cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Effect of Hearing Aid Technology Level on New Hearing Aid Users.

ABSTRACT Background: Hearing aid manufacturers offer several different levels of technology that vary in sophistication and cost. It would stand to reason that higher technology hearing aids would provide greater benefit in the daily life of the user; however, research does not support this assumption for all users. Recent research in experienced hearing aid users indicated noise acceptance and satisfaction for speech in a large group were significantly improved when using the premium devices and suggested noise acceptance may be useful when comparing hearing aid technology levels. Purpose: The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of hearing aid technology level on listener outcome measures for new hearing aid users. Research Design: A repeated measures, single-blinded research design was utilized. Study Sample: Twenty-four adults with no previous hearing aid experience were recruited using flyers posted at the University of Tennessee Audiology Clinic and on social media (19 males, five females). The average age of the participants was 61 years (48-81 years). Data Collection and Analysis: Participants completed two, four-week trial periods using Unitron T Moxi Fit FLEX:TRIALTM devices programmed with basic or premium technology. Following each trial, laboratory evaluations were conducted using the QuickSIN, Hearing in Noise Test (HINT), and the Acceptable Noise Level (ANL). Subjective data was obtained using the Speech, Spatial, and Qualities of Hearing short form (SSQ-12), satisfaction ratings and preference. Data was analyzed using one-way repeated measures ANOVA. Results: Speech perception results did not reveal significant differences between technology level on the HINT or QuickSIN; however, ANL values were significantly improved for the premium devices. Subjective results revealed significantly improved satisfaction for speech in a large group and overall preference when using premium technology. Conclusions: Group data revealed similar outcomes between technology levels on most measures; however, noise acceptance, satisfaction for speech in a large group, and overall preference were significantly improved when using the premium devices. Individual characteristics such as noise acceptance, age, and degree of hearing loss may be useful when comparing hearing aid technology levels for new hearing aid users.
Inferior hip dislocation in a 16 year old.

Abstract Inferior hip dislocations are the least common form of hip dislocation. They require a high energy mechanism of injury and are often associated with other traumatic limb and life threatening injuries. This article reviews the case of a 16 year old male who presented to the emergency department (ED) following a high speed motor vehicle crash. On arrival he was diagnosed with a right inferior hip dislocation among other critical findings. This case report provides a brief literature review of this poorly studied clinical entity and seeks to educate physicians providing emergency, traumatic, orthopedic or critical care to patients who present with acute inferior hip dislocations.
Predicting ideal spinopelvic balance in adult spinal deformity.

Object Spinopelvic balance is based on the theory that adjacent segments of the spine are related and influenced by one another. By understanding the correlation between the thoracolumbar spine and the pelvis, a concept of spinopelvic balance can be applied to adult deformity. The purpose of this study was to develop a mathematical relationship between the pelvis and spine and apply it to a population of adults who had undergone spinal deformity surgery to determine whether patients in spinopelvic balance have improved health measures. Methods Using values published in the literature, a mathematical relationship between the spine and pelvis was derived where pelvic incidence (PI) was divided by the sum of the lumbosacral lordosis (LL; T12–S1) plus the main thoracic kyphosis (TK; T4–12). The result was termed the spinopelvic constant (r): r = PI/(LL + TK). This was performed in patients in 2 age groups previously defined in the literature as “adult” (18–60 years of age) and “geriatric” (> 60 years). The eq...
Breaking Bad for Boomers: The Documented Dangers of a Reliance on Modern Portfolio Theory and What Plan Sponsors and Plan Participants Can Do About It

"Breaking Bad for Boomers," analyzes the pitfalls of "pie-chart" plans for retirement asset allocation, identifies new benchmarks for 401(k) plan participants, and offers a new solution for asset allocation marketed by Compass Investors under the name HORIZON, which features back-tested performance for the 40 different 401(k) plans it currently serves with an average AAR of 12% since 1997. The paper ends with the author's actual performance during the downturns between 2008 and 2012 as a subscriber to the HORIZON service, using his Fidelity 401(k) as an example of the success of what Compass calls Adaptive Asset Allocation.
On Phases of Gauge Theories and the Role of Non-BPS Solitons in Field Theory

As shown in hep-th/9709081, non-BPS saturated solitons play an important role in the duality transformations of N=1 supersymmetric gauge theories. In particular, a massive spinor in an SO(N) gauge theory with massless matter in the vector representation appears in the dual description as a magnetic monopole with a Z_2 charge. This claim is supported by numerous tests, including detailed matching of flavor quantum numbers. This fact makes it possible to test the phase of an SO(N) gauge theory using massive spinors as a probe. It is thereby shown explicitly that the free magnetic phase which appears in supersymmetric theories is a non-confining phase. A fully non-abelian version of the Dual Meissner effect is also exhibited, in which the monopoles are confined by non-BPS string solitons with Z_2 charges.
Group tele-immersion:enabling natural interactions between groups at distant sites.

We present techniques and a system for synthesizing views for video teleconferencing between small groups. In place of replicating one-to-one systems for each pair of users, we create a single unified display of the remote group. Instead of performing dense 3D scene computation, we use more cameras and trade-off storage and hardware for computation. While it is expensive to directly capture a scene from all possible viewpoints, we have observed that the participants viewpoints usually remain at a constant height (eye level) during video teleconferencing. Therefore, we can restrict the possible viewpoint to be within a virtual plane without sacrificing much of the realism, and in cloning so we significantly reduce the number of required cameras. Based on this observation, we have developed a technique that uses light-field style rendering to guarantee the quality of the synthesized views, using a linear array of cameras with a life-sized, projected display. Our full-duplex prototype system between Sandia National Laboratories, California and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill has been able to synthesize photo-realistic views at interactive rates, and has been used to video conference during regular meetings between the sites.
Boesch, Ernest Eduard

Ernst (Ernest) E. Boesch, an early and authoritative figure in cultural psychology, was born on December 26, 1916 in St. Gallen, Switzerland. As a young boy, he was raised primarily by his father when the Swiss economy presented many challenges for a self-employed embroidery designer. The economic collapse of St. Gallen during Boesch's childhood strongly influenced the formation of his worldview, as did the divorce of his parents. He studied English, French, and Spanish in gymnasium. He was a voracious and inquisitive reader and talented musician. Keywords: cultural psychology; Piaget, Jean; child development; anthropology
Morphodynamic response of a variable-width channel to changes in sediment supply

River channels commonly exhibit downstream variations in channel width, which can lead to the development of alternating shallow and deep areas known as riffle-pool sequences. The response of these channels to variations in sediment supply remains largely unexplored. Here we investigate the morphodynamic response of a variable-width channel to changes in sediment supply through laboratory experiments conducted in a straight flume in which we imposed sinusoidal variations in width. We first developed equilibrium conditions under a constant sediment supply and then eliminated the sediment feed to create a degraded, armored bed. This sediment-starved bed was subjected to two types of sediment supply increases: a return to the initial constant supply, and the introduction of a well-sorted sediment pulse (analogous to gravel augmentation). Riffles and pools formed in wide and narrow areas, respectively, and the location of and relief between riffles and pools remained the same throughout all experimental runs, regardless of the sediment supply. The primary channel response to changes in supply was adjustment of the overall slope. The sediment pulse evolved primarily through dispersion rather than translation, which contrasts with prior gravel augmentation experiments conducted in constant-width channels and suggests that width variation and resulting riffle-pool topography enhances pulse dispersion. Our results indicate that width variation is a primary control on the location and relief of riffles and pools in straight channels, and sediment supply changes are unlikely to affect riffle-pool morphology when bank geometry is fixed and water discharge is steady.
Selecting dwarf apple (Malus x domestica Borkh.) trees in vitro: multiple cytokinin tolerance expressed among three strains of 'McIntosh' that differ in their growth habit under field conditions

Microcuttings of three strains of ‘McIntosh’ apple that varied in their growth habit under field conditions were tested for their tolerance to three cytokinins (BA, kinetin, and 2iP) and one cytokinin-like compound (TDZ) in vitro. The three strains were ‘McIntosh’ (standard), ‘Macspur’ (intermediate) and ‘Wijcik’ (dwarf). For each cytokinin ‘Wijcik’ was more tolerant of high cytokinin levels than either ‘Macspur‘, which showed an intermediate tolerance, or ‘McIntosh’ which did not tolerate (died) high levels of cytokinins. These results show that ‘Wijcik’ exhibits multiple cytokinin tolerance in vitro. The relationship between growth habit and BA tolerance has been reported earlier. The present study demonstrates that cytokinins can be used to differentiate among growth types in apple.
Accretion Disk Magnetohydrodynamics and the Origin of Jets

Accretion disks are believed to be present in active galactic nuclei, binary X-ray sources, cataclysmic variables and protostars. Disks in all four types of source have been associated with collimated jets or bipolar outflows. It is argued that magnetic extraction of disk angular momentum provides a natural method for launching these jets and that poloidal field that passes through the disk is more likely to be effective than dynamo-generated field. Electromagnetic and hydromagnetic models for jet production are reviewed, emphasising their shortcomings and the dependence on physical conditions in the disk. Magnetic torques may also extract rotational energy from a central black hole. It is conjectured that, in practice, a black hole magnetosphere will be magnetically dominated and practically force-free and that no extra restrictions are imposed on its structure by the application of relativistic MHD theory. It is also argued that, despite recent concerns, the hole will be able to communicate its angular velocity to the magnetosphere and so drive a unipolar inductor.
Midnight temperature maximum (MTM) in Whole Atmosphere Model (WAM) simulations

[1] Discovered almost four decades ago, the midnight temperature maximum (MTM) with typical magnitudes of 50–100 K has been regularly observed by satellite and ground-based instruments in the tropical upper thermosphere. Although several mechanisms have been suggested to explain the phenomenon, previous attempts to reproduce it with comprehensive thermosphere-ionosphere models have been unsuccessful. First long-term simulations with the Whole Atmosphere Model (WAM) reveal the presence of a realistically prominent MTM and reproduce the salient features of its daily, seasonal, and latitudinal variability. Preliminary analysis indicates that the feature may be traced down to the lower thermosphere, where it is manifested primarily in the form of an upward propagating terdiurnal tidal wave. Its spectrum expands to higher-order zonal wavenumbers and frequencies and its phase advances to near midnight higher up in the thermosphere. Possible mechanisms generating this wave may involve nonlinear interactions between other tidal harmonics originating in the middle and lower atmosphere. Our results thus suggest that the MTM is yet another phenomenon driven by dynamical links between the lower and upper atmosphere and ionosphere.
Puzzled Covering the plane

Welcome to three new puzzles. Solutions to the first two will be published next month; the third is (as yet) unsolved. In each, the issue is how your intuition matches up with the mathematics.
Dematin interacts with the Ras-guanine nucleotide exchange factor Ras-GRF2 and modulates mitogen-activated protein kinase pathways.

Erythroid dematin is a major component of red blood cell junctional complexes that link the spectrin–actin cytoskeleton to the overlying plasma membrane. Transcripts of dematin are widely distributed including human brain, heart, lung, skeletal muscle, and kidney. In vitro, dematin binds and bundles actin filaments in a phosphorylation-dependent manner. The primary structure of dematin consists of a C-terminal domain homologous to the ‘headpiece’ domain of villin, an actin-binding protein of the brush border cytoskeleton. Except filamentous actin, no other binding partners of dematin have been identified. To investigate the physiological function of dematin, we employed the yeast two-hybrid assay to identify dematin-interacting proteins in the adult human brain. Here, we show that dematin interacts with the guanine nucleotide exchange factor Ras-GRF2 by yeast two-hybrid assay, and this interaction is further confirmed by blot overlay, surface plasmon resonance, co-transfection, and co-immunoprecipitation assays. Human Ras-GRF2 is expressed in a variety of tissues and, similar to other guanine nucleotide exchange factors (GEFs), displays anchorage independent growth in soft agar. Co-transfection and immunoblotting experiments revealed that dematin blocks transcriptional activation of Jun by Ras-GRF2 and activates ERK1 via a Ras-GRF2 independent pathway. Because much of the present evidence has centered on the identification of the Rho family of GTPases as key regulators of the actin cytoskeleton, the direct association between dematin and Ras-GRF2 may provide an alternate mechanism for regulating the activation of Rac and Ras GTPases via the actin cytoskeleton.
2′,3′-Dideoxyinosine Inhibits the Humoral Immune Response in Female B6C3F1 Mice by Targeting the B Lymphocyte

Abstract 2′,3′-Dideoxyinosine (ddI) is a purine nucleoside analog currently being used for the treatment of HIV-positive individuals and patients with AIDS. Preliminary immunotoxicity studies have shown that a consequence of ddI treatment in female B6C3F1 mice is the inhibition of the humoral immune response. This effect was dose dependent in a range of 100 to 1000 mg/kg with a no observed adverse effect level of less than 100 mg/kg for a 28-day treatment period. These studies were undertaken to investigate the immune cell target of ddI and to determine the mechanism of this toxicity. B6C3F1 mice were treated with 1000 mg/kg/day by oral gavage for 28 days. The B lymphocyte was identified as the cellular target of ddI through separation–reconstitution experiments of the adherent and nonadherent cell populations and of the T and B lymphocyte populations. These studies revealed a deficit in the ability of the nonadherent cells from ddI-treated mice to mount a normal antibody response to sRBC. A further separation of the nonadherent cells into T and B cells revealed a decreased ability of ddI-treated B cells to develop specific humoral immunity. Additional studies were undertaken to determine the mechanism by which ddI is affecting the B cell. Surface marker analysis of splenocytes revealed no difference in the cell populations between vehicle- and ddI-treated mice. B cell proliferation was also unaffected as shown by incubation with either a polyclonal stimulator, lipopolysaccharide, or anti-IgM plus IL-4. These results indicate that the primary cellular target of ddI is the B lymphocyte.
Green Synthesis of Silver Nanoparticles, Their Characterization, Application and Antibacterial Activity †

Our research focused on the production, characterization and application of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs), which can be utilized in biomedical research and environmental cleaning applications. We used an environmentally friendly extracellular biosynthetic technique for the production of the AgNPs. The reducing agents used to produce the nanoparticles were from aqueous extracts made from the leaves of various plants. Synthesis of colloidal AgNPs was monitored by UV-Visible spectroscopy. The UV-Visible spectrum showed a peak between 417 and 425 nm corresponding to the Plasmon absorbance of the AgNPs. The characterization of the AgNPs such as their size and shape was performed by Atom Force Microscopy (AFM), and Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) techniques which indicated a size range of 3 to 15 nm. The anti-bacterial activity of AgNPs was investigated at concentrations between 2 and 15 ppm for Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria. Staphylococcus aureus and Kocuria rhizophila, Bacillus thuringiensis (Gram-positive organisms); Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Salmonella typhimurium (Gram-negative organisms) were exposed to AgNPs using Bioscreen C. The results indicated that AgNPs at a concentration of 2 and 4 ppm, inhibited bacterial growth. Preliminary evaluation of cytotoxicity of biosynthesized silver nanoparticles was accomplished using the InQ™ Cell Research System instrument with HEK 293 cells. This investigation demonstrated that silver nanoparticles with a concentration of 2 ppm and 4 ppm were not toxic for human healthy cells, but inhibit bacterial growth.
Kinetic limitations on the diffusional control theory of the ablation rate of carbon.

It is shown that the theoretical maximum oxidation rate is limited in many cases even at temperatures much higher than 1650 deg K, not by oxygen transport, but by the kinetics of the carbon-oxygen reaction itself. Mass-loss rates have been calculated at air pressures of 0.01 atm, 1 atm, and 100 atm. It is found that at high temperatures the rate of the oxidation reaction is much slower than has generally been assumed on the basis of a simple linear extrapolation of Scala's 'fast' and 'slow' rate expressions. Accordingly it cannot be assumed that a transport limitation inevitably must be reached at high temperatures.
Infectivity and complete nucleotide sequence of the genome of a South African isolate of maize streak virus.

Abstract The complete infectious genome of a South African isolate of the geminivirus maize streak (MSV-S) has been cloned, characterized, and sequenced. Using an A. tumefaciens Ti plasmid delivery system, the cloned -2.7 kb single circular MSV component was shown to be necessary and sufficient for infection of maize. Based on sequence analysis of the infectious clone, MSV-S is highly homologous to the previously characterized Kenyan and Nigerian isolates. While the genomic organization of MSV-S has elements in common with each of these previously characterized isolates, it is identical to neither and its analysis addresses the discrepancies between them. The result is a somewhat simplified and unified picture of the viral genome, the structural organization of which is essentially identical to that of wheat dwarf virus.
Alterations of saponin hemolysis during storage of ACD blood.

. A dynamic hemolysis curve was examined on stored ACD blood by a new instrument (mean cell volume or MCV continuous analyzer) during treatment with either saponin or with hypotonic medium. Several changes of the dynamic hemolysis curves were recorded during storage. With saponin hemolysis, these changes appeared earlier and were more marked than those of hypotonic hemolysis.
Aberrant DNA methylation is a dominant mechanism in MDS progression to AML

Myelodysplastic syndromes (MDSs) are clonal hematologic disorders that frequently represent an intermediate disease stage before progression to acute myeloid leukemia (AML). As such, study of MDS/AML can provide insight into the mechanisms of neoplastic evolution. In 184 patients with MDS and AML, DNA methylation microarray and high-density single nucleotide polymorphism array (SNP-A) karyotyping were used to assess the relative contributions of aberrant DNA methylation and chromosomal deletions to tumor-suppressor gene (TSG) silencing during disease progression. Aberrant methylation was seen in every sample, on average affecting 91 of 1505 CpG loci in early MDS and 179 of 1505 loci after blast transformation (refractory anemia with excess blasts [RAEB]/AML). In contrast, chromosome aberrations were seen in 79% of early MDS samples and 90% of RAEB/AML samples, and were not as widely distributed over the genome. Analysis of the most frequently aberrantly methylated genes identified FZD9 as a candidate TSG on chromosome 7. In patients with chromosome deletion at the FZD9 locus, aberrant methylation of the remaining allele was associated with the poorest clinical outcome. These results indicate that aberrant methylation can cooperate with chromosome deletions to silence TSG. However, the ubiquity, extent, and correlation with disease progression suggest that aberrant DNA methylation is the dominant mechanism for TSG silencing and clonal variation in MDS evolution to AML.
Studies on the isolation and synthesis of bionts of the cyanolichen Peltigera canina (Peltigeraceae)

In contrast to lichens with green photobionts, the bionts of cyanolichens are difficult to culture and synthesize under laboratory conditions. Problems include difficulties in obtaining growth of the mycobionts, achieving axenic cultures of the photobiont, and maintaining mixed biont cultures for long periods of time.
Measured Cross Sections for Photoionization of Ground-State He to He + (n=2)

Cross sections for simultaneous photoionization of He and excitation to ${\mathrm{He}}^{+}$ ($n=2$) have been measured from threshold to 160 eV. The data show clear evidence of autoionization from levels converging on ${\mathrm{He}}^{+}$ ($n=3$). Away from such structure, they are in good agreement with previous experimental values. None of the theoretical predictions gives the correct magnitude at low energies.
Manifestly covariant, Poincaré-invariant quantum theories of directly interacting particles.

It is shown that the assumptions of Poincare invariance and manifest covariance in quantum mechanics requires an interaction-dependent scalar product. Properties of the kernel of the inner product based on these assumptions are derived. Additional assumptions further restrict the form of this kernel. The relationship of this result to local quantum field theory and covariant constraint dynamics is discussed. A formal representation of a kernel satisfying all of these properties is given in terms of two-body constraints.
Color texture analysis: a unified approach

Color and texture have long been used as image features to segment and classify images. In most of the previous approaches, color and texture are used as two uncorrelated features, while in the real world, the spatial information and spectral information of an image are often tightly coupled. An feature extraction algorithm is studied in this paper, which represents colored texture in a unified way. With this approach, different spectral channels are correlated spatially to give an unified representation of both the color and texture information. In order to use this feature in image segmentation applications, properties of the feature are studied. A novel segmentation algorithm is proposed based on the study. Preliminary segmentation results are presented.
Zone Melting with Reaction and Volatilization: CBr4

Abstract Carbon tetrabromide was purified by zone refining. The two major impurities were CHBr3 and Br2. CHBr3 was moved only slowly by zoning, with removal enhanced by volatilization from an open end of the tube. Br2 was effectively moved by zoning, but significant new quantities were generated by thermal decomposition of the melt, even in the dark. Continued zoning greatly reduced the tendency of the CBr4 to undergo cellular and dendritic growth, but still did not permit thermocapillary movement in a temperature gradient.
Studying crack abusers: strategies for recruiting the right tail of an ill-defined population.

Abstract This study attempts to better understand a limited segment of the drug-abusing population, especially individuals who repeatedly use crack and other drugs. This article addresses the methodological strategies and underlying paradigms informing the recruitment of hard-to-reach and ill-defined subpopulations of crack abusers and noncrack drug abusers. Subjects were recruited from diverse social contexts: streets or communities where most drug users do their business, arrested persons who were released, jail inmates, probationers and parolees, prison inmates, and treatment settings. A systematic comparison of subject attributes across recruitment locales and with other, similar target groups is presented. The utility and external comparability of the recruitment techniques are supported by the findings.
FAILURE OF PENICILLIN TO ERADICATE GROUP A STREPTOCOCCI DURING AN OUTBREAK OF PHARYNGITIS

In an outbreak of group A streptococcal pharyngitis in a semi-closed community, 42 (25%) of 169 courses of antibiotic therapy failed to eradicate the organism. 16 (19%) of 85 individuals treated with intramuscular benzathine penicillin G and 9 (19%) of 47 patients treated with an oral antibiotic (penicillin V or erythromycin) continued to harbour the same serotype of group A streptococcus. 12 (48%) of 25 persons remained treatment failures after re-treatment; even after a third course of treatment 5 of 12 (42%) still harboured the organism. Neither antibiotic resistance of the epidemic strain nor reacquisition of the organism from contacts could be implicated as causes. The data suggest that many who did not respond to treatment were streptococcal carriers and raise the possibility that it is more difficult to eradicate the organism from the carrier than from the acutely infected individual.
Synthesis and in vivo evaluation of N-ethylamino-2-oxo-1,2-dihydro-quinoline-3-carboxamide for inhibition of intestinal tumorigenesis in APCMin/+ mice

A selective KGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitor, N-ethylamino-2-oxo-1,2-dihydro-quinoline-3-carboxamide, was synthesized and its possible inhibitory effects on the development of colon polyps and colorectal tumors was examined in APCMin/+ mice, a mouse model of human intestinal familial adenomatous polyposis. The present study shows for the first time that a dietary administration of a selective KGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitor lacks the overt-toxicities and significantly reduced the growth of small intestinal polyps in both male and female APCMin/+ mice. This inhibition of polyp growth appears to occur at a greater extent in female mice.
Calling names on nameless networks

Abstract We consider the problem of constructing a rooted spanning tree in an anonymous connected) network. In case no upper bound on the network size is known, we give the following algorithms, all of which have error probability ϵ: (1) A message terminating algorithm that runs in O ( n ) time and O ( m log( n 2 / m )) messages, each of size O (log( n /ϵ)), where n and m are the number of nodes and links in the network. (2) A message terminating algorithm with expected running time O ( n log log( n /ϵ)) and expected message complexity O ( n log n + m log log( n /ϵ)), each of size O (log( n /ϵ)). For any fixed ϵ, this algorithm can be modified to run in O ( n ƒ( n )) expected time and O ( n log n + m ƒ( n )) expected message complexity, where ƒ( n ) is any slowly-growing function. However, this requires the use of longer messages. In case an upper bound on the network size is known, we give a processor terminating algorithm with error probability ϵ that runs in O ( n ) time, and O ( n log n + m ) messages. Finally, in case the network size is known within a factor of 2, we give an algorithm that processor terminates and always succeeds, in expected O ( n ) time and O ( n log n + m ) messages.
The effect of vitamin D3 metabolites on membrane proteins of chick duodenal brush borders.

Abstract Chick intestinal brush border proteins were examined by polyacrylamide-gel electrophoresis in the presence of sodium dodecyl sulfate. Following injection of 25-hydroxyvitamin D 3 and 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D 3 , a large molecular weight protein present in the vitamin D-deficient brush borders diminishes and a larger protein appears. This change occurs before calcium binding protein can be detected by Chelex assay and prior to the increase in total alkaline phosphatase but correlates closely with increased intestinal calcium absorption in response to the metabolites. The two brush border proteins have been solubilized with n -butanol and partially characterized. The vitamin D-deficient protein has a molecular weight of about 200,000 and has alkaline phosphatase activity but no detectable calcium binding activity. The protein which appears in response to metabolites has a molecular weight of 230,000, binds calcium, and also has alkaline phosphatase activity.
Faceted interfaces in directional solidification

We consider the directional solidification, in two dimensions, of a dilute binary alloy having a large anisotropy of surface energy, (i.e., orientations with negative surface stiffness), where the sample is pulled in the highest-energy direction. Linear stability analysis reveals that the planar state is thermodynamically prohibited, leading to a search for faceted solutions. Below the critical pulling speed associated with constitutional supercooling, a small-wavelength assumption allows the reduction of interface dynamics to a single PDE. Matched asymptotic analysis then reveals a family of faceted interface profiles, while variational arguments confirm a small optimal wavelength. Questions on dynamic behavior lead to the derivation of a gradient-descent dynamics and an associated facet-velocity law. This reveals that faceted steady solutions are stable in the absence of supercooling, while coarsening replaces cell formation as the instability mechanism when supercooling is reached.
Oral estradiol administration modulates continuous intravenous growth hormone (GH)-releasing peptide-2-driven GH secretion in postmenopausal women.

Exactly how estradiol (E2) regulates the human GH-insulin-like growth factor I axis is not known. Here, we explore the impact of oral E2 supplementation on the stimulatory actions of a potent and specific synthetic GH-releasing peptide (GHRP), GHRP-2. To this end, we studied 10 healthy postmenopausal women following the administration of placebo or 17β-estradiol (1 mg twice daily orally) for 7–12 days in a prospectively randomized, double-blind, within-subject crossover design. To drive GH secretion via the GHRP-receptor/effector pathway, we infused GHRP-2 (1μ g/kg·h) or saline continuously iv for 24 h. Deconvolution analysis was used to quantitate the separate basal and pulsatile modes of GH secretion based on 24-h serum GH concentrations profiles collected at 10-min intervals and assayed by chemiluminescence. As complementary (nonpulsatile) measures, we used the approximate entropy (ApEn) statistic and cosine regression to define feedback-dependent and circadian-related changes, respectively. E2 adminis...
Blumer and Merton: Social Roles and Sociological Theories

(1974). Blumer and Merton: Social Roles and Sociological Theories. Sociological Focus: Vol. 7, No. 4, pp. 1-14.
Cooling of neutron stars

A review is given of the important neutrino emission processes in neutron star interiors, and their consequences for the cooling of neutron stars.
US regional income change and migration: 1995–2004

One of the most important concepts found in the migration literature is that it is a selective process, both in terms of who migrates and in the migrants' individual movement trajectories. The selectivity of migration means that the population structure at both origin and destination will change over time through migration, thus influencing the socio-economic fabric of both sending and receiving regions. In this study we are primarily interested in the selectivity of migration relative to income and how migration affects the distribution of income across metropolitan areas in the U.S. We first cluster metropolitan areas by housing costs and then examine the flow of income migration relative to these costs using IRS county-to-county migration data for the years 1994/95 through 2003/04. Both total aggregate and per capita incomes by housing market clusters show some significant changes over the time frame used in this paper with moderate priced housing markets and non-metropolitan areas the biggest gainers in aggregate income and some high priced housing markets and (once again) nonmetropolitan areas the biggest gainers in per capita income. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
A modified fascia needle.

• A new fascia needle has been designed. It is considerably easier to handle and does not have any of the problems surgeons typically encounter with the Wright needle.
Chronic toxicity of an environmental contaminant mixture to young (or larval) striped bass

Larvae of striped bass (Morone saxatilis (Walbaum)) were exposed to a mixture of organic and inorganic contaminants in fresh well water and 2 g L−1 saline water for 30 days and in 5 g L−1 saline water for 90 days. Environmental concentrations (ECs) of organic and inorganic chemicals were estimated for the Chesapeake Bay area. Striped bass were exposed to the EC, 0.25 EC, 0.5 EC, 2 EC, 4 EC, and a solvent control to simulate potential conditions in their spawning and nursery habitats of the Chesapeake Bay. The sensitivities of striped bass as determined by survival depended on the characteristics of the exposure water. Larvae exposed in fresh well water were the most susceptible to the contaminant mixture; the 2 and 4 EC treatments caused significant (P:5 0.05) mortality within 30 days. In the 2 g L−1 salinity water, the 4 EC treatment caused significant mortality after 30 days of exposure. Larvae exposed to the contaminant mixture for 90 days in the 5 g L−1 saline water incurred significant mortality in the 2 and 4 EC treatments. We concluded that the age of the larvae, concentration of the contaminants, and salinity of the environment must be considered in evaluating the influence of environmental contaminants on the decline of striped bass along the east coast.
Measure Twice, Cut down Error: A Process for Enhancing the Validity of Survey Scales:

For years psychologists across many subfields have undertaken the formidable challenge of designing survey scales to assess attitudes, opinions, and behaviors. Correspondingly, scholars have writte...
Catalytic ignition of methane/oxygen mixtures over platinum surfaces: comparison of detailed simulations and experiments

The surface ignition of methane/oxygen/nitrogen mixtures over a platinum foil is modeled at atmospheric pressure with a revised detailed surface kinetics mechanism including 20 surface reactions and seven surface species, detailed gas-phase kinetics and simplified multicomponent transport. Simulation results are compared to experimental data from the literature and very good agreement is found. Sensitivity analysis shows that the dissociative adsorption of molecular oxygen and the decomposition of methane are the most important steps in affecting the catalyst ignition. Comparison with experiments and sensitivity analysis indicate that methane adsorption is activated, and contrary to previous suggestions, partial equilibrium in adsorption/desorption steps breaks down. In addition, prior to ignition the adsorption of reactants is competitive and combustion products are favored as compared to syngas. Finally, results are compared to hydrogen/air mixtures.
Lipid rafts are involved in C95 (4,8) agrin fragment-induced acetylcholine receptor clustering.

Abstract During development of the neuromuscular junction, high densities of acetylcholine receptors accumulate beneath the overlying nerve terminal. A defining feature of mature synapses is the sharp demarcation of acetylcholine receptor density, which is ∼1000-fold higher in the postsynaptic as compared with the contiguous extrasynaptic muscle membrane. These high densities of receptors accumulate by at least four mechanisms, re-distribution of existing surface receptors, local synthesis of new receptors, decreased turnover of synaptic receptors, and limitation of diffusion of sub-neural, aggregated receptors. The limitation of receptor diffusion within the membrane is likely in part due to the anchoring of acetylcholine receptor complexes to components of the cytoskeleton. Here we have tested the idea that lipid rafts—mobile, cholesterol enriched microdomains within the lipid bilayer—are another mechanism by which acetylcholine receptors are clustered in the postsynaptic apparatus. Using mouse C2C12 cells, a muscle cell line, we show that a carboxy terminal 95 amino acid fragment [C95 (4,8)] of the extracellular matrix molecule agrin that is essential for nerve-induced postsynaptic differentiation, promotes the redistribution of acetylcholine receptors into lipid rafts. Disruption of lipid rafts before agrin treatment largely inhibits de novo agrin-induced acetylcholine receptor clustering. Moreover, mature acetylcholine receptor clusters are destabilized if lipid rafts are disrupted. These results show that lipid rafts are important in both the initial clustering and later stabilization of agrin-induced acetylcholine receptor clusters and also suggest that lipid rafts may contribute to the postsynaptic localization of acetylcholine receptors in vivo .
The Human Thymic Microenvironment during Organ Culture

Cultured human thymic tissue has been transplanted into many patients with T cell dysfunction; however, little is known about the effect of in vitro culture on thymic tissue. Human postnatal thymic organ cultures were established in vitro to study the growth potential of the thymic epithelium and the expression of intracellular and surface antigens with time in culture. Marked depletion of bone marrow-derived cells was observed within 3 weeks of initiation of organ cultures although some viable CD3+ cells could still be detected. Thymic epithelial cells in in vitro explants continued to express MHC class I and class II antigens as well as cytokeratins. Thymic epithelial cells within cultured thymic organ slices maintained their postnatal growth potential, in that cytokeratin-positive epithelial monolayers could be established in vitro from these thymic slices up to 12 weeks after initiation of organ culture. Thus, thymic explants remained viable in culture and could potentially be used to reconstitute immunity in T cell deficient patients.
POLLEN REMOVAL AND POLLEN DEPOSITION AFFECT THE DURATION OF THE STAMINATE AND PISTILLATE PHASES IN CAMPANULA RAPUNCULOIDES

We examined factors affecting the duration of the staminate and pistillate phases in the protandrous flowers of Campanula rapunculoides L. (Campanulaceae). Under conditions of natural pollinator visitation, flowers experiencing low rates of pollen removal lasted significantly longer than flowers that had faster rates of pollen removal. Experimental manipulations showed that low levels of pollen removal resulted in extension of the staminate phase. Hand-pollinations in which we varied the amount and source of pollen showed that when the number of fertilized ovules within an ovary is low, senescence of the flower is delayed, resulting in extension of the pistillate phase. We also report on pollinator foraging patterns within the vertical inflorescences of C. rapunculoides and the limiting factor for seed set in this population. The results are relevent to recent suggestions that floral characters often serve to reduce interference between the sexual functions in cosexual plants.
Effect of Pasture Trees on Soil Nitrogen and Organic Matter: Implications for Tropical Montane Forest Restoration

In lower-montane ecosystems of Ecuador, Setaria sphacelata (foxtail grass), the predominant introduced pasture species, forms a tussock grassland that reduces soil nitrogen and resists recolonization of forest vegetation. We compared the influence of individual trees or small clusters of nitrogen-fixing (Inga sp., Fabaceae) and non-nitrogen-fixing trees (Psidium guajava L., guava) on the soil and abiotic conditions that affect further regeneration of forest vegetation within pastures. Pasture trees ameliorated air temperature and light intensity to levels similar to those in adjacent intact forest. Beneath Inga, soil NO 3 - -N was four times higher than in open pasture. Nitrification was five times higher under Inga canopies than in open pastures for both field and laboratory incubations. This suggests that the increased soil N transformations under Inga are derived mainly from improved soil rather than microenvironmental conditions. Psidium canopies slightly increased field nitrification but had no effect under laboratory conditions. We also compared the natural abundance 13 C signature and the carbon and nitrogen content of subcanopy soil with adjacent open pasture soil. Inga increased the c and N content of the upper 5 cm of soil and increased by 7% the fraction of soil organic matter derived from C 3 plants. The improved soil and abiotic conditions beneath the canopies of N-fixing pasture trees favor the establishment and growth of woody montane species, suggesting that these trees could be used to accelerate forest regeneration within abandoned pastures.
Personality Disorder Subtypes Among Cocaine and Opioid Addicts Using the Millon Clinical Multiaxial Inventory

Individuals with psychoactive substance dependence suffer from high rates of non-substance use psychiatric disorders. These disorders sometimes prove difficult to distinguish in clinical practice. The Millon Clinical Multiaxial Inventory (MCMI) is a relatively new assessment tool which purports to evaluate DSM-III Axis I and Axis II disorders. In the present study, the MCMI was administered to 73 opioid addicts and 37 cocaine addicts entering treatment. MCMI protocols were then sorted four times to identify: (1) subjects with psychotic disturbances, (2) subjects with affective disturbances, (3) subjects with severe personality disorders, and (4) basic personality disorder subtypes. The covariabilities of all four categories with drug of choice are presented and discussed. The covariabilities of the first three categories with the fourth are also presented and discussed. The MCMI appears to be a useful instrument for psychiatric diagnosis of opioid and cocaine addicts.
Ethical issues in clinical trials.

Abstract The oncology nurse may assume many different roles in clinical trials, including direct care provider, educator, advocate, data collector, primary investigator, and member of the IRB. Regardless of the role, the nurse is in a key position to promote the interests of the individual subject as well as helping to assure that the clinical trial is conducted with scientific and ethical integrity. The nurse can help to assure that the subject is adequately informed and facilitate rational decision making. The nurse can also assure that the requirements of the protocol are consistently attended to and that subjects are well monitored and data precisely collected. “In oncology, perhaps more than in any other medical specialty, there is a blurring of the distinction between research, therapeutic innovation, and medical practice.” 23 The frontiers of knowledge in cancer are continuously advancing. The final step in the process of procuring usable knowledge is the clinical trial, a meeting place of the practice of medicine and clinical research. 4 Because of this there are many ethical considerations which must be attended to in the justification of and conduct of a clinical trial.
Increased estrogen-16α-hydroxylase activity in women with breast and endometrial cancer

Abstract We have measured the three principal oxidative transformations of estradiol by means of a radiometric procedure in women with breast or endometrial cancer and in age matched controls. No difference between the 17β-o1 oxidation or 2-hydroxylation of the hormone was observed between the study groups. In contrast, 16α-hydroxylation was strikingly elevated in the women with breast and endometrial cancer relative to the age matched controls. Evidence is presented that this increased activity precedes the clinical evidence of the disease and that it represents a significant risk factor for these estrogen dependent tumors. This risk may be mediated by one of the products of 16α-hydroxylation, 16α-hydroxyestrone, which exhibits unique biological properties.
Treatment of advanced disease in patients with well-differentiated neuroendocrine tumors

Well-differentiated neuroendocrine tumors (NET) are usually slow-growing cancers even when they exhibit local invasion or metastases. Surgery is curative in a minority of patients and systemic chemotherapy is minimally effective. Important cellular processes involved in the pathogenesis of NET have now been identified. In this Review, Reidy et al. discuss the data regarding therapies currently used for treating well-differentiated NETs and the strategies being used in clinical trials.
Optical optimization of line deletion and personalization parameters on polymide films

Abstract The optical characterization of several polyimide films is made. These results allow us to choose selectively laser parameters for successful line deletion on these insulating films. An N2-pumped dye laser (0.59μm) and a Q-switched Nd-YAG laser (1.064μm) with empirically determined pulse energy and pulse width are used on three different polyimide films to illustrate this technique. Both line deletion on and fabrication of vias in the polyimide films are performed with good results.
The Orientation of First Cleavage in the Sea Urchin Embryo,Lytechinus variegatus,Does Not Specify the Axes of Bilateral Symmetry

Abstract One blastomere of the two-cell stage sea urchin embryo (Lytechinus variegatus) was labeled with an intracellular fluorescent lineage tracing stain to determine, from the lineage of that blastomere, the orientation of the first cleavage furrow with regard to the axes of bilateral symmetry in the gastrula and pluteus larva. Two methods were used to mark the blastomere: In the first, the lipophilic carbocyanine dye DiIC16was microinjected directly into the blastomere after first cleavage was completed. In the second, caged (nonfluorescent) fluorescein–dextran was microinjected into the single-celled zygote and uncaged (made fluorescent) in one of the blastomeres at the two-cell stage using two-photon excitation microscopy (TPEM). This is the first use of TPEM for embryonic lineage tracing. In both methods the dye proved to be nontoxic and fluorescence was confined to lineally related cells. The results from both methods were similar and showed that the first cleavage furrow was variable in its orientation. Results were similar using animals obtained from different geographic locations. These results differ from those of McCain and McClay (Development,1994, 120, 395–404), who reported that the median orientation was invariant in this species. The differences between the two studies are discussed. We conclude that first cleavage does not specify nor is it predictive of the bilateral axes in this species. The technique of TPEM is proffered as a powerful new tool that will enable the marking and tracing of embryonic cell lineages with less injury and more precision than current methods.