cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Nucleotide specificity for reactivation of organelle movements in permeabilized axons

In a permeabilized axon model, exogenous ATP can reactivate intraaxonal saltatory organelle movements (microscopically visible manifestations of fast axonal transport). We have studied the dependence of the reactivated movements on the ATP concentration and have also examined the nucleotide specificity of the reactivation. Organelle transport was visualized in isolated lobster giant motor axons using Nomarski optics and video microscopy. The axons were permeabilized with saponin, and movement was reactivated with ATP or other nucleotides. Some slight movement was seen with ATP concentrations as low as 10 microM. The velocity and frequency of the reactivated transport increased with increasing ATP concentrations up to about 5 mM. Movement was also reactivated by deoxyadenosine triphosphate, but not by AMP-PNP (a nonhydrolyzable ATP analogue), ADP, or AMP. Although other nucleotides (CTP, GTP, UTP, ITP) could reactivate transport, movement equivalent to that produced by 0.1 mM ATP was only seen with tenfold or greater concentrations of the other nucleotides. This pattern of specificity is consistent with the hypothesis that a dynein-like ATPase, rather than a myosin, is involved in fast axonal transport.
A method for the mathematical analysis of the cross-sectional geometry of tidal inlet channels

Analysis of channel cross sections is hindered by lack of parameters to describe the shape of the cross section. In the situation of a sample of cross sections taken across tidal inlets, if the cross section is expressed as an observation vector, principal-component analysis can be used to derive eigenvectors for the data set. By neglecting eigenvectors that explain little variance, mathematical representation of the original data set is simplified by transformation to the eigenvector space. For 408 cross sections each represented by a 60-component vector, three eigenvectors explain 97.5 percent of the total variance in the data set. The three-dimensional representation simplifies the task of analyzing cross-sectional shape. The physical form of the first three eigenvectors have considerable resemblance to classical types of variation noted in inlet-channel studies. The method is applicable directly to analysis of other fluvial and estuarine channels.
The Migratory Aptitude of the Ethoxycarbonyl Group in the Pinacol Rearrangement. Preliminary communication

The migratory aptitude of the ethoxycarbonyl group in the pinacol rearrangement was deduced from the structure of the products observed after treatment of 2-substituted 2,3-dihydroxy-3-phenylbutyrates with fluorosulfonic acid at 0° for 3 minutes. The migratory aptitude of ethoxycarbonyl is comparable to that of ethyl, greater than that of methyl or hydrogen, but smaller than that of phenyl. Cyclization and fragmentation reactions were also observed.
Dying vs. well-being.

Death is not always the main concern of the dying person. Dependency, isolation, pain, physical disfigurement, and fear of abandonment are among the issues that are sometimes as threatening, if not more so, than impending death. Awareness of the relevance of these factors, can improve the interactions between the dying patient and the doctor, nurse, family, social worker, etc. Therefore, the question that should concern us is not how long a patient shall live, but: What level of well-being is compatible with continued life?
TRANSFER OF TRAINING: A REVIEW AND DIRECTIONS FOR FUTURE RESEARCH

Transfer of training is of paramount concern for training researchers and practitioners. Despite research efforts, there is a growing concern over the “transfer problem.” The purpose of this paper is to provide a critique of the existing transfer research and to suggest directions for future research investigations. The conditions of transfer include both the generalization of learned material to the job and the maintenance of trained skills over a period of time on the job. The existing research examining the effects of training design, trainee, and work-environment factors on conditions of transfer is reviewed and critiqued. Research gaps identified from the review include the need to (1) test various operationalizations of training design and work-environment factors that have been posited as having an impact on transfer and (2) develop a framework for conducting research on the effects of trainee characteristics on transfer. Needed advancements in the conceptualization and operationalization of the criterion of transfer are also discussed.
Why so much stability?: Another opinion

In this paper I have suggested three important factors that render majority rule stable in real world settings; small numbers of alternatives, constraints on agenda setters, and a meaningful weakening of the single-peakedness condition. These simple points, along with Shepsle's complementary notion of structure-induced equilibria and an extension thereof incorporating strategic behavior (Krehbiel, 1983), go a long way toward explaining the existence of stable outcomes in the real world. The disequilibrium results are still extremely important in making us realize the long term fragility of social choices. If other alternatives can virtually always defeat the selected alternative given the ‘right’ structuring of the choice situation, then one task of politicians is to try to structure later choices so as to overturn the original decisions (Riker, 1982: Chapters 8–9). Still, this is a slow process at best, and some decisions are never reconsidered. Therefore, this caveat notwithstanding, constrained (in terms of voting orders) selection from a small number of alternatives — especially from a set near clusters of ideal points and with preference curves often approximating single-peakedness — is a more realistic picture of legislative choice than is unconstrained choice among an infinity of alternatives. Finally, I note that some of the factors I have discussed can be incorporated under the general heading of institutional structures. Procedures for ordering alternatives to be voted on, for example, are part of an institution's rules. The existence of multiple agenda setters may also be part of the formal structure (e.g., committee chairmen), but it may not be (e.g., factions may come and go). In contrast, the selection of alternatives near members' ideal points is never written into formal procedures. Nor is any form of single-peakedness ever structurally mandated. Thus institutional structures and other factors combine to create at least short-run stability in the real world.
Adolescents and eating disorders: Gender, racial, ethnic, sociocultural and socioeconomic issues.

Little is known about the incidence and prevalence of eating disorders among adolescents of color who are poor or identify themselves as gay or lesbian. Among American women, eating disturbances are equally as common among Native, Asian, or Hispanic Americans as they are among Caucasians. African Americans were at higher risk of developing eating disorders than were Hispanic and Asian Americans. Media and gender-role body stereotype and body dissatisfaction are strongly linked and have been shown to be the strongest predictors of disordered eating. As these youth adopt Western values about beauty, they may be at increased risk for developing eating disorders.
Further studies of the influence of potassium upon aldosterone production in the rat.

In the present study we have shown that the rat adrenal can respond in vitro to small increases in potassium concentration which are similar to the increases in plasma potassium concentration that have been previously shown to occur during sodium depletion. Although the chronically K-loaded rat has normal plasma [K] levels in the morning, we have shown that plasma potassium concentration is increased if measured at night, this providing a way by which the adrenal can detect increases in K balance. These observations are discussed in relation to the role of potassium in the regulation of aldosterone secretion. (Endocrinology 90: 299, 1972)
Systematic Design of Supply Regulated LC -Tank Voltage-Controlled Oscillators

Systematic design of low-dropout-regulator (LDO) regulated low-phase-noise LC-tank voltage controlled oscillators (VCOs) is presented. Low-frequency sensitivity profile of power supply induced phase noise of a typical cross-coupled LC-tank VCO is investigated. The relationship between frequency pushing and power supply-induced phase noise is derived. Systematic codesign of VCO sensitivity to low-frequency supply noise with respect to an LDO output noise and power supply rejection profile is introduced. To demonstrate the design approach experimentally, two 2.4-GHz LC-tank VCOs with pMOS and nMOS switching devices powered by PFET LDOs are designed and fabricated on an 0.18-mum, 7-layer metal CMOS process. By using an integrated LDO, it is shown that the VCO phase-noise sensitivity to low frequency improves by 55 dB at 100-kHz offset.
Electronic structure of actinide monosulfides and monophosphides

Abstract Magnetic properties of actinide intermetallic compounds are strongly dependent on the amount of 5f-electron hybridization with other electrons in the valence and conduction bands. Because of the hybridization, the magnetic moment of the actinide ion in many intermetallic compounds deviates strongly from theoretically calculated values based on free-ion or crystal-field models. The effective valence and bonding scheme of the monosulfides AnS, and monophosphides AnP, with An = U, Np, Pu are studied in the self-consistent local density theory using an embedded cluster model. The potential of the host rock-salt lattice is determined self-consistently from least-squares representations of the cluster charge and spin density obtained from variational solutions of the relativistic Dirac-Slater equations. Involvement of actinide 5f orbitals in bonding to ligands as well as in “crystal field” states is noted. A moment-polarized method is used to explore magnetization densities in these compounds in a fully relativistic framework. Net magnetic moments calculated from partially occupied Kramer's pairs are found to depend strongly upon bond length, with obvious implications for pressure and composition dependence of magnetic properties.
NASA STD -4005 - The LEO Spacecraft Charging Design Standard

Power systems with voltages higher than about 55 volts may charge in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) enough to cause destructive arcing. The NASA STD-4005 LEO Spacecraft Charging Design Standard will help spacecraft designers prevent arcing and other deleterious effects on LEO spacecraft. The Appendices, an Information Handbook based on the popular LEO Spacecraft Charging Design Guidelines by Ferguson and Hillard, serve as a useful explanation and accompaniment to the Standard.
Medulloepithelioma in DICER1 syndrome treated with resection.

Sir, Medulloepithelioma is usually unilateral and arises from the nonpigmented epithelium of the ciliary body and rarely from the optic nerve. They generally occur in the first decade of life and present as a fleshy pink tan mass. We report here a familial cancer predisposition syndrome, which is not well documented in the ophthalmology literature.
Synthesis of Nickel Nanowires via Electroless Nanowire Deposition on Micropatterned Substrates

Electroless nanowire deposition on micropatterned substrates (ENDOM) is a promising new technique by which to direct the synthesis and precise placement of metallic nanowires. ENDOM is generally applicable to the preparation of metallic, semiconducting, and even insulating nanowires on technologically relevant substrates, is inexpensive, and can achieve high growth rates. The deposited nanowires are ultralong (centimeters) and can be patterned in arbitrary shapes. We demonstrate ENDOM using the growth of nickel nanowires. By controlling the deposition time, the width of the nanowires can be varied from 200 to 1000 nm and the height can be varied from 7 to 20 nm.
250 THYROXINE (T4) ACCELERATES EPIDERMAL GROWTH FACTOR (EGF) PRODUCTION IN NEONATAL MOUSE SUBMAXILLARY GLAND(SMG)

EGF is a 6045 MW protein found in highest concentration in mouse SMG. It is known to accelerate epidermal maturation in rodents, i.e., hair differentiation, incisor eruption and neonatal eyelid opening. Previously, we have described the normal, rapid, logarithmic increase in EGF concentration in mouse SMG during the first 60 days of life as well as an increase in adult SMG-EGF after T4 treatment. In the present study we report the effect of T4 on EGF production during development. Sixteen newborn albino mice were randomly allotted to 2 litters. Pups in 1 litter received T4 from birth (1.0 μg T4 daily); the other litter served as controls. Mice were sacrificed on postnatal day 17. The SMG were dissected, homogenized and assayed for EGF by a specific radioimmunoassay sensitive to 20 pg per tube. Eyelid opening in the T4 treated animals was noted 48-72 hours prior to eyelid opening in the matched controls. No significant differences in mean body or SMG weights were noted between groups. EGF concentrations in control and T4 treated SMG were 0.025±.003 and 33.5±4.1 ng/mg tissue, respectively (Mean ± S.E.). A similar mean increase of 1800 fold was observed when results were expressed as ng EGF/mg SMG protein. Conclusions: 1) T4 markedly increases EGF concentration in the developing mouse SMG. 2) T4 accelerates epidermal maturation in the developing mouse. Speculation: The epidermal maturational effects of T4 may be mediated by EGF.
Oxygen ordering, phase separation and the 60-K and 90-K plateaus in YBa2Cu3Ox

A PLOT of the superconducting transition temperature (Tc) against oxygen content (x) for YBa2Cu3Ox exhibits two 'plateaus' when oxygen is removed from the material at low temperatures. Tc remains nearly constant at ∼60K for x= 6.6–6.7 and nearly constant at ∼90 K for x= 6.8–7.0. It is now common to assume that there are two distinct superconducting phases in YBa2Cu3Ox, the '60-K' and '90-K' phases, and that the two plateaus correspond to single-phase regions of the respective phases1,2. YBa2Cu3Ox samples prepared at low temperatures contain a variety of ordered oxygen superstructures3–5. Several theoretical studies have tried to predict the phase equilibria between these ordered structures6,7 and to explain how oxygen ordering leads to the Tc plateaus8,9, but no clear understanding of the interrelationships amongst these factors has yet emerged. This is partly because the techniques used previously to prepare the low-temperature samples do not control or monitor all of the key processing variables, particularly the oxygen partial pressure. Here we report on the ordered oxygen structures and superconducting properties of YBa2Cu3Ox samples prepared in precisely controlled oxygen environments using a solid-state ionic technique. We find no evidence for phase separ-ation between structures that have widely different oxygen content, but we do see electron diffraction evidence for phase separation between distinct phases that differ only slightly in oxygen content, and these regions of phase separation coincide with the Tc plateaus. These results show that the commonly held view that the two plateaus correspond to single-phase regions of respective 60-K and 90-K phases is incorrect: the changes in superconducting properties with oxygen content in YBa2Cu3Ox cannot be explained on this basis.
A STRATEGY FOR RESEARCH ON MODEL FORMULATION

The starting point for this commentary is Sacks’ and Doyle's conclusion that a central problem for qualitative physics is automating mathematical model formulation. We believe that model formulation is also a central problem for operations research, and although we have focused on models for production planning rather than for engineering systems analysis, our experience confirms that of Sacks and Doyle, that at least parts of model formulation are amenable to automation. In terms of their recommendations for future research, their strategy seems to emphasize the formalization of mathematical knowledge. We wish to stress that understanding the design or analysis context, the problem domain, and resource constraints on the modeling process is equally important. Methods used in cognitive psychology for understanding human problem solving, such as protocol analysis, can complement mathematical study by helping us understanding the processing that human modelers use to bring mathematical knowledge to bear. We have been using the results of such analyses to guide the creation of a model formulation system (MFS) within the Soar architecture. The use of cognitive studies and computer models in tandem seems to represent a viable strategy for making progress in this area.
MO‐FF‐A3‐05: Tools and Methods for Consensus Generation From Experts' Contours for Radiotherapy Structure Definition

Purpose: The aim of this work is to develop software tool to that is capable of analyzing and estimating consensus contour for target volumes and critical structures from experts' contours for radiotherapytreatment planning.Materials/Methods: The tool was developed as an add‐in for CERR (A Computational Environment for Radiotherapy Research). The tool can obtain consensus contour based on two statistical methods as well as apparent intersection between experts' structures. The two statistical approaches include (i) Kappa‐corrected algorithm and (ii) Expectation‐maximization (EM) algorithm for simultaneous truth and performance level estimation (STAPLE). The tool was used to obtain consensus contour for two studies: (i) Clinical target volume (CTV) definitions of post‐operative prostate cancer patient contoured by 11 radiation oncologists and (ii) CTV and normal structures in rectal cancer contoured by 6 radiation oncologists.Results: The consensus contouring module was developed in Matlab/CERR. The users can choose structures to obtain consensus from and the tool provides graphs of consensus contours at any desired CT slice in any of the transverse, saggittal or coronal views. Users can interactively set the confidence level to obtain desired consensus estimate using any of the three available methods. The tool offers an option to generate basic statistics report about minimum, maximum, mean, median intersection volumes, and estimates of agreement levels, and export this information to an excel file for further analysis of data. Conclusions: We have developed a tool that can be used to guide radiotherapists to obtain estimates of different contours consensus at selected statistical confidence levels. It allows for better quantification of the differences in contour definition among oncologists and their effects on treatment outcomes. It can also be used as a learning tool for residents, where they can draw contours and compare them with experts' consensus.
Five Arguments for Increasing Public Participation in Making Science Policy

In this article, the author, after describing the technocratic nature of the current science policy process, presents five arguments for changing it into a more participatory one. All five arguments draw on different sectors of the STS endeavor—both high and low church—to show why increased public involvement would benefit science. The first argues that the degree of potential harm from science-based technology demands greater accountability. The second draws on the adage that the buyer should have some say on the product. The third uses the social constructed nature of science. The fourth builds on feminist and marxist arguments. Finally, the last uses Kant to claim that all people matter. The author ends by providing a quick view describing the appearance of a more participa-tory process. The key is not the final process but the process of working together to reach it.
The Supreme Court Under Edward Douglass White, 1910-1921

This volume chronicles a transformation in American jurisprudence that mirrored the widespread political, economic and social upheavals of the early 20th century. White's tenure coincided with a shift from a rural to an urban society and the emergence of the US as a world power.
Medication status affects the relationship of symptoms to prepulse inhibition of acoustic startle in schizophrenia

Inhibition of the acoustic startle response by a smaller preliminary nonstartling stimulus is termed prepulse inhibition (PPI). Schizophrenia patients have impairments in PPI that may not fully normalize even when they are clinically stable on medication, particularly typical antipsychotics. There is evidence that more severe symptoms are associated with more severe PPI abnormalities, but the effect of antipsychotics on this relationship is not clear. Seventy-three male schizophrenia patients underwent acoustic startle and PPI testing. Symptom ratings were performed using the Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale (BPRS) and its subscales. Fifty-two subjects were treated with antipsychotic medication at time of testing; 21 were unmedicated. For all subjects, PPI was negatively correlated with the BPRS psychological discomfort subscale but not with BPRS total symptoms, BPRS positive symptoms or BPRS negative symptoms. For medicated subjects analyzed separately, there were no correlations with BPRS total scores or any subscales. For the unmedicated subjects analyzed separately, there were significant correlations of lower PPI with greater severity of BPRS total symptoms, positive symptoms and the psychological discomfort subscale. These data indicate that more severe symptoms are associated with lower PPI, but that medication status is an important factor in the relationship between symptom severity and sensorimotor gating.
Incidence of neoplasia in Hashimoto's thyroiditis : a fine-needle aspiration study

There is a recognized association between Hashimoto's thyroiditis (HT) and thyroid neoplasms. We reviewed fine-needle aspirations (FNAs) from 90 patients with HT to assess the contribution of this procedure. For seven patients, FNA showed HT and follicular neoplasm (n = 6) or HT and papillary carcinoma (n = 1). Eighteen patients underwent thyroid resection. Three patients had follicular adenomas which were not detected by FNA, one patient had papillary carcinoma confirmed, and six patients with follicular neoplasm by FNA were negative for tumor. Thus, 4% of our patients had confirmed neoplasms, an incidence lower than usually reported. One reason for the lower rate of neoplasia in our series was misinterpretation of follicular neoplasia in the background of HT. The cytologic changes in the hyperplastic follicular and metaplastic oncocytic epithelium are similar to those seen in follicular neoplasm. Our study suggests that these processes may be indistinguishable, and thus, in the presence of HT, the diagnosis of follicular neoplasm probably should not be rendered.
Medical Decisions Made by Surrogates for Persons with Advanced Dementia within Weeks or Months of Death.

Background: Surrogates make all medical decisions for persons with advanced dementia. This study describes the types of medical decisions that surrogates faced prior to the person's death and their perceived difficulty and satisfaction with those decisions. Methods: Seventy-six surrogates of nursing home residents meeting hospice criteria for dementia were followed longitudinally and interviewed following the death of the person with dementia. Results: The most common decisions made were related to transfer to hospital, diagnostic testing, and placement of a feeding tube. Surrogates perceived decisions to not treat to be more difficult than decisions to treat. Conclusions: Surrogates frequently are faced with making medical decisions for persons with advanced dementia near the end of life. Clinicians can help surrogates by acknowledging the difficulty of making decisions to not treat.
Development of Nevirapine Resistance in Infants Is Reduced by Use of Infant-Only Single-Dose Nevirapine plus Zidovudine Postexposure Prophylaxis for the Prevention of Mother-to-Child Transmission of HIV-1

We analyzed the development of nevirapine (NVP) resistance in human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1)-infected Malawian infants who received regimens containing single-dose NVP (SD-NVP) for the prevention of mother-to-child transmission (MTCT) of HIV-1. All infants received SD-NVP, and some randomly received zidovudine (ZDV) as well. Mothers did or did not receive SD-NVP on the basis of when they arrived at the hospital for delivery. In infants 6-8 weeks of age, NVP resistance was less frequent when infants had received SD-NVP plus ZDV and mothers had not received SD-NVP than when infants had received SD-NVP alone and mothers had received SD-NVP (4/15 [27%] vs. 20/23 [87%]; P < .001). The risk of MTCT of HIV-1 was comparable with these regimens. Infant-only prophylaxis also eliminates the development of NVP resistance in mothers.
From Program to Performance BudgetingThe Challenge for Emerging Market Economies

Many emerging market economies are trying to improve their budget processes and move to performance-based budgeting. This paper first reviews the evolution of the "new" performance budgeting model, increasingly being applied in industrial countries. By identifying its main components, the tasks faced by emerging market economies when converting their present budget systems to this model are determined. It is recognized that this conversion will not be easy and wall require four major reform elements. First, any existing program structure must be set in the wider context of strategic budget planning and medium-term budget frameworks. Second, this typically involves redesigning and refining existing program structures. Third, existing budget-costing systems and associated skills will probably need to be improved. Fourth, and perhaps most difficult, a new system of accountability and budget incentives needs to be introduced. For emerging market economies, these should be viewed as the prerequisites for a successful introduction of the new performance-budgeting model.
Something (important) is out there! Effects of prime arousal and location on evaluative priming

The ability of an organism to rapidly process parafoveal information to identify motivationally significant stimuli is important for survival. The evaluative priming paradigm is useful for examining whether evaluation of hostile/hospitable stimuli in the parafovea has occurred. Three evaluative priming experiments that varied the valence and arousal of prime stimuli were conducted. In the first experiment, primes were presented foveally and prime arousal did not moderate the standard evaluative priming effect (i.e., faster responses when prime and target valence matched). In the next two experiments, primes were presented parafoveally and prime arousal moderated evaluative priming such that priming was greater for high than low arousing primes. These findings are aligned with dual competition models positing that sensory and response systems compete for limited resources during emotional processing. Greater stimulus arousal enhances this dual competition during parafoveal processing, enabling the organisms to disengage and attend to the periphery.
Sector Perceptions among State-Level Public Managers

This is a pre-copy-editing, author-produced PDF of an article accepted for publication in Journal of Public Administration Research and Theory following peer review. The definitive publisher-authenticated version Feeney, M. K. (2008). Sector perceptions among state-level public managers. Journal of Public Administration Research and Theory, 18(3), 465-494 is available online at: doi:10.1093/jopart/mum025.
Peer-mediated discrete trial training within a school setting

Abstract The present study evaluated the feasibility and effects of a peer-mediated, school-based, discrete trial training (DTT) protocol for students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Six typically developing elementary-age peers were trained to implement a basic DTT protocol. A multiple baseline across student interventionists design was utilized to evaluate the integrity with which trained peers implemented the DTT protocol and the efficacy of the student interventionists in training target academic behaviors. Results indicate that student interventionists acquired skills to implement the DTT protocol with high levels of integrity. Additionally, it was observed that participation in peer-mediated DTT resulted in mastery of target academic skills by participants with ASD. Measures of acceptability indicated high levels of student interventionist satisfaction with intervention procedures.
Basal Joint Arthrosis: Radiographic Assessment of the Trapezial Space Before and After Ligament Reconstruction and Tendon Interposition Arthroplasty

A radiographic method was developed, the trapezial space ratio, for assessing the space occupied by the trapezium (a space defined by the distal scaphoid and thumb metacarpal base divided by the thumb proximal phalanx). This method was applied to 100 normal thumb radiographs and to the radiographs of 15 patients with symptomatic degenerative arthrosis of the thumb basal joint before and after operative treatment with ligamentous reconstruction and tendon interposition arthroplasty. The trapezial space ratio averaged 0.476 +/- 0.033 for radiographs of normal thumbs, 0.372 +/- 0.084 for the pre-operative radiographs of thumbs with symptomatic basal joint arthrosis, and 0.270 +/- 0.078 for the radiographs of thumbs following basal joint arthroplasty. A significant reduction in the trapezial space ratio was noted when values from arthritic thumbs were compared to those of normal thumbs (22%; P < 0.0001). A further reduction in the trapezial space ratio was noted when post-operative values were compared to pre-operative ones (27%; P < 0.0002). Comparing post-operative trapezial space ratio values to values obtained in normal thumbs, a reduction of 43% was found in those thumbs treated operatively. These finding indicate that the trapezial space is reduced significantly in thumbs with severe degenerative arthrosis compared to normal thumbs and that ligament construction tendon interposition arthroplasty is not entirely successful in either restoring or maintaining the length of the thumb ray.
Moran’s Authority and Estrangement

First person authority, argues Moran, is not to be understood as a matter of having some especially good observational access to certain facts about oneself. We can imagine a person who can report accurately on her own psychological states, for example because she can perform, without conscious thought, extremely reliable psychoanalytic-style diagnoses of herself. But the 'authority' with which she produces her judgements (the authority of the expert witness) resembles that which she could have about another person in that it can exist even when she does not endorse or identify with the states she reports on. In imagining such a person we see that her speech about herself is very different from our more usual sort of psychological self-attributions and that something central to their authority, something we want to explain, has gone missing. Also the observational view does not illuminate why it is only (certain) psychological states to which one can have such privileged access, and only one's own; nor does it explain why loss of such access is a serious matter.
Development of a Standardized Test of Computer Literacy and a Computer Anxiety Index

Definitions of the three components of computer literacy and of computer anxiety were used in a nationwide survey of instructional computing educators to develop a list of seventy competencies of t...
The Internal Economics of the Firm: Evidence from Personnel Data

We analyze twenty years of personnel data from one firm. The hierarchical structure is quite simple and stable. Career movements suggest that the employee's rate of learning and the firm's learning about ability are important. There are promotion "fast tracks." Exit rates vary little with tenure or salary. The firm has personnel policies like those described in the internal labor markets literature, although several theoretical preconditions for ILMs, such as ports of entry and exit, are lacking. Job levels are important to compensation, but there is also substantial individual variation in pay within levels. Our companion paper (in this issue) explores the wage policy of this firm.
Forecasting change using an interregional homogeneity index

This study of employment change in the Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, SMSA applies an index of interregional homogeneity to determine the extent to which the industrial structure of the region over a nine-year period has been modifiedvis-a-vis that of the rest of the nation. Indices derived from the analysis are synthesized with a modified employment shift model to forecast expected employment for twenty-two industries in the ABE, SMSA for the year 1975. It is demonstrated that an interregional homogeneity index when combined with a shift and share model can be adapted to systematically forecast regional change. The concept employed is to first stratify the allocation of change to a sub-region in total and then to each industry.
Noise reduction efforts for the ALS infrared beamlines

The quality of infrared microscopy and spectroscopy data collected at synchrotron based sources is strongly dependent on signal-to-noise. We have successfully identified and suppressed several noise sources affecting Beamlines 1.4.2, 1.4.3, and 1.4.4 at the Advanced Light Source (ALS), resulting in a significant increase in the quality of FTIR spectra obtained. In this paper, we present our methods of noise source analysis, the negative effect of noise on the infrared beam quality, and the techniques used to reduce the noise. These include reducing the phase noise in the storage ring radio-frequency (RF) system, installing an active mirror feedback system, analyzing and changing physical mounts to better isolate portions of the beamline optics from low-frequency environmental noise, and modifying the input signals to the main ALS RF system. We also discuss the relationship between electron beam energy oscillations at a point of dispersion and infrared beamline noise.
Constructions and existence of tight fusion frames

Fusion frames are an emerging topic of frame theory, with applications to communications and distributed processing. However, until recently, little was known about the existence of tight fusion frames, much less how to construct them. We discuss a new method for constructing tight fusion frames which is akin to playing Tetris with the spectrum of the frame operator. When combined with some easily obtained necessary conditions, these Spectral Tetris constructions provide a near complete characterization of the existence of tight fusion frames.
An Unknown French Whitmaniac

Describes a seventy-page French pamphlet by a hitherto unknown French writer and journalist known as R. de Maratray.
The Polycystic Ovary Morphology-Polycystic Ovary Syndrome Spectrum.

Abstract Background Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is the most common cause of chronic hyperandrogenic anovulation. Two-thirds of PCOS patients have functionally typical PCOS, with typical functional ovarian hyperandrogenism manifest as 17-hydroxyprogesterone hyper-responsiveness to gonadotropin stimulation. Most, but not all, of the remainder have atypical functional ovarian hyperandrogenism. Many asymptomatic volunteers with polycystic ovary morphology (PCOM) have similar abnormalities. Objective The objective of this paper is to review the relationship of biochemical ovarian function to the clinical spectrum observed in PCOS and in normal volunteers with PCOM. Findings Adolescents and adults with PCOS are similar clinically and biochemically. Ninety-five percent of functionally typical PCOS have classic PCOS, ie, hyperandrogenic anovulation with PCOM. In addition to having more severe hyperandrogenism and a greater prevalence of PCOM than other PCOS, they have a significantly greater prevalence of glucose intolerance although insulin resistance is similarly reduced. Half of normal-variant PCOM have PCOS-related steroidogenic dysfunction, which suggests a PCOS carrier state. Conclusions There is a spectrum of ovarian androgenic dysfunction that ranges from subclinical hyperandrogenemia in some normal-variant PCOM to severe ovarian hyperandrogenism in most classic PCOS. A minority of mild PCOS cases do not fall on this spectrum of ovarian androgenic dysfunction, but rather seem to have obesity as the basis of their hyperandrogenism, or, less often, isolated adrenal androgenic dysfunction. Half of normal-variant PCOM also do not fall on the PCOS spectrum, and some of these seem to have excessive folliculogenesis as a variant that may confer mild prolongation of the reproductive lifespan. Improved understanding of PCOM in young women is needed.
Enhanced Techniques for Asymmetry Quantification in Brain Imagery

We present an automated generic methodology for symmetry identification and asymmetry quantification, novel method of identifying and delineation of brain pathology by analyzing the opposing sides of the brain utilizing of inherent left-right symmetry in the brain. After symmetry axis has been detected, we apply non-parametric statistical tests operating on the pairs of samples to identify initial seeds points which is defined defined as the pixels where the most statistically significant difference appears. Local region growing is performed on the difference map, from where the seeds are aggregating until it captures all 8-way connected high signals from the difference map. We illustrate the capability of our method with examples ranging from tumors in patient MR data to animal stroke data. The validation results on Rat stroke data have shown that this approach has promise to achieve high precision and full automation in segmenting lesions in reflectional symmetrical objects.
Taking Care of Kids: A Director's Concerns about Environmental Hazards.

Pesticides. Environmental tobacco smoke. Lead. Toxic art materials. Asbestos. Every day news reports highlight the newfound dangers of these and other substances. Our commitment to the children we serve makes their health and safety a priority when it comes to these environmental hazards. But others may not have a similar view.
How reduction of theta rhythm by medial septum inactivation may covary with disruption of entorhinal grid cell responses due to reduced cholinergic transmission

Oscillations in the coordinated firing of brain neurons have been proposed to play important roles in perception, cognition, attention, learning, navigation, and sensory-motor control. The network theta rhythm has been associated with properties of spatial navigation, as has the firing of entorhinal grid cells and hippocampal place cells. Two recent studies reduced the theta rhythm by inactivating the medial septum (MS) and demonstrated a correlated reduction in the characteristic hexagonal spatial firing patterns of grid cells. These results, along with properties of intrinsic membrane potential oscillations (MPOs) in slice preparations of entorhinal cells, have been interpreted to support oscillatory interference models of grid cell firing. The current article shows that an alternative self-organizing map model of grid cells can explain these data about intrinsic and network oscillations without invoking oscillatory interference. In particular, the adverse effects of MS inactivation on grid cells can be understood in terms of how the concomitant reduction in cholinergic inputs may increase the conductances of leak potassium (K+) and slow and medium after-hyperpolarization (sAHP and mAHP) channels. This alternative model can also explain data that are problematic for oscillatory interference models, including how knockout of the HCN1 gene in mice, which flattens the dorsoventral gradient in MPO frequency and resonance frequency, does not affect the development of the grid cell dorsoventral gradient of spatial scales, and how hexagonal grid firing fields in bats can occur even in the absence of theta band modulation. These results demonstrate how models of grid cell self-organization can provide new insights into the relationship between brain learning, oscillatory dynamics, and navigational behaviors.
Preventing Rapid Repeat Pregnancy and Promoting Positive Parenting among Young Mothers in Foster Care

Young mothers in foster care face considerable challenges above and beyond that of their non–foster care peers. Child welfare workers have few resources to guide them in the selection of evidence-informed programs, models, and strategies that address the unique risk factors and needs of youth in foster care who are at risk for rapid repeat pregnancy and inadequate parenting practices. Workers need knowledge of the evidence about which programs are most likely to improve key health and well-being outcomes. The article assesses the evidence-based programs identified and yields a list that reflects the best evidence for efficacy and effectiveness.
A new satellite retrieval method for precipitable water vapor over land and ocean

[1] A fundamentally new method is presented for retrieving precipitable water vapor (PWV) using observations from the Advanced Microwave Scanning Radiometer for EOS (AMSR-E) satellite instrument. Unlike all existing passive satellite methods, the new technique is applicable both day and night, over ocean and land surfaces, and with little sensitivity to clouds. The method relies on a simple but accurate parameterization for AMSR-E polarization-difference signals at 18.7 and 23.8 GHz. Over land, validation is based on comparisons with the SuomiNet network of ground-based GPS receivers. With quality control measures applied, RMS retrieval errors over land are limited to approximately six mm with a linear correlation coefficient of 0.89. Differences with the operational AMSR-E oceanic PWV product are typically less than two mm. Products based on the new method should prove valuable in weather and climate research.
Assessment of Growth Factor Treatment on Fibrochondrocyte and Chondrocyte Co-Cultures for TMJ Fibrocartilage Engineering

Treatments for patients suffering from severe temporomandibular joint (TMJ) dysfunction are limited, motivating the development of strategies for tissue regeneration. In this study, co-cultures of fibrochondrocytes (FC) and articular chondrocytes (AC) were seeded in agarose wells, and supplemented with growth factors, to engineer tissue with biomechanical properties and ECM composition similar to native TMJ fibrocartilage. In the first phase, growth factors were applied alone and in combination, in the presence or absence of serum, while in the second phase, the best overall treatment was applied at intermittent dosing. Continuous treatment of AC/FC co-cultures with TGF-β1 in serum-free medium resulted in constructs with GAG/WW (12.2%), instantaneous compressive moduli (790 kPa), relaxed compressive moduli (120 kPa), and Young’s moduli (1.87 MPa) that overlap with native TMJ disc values. Among co-culture groups, TGF-β1 treatment increased collagen deposition ~20%, compressive stiffness ~130%, and Young’s modulus ~170% relative to no growth factor controls. Serum supplementation, though generally detrimental to functional properties, was identified as a powerful mediator of FC construct morphology. Finally, both intermittent and continuous TGF-β1 treatment showed positive effects, though continuous treatment resulted in greater enhancement of construct functional properties. This work proposes a strategy for regeneration of TMJ fibrocartilage and its future application will be realized through translation of these findings to clinically viable cell sources.
An EPA program for monitoring ecological status and trends.

Despite hundreds of millions of dollars spent annually in the United States on environmental monitoring, policy and decision makers seldom have ready access to monitoring data to aid in prioritizing reasearch and assessment efforts or to assess the extent to which current policies are meeting the desired objectives. EPA is currently conducting research to evaluate options for establishing an integrated, cooperative monitoring program, with participation by federal, state, and private entities, that could result in annual statistical reports and interpretive summaries on the status and trends in indicators of adverse disturbance and corresponding ‘health’ of the nation's ecosystem on the regional and national scale.
In Vitro Metabolism of Progesterone and 20α-Hydroxypregn-4-en-3-one by Tissues of the Female Rat

In vitro incubation of progesterone with preparations of muscle and adipose tissue from female rats resulted in the formation of 20α-hydroxypregn-4-en-3-one. Comparison of the 20α-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase activity of rat ovarian tissue with activities of those enzymes catalyzing reduction of ring A demonstrated a large disparity in favor of side chain reduction. Absence of 3-keto-5α-pregnane intermediates from incubations of ovarian tissue suggested that the rate of ring A reduction was limited by the activity of the Δ4-5α-reductase. Activity of the 20αhydroxysteroid dehydrogenase in ovary contrasted with that in kidney, where it seemed to be only a fraction of the ring A reducing systems. Kidney slices predominantly reduced both progesterone and 20α-hydroxypregn-4-en-3-one to mixtures of their corresponding 3- keto-5α-pregnane and 3α-hydroxy-5α-pregnane derivatives. 3α- and 20α-Hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase activities disappeared following homogenization and were not restored by TPNH addition. Progest...
Empirical Evidence of the Contributions of Leisure Services to Alleviating Social Problems: A Key to Repositioning the Leisure Services Field

Abstract Relatively concise executive summaries are provided of the scientific evidence supporting the leisure services field's contributions to seven elements of alleviating social problems: reducing environmental stress, community regeneration, cultural and historical preservation, facilitating healthy lifestyles, alleviating deviant behavior among youth, raising levels of educational attainment, and alleviating unemployment distress. By aligning with these seven issues which are increasingly prominent on political agendas, it is suggested that leisure services can be repositioned from being relatively discretionary services to being a central element in the strategies used by government entities to address these issues of concern.
Atlantic and Pacific SST influences on Medieval drought in North America simulated by the Community Atmospheric Model

[1] Severe drought is arguably one of the greatest recurring natural disasters that strikes North America. A synthesis of multiproxy data shows that North America was in the grip of a severe centennial-scale drought during medieval times (800–1300 AD). In this study, the Community Atmospheric Model (CAM) is used to investigate the role of sea surface temperature (SST) anomalies from the North Atlantic and the tropical Pacific Ocean on this megadrought. These anomalies are obtained from proxy reconstructions of SST. Four model experiments with prescribed SST anomalies in the tropical Pacific and/or North Atlantic Ocean were made. The CAM results captured the major dry features that occurred during medieval times in North America. The cold tropical Pacific alone can simulate essentially the drought intensity, while the warm North Atlantic alone can simulate the drought areal extent. The two working together can explain the severity and longevity of the drought. During the spring season, the cool tropical Pacific, or the warm North Atlantic, or both, results in less moisture transport to the High Plains, with a 15–40% decrease in rainfall. The importance of the Atlantic Ocean on medieval drought in North America suggests that attention should be paid not only to the tropical Pacific Ocean but also to the North Atlantic Ocean in understanding the North America drought variability and predictability, both at present and during the past. This is especially true because the Pacific Ocean SST anomalies in medieval times as recorded by proxy data are somewhat controversial, while the North Atlantic anomalies seem more certain.