cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Molecular Assay Proves the Presence of Theileria annulata Infection in Camels in Al-Diwaniyah Province, Iraq.

Background Theileria camelensis and T. dromedarii are parasitic protozoans reported by several studies as specific species that infect the one-humped camel (Camelus dromedarius). However, other findings casted significant doubts on the true identity of the causative species of theileriosis in camels. Therefore, the present study was conducted to investigate of T. camelensis and T. dromedarii in one humped camels in Iraq during Apr-Oct 2017. Methods Blood samples for DNA extraction were obtained from 181 slaughtered camels. Molecular investigation was performed following the amplification of 18S rRNA gene by conventional PCR technique. DNA sequencing was then utilized only for the positive samples to confirm the infection with the Theileria species. Results Nine (4.97%) out of 181 examined samples showed a positive result to infection with Theileria spp., and all these appeared as a T. annulata when subjected to DNA amplification and sequencing techniques. There was a complete absence of any new sequence outside the known species. Conclusion Most of Theileria infection in camels in the study area is caused by T. annulata and no other causative agents like T. camelensis or T. dromedarii.
Sealant injectivity through void space conduits to assess remediation of well cement failure

The primary cement of oil and gas wells is prone to fail under downhole conditions. Thus, a remedial operation must be conducted to restore the wellbore integrity and provides zonal isolation. Many types of materials are currently used and/or have the potential to be employed in wellbore integrity applications, including, but not limited to, conventional Portland cement, microfine and ultrafine cement, thermoset materials, and thermoplastic materials. In this study, several types of materials were selected for evaluation: (1) conventional Portland cement, which is the most widely used in remedial operations in the petroleum industry, (2) polymer resin, which is one of the most recent technologies being applied successfully in the field, (3) polymer solutions, and (4) polymer gel, which is a semisolid material that has shown potential in conformance control applications. This work addresses injectivity and the parameters that affect the injectivity of these materials, which to the authors' best knowledge have not been addressed comprehensively in the literature. The results of this study demonstrate the effects of several factors on the injectivity of the sealants: void size, viscosity of the sealant, injection flow rate, and heterogeneity of the void. The results also promote the use of solids-free sealants, such as epoxy resin, in wellbore remedial operations because epoxy resin behaved like Newtonian fluid and can therefore be injected into very small voids with a minimum pressure requirement.
High Resource Utilization in Emergent Versus Elective General Surgery.

BACKGROUND In an era of pay for performance metrics, we sought to increase understanding of factors driving high resource utilization (HRU) in emergent (EGS) versus same-day elective (SDGS) general surgery patients. METHODS General surgery procedures from the 2016 ACS-NSQIP public use file were grouped according to the first four digits of the primary procedure CPT code. Groups having at least 100 of both elective and emergent cases were included (22 groups; 83,872 cases). HRU patients were defined as those in-hospital >7D, returned to the OR, readmitted, and/or had morbidity likely requiring an intensive care unit (ICU)stay. Independent NSQIP predictors of HRU were identified through forward regression; P for entry 0.10. RESULTS Of all patients, 33% were HRU. The three highest HRU procedures (total colectomy, enterolysis, and ileostomy) comprised a higher proportion of EGS than SDGS cases (10.3 versus 2.6%, P < 0.001). The duration of operation was 40 Min lower in EGS after adjustment. Thirty-nine of the remaining 40 HRU predictors were higher in EGS including preoperative SIRS/Sepsis (50 versus 2%), ASA classification IV-V (31 versus 5%), albumin <3.5 g/dL (40 versus 12%), transfers (26 versus 2%, P's < 0.001), septuagenarians (35 versus 25%) and disseminated cancer (6.3 versus 4.8%, P's < 0.001); while sex did not differ. After adjustment, EGS patients remained more likely to be HRU (odds ratio 2.5, 95% CI 2.4 - 2.6, P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS EGS patients utilize significantly more resources than SDGS patients above what can be adjusted for in the clinically robust ACS-NSQIP dataset. Distinctive payment and value-based performance models are necessary for EGS.
Acquisition/Processing: Machine learning-based deblending: Dispersed source array data example

Abstract Machine learning (ML) has proven its value in the seismic industry with successful implementations in areas of seismic interpretation such as fault and salt dome detection and velocity pic...
Building Local Models for Flexible Degradation Modeling and Prognostics

To avoid unexpected failures of engineering systems, sensors have been widely used to monitor the degradation process of the systems. A number of studies have been conducted to analyze the collected sensor signals and predict the failure time. However, the existing studies are usually restricted and cannot be adapted to different practical situations. In this paper, we propose a systematic method for degradation modeling and prognosis that can be widely applied in different scenarios. In particular, the proposed method is capable to handle one or multiple sensors, powerful to capture the nonlinear relations between sensor signals and the degradation process with few assumptions, generic to consider multiple failure modes, flexible to deal with unequally spaced sensor measurements or asynchronous signals, and easily understandable with little preprocessing required. The main idea is to predict the failure time of an in-service unit based on a subset of the nearest historical units, where features are extracted from each sensor to describe the progression of sensor signals and local linear regression models are constructed to establish the relation between failure time and the extracted features. The prediction variance is then used as the goodness-of-fit measure, based on which decision-level fusion and feature-level fusion are proposed to combine multiple sensors. A case study with two datasets on the degradation modeling of aircraft engines is conducted which shows satisfactory performance of the proposed method.
The short and long-run impact of empowering customers in corporate social responsibility initiatives

Abstract Rather than just informing customers about their corporate social responsibility initiatives, many for-profit firms have sought to engage their customers in these activities. Previous research assessing the impact of these programs has focused on short-run effects on customer behavior, typically documenting positive effects. We report the results of a quasi-experiment, in which customers either received information about a firm's charitable campaign or were given that information and the opportunity to vote for the charitable recipient. Our results demonstrate that the long-run effect is the reverse of the short-run effect. In the short term, inviting customers to vote (vs. information only) increases the average size of customers’ shopping baskets. However, in the long-run the effects are reversed; merely providing information (rather than inviting customers to vote) has a more positive long-term impact on customer purchasing. The long-run effects are much larger than the short-run effects, such that focusing solely on the short-run outcome would result in decisions that lower overall profits. These results have important managerial implications for firms seeking to engage customers in their charitable giving initiatives.
WE-EF-207-10: Striped Ratio Grids: A New Concept for Scatter Estimation

Purpose: To propose a new method for estimating scatter in x-ray imaging. We propose the “striped ratio grid,” an anti-scatter grid with alternating stripes of high scatter rejection (attained, for example, by high grid ratio) and low scatter rejection. To minimize artifacts, stripes are oriented parallel to the direction of the ramp filter. Signal discontinuities at the boundaries between stripes provide information on local scatter content, although these discontinuities are contaminated by variation in primary radiation. Methods: We emulated a striped ratio grid by imaging phantoms with two sequential CT scans, one with and one without a conventional grid, and processed them together to mimic a striped ratio grid. Two phantoms were scanned with the emulated striped ratio grid and compared with a conventional anti-scatter grid and a fan-beam acquisition, which served as ground truth. A nonlinear image processing algorithm was developed to mitigate the problem of primary variation. Results: The emulated striped ratio grid reduced scatter more effectively than the conventional grid alone. Contrast is thereby improved in projection imaging. In CT imaging, cupping is markedly reduced. Artifacts introduced by the striped ratio grid appear to be minimal. Conclusion: Striped ratio grids could be a simple and effective evolution of conventional anti-scatter grids. Unlike several other approaches currently under investigation for scatter management, striped ratio grids require minimal computation, little new hardware (at least for systems which already use removable grids) and impose few assumptions on the nature of the object being scanned.
Nutrition health and economic development: Some policy priorities.

Most developing countries face different resource and infrastructural constraints that limit their economic growth. Nutritional deficiencies poor environmental conditions and inadequate educational infrastructure hamper childrens learning which is critical for the future supply of skilled labor and hence for economic development. There is a need to assign priorities for resource allocation among nutritional health-care and educational policies. This paper draws implications from several studies using data from less developed countries within a multidisciplinary framework. It concludes that iron supplementation of pregnant women and access to family-planning services are likely to enhance maternal and infant health. Where iodine deficiency is endemic iodized salt is important for preventing cognitive damage to the fetus. Higher intakes of protein and micronutrients such as iron are important for childrens physical growth morbidity and learning. Improved sanitation and vaccines against infections will prevent loss of vital nutrients. Investments in educational infrastructure including adult literacy programs are beneficial for childrens cognitive development. Nutrition and health policies based on long-term considerations will lead to a well-trained labor force enabling non-resource-rich developing countries to escape from poverty traps. (authors)
Apuleius in Meiji Japan: The golden ass as an educational and reformatory novel

This paper will consider the 1887 Japanese translation of Apuleius' Golden Ass from the angle of classical reception. Although this was the first translation of Greco-Roman literature to appear in modern Japanese, it has, at least in print, never been examined by a classicist before. With the rising interest in the study of classical receptions, including those taking place outside the West, the time may be ripe for a serious look at this early Meiji translation by Morita Shiken - its content, source, intellectual climate surrounding its production, and its own subsequent reception in Japan.
An Empirical Study of Buyer–Supplier Relationships within Small Business Organizations

A paradox exists in small business organizations; although effective buyer–supplier relationships are essential to the success of small businesses, these organizations may not have the purchasing a...
Technologies for In-Place Protection and Long-Term Conservation of Archaeological Sites

In situ preservation of archaeological sites has long been a concern for archaeologists. In recent years, considerable effort has been expended to identify appropriate technologies from other disciplines that are suitable for field implementation to protect sites that are experiencing various physical and human-caused impacts. This chapter provides an overview of many of these technologies, along with examples of application, and covers aspects related to management guidelines for addressing in situ preservation issues.
REPORT OF A TEN-YEAR FOLLOW-UP STUDY OF THE SAN FRANCISCO LONGSHOREMEN: MORTALITY FROM CORONARY HEART DISEASE AND FROM ALL CAUSES.

Abstract 1. 1. The results of a ten-year follow-up on mortality from coronary heart disease and from all causes, in a previously-examined population are presented. 2. 2. The association between cigarette smoking and mortality from coronary heart disease and from all causes among those men who, in 1951, revealed no abnormalities related to cardiopulmonary diseases, was ascertained. It was found that over the age of 45, those men who smoked more than a pack of cigarettes a day experienced a much higher death rate than did the ‘nonsmokers’. 3. 3. Grouping the individuals according to their 1951 systolic and diastolic blood pressure readings, and associating it with mortality from coronary heart disease and from all causes, it was found that the higher the systolic or diastolic blood pressure in 1951, the greater was the risk of mortality during the ensuing ten years. However, the gradient for diastolic blood pressure was not as steep as for systolic blood pressure. Throughout the age range 45–64, the mortality among hypertensive smokers was approximately 9–10 times as high as that of ‘nonhypertensive nonsmokers’. 4. 4. Both for smokers and ‘nonsmokers’, and in each age group, the men who had abnormal electrocardiograms in 1951 had a death rate approximately three times as high as those who did not have abnormal electrocardiograms. 5. 5. Using the Metropolitan tables of weight for height, the examined men were grouped into four classes referred to as ‘not overweight’, ‘slightly overweight’, ‘moderately overweight’ and ‘markedly overweight’. The mortality rates, both among smokers and ‘nonsmokers’ and in each age group, varied only slightly with the above-mentioned weight classification. We found no indication of a steady gradient between mortality and degree of overweight in this population. 6. 6. The value of multiphasic screening examination as an effective case-finding tool for early detection of chronic diseases has been indicated.
Hypercalcemia nephropathy and encephalopathy following immobilization; case report.

The case of an active 12 year old boy who was suddenly immobilized following fracture of a femur is presented. The prolonged immobilization led to hypercalcemia and renal damage with hypertensive encephalopathy and osteoporosis. Following withdrawal of Ca from the diet, administration of intravenous fluids and increase in the child9s activity, the serum Ca gradually returned to a normal level and signs of hypertensive encephalopathy and of renal damage disappeared. The pathogenesis of acute osteoporosis following sudden immobilization is briefly discussed.
Interstellar Matter in Elliptical Galaxies

This contribution concentrates on the properties of the large gas structures in elliptical galaxies, those seen in dust and HI. The distribution and kinematics of ionized gas, which is generally confined to a small region in the center of the galaxy, are discussed at this conference by Illingworth and by Ulrich.
Length, scaling, and material dependence of crosstalk between distributed RC interconnects

New general expressions for the transient response time and peak crosstalk of coupled distributed RC interconnects driven by a voltage source with finite rise-time and source impedance are presented. New compact expressions for peak crosstalk voltage reveal a previously unrecognized strong dependence of crosstalk on interconnect length, scaling, driver impedance, and materials properties for typical rise-time dominant interconnect circuits.
Health Conditions and Perceived Quality of Life in Retirement

This study investigated the effects of specific health conditions on perceived quality of life in retirement as measured by dimensions of retirement satisfaction. Respondents were 252 men and 199 women who participated in the retirement substudy of an ongoing epidemiological investigation of people age 65 and over in two rural Iowa counties. Retirement satisfaction was measured by the Retirement Descriptive Index, which assesses satisfaction with activities and work, finances, health, and people. Pulmonary disease was a predictor of dissatisfaction with health for both sexes. Pulmonary disease and heart attack were the strongest predictors of dissatisfaction with health for men, followed closely by stroke. Arthritis was the strongest predictor of dissatisfaction with health for women. Implications for social work practice are discussed.
The effect of visual deprivation on canine gastric secretion.

In 13 dogs with gastric cannulas the acid output per hour was determined after: (a) subcutaneous injection of 0.1 mg histamine (base), (b) subcutaneous injection of 1.0 mg histamine (base), (c) teasing with meat (10 min interval), (d) intravenous injection of 1.0 units/kg of insulin. The pepsin concentration was also determined after the intravenous injection of 1.0 units/kg of insulin. The range and average acid output and pepsin concentration were established for each test condition per dog. Vision was compromised in the dogs by ablation of the orbits, collapse of the orbits, and by occipital cortical lesions. Gastric secretory studies were repeated at intervals over a 4 month period. There was marked inhibition of acid output and pepsin concentration in all dogs for the entire 4 month period to all gastric stimuli.
Indirect modes of aggression among women of Buenos Aires, Argentina

This study utilizes the construct indirect aggression to investigate aggressive behavior among middle class Argentine women and men by administering an attitude and self-report survey to 95 inhabitants of Buenos Aires and by analyzing ethnographic interviews and observations conducted over a nine month period in 1992. An examination of sex roles in Argentina, including machismo and marianismo, provide a cultural context for interpreting aggression. Factor analyses revealed the presence of indirect aggression (e.g., social manipulation, gossip, exclusion) in addition to verbal and physical aggression. Survey and ethnographic findings converge in suggesting that women employ more indirect aggression than men, while men utilize more physical aggression. While competition and aggression are salient elements of social life for both sexes, women and men tend to favor different approaches. The findings are compared with the literature on female aggression from other cultural settings. We conclude that cultural and evolutionary perspectives elucidate aspects of female aggression.
A coupling model for the effect of ultrasonics on chemical reactions

In an effort to obtain a macroscopic model predicting the effect of ultrasonics on chemical reactions, irreversible thermodynamic coupling between the chemical reaction rate and the trace of the viscous pressure tensor is investigated. The analytical predictions of the proposed model will be verified by the presentation of experimental data showing the effect of ultrasonics on the reaction rates near equilibrium conditions for the hydrolysis of methyl acetate. Dans le but de mettre au point un modele macroscopique qui predirait l'effet des ultrasons sur les reactions chimiques, on a etudie une association thermodynamique et irreversible du taux de reaction chimique avec la trace d'un tenseur a pression visqueuse. On verifie les previsions analytiques du modele propose en presentant des resultats experimentaux qui indiquent l'effet des ultrasons sur les vitesses de reaction dans des conditions voisines de cellies de l'equilibre, dans le cas de l'hydrolyse de l'acetate de methyle.
SURFACE RECOMBINATION KINETICS AT THE GAAS/ELECTROLYTE INTERFACE VIA PHOTOLUMINESCENCE EFFICIENCY MEASUREMENTS

Photoluminescence from GaAs/electrolyte junctions can provide detailed information concerning the kinetics of surface recombination. Here we present the results of a study of picosecond laser excited photoluminescence from the n-GaAs/Na2S electrolyte junction. We have developed a model for the dependence of the photoluminescence efficiency (PLE) on the surface minority carrier trapping rate following photoexcitation with a short light pulse. The model indicates that the functional dependence of the PLE on the surface minority carrier trapping rate is identical to that under CW excitation. The PLE from the n-GaAs/Na2S junction is shown to depend strongly on the excitation intensity, which we attribute to surface trap state filling. We have used our model to measure the surface minority trapping velocity as a function of excitation power at the flat band potential. From these measurements we conclude that the residence time of minority carriers within the trap states is on the order of microseconds, which i...
Evaluation and mitigation of the interplay effects of intensity modulated proton therapy for lung cancer in a clinical setting.

Abstract Purpose The primary aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of the interplay effects of intensity modulated proton therapy (IMPT) plans for lung cancer in the clinical setting. The secondary aim was to explore the technique of isolayered rescanning to mitigate these interplay effects. Methods and materials A single-fraction 4-dimensional (4D) dynamic dose without considering rescanning (1FX dynamic dose) was used as a metric to determine the magnitude of dosimetric degradation caused by 4D interplay effects. The 1FX dynamic dose was calculated by simulating the machine delivery processes of proton spot scanning on a moving patient, described by 4D computed tomography during IMPT delivery. The dose contributed from an individual spot was fully calculated on the respiratory phase that corresponded to the life span of that spot, and the final dose was accumulated to a reference computed tomography phase by use of deformable image registration. The 1FX dynamic dose was compared with the 4D composite dose. Seven patients with various tumor volumes and motions were selected for study. Results The clinical target volume (CTV) prescription coverage for the 7 patients was 95.04%, 95.38%, 95.39%, 95.24%, 95.65%, 95.90%, and 95.53% when calculated with the 4D composite dose and 89.30%, 94.70%, 85.47%, 94.09%, 79.69%, 91.20%, and 94.19% when calculated with the 1FX dynamic dose. For these 7 patients, the CTV coverage calculated by use of a single-fraction dynamic dose was 95.52%, 95.32%, 96.36%, 95.28%, 94.32%, 95.53%, and 95.78%, with a maximum monitor unit limit value of 0.005. In other words, by increasing the number of delivered spots in each fraction, the degradation of CTV coverage improved up to 14.6%. Conclusions A single-fraction 4D dynamic dose without rescanning was validated as a surrogate to evaluate the interplay effects of IMPT for lung cancer in the clinical setting. The interplay effects potentially can be mitigated by increasing the amount of isolayered rescanning in each fraction delivery.
Adjusting adiposity and body weight measurements for height alters the relationship with blood pressure in children.

BACKGROUND Adiposity measures are associated with increased pediatric blood pressure (BP). However, this correlation can be confounded by the relationship of both variables to height. We evaluated whether adiposity and anthropometric measures were associated with pediatric BP before and after adjusting each value for height. METHODS Participants included 281 African-American (AA), European-American (EA), and Hispanic-American (HA) children aged 7-12 years. BP percentiles were calculated according to pediatric guidelines using the average of four measurements. Total fat mass was determined using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. Socioeconomic status (SES) was calculated with the Hollingshead index. Adiposity measures were indexed for height using log-log regression analysis. Partial correlations identified measures associated with BP. Linear regression was used to test the association of those measures with absolute BP, whereas logistic regression was used to evaluate the odds for hypertension. RESULTS More AAs (16.3%) presented with potential hypertension than EA (5.1 %) or HA (2.7%) children. After adjusting for covariates, fat mass, body mass index, and waist circumference were positively significantly associated with absolute BP and hypertension in AA and EA children (P < 0.05). When these measures were height-indexed, only waist remained significantly positively associated with hypertension risk in these two groups. No measures were significantly associated with BP among HA children. CONCLUSIONS In this multiethnic pediatric population, waist circumference was the strongest significant adiposity predictor of hypertension risk among AA and EA children. Additional research is needed to determine which environmental and genetic factors contribute to pediatric hypertension, particularly among HA groups.
CMOS and memories: From 100 nm to 10 nm!

The dimensional limit where field-effect can still be gainfully employed is of the order of 10 nm. Other constraints that limit our use of field-effect are: random fluctuations in doping and thickness, gate insulator tunneling, electrostatic control of the channel, resistive and capacitive parasitics, device leakage and reliability, and the economics of any solution proposed. This contribution shows that physics allows devices that fulfill the need of microelectronics down to 10 nm length scale and summarizes experimental results that point out some of the directions that might be appropriate.
Wart-Associated Antigens. II. Human Immunity to Viral Structural Proteins

The nature and specificity of antibody formation to human papilloma virus was studied with sera from patients with warts. Sera were fractionated by molecular sieve chromatography and the immunoglobulin fractions were tested against purified virions and viral components. Sera from seven of 33 patients contained precipitating antibodies of the IgG class, and one serum also contained IgM antibodies. Antibody was directed toward the major structural protein of the viral capsid.
Dwelling on 'road rage': the effects of trait rumination on aggressive driving

Previous research has consistently found a relationship between driving anger and aggressive driving. Some research focusing on the content of thoughts has helped to account for this relationship; however, there is a paucity of research on how specific styles of thinking, such as the tendency to ruminate, impacts aggressive driving behavior. Guided by theories illustrating the impact of rumination on negative emotions, the present research explores the role of rumination in the prediction of aggressive driving. Study 1 demonstrated that an angry ruminative response style partially mediated the relationship between trait driving anger and history of aggressive driving behaviors. Study 2 used a manipulation of thinking style and examined more immediate reactions to a provoking driving scenario using guided imagery. When given rumination instructions, trait rumination mediated the effect of angry mood ratings on intended aggressive driving behavior ratings. However, when distraction instructions were provided, trait rumination did not influence aggressive driving behavior intention ratings while driving. Findings are interpreted from the perspective of advancing the understanding of the role of rumination in anger experience and expression, with suggestions for prevention and treatment.
Expulsive Hemorrhage in Penetrating Keratoplcisty

Abstract Fourteen cases of expulsive hemorrhage that occurred during penetrating keratoplasties are reported. These tend to occur more frequently in "sick" eyes that have had elevated intraocular pressure, previous intraocular surgery, serious injuries, or infection. They cannot be predicted, but further surgery on the affected eye is not contraindicated. The management of expulsive hemorrhage in the "open sky" situation is discussed.
Mechanisms of Erythropoietin-induced Brain Protection in Neonatal Hypoxia-Ischemia Rat Model:

Erythropoietin, a hemotopoietic growth factor, has brain protective actions. This study investigated the mechanisms of Recombinant Human EPO (rhEPO)-induced brain protection in neonates. An established rat hypoxia-ischemia model was used by ligation of the right common carotid artery of 7-day-old pups, followed by 90 minute of hypoxia (8% 02 and 92% N2) at 37 degrees C. Animals were divided into three groups: control, hypoxia-ischemia, and hypoxia-ischemia plus rhEPO treatment. In rhEPO treated pups, 300 units rhEPO was administered intraperitoneally 24 hours before hypoxia. rhEPO treatment (300 units) was administered daily for an additional 2 days. ELISA and immunohistochemistry examined the expression of EPO and EPOR. Brain weight, morphology, TUNEL assay, and DNA laddering evaluated brain protection. rhEPO abolished mortality (from 19% to 0%) during hypoxia insult, increased brain weight from 52% to 88%, reduced DNA fragmentation, and decreased TUNEL-positive cells. Real-time RT-PCR, Western blot, and immunohistochemistry revealed an enhanced expression of heat shock protein 27 (HSP27) in ischemic brain hemisphere. Double labeling of TUNEL with HSP27 showed most HSP27 positive cells were negative to TUNEL staining. rhEPO reduces brain injury, especially apoptotic cell death after neonatal hypoxia-ischemia, partially mediated by the activation of HSP27.
Alterations of inosinate branchpoint enzymes in cultured human lymphoblasts.

Abstract The specific activities of the three enzymes of the inosinate branchpoint are independently regulated when lymphoblasts are grown under various tissue culture conditions. In comparison to rapidly dividing cells, lymphoblasts at high cell density with no cellular division have decreased activity of the enzymes which commit inosinate to adenylate or guanylate, while cytoplasmic 5′-nucleotidase is relatively preserved. A linear relationship between inosinate dehydrogenase activity and growth rate ( r = 0.92) exists in lymphoblasts with slowed growth rates. In contrast, in dividing cells adenylosuccinate synthetase and 5′-nucleotidase do not vary with growth rate. Adenylosuccinate synthetase and inosinate dehydrogenase activities appear to be related to the presence or rate of cellular division, as opposed to the presence or degree of neoplastic transformation. Lymphoblast lines with alterations of specific purine metabolic enzymes have characteristic alteration of the inosinate utilizing enzymes. Deficiencies of purine nucleoside phosphorylase or hypoxanthine phosphoribisyltransferase, abnormalities which render the cell unable to salvage purine effectively, are associated with depressed inosinate dehydrogenase activity. Insertion of the hypoxanthine phosphoribosyltransferase gene into hypoxanthine phosphoribosyltransferase-deficient cells normalizes inosinate dehydrogenase activity, while a hypoxanthine phosphoribosyltransferase-deficient mutant selected from a hypoxanthine phosphoribosyltransferase-containing line has depressed inosinate dehydrogenase activity. In contrast, overactivity of phosphoribosylpyrophosphate synthetase, with enhanced excretion of purines due to excessive production, is associated with elevated inosinate dehydrogenase activity. Inosinate dehydrogenase appears to be regulated according to the availability of purine nucleotides. Patients who overproduce uric acid and potentially have undescribed purine metabolic defects are now being screened for abnormalities in the inosinate branchpoint enzymes.
Quantifying the Performance Limits of Human Saccadic Targeting during Visual Search

In previous studies of saccadic targeting, the issue how visually guided saccades to unambiguous targets are programmed and executed has been examined. These studies have found different degrees of guidance for saccades depending on the task and task difficulty. In this study, we use ideal-observer analysis to estimate the visual information used for the first saccade during a search for a target disk in noise. We quantitatively compare the performance of the first saccadic decision to that of the ideal observer (ie absolute efficiency of the first saccade) and to that of the associated final perceptual decision at the end of the search (ie relative efficiency of the first saccade). Our results show, first, that at all levels of salience tested, the first saccade is based on visual information from the stimulus display, and its highest absolute efficiency is approximately 20%. Second, the efficiency of the first saccade is lower than that of the final perceptual decision after active search (with eye movements) and has a minimum relative efficiency of 19% at the lowest level of saliency investigated. Third, we found that requiring observers to maintain central fixation (no saccades allowed) decreased the absolute efficiency of their perceptual decision by up to a factor of two, but that the magnitude of this effect depended on target salience. Our results demonstrate that ideal-observer analysis can be extended to measure the visual information mediating saccadic target-selection decisions during visual search, which enables direct comparison of saccadic and perceptual efficiencies.
Compositional differences between basaltic and gabbroic clasts in mesosiderites

Two gabbroic pebbles and one pebble with basaltic textural affinities from the Vaca Muerta mesosiderite were analyzed by instrumental neutron activation analysis and electron microprobe. These analyses plus literature data reveal remarkable compositional differences between basaltic and gabbroic clasts in mesosiderites. On average, basaltic clasts have small (15%) depletions in light relative to heavy rare earth elements (REEs) and moderate positive Eu anomalies (i.e., H-chondrite-normalizedLa/Lu= 0.85;Eu/Sm= 1.30). The meanLa/Lu andEu/Sm abundance ratios of gabbroic clasts are at least 3.3 × smaller and 28 × greater, respectively. Intense meteoroid bombardment probably persisted until after the mesosiderite parent body had differentiated. Near-surface mixtures of major amounts of basalt and lesser amounts of cumulate eucritic rocks were essentially totally melted and rapidly cooled, accounting for the moderately fractionated REE patterns of most basaltic clasts. At greater depths, impact-heating partially melted cumulate gabbros; incompatible-element-rich eutectic liquids drained away, creating large REE fractionations in the residual rocks. These rocks cooled slowly and developed gabbroic textures.
Vapor and gas permeability of asymmetric membranes

The membrane with continuously varying and pressure-dependent local permeability P may show a dependence of transport property for gases and vapors on the direction of flow. Such an asymmetry occurs only if the deviation of local permeability from ideality varies from layer to layer. In mathematical formulation, this means that the local permeability is an irreducible function of location and pressure, i.e., not a product of a function of location and a function of pressure. The membrane permeability is higher if the side with greater deviation from ideal, i.e., constant permeability, is exposed to the higher pressure. For two simple cases the currents in both directions and their ratio at constant pressure difference were calculated. It turns out that the asymmetry of permeability increases with increasing deviation from ideality up to a maximum, after which the membrane tends to return to symmetry. An additional result of this investigation is the conclusion that Fick's law, i.e., the proportionality of the diffusion current to the negative concentration gradient is inapplicable not only to inhomogeneous membranes but also to homogeneous not ideal membranes.
Strengthening Families Through Volunteerism: Integrating Family Volunteerism and Family Life Education

This article builds on increasing interest in family volunteering by presenting it as a family life education tool for strengthening relationships and family functioning. In this context, family volunteering is similar to service learning in which families learn together while giving back to their community. Informed by a discussion on bioecological systems theory, psychosocial development theory, and select studies on volunteering, this article seeks to discover how family volunteering benefits individual and family growth. Existing research indicates that, due to its rich resources, it can deepen relationships, reinforce effective interpersonal skills, and help individuals overcome life's crises. Implications for family life educators and future research are presented, including the need for collaboration and stronger data on which to base flexible and fun volunteer opportunities for families.
Ecotoxicology of arsenic in the marine environment

Arsenic has a complex marine biogeochemistry that has important implications for its toxicity to marine organisms and their consumers, including humans. The average concentration of total arsenic in the ocean is about 1.7 μg/L, about two orders of magnitude higher than the U.S Environmental Protection Agency's human health criterion (fish consumption) value of 0.0175 μg/L. The dominant form of arsenic in oxygenated marine and brackish waters is arsenate (As V). The more toxic and potentially carcinogenic arsenite (As III) rarely accounts for more than 20% of total arsenic in seawater. Uncontaminated marine sediments contain from 5 to about 40 μg/g dry weight total arsenic. Arsenate dominates in oxidized sediments and is associated primarily with iron oxyhydroxides. In reducing marine sediments, arsenate is reduced to arsenite and is associated primarily with sulfide minerals. Marine algae accumulate arsenate from seawater, reduce it to arsenite, and then oxidize the arsenite to a large number of organoarsenic compounds. The algae release arsenite, methylarsonic acid, and dimethylarsinic acid to seawater. Dissolved arsenite and arsenate are more toxic to marine phytoplankton than to marine invertebrates and fish. This may be due to the fact that marine animals have a limited ability to bioconcentrate inorganic arsenic from seawater but can bioaccumulate organoarsenic compounds from their food. Tissues of marine invertebrates and fish contain high concentrations of arsenic, usually in the range of about 1 to 100 μg/g dry weight, most of it in the form of organoarsenic compounds, particularly arsenobetaine. Organoarsenic compounds are bioaccumulated by human consumers of seafood products, but the arsenic is excreted rapidly, mostly as organoarsenic compounds. Arsenobetaine, the most abundant organoarsenic compound in seafoods, is not toxic or carcinogenic to mammals. Little of the organoarsenic accumulated by humans from seafood is converted to toxic inorganic arsenite. Therefore, marine arsenic represents a low risk to human consumers of fishery products.
The trade-off between flexibility and maneuverability: task performance with articulating laparoscopic instruments

Laparoscopic instruments are rigid and thus cannot provide the degrees of freedom (DOF) needed by a surgeon in certain situations. A new generation of laparoscopic instruments with the ability to articulate their end effectors is available. Although these instruments offer the flexibility needed to perform complex tasks in a constricted surgical site, their control may be hampered by their increased complexity. This study compared the task performance between articulating and conventional laparoscopic instruments. Surgeons with extensive laparoscopic experience (8 experts) and staff with no surgical experience (8 novices) were recruited for the test. Both groups were required to perform three standardized tasks (peg transfer, left-to-right suturing, and up-and-down suturing) in a bench top model using conventional and articulating instruments. Performance was scored using a standardized 100-point scale based on movement speed and accuracy. After the initial trials with conventional and articulating instruments, each participant was given a short orientation on how to use the articulating instrument advantageously. The participant then was retested with the articulating instrument. As expected, the expert group scored significantly better than the novice group (p < 0.001). The combined data from both groups showed better performance with the conventional instruments than with the articulating instruments (p = 0.074). The experts maintained their proficient laparoscopic performance using conventional instruments in their first attempts with the articulating instruments (91 vs. 84), whereas the novices had greater difficulty with the articulating instruments than with the conventional instruments (46 vs. 59). After a short orientation, however, the novices outscored the expert group in terms of net improvement in performance with the articulating instrument (27 vs. 1% improvement). Experienced surgeons are readily able to transfer their skills from conventional to articulating laparoscopic instruments. To speed the learning process, the use of articulating instruments can be started at an early stage of surgical training.
Seroprevalence of Antibodies Against Toxoplasma gondii in Free-ranging Mammals in Iowa

Serum samples from raccoons (Procyon lotor), striped skunks (Mephitis mephitis), Virginia opossums (Didelphis virginiana), and free-ranging house cats trapped in Iowa between 1984 and 1988 were tested for antibodies against Toxoplasma gondii using the modified direct agglutination test (MAT). Antibody titers ≥1:32 were considered indicative of infection. Prevalence rates by species were estimated for raccoons at 134/885 (15%), skunks at 38/81 (47%), opossums at 12/53 (23%), and cats at 16/20 (80%).
Identification and Characterization of Novel Benzil (Diphenylethane-1,2-dione) Analogues as Inhibitors of Mammalian Carboxylesterases

Carboxylesterases (CE) are ubiquitous enzymes responsible for the metabolism of xenobiotics. Because the structural and amino acid homology among esterases of different classes, the identification of selective inhibitors of these proteins has proved problematic. Using Telik's target-related affinity profiling (TRAP) technology, we have identified a class of compounds based on benzil (1,2-diphenylethane-1,2-dione) that are potent CE inhibitors, with Ki values in the low nanomolar range. Benzil and 30 analogues demonstrated selective inhibition of CEs, with no inhibitory activity toward human acetylcholinesterase or butyrylcholinesterase. Analysis of structurally related compounds indicated that the ethane-1,2-dione moiety was essential for enzyme inhibition and that potency was dependent on the presence of, and substitution within, the benzene ring. 3D-QSAR analyses of these benzil analogues for three different mammalian CEs demonstrated excellent correlations of observed versus predicted Ki (r2 > 0.91), w...
Clipping Foliage Differentially Affects Phytosiderophore Release by Two Wheat Cultivars

Recent observations of grazing-induced Fe-deficiency chlorosis in wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) grown on calcareous soil indicates that Fe deficiency should be considered one of the factors associated with decreased grain yield in grazed wheat. Quantity of phytosiderophore release by roots of Fe-deficient grasses has been closely linked to resistance to Fe-deficiency chlorosis in numerous species and could potentially explain these observations. Phytosiderophore release following clipping was determined for two wheat cultivars ('Abilene' and '2157') widely divergent in field chlorosis resistance. Plants were grown hydroponically in a complete nutrient solution containing 0.2 mg L -1 Fe as Fe-HEDTA (N-hydroxyethylethylenediaminetriacetic acid). Phytosiderophore release was measured using an Fe-binding assay under nonaxenic conditions. Abilene and 2157 wheat responded differently to clipping of foliage. Initial response in both was reduced release of phytosiderophore, but the Fe-chlorosis resistant cultivar (Abilene) responded to clipping by quick and complete restoration of the initially suppressed phytosiderophore, whereas the susceptible cultivar (2157) did not. Clipped Abilene released more phytosiderophore per gram of root than control plants on some days, but 2157 did not. Root growth was equally suppressed by clipping in both cultivars, compared with uncut control plants. Differential effect of defoliation on phytosiderophore release by these two cultivars helps explain some of the differences in Fe-deficiency chlorosis resistance observed in the field. These results indicate that Fe-chlorosis resistant wheat cultivars should be selected when managing wheat for both forage and grain production on calcareous soils.
Dressed to Present: Ratings of Classroom Presentations Vary With Attire

This study investigates the effects of formality of dress on ratings of classroom presentations. Participants (N = 65, 66% women) from a Midwestern university in the United States rated three female students giving a presentation designed for a health psychology class in one of four outfits: casual, party, business casual, or business formal. Participants rated the business formal–dressed presenters higher than both casual and party–dressed presenters on overall presentation quality but not higher than business casual–dressed participants. Our results provide strong empirical evidence that dressing formally not only influences presentation scores but also suggest that students do not completely recognize how clothing differs in appropriateness for presentations.
Carrot cell mutants

C a r r o t cells usually grow as fine suspensions in culture, and maintain high plating efficiency. Further, most long term cell lines maintain a stable karyotype. These features simplify the selection procedures and reduce background variations. Many variant cell lines have been isolated; the biochemical characterization of the new phenorypes has provided new insights into basic physiology, metabolism, and development of plant cells. Reviews of carrot cell selection work have been presented by Sung and Dudits (1981) and by Widholm (1984). The strains described here are generally assumed to be mutants even though in no case has the trait been shown to be inherited by progeny. In most cases the trait is maintained stably in the cells and in some cases has been passed through regenerated plants back to cultured cells. In some cases protoplast fusion experiments have demonstrated either dominant or recessive expression in the fusion hybrids. In this discussion the term cell strain will be used to denote the selected cell clones as proposed by the Tissue Culture Association Terminology Committee (Schaeffer, 1983). The selection work has been carried out with cultures derived from three sources, a haploid plant derived from a commercial cultivar (Table I) (Smith et al., 1981), diploid commercial cultivars (Table II) and wild carrot (Table III). Most of the cell strains have been selected as resistant to some growth inhibitory compound. This kind of selection is the easiest to carry out. In the studies listed here, suspension cultures are either placed directly into liquid medium containing the inhibitor or are plated in or on agar-solidified medium with the inhibitor. The largest group of selective compounds used are amino acid analogs which