cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Effects of a Presidential Candidate's Comments on HPV Vaccine.

During and after the 2011 Republican presidential debate, a candidate questioned the safety of HPV vaccine. The authors aimed to determine the effect of these comments on parents. A national sample of 327 parents with adolescent sons ages 11–17 years completed online surveys in fall 2010 (baseline, about 1 year before the debate) and 2011 (follow-up, about 1 month after the debate). The authors used regression models to examine the association of parents’ awareness of the candidate's comments with HPV vaccine initiation among their sons, their willingness to get sons free HPV vaccine, and their beliefs about potential harms of HPV vaccine. Overall, 17% of parents reported hearing about the Republican presidential candidate's comments about HPV vaccine. Parents aware of the comments had a larger increase between baseline and follow-up in the belief that HPV vaccine might cause short-term health problems compared with parents who were not aware. Although the candidate's comments may have increased some pare...
The Oaxaca Cathedral Examen de oposicion : The Quest for a Modern Style

When a vacancy occurred in the chapelmastership of Mexican cathedrals during the colonial period, it was customary to open a competition, an examen de oposicidn, inviting composers from near and far to submit their works. The candidates would "oppose" each other for a chance to obtain what was usually the most prestigious musical appointment in the region. By the seventeenth century, the competitive contest usually required participants to show their skill at composition, counterpoint, and organ performance. A number of exdmenes de oposici6n' have recently emerged from the archives of the Oaxaca Cathedral. They include compositions by Mateo Vallados, Francisco de Herrera y Mota,Juan Perez de Guzman, Luis Gutierrez, and two byJuan de Tobar Carrasco. These works shed light on the process of selection at the cathedral, and on the level of musical skill and sophistication of style expected by the cabildo and offered by the candidates. Table 1 provides a time line of events in the Oaxaca Cathedral, and shows the years in which vacancies in the chapelmastership occurred. The custom of evaluating candidates for high musical posts by the composition of contrapuntal settings over given tenors can be traced back to Spain and Italy, where the practice had been prevalent since the sixteenth century and continued during the Baroque period. The examen de oposicion in Spain has been well documented by musicologists and historians, including Sim6n de la Rosa y L6pez,2 Antonio Lozano Gonzales,3Jose Artero,4 and Robert Stevenson, who observed that "the heart of Baroque Spanish church music pulsed in its maestro de capilla system."5 In 1904 Rosa y L6pez described the procedure of the examen in the cathedral of Seville, on which most of the cathedrals in the New World based their own traditions. The candidates were expected to:
Quantitative Stereological Methods for Analyzing Important Microstructural Features in Fatigue of Metals and Alloys

Abstract : This paper reviews the practical aspects of extracting quantitative microstructural data from fatigue microstructures. In addition to the basic stereological information needed to characterize the essential elements of the structure, special methods are developed and described for quantifying more subtle effects. Thus, elongated structures, lamellar systems, gradients, and locational characteristics of particles are considered with respect to the fatigue process and its interactions with the microstructural features. (Author)
Side Effects of Antiretroviral Therapy (ART) Are Associated with Depression in Chinese Individuals with HIV: A Mixed Methods Study

Purpose/Aim This study examined experiences of antiretroviral therapy (ART) side effects among Chinese people living with HIV/AIDS and evaluating their relationship with depressive mood. Hypotheses Chinese individuals with HIV who had severe ART side effect symptoms will experience more depression compare to individuals who had less side effect symptoms from ART. Background A national ART is now widely available in China. This growing availability of ART has changed the prospect of HIV/AIDS management. Although some patients with HIV can overcome initial side effects, without appropriate treatments, side effects could lead to challenging situations, including decreasing adherence and quality of life. Design This mixed methods study was conducted from July 2005 to March 2008 at Beijing's Ditan Hospital. Inclusion criteria were individuals who were HIV positive, Mandarin-speaking, at least 18 years old, and willing to and physically capable of participating. Methods In-depth interviews were conducted in Mandarin with 29 individuals. Interviews took one hour and were conducted in a private office at the hospital. A quantitative survey was developed, tested, and administered to 120 individuals. Results Common symptoms included digestive discomfort, pancreatitis skin issues, numbness, memory loss, nightmares, and dizziness. These side effects not only brought physical discomfort, but also interfered with everyday activities. Multiple regression analysis revealed that participatns who suffered from more severe side effects were more depressed after controlling for effects of social support, knowledge of the medications, and general health. Conclusions Antiretroviral therapy side effects are one of the reasons that Chinese individuals with HIV/AIDS delay or stop taking the medicine. The psychological and physical demands of coping with medication side effects can be overwhelming. Enhanced social support and educating patients with HIV/AIDS on up-to-date ART knowledge might enhance adherence. Self-management intervention should be developed and included in the ART initiation counseling and carefully followed thereafter.
The establishment and persistence of food preferences in lambs exposed to selected foods.

Our study determined whether lambs' food preferences developed as a result of exposure to specific foods early in life and whether the presence of the mother affected the development of dietary preferences. In the first experiment, lambs were fed wheat (W) and mountain mahogany (MM) (Cercocarpus montanus) from 50 to 110 d of age. After exposure to W and MM, lambs preferred (P less than .05) W when offered with barley (B) but did not prefer (P greater than .05) MM when offered with serviceberry (SB) (Amelanchier alnifolia), probably because lambs were reluctant to eat mountain mahogany during exposure. Persistence was determined by dividing lambs exposed to W or MM into four groups: 1) continued exposure to W (MM); 2) exposure to B (SB); 3) no further exposure; and 4) exposure to W + B (MM +SB). Preferences for wheat persisted (P less than .05) regardless of the second exposure. In the second experiment, lambs were exposed to W (MM) either alone or with their mothers. Persistence was determined after 21 d of exposure to B (SB). Lambs preferred (P less than .05) W and MM whether they were exposed alone or with their mothers. However, preferences persisted longer in lambs exposed with their mothers. Finally, lambs exposed to either SB or MM with their mothers were later allowed to choose between SB or MM. Lambs strongly preferred (P less than .05) the shrub to which they were exposed early in life.
Alterations in hemograms and serum biochemical analytes of steers after prolonged consumption of endophyte-infected tall fescue.

The objective of the current study was to delineate changes that occur in serum analytes and blood cellular elements in cattle that graze endophyte-infested (Neotyphodium coenophialum) tall fescue. Tall fescue is grown on more than 35 million acres (14.2 million ha) of pasture in the United States, and three-fourths of the pastures are infected with the endophyte at a 60% or greater level. Tall fescue toxicosis caused by endophyte-produced ergot alkaloids continues to be the most important grass-related disease in the United States, in terms of economic loss to animal producers. However, the agronomic attributes of tall fescue make it an attractive forage species because of its ability to withstand cool temperatures, drought, poor soil conditions, and intensive defoliation from herbivore species, including insects. Tall fescue toxicosis is a complex disease and the need exists to understand the mechanisms of the toxic effects in order to institute effective, prophylactic control measures. Our group previously reported changes that occur in serum biochemical analytes of cattle that graze endophyte-infected tall fescue. An additional year's worth of data have been added, strengthening and corroborating these data. Consistent and significant changes associated with tall fescue toxicosis during the 3-yr study included decreased serum concentrations of cholesterol, globulin (increased albumin/ globulin ratio), prolactin, total protein, and copper. The activity of alanine aminotransferase was decreased in serum, whereas an increase in serum concentrations of creatinine and total bilirubin occurred. The present report also documents comparative hemograms of cattle that grazed endophyte-infected or endophyte-free tall fescue over a prolonged period. The mean erythrocyte counts were increased in cattle that grazed endophyte-infected tall fescue, whereas mean corpuscular hemoglobin and mean corpuscular volume were decreased, as were mean eosinophil counts. Thus, repeatable changes have been identified that occur in serum biochemical and blood cellular values of cattle grazing endophyte-infected tall fescue that will aid in understanding the pathogenesis of the disease. In addition, these consistently altered parameters can be used to assess the effectiveness of potential prophylactic treatments.
Correlation of mean velocity measurements downstream of a swept backward-facing step

The effect of backward-facing step sweep angle on the mean turbulent velocity field has been measured at subsonic speeds. A single component hot-film anemometer was used in a wind tunnel to measure the velocity normal and parallel to three 1.27-cm-high, backward-facing steps with sweep angles of 0, 15, and 30 deg. A swept step flowfield provides a useful and special test case for modelers of three-dimensional turbulent flows. This is illustrated here by testing the ability of Coles' wall-wake model and the Baldwin-Lomax viscosity model's ability to describe the measured profiles
Firm-Initiated Clawback Provisions and Audit Committee Quality

We examine the audit committee characteristics for S&P 600 firms that voluntarily adopt clawback provisions in their executive contracts. We find empirical evidence to show that audit committees in firms with voluntary clawback provisions meet more often, are larger, and have a larger proportion of female directors when compared to non-clawback firms.
AGN Type-casting: Mrk 590 No Longer Fits the Role

We present multi-wavelength observations that trace more than 40 years in the life of the active galactic nucleus (AGN) in Mrk 590, traditionally known as a classic Seyfert 1 galaxy. From spectra recently obtained from HST, Chandra, and the Large Binocular Telescope, we find that the activity in the nucleus of Mrk 590 has diminished so significantly that the continuum luminosity is a factor of 100 lower than the peak luminosity probed by our long baseline observations. Furthermore, the broad emission lines, once prominent in the UV/optical spectrum, have all but disappeared. Since AGN type is defined by the presence of broad emission lines in the optical spectrum, our observations demonstrate that Mrk 590 has now become a "changing look" AGN. If classified by recent optical spectra, Mrk 590 would be a Seyfert ~1.9-2, where the only broad emission line still visible in the optical spectrum is a weak component of Halpha. As an additional consequence of this change, we have definitively detected UV narrow-line components in a Type 1 AGN, allowing an analysis of these emission-line components with high-resolution COS spectra. These observations challenge the historical paradigm that AGN type is only a consequence of the line of sight viewing angle toward the nucleus in the presence of a geometrically-flattened, obscuring medium (i.e., the torus). Our data instead suggest that the current state of Mrk 590 is a consequence of the change in luminosity, which implies the black hole accretion rate has significantly decreased.
Hearing in alpacas (Vicugna pacos): Audiogram, localization acuity, and use of binaural locus cues

Behavioral audiograms and sound localization abilities were determined for three alpacas (Vicugna pacos). Their hearing at a level of 60 dB sound pressure level (SPL) (re 20 μPa) extended from 40 Hz to 32.8 kHz, a range of 9.7 octaves. They were most sensitive at 8 kHz, with an average threshold of –0.5 dB SPL. The minimum audible angle around the midline for 100-ms broadband noise was 23°, indicating relatively poor localization acuity and potentially supporting the finding that animals with broad areas of best vision have poorer sound localization acuity. The alpacas were able to localize low-frequency pure tones, indicating that they can use the binaural phase cue, but they were unable to localize pure tones above the frequency of phase ambiguity, thus indicating complete inability to use the binaural intensity-difference cue. In contrast, the alpacas relied on their high-frequency hearing for pinna cues; they could discriminate front−back sound sources using 3-kHz high-pass noise, but not 3-kHz low-pass noise. These results are compared to those of other hoofed mammals and to mammals more generally.
Usable autonomic computing systems: The system administrators' perspective

One of the primary motivations behind autonomic computing (AC) is the problem of administrating highly complex systems. AC seeks to solve this problem through increased automation, relieving system administrators of many burdensome activities. However, the AC strategy of managing complexity through automation runs the risk of making management harder, if not designed properly. Field studies of current system administrator work practices were performed to inform the design of AC systems from the system administrator's perspective, particularly regarding four important activities: collaboration and coordination, rehearsal and planning, maintaining situation awareness, and managing multitasking, interruptions, and diversions. Based on these studies, guidelines for designing usable AC systems that support these activities effectively are provided.
Building Trust and Compliance in the Cloud for Services

Security is a key barrier to the broader adoption of cloud computing. The real and perceived risks of providing, accessing and controlling services in multitenant cloud environments can slow or preclude the migration to services by IT organizations. In a non-virtualized environment, the separation provided by physical infrastructure is assumed to provide a level of protection for applications and data. In the cloud, this traditional physical isolation between applications no longer exists. Cloud infrastructure is multi-tenant, with multiple applications utilizing a shared common physical infrastructure. This provides the benefit of much more efficient resource utilization. However, because the physical barriers between applications have been eliminated, it is important to establish compensating security controls to minimize the potential for malware to spread through the cloud. Newer types of malware threats, such as rootkit attacks, can be increasingly difficult to detect using traditional antivirus products. These threats use various methods of concealment to remain undetected as they infect key system components such as hypervisors and drivers. This increases the likelihood that the malware can operate in the background, spread through a cloud environment, and cause greater damage over time. This paper explores challenges in deploying and managing services in a cloud infrastructure from a security perspective, and as an example, discusses work that Intel is doing with partners and the software vendor ecosystem to enable a security enhanced platform and solutions with security anchored and rooted in hardware and firmware to increase visibility and control in the cloud.
Feminist evaluation and the inclusion of difference

The potential impacts that issues of race/ethnicity, sex/gender, and class have for the evaluation enterprise are complex. These characteristics intersect in multifaceted ways, particularly in the context of a social/political enterprise such as program evaluation. This chapter presents a modest effort at acknowledgment and understanding.
Antibiotic Manipulation of Intestinal Microbiota To Identify Microbes Associated with Campylobacter jejuni Exclusion in Poultry

The ability of various subsets of poultry intestinal microbiota to protect turkeys from colonization by Campylobacter jejuni was investigated. Community subsets were generated in vivo by inoculation of day-old poults with the cecal contents of a Campylobacter-free adult turkey, followed by treatment with one antimicrobial, either virginiamycin, enrofloxacin, neomycin, or vancomycin. The C. jejuni loads of the enrofloxacin-, neomycin-, and vancomycin-derived communities were decreased by 1 log, 2 logs, and 4 logs, respectively. Examination of the constituents of the derived communities via the array-based method oligonucleotide fingerprinting of rRNA genes detected a subtype of Megamonas hypermegale specific to the C. jejuni-suppressive treatments.
Toward Regulating Human Enhancement Technologies

John Basl (2010) in his valuable article “State Neutrality and the Ethics of Human Enhancement Technologies” has expertly elucidated one type of ground for the rationalization of public policy, nam...
Preparation and In Vitro Characterization of Polycaprolactone and Demineralized Bone Matrix Scaffolds

Cylindrical porous polycaprolactone (PCL) scaffolds containing 25, 35, and 50 wt% demineralized bone matrix (DBM) were fabricated using a salt-leaching method for application in bone engineering. In the present work, PCL-DBM scaffolds were monitored for calcium and phosphorus deposition in both deionized (DI) water and simulated body fluid (SBF) for time periods of 5, 10, 15, and 20 days at 37°C under constant rotation. An in vitro assessment of the bioactivity of synthetic materials using SBF under physiological conditions can be used as a barometer of scaffold behavior in vivo. DBM, an osteoinductive material, was used to gauge if there was a correlation between the concentration of DBM within a scaffold and the apatite formation on its surface. Biochemical assays, alizarin red S staining, and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) with elemental analysis of calcium and phosphorus were consistent in that they confirmed that PCL scaffolds containing 35 wt% DBM in SBF at 14 days post-immersion showed signs of early apatite formation.
EXPLORATORY OR ANALYTIC META-ANALYSIS: SHOULD WE DISTINGUISH BETWEEN THEM?

Abstract Meta-analysis has been defined as a study and “statistical analysis which combines or integrates the results of several independent studies.” Included in this definition are other terms, such as systematic overviews, pooling data, pooling study results, and quantitative literature reviews. Like any study, the questions being asked will influence the design and the method of analysis of the meta-analysis. Since a meta-analysis is a study based on a literature review, it is inherently observational rather than experimental in nature. This idea is supported by the fact that the meta-analyst has limited control over the availability of studies or the information collected and reported in the individual studies. Meta-analysis has been applied to clinical trials and epidemiology. At first glance the potential for bias appears greater in epidemiology than in clinical trials. But this may depend on the question being asked. If randomized clinical trials are limited to improving an estimate of effect or testing a hypothesis in a relatively homogeneous set of effect sizes, the clinical trial will tend to be less prone to bias than a comparable set of epidemiologic studies. In this context, the issue of combinability may dominate the meta-analysis. We refer to this type of meta-analysis as an “analytic” meta-analysis. On the other hand when the goal is to resolve controversy, or pose and answer new questions the main concern of the meta-analysis is to explain the variation in the effect sizes. We refer to this application of a meta-analysis as an “exploratory” meta-analysis. In this second type of meta-analysis the characteristics of the different studies become the focus of the analysis. This leads to the idea that protocols for a meta-analysis should reflect its goals and how the results are to be used. Finally, we will consider whether there is a role of meta-analysis in the field of drug development.
Three structures containing (E)-1,2-bis(benzimidazol-2-yl)ethene groups.

Two of the title compounds, namely (E)-1,2-bis(1-methyl-benzimidazol-2-yl)ethene, C 18 H 16 N 4 , (Ib), and (E)-1,2-bis(1-ethylbenzimidazol-2-yl)ethene, C 20 H 20 N 4 , (Ic), consist of centrosymmetric trans-bis(1-alkylbenzimidazol-2-yl)ethene molecules, while 3-ethyl-2-[(E)-2-(1-ethylbenzimidazol-2-yl)-ethenyljbenzimidazol-1-ium perchlorate, C 20 H 21 N 4 + .ClO 4 + , (II), contains the monoprotonated analogue of compound (Ic). In the three structures, the benzimidazole and benzimidazolium moieties are essentially planar; the geometric parameters for the ethene linkages and their bonds to the aromatic groups are consistent with double and single bonds, respectively, implying little, if any, conjugation of the central C=C bonds with the nitrogen-containing rings. The C-N bond lengths in the N=C-N part of the benzimidazole groups differ and are consistent with localized imine C=N and amine C-N linkages in (Ib) and (Ic); in contrast, the corresponding distances in the benzimidazolium cation are equal in (II), consistent with electron delocalization resulting from protonation of the amine N atom. Crystals of (Ib) and (Ic) contain columns of parallel molecules, which are linked by edge-over-edge C-H...π overlap. The columns are linked to one another by C-H...π interactions and, in the case of (Ib), C-H...N hydrogen bonds. Crystals of (II) contain layers of monocations linked by π-π interactions and separated by both perchlorate anions and the protruding ethyl groups; the cations and anions are linked by N-H...O hydrogen bonds.
Reporter gene imaging: potential impact on therapy

Positron emission tomography (PET)-based molecular-genetic imaging in living organisms has enjoyed exceptional growth over the past 5 years; this is particularly striking since it has been identified as a new discipline only within the past decade. Positron emission tomography is one of three imaging technologies (nuclear, magnetic resonance and optical) that has begun to incorporate methods that are established in molecular and cell biology research. The convergence of these disciplines and the wider application of multi-modality imaging are at the heart of this success story. Most current molecular-genetic imaging strategies are "indirect," coupling a "reporter gene" with a complimentary "reporter probe." Reporter gene constructs can be driven by constitutive promoter elements and used to monitor gene therapy vectors and the efficacy of trans gene targeting and transduction, as well as to monitor adoptive cell-based therapies. Inducible promoters can be used as "sensors" to regulate the magnitude of reporter gene expression and can be used to provide information about endogenous cell processes. Reporter systems can also be constructed to monitor mRNA stabilization and specific protein-protein interactions. Promoters can be cell specific and restrict transgene expression to certain tissue and organs. The translation of reporter gene imaging to specific clinical applications is discussed. Several examples that have potential for patient imaging studies in the near future include monitoring adenoviral-based gene therapy, oncolytic herpes virus therapy, adoptive cell-based therapies and Salmonella-based tumor-targeted cancer therapy and imaging. The primary translational applications of noninvasive in vivo reporter gene imaging are likely to be (a) quantitative monitoring of the gene therapy vector and the efficacy of transduction in clinical protocols, by imaging the location, extent and duration of transgene expression; (b) monitoring cell trafficking, targeting, replication and activation in adoptive therapies, involving ex vivo transduction of harvested immune-competent cells and stem/progenitor cells; (c) assessments of endogenous molecular events using different reporter gene imaging technologies following the development of safe, efficient and target-specific vectors for "diagnostic transductions."
Asymmetrical distribution of CpG in an ‘average’ mammalian gene

Abstract The frequency and distribution of the rare dinucleotide CpG was examined in 15 mammalian genes. CpG is highly methylated at cytosine in mammalian DNA (1,2) and 5-methylcytosine (5mC) is thought to undergo a transition mutation via deamination to produce thymine (3). This would result in the accumulation of TpG and CpA and depletion of CpG during evolution (4). Consistent with this hypothesis, the gene sample of 26,541 dinucleotides contained CpG at 40% the frequency expected by base composition and the CpG transition products, TpG+CpA, were significantly elevated at 124% of expected random frequency. However, because CpG occurs at only 25% of expected random frequency in the genome, the sampled genes were considerably enriched in this dinucleotide. CpGs were asymmetrically distributed in sequences flanking the genes. 5'-flanking sequences were enriched in CpG at 135% of the frequency expected assuming a symmetrical distribution of all the CpGs in the sampled genes (p less than 0.01), while 3'-flanking regions were depleted in CpG at 40% of expected values (p less than 0.0001). This asymmetry may reflect the role of 5-methylcytosine in gene expression. In contrast the frequencies of GpC and GpT+ ApC did not differ significantly from that predicted by base composition and these dinucleotides were not asymmetrically distributed.
1,3-dithianes with acid functionalities: potent inhibitors and candidate affinity probes for the gaba-gated chloride channel

Abstract 2 e ,5 e -1,3-Dithianes of the type (CH 3 )C-CH(CH 2 S) 2 CH-C 6 H 4 -CC-R (R = CO 2 H, CH 2 CH 2 CO 2 H and CH 2 CH 2 PO 3 H 2 ) are potent blockers of the GABA-gated chloride channel with 50% inhibition at 5–10 nM. Functionalization of the acid moieties provides candidate photoaffinity ligands [R = C(O)CHN 2 and CH 2 CH 2 C(O)CHN 2 ], affinity columns, and hapten-protein conjugates for antibody production.
Hot isostatic pressing (HIP) of powder mixtures and composites: Packing, densification, and microstructural effects

Hot isostatic pressing (HIP) of powder mixtures (containing differently sized components) and of composite powders is analyzed. Recent progress, including development of a simple scheme for estimating radial distribution functions, has made modeling of these systems practical. Experimentally, powders containing bimodal or continuous size distributions are observed to hot isostatically press to a higher density under identical processing conditions and to show large differences in the densification rate as a function of density when compared with the “monosize” powders usually assumed for modeling purposes. Modeling correctly predicts these trends and suggests that they can be partially, but not entirely, attributed to initial packing density differences. Modeling also predicts increased deformation in the smaller particles within a mixture. This effect has also been observed experimentally and is associated with microstructural changes, such as preferential recrystallization of small particles. Finally, consolidation of a composite mixture containing hard, but deformable, inclusions has been modeled for comparison with existing experimental data. Modeling results match both the densification and microstructural observations reported experimentally. Densification is retarded due to contacts between the reinforcing particles which support a significant portion of the applied pressure. In addition, “partitioning” of deformation between soft matrix and hard inclusion powders results in increased deformation of the softer material.
Parity of the 2.13-MeV First Excited State of B 11

The positron-electron pair-line spectrum of the 2.13-MeV transition in ${\mathrm{B}}^{11}$ has been measured by means of an intermediate-image pair spectrometer using the reaction ${\mathrm{B}}^{11}(p,{p}^{\ensuremath{'}}){\mathrm{B}}^{11*}$ at the 2.66-MeV proton resonance. Comparison measurements were made on the pair line of the 3.09-MeV $E1$ transition in the ${\mathrm{C}}^{12}(d,p){\mathrm{C}}^{13}$ reaction at ${E}_{d}=1.7$ MeV. Gamma-ray yields from the two reactions were monitored by means of a 5-in.\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}5-in. NaI crystal spectrometer. The ratio $R\ensuremath{\equiv}\frac{{(\frac{{N}_{\mathrm{pair}\mathrm{line}}}{{N}_{\ensuremath{\gamma}}})}_{3.09}}{{(\frac{{N}_{\mathrm{pair}\mathrm{line}}}{{N}_{\ensuremath{\gamma}}})}_{2.13}}$ was found to be 3.3\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.7. Calculations of the spectrometer pairline efficiency versus transition energy were made for $E0$, $E1$ to $E4$, and $M1$ to $M4$ multipoles based on angular correlation formulas of Oppenheimer and of Rose. The values of $R$ derived from the efficiency curves are 1.81, 3.51, 2.78, and 5.42 corresponding to $E1$, $M1$, $E2$, and $M2$ multipolarities, respectively, for the 2.13-MeV ${\mathrm{B}}^{11}$ transition. The experimental result establishes that there is no parity change between the ground and first excited states and therefore that the latter is of odd parity since the ground state of ${\mathrm{B}}^{11}$ is ${3/2}^{\ensuremath{-}}$.
An approach to interdisciplinarity

This article presents the case for interdisciplinarity as a useful methodological framework for the social sciences. Interdisciplinarity is examined as a process of both disciplinary incorporation and paradigmatic evolution, which can deepen understandings of political and social questions. As social and political institutions, events and movements become increasingly more complex, hyphenated disciplines can lend critical new perspectives to the analysis of power, politics and social action and importantly, help to develop political solutions. Drawing on the evolution of the author's own interdisciplinarity trajectory (which includes fieldwork on political movements in Ghana, Uganda, Latin America and Japan), the article demonstrates how an emergent paradigm, discourse theory, can, in particular, bring new light to the connection between the relationship between thought and action. Indeed, a key advantage of discourse theory is that the categories of analysis, as discussed by theorists such as Levi-Strauss and Eco, allows for an in-depth analysis of how thoughts on an individual level can develop and be transformed into action on a collective level. This is critical to understanding the underlying motivations of members of political movements, who seek to overcome difficult individual circumstances by transcending negative social and political circumstances, not least by violence.
Likelihood and pseudo-likelihood methods for semiparametric joint models for a primary endpoint and longitudinal data

Inference on the association between a primary endpoint and features of longitudinal profiles of a continuous response is of central interest in medical and public health research. Joint models that represent the association through shared dependence of the primary and longitudinal data on random effects are increasingly popular; however, existing inferential methods may be inefficient or sensitive to assumptions on the random effects distribution. We consider a semiparametric joint model that makes only mild assumptions on this distribution and develop likelihood-based inference on the association and distribution, which offers improved performance relative to existing methods that is insensitive to the true random effects distribution. Moreover, the estimated distribution can reveal interesting population features, as we demonstrate for a study of the association between longitudinal hormone levels and bone status in peri-menopausal women.
Ethanol-mediated promotion of oral carcinogenesis in hamsters: association with lipid peroxidation.

Abstract Pouches of male Syrian Golden hamsters were painted with 1% 7,12‐dimethylbenz[a]anthra‐cene (DMBA) three times for one week. One week after DMBA treatment, hamsters were fed an ethanolic diet and continued on this diet until they were killed 22 and 35 weeks after the start of the experiment. Phospholipids, cholesterol, indexes of lipid peroxidation (malondialdehyde, diene and triene conjugates, lipid fluorescence), and the antioxidants glutathione and vitamin E were determined in the buccal mucosa, as was the incidence of tumors. At 22 weeks, the relative proportion of cholesterol to phospholipids in ethanol‐consuming hamsters was significantly increased. At 35 weeks, most of the treatments showed a return of cholesterol vs. phospholipids toward that of untreated mucosa at 22 weeks. Ethanol consumption also increased the indexes of lipid peroxidation at 22 weeks; the largest increases occurred when ethanol use was combined with DMBA treatment. However, at 35 weeks such increases in lipid peroxida...
Selection of a thermal bonding agent for temperatures below 1 K

Abstract The thermal contact resistances provided by a variety of materials at temperatures below 0·5 K are similar in magnitude, thus permitting the choice of contact agent to be based on the mechanical properties desired. The contact resistance is shown to be comprised of the bulk thermal resistance of the contact agent, plus the Kapitza resistances of the interfaces.
Phenylalanine Dehydrogenase from Rhodococcus sp. M4: High-Resolution X-ray Analyses of Inhibitory Ternary Complexes Reveal Key Features in the Oxidative Deamination Mechanism †,‡

The molecular structures of recombinant l-phenylalanine dehydrogenase from Rhodococcus sp. M4 in two different inhibitory ternary complexes have been determined by X-ray crystallographic analyses to high resolution. Both structures show that l-phenylalanine dehydrogenase is a homodimeric enzyme with each monomer composed of distinct globular N- and C-terminal domains separated by a deep cleft containing the active site. The N-terminal domain binds the amino acid substrate and contributes to the interactions at the subunit:subunit interface. The C-terminal domain contains a typical Rossmann fold and orients the dinucleotide. The dimer has overall dimensions of approximately 82 A × 75 A × 75 A, with roughly 50 A separating the two active sites. The structures described here, namely the enzyme·NAD+·phenylpyruvate, and enzyme·NAD+·β-phenylpropionate species, represent the first models for any amino acid dehydrogenase in a ternary complex. By analysis of the active-site interactions in these models, along with...
Dual Regulation of 3β-Hydroxysteroid Dehydrogenase, 17α-Hydroxylase, and Dehydroepiandrosterone Sulfotransferase by Adenosine 3′,5′-Monophosphate and Activators of Protein Kinase C in Cultured Human Adrenocortical Cells

The relationship between cAMP and protein kinase C in the regulation of 3 beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (3 beta HSD), 17 alpha-hydroxylase, and sulfotransferase was examined in human fetal adrenocortical cells under defined serum-free conditions in culture. Forskolin induced 3 beta HSD and 17 alpha-hydroxylase in a dose-dependent manner, with maximal effects at 10 microM. 12-O-Tetradecanoyl phorbol 13-acetate (TPA) at 1 nM depressed the induction of 17 alpha-hydroxylase activity by forskolin by more than 95% and increased the stimulation of 3 beta HSD activity by forskolin by 4- to 5-fold. Increases were maximal at 48-72 h of incubation. Dehydroepiandrosterone sulfotransferase activity increased over 48 h when cells were transferred to serum-free defined medium. Addition of 10 microM forskolin stimulated sulfotransferase activity only when cells remained in 10% serum. TPA at 1 nM inhibited the increase in sulfotransferase activity. The concentration of TPA required for inhibition of forskolin-stimulated 17 alpha-hydroxylase and sulfotransferase activity was similar to that required for enhancement of forskolin-induced 3 beta HSD activity, suggesting that comparable levels of C kinase activation are involved in these events. Angiotensin II, carbachol, epidermal growth factor, and fibroblast growth factor had actions similar to those of TPA on one or more of these enzyme activities. TPA also had similar actions on enzyme activities when they were stimulated by cAMP analogs rather than by forskolin. These studies suggest that adrenal steroid biosynthesis is under dual regulation by cAMP and protein kinase C. cAMP induces enzymes required for synthesis of 17 alpha-hydroxylated steroids, including the adrenal androgens. Activation of protein kinase C may play a complementary role by enhancing the induction of enzymes required for non-17 alpha-hydroxylated steroid biosynthesis and inhibiting those involved in the synthesis of androgens.
Cupric ion catalysis in hydrolysis of aminoacyl-tRNA.

Abstract We have developed a method for distinguishing between α-N- acylaminoacyl-tRNA and unblocked α-aminoacyl-tRNA. This procedure depends on catalysis of ester hydrolysis of α-aminoacyl-tRNA by Cu2+ at pH 5.5 or 7.5. Acylation of the α-amino nitrogen group of the aminoacyl ester results in loss of sensitivity to the action of Cu2+. Previous treatment with Cu2+ does not impair the capacity of the tRNA, subsequently precipitated with ethanol in the presence of EDTA, to accept amino acids.
Direct Infection of Dendritic Cells during Chronic Viral Infection Suppresses Antiviral T Cell Proliferation and Induces IL-10 Expression in CD4 T Cells

Elevated levels of systemic IL-10 have been associated with several chronic viral infections, including HCV, EBV, HCMV and LCMV. In the chronic LCMV infection model, both elevated IL-10 and enhanced infection of dendritic cells (DCs) are important for viral persistence. This report highlights the relationship between enhanced viral tropism for DCs and the induction of IL-10 in CD4 T cells, which we identify as the most frequent IL-10-expressing cell type in chronic LCMV infection. Here we report that infected CD8αneg DCs express elevated IL-10, induce IL-10 expression in LCMV specific CD4 T cells, and suppress LCMV-specific T cell proliferation. DCs exposed in vivo to persistent LCMV retain the capacity to stimulate CD4 T cell proliferation but induce IL-10 production by both polyclonal and LCMV-specific CD4 T cells. Our study delineates the unique effects of direct infection versus viral exposure on DCs. Collectively these data point to enhanced infection of DCs as a key trigger of the IL-10 induction cascade resulting in maintenance of elevated IL-10 expression in CD4 T cells and inhibition of LCMV-specific CD4 and CD8 T cell proliferation.
Structural damage identification using system dynamic properties

A damage detection method is presented for the identification and quantification of damage that leads to a change in the structure's mass and/or stiffness properties. The proposed method requires the use of finite element to model the structure in its undamaged state as well as information on the dynamic properties such as frequencies and mode shapes of the structure in its damaged state. The technique is applicable to any structure that can be accurately modeled using the finite element method and whose frequencies and mode shapes can be reliably measured. A structure pseudo force vector derived from the residual force method is described to locate the damaged regions in the structure. A matrix condensation approach in conjunction with a proportional damage model is then employed to quantify the damage by calculating the change in stiffness and mass properties of the damaged elements in the structure. The validity of the method is demonstrated by applying it to three structures: a beam, a frame and a plate. It is shown that if the amount of damage is not excessively large, the proposed method can be used to detect damage in these structures even when the measured system dynamic properties are slightly erroneous.
Diurnal variations in the toxicity and tissue levels of spermidine in mice

Abstract The LD50 of spermidine shows significant diurnal variability when given IV or IP to mice. It is most toxic during the light phase of a programmed light-dark cycle (12L:12D) and least toxic during the transition from light to dark when motor activity is highest and when whole brain, myelencephalon and liver tissue levels of spermidine and histamine are maximal. Pretreatment with either triplennamine or cyproheptadine significantly reduced the LD50 of spermidine.
Solid-block stationary Fourier-transform spectrometer

A solid-block stationary Fourier-transform spectrometer (SBSFTS) is described that is applicable to a wide range of portable, moderate-resolution instrumentation needs that include the detection of temporally variant signatures. The SBSFTS is a low-cost, extremely rugged stationary Fourier-transform spectrometer based on the combination of three standard prism types. The SBSFTS uses a source-doubling, square-and-triangle common-path topology that is mechanically rugged, simple to align, and virtually immune to alignment perturbation. Its alignment stability makes it suitable for use in a variety of hostile operating environments. When coupled to a fiber-optic input, the spectrometer can be constructed in an extremely compact form. Experimental results have demonstrated the design and the performance of the spectrometer.
Atmospheric deposition of nitrogen along the Connecticut coastline of Long Island Sound: a decade of measurements

Four monitoring stations were established along the Connecticut coastline to study the atmospheric deposition of nitrogen into the Long Island Sound (LIS). Two stations at Bridgeport and Hammonasset were set up in 1991. Two additional ones have been in full operation since 1997 at Old Greenwich and Avery Point. Measurements were taken continuously from 1991 through 1994, and from 1997 through 1999. Nitrogen species including (nitrate/nitrite), ammonium, nitric acid gas and total nitrogen (since 1997) in air and precipitation were collected and used to infer ambient concentrations and dry and wet deposition flux densities, with independently collected meteorological data. Statistical procedures were employed to analyze the spatial and temporal variations of the weekly data and quarterly means for the two sampling periods of 1991–1994 and 1997–1999. The deposition flux densities of total nitrogen during 1991–1994 were 6.80 and 24.36 mg N m � 2 wk � 1 , respectively, for dry and wet forms averaged over the two sites of Bridgeport and Hammonasset. During 1997–1999, the overall mean weekly wet and dry depositions of total nitrogen over the four sites were 4.28 and 23.64 mg N m � 2 wk � 1 , respectively. In dry deposition, nitric acid gas was predominant and explained more than 70% of the total dry flux, while in wet deposition nitrate/nitrite was the major contributor (40–60%). Most of the collected nitrogen quantities were higher during warm months, especially from June through September, indicating higher emission rate, scavenging efficiency, and surface uptaking at warmer temperature. The ambient concentration and dry deposition peaked at Bridgeport, and the maximal wet deposition was observed at Old Greenwich. The spatial variation of the dry deposition quantities was affected by potential local emission sources, while the geographic gradient of the wet deposition was largely attributed to the proximities of the sites to the New York–New Jersey metropolitan area. Comparisons of nitrogen quantities between the two sampling periods revealed that the dry and total depositions at Hammonasset decreased, while there were no discernible changes at Bridgeport. r 2002 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.
EVALUATION OF SEROLOGICAL CROSS-REACTIVITY BETWEEN ANTIBODIES TO PLASMODIUM AND HTLV-III/LAV

Serum samples from 460 patients with existing or previous Plasmodium infections, high antimalarial antibody titres, and no apparent risk of exposure to human T-lymphotropic virus type III/lymphadenopathy-associated virus (HTLV-III/LAV) were assayed for HTLV-III/LAV antibody; only 1 sample, from a 21-year-old African woman, was strongly reactive by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and positive by western blot. Conversely, no sample from 100 HTLV-III/LAV-positive American homosexual men was strongly reactive for antibodies to the four Plasmodium species that infect human beings by an indirect fluorescent antibody technique, or for antibodies to Plasmodium falciparum by an ELISA technique. Thus, exposure to Plasmodium does not result in HTLV-III/LAV seropositivity, and HTLV-III/LAV antibodies are not strongly cross-reactive with malarial antigens.
Precision of semi-exact redundant continued fraction arithmetic for VLSI

Continued fractions (CFs) enable straightforward representation of elementary functions and rational approximations. We improve the positional algebraic algorithm, which computes homographic functions. The improved algorithm for the linear fractional transformation produces exact results, given regular continued fraction input. In case the input is in redundant continued fraction form, our improved linear algorithm increases the percentage of exact results with 12-bit state registers from 78% to 98%. The maximal error of non-exact results is improved. Indeed, by detecting a small number of cases, we can add a final correction step to improve the guaranteed accuracy of non-exact results. We refer to the fact that a few results may not be exact as "Semi-Exact" arithmetic. We detail the adjustments to the positional algebraic algorithm concerning register overflow, the virtual singularities that occur during the computation, and the errors due to non-regular, redundant CF inputs.
The practice of geriatric psychiatry in three countries : Observations of an American in the British Isles

The author compares the practice of geriatric psychiatry among three countries: Ireland, the United Kingdom and the United States. The two main areas reviewed are how the practice of geriatric psychiatry is done, and the mental health services available in each country, including organizational characteristics. The US is the most entrepreneurial of the three, Britain's greatest strength is the uniformity and comprehensiveness of its services, and Ireland provides an excellent model for nations of comparable size. Considerable change is occurring in all three countries.
Patterns of systemic oxygen utilization in cardiac ischemic syndromes: oxygen utilization in cardiac ischemia

Cardiac ischemia can present as distinctive clinical syndromes such as acute myocardial infarction, cardiogenic shock, sudden cardiac arrest or chronic congestive heart failure. All of the clinical syndromes share common pathophysiological events including reduction of cardiac output and systemic oxygen delivery (DO2) and activation of neurohumoral stress response. The balance between systemic DO2 and oxygen consumption (VO2) is maintained by modification of systemic oxygen utilization and demands which are essential for tissue viability and survival in cardiac ischemic syndromes. Low blood flow and the neurohumoral response may influence cellular metabolism (e.g., acute ischemia preconditioning and chronic downregulation of aerobic metabolism) and microcirculatory perfusion patterns to decrease systemic oxygen demands and VO2 in harmony with low cardiac output and systemic DO2. The clinical relevance of these metabolic adaptations and their influence on the outcome in cardiac ischemic syndromes remains unknown.