cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Species-Specific Structural and Functional Divergence of α-Crystallins: Zebrafish αBa- and Rodent αA(ins)-Crystallin Encode Activated Chaperones.

In addition to contributing to lens optical properties, the α-crystallins are small heat shock proteins that possess chaperone activity and are predicted to bind and sequester destabilized proteins to delay cataract formation. The current model of α-crystallin chaperone mechanism envisions a transition from the native oligomer to an activated form that has higher affinity to non-native states of the substrate. Previous studies have suggested that this oligomeric plasticity is encoded in the primary sequence and controls access to high affinity binding sites within the N-terminal domain. Here, we further examined the role of sequence variation in the context of species-specific α-crystallins from rat and zebrafish. Alternative splicing of the αA gene in rodents produces αAins, which is distinguished by a longer N-terminal domain. The zebrafish genome includes duplicate αB-crystallin genes, αBa and αBb, which display divergent primary sequence and tissue expression patterns. Equilibrium binding experiments ...
Design of high-voltage isolated communication interface based on plastic optical fiber

By comparing characteristics and applications area of various isolated digital communications,this article indicates advantages of plastic optical fiber in isolated digital communications.Using the standardized TOSLINK interface,it helps to control costs and difficulty in hardware development and design.Then it gives the hardware driver circuit of plastic optical fiber module,explains the noticed details in design process,gives results on the basis of the optical transceiver module voltage characteristics and frequency characteristics tests.Finally,it gives typical application circuit of the SPI communication port by using plastic optical fiber isolation.The results show that this design can be referenced for the power field,power electronics and instrumentation design.
Requirement for Na(+)-dependent ascorbic acid transport in osteoblast function

Ascorbic acid is necessary for expression of the osteoblast phenotype. We examined whether Na(+)-dependent transport is required for MC3T3-E1 preosteoblast cells to respond to vitamin C and investigated the role of membrane transport in the intracellular accumulation and function of ascorbate. MC3T3-E1 cells were found to possess a saturable, stereoselective, Na(+)-dependent ascorbic acid transport activity that is sensitive to the transport inhibitors sulfinpyrazone, 4,4'-diisothiocyanostilbene-2,2'-disulfonic acid, and phloretin. Transport activity showed no competition with glucose or 2-deoxyglucose and was not inhibited by cytochalasin B, indicating that it is distinct from known hexose transporters. On addition of 100 microM ascorbic acid to the extracellular medium, intracellular concentrations of 10 mM were reached within 5-10 h and remained constant for up to 24 h. A good correlation was observed between intracellular ascorbic acid concentration and rate of hydroxyproline synthesis. Although ascorbic acid was transported preferentially compared with D-isoascorbic acid, both isomers had equivalent activity in stimulating hydroxyproline formation once they entered cells. Marked stereoselectivity for extracellular L-ascorbic acid relative to D-isoascorbic acid was also seen when alkaline phosphatase and total hydroxyproline were measured after 6 days in culture. Moreover, ascorbic acid transport inhibitors that prevented intracellular accumulation of vitamin blocked the synthesis of hydroxyproline. Thus Na(+)-dependent ascorbic acid transport is required for MC3T3-E1 cells to achieve the millimolar intracellular vitamin C concentrations necessary for maximal prolyl hydroxylase activity and expression of the osteoblast phenotype.
Contributions of educative document-based curricular materials to quality of historical instruction

Abstract This case study explores whether and to what extent a history curriculum with educative features can contribute to the quality of historical instruction. Analyses focus on one teacher’s implementation of three lessons from a document-based history curriculum with educative features explicitly designed to support teacher enactment. We found that the teacher’s limited subject matter and pedagogical content knowledge constrained the quality of historical instruction. At the same time, we observed instances of the teacher supporting historical reading, and of unprompted student participation in historical thinking and questioning. Our findings suggest promising directions for the design of educative document-based history lessons.
Effectiveness of Brainwriting Techniques: Comparing Nominal Groups to Real Teams

Engineering designers need effective and efficient methods for idea generation. This study compares the effectiveness of group idea generation techniques to the combined efforts of individuals working alone with redundant ideas removed, so called “nominal groups”. Nominal groups compared to real interacting groups is a standard approach for determine if a group idea generation method can produce better solutions then individuals working alone. This study compares nominal group data to existing data on a series of group idea generation techniques. Results show that groups using rotational viewing and representing their ideas with words & sketches, a hybrid 6-3-5 method, outperform nominal groups in number ideas and have an equal level of quality. This result is in contrast to comparing Brainstorming groups to nominal groups where nominal groups outperform Brainstorming groups. These results indicate that a team can be more effective than individuals working separately.
Marshalling situation-based evidence in identity cases

This paper presents an expanded framework for identification of agents in a given scenario, particularly in relation to criminal justice. This identification is centered around an id-case, a set of situations leading up to a judgment of agent identity. The id-case consists of an id-situation, where the actual judgment is made, and a number of resource situations, which support the id-situation. The notion of situations used is based on Barwise and Perry's situation theory and expressed using semantic web notation. Each id-case corresponds to a justification-based mass function, which can be combined with other mass functions using Dempster-Shafer theory. This paper explores the relation between the id-situations, which provide similarity measures that serve as a basis for an initial mass function, and resource situations, which can modify that mass function in a number of ways.
Magnetoabsorption of the indirect transition in germanium

Abstract The indirect transition magnetoabsorption in germanium at 1.7°K has been studied in the Faraday configuration with the magnetic field perpendicular to the (100), (111) and (110) faces respectively and at fields of up to 74 kG. The main features in the Landau transition spectrum are due to transitions from the states at the top of the valence bands to the electronic ladders in the conduction band. The periodicities obtained in the spectra enabled us to determine the effective masses of the conduction band electrons; the values obtained are in good agreement with those determined from cyclotron resonance. A fine structure corresponding to the spacings of the ladders in the valence bands was observed superposed on the gross structure due to transitions to successive electronic levels; this fine structure was analyzed and a number of valence band levels were identified. Values of the free electron g -factor were deduced and correlated with theory.
Radial Head Fracture

Radial head fractures are common following traumatic injuries to the elbow. They may occur in isolation or associated with several complex injuries of the elbow. The Mason classification is commonly used to classify radial head fractures. Treatment of isolated nondisplaced radial head fractures is often nonoperative. Operative treatment involved radial head resection, open reduction and internal fixation, or radial head arthroplasty.
The Psychological Reality of Syntactic Principles

In this chapter, I survey a variety of grammars that have played a role in psycholinguistics, tracing the coevolution of theories in formal syntax and the computational parsing models that they inspired. In Chomsky’s “Standard Theory” the output of context-free rules is fed into the transformational component of a grammar. Many incorrectly interpreted early psycholinguistic experiments as shedding doubt on the psychological reality of transformational operations. These arguments, based on the Derivational Theory of Complexity, ultimately fail. But transformational parsers were rejected anyway, on computational grounds. Augmented Transition Networks (ATNs) rose to prominence, offering a promising framework for describing the surface syntax of natural language, as well as a natural implementation of the grammar as a parsing model. ATN parsers thus serve as a clear example of how grammatical rules can be viewed as procedural dispositions. A strong criticism of the ATN architecture, due to Lyn Frazier and Janet Fodor, relied heavily on the fact that ATNs do not explicitly represent the rules of a grammar in a separate data structure. Frazier and Fodor’s argument faces difficulties, but it vividly illustrates the kind of explanatory payoff that a model might derive from explicitly representing a grammar. Finally, I turn to principle-based parsers, which implement the principles of the Government and Binding (GB) theory as either generators or filters of syntactic analyses, yielding compact, efficient, wide-coverage systems. More recently, computational linguists have built parsers that use the syntactic principles of the Minimalist program. Indeed, Amy Weinberg has argued that parsing is “the incremental satisfaction of grammatical constraints” imposed by Minimalist grammars. If successful, her proposal would constitute the strongest argument for the psychological reality of Minimalist principles.
Surrogate Safety Assessment of Work Zone Rear-End Collisions in a Connected Vehicle Environment: Agent-Based Modeling Framework

AbstractThis paper presents an agent-based modeling and simulation (ABMS) framework to evaluate the safety performance impacts of connected vehicle (CV) technologies in a work zone setting. This re...
The utility of SPECT bone scans in detecting pathology in patients with back pain and negative or equivocal spinal CT and/or MR scans

1640 Objectives Patients (pts) with back pain can be evaluated by various imaging modalities such as CT (computed tomography), MR (magnetic resonance), and SPECT (single photon emission computed tomography) bone scan. However, there is no consensus regarding the selection or sequence of the various diagnostic tests, and to our knowledge, no studies have evaluated SPECT bone scans when the pt’s CT &/or MR scan was specifically negative or equivocal. The objective of this study is to evaluate the utility of SPECT bone scans in detecting pathology in pts with back pain and negative or equivocal spinal CT &/or MR scans. Methods We retrospectively reviewed the findings on CT &/or MR scans, and SPECT bone scans of adult pts who had (1) back pain, (2) negative or equivocal CT &/or MR scans, & (3) SPECT bone scintigraphy within + /- 60 days of CT &/or MR between Jan 2006 & Dec 2009. The original interpretations for all studies were used. The reports of the SPECT bone scan were graded for findings believed to represent pathology that could account for the pt’s back pain as negative, probably negative, indeterminate, probably positive, & positive. Only the last two categories were considered as demonstrating pathology that could be related to the pt’s back pain.The study was approved by the institutional review board. Results Of the 700 pt reports reviewed, 10 pts met the above criteria. Of those, 5(50%) had positive findings on SPECT not identified on CT &/or MR scans, and these were fracture (1), degenerative joint changes (2), diskitis (1), & soft tissue calcification (1). Conclusions This pilot study demonstrates that when a CT &/or MR is negative or equivocal in a pt with back pain, the SPECT bone scan will demonstrate pathology that is potentially related to the pt’s symptoms in as many as 50% of pts. Further evaluation is warranted to expand this pilot study
The Effects of Microstructure on the Response of Aluminum E-127 Calibration Standards

The reproducibility of the ultrasonic response of aluminum calibration blocks, as defined in ASTM standard E-127 [1,2] is of considerable interest because of the use of these blocks as calibration and reference standards. However, there is a general perception that the ultrasonic attenuation in the materials from which these blocks are produced has changed with time, a consequence of the evolution of the metallurgical processing procedures used to produce the rolled rod from which the standards are fabricated. Among the issues that this raises are questions concerning the influence of E-127 block attenuation on the sizing of flaws in materials produced by other processes, e.g., rolled plate, and whether standards should be alloy specific.
Estimation of Multiple Atmospheric Pollutants Through Image Analysis

Multiple atmospheric pollutants, such as PM 2.5 , PM 10 , and NO 2 , degrades air quality in many parts of the world. Fine-grained air pollution data can help combat the problem, but conventional monitoring stations are too expensive to support high spatial resolution; image-based estimates have the potential to improve spatial coverage. We estimate pollutant concentrations from images using the position-and color-dependent properties of scattering and absorption. We are the first to use images to estimate pollutant concentrations in systems with multiple pollutants. We achieve this by considering the differences in scattering and absorption spectra between different pollutants. Our system improves the accuracy of PM 2.5 , PM 10 , and NO 2 estimation by 22% for single-scene images in Beijing and Shanghai compared to the best existing image-based techniques.
Inhibitors of BRAF dimers using an allosteric site.

BRAF kinase, a critical effector of the ERK signaling pathway, is hyperactivated in many cancers. Oncogenic BRAFV600E signals as an active monomer in the absence of active RAS, however, in many tumors BRAF dimers mediate ERK signaling. FDA-approved RAF inhibitors poorly inhibit BRAF dimers, which leads to tumor resistance. We found that Ponatinib, an FDA-approved drug, is an effective inhibitor of BRAF monomers and dimers. Ponatinib binds the BRAF dimer and stabilizes a distinct αC-helix conformation through interaction with a previously unrevealed allosteric site. Using these structural insights, we developed PHI1, a BRAF inhibitor that fully uncovers the allosteric site. PHI1 exhibits discrete cellular selectivity for BRAF dimers, with enhanced inhibition of the second protomer when the first protomer is occupied, comprising a novel class of dimer selective inhibitors. This work shows that Ponatinib and BRAF dimer selective inhibitors will be useful in treating BRAF-dependent tumors. FDA-approved RAF inhibitors poorly inhibit BRAF dimers, which limits their clinical efficacy in tumors expressing BRAFV600E mutant monomers. Here the authors identify FDA-approved Ponatinib as an effective inhibitor of BRAF monomers and dimers and designed PHI1, an inhibitor with a unique mode of action and selectivity for oncogenic BRAF dimers.
There’s (Rarely) a New Sheriff in Town: The Incumbency Advantage for County Sheriffs

County sheriffs are prominent elected officials in almost all states, with typical duties including jail operation, responding to 911 calls, and making arrests. Unlike other law enforcement agencies, sheriffs enjoy considerable discretion in employment and policy decisions and do not report to a mayor or other higher official. Instead, the voters serve as the chief mechanism for accountability, and Sheriff associations often argue that their democratic selection makes them uniquely answerable, impartial, and authorized to restrain other parts of government. Using an original dataset of more than 5,500 Sheriff elections from across the US, I produce the first estimates of the levels and variation of the incumbency advantage for Sheriffs. In so doing, I show that the average tenure of elected Sheriffs far exceeds the average tenure of appointed police chiefs. In light of widespread reports of misconduct by elected sheriffs and their employees, these results suggest that elections may not be sufficient to produce responsible local government.
Ethical Issues Surrounding Newborn Screening

It would be difficult to overestimate the importance of persistent, thoughtful parents and their importance in the development of treatments for their children’s rare disorders. Almost a century ago in Norway, observant parents led a brilliant young physician-scientist to his discovery of the underlying cause of their children’s profound developmental delay—i.e., phenylketonuria, or PKU. Decades later, in a recovering war-ravaged Britain, an equally persistent mother pressed the scientists at Birmingham Children’s Hospital to find a way to treat her seriously damaged daughter, Sheila, who suffered from PKU. Living on the financial edge, this mother insisted that Bickel and colleagues develop such a diet, and she volunteered Sheila to be the patient in the trial. The scientists concluded that the low phenylalanine diet helped but needed to be started very early—so, newborn screening was born to permit the implementation of this. Many steps brought us to where we are today, but these courageous parents made it all begin.
Values for Digestible Indispensable Amino Acid Score (DIAAS) Determined in Pigs Are Greater for Milk Than for Breakfast Cereals, but DIAAS Values for Individual Ingredients Are Additive in Combined Meals

BACKGROUND Breakfast cereals contain low-quality proteins and are often consumed with milk. The digestible indispensable amino acid score (DIAAS) has been used to evaluate protein quality, but it is not known if DIAAS obtained in individual foods is additive in combined meals. OBJECTIVES The following hypotheses were tested: amino acids (AAs) in milk complement AAs in breakfast cereals to provide a balanced meal, and DIAAS in individual foods is additive in combined meals. METHODS Six ileal cannulated gilts [body weight mean: 55.6 ± 3.7 (SD) kg] were allotted to a 6 × 6 Latin square with six 7-d periods. Ileal digesta were collected for 9 h on days 6 and 7 of each period. Three diets contained a breakfast cereal (i.e., cornflakes or quick oats) or dry milk as the sole source of AAs. Two additional diets contained a combination of dry milk and cornflakes or quick oats. A nitrogen-free diet was also used, and DIAAS was calculated for cornflakes, quick oats, dry milk, and the 2 combined meals for children aged 6 to 36 mo and individuals older than 36 mo through adulthood. For the combined meals, DIAAS was also predicted from the individual ingredient DIAAS. RESULTS Dry milk had greater (P < 0.05) DIAAS (123 and 144) than quick oats (57 and 67), but cornflakes had less (P < 0.05) DIAAS (16 and 19) than the other ingredients. Both breakfast cereal-dry milk meals had DIAAS close to or greater than 100 for children aged 6 mo to 3 y and for older children, adolescents, and adults, but there were no differences between measured and predicted DIAAS. CONCLUSIONS The combination of milk and breakfast cereals results in a meal that is balanced in indispensable AAs for humans, and DIAAS obtained from individual ingredients is additive in mixed meals.
Prevalence and Predictors of Medical Complexity in a National Sample of VLBW Infants.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Very low birth weight (VLBW) infants are at high risk for morbidities beyond the neonatal period and ongoing use of health care. Specific morbidities have been studied; however, a comprehensive landscape of medical complexity in VLBW infants has not been fully described. We sought to (1) describe the prevalence of complex chronic conditions (CCCs) and (2) determine the association of demographic, hospital, and clinical factors with CCCs and CCCs or death. METHODS: This retrospective cross-sectional analysis of discharge data from the Kids’ Inpatient Database (2009–2012) included infants with a birth weight RESULTS: Among our weighted cohort of >78 000 VLBW infants, >50% had CCCs or died. After adjustments, the prevalence of CCCs or CCCs or death differed by sex, race and ethnicity, hospital location, US region, receipt of surgery, transfer status, and birth weight. Clinical factors accounted for the highest proportion of the model’s ability to predict CCCs and CCCs or death at 93.3% and 96.3%, respectively, whereas demographic factors were 11.5% and 2.3% and hospital factors were 5.2% and 1.4%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: In this nationally representative analysis, medical complexity is high among VLBW infants. Varying contributions of demographic, hospital, and clinical factors in predicting medical complexity offer opportunities to investigate future interventions to improve care delivery and patient outcomes.
Pressure-based estimation of right ventricular ejection fraction: Validation as a clinically relevant target for drug development in a rodent model of pulmonary hypertension.

Abstract Depressed right ventricular ejection fraction (RVEF) has clear prognostic significance in patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). Accordingly, improvements in RVEF represent a desirable end-point in the development of PAH therapies. However, current methods for determination of RVEF require measurement of RV volume and are relatively complex and costly. Here, we validate a novel method for quantitative estimation of RVEF in rats based entirely upon analysis of readily available RV pressure waveforms that eliminates the need for simultaneous volume measurement and can be rapidly applied. Right ventricular pressure and volume (conductance catheter) measurements acquired from 15 rats (7 controls, 8 sugen/hypoxia PAH; 220–250 g) were used for the study. Over the same 10 beat interval, RVEF was directly measured from the volume signal and estimated from the pressure signal. Simultaneous measures were compared by linear regression and Bland-Altman analysis to define bias (accuracy) and precision. Measured RVEF ranged from 0.19 to 0.60 (mean 0.44 ± 0.10) and estimated from 0.19 to 0.52 (mean 0.42 ± 0.09). Across the dataset there was strong correlation (r2 = 0.813), with minimal bias (0.01) and an overall error of 20% consistent with acceptable accuracy and precision. Study results support the potential utility of a method based entirely upon analysis of the RV pressure waveform for assessing drug effects on RVEF in rat models of PAH.
Prevalence and risk factors of steatosis and advanced fibrosis using transient elastography in the United States' adolescent population.

Prevalence and risk factors of steatosis and advanced fibrosis using transient elastography in the United States’ adolescent population
Some remarks on mutual windings

Some further results, doubtless evident to the specialists on windings, are obtained concerning the asymptotics of the mutual windings of n independent planar Brownian motions, or n planar random walks, about each other
Disk Allocation for Fast Range and Nearest-Neighbor Queries

As databases increasingly integrate non-textual multimedia information it is becoming necessary to support efficient similarity searching in addition to range searching. Range and nearest-neighbor (similarity) queries are the most important class of queries for multimedia and multi-dimensional databases. Due to the large sizes of the datasets involved, I/O is a critical factor limiting performance. The use of parallel I/O through declustering of the data is a promising approach to improve performance. Consequently several research efforts have addressed the problem of declustering multidimensional data for optimizing range and partial match queries. Very limited work has been done for similarity queries, and the problem of declustering for combined range and similarity queries has not been addressed in the literature. Consider a dataset of images where the following metadata for each image is also stored: date on which the picture was taken, longitude and latitude of the site of the picture. An example of a combined query is: Given a target image, find the 5 most similar images taken within 3 months of the target image and located within 2 degrees of longitude and latitude of the target image. In order to answer this query, it is necessary to conduct a range search on the date, longitude and latitude values and a similarity search on the image content. In this paper, we develop new declustering schemes that provide good declustering for similarity searching. In addition, we show that the new schemes have very good performance for range queries as well as combination queries. The new schemes are based upon the Cyclic declustering schemes which were developed for range and partial match queries. The Cyclic schemes not only provide superior performance to earlier schemes, but are also very robust and consistent with respect to query types and variations in system parameters.
Évolution de la concentration du confiage en Afrique : l’exemple du Ghana et de la Zambie

Une analyse macrosociale des mutations dans les solidarites africaines doit integrer la diversite des ajustements individuels. Dans le cas du confiage, cette integration exige d’aller au-dela des moyennes nationales et d’examiner la distribution sociale de cette pratique : plus le confiage concentre les enfants dans les familles aisees, plus il a un effet de nivellement. Notre etude complete les travaux anterieurs sur la prevalence en examinant la concentration du confiage au Ghana et en Zambie. Les resultats soulignent deux faits importants : 1) la focalisation sur la prevalence peut masquer l’erosion des solidarites en periode de crise, si la prevalence du confiage se maintient au detriment de la qualite des destinations ; 2) le reequilibrage permis par le confiage est plus marque par rapport a la taille de la progeniture que par rapport au statut socioeconomique. Cela souligne l’importance potentielle des transitions demographiques dans l’evolution des solidarites en Afrique.
Normalization of Tumor Vasculature and Microenvironment

Solid tumors require blood vessels for growth, and many new cancer therapies are targeted against the tumor vasculature. The widely held view is that these antiangiogenic therapies destroy the tumor vasculature, thereby depriving the tumor of oxygen and nutrients. Indeed that is the ultimate goal of antiangiogenic therapies. However, emerging preclinical and clinical evidence support an alternative hypothesis, that judicious application of agents that block angiogenesis directly (e.g., bevacizumab and cediranib) and indirectly (e.g., trastuzumab) can also transiently “normalize” the abnormal structure and function of tumor vasculature. In addition to being more efficient for oxygen and drug delivery, the normalized vessels are fortified with pericytes, which can hinder intravasation of cancer cells, a necessary step in hematogenous metastasis. Drugs that induce vascular normalization can also normalize the tumor microenvironment—reduce hypoxia and interstitial fluid pressure—and thus increase the efficacy of many conventional therapies if both are carefully scheduled. Reduced interstitial fluid pressure can decrease tumor-associated edema as well as the probability of lymphatic dissemination. Independent of these effects, alleviation of hypoxia can decrease the selection pressure for a more malignant phenotype. Finally, the increase in proliferation of cancer cells during the “vascular normalization window” can potentially sensitize tumors to cytotoxic agents. Results from our recent phase II clinical trial of cediranib, an oral, pan-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) in glioblastoma patients, show that the normalization window—identified using advanced magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) techniques—can last 1–4 months, and the resulting changes in tumor vasculature correlate with blood circulating molecular and cellular biomarkers in these patients. Antiangiogenic therapies may provide benefit for cancer patients by working through different mechanisms at different points in time. Normalization may be an early consequence of antiangiogenic therapy and offers an opportunity for optimizing delivery and facilitating the cytotoxic effects of chemotherapy and radiation. However, additional consequences of antiangiogenic therapies may include vessel “pruning” and nutrient deprivation of tumors.
The Ex Post Performance of Four Portfolio Selection Algorithms

This paper explores the ex post performance of four widely cited (and sometimes applied) normative portfolio selection models. Each is supposed to solve the same portfolio selection problem relative to the same mean-variance efficiency criteria. It has been shown elsewhere, and this paper confirms, that the models result in vastly different ex ante stock selection strategies. However, the acid test of normative theory is ex post performance relative to a set of efficiency criteria or some other standard. The empirical results reported here show that, with one exception, the ex post performance of the models is consistent with the same mean-variance efficiency criteria, and, over a predictable range of outcomes, consistently outperform the index portfolio based on Standard & Poor's 500 Stock Index.
Absence of chromosome damage in the newborn infant following x-ray pelvimetry

Abstract The radiation dose during x-ray pelvimetry to 61 patients was estimated, and the cytogenetic response of peripheral lymphocytes was determined in 25 of their newborn babies. Our calculations resulted in an average midline fetal dose of 1,035 and 1,860 mrads for the patients receiving 2 projections and more than 2 projections, respectively. There was no evidence of radiation induced chromosomal damage in the newborn infants following x-ray exposure in utero.
Habits of Hate: A Pragmatist Analysis of Habits of Racism and Nativism

There are many different ways of recognizing, describing, and combating racism. This essay extends my previously published research on the topic of whiteness and habit to advance the argument that A) racism (by which I mean primarily white supremacist racism directed against people of color) still exists as a corrosive impediment to the realization of a truly fair and democratic American community, and B) it is best understood as a network of flexible, persistent, yet correctable habits. The primary value of seeing racism in America as being a problem of bad habits rather than as conscious actions or attitudes is that it helps white people understand that we are all, to greater or lesser extents, vessels for hateful and uncivil habits even if we consciously reject the ideology of white supremacist racism. Further, by using a pragmatist framework of habits, we can reconstruct these habits and effect positive social change.
Polarization switching and long-time relaxation effects induced by off-center ions in KTa/sub 1-x/Nb/sub x/O/sub 3/

A striking anomaly was observed in the behavior of KTN (KTa/sub 1-x/Nb/sub x/O/sub 3/), namely, the appearance of a remanent polarization well above T/sub c/. Hysteresis loops were measured at different frequencies in a 3% KTN crystal. The shape of the loop changed significantly with frequency, a behavior that is due to the slow relaxation of randomly distributed off-center Nb ions interacting in clusters. A model of this relaxation is developed, and hysteresis loops are calculated which are in good agreement with experiment. >
On the sentence-internal reading of French le même ('the same')

This paper focuses on the sentence-internal reading of French 'le meme' and addresses two main issues: a- the problem of definiteness ('le meme' does not behave the way standard definites do); b- the problem of compositionality (the plural licenser that 'le meme' needs to get interpreted is not adjacent to it). I propose that: a- 'le meme' is a complex determiner with specific properties with respect to presupposition and specificity; b- 'le meme' is an existential quantifier over a plural event that is partitioned along participants or times. This licensing condition (plural event distributed through participants or times) relates 'meme' to the notion of pluractionality.
Thyroglobulin and calcitonin immunoreactivity in canine thyroid carcinomas.

Although thyroid gland neoplasms are well-recognized entities in dogs, the diagnosis and classification of these tumors often is difficult. In contrast to human thyroid carcinomas, which are predominantly of the papillary or follicular types, a relatively high proportion of the canine tumors contain compact cellular areas and resemble, to some extent, medullary thyroid carcinomas. In order to assess the value of immunohistochemical techniques in the identification and classification of these neoplasms, 21 canine thyroid carcinomas were examined for the presence of thyroglobulin and calcitonin using the peroxidase-antiperoxidase technique. Four major patterns of thyroglobulin immunoreactivity were present in the tumors, including diffuse cytoplasmic positive reaction, apical staining in the cells bordering the neoplastic follicular lumens, intracytoplasmic droplet staining, and staining of intrafollicular colloid. All follicular and mixed compact cellular/follicular tumors contained immunoreactive hormone, while only four of six compact cellular carcinomas were thyroglobulin-positive. The extent of thyroglobulin reactivity was consistently greater in tumors of the follicular and mixed patterns than in carcinomas of the purely compact cellular type. Two of four metastases, each of which retained the mixed pattern of the primary tumors, were thyroglobulin-positive. No medullary thyroid carcinomas were identified, but scattered calcitonin-positive cells in one mixed and in one compact cellular tumor were interpreted as entrapped nonneoplastic C cells. Immunohistochemical localization of thyroglobulin should facilitate the diagnosis of canine tumors of suspected thyroid follicular cell origin, particularly those arising in ectopic sites (i.e., heart base) and those presenting as metastases.
Thymineless Mutagenesis in Bacteriophage T4

ABSTRACT Thymine deprivation can be achieved in bacteriophage T4 either by the use of the thymidylate synthetase inhibitor FUdR, or by an appropriate combination of genetic blocks; both methods produce marked mutagenesis. Extensive tests of the specificity of thymineless mutagenesis reveal that only A:T base pairs are affected, and that transitions and possibly transversions are produced. This system therefore constitutes the fist example of an A: T-specific mutagen. Thymineless mutagenesis in bacteriophage T4 exhibits a marked dependence upon the functional state of the DNA polymerase gene, but is largely independent of the px-γ misrepair system.
Application of monoclonal antibody 44-3A6 in the cytodiagnosis and classification of pulmonary carcinomas.

Thirty-five pulmonary carcinomas were studied retrospectively with monoclonal antibody (MCA) 44-3A6 raised against a human adenocarcinoma cell line. The antibody was applied to cytologic smears of bronchial brushings originally stained with the Papanicolau method, and to conventional tissue sections. Ten of 12 adenocarcinomas (ADC) immunostained strongly in sections and smears, as did five of seven large-cell „undifferentiated” carcinomas (LCUC). Eight neuroendocrine carcinomas (NEC) and eight squamous-cell carcinomas (SCC) were negative, except for rare weakly positive foci. We conclude that MCA 44-3A6 can be effectively applied on cytologic smears, and that it could be valuable in the precise classification of pulmonary carcinomas. The immunoreactivity of the ADC and SCC was predictable. Positive immunostaining in some LCUC confirms that these constitute a heterogeneus tumor class that includes cases that are phenotypically ADC despite the absence of obvious glands. Occasional immunostaining in NEC suggests focal exocrine differentiation as previously noted by electron microscopy. Diagn Cytopathol 1985;1:300–7.
In Situ FTIR Spectroscopic Characterization of Adsorbed Species on Carbon Electrodes. I. Phosphate, Sulfate and Perchlorate Ions in Aqueous Solution

Abstract Electrochemical adsorption studies on a glassy carbon electrode using FTIR spectroscopy are reported for the first time. The nature of adsorption for a series of tetrahedral anions from aqueous solution is reported.
Characterization of Purified Rabbit Uterine Renin: Influence of Pregnancy on Uterine Inactive Renin

Using specific antibody raised against renal renin, we have documented that the majority of the uterine renin-like activity in gravid and nongravid uteri is immunoreactive renin. To characterize its physiochemical properties, we obtained highly purified uterine renin by two affinity chromatographic steps, pepstatin and antirenin. Uterine renin has a pH optimum of 6, an apparent mol wt of 38K, and a Km of 1.7 μM for homologous substrate. These properties are identical to those of renal renin and are not influenced by the pregnant state. In the basal state, an inactive form of the uterine enzyme constitute 55 ± 10% of the total uterine renin. During pregnancy, active renin increased 40-fold as inactive renin fell to 4 ± 3% of the total renin concentration. The renal renin concentration fell as plasma renin increased during pregnancy. These data suggest that the increased uterine renin concentrations during pregnancy are probably due to increased local production and conversion of renin precursor to the acti...
The vertical distribution of fishbites on deep-sea mooring lines in the vicinity of Bermuda

Synthetic-fiber lines used to moor deep-sea installations in the vicinity of Bermuda are frequently attacked by fishes with sharp teeth. The resulting damage may so weaken the lines as to cause them to part. The majority of attacks occur between 600 and 1200 m with the peak of activity between 900 and 1000 m, near the bottom of the permanent thermocline. Bites may occur all the way from near the surface to depths as great as 1550 m and on long exposures may average over 8 bites per day. Teeth and fragments of teeth recovered from deep-sea moorings in this area are characteristics of those of Sudis hyalina. It is suspected that the fishes are attracted by luminescent organisms entangled on the lines.
Recognition specificity of monoclonal antibodies which protect mice against Salmonella typhimurium infection

Abstract We used enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), competitive inhibition ELISA, flow cytometry and western immunoblots to study the antigenic specificity of two monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) raised against the cell surface antigens of Salmonella typhimurium . These mAbs (SH6.11 and WB60.4) protect CAF 1 ( Ity r ) mice against endotoxemia and mouse typhoid. We found that SH6.11 and WB60.4 recognize Salmonella serogroup B-specific lipopolysaccharide O4 and O5 factors, respectively. These mAbs did not bind to Salmonella serotypes that belong to serogroup A, D1, E4, G2, or R and did not cross-react with other enteric and nonenteric bacterial species.
Kinetics and mechanism of aquation reactions of dihalo-, diacetonitrile- and bromoacetonitrile-(3,3′,3″-triaminotripropylamine)cobalt(III) perchlorate

Abstract The octahedral cobalt(III) complexes with the tripodal quadridentate amine 3,3′,3″-triaminotripropylamine [trpn = N(CH2CH2CH2NH3)3], [Co(trpn)Cl2]ClO4, [Co(trpn)Br2ClO4, [Co(trpn)F2]CO4·3/2H2O, [Co(trpn)(CH3CN)2](ClO4)3 and [Co(trpn)(CH3CN)Br]BrClO4 have been synthesized. The acid hydrolysis of [Co(trpn)Cl2]+ and the rate of bromide substitution in [Co(trpn)(CH3CN)Br]2+, clearly demonstrate the extreme lability of these complexes. The aquation of [Co(trpn)F2]+ ion was examined in both neutral and acidic medium. In neutral aqueous medium, the primary aquation determined at 25°C and μ = 0.5 M, gave k1 = 1.28 × 10−3 s −1, ΔH†1 = 12.8 kcal mol−1 and ΔS†1 − 28.9 cal K−1 mol−1, while for the secondary aquation step (25°C and μ = 1.0 M) the acid-independent pathway gave k2 = 1.4 × 10−4 s −1, ΔH†2 = 21.3 kcal mol−1 and ΔS = −4.7 cal K−1 mol−1. The acid hydrolysis of [Co(trpn)(CH3CN)2]3+ was studied over the pH range 1–4 and the temperature range 8–20°C. The hydrolysis proceeds in two consecutive steps : [Co(trpn)(CH3CN)2]3+ k1→ [Co(trpn)(CH3CN)(H2O)]3+ 2→ [Co(trpn)(H2O)2]3+. Analysis of the kinetic data gave k1 = 1.2 × 10−2 s −1(20°C), ΔH†1 = 16.0 kcal mol−1 and ΔS1‡ = 12.7 cal K−1 mol−1, and k2 = 2.38 × 10−3 s −1 (20°C), ΔH2‡ = 14.9 kcal mol−1 and ΔS‡2 = − 19.4 cal K−1 mol−1. The results of the kinetics of these substitution reactions are discussed in relation to data for the other tetraamine cobalt(III) complexes.
Antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity and natural-killer-like activity are mediated by subsets of activated T cells.

Abstract Antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC), cell-mediated lympholysis (CML), and natural killer (NK) activity are performed by several distinct human lymphoid cell types. Thus, in the circulating lymphocyte population, null cells mediate ADCC and NK while T cells perform CML. In contrast, upon activation, T cells can perform all three functions. Recently, monoclonal antibodies, anti-T4 and anti-T8, have been utilized to define the human inducer and cytotoxic/suppressor subsets, respectively. Earlier studies showed that the T4+ and T8+ subsets were nonoverlapping, phenotypically stable populations. In the present study, we determined whether ADCC, NK, and CML activities were restricted to either of these subsets of activated T cells. It was found that the activated T8+ subset effected virtually all of the CML, while in contrast, both activated T4+ and T8+ cells mediated ADCC and NK.
Cerebral oxygen saturation does not normalize until after stage 2 single ventricle palliation.

Background In an effort to optimize neurologic outcome, cerebral oxygen saturation (Sco 2 ) is often measured intraoperatively and postoperatively. We hypothesized that Sco 2 would be related to stage of palliation in children with single ventricle congenital heart disease. Methods Cerebral oxygen saturation was continuously recorded intraoperatively in 34 infants and children undergoing palliative surgery on cardiopulmonary bypass for single ventricle congenital heart defects and in a control group of 12 neonates with ductus-dependent circulation undergoing complete repair. Saturations were correlated with the patient's stage and outcome. Results Baseline Sco 2 was 61% in single ventricle neonates (group P1, n=10), 55% in neonates undergoing repair (group R), 42% in infants undergoing stage 2 palliation (group P2, n=6), and 70% in children undergoing Fontan (group P3, n=14). Baseline was lowest (41%) in infants undergoing interstage operations (group I, n=4). After bypass, there was a significant improvement in Sco 2 to 53% in group P2 infants ( p = 0.04); there were no significant changes in the other groups. By the end of the operation, there was a significant decrease in Sco 2 to 48% in group P1 ( p = 0.001), with other groups unchanged from baseline. There were five perioperative deaths. Cerebral oxygen saturation at the conclusion of surgery was lower in children who died (38% versus 61%, p = 0.01). Conclusions In children with single ventricle physiology, Sco 2 decreases after initial palliation, remains low before second-stage palliation, but is normal before and after the Fontan. This has implications for perioperative mortality, neurologic injury, and potentially for interim mortality. Low postoperative Sco 2 predicts perioperative mortality.
The New Radiation Therapy Clinical Practice: The Emerging Role of Clinical Peer Review for Radiation Therapists and Medical Dosimetrists

The concept of peer review for radiation therapists and medical dosimetrists has been studied very little in radiation oncology practice. The purpose of this manuscript is to analyze the concept of peer review in the clinical setting for both radiation therapists and medical dosimetrists. The literature reviewed both the percentages and causes of radiation therapy deviations. The results indicate that peer review can be both implemented and evaluated into both the radiation therapist and medical dosimetrist clinical practice patterns.
Human Endometrial Stromal Cells Generate Uncombined α-Subunit from Human Chorionic Gonadotropin, Which Can Synergize with Progesterone to Induce Decidualization

During the secretory phase of the menstrual cycle, endometrial stromal cells differentiate into decidual cells, which play a crucial role in implantation and maintenance of pregnancy. In this and our previous study, we demonstrate that glycoprotein hormone free alpha-subunit potentiates progesterone-mediated decidualization of human endometrial stromal cells in vitro. Although addition of intact hCG to cultures resulted in stimulatory activity, its potency was 20-fold less than that of alpha-subunit. However, in the present study we show that decidualizing endometrial cells actively generate uncombined alpha-subunit by dissociating hCG. The amount of dissociated alpha-subunit could fully account for the stimulatory activity observed with hCG. Active dissociation of hCG was dependent on the presence of endometrial cells and did not occur in conditioned medium, excluding involvement of a stable secreted factor such as a protease. In addition to dissociated alpha- and beta-subunits, minor amounts of beta-core and alpha-fragments were detected as degradation products during active dissociation. We also observed an increase in beta-immunoreactivity that coeluted with hCG on size-exclusion gel chromatography, indicating that a portion of the still dimeric hCG may have been nicked in the dissociation process. However, using an assay with specificity for nicked hCG, we showed that dissociation of hCG was not produced from a pool of preexisting nicked hCG. These findings more firmly establish the concept that gonadotropin hormone free alpha-subunit plays a role in the regulation of human endometrial cell differentiation. In addition, identification of the various products formed by incubation of hCG with decidualizing cells yielded insight into the mechanism of hCG degradation, and may explain some activity previously ascribed to hCG.
Carbonate Cycles: Lower Pennsylvanian Marble Falls Formation, Mason and Kimble Counties, Texas: ABSTRACT

Samples from detailed measured sections were successfully classified by using Folk's descriptive limestone classification. Later in the investigation genetic rock categories (facies) that reflect ecologic environments were recognized and classified separately. The nine facies are shown in the following table. Table A transgressive facies tract can be identified, comprising four depositional areas: (1) nearshore and tidal flat, bearing the mottled facies; (2) middle shelf composed either totally of the churned dark fragmental facies or of Ivanovia banks with the churned dark fragmental facies to landward and the light fragmental facies to seaward; (3) shelf edge with algal banks or knolls, the tubular alga facies in deeper or protected areas, the Komia facies in turbulent or shallow areas; (4) seaward slope bearing the laminated dark fragmental facies grading seaward to the shale facies. The regressive facies tract begins with the seaward migration of the mottled facies and the lateral expansion of the Komia facies. It culminates on the shelf with the mottled facies and Chaetetes facies which developed on a surface of bypassing, and on the slope by deposition of debris transported from the Komia facies. Cycles have four phases: (1) minor transgression with shale at the base overlain by a poorly developed regressive facies tract; (2) slight regression with a poorly developed regressive facies tract; (3) major transgression with well developed transgressive facies tract; (4) major regression with well developed regressive facies tract. End_of_Article - Last_Page 376------------