cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
EFFECTS OF STEP CHANGES IN EXCITATION FROM A STEADY STATE ON THE TRANSIENT ELECTRIC FIELD AND SPACE CHARGE BEHAVIOR FOR UNIPOLAR ION CONDUCTION II. STEP CHANGES IN VOLTAGE

Abstract The previous analysis of the transient electric field and space charge behavior for drift-dominated unipolar ion conduction is continued and extended by considering steady-state systems for which the terminal voltage is instantaneously increased or decreased including short-circuit conditions. Representative boundary conditions considered are a field-threshold condition whereby charge injection occurs whenever the emitter electric field reaches a critical value and the case where the injected charge density is proportional to the emitter electric field. For a step change in voltage, the electric field also changes everywhere by a constant so that its average value remains proportional to the voltage, although the spatial derivative which is proportional to the charge density is continuous. With a field-threshold condition for charge injection, a step increase in voltage results in spontaneous charge injection to keep the emitter electric field constant, while step decreases in voltage result in no charge injection until the emitter field reaches the critical value. For small voltages the critical field is never reached, resulting in no further charge injection, so the analysis reduces to a pure initial-value problem as the system approaches the uniform electric field of an ideal capacitor. For step-down voltages, the emitter electric field could become negative reversing the direction of motion of the charges. Detailed plots of the electric field and space charge distributions for representative voltage steps and charge injection boundary conditions are presented.
Culture, personality and morality: A typology of international consumers’ ethical beliefs

With business becoming more international, marketers need to understand the ethical beliefs of foreign consumers because of their effect on the outcomes of market expansion strategies. The ethical judgments of US consumers have been examined, but few studies have investigated similar attitudes in foreign‐national settings. To understand the various types of consumer ethics, this exploratory study classifies ethical beliefs by linking Hofstede’s cultural taxonomy to personality and ethics. This classification is achieved by comparing ethical judgments of consumers from eight different countries the USA, Ireland, Austria, Egypt, Lebanon, Hong Kong, Indonesia, and Australia. Labels for the emergent cultural personality types are also developed. Strategic implications for marketers are then discussed.
Howard Receives 2013 G. K. Gilbert Award: Response

I am deeply honored to receive this award associated with the luminous heritage of G. K. Gilbert. My interest in geology and, in particular, in landforms was triggered by family vacations in the western United States. These trips fostered the theme of the process controls of landscape morphology that has been central to my research.
Indoor Spatial Updating with Reduced Visual Information.

The data are contained in a csv spreadsheet. There is an accompanying txt file that explains the columns in the spreadsheet. Please see the referenced article for more information about the methods.
Nature-Based Strategies for Improving Urban Health and Safety

Place-based programs are being noticed as key opportunities to prevent disease and promote public health and safety for populations at-large. As one key type of place-based intervention, nature-based and green space strategies can play an especially large role in improving health and safety for dwellers in urban environments such as US legacy cities that lack nature and greenery. In this paper, we describe the current understanding of place-based influences on public health and safety. We focus on nonchemical environmental factors, many of which are related to urban abandonment and blight. We then review findings from studies of nature-based interventions regarding impacts on health, perceptions of safety, and crime. Based on our findings, we suggest that further research in this area will require (1) refined measures of green space, nature, and health and safety for cities, (2) interdisciplinary science and cross-sector policy collaboration, (3) observational studies as well as randomized controlled experiments and natural experiments using appropriate spatial counterfactuals and mixed methods, and (4) return-on-investment calculations of potential economic, social, and health costs and benefits of urban greening initiatives.
Commentary: Female Forensic Worker Sexual Misconduct—Who Is the Captive?

The risk of sexual misconduct by forensic professionals appears at first glance to be far less than the risk of sexual misconduct by other clinical professionals. Yet, Faulkner and Regehr's article draws our attention to the unique and intriguing situation of females working in forensic settings and the very real risk of their engaging in sexual misconduct with male prisoners. The female workers described are professionals: nurses, prison staff, and security officers. Analogies are made between Gabbard's proposed categories of professionals who commit sexual boundary violations and groups of female forensic workers' sexual misconduct with male prisoners. Faulkner and Regehr detail the characteristics of prisoners and the prison setting and how they relate to detrimental interpersonal behavior by female forensic workers. The role of security officers is discussed along with the need for policy-makers to minimize the risks inherent in working with incarcerated populations. The potential for gender-biased explanations of misconduct among female forensic workers is also considered.
Performance Characteristics of Individual vs. Team Managed Mutual Funds

In the fields of psychology and evolution, there is a large body of theory and evidence on how individual behavior differs from group behavior, particularly for performance and risk-taking activities. Even so, relatively little attention has been devoted to this topic for research on managed portfolios, though over 50% of mutual funds are managed by a team. This study is an empirical examination of whether funds managed by individuals perform differently than funds managed by teams. Using a sample of about three thousand equity mutual funds over a twelve-year horizon, we find that though funds managed by teams has grown by seven times the rate of funds managed by individuals, there is no significant difference in performance on a risk-adjusted basis. However, funds managed by teams are significantly less risky. In addition to differences in turnover in many fund categories, the total cost of owning a team-managed mutual fund is nearly fifty basis points lower per year than a mutual fund managed by an individual, on average.
Disequilibrium profile of the Potomac River near Washington, D.C. A result of lowered base level or Quaternary tectonics along the Fall Line?

Longitudinal profiles of major rivers in Maryland and Virginia are generally closely adjusted to the resistance of the rocks over which they flow, but they all show major discontinuities at or just above the Fall Line. The amount of discrepancy at the Fall Line between the actual profiles and the projection of the profiles of the upstream reaches increases from about 27 m at the James River to about 50 m at the Susquehanna River. At the Potomac River it is about 45 m. Detailed study of the terraces along the Potomac in the Piedmont above Washington, D.C., suggests that the discontinuity in longitudinal profile is the result of Quaternary downcutting in response to a lowered base level. Changes in base level during sea-level fluctuations in the Pleistocene must have been an important factor, but strong circumstantial evidence suggests that the discontinuities in river profiles may in part be due to differential uplift of the Piedmont with respect to the coastal plain along a zone of flexure or distributed faulting near the Fall Line.
Influence of oxygen pressure variations on the optical properties of ion beam sputtered metal oxide coatings

Small variations of oxygen partial pressure during the ion beam sputtering of metal oxides strongly influence the optical properties, causing an increase in the absorption loss and a decrease in laser damage fluence.
Job Satisfaction Among Part-Time and Full-Time Employees.

Abstract Data were collected from 151 part-time and full-time hospital workers to show that various groups of employees bring to their jobs different frames of reference. They consequently have different expectations and derive different satisfactions from their jobs. Examining satisfaction patterns for various employee groups is the appropriate strategy for understanding job satisfaction.
Stereocontrolled Cyanohydrin Ether Synthesis through Chiral Brønsted Acid-Mediated Vinyl Ether Hydrocyanation

Vinyl ethers can be protonated to generate oxocarbenium ions that react with Me3SiCN to form cyanohydrin alkyl ethers. Reactions that form racemic products proceed efficiently upon conversion of the vinyl ether to an α-chloro ether prior to cyanide addition in a pathway that proceeds through Bronsted acid-mediated chloride ionization. Enantiomerically enriched products can be accessed by directly protonating the vinyl ether with a chiral Bronsted acid to form a chiral ion pair. Me3SiCN acts as the nucleophile and PhOH serves as a stoichiometric proton source in a rare example of asymmetric bimolecular nucleophilic addition into an oxocarbenium ion. Computational studies have provided a model for the interaction between the catalyst and the oxocarbenium ion.
Mössbauer analysis of iron in stone meteorites

Abstract The absorption of resonant gamma rays by Fe 57 nuclei in stone meteorites produces patterns characteristic of the various iron compounds in the meteorite. By comparison with absorption patterns of terrestrial reference minerals, the meteoritic compounds may be identified and the relative amounts of iron in each mineral determined. The minerals identified in the Plainview meteorite were olivine and pyroxene (ferromagnesian silicates), troilite (a sulfide), and kamacite (an iron-nickel alloy). The absorption patterns of the Holbrook and Johnstown meteorites were also investigated.
Accelerated peptic activity in ice

Abstract When native acid human gastric juice was kept at +1 °C for a week, the intrinsic factor (IF) and the non-IF (NIF) B 12 binding capacities as determined by a standardized radioimmunoassay were quite stable. In contrast, a relatively rapid deterioration of the IF B 12 binder and slightly less rapid decrease in the NIF B 12 binder occurred when native acid gastric juice was kept at −20 °C for a similar period of time. In depepsinized gastric juices, reacidified to their original pH values and kept at −20 °C, the NIF B 12 binder was stable, whereas the IF B 12 binding capacity showed some loss, but always less than that seen in the corresponding nondepepsinized gastric juices. It was therefore concluded that peptic activity was accelerated in ice. The practical clinical implication of this observation for the immunoassay of IF is stressed.
Enhancing management's understanding of operational research models

The problem of the gap between management's understanding of a model and the model builder's insight is a large one. This problem continues to challenge the practice of operational research and plague contemporary modelling efforts. This paper offers an approach to enhancing a manager's understanding of the model with respect to an application. It sets out a procedure whereby (a) the reasons for the management's judgements are uncovered, and (b) the sources of disagreement with the recommendations obtained from the model are identified. The manager, learning from the model, may then change his or her judgements. Alternatively, the model builder may modify the model parameters or assumptions, leading to convergent understanding. The procedure is based on the framework of social judgement theory. An illustrative example is offered in the context of facility planning in the cement manufacturing industry.
Application of ion chromatography to failure analysis of electronics packaging

Abstract Ionic contamination is a frequent cause of corrosion failures in electronics packaging. Ionic Cl − , SO 2− 4 , Na + and K + are the species most frequently associated with corrosion and are easily detected by ion chromatography (IC) or other surface analysis techniques (XRF, EDX, etc). This paper will describe a corrosion problem, involving gold-plated copper wires and an automated wire bonding operation, and its solution using IC and Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) analysis, which showed that the corrosion was caused by ionic NO 2 − and NO 3 − , species which are not easily detected by other surface analysis techniques.
Mechanisms of pathogenicity among protozoa

In the following report no attempt has been made to render uniform the style of the reports of the four speakers. For brief summaries of the subjects which were to be discussed by the absent members of the panel, the reader is referred to the abstracts published by them in the ‘Programme and Abstracts of the Congress’.
Serial exercise testing in pulmonary embolism.

A patient underwent exercise testing during evaluation for unexplained dyspnea. Evidence of ventilation-perfusion mismatch was noted and subsequent testing revealed multiple pulmonary emboli. Ventilation perfusion parameters by serial exercise testing progressively improved during the course of the patients illness but did not totally normalize. A discussion of the utility of exercise testing in the evaluation of the patient with unexplained dyspnea is provided and the potential value of serial exercise testing in the management of patients with pulmonary emboli is discussed. (Chest 1988;94:517-20)
A Construct Validity Study of a Self-Concept Scale for a Sample of Hospital Nurses

Using a sample of 107 registered nurses who were employed on medical-surgical units and intensive care units in two acute care hospitals in California, the twofold purpose of this study was to provide additional evidence of the internal-consistency reliability and construct validity of scores on each of six dimensions of the Dimensions of Self-Concept (DOSC) Scale, Form W. Internal consistency estimates of reliability of scores on the six subscales varied between .83 and .92. From each of the six factor subscales, 3 subtests each of five items were formed, scored, and intercorrelated (18 subtests in all). Confirmatory maximum likelihood factor analyses for several alternative factor models indicated that a six-factor oblique model accounted for the greatest proportion of covariance in the matrix of 18 subtests.
Altamont: Public perceptions of a wind energy landscape

Abstract This research examines public response to the Altamont Pass Wind Energy Development in California. A questionnaire accompanied by objectively chosen, representative photographs of the area was sent to 600 subjects, approximately half of whom lived within 10 miles of Altamont. Subjects regarded Altamont nearly universally as a highly conspicuous, man-made landscape. Agreement ended there, however, with subjects displaying a range of attitudinal responses. Survey results revealed that wind energy developments such as Altamont are perceived as complex environments neither easily categorized nor similarly evaluated. External, symbolic attributes such as safe and natural energy production, appropriateness, progress and safety figured highly in the attitudes of those favoring the Altamont development, while basic visual characteristics such as clutter and conspicuousness contributed to negative attitudes. Subjects who lived closer to Altamont and those more familiar with the area liked it less than subjects less familiar and those living farther away. Females, older persons and subjects with less education held more positive attitudes, while males, younger subjects and subjects with more education formed less positive attitudes. The advantages of wind developments most often chosen as important included lack of pollution, safety, long-term availability of wind and wind as a good alternative to other energy sources. The disadvantage most often chosen was the day-to-day unreliability of the wind. Despoliation of the scenery was the fourth most frequently-mentioned disadvantage. Noise was not an issue. Subjects preferred neutral color schems and olderly, uniform arrays of wind turbines. They also preferred fewer, larger turbines in a given land area rather than more, smaller ones. A significant finding concerned perceived reliability. When wind is blowing and most other turbines are spinning, large numbers of non-operating turbines apparently lead to public perceptions of technological or managerial incompetence or tax fraud. Inoperative turbines seemed to equal or exceed siting, design and scenic character in causing negative attitude formation among subjects.
Kinetic Study of the Reactions of Gas Phase Pd(a1S0), Ag(5s 2S1/2), Au(6s 2S1/2), Cd(5s2 1S0), and Hg(6s2 1S0) Atoms with Nitrous Oxide

The reactivity of gas-phase Pd(a1S0), Ag(5s 2S1/2), Au(6s 2S1/2), Cd(5s2 1S0), and Hg(6s2 1S0) with N2O as a function of temperature and pressure is reported. The transition metal atoms were produced by the photodissociation of an appropriate precursor molecule and detected by laser-induced fluorescence. The reaction of palladium with N2O is pressure dependent indicating adduct formation. The room-temperature limiting low-pressure third-order rate constant is (2.5 ± 0.8) × 10-30 molecule-2 cm6 s-1 in argon buffer. The limiting low-pressure third-order rate constant can be expressed as log k0(T) = −219.06 + 152(log T) − 30.5(log T)2 molecule-2 cm6 s-1 over the temperature range 294−523 K. The reactions of ground-state silver, gold, cadmium, and mercury with N2O are very slow, and only upper limits for the rate constants can be reported for these reactions.
Immunologic reconstitution, autoimmunity, and T-cell immune deficiencies.

Abstract A 17-month-old female with combined immunodeficiency, a proliferative response to allogeneic cells in MLC, and circulating B lymphocytes (50%, all with surface immunoglobulin M) was treated with transfer factor (TF). After six doses of transfer factor, serum levels of IgG increased from 234 mg/dl to 1071 mg/dl and a lymphocyte proliferative response was detected to pokeweed mitogen. However, no change in T-cell function was observed. Clinically, she did well, but after the eighth dose of transfer factor, she developed the nephrotic syndrome. Renal biopsy suggested immune complex glomerulonephritis. Subsequently following treatment for Pneumocystis carinii , a 20-day cultured thymus was transplanted intraperitoneally. Two weeks after thymus transplant, the patient started to develop delayed skin reactivity and in vitro mitogen responsiveness. Six weeks posttransplant, the PHA and pokeweed mitogen responses were approximately 60% of normal, but the Concanavalin A response had disappeared. Subsequently she developed a Coombs positive hemolytic anemia, a cutaneous vasculitis, and thrombocytopenia. There was no evidence of GVH disease. Multiple autoimmune manifestations developed in association with transfer factor therapy and transplantation of cultured thymus tissue. T-Cell deficiencies are predisposed to autoimmune diseases because of imbalances of regulatory T-cell function. These imbalances of regulatory T-cell function may occur especially following partial immune reconstitution. The changes in B-cell function during transfer factor therapy may have resulted from enhanced T-cell-B-cell interaction. This immunopotentiation effect of transfer factor together with partial T-cell reconstitution may have led to B-cell hyperresponsiveness and autoimmune disease.
CALCIUM ANTAGONISTS FOR CONGESTIVE HEART FAILURE : EVOLVING CONCEPTS IN BRIDGE BUILDING

Since my educational warning in 1987, several controlled and uncontrolled trials have shown that shortand long-term therapy with calcium antagonists is deleterious to patients with chronic heart failure [1-3]. The reasons underlying the adverse effect of these drugs are unclear, however. Although it is generally assumed that the unfavorable clinical effects of calcium antagonists are related to their negative inotropie actions, this hypothesis cannot explain the available data with these drugs. Following long-term therapy with calcium antagonists, cardiac function improves, but the clinical status of patients deteriorates [4,5]. This finding suggests that another mechanism must explain the adverse effects of these drugs in patients with advanced left ventricular dysfunction. In 1989 I hypothesized that the deleterious effects of calcium antagonists might be related to their predilection to activate endogenous neurohormonal systems rather than to their cardiodepressant actions [6]. If this were the ease, what could be done to remedy this situation? Perhaps calcium antagonists could be developed that did not exert detrimental neurohormonal effects. Is this possible? The answer may be "yes." Recent evidence from our laboratory and from other institutions indicates that two new calcium antagonists, amlodipine and felodipine, exert favorable neurohormonal effects in patients with heart failure [7,8]. Interestingly, these two agents are also the only calcium antagonists that have been shown to enhance exercise tolerance in patients with heart failure in controlled clinical trials [8,9]. These intriguing observations require confirmation, but they suggest the possibility that some calcium antagonists might be useful in the treatment of advanced left ventrieular dysfunction. Additional studies are in progress to evaluate the potential efficacy of amlodipine and felodipine in the management of heart failure. Two studies deserve special mention, because they are investigating the effects of amlodipine and felodipine on morbidity and mortality. The Prospective Randomized Amlodipine Survival Evaluation (PRAISE) is examining the effect of amlodipine on survival in 1000 patients with class III and IV heart failure. The third Veterans Affairs Heart Failure Trial (V-HeFT III) is evaluating the effect of felodipine on cardiovascular morbidity in 900 patients with class II and III heart failure. The results on both studies should be available by the end of 1994. Until these studies are completed, what should physicians do? I believe that physicians should wait for the results of the PRAISE and V-HeFT III studies before reaching a decision to prescribe amlodipine or felodipine for the treatment of heart failure. Is there anything they can do in the meantime? The available data suggest that, unlike many calcium antagonists, amlodipine and felodipine are well tolerated in patients with heart failure. Hence, they might be preferred calcium antagonists for the treatment of angina peetoris or hypertension in patients with advanced left ventrieular dysfunction.
Immuno-Ultrastructural Localization of Sodium Channels at Nodes of Ranvier and Perinodal Astrocytes in Rat Optic Nerve

Immuno-electron microscopic localization of sodium channels at nodes of Ranvier within adult optic nerve was demonstrated with polyclonal antibody 7493. The 7493 antisera, which is directed against purified sodium channels from rat brain, recognizes a 260 kDa protein in immunoblots of the crude glycoprotein fraction from adult rat optic nerve. Intense immunoreactivity with 7493 antisera was observed at nodes of Ranvier. Axon membrane at the node was densely stained, whereas paranodal and internodal axon membrane did not exhibit immunoreactivity. The axoplasm beneath the nodal membrane displayed variable immunostaining. Neither terminal paranodal oligodendroglial loops nor oligodendrocyte plasmalemma were immunoreactive with 7493 antisera. However, perinodal astrocyte processes exhibited intense immunoreactivity with the anti-sodium channel antisera. Optic nerves incubated with pre-immune sera, or with 7493 antisera that had been pre-adsorbed with purified sodium channel protein, displayed no immunoreactivity. These results demonstrate localization of sodium channels at high density at mammalian nodes of Ranvier and in some perinodal astrocyte processes. The latter observation offers support for an active role for perinodal astrocyte processes in the aggregation of sodium channels within the axon membrane at the node of Ranvier.
Effect of Sex of Subject on Recall of Gender-Stereotyped Magazine Advertisements

The effect of gender on recall of details in stereotypically male-or female-related magazine advertisements was tested. 20 male and 20 female subjects were shown 4 advertisements (2 stereotypically female-related ads and 2 stereotypically male-related ads), one at a time, for 5 sec. each. Each subject was then asked to recall details from each advertisement. Gender differences in verbal ability were determined by administering the Wide Range Vocabulary Test prior to the experiment. The main effect of sex of subject and the interaction of sex of subject and type of advertisement significantly affected the number of details recalled. Females recalled more details over-all. Males recalled more details from the male-related advertisements, while females recalled an equal number of details from both advertisements. The effect of the women's liberation movement on males' and females' recall of the advertisements is discussed. Suggestions are made for advertisers and directions for future research are discussed.
Altered VEGF mRNA Stability following Treatments with Immunosuppressive Agents IMPLICATIONS FOR CANCER DEVELOPMENT

The high incidence of cancer and its aggressive progression is a common and major problem in patients receiving immunosuppressive therapy. The calcineurin inhibitors (CNIs) may have protumorigenic effects and can promote the overexpression of several molecules inducing tumor growth. We have recently demonstrated that CNIs can mediate the transcriptional activation of the angiogenic cytokine vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and promote a rapid progression of human renal cancer. Here, we investigated whether the CNI cyclosporine (CsA) and the mTOR inhibitor rapamycin (RAPA) could alter the mRNA stability of VEGF in 786-0 and Caki-1 renal cancer cells. Following actinomycin D treatment, we observed that CsA increased, whereas RAPA decreased the VEGF mRNA stability as observed by real time PCR. It is established that the mRNA-binding protein HuR may play a critical role in VEGF mRNA stability. By using HuR-siRNA, we found that the knockdown of HuR significantly decreased the CNI-induced VEGF mRNA stability. By Western blot analysis, it has been observed that CNI treatment induced the translocation of HuR from the nucleus to the cytoplasm; CNIs also induced the association between HuR and PKC-δ and promoted the phosphorylation of HuR. Finally, we found that the inhibition of PKC-δ using a dominant negative plasmid significantly decreased the CsA-induced cytoplasmic translocation of HuR and VEGF mRNA stability. Together, targeting the pathways that promote CNI-induced transcription as well as the mRNA stability of VEGF might serve as novel therapeutics for the prevention and treatment of cancer in immunosuppressed patients.
First Report of Cylindrocarpon macrodidymum on Acer palmatum in Virginia.

In October 2010, containerized Acer palmatum Thunb. trees (‘Red Select’, ‘Viridis’, and ‘Hubb's Red Willow’) with crown cankers and root rot were observed at a central Virginia nursery. Sections of lower stem cankers and rootlets were sampled from 14 trees by surface-sterilizing tissue and plating on V8 juice agar. A species of Cylindrocarpon was isolated from 72% of sampled trees and recovered from 57% of 50 cankers and 74% of 50 sections of symptomatic rootlets. On potato dextrose agar (PDA), macroconidia were cylindrical, straight, and rounded at both ends. Chlamydospores were common and intercalary or terminal in the mycelium. To identify to species, the internal transcribed spacer of ribosomal DNA and partial sequences of the beta tubulin gene were sequenced and compared with published sequences (GenBank Accession Nos. AM419110.1 and AM419109.1), which exactly matched sequences of Cylindrocarpon macrodidymum, a recently described species (1,2). Neighbor-joining analyses using Blast Tree View placed C...
Univers: an attribute-based name server

Univers is a generic attribute-based name server upon which a variety of high-level naming services can be built. This paper defines Univers' underlying attribute-based naming model. It also describes several aspects of its implementation and demonstrates how various naming services ― including a global white-pages service, a local yellow-pages service and a conventional name-to-address mapper ― can be built on top of Univers
Information Management Capabilities of MDO Frameworks

Multidisciplinary design optimization (MDO) is a methodology, which integrates analysis and optimization techniques to solve engineering design problems involving multiple disciplines. MDO frameworks have been developed which facilitate the integration of disciplinary analysis code and optimization techniques. Commonly used MDO frameworks include ModelCenter, iSIGHT, modeFRONTIER and FIDO. Recent advances in MDO framework have addressed issues related to data exchange, distributed computing, process integration and trade study. However managing, storing and sharing MDO problem information have not yet been addressed. Thus, the primary objective in this research is to propose a new configuration for MDO frameworks to enhance information management capabilities. This is achieved by (1) identifying requirements for managing decision-related information, (2) evaluating current MDO frameworks against the key information management requirements, and (3) extending current software to include a file information system and structured repository. Finally, a new configuration is developed augmenting a structured repository to enable reuse of information associated with the formulation of MDO problems.Copyright © 2008 by ASME
Examination of eastern US oil shale by-products and their markets☆

Established and potential oil shale product and by-product markets are examined in an effort to identify components or process configurations that might improve process economics and to evaluate promising directions for future research. These include trace elements, sulfur, cement, asphalt, bricks, fixed gases, specialty carbon fibres, adsorbent carbons, chemicals and chemical feedstocks. Market evaluations for the most part are based on the yields of by-products expected from an eastern US oil shale using Kentort fluidized-bed technology in a 6800 t day -1 plant. For certain value-added products such as specialty fibres and adsorbent carbons, the discussion is more general.
Differential Modulation of Gonadotropin Secretion by Selective Estrogen Receptor 1 and Estrogen Receptor 2 Agonists in Ovariectomized Ewes

The objectives of this study were to determine whether activation of estrogen receptor 1 (ESR1; also known as ERalpha), or estrogen receptor 2 (ESR2; also known as ERbeta), or both are required to: 1) acutely inhibit secretion of LH, 2) induce the preovulatory-like surge of LH, and 3) inhibit secretion of FSH in ovariectomized (OVX) ewes. OVX ewes (n = 6) were administered intramuscularly 25 micrograms estradiol (E2), 12 mg propylpyrazoletriol (PPT; a subtype-selective ESR1 agonist), 21 mg diaprylpropionitrile (DPN; a subtype-selective ESR2 agonist), or PPT + DPN. Like E2, administration of PPT, DPN, or combination of the two rapidly decreased (P < 0.05) secretion of LH. Each agonist induced a gradual, prolonged rise in secretion of LH after the initial inhibition, but neither agonist alone nor the combined agonists was able to induce a "normal" preovulatory-like surge of LH similar to that induced by E2. Compared with E2-treated ewes, the beginning of the increase in secretion of LH occurred earlier (P < 0.01) in DPN-treated ewes, later (P < 0.05) in PPT-treated ewes, and at a similar interval in ewes receiving the combined agonist treatment. Like E2, PPT decreased (P < 0.05) secretion of FSH, but the duration of suppression was much longer in PPT-treated ewes. DPN did not alter secretion of FSH in this study. Modulation of the number of GnRH receptors by PPT and DPN was examined in primary cultures of ovine pituitary cells. In our hands, both PPT and DPN increased the number of GnRH receptors, but the dose of DPN required to stimulate synthesis of GnRH receptors was 10 times higher than that of PPT. We conclude that in OVX ewes: 1) ESR1 and ESR2 mediate the negative feedback of E2 on secretion of LH at the level of the pituitary gland, 2) ESR1 and ESR2 do not synergize or antagonize the effects of each other; however, they do interact to synchronize the beginning of the stimulatory effect of E2 on secretion of LH, 3) ESR1 and ESR2 may mediate at least partially the positive feedback of E2 on LH secretion by increasing the number of GnRH receptors, and 4) only ESR1 appears to be involved in the negative feedback of E2 on secretion of FSH.
ZYTOKINE UND MEDIATOREN ALS THERAPEUTISCHE ANSATZPUNKTE

In den letzten Jahren haben sich unsere Kenntnisse uber die Wirkung von Zytokinen mit zunehmender Beschleunigung erweitert. Sicher sind noch nicht alle Effekte der Zytokine bekannt oder gar verstanden, dennoch hat sich die Einteilung in proinflammatorische und antiinflammatorische Zytokine sowie Antizytokinmolekule unter pragmatischen Gesichtspunkten sehr bewahrt. Auch bei der rheumatoiden Arthritis (RA) werden im entzundeten Gelenk Zytokine produziert, wobei – ersichtlich am klinischen Befund – offenbar kein Gleichgewicht von pro- und antiinflammatorischen Zytokinen sondern ein Ubergewicht proinflammatorischer Zytokine vorliegt. Daher liegt nah, mittels geeigneter Masnahmen proinflammatorische Zytokine zu hemmen, um auf diese Weise in den pathogenetischen Mechanismus der RA in einem sehr fruhen Stadium einzugreifen. Uber die Grundlagen, Strategien und Ergebnisse dieser Therapiemasnahmen wird an dieser Stelle eine Ubersicht gegeben.
Neutralizing Capacity of Monoclonal Antibodies That Recognize Peptide Sequences Underlying the Carbohydrates on gp41 of Simian Immunodeficiency Virus

Extensive glycosylation of the envelope spikes of human and simian immunodeficiency virus (HIV and SIV) is an important factor for the resistance of these viruses to neutralization by antibodies. SIVmac239 gp41 has three closely spaced sites for N-linked carbohydrate attachment. Rhesus macaques experimentally infected with mutant versions of SIVmac239 lacking two or three of these carbohydrate sites developed strong serum reactivity against mutated peptide sequences at the site of these glycosylations, as well as high titers of neutralizing activity to the mutant viruses (E. Yuste et al., J. Virol. 82:12472–12486, 2008). However, whether antibodies that recognize these underlying peptides have neutralizing activity has not been directly demonstrated. Here we describe the isolation and characterization of three gp41-specific monoclonal antibodies (4G8, 6G8, and 7D6) from one of these mutant-infected monkeys. All three antibodies reacted with mutant gp41 from viral particles and also with peptides corresponding to mutated sequences. Slight differences in peptide specificities were observed among the three antibodies. Sequence analysis revealed that the heavy chains of all three antibodies were derived from the same germ line heavy-chain segment (IGHV4-59*01), but they all had very different sequences in complementarity-determining region 3. The light chains of all three antibodies were very closely related to one another. All three antibodies had neutralizing activity to mutant viruses deficient in gp41 carbohydrate attachment, but they did not neutralize the parental SIVmac239. These results demonstrate unambiguously that antibodies with specificity for peptide sequences underlying gp41 carbohydrates can effectively neutralize SIV when these carbohydrates are absent. However, the presence of these gp41 carbohydrates effectively shields the virus from antibodies that would otherwise neutralize viral infectivity.
Prognostic relevance of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGF-R) and c-neu/erbB2 expression in glioblastomas (GBMs).

Seventeen untreated primary adult glioblastomas were analyzed using immunocytochemistry for the expression of EGF-R, c-neu/erbB2, TGF-α, and phosphotyrosine. Patients were divided by median survival into long-term or short-term survivors (LTS, N=10, median > 4 years; versus STS, N=7, median 61 weeks). There were no significant differences between the two groups in terms of age, extent of resection, post-operative Karnofsky status, or treatment. Diagnostic sections from each tumor were stained with antibodies to EGF-R, c-neu/erbB2, TGF-α and phosphotyrosine. Double-labelling for TGF-α and EGF-R was also performed. All 10/10 LTS were considered to be EGF-R negative/scant, while 4/7 STS were EGF-R positive. EGF-R negativity significantly correlated with long-term survival. The differences in c-neu/erbB2 expression did not reach significance. However, 4/7 STS were positive for both proteins and 76% of the 17 cases were either double negative or positive for EGF-R and c-neu/erbB2. TGF-α and phosphotyrosine were frequently expressed, but neither were prognostic. Recurrent tumors were studied in 7 STS. EGF-R expression was increased in 4/7 of these cases and c-neu/erbB2 was increased in all 7 cases, compared to the pretreatment baselines. Increased expression of these proteins in glioblastomas may be associated with aggressive clinical behavior and treatment resistance.
Status of the Salt Waste Processing Facility at the Savannah River Site

The Department of Energy’s (DOE) Savannah River Site (SRS) High-Level Waste (HLW) Program is responsible for storage, treatment, and immobilization of HLW for disposal. The Salt Processing Program (SPP) is the salt (soluble) waste treatment portion of this effort. The overall SPP encompasses the selection, design, construction and operation of treatment technologies to prepare the salt waste feed material for the site’s Saltstone Facility and vitrification facility (Defense Waste Processing Facility). Major constituents that must be removed from the salt waste include actinides, strontium, cesium, and entrained sludge. In fiscal year (FY) 2002, research and development (R&D) on the actinide and strontium removal and Caustic-Side Solvent Extraction (CSSX) processes transitioned from technology development for baseline process selection to providing input for conceptual design of the Salt Waste Processing Facility (SWPF), a key component at the SRS SPP. This work included laboratory studies, bench-scale tests, and prototype equipment development. To implement the salt waste treatment technologies, DOE initiated a competitive procurement process to select Engineering, Procurement, and Construction (EPC) contractors for design of the SWPF. The Department awarded EPC contracts to Parsons Infrastructure & Technology Group, Inc. and Foster Wheeler USA Corporation for preparation of conceptual designs (Phase I) for the SWPF. The two EPC contractors began conceptual design activities in September 2002 and are scheduled to complete this work in January 2004. After evaluation of the conceptual designs, DOE will down select one EPC contractor to continue with final design, construction, and hot commissioning (Phase II). Hot startup of the SWPF is targeted for December 2009.Copyright © 2003 by ASME
Thermal face protection delays finger cooling and improves thermal comfort during cold air exposure

When people dress for cold weather, the face often remains exposed. Facial cooling can decrease finger blood flow, reducing finger temperature (T f). This study examined whether thermal face protection limits finger cooling and thereby improves thermal comfort and manual dexterity during prolonged cold exposure. T f was measured in ten volunteers dressed in cold-weather clothing as they stood for 60 min facing the wind (−15°C, 3 m s−1), once while wearing a balaclava and goggles (BAL), and once with the balaclava pulled down and without goggles (CON). Subjects removed mitts, wearing only thin gloves to perform Purdue Pegboard (PP) tests at 15 and 50 min, and Minnesota Rate of Manipulation (MRM) tests at 30 and 55 min. Subjects rated their thermal sensation and comfort just before the dexterity tests. T f decreased (p < 0.05 for time × trial interaction) by 15 min of cold exposure during CON (33.6 ± 1.4–28.7 ± 2.0°C), but not during BAL (33.2 ± 1.4–30.6 ± 3.2°C); and after 30 min T f remained warmer during BAL (23.3 ± 5.9°C) than CON (19.2 ± 3.5); however, by 50 min, T f was no different between trials (14.1 ± 2.7°C). Performance on PP fell (p < 0.05) by 25% after 50 min in both trials; MRM performance was not altered by cold on either trial. Subjects felt colder (p < 0.05) and more uncomfortable (p < 0.05) during CON, compared to BAL. Thermal face protection was effective for maintaining warmer T f and thermal comfort during cold exposure; however, local cooling of the hands during manual dexterity tests reduced this physiological advantage, and performance was not improved.
Primary dystonia: molecules and mechanisms

Primary dystonia is characterized by involuntary twisting and turning movements that occur in the absence of overt brain lesions or evidence of neurodegeneration. As Tanabe et al. discuss in this article, advances in structural and functional imaging have facilitated the identification of motor circuit abnormalities in patients with primary dystonia. In addition, the discovery of dystonia-related genes is providing important insights into the cell biological mechanisms that underlie circuit dysfunction. Primary dystonia is characterized by abnormal, involuntary twisting and turning movements that reflect impaired motor system function. The dystonic brain seems normal, in that it contains no overt lesions or evidence of neurodegeneration, but functional brain imaging has uncovered abnormalities involving the cortex, striatum and cerebellum, and diffusion tensor imaging suggests the presence of microstructural defects in white matter tracts of the cerebellothalamocortical circuit. Clinical electrophysiological studies show that the dystonic CNS exhibits aberrant plasticity—perhaps related to deficient inhibitory neurotransmission—in a range of brain structures, as well as the spinal cord. Dystonia is, therefore, best conceptualized as a motor circuit disorder, rather than an abnormality of a particular brain structure. None of the aforementioned abnormalities can be strictly causal, as they are not limited to regions of the CNS subserving clinically affected body parts, and are found in seemingly healthy patients with dystonia-related mutations. The study of dystonia-related genes will, hopefully, help researchers to unravel the chain of events from molecular to cellular to system abnormalities. DYT1 mutations, for example, cause abnormalities within the endoplasmic reticulum–nuclear envelope endomembrane system. Other dystonia-related gene products traffic through the endoplasmic reticulum, suggesting a potential cell biological theme underlying primary dystonia.
The treatment of musculoskeletal disorders by a Mexican bonesetter (SOBADOR)

Joint and muscle pain and dysfunction are treated by massage by a practitioner in Ciudad Juarez, Chihuahua, Mexico. It has not hitherto been noted that this type of practitioner also treats with joint mobilization and manipulation. During nine months of field observations, patients were examined clinically before treatment in an effort to establish baseline measures of pain and stiffness as well as to confirm the diagnostic conclusions of the sobador. The nature of massage, mobilization and manipulation was then identified. Immediate post-treatment evaluations of range of motion together with patient reports of pain levels provided crude measures of effectiveness. The sobador is found to meet medical standards of practice for safety, efficacy, and cost containment.
Structure and properties enhancement in poly(phenylene sulfide) melt spun fibers. III. Effect of two zone drawing and annealing

This article discusses the enhancement of structure and morphology of PPS fibers by annealing and two zone draw-annealing. Also investigated is the comparison between fiber morphology and properties achieved by single zone draw-annealing vis-a-vis extended annealing and two zone draw-annealing. Annealing of undrawn as-spun fibers yields tenacities around 4.5 gpd (grams/denier). It is shown that when compared with one zone drawing, two zone drawing improves PPS fibers' drawability and enhances the tensile properties significantly. Fibers spun from high molecular weight PPS resins, when drawn and annealed under optimum processing conditions during two zone draw-annealing, possess tenacities around 6 gpd. A model for the fiber structure is proposed based on the morphological studies. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2012
Early Exposure to Violence in the Family of Origin and Positive Attitudes towards Marital Violence: Chinese Immigrant Male Batterers vs. Controls

This study examined self-reported early exposure to violence in the family of origin and positive attitudes towards marital violence as risk factors in court-referred Chinese immigrant male batterers (N = 64) versus controls (N = 62). Early exposure to violence was positively correlated with marital violence, but it alone did not differentiate the batterers from the controls, as both groups were widely exposed to it. While it was significantly correlated with marital violence in the batterer group, it was significantly correlated with depression in the control group. Positive attitudes towards marital violence were not only correlated with marital violence but also sufficient to differentiate the batterers from the controls. It also partially mediated the effect of early exposure to violence on marital violence. These two risk factors together accounted for 21.9% of the variance in marital violence over and above sociodemographic variables and marital dissatisfaction. Research and treatment implications based on these findings were outlined.
Unboundedness in reverse convex and concave integer programming

In this paper we are concerned with the problem of unboundedness and existence of an optimal solution in reverse convex and concave integer optimization problems. In particular, we present necessary and sufficient conditions for existence of an upper bound for a convex objective function defined over the feasible region contained in \({\mathbb{Z}^n}\). The conditions for boundedness are provided in a form of an implementable algorithm, showing that for the considered class of functions, the integer programming problem is unbounded if and only if the associated continuous problem is unbounded. We also address the problem of boundedness in the global optimization problem of maximizing a convex function over a set of integers contained in a convex and unbounded region. It is shown in the paper that in both types of integer programming problems, the objective function is either unbounded from above, or it attains its maximum at a feasible integer point.
Chaperone-mediated autophagy: a unique way to enter the lysosome world

All cellular proteins undergo continuous synthesis and degradation. This permanent renewal is necessary to maintain a functional proteome and to allow rapid changes in levels of specific proteins with regulatory purposes. Although for a long time lysosomes were considered unable to contribute to the selective degradation of individual proteins, the discovery of chaperone-mediated autophagy (CMA) changed this notion. Here, we review the characteristics that set CMA apart from other types of lysosomal degradation and the subset of molecules that confer cells the capability to identify individual cytosolic proteins and direct them across the lysosomal membrane for degradation.