the fragmentation, particularly during the expulsion of the small fragments CO, C2H4 and F2CO. For the decompositions of oxygen-containing ions these rearrangements were highly specific. By contrast, alkyl cations lead to fragments that are fully scrambled (statistical label distribution). Alkene radical cations ([CnH2n]+ ˙) fragment to daughter ions that are extensively, but less than statistically scrambled. Hydrogen scrambling may also occur in fluoroalkyl cation fragments.
Commercial paper, bank reserve requirements, and the informational role of loan commitments

Abstract An explanation is provided of the often-observed purchase of ‘back-up’ bank loan commitments by corporations immediately preceding their sale of dealer-placed commercial paper. Since loan commitments are typically viewed as hedging instruments, our paper explains why a risk-neutral corporation would purchase this type of instrument and how it is priced. It is assumed that while firms know their own credit risks, neither banks nor the paper market can distinguish between some credit applicants. We show that the purchase of a commitment can identify these Firms to the market. The equilibrium is partially revealing; of the firms with unobservable quality, those with higher quality identify themselves by purchasing commitments while those with lower quality sell unbacked paper and are ‘pooled’ together. Unbacked paper is sold also by firms whose quality is observable. Unidentified firms in the lowest quality range do not sell commercial paper.
Trunkloads of viruses

Elephant populations are under intense pressure internationally from habitat destruction and poaching for ivory and meat. They also face pressure from infectious agents, including elephant endotheliotropic herpesvirus 1 (EEHV1), which kills ~20% of Asian elephants (Elephas maximus) born in zoos and causes disease in the wild. EEHV1 is one of at least six distinct EEHV in a phylogenetic lineage that appears to represent an ancient but newly recognized subfamily (the Deltaherpesvirinae) in the family Herpesviridae.
The farmers' millennium: the ideology of agricultural improvement in Iowa, 1855 to 1865

The Morrill Act of 1862, a piece of federal legislation enacted a century and a half ago, lives on today. That law allocated thousands of acres of federal land to state governments, based on the size of their congressional delegations, so they could establish colleges of agriculture and the mechanic arts and give a college education, liberal and practical, to students who could not otherwise afford one. The Morrill Act lives on because the “land-grant colleges” it endowed with financial resources still exist today, operating on billion-dollar budgets and enrolling tens of thousands of students. Further, at least at Iowa State University, each incoming president’s inaugural address has involved an explanation of the land-grant idea. In the past three decades, that explanation has devolved from the broad view, held for a century, that land-grant colleges should prepare their students to be productive economically and politically, that they should educate them to be competent engineers and agriculturists as well as civic-minded people capable of acting not just in someone’s private interest, but in their community’s – their polity’s – public interest. The latest presidents of Iowa State have, since the 1980s, put forward an explanation of the land-grant idea that places economic values, rather than political values, at the center of the university’s existence. The work of historians of agriculture and the land-grant colleges has not been much better, the former paying little attention to the landgrant colleges and the latter more often than not failing to see the larger context in which the colleges were created and have existed. This thesis investigates the ideology that played a role in Iowa State University’s creation in the late 1850s and early 1860s as the Iowa State Agricultural College and Model Farm. In the midto late 1850s, acting out of a concern for declining soil fertility (or the potential for it), the
Naturally occurring hepatitis B virus core gene mutations

Mutations in the hepatitis B virus (HBV) core gene may influence disease activity by altering immune recognition sites or level of virus replication. Sera from 69 Chinese patients with chronic HBV infection were analyzed by direct sequencing of polymerase chain reaction amplification of HBV DNA to determine the frequency and location of naturally occurring HBV core gene mutations. All but one patient had nucleotide changes, and 44 (64%) patients had at least one amino acid change (mean, 3.7; range, 1–13) when compared with published sequences. Multiple regression analysis showed that the frequency of core gene mutations was significantly associated with precore stop-codon mutation, hepatitis B e antigen negativity, and active liver disease, but not patients' age. The mean number of amino acid changes/ patient for hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg)-positive patients with elevated versus normal aminotransferase levels were, respectively, 2.8 ± 0.4 and 0.6 ± 0.2. The corresponding values for HBeAg-negative patients were, respectively, 5.0 ± 1.2 and 6.0 ± 1.5. Thirteen patients were serially studied, the mean rates of amino acid substitution in HBeAg-positive patients who did or did not clear HBeAg during follow-up were 5.7 ± 0.8 and 0 per codon/yr. Most of the mutations were clustered in the middle of the core gene that harbor several major B- and helper T-cell epitopes. Very few mutations were found in the C-terminal part of the core gene. In summary, mutations in the core gene can be frequently detected in patients with chronic HBV infection. These mutations occur predominantly around the time of HBeAg clearance when liver disease is most active.
Effect of obstacles on the rate of reconnection of magnetic field lines

Abstract Further results of a laboratory magnetic field line reconnection experiment are presented. In particular, it is found that the reconnection rate can be slowed by placing solid obstacles to impede the outflow of plasma from an x -type magnetic neutral point. Without the obstacles the reconnection rate is faster and more impulsive. The fastest reconnection event has strong similarities to solar flares and geomagnetic substorms. It is suggested that more stationary features of solar activity such as prominences may be the result of reconnection slowed by obstacles such as the photosphere.
Do customs compete with conditioning? Turf battles and division of labor in social explanation

We often face a bewildering array of different explanations for the same social facts (e.g. biological, psychological, economic, and historical accounts). But we have few guidelines for whether and when we should think of different accounts as competing or compatible. In this paper, I offer some guidelines for understanding when custom or norm accounts do and don’t compete with other types of accounts. I describe two families of non-competing accounts: (1) explanations of different (but similarly described) facts, and (2) accounts which seem to differ but are really different parts or versions of the same underlying explanation. I argue that, while many types of apparent competitors don’t really compete with customs, there are some that do. I also describe some of the central problems, which suggest that custom accounts will compete poorly with their rivals.
AN EXAMINATION OF THE GROWING LEVEL OF INCOME INEQUALITY

This study examines the dispute surrounding the per ceived gap in incomes of different socio-economic classes. The trend in income inequality based on th e Gini coefficient in America in contrast to that o f other nations in the Organization for Economic Cooperatio n and Development is displayed. Global and national forces seen as causes for the increased separation of income levels are discussed. Continued economic disparity can threaten public welfare and create so cial unrest that will ultimately prove detrimental to the social and economic fabric that bind a nation. This issue will continue to remain at the forefront of our public policy and will play a significant role in t he future course of our economic policy.
The effect of polychlorinated biphenyls on adenosine triphosphatase activity.

Rats treated with 25 mg/kg Aroclor 1242 ip daily for 7 days showed a significant decrease in total ATPase activity of liver, kidney, and brain tissues. In addition, a series of Aroclors produced significant in vitro inhibition of rat Mg-ATPase activity at a concentration of 30 ppm. A weak correlation was observed between increasing inhibition and increasing degree of chlorination. A rigorous evaluation of the effect of purified PCB isomers on rat ATPases showed that there was no correlation between chlorine substitution patterns and inhibitory activity. Since biphenyl, a nonchlorinated hydrocarbon, produced significant inhibition of rat ATPases, the relationship between ATPase inhibition and the lipophilic properties of PCBs was evaluated. A strong correlation between increasing PCB-induced inhibition of ATPases and decreasing aqueous solubility was observed. The data suggest that the mechanism of PCB-induced inhibition of ATPase may be the lipophilic partitioning of PCBs into the lipid fraction of the ATPase enzyme which produces an allosteric change resulting in decreased enzyme activity.
PEDF and VEGF-A output from human retinal pigment epithelial cells grown on novel microcarriers.

Human retinal pigment epithelial (hRPE) cells have been tested as a cell-based therapy for Parkinson’s disease but will require additional study before further clinical trials can be planned. We now show that the long-term survival and neurotrophic potential of hRPE cells can be enhanced by the use of FDA-approved plastic-based microcarriers compared to a gelatin-based microcarrier as used in failed clinical trials. The hRPE cells grown on these plastic-based microcarriers display several important characteristics of hRPE found in vivo: (1) characteristic morphological features, (2) accumulation of melanin pigment, and (3) high levels of production of the neurotrophic factors pigment epithelium-derived factor (PEDF) and vascular endothelial growth factor-A (VEGF-A). Growth of hRPE cells on plastic-based microcarriers led to sustained levels (>1 ng/ml) of PEDF and VEGF-A in conditioned media for two months. We also show that the expression of VEGF-A and PEDF is reciprocally regulated by activation of the GPR143 pathway. GPR143 is activated by L-DOPA (1 μM) which decreased VEGF-A secretion as opposed to the previously reported increase in PEDF secretion. The hRPE microcarriers are therefore novel candidate delivery systems for achieving long-term delivery of the neuroprotective factors PEDF and VEGF-A, which could have a value in neurodegenerative conditions such as Parkinson’s disease.
Analysis strategies for longitudinal attachment loss data.

– The purpose of this invited review is to describe and discuss methods currently in use to quantify the progression of attachment loss in epidemiological studies of periodontal disease, and to make recommendations for specific analytic methods based upon the particular design of the study and structure of the data. The review concentrates on the definition of incident attachment loss (ALOSS) and its component parts; measurement issues including thresholds and regression to the mean; methods of accounting for longitudinal change, including changes in means, changes in proportions of affected sites, incidence density, the effect of tooth loss and reversals, and repeated events; statistical models of longitudinal change, including the incorporation of the time element, use of linear, logistic or Poisson regression or survival analysis, and statistical tests; site vs person level of analysis, including statistical adjustment for correlated data; the strengths and limitations of ALOSS data. Examples from the Piedmont 65+ Dental Study are used to illustrate specific concepts. We conclude that incidence density is the preferred methodology to use for periodontal studies with more than one period of follow-up and that the use of studies not employing methods for dealing with complex samples, correlated data, and repeated measures does not take advantage of our current understanding of the site- and person-level variables important in periodontal disease and may generate biased results.
Fully automated preparation of [11C]choline and [18F]fluoromethylcholine using TracerLab synthesis modules and facilitated quality control using analytical HPLC

Modifications of a GE TracerLab FX(C-Pro), which can be implemented for solid-phase [(11)C]methylation are described. The simplified procedure for synthesis of [(11)C]choline uses a single Sep-Pak CM-Light cation-exchange cartridge for both solid-supported reaction and purification. Compared with the commonly used two Sep-Pak method, the low back-pressure of this Sep-Pak enables efficient and reliable production of [(11)C]choline using a TracerLab FX(C-Pro) without requirement for any gas pressure adjustment. Typical radiochemical yields (RCY) are >60%, radiochemical purity (RCP) is 99.9% and levels of residual precursor in the final product, which may inhibit the uptake of [(11)C]choline, are reduced to 1 μg/mL. Similarly, modification of a GE TracerLab FX(FN) is reported which enables gas-phase production of [(18)F]fluoromethylcholine, suitable for pre-clinical use, (in 4-6% RCY and >99.7% RCP) using a related Sep-Pak method. These modifications can be utilized for solid-phase [(11)C]methylation and [(18)F]fluoromethylation of other radiotracers, and allow straightforward switching to other module configurations for solution-phase radiochemistry or loop chemistry. In addition, we report a convenient HPLC ion chromatography method, which can monitor residual precursor and the radiochemical purity of product at the same time, providing highly efficient quality control for routine clinical application. The reported HPLC method is appropriate for analysis of doses of both [(11)C]choline and [(18)F]fluoromethylcholine, and eliminates the need for a GC method to determine residual precursor levels.
Quasi-duo rings and stable range descent

In a recent paper, the first author introduced a general theory of corner rings in noncommutative rings that generalized the classical theory of Peirce decompositions. This theory is applied here to the study of the stable range of rings upon descent to corner rings. A ring is called quasi-duo if every maximal 1-sided ideal is 2-sided. Various new characterizations are obtained for such rings. Using some of these characterizations, we prove that, if a quasi-duo ring R has stable range ≤n, the same is true for any semisplit corner ring of R. This contrasts with earlier results of Vaserstein and Warfield, which showed that the stable range can increase unboundedly upon descent to (even) Peirce corner rings.
Signal processing and detection limits for graphite furnace atomic absorption with Zeeman background correction

Abstract The signal handling requirements for graphite furnace atomic absorption are much more demanding than those for flame atomic absorption. Graphite furnace signals change rapidly, background levels are higher, and signal interpretation needs are more extensive. We have identified a number of signal generation and processing factors that are important for success in graphite furnace analyses. These include: use of the transverse, a.c. Zeeman technique with the magnet on the analyte for background correction; production of a series of signal integrals at line frequency to accurately represent the shape of the furnace peak; use of interpolation techniques to better correct for rapidly changing background levels; use of integrated peak absorbance (A.s) signals rather than peak height absorbance for quantitative measurements; use of baseline correction to improve the accuracy of integrated peak absorbance signals; and use of graphical techniques to facilitate data interpretation and methods development. Examples are presented that illustrate the contribution of these factors to precision and detection limit performance. It is possible to improve detection limits over those previously reported by choosing appropriate signal handling parameters.
Tests for cumulative abnormal returns over long periods: Simulation evidence

Abstract The usual test of cumulative abnormal returns for multiple-day periods assumes that abnormal returns are serially independent. The assumption imparts an upward bias to test statistics even when raw returns are serially independent. In simulation, the usual test rejects true null hypotheses too frequently in the longest cumulation periods and in shorter periods when events are clustered in calendar time. Excessively frequent rejection implies that the nominal significance level understates the actual significance level. A corrected statistic, derived without the serial independence assumption, rejects true null hypotheses with a frequency less than or equal to the nominal significance level. However, the corrected test is not very powerful in the longest event periods.
Emission of energetic electrons from tunnel junctions

Energetic (hot) electrons can be emitted from Al-${\mathrm{Al}}_{2}$${\mathrm{O}}_{3}$-Au tunnel junctions. This emission supports a recently proposed hot-electron picture for light emission from tunnel junctions. A transfer ratio curve shows that a fraction approaching 1% of the injected, hot tunneling electrons retain sufficient normal energy to surmount the Au-vacuum surface barrier and be collected if the Au work function is lowered by the evaporation of 3-4 monolayers of cesium. Fitting tunneling junction $I\ensuremath{-}V$ curves by two different methods gives a tunneling barrier 2-4 eV high and 15-19 \AA{} thick. These barrier parameters are comparable to those of light-emitting tunnel junctions.
The Plight of the Song of Songs

wrote down some throbbing sentiments which he had heard sung about a couple in love. That anonymous editor's romantic bent is revealed in the superlative he used in the Hebrew title, Shir ha-Shirim, meaning the loveliest song. His disposition is also exposed in the dedication to Solomon, the greatest lover in the Israelite tradition at least on a quantitative scale! The Song of Songs is a song consisting of songs about intimate love. The editor probably contributed little to either the content or the organization of his collection. Like stringing a necklace, he loosely put together folk lyrics of varying lengths which added different facets of beauty to the unifying theme. He alternated frequently the male and female voices, but showed little concern for the sequence of ideas in arranging the stanzas. The editor no doubt thought the meaning of his anthology would be transparently clear to readers. Even in his own day similar poems of the same genre were commonplace in the Near East from Egypt to Mesopotamia.' What can be more easily understood universally than love's old sweet song? If John Milton is correct in assuming that simplicity and sensuousness are the basic ingredients of poetry in any language,2 the Song of Songs should not have caused difficult problems of interpretation. It is one of the pranks of history that a poem so obviously about hungry passion has caused so much perplexity and has provoked such a plethora of bizarre interpretations. Even some contemporary scholars appear baffled by the Song of Songs. For example, T. J. Meek begins his commentary on the Song with this amazing and forbidding note: "Of all the books of the Old Testament none is so difficult to interpret."3 During the past century some scholars have
Sample sizes required to detect interactions between two binary fixed-effects in a mixed-effects linear regression model

Mixed-effects linear regression models have become more widely used for analysis of repeatedly measured outcomes in clinical trials over the past decade. There are formulae and tables for estimating sample sizes required to detect the main effects of treatment and the treatment by time interactions for those models. A formula is proposed to estimate the sample size required to detect an interaction between two binary variables in a factorial design with repeated measures of a continuous outcome. The formula is based, in part, on the fact that the variance of an interaction is fourfold that of the main effect. A simulation study examines the statistical power associated with the resulting sample sizes in a mixed-effects linear regression model with a random intercept. The simulation varies the magnitude (@D) of the standardized main effects and interactions, the intraclass correlation coefficient (@r), and the number (k) of repeated measures within-subject. The results of the simulation study verify that the sample size required to detect a 2x2 interaction in a mixed-effects linear regression model is fourfold that to detect a main effect of the same magnitude.
Structure and function of the ovipositor and associated sensilla of the apple maggot, Rhagoletis pomonella (Walsh) (Diptera Tephritidae)

Abstract The ovipositor of Rhagoletis pomonella (Walsh) (Diptera : Tephritidae) has a dorsal process which terminates distally in a slightly upcurved tip and 2 ventral processes that are joined throughout their length by a membrane up to the region of the cloaca, where the ventral processes are not attached. The surface of the ovipositor contains both hair-like and campaniform mechanosensilla capable of monitoring both cuticular stress and mechanical contact of the ovipositor from the initial through the final steps of penetration of the fruit, egg-laying, copulation, and possibly dragging the ovipositor during deposition of the oviposition deterrent pheromone. Near the tip of the ovipositor are 2 longitudinally aligned grooves, each containing 3 pairs of chemosensilla. In addition, 1 pair of shorter chemosensilla are just distal to and outside the groove. All chemosensilla contain 3 or 4 chemosensitive neurons. During fruit penetration and egg-laying, the ovipositor is protracted, thus placing the chemosensilla in contact with various fruit chemicals. These chemosensilla are responsive to naturally occurring fruit chemicals. The possible role of the ovipositor chemosensilla in monitoring fruit quality, the deposition of the oviposition deterrent pheromone, the presence of chemical contaminants on the ovipositor, and the female's own accessory reproductive gland secretions remains to be established.
On Somos' dissection identities

Abstract We give proofs of a list of M. Somos' dissection identities. An eta function identity presented by B.C. Berndt and W.B. Hart, a theorem by H.-C. Chan on the congruence property of a ( n ) with generating function ( q ; q ) ∞ − 1 ( q 2 ; q 2 ) ∞ − 1 , and a theorem by G.E. Andrews, A. Schilling, and S.O. Warnaar are shown to be related to dissection identities. Several new corollaries are also presented as applications.
Accurate simulation of visual scotomas in normal subjects

A technique has been developed for accurately simulating visual scotomas in subjects with normal vision. To accomplish this, the image of an opaque or partially transmitting mask is stabilized on a fixed region of the subject’s retina, while the image of the visual world that falls everywhere else on the retina moves about in the normal manner controlled by the subject’s eye movements. The mask that produces the scotoma is located in a plane conjugate to the retina and is stabilized by signals from a dual-Purkinje-image eyetracker, while the stimulus image makes two passes through the same optical system, but in opposite directions, thereby arriving at the retina in its original unstabilized state. Artificial scotomas generated in this way can be of any desired size, shape, density, and retinal location. The device promises to be a powerful tool for both basic and clinical research.
Update on the Status of the West Valley Demonstration Project

From 1966 to1972, under an Atomic Energy Commission (AEC) license, Nuclear Fuel Services (NFS) reprocessed 640 metric tons of spent fuel at its West Valley, New York, facility, the only commercial spent fuel reprocessing plant in the U.S. The facility shut down in 1972, for modifications to increase its seismic stability and to expand its capacity. In 1976, without restarting the operation, NFS withdrew from the reprocessing business and returned control of the facilities to the site owner, the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA). The reprocessing activities resulted in about 2.3 million liters (600,000 gallons) of liquid high-level waste (HLW) stored below ground in tanks, other radioactive wastes, and residual radioactive contamination. The West Valley site was licensed by AEC, and then the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), until 1981, when the license was suspended to execute the 1980 West Valley Demonstration Project (WVDP) Act. The WVDP Act outlines the responsibilities of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), NRC, and NYSERDA at the site, including the NRC’s responsibility to develop decommissioning criteria for the site. The Commission published the final policy statement on decommissioning criteria for the WVDP at the West Valley site after considering comments from interested stakeholders. In that regard, the Commission prescribed the License Termination Rule (LTR) criteria for the WVDP at the West Valley site, reflecting the fact that the applicable decommissioning goal for the entire NRC-licensed site is compliance with the requirements of the LTR. This paper will describe the history of the site, provide an update of the status of the decommissioning of the site and an overview of the technical and policy issues facing Federal and State regulators and other stakeholders as they strive to complete the remediation of the site.Copyright © 2003 by ASME
Studies on Whey Protein Concentrates. 2. Foaming and Emulsifying Properties and their Relationships with Physicochemical Properties

Abstract Foaming, emulsifying, and physicochemical properties of membrane-processed Cheddar-cheese-type whey protein concentrates were studied to understand the relationship between structure and function. The concentrates were prepared from cheese whey obtained from skim milk, whole milk, and buttermilk-enriched skim milk. In comparison with the other whey protein concentrates, concentrates prepared from skim milk whey had lower surface hydrophobicity and concentrates prepared from buttermilk-enriched skim milk whey had lower solubility. Whey protein concentrates prepared from whole milk whey had poor foaming and emulsifying properties. Among the compositional and the physicochemical attributes studied, free fat, bound fat, ash, calcium, denaturation enthalpy, and denaturation temperature were related to solubility, foaming, and emulsifying properties of whey protein concentrates. In general, free fat and bound fat were negatively related with foaming and emulsifying properties, whereas, ash, calcium, and denaturation enthalpy were positively related with foaming and emulsifying properties. Regression models were developed for predicting solubility, foaming, and emulsifying properties from various physicochemical attributes of the whey protein concentrates.
Work-related abuse: a replication, new items, and persistent questions.

This study compared independently developed tools to measure work-related control, abuse, and sabotage. Interviewers administered the Work/School Abuse Scale (W/SAS; Riger, Ahrens, & Blickenstaff, 2000) to 40 welfare recipients, and a Work-Related Control, Abuse, and Sabotage Checklist (WORCASC) to a total of 162 welfare recipients, including the same 40 who answered the W/SAS. I report and compare results on W/SAS and WORCASC with 40 non-sheltered (i.e., not residing in a shelter) respondents and discuss instrument strengths and weaknesses. Measurement analyses provided preliminary empirical answers to questions about the relationship between battering and work. Findings confirmed the reliability of the two instruments, the extent to which they measure something distinct from physical abuse, and their association with relevant outcomes such as being written up, reprimanded, or losing pay at work. Measurement questions are salient in the context of debates over welfare reforms and efforts to reconcile the ways researchers, advocates, service providers, and policy makers understand and address the costs of taking a beating. Language: en
UNBOUNDED PERTURBATION OF THE EXPONENTIAL DICHOTOMY FOR EVOLUTION EQUATIONS

Abstract In this paper we prove that the exponential dichotomy for evolution equations in Banach spaces is not destroyed, if we perturb the equation by “small” unbounded linear operator. This is done by employing a skew-product semiflow technique and a perturbation principle from linear operator theory. Finally, we apply these results to partial parabolic equations and functional differential equations.
Feedback control optimization of a single fluid heat exchanger or nuclear reactor

Abstract The performance of a single fluid heat exchanger is analyzed under conditions of proportional control of heat flux. The error is obtained from a single temperature probe whose axial location can be varied. The usual procedure is to place the probe at the outlet and to select the best proportional gain constant for this situation. However, results of this study show that simultaneous optimization of gain constant and axial probe location can produce large improvements in system performance. For purposes of illustration, quantitative results are given for the case of variable inlet temperature whose spectral power density is constant up to a high frequency limit, and is zero beyond this limiting value. A physical argument is suggested which relates optimum probe location to a single parameter defined in terms of system time constants. Many nuclear reactor systems can be regarded as single fluid heat exchangers for purposes of calculating outlet temperature dynamics, since the heat generation rate usually responds a great deal faster than the fluid temperature when a control rod position is changed. The general method outlined is also applicable to boiling water reactors in which the outlet void fraction rather than the outlet temperature is the controlled variable.
Malignant histiocytosis in a patient presenting with leukocytosis, eosinophilia, and lymph node granuloma.

A patient with malignant histiocytosis presented with a number of unusual features including fever, leukemoid reaction, and eosinophilia. Other con- fusing findings included lymph node biopsies which showed reactive changes, noncaseating granuloma, and atypical Reed-Sternberg cells. These features are compared with cases appearing in the literature. The course was rapidly progressive despite combination chemotherapy. Cancer 35:1444-1448, 1975.
Systematics of Sylvilagus Gray, 1867 (Lagomorpha: Leporidae) from Southwestern North America

A multivariate morphological analysis of 26 cranial, mandibular, and dental characters was carried out on five taxa of cottontails: Sylvilagus floridanus chapmani (J. A. Allen, 1899), S.f. cognatus (Nelson, 1907), S. f. holzneri (Mearns, 1896), S. f. robustus (Bailey, 1905), and S. nuttallii pinetis (J. A. Allen, 1894). Discrete characters of upper P2 and P3 and lower p3 were examined in the above taxa, S. n. grangerii (J. A. Allen, 1895), and S. a. audubonii in the context of cladistic analyses. In the latter series of analyses, particular attention was paid to inter- and intrapopulational variation in the S. f. floridanus (J. A. Allen, 1890) and robustus taxa and in S. audubonii (Baird, 1857). I describe dental variation among holotypes and topotypes of these three taxa. My principal objective was to assess whether or not S. robustus was a subspecies of S. floridanus . An analysis of variance indicated that robustus differed from other taxa in six characters (greatest length of skull, condylobasal length, breadth of rostrum, interbasioccipital length, width of tympanic bullae, and mastoid breadth). Principal component analysis indicated ontogenetic differences between robustus and remaining taxa. Neighbor joining analysis in every case correctly classified each specimen examined to its predetermined taxon. Besides a large difference in size, several discrete differences in cranial and dental morphology separated S. robustus from the parapatric S. f. chapmani and from the nominal subspecies, S. f. floridanus ;, characters based on premolar enamel pattern in particular differentiated between S. f. floridanus and robustus . In phylogenetic analyses of 24 dental characters, S. cognatus , S. robustus , and S. holzneri were successive sister taxa to an unresolved clade consisting of two paraphyletic S. nuttallii “subspecies” and two subspecies of S. floridanus (sensu stricto). I propose that Sylvilagus robustus is a species distinct from S. floridanus and its subspecies, some of which probably also constitute distinct species. These results help clarify biogeographic problems inherent in the genus Sylvilagus under the current taxonomic framework.
Structure of the UmuD' protein and its regulation in response to DNA damage

FOR life to be sustained, mistakes in DNA repair must be tolerated when damage obscures the genetic information. In bacteria such as Escherichia coli, DNA damage elicits the well regulated 'SOS response' (reviewed in ref. 1). For the extreme case of damage that cannot be repaired by conventional enzymes, there are proteins that allow the replication of DNA through such lesions, but with a reduction in the fidelity of replication2. Essential proteins in this mutagenic process are RecA, DNA polymerase III, UmuD, UmuD′ and UmuC (umu: UV mutagen-esis)1–3. Regulation of this response involves a RecA-mediated self-cleavage of UmuD to produce UmuD′ To understand this system in more detail, we have determined the crystal structure of the E. coli UmuD′ mutagenesis protein at 2.5 A resolution. Globular heads folded in an unusual β-structure associate to form molecular dimers, and extended ammo-terminal tails associate to produce crystallized filaments. The structure provides insight into the mechanism of the self-cleavage reaction that UmuD-like proteins undergo as part of the global SOS response4–8.
Pod inoculation technique with Phytophthora sojae to evaluate soybean populations for RPS alleles in field plantings

The pathogen Phytophthora sojae (M.J. Kaufmann and J.W. Gerdemann) can be injected into soybean pods [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] to determine presence of phytophthora root and stem rot resistance. The objective of this study was to use pod inoculation in the field to screen soybean F 2 populations segregating for Rps alleles. The potential exists to inject different races of the pathogen into pods at different nodes of a single plant, allowing for multiple screenings at a time. Controlling the amount of Phytophthora sojae pathogen injected into each pod was necessary for accurate scoring of disease progression. Injecting 25 μL of Race 1 or Race 3 mycelium inoculum gave optimal symptom differences. The amount of disease progression up the pod to the point of attachment or the complete lack of rotting was determined to distinguish between susceptible and resistant plants, respectively. The data obtained from scoring pods conformed well to ratios of expected models. This technique provides a rapid and inexpensive field screening for identifying resistant or susceptible progeny early in the selection process.
Spiral breakup in model equations of action potential propagation in cardiac tissue.

Two-variable model equations that capture some essential dynamical features of quantitative electrophysiological models of cardiac tissue are introduced. In one dimension, these equations naturally reproduce an experimentally observed oscillatory pulse instability that causes an alternation in action potential duration. In two dimensions, spontaneous spiral breakup leading to a spatially disorganized electrical wave activity is shown to occur as a direct consequence of this instability.
Management of prosthetic valves during ventricular assist device implantation.

Background: An increasing number of patients requiring ventricular assist devices (VAD) have had previous valvular corrections, including valve repair and valve replacement with mechanical or bioprosthetic valves. The operative and peri-operative management of these patients has been varied. Methods: A retrospective study of VADs between January 1994 and June 2008 revealed 10 patients with previous prosthetic valves requiring management during and after VAD placement. Three patients were supported postcardiotomy after valve surgery. Two patients were supported due to cardiogenic shock postoperatively. Four patients were supported as a bridge to transplantation. One patient was supported as a destination therapy (DT). Results: The mitral, valve was left untreated during VAD implantation regardless of valve repair or replacement. For aortic valves, the mechanical aortic valve was replaced with tissue valve in two patients and left untreated in one case. One patient had tricuspid valve repair previously and was left untouched. All patients with prosthetic valves in aortic, mitral and tricuspid position during VAD support received anticoagulation therapy. There were four deaths, and four went on to transplantation. One patient was weaned from VAD and discharged from the hospital. One patient received HeartMate I as DT. The most common causes of death were multisystem organ failure (MSOF) and sepsis. One patient had a thromboembolic event. Conclusions: The survival rate of 60% is encouraging when compared to overall survival rates. The most common cause of death was MSOF. Patients with prosthetic valves may be safely managed during VAD support. (J Card Surg 2010;25:601-605)
Doppler echocardiographic assessment of left ventricular filling pressures in elderly patients with moderate/severe aortic stenosis.

Doppler-derived mitral inflow indices reflect left ventricular (LV) filling pressures but often vary with age. Diastolic filling is impaired in LV pressure overload states. The objective of this study was to determine the influence of age on the relationship between mitral inflow indices and LV filling pressures in patients with aortic stenosis. The authors studied 57 consecutive patients (age, 77 years; 52% male) with moderate to severe aortic stenosis (aortic valve area ≤1.0 cm2) on cardiac catheterization and echocardiographic studies performed within 48 hours of catheterization. Patients with atrial fibrillation, aortic insufficiency, mitral stenosis, and paced rhythm were excluded. Echocardiographic variables obtained from five cardiac cycles were: E/A ratio and deceleration time (DT). Patients were sub-classified by age (< and ≥75 years), ejection fraction ([EF] < and ≥50%), and coronary artery disease (CAD). Pulmonary capillary wedge pressure (PCWP) correlated with DT (r=−0.86; p=0.001) and with E/A (r=0.7; p=0.001) more strongly than did LV end-diastolic pressure. Age did not alter the relationship between DT and PCWP (r=−0.92; p=0.001 for <75 years vs. r=−0.83; p=0.001 for ≥75 years). PCWP was predicted by the equation PCWP=−0.10DT+43, regardless of age. EF also had little influence on the correlation between PCWP and DT (r=−0.80; p=0.001 for EF ≥50% vs. r=−0.94; p=0.001 for EF ≥ 50%). Similarly, there were no significant differences between the regression equations and correlations between the CAD and no-CAD groups: for CAD patients, PCWP=41.8–0.10DT; p<0.0001; r=−0.84 (p<0.0001). For no-CAD subjects, PCWP=46.2–0.12DT; p<0.0001; r=−0.92 (p<0.0001). In patients with significant aortic stenosis, DT correlated strongly with PCWP but not with LV end-diastolic pressure. This relationship was independent of age, CAD, or EF.
Local Actions, Global Impacts: International Cooperation and the CDM

We examine the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) market as form of cooperative involvement between developing-host and developed-investor countries, likely to evolve into a form of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) with opportunities for further collaboration. We use three variables to measure the level of cooperation, namely number of joint CDM projects, volume of CO2 abatement realized from the CDM projects, and volume of investment in the CDM projects. We rely on international economics and international relations literature to suggest that the levels of economic development and institutional development, energy structures of the economies, country vulnerability to various climate change effects, political constraints, trade, and historic relations between the host and investor countries are good predictors of the level of cooperation in CDM projects. The main policy relevant conclusions include the importance of simplifying the CDM project regulation/clearance cycle as an essential policy option for further growth of joint CDM projects; improving governance structures in the host and investor countries that would lead to higher political stability and trust between the countries for business, including CDM; and strengthening trade or other long-term economic activities that connect the countries for fostering CDM cooperation.
Transforming Growth Factor-α Abrogates the Glucocorticoid Stimulation of Tight Junction Formation and Reverses the Steroid-Induced Down-regulation of Fascin in Rat Mammary Epithelial Tumor Cells by a Ras-Dependent Pathway

Abstract In Con8 rat mammary epithelial tumor cells, the synthetic glucocorticoid dexamethasone stimulates transepithelial electrical resistance (TER), promotes the remodeling of apical junctions, and down-regulates the level of fascin, an actin-bundling protein that can bind to β-catenin. We have previously shown that ectopic expression of fascin prevented the glucocorticoid-mediated recruitment of tight junction and adherens junction proteins to the site of cell–cell contact. Here we demonstrate that exogenous treatment or constitutive production of transforming growth factor-α (TGF-α) ablated the dexamethasone down-regulation of the fascin protein level and disrupted the dexamethasone-induced remodeling of the apical junction and stimulation of the monolayer TER. The response to TGF-α was polarized in that basolateral, but not apical, exposure to this growth factor coordinately reversed the steroid control of fascin production and tight junction formation. Expression of dominant negative RasN17 or treatment with the PD098059 MEK inhibitor abolished or attenuated the TGF-α disruptive effects on TER, junction remodeling, and fascin protein levels. Our results implicate the regulation of fascin protein levels as a target of cross-talk between the Ras-dependent growth factor signaling and glucocorticoid signaling pathways that controls tight junction dynamics in mammary epithelial tumor cells. We propose that reversing the down-regulation of fascin is critical for the ability of TGF-α to disrupt the glucocorticoid-induced remodeling of the apical junction that leads to tight junction formation.
Correlates of low bone mass in children with generalized forms of epidermolysis bullosa

Background Epidermolysis bullosa (EB) is a family of rare, heterogeneous, genetic disorders characterized by fragility of the skin and mucous membranes. Reduced bone mass and fractures have been recognized as complications of generalized forms of EB. Objectives We sought to describe the range and to estimate the prevalence of low bone mass in children with generalized EB, and to identify correlates of low bone mass in this population. Methods This was a prospective, observational study of 24 patients with generalized EB. Each patient completed a history, physical examination, laboratory studies, bone age, and x-rays of the lumbar spine. Those aged 6 years and older underwent dual energy x-ray absorptiometry scans of the lumbar spine. Primary outcomes were areal bone mineral density (aBMD) based on chronologic age, bone age, and adjusted for height Z-score. Descriptive statistics were used to summarize results, and linear regression was used to determine factors associated with low aBMD. Results Mean lumbar spine aBMD Z-scores ± SD were: –2.6 ± 1.4 for chronologic age, –1.7 ± 1.3 for bone age, and –1.0 ± 1.2 after adjusting for height Z-score. aBMD Z-scores were less than or equal to –2 in 64% for chronologic age, 50% for bone age, and 28% after adjusting for height Z-score. aBMD correlated with height Z-score, weight Z-score, extensive blistering, immobility, albumin, hemoglobin, iron, erythrocyte sedimentation rate, and c-reactive protein values. Limitations Small sample size was a limitation. Conclusions Children with severe, generalized recessive dystrophic EB have low aBMD for age. Deficits in aBMD were reduced after adjusting for delayed skeletal maturation and small body size.