cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Histidine Kinases: Extended Relationship with GHL ATPases

Publisher Summary Histidine kinases (HK) share conserved amino acid sequence motifs with members of the DNA topoisomerase II family, the hsp90 family, and the MutL DNA mismatch repair protein family. The three-dimensional structures of a fragment of Hspg0, MutL, and EnvZ, and CheA histidine kinase, which contain the identified conserved sequence motifs, were determined by either X-ray crystallography or nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR). The location of these conserved sequence motifs is topologically similar among these three structures and DNA gyrase. These sequence motifs have been confirmed to form a nucleotide-binding pocket. As DNA gyrase, hsp90, and MutL hydrolyze ATE, they are collectively called the GHL ATPase family . Although histidine kinases do not hydrolyze ATE, they contain an ATP-binding site similar to those of the GHL ATPases and use ATP to phosphorylate a histidine side chain. Most ATPases known to date contain a conserved sequence motif, GXXXXXGKS/T, known as the Walker A motif. Such a sequence motif is absent in GHL ATPases. Similarly, histidine kinases lack typical sequence motifs found in the majority of Ser/Thr and Tyr kinases.
21.4: Deposition Conditions and HRTEM Characterization of CAAC IGZO

Crystallinity and texture of c-axis aligned crystal indium gallium zinc oxide (CAAC IGZO) films deposited by RF reactive sputtering were studied and characterized over a range of deposition conditions. The characteristic CAAC (009) peak at 2θ=30° was observed by X-ray diffraction, and nanocrystalline domain texture was determined using a general area detector diffraction system (GADDS). Highly ordered CAAC films were obtained near the InGaZnO4 composition at a substrate temperature of 310°C and in 10% O2. High-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) confirmed the formation of CAAC showing 2-3 nm domains aligned over 15 nm x 15 nm fields of view. Cross-section HRTEM of the CAAC/substrate interface shows formation of an initially disordered IGZO layer prior to CAAC formation, suggesting a nucleation mechanism similar to ZnO thin films.
Assessing Rothstein’s critique of teacher value-added models

Value-added models of teacher effectiveness yield consistent estimates of teacher quality under the assumption that students are randomly assigned to classrooms conditional on ability. Rothstein (2010) tested and rejected this underlying sorting assumption, casting doubt on the usefulness of the value-added framework. In this paper, I illustrate that the falsification tests employed by Rothstein perform quite poorly in small samples and I propose an alternative testing strategy that is less sensitive to sample size. I also show that none of the proposed falsification tests works well when the achievement production function is misspecified. Finally, I return to the same North Carolina sample employed by Rothstein and retest the assumption of conditional random assignment. Once I account for the “smallness” of the data and allowteacher inputs to persist at reasonable rates, I fail to reject conditional random assignment. Keywords. Teacher value-added, model testing. JEL classification. I20, C10.
Electrochemical reduction of uracil in dimethyl sulfoxide: Autoprotonation of the anion radical

The electrochemical redi the apparent number of electrons transferred (n) decreases from one at infiiite dilution to one-half at concentrations above 1 mM. The concentration dependent n-value is due to proton transfer by the parent compound to the radical anion Formed on reduction. Such a proton transfer, which has been observed for 2-hydroxypyrimidine, deactivates part of the uracil, which would otherwise be available for reduction, by formation of the more difficultly reducible conjugate base. The uracil anion forms insoluble mercury salts, producing two oxidation waves (El12 of -0.1 and -0.3 V); the latter wave is due to formation of a passivating film on the eiectrode. Digital simulations indicate that the protonation rate exceeds 105 M--ls--1 and that, at low uracil concentration, some of the free radical formed on protonation is further reduced. At concentrations exceeding 1 m.M, all of the free radical dime&es. The effect of added acids and base on the electrochemical behavior is described.
Outsourcing Information and Computer Technology

For the last decade, there has been much scrutiny over the benefits and effects of outsourcing information and computer technology services. But the fast-paced, ever-changing world we live in will only continue to grow more and more reliant upon IT outsourcing for many reasons, such as cost savings, innovation, and potential global opportunities. Is there a possible downside for the practice of outsourcing? Is there a potential threat to the USA economy as well as the privacy and security of its citizens, when corporations make the decision to outsource their IT operations? Or is outsourcing relatively beneficial for everyone? This article discusses the pros and cons of IT outsourcing, with a major emphasis on the potential effects that outsourcing plays on the economy, privacy and security.
Designing a self-regulating biomolecular comparator

A major goal of biomolecular engineering is to build large systems of reactions with controlled input-output behavior. One challenge is that some reactions within such a system can be unreliable, so that rectification of these signals will be needed. Biomolecular oscillators, for example, typically have fluctuations in the amplitude response that can limit its ability to control downstream processes. In this paper, we describe a simple reaction module, or biomolecular comparator, that can take such signals as input and produces a square wave-like output. The comparator produces an output at a constant high level whenever the source input is above some predefined threshold concentration and a constant low signal otherwise. This functionality is verified though simulations and theoretical analysis. We also discuss important constraints on the comparator's design. This work could make it possible to develop precise oscillatory molecular signals that allow for the dynamic control of synthetic biomolecular systems.
Fe2+ Induces a Transient Ca2+ Release from Rat Liver Mitochondria

Abstract Isolated mitochondria loaded with Ca2+ and then exposed to Fe2+ show a transient release of Ca2+. The magnitude of this response depends on the Ca2+ loading and the kinetics of the response depends on the concentration of added Fe2+. We investigated the Fe2+-induced Ca2+ release mechanism by measuring mitochondrial Ca2+ uptake in the presence of Fe2+. The presence of Fe2+ inhibits Ca2+ uptake two times. Since mitochondria can cycle Ca2+ across their inner membrane, the suppression of Ca2+ uptake, but not release, results in an elevation of the extramitochondrial Ca2+, thereby varying the steady state. The transient release of Ca2+ initially observed from mitochondria appears to occur via the electroneutral 2H+/Ca2+-exchange mechanism, since it can be markedly decreased by cyclosporin A and does not involve lipid peroxidation. When Fe2+ accumulation is completed, reuptake of released Ca2+ into mitochondria resumes. Finally, we propose that Fe2+ either inhibits Ca2+ entry at the uniporter or is transported by it into the matrix.
Discovery of a hot, interactive companion to the S star HD 35155

During an IUE investigation of the chromospheres of S stars, we detected strong emission lines of such ions as C IV and Si IV and excess continuous emission in an SWP exposure of HD 35155 (S3,2).7hese emission lines indicate a hot gas with a state of ionization exceeding that found in the recently studied Ba star systems of Zeta Cap and 56 Peg, both of which have white dwarf companions. IUE observations 7 months later showed the continuum had decreased by about 0.5 mag. and the emission lines by 15–50%, the high excitation lines decreasing most rapidly.
Low-energy constants and relativity in peripheral nucleon-nucleon scattering

In our recent works we derived a chiral O(q{sup 4}) two-pion exchange nucleon-nucleon potential (TPEP) formulated in a relativistic baryon (RB) framework, expressed in terms of the so called low energy constants (LECs) and functions representing covariant loop integrations. We showed that the expansion of these functions in powers of the inverse of the nucleon mass reproduces most of the terms of the TPEP derived from the heavy baryon (HB) formalism, but such an expansion is ill defined and does not converge at large distances. In the present work we perform a study of the phase shifts in nucleon-nucleon (NN) scattering for peripheric waves (L/geq 3), which are sensitive to the tail of the potential. We assess quantitatively the differences between the RB and HB results, as well as variations due to different values of the LECs. By demanding consistency between the LECs used in {pi} N and NN scattering we show how NN peripheral phase shifts could constrain these.
A Multicity Neighborhood Analysis of Foreclosure and Crime

Objective. We examine whether there is a significant effect of foreclosure on robbery and burglary across neighborhoods, and whether this varies systematically across cities. Specifically, we consider whether several city-level attributes—overall foreclosure rates, levels of socioeconomic disadvantage and prior vacancy rates, the degree of recent new housing construction, housing affordability, and the quantity and quality of policing—moderate the relationship between neighborhood levels of foreclosure and crime. Methods. We examine our research questions with a rich database on foreclosure, crime, and other attributes for 5,517 census tracts situated within 50 large U.S. cities. We estimate multilevel overdispersed Poisson regression to explore city-level variability in the neighborhood-level effects of foreclosure on crime. Results. We find significant between-city variation in the estimated effects of neighborhoodlevel rates of foreclosure on crime. High neighborhood foreclosure rates yield elevated robbery rates primarily in cities with relatively low foreclosure rates and high levels of socioeconomic disadvantage. Foreclosure is more strongly related to burglary rates in cities with little new home construction and declining police forces. Conclusions. The broader city-level context in which neighborhoods are located is important for shaping whether high rates of foreclosure yield elevated crime rates. TheabruptincreaseinresidentialforeclosuresobservedinAmericasincethe mid-2000shas been implicatedas a major impetusto the “Great Recession”in
Energy and American Society: Thirteen Myths

This article was downloaded by: [Arizona State University]On: 13 February 2009Access details: Access Details: [subscription number 907140547]Publisher RoutledgeInforma Ltd Registered in England and Wales Registered Number: 1072954 Registered office: Mortimer House,37-41 Mortimer Street, London W1T 3JH, UK
A DNA replication-positive mutant of simian virus 40 that is defective for transformation and the production of infectious virions.

Abstract Simian virus 40 (SV40) mutant 5002 carries base pair substitutions of C-5109----T and C-5082----T. These mutations lie in a region of the genome that encodes amino acids common to the large and small viral tumor antigens (T and t antigens, respectively) and result in amino acid substitutions of Leu-19----Phe and Pro-28----Ser. In contrast to wild-type SV40, which produces large plaques that are clearly visible 8 days postinfection, mutant 5002 is defective for productive infection, producing tiny plaques that arise at around 21 days postinfection. However, 5002 is capable of replicating viral DNA and producing normal amounts of capsid proteins, indicating that the mutations alter an activity of T antigen that is required subsequent to DNA synthesis, such as maturation, viral assembly, or release of virions. The mutant T antigen has normal ATPase activity, is phosphorylated in a manner that is indistinguishable from that of the wild-type T antigen, and retains the ability to oligomerize. 5002 complements mutants defective in T antigen host range-adenovirus helper function for productive infection. Thus, T antigen encodes two activities that affect at least two different steps in viral infection other than DNA replication, one inactivated by mutations in the host range-adenovirus helper domain and one inactivated by the mutations present in 5002. The 5002-encoded T antigen is also defective for transformation of REF52 cells when expressed from the normal SV40 early promoter, although this defect can be partially overcome by expressing the protein from stronger promoters.
Oxidants and antioxidants in exercise

There is consistent evidence from human and animal studies that strenuous physical exercise may induce a state wherein the antioxidant defenses of several tissues are overwhelmed by excess reactive oxygen. A wide variety of physiological and dietary antioxidants act in concert to evade such a stress. Submaximal long-duration exercise training may augment the physiological antioxidant defenses in several tissues; however, this enhanced protection may not be sufficient to completely protect highly fit individuals from exhaustive exercise-induced oxidative stress. Regular physical activity in association with dietary habits that ensure adequate supply of a combination of appropriate antioxidants may be expected to yield desirable results. The significance of this area of research, current state of information, and possibilities of further investigation are briefly reviewed.
Multiple Hereditary Osteochondromata

Multiple hereditary osteochondromata is a disorder consisting of multiple projections of bone (exostoses) capped by cartilage. The lesions are most numerous in the metaphyses of long bones but may appear on diaphyses of long bones and on flat bones and vertebrae. The transmission is autosomal dominant. Sarcomatous transformation is uncommon and probably occurs in fewer than 1% of patients. The more common indications for surgical excision of lesions are pain, growth disturbance, compromised joint motion, cosmesis, and secondary impingement of tendon, nerve, or vessel. Excision of the lesions is effective in relieving pain, improving cosmesis and joint motion, and removing secondary impingement of tendon, nerve, or vessel, and may retard or prevent progressive disturbance of osseous growth. Wrist and ankle deformities are often associated with relative shortening and bowing of the ulna and fibula, respectively; tilt and tapering of the distal radial and tibial epiphyses; and distal radioulnar and tibio-fibular diastasis. These deformities can be effectively treated by ulnar and fibular lengthening combined with hemiphyseal stapling of the distal radius and tibia. Progressive genu valgum is well corrected by placement of staples over the medial side of the physis of the distal femur or proximal tibia or both.
Light microscopy of early stages in the symbiosis of soybean with a delayed-nodulation mutant of Bradyrhizobium japonicum

An α-ketoglutarate dehydrogenase mutant (LSG184) of Bradyrhizobium japonicum USDA110 has a delayed nodulation phenotype when inoculated onto soybean (Glycine max L.). To pinpoint the defective stage of symbiotic development, light microscopic techniques were used to monitor early responses of soybean to inoculation with the mutant as compared to the wild-type strain. Methylene blue was used to visualize curled root hairs and a convenient haematoxylin staining method was developed that could detect nodule primordia as early as 2 d after inoculation. The results demonstrate that early symbiotic events occur with normal timing after inoculation with LSG184 and that its developmental delay is first evident during the progression of nodule primordia into emergent nodules. The timing of this delay suggests that LSG184 is not deficient in Nod factor production, at least during the early stages of symbiosis, but rather may have a defect in infection thread initiation or elongation. The results further imply that the rate of development of advanced soybean nodule primordia is, in part, dependent on the metabolic capabilities of the invading bacterium.
An ant colony optimization technique for solving min–max Multi-Depot Vehicle Routing Problem

Abstract The Multi-Depot Vehicle Routing Problem (MDVRP) involves minimizing the total distance traveled by vehicles originating from multiple depots so that the vehicles together visit the specified customer locations (or cities) exactly once. This problem belongs to a class of Nondeterministic Polynomial Hard (NP Hard) problems and has been used in literature as a benchmark for development of optimization schemes. This article deals with a variant of MDVRP, called min–max MDVRP, where the objective is to minimize the tour-length of the vehicle traveling the longest distance in MDVRP. Markedly different from the traditional MDVRP, min–max MDVRP is of specific significance for time-critical applications such as emergency response, where one wants to minimize the time taken to attend any customer. This article presents an extension of an existing ant-colony technique for solving the Single Depot Vehicle Routing Problem (SDVRP) to solve the multiple depots and min–max variants of the problem. First, the article presents the algorithm that solves the min–max version of SDVRP. Then, the article extends the algorithm for min–max MDVRP using an equitable region partitioning approach aimed at assigning customer locations to depots so that MDVRP is reduced to multiple SDVRPs. The proposed method has been implemented in MATLAB for obtaining the solution for the min–max MDVRP with any number of vehicles and customer locations. A comparative study is carried out to evaluate the proposed algorithm's performance with respect to a currently available Linear Programming (LP) based algorithm in literature in terms of the optimality of solution. Based on simulation studies and statistical evaluations, it has been demonstrated that the ant colony optimization technique proposed in this article leads to more optimal results as compared to the existing LP based method.
Role of the Teleost Escape Response during Development

Abstract Predation accounts for substantial mortality during the early development of many fishes. Numerous mechanisms have evolved to avoid predatory attacks. One of these is the C-type fast-start of adult fish responding to an abrupt and unexpected stimulus. This is a short-latency response in which the fish accelerates rapidly away from its position at the time of the attack. In the zebra danio Danio [Brachydanio] rerio, this is one of the earliest behavior patterns to appear during development. It can be readily elicited in embryos as early as 44 h after fertilization, 2 d before normal hatching begins. The behavior pattern is triggered by cells of the reticulospinal system located in the hindbrain. Attacks to the anterior region activate one of a pair of these cells, the Mauthner neurons, whereas attacks to the tail stimulate either a Mauthner neuron or other cells that trigger similar response patterns. In teleosts the early appearance of the reticulospinal escape system emphasizes the probable impo...
UNIVERSAL ANTIREFLECTION COATINGS FOR SUBSTRATES FOR THE VISIBLE SPECTRAL REGION

It is possible to design normal-incidence antireflection coatings that reduce the reflectance of any substrate with a refractive index that lies in the range of 1.48 to 1.75. The performance of such coatings depends on the width of the spectral region over which the reflectance is to be suppressed, on the coating materials used for their construction, and on the overall optical thickness of the layer system. For example, the calculated average spectral reflectance of a set of six different substrates with refractive indices 1.48, 1.55, 1.60, 1.65, 1.70, and 1.75, when coated with a 0.56-μm-thick, eight-layer antireflection coating designed for the 0.40–0.80-μm spectral region, was 0.34%. This is higher than the average reflectance that is attainable with a conventional antireflection coating of similar optical thicknesses designed for a particular refractive index. However, it is an acceptable value for most applications. With the universal type of antireflection coating described, it is thus possible to coat a number of different refractive-index substrates in one deposition run, and this can result in considerable cost and time savings.
L-Shell X-Ray Production of 31Ga, 33As, 34Se, 35Br, and 55Cs by 0.4- to 2.4-MeV 11H and 24He Ions

Total L-shell x-ray production cross sections have been measured for thin solid targets of atomic number, Z2 = 31, 33, 34, 35 and 55 for 11H and 42He ions at the same energy/mass. Absolute cross sections and cross section ratios are compared to the theoretical predictions of the plane wave Born approximation and the perturbed stationary state theory with Coulomb deflection and an approximate relativistic correction.
Creep of copper: 4–300 K

Abstract Creep measurements at 300, 76 and 4 K were conducted on C10400 copper. The specimens were held under a constant tensile load to give ratios of applied stress to yield strength in the range 0.8–2.0. The strain was measured using strain gages (sensitivities of 10 −6 ). Creep data were fitted by a non-linear least-squares procedure to a series of expressions that have been widely used to describe primary, transient, and steady-state conditions. No steady-state creep was observed, even at 300 K. Instead, at all temperatures, the time dependence of creep strain is best described as logarithmic. Activation volumes obtained from logarithmic creep analyses, from tensile strain-rate-change and stress relaxation measurements were compared. It was found that the constant α in the logarithmic creep expression is linearly dependent on the tensile strain-hardening rate at constant stress.
Nurse practitioner knowledge of venous disease

collect data on the occurrence of infection, presence of comorbid conditions, relation of influences on health status to readmission within the study period, and degree to which any comorbid conditions are uncontrolled (eg, diabetes and hypertension); to continue to examine differences in ethnicity, gender, and age in individuals after revascularization procedures and compare data before revascularization, and within 1 month, 6 months, and 1 year after discharge; to determine whether variations in patients’ SF-36v2 outcomes are explained by differences in the system of health care delivery, provider training, and variations in styles of practice (eg, nurse practitioner as health care provider, within a nonacademic practice setting); to determine whether variations in patients’ SF-36v2 scores are related to increased length of stay, morbidity, and health care costs; and to compare subgroups of analyses by types of revascularization procedures and by “sickest” (lowest baseline scores) and “healthiest” (highest baseline scores) patients. An additional analysis of the PCS and MCS summary scores, using the categories of change “same,” “better,” and “worse” to characterize the clinical course of additional time for healing, will be useful in Phase II.
The growth of single crystal lithium-aluminum, 7LiAl☆

Abstract Single crystal lithium-aluminum has been prepared as chemically and isotopically pure 7LiAl. Growth has been by the Stockbarger technique in a low-pressure bomb. Pyrolytic boron nitride crucibles have proven to be nonreactive and noncontaminating containers for pyrometallurgial synthesis and for crystal growth from the melt. The chemical and physical quality of the monocrystalline boules have been documented. The lattice constant varies with composition across the β-phase and can be used as a probe to evaluate stoichiometry and phase homogeneity.
A Simple Route to Highly Oriented and Ordered Nanoporous Block Copolymer Templates

Controlling the orientation and lateral ordering of the block copolymer microdomains is essential to their use as templates and scaffolds for the fabrication of nanostructured materials. In addition, a process must be robust, simple to implement, and rapid, and should not introduce disruptive processing steps that would impede their use. Here, we describe thin films of poly(styrene-b-4-vinylpyridine) (PS-b-P4VP) diblock copolymers, spin-coated from mixed solvents that show highly oriented, cylindrical microdomains with a high degree of order on a wide range of substrates, including silicon oxide, polystyrene, germanium, polyimide, and poly(butylene terephthalate). In addition, the preferential solvation of the P4VP block with an alcohol caused a surface reconstruction that resulted in the formation of a nanoporous film upon drying. The evaporation of gold onto the reconstructed films produced thermally stable and reactive ion etching resistant films.
Periodontal treatment requirements of recently incarcerated prison inmates

The purpose of this study was to determine the needs for preventive dentistry counselling, prophylaxis and calculus removal and periodontal therapy among recently incarcerated state prison inmates. As a result of clinical and radiographic examinations of 637 male inmates, these requirements were determined for the total sample and for four age groups, three ethnic groups, six crime-type groups, three residency groups, five intelligence quotient groups and first offenders and recidivists. Among the total sample, 93% of the men needed preventive counselling, prophylaxes and calculus removal; 32% required Type I and/or Type II periodontal treatment. Young men required less periodontal therapy than older inmates. Caucasians needed fewer segments of treatment than Hispanics. Sex offenders required less prophylaxes and calculus removal than men convicted of burglary, larceny and drug-related crimes. Treatment requirements were not related to residency, recidivism or intelligence quotient. The findings indicate extensive requirements for periodontal and adjunctive therapy among incarcerated men and should influence resource allocation in prison dental care delivery systems.
Simplified methods for monitoring petroleum‐contaminated ground water and soil vapor

Portable meters and simplified gas Chromatographic (GC) techniques were investigated for monitoring volatile hydrocarbon (HC), CO2, and O2, concentrations in groundwater, exhaust gases, and soil vapor during in situ remediation using soil vapor extraction (SVE) and air sparging (AS). Results of groundwater samples analyzed in‐house using a headspace technique compared well to split samples analyzed by a certified analytical laboratory (r2 = 0.94). SVE exhaust gas HC and CO2 concentrations measured using a GT201 portable HC/O2 meter and a RA‐411A meter (GasTech), respectively, were highly correlated with in‐house laboratory GC analyses (r2 = 0.91). O2 concentrations fell in a small range and meter analyses were not well correlated with laboratory analyses. Results of soil gas monitoring were not as well correlated as those for exhaust gases for HC, CO2, or O2, perhaps due to environmental conditions such as changes in relative humidity or the wider range of soil gas values. Overall, the meters were good in...
Adapting the individual placement and support model with homeless young adults

Background Prior research reveals high unemployment rates among homeless young adults. The literature offers many examples of using evidence-based supported employment models with vulnerable populations to assist them in obtaining and maintaining competitive employment; yet few examples exist to date with homeless young adults with mental illness.
Do hyperpycnal-flow deposits record river-flood dynamics?

Hyperpycnal flows are turbid river plumes that can plunge to form turbidity currents where they enter a water body of lesser density. Because these flows provide one of the most direct connections between terrestrial sediment sources and marine depositional sinks, their deposits might preserve an important record across a variety of climatic and tectonic settings. A leading hypothesis assumes that hyperpycnal-flow velocity scales directly with river discharge, such that individual turbidites record the rising and falling discharge of a flooding river. We tested this hypothesis using a one-dimensional flow model and found that turbid river flow must move through a backwater zone, depth-limited plume, and plunging zone before becoming a turbidity current. These zones can extend tens of kilometers offshore and significantly affect the transfer of momentum from river to turbidity current. Counter to the proposed hypothesis, our results suggest that expected bed forms and sediment grading patterns in hyperpycnal-flow deposits can record multiple flow accelerations and decelerations even during a simple single-peaked flood. This occurs because of spatial acceleration and deceleration within the three transitional zones and because their boundaries move in response to flow discharge and suspended sediment concentration. Results also suggest that the criterion used to identify plunging hyperpycnal flows (a flow density in excess of the ambient fluid) is a necessary, but not sufficient condition. The basin also must be deep enough, in some cases greater than tens of meters, in order for the plume to collapse and form a turbidity current.
IMPROVING DESIGN OUTCOMES USING ASSESSMENT BASED DOUBLE LOOP LEARNING

DOI: 10.14684/intertech.13.2014.56-60 Traditional engineering education revolves around the use of stove-pipe curricula, using mostly passive lectures and cookbook laboratories with pre-determined results. Real-world engineering is not pre-determined; problems are open-ended with many possible correct results. In addition real-world engineering is often team-oriented requiring active participation from all. This paper describes a proof of concept study focused on determining the efficacy of assessment based double loop learning utilized to improve engineering student’s design skills. Our research study determined a boundary level by examining student’s present design skills over all 4 years of the electrical and computer engineering (ECE) curriculum. During the second and third years of the study, junior engineering students took a new studio-based open-ended design course where students use multiple design process assessments to improve upon their use of sound design practice, thereby improving their outcomes in design. Initial results show very promising design skill improvements and design assessment tools. Index Terms - Assessment of Design Skills, Engineering Design Skills, Open-ended Problem Solving.
Healing sequence in capped inflamed dental pulps of Rhesus monkeys (Macaca mulatta)

Summary. Buccal class V cavities were prepared in 35 teeth of five adult Rhesus monkeys. Pulpal exposures were left open to the oral microflora for 24 hours. Twenty-eight teeth were pulp-capped with a hard setting Ca(OH)2 medicament and restored with amalgam. Pulpal responses were observed after 24 hours (non-restored), 3, 5, 10 and 14 days. The pulps of teeth capped 3 days previously were dominated by polymorphonuclear leucocytes at the exposure site. Five-day pulp-capped teeth showed clot resolution, areas of necrosis and disintegrating polymorphonuclear leucocytes. Some pulps showed reorganization and stratification of fibroblasts adjacent to the medicament interface. Ten-day pulp-capped teeth showed dentine matrix mineralization directly adjacent to some portion of the medicament interface. Fourteen-day pulp-capped teeth showed complete soft-tissue reorganization and new hardtissue formation. This study demonstrates that complete pulp healing and new hard-tissue deposition will occur within 14 days, following an acute inflammatory lesion in monkeys.
Effect of complement depletion on O2 supply and consumption in ischemic dog myocardium.

The purpose of this study was to determine whether depletion of serum complement can decrease the severity of an ischemic episode by improving regional O2 supply and conumption parameters in the ischemic region of the heart. Fourteen anesthetized dogs with serum complement intact or depleted (100 U/kg cobra venom factor given 8 hrs before) were subjected to left anterior descending coronary artery (LAD) occlusion for 6 hrs. Myocardial blood flows were determined before and 6 hrs after LAD occlusion using radioactive microspheres. Regional arterial and venous O2 saturations were determined using microspectrophotometry. In control animals, flow decreased from 122±42 to 13±14 ml/min/100 g (mean±SD) in the occluded LAD region. With complement depletion, LAD occlusion resulted in a flow reduction in the ischemic region (38±29 ml/min/100 g), but to a lesser degree than seen in the same region in control animals, especially in the subendocardium. O2 consumption was decreased in the ischemic region of both treatment groups, though O2 consumption was higher in this region in complement depleted animals compared to the values in control animals. The O2 supply/consumption ratio was decreased similarly in the ischemic region of control and complement depleted groups. Thus, with complement depletion, flow to the ischemic zone was improved but this region was still flow restricted. The flow increase during complement depletion was sufficient to allow an increased O2, utilization in the ischemic region.
Race and reproductive coercion: a qualitative assessment.

Abstract Background Unintended pregnancy is common and disproportionately occurs among low-income and African-American (AA) women. Male partners may influence women's risk of unintended pregnancy through reproductive coercion, although studies have not assessed whether racial differences in reproductive coercion impact AA women's disparate risk for unintended pregnancy. We sought to describe women's experiences with pregnancy-promoting behaviors by male partners and explore differences in such experiences by race. Methods Semistructured interviews were conducted with low-income, AA and White women aged 18 to 45 years recruited from reproductive health clinics in Western Pennsylvania to explore contextual factors that shape women's contraceptive behaviors. Narratives were analyzed using content analysis and the constant comparison method. Findings Among the 66 participants (36 AA and 30 White), 25 (38%) described experiences with male partner reproductive coercion. Narratives provided accounts of contraceptive sabotage, verbal pressure to promote pregnancy and specific pregnancy outcomes, and potential motives behind these behaviors. AA women in the sample reported experiences of reproductive coercion more often than White women (53% and 20%, respectively). AA women were also more likely than White women to attribute a current or prior pregnancy to reproductive coercion. AA women identified relationship transiency and impending incarceration as potential motivations for men to secure a connection with a female partner via pregnancy. Conclusions Our findings suggest that reproductive coercion may be a factor contributing to disparities in unintended pregnancy. More research, including population-level studies, is needed to determine the impact of reproductive coercion on unintended pregnancy and to understand the social and structural factors associated with pregnancy-promoting behaviors.
Increased risk of serious pneumococcal disease in patients with asthma.

Background Individuals with asthma have been reported to be at increased risk of invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD). These findings need to be confirmed in a different population-based study setting. Objective We assessed whether serious pneumococcal disease (SPD), defined as an IPD, pneumococcal pneumonia, or both, was associated with asthma status. Methods This is a retrospective case-control study using criteria-based methods for ascertaining SPD, as well as asthma. Subjects were residents of Rochester, Minnesota, who had SPD between 1964 and 1983 (the primarily pre–pneumococcal vaccine era) and their age- and sex-matched control subjects using 1:2 matching. Potential cases and control subjects were identified by using the Rochester Epidemiology project database and confirmed by medical record reviews. All cases and control subjects were merged with the database comprising the entire pool of Rochester residents with and without asthma between 1964 and 1983. Results A total of 3941 records of potential patients with SPD were reviewed, and we identified 174 cases of SPD (51% male subjects and 94% white subjects). SPD was associated with a history of asthma among all ages (odds ratio, 2.4; 95% CI, 0.9-6.6; P = .09) and among adults (odds ratio, 6.7; 95% CI, 1.6-27.3; P = .01), controlling for high-risk conditions for IPD and smoking exposure. The population-attributable risk percentage was 17% in the adult population. Conclusion Adults with asthma might be at increased risk of SPD.
Erythrocyte membrane omega‐3 fatty acid levels and omega‐3 fatty acid intake are not associated with conversion to type 1 diabetes in children with islet autoimmunity: The Diabetes Autoimmunity Study in the Young (DAISY)

Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disease characterized by the destruction of the insulin producing beta cells in the pancreatic islets. Islet autoimmunity (IA) precedes and is strongly predictive of type 1 diabetes development (1); and it is likely that both genetic and environmental factors play a role in the development of IA and subsequent progression to type 1 diabetes. In the Diabetes Autoimmunity Study of the Young (DAISY), a longitudinal observational study following otherwise healthy children who are at increased risk of developing type 1 diabetes, we reported that higher omega-3 fatty acid intake was associated with a lower risk of IA [hazard ratios (HR): 0.45], and likewise, that higher percentage of omega-3 fatty acid in the erythrocyte membrane was associated with a lower risk of IA (HR: 0.63) (2). Given this association as well as the findings that children with type 1 diabetes were less likely than controls to have received fish oil in infancy (3) and had decreased percentage of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) in erythrocyte membranes (4) as compared to controls, an obvious next question is whether omega-3 fatty acid intake or percentage of omega-3 fatty acid in erythrocyte membranes are associated with lower risk of type 1 diabetes in children who already have IA. Researchers, along with physicians and parents of children who test autoantibody positive, are likely to consider many possible ways to delay or prevent the onset of type 1 diabetes once autoimmunity has developed. This analysis would provide important information for efforts examining feasibility of interventional approaches in terms of timing and target population.
A controlled trial of premedication with dicyclomine hydrochloride (Bentyl®) in colonoscopy

The preparatory intramuscular injection of a potent anticholinergic agent, evaluated in a controlled trial, did not facilitate colonoscopy from the point of view of either the patient or the examiner.
Observer models for statistically-defined backgrounds

Investigation of human signal-detection performance for noise- limited tasks with statistically defined signal or image parameters represents a step towards clinical realism. However, the ideal observer procedure is then usually nonlinear, and analysis becomes mathematically intractable. Two linear but suboptimal observer models, the Hotelling observer and the non- prewhitening (NPW) matched filter, have been proposed for mathematical convenience. Experiments by Rolland and Barrett involving detection of signals in white noise superimposed on statistically defined backgrounds showed that the Hotelling model gave a good fit while the simple NPW matched filter gave a poor fit. It will be shown that the NPW model can be modified to fit their data by adding a spatial frequency filter of shape similar to the human contrast sensitivity function. The best fit is obtained using an eye filter model, E(f) equals f1.3 exp(-cf2) with c selected to give a peak at 4 cycles per degree.© (1994) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Uniform Ultra-Thin Oxides Grown by Rapid Thermal Oxidation of Silicon in N2O Ambient

In this paper, we report the study of rapid thermal oxidation of silicon in N2O ambient using the Applied Materials RTP Centura rapid thermal processor, and N2O oxide thickness and compositional uniformities with respect to gas flow rate and wafer rotation speed as well as other process parameters. It was found that N2O oxide uniformity is strongly dependent on gas flow rate and wafer rotation speed in addition to process pressure. With optimized setting of the process parameters, excellent oxidation uniformities (one sigma < 1%) were obtained at atmospheric pressure N2O ambient. Nitrogen concentrations of such uniform oxides grown at 1050°C atmospheric pressure N2O oxidation processes were 1.7% for a 40 A oxide and 2.5% for a 60A oxide, respectively, as characterized by SIMS analysis.
Making Pittsburghese: Communication technology, expertise, and the discursive construction of a regional dialect

Abstract This paper explores how changing technologies for broadcast communication shape the expertise that comes into play in the discursive construction of a regional dialect, in public interaction that includes both institutionally-sanctioned experts like linguists and laypeople with other sources of expertise. Based on an analysis of discourse about Pittsburgh speech, or “Pittsburghese,” in print newspapers, a website, an online discussion board, and a Wikipedia entry, it is argued that both scholars interested in the historical process of language-making and those interested in interaction with the public on the topic of non-standard varieties can benefit from thinking about the role of technology in determining whose voices are heard when.
Three Questions for a Big Book: Collins’s The Sociology of Philosophies

This essay first describes some of the impressive theoretical and empirical contributions of The Sociology of Philosophies, namely, to cultural sociology. Second, it offers a criticism of Collins's argument by focusing on the conceptions of the self it posits; its lack of specificity concerning the relationship between intellectual networks and imagined communities of scholars; and its neglect of how the law of small numbers is affected by the size of a field. Against a priori definitions of the selves of intellectuals posited by Collins, I advocate approaching the diversity of their selves as an empirical issue. Against Collins's overemphasis on personal network centrality in the making of philosophical greatness, I propose that the transcendent values of intellectual work are insufficient but nonetheless necessary conditions for philosophical greatness.
Extension of chromatographically derived chiral recognition systems to chiral recognition and enantiomer analysis by electrospray ionization mass spectrometry

Abstract Chiral recognition by positive ion electrospray ionization (ESI) mass spectrometry is demonstrated through the adaptation of chromatographically derived chiral recognition systems. Solutions of soluble analogues of chiral selectors used in Pirkle-type chiral stationary phases, when mixed with a chiral analyte, whose enantiomers are known to be resolved on the analogous chiral stationary phase, are shown to afford selector–analyte complexes in the mass spectrum. Pseudo-enantiomeric chiral selectors, where each pseudo-enantiomer has a different mass and a higher affinity for the opposite analyte enantiomer of its pseudo-antipode, were prepared. When mixed with a chiral analyte, solutions of these pseudo-enantiomeric selectors afford selector–analyte complexes in the ESI-mass spectrum where the relative intensities of the selector–analyte complexes are dependent on the enantiomeric composition of the analyte. Additionally, the sense of the observed chiral recognition is in agreement with the sense of chiral recognition observed chromatographically.
The extent of nonstationarity of beta

This paper investigates the extent of nonstationarity of beta across the firm size and the beta magnitude by suggesting the sequential parameter stationarity model and estimating change-points of betas. The high-beta firm has shorter stationary interval, which means that its beta changes more frequently than do the low-beta firm's. The firm size, however, does not have a monotonic relation with the length of stationary interval. The small and large firms have relatively shorter stationary interval than do the mid-sized firms. The average length of stationary interval is estimated about five years (exactly 54.19 months). This fact could support the currently widely-used arbitrary 5-year assumption of beta stationarity. The fluctuation of the large firm's beta is more severe than the small firm's, and the high- and low-beta firms have the relatively greater fluctuating betas than do the mid-beta firms. The frequency of detected change-points is found to be positively related to market returns. When the market return is high, the systematic risk changes more frequently, and vice versa.
Low boundary layer response and temperature dependence of nitrogen and phosphorus releases from oxic sediments of an oligotrophic lake

The effects of temperature, diffusive boundary-layer thickness, and sediment composition on fluxes of inorganic N and P were estimated for sediment cores with oxidized surfaces from nearshore waters (2–10 m) of a montane oligotrophic lake. Fluxes of N and P were not affected by diffusive boundary-layer thickness but were strongly affected by temperature. Below 16 °C, sediments sequestered small amounts of P and released small amounts of N. Above 16 °C, the seasonal maximum water temperature, sediments were substantial sources of N (NH4 +–N = 2–24 mg m−2 d−1; NO3 − + NO2 −–N = 2–5 mg m−2 d−1) and P (0.1–0.4 mg m−2 d−1), indicating potential responsiveness of sediment–water nutrient exchange, and of corresponding phytoplankton growth, to synoptic warming.
How patients die after intracerebral hemorrhage.

Introduction Severity of illness scores predict all-cause mortality after intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH), but do not differentiate between proximate mechanisms or predict the timing. We hypothesized that death by neurologic criteria [brain death (BD)], withdrawal of life support, and cardiovascular death would be distinct after ICH.
Estimation of a semiparametric model of fMRI data

This work provides a new approach to estimate the parameters of a semi-parametric generalized linear model in the wavelet domain. The method is illustrated with the problem of detecting significant changes in fMRI signals that are correlated to a stimulus time course. The fMRI signal is described as the sum of two effects: a smooth trend and the response to the stimulus. The trend belongs to a subspace spanned by large scale wavelets. We have developed a scale space regression that permits to carry out the regression in the wavelet domain while omitting the scales that are contaminated by the trend. Experiments with fMRI data demonstrate that our approach can infer and remove drifts that cannot be adequately represented with low degree polynomials. Our approach results in a noticeable improvement by reducing the false positive rate and increasing the true positive rate.