cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Evaluation of living related kidney donors using digital subtraction angiography.

Digital subtraction angiography (DSA) was incorporated into the initial radiographic evaluation of 51 potential living related kidney donors. Forty-nine patients underwent combined DSA and excretory urography, and 2 patients underwent staged studies. Each of the 51 patients also underwent nephrectomy to confirm the accuracy of the DSA images for identification of the number of renal vessels to the donor kidney. In the entire series, 35 donors (69%) had bilateral single renal arteries, and 16 donors (31%) had multiple vessels on at least one side. Six patients (11.7%) required the performance of standard catheter angiography due to inadequate DSA studies. Of the 45 patients who underwent DSA alone, 44 had a single renal artery as verified during surgery (accuracy rate, 98%). Thus, potential donors can be spared the risks of standard catheter angiography in most cases and can be fully evaluated on an outpatient basis.
Compensatory ovulation after unilateral ovariectomy in immature rats primed with gonadotropins.

SummaryImmature rats of 22 or 30 days of age pretreated with an ovulatory dose of pregnant mare serum (PMS) were used. Statistically significant compensatory ovulation was found in rats treated with 4 IU PMS on Day 30 followed by unilateral ovariectomy on Day 31. No compensatory ovulation followed unilateral ovariectomy in rats treated with 25 IU PMS on Day 22 or Day 30. In rats treated with 3 IU PMS on Day 22 and unilaterally ovariectomized on Day 23, ovulation was inhibited, whereas in sham-operated animals it was not. Estradiol benzoate (EB) injected sc at the time of unilateral ovariectomy significantly restored ovulation in immature rats primed with 3 IU PMS; progesterone was ineffective. These findings suggest that the endogenous estrogen level affects compensatory ovulation, and unilateral ovariectomy inhibits ovulation in the 22-day-old rat model by reducing the quantity of estrogen available for positive feedback.
Simultaneous Determination of N-Hexane,Acetone,Butanone,Acetidin and Butyl Acetate in The Air by Gas Phase Chromatography

[Objective]To establish thermal desorption gas phase chromatography for simultaneous determination of N-Hexane,acetone,butanone,acetidin and butyl acetate in workplace air.[Methods]The experiments were conducted in laboratory and on the site according to standard technique for determination of toxic substances in workplace air.[Results]The determinations of N-Hexane,acetone,butanone,acetidin and butyl acetate have a good reproducibility,and the relative standard deviation(RSD) was less than 4.9%;The minimum detection limit was 2.4 mg/m3,the recovery rates of thermal desorption gas phase chromatography were more than 80%.N-Hexane,acetone,butanone,acetidin and butyl acetate in air could be detected simultaneously by this method.[Conclusion]This method meets the requirement of standard technique for detection of toxic substances in workplace air,and is suitable for simultaneous determination of n-Hexane,acetone,butanone,acetidin and butyl acetate in workplace air.
Stromal Monocarboxylate Transporter MCT4 Is a Poor Prognostic Factor in Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma

Monocarboxylate transporter 4 (MCT4) is the main exporter of lactate from cells. It is also a critical component in the glycolytic metabolism of cancer cells. In this study, stromal MCT4 expression was examined and correlated with oral squamous cell carcinoma risk of recurrence (ROR), extent of primary tumor (pT) and nodal metastasis (pN), perineural …
Significance Testing: We Can Do Better

This paper advocates abandoning null hypothesis statistical tests (NHST) in favour of reporting confidence intervals. The case against NHST, which has been made repeatedly in multiple disciplines and is growing in awareness and acceptance, is introduced and discussed. Accounting as an empirical research discipline appears to be the last of the research communities to face up to the inherent problems of significance test use and abuse. The paper encourages adoption of a meta-analysis approach which allows for the inclusion of replication studies in the assessment of evidence. This approach requires abandoning the typical NHST process and its reliance on p-values. However, given that NHST has deep roots and wide ‘social acceptance’ in the empirical testing community, modifications to NHST are suggested so as to partly counter the weakness of this statistical testing method.
Corticosterone dysregulation exacerbates disease progression in the R6/2 transgenic mouse model of Huntington's disease

Abstract Huntington's disease (HD) is a genetic neurological disorder that causes severe and progressive motor, cognitive, psychiatric, and metabolic symptoms. There is a robust, significant elevation in circulating levels of the stress hormone, cortisol, in HD patients; however, the causes and consequences of this elevation are largely uncharacterized. Here, we evaluated whether elevated levels of corticosterone, the rodent homolog of cortisol, contributed to the development of symptomology in transgenic HD mice. Wild-type (WT) and transgenic R6/2 mice were given either 1) adrenalectomy with WT-level corticosterone replacement (10 ng/ml), 2) adrenalectomy with high HD-level corticosterone replacement (60 ng/ml), or 3) sham surgery without replacement. R6/2 mice on HD-level replacement showed severe and rapid weight loss (p
Path planning using a spiking neuron algorithm with axonal delays

A path planning algorithm is introduced that uses the timing of spiking neurons to create efficient routes. The algorithm is inspired by recent evidence showing activity-dependent plasticity of axon myelination after learning. Using this finding as inspiration, the algorithm's learning rule varies the simulated axon conductance velocity between neurons based on the relative cost of traversing the environment. In terms of path length and path cost, the spiking algorithm is as good or better than other path planners. However, the present spiking algorithm has the added advantage of adapting to change and context by altering axon delays in response to environmental experience. Because the spiking algorithm is suitable for implementation on neuromorphic hardware, it has the potential of realizing orders of magnitude gains in power efficiency and computational gains through parallelization, and thus should offer advantages for small, embedded systems.
Revealing the Mechanism of Binding Selectivity in Undecaprenyl Diphosphate Synthase

Undecaprenyl Pyrophosphate Synthase (UPPS) represents an excellent drug target to combat bacterial virulence because it disrupts the glycan biosynthesis pathway when inhibited. Binding of a substrate causes the activity in UPPS from different species to respond differently, making it potentially possible to develop a suite of narrow-spectrum antibiotics. Here, we investigate the differential effects of protein dynamics on the mechanism of action in different species by performing a comparative analysis over the UPPS superfamily, Cis-Isoprenyl Pyrophosphate Synthase (Cis-IPPS) using protein dynamics and pharmacophore modeling. We used MOE and Ligand Scout to compute protein structure and ligand-based pharmacophore models of 14 UPPS protein structures. Molecular dynamics simulation and an ensemble-based statistical mechanics model are used to quantify mobility and stability of UPPS in the apo form, and with bound substrates. We find that quantitative stability flexibility relationships (QSFR) identify conserved flexibly correlated motifs. We find that the binding event affects backbone flexibility over an extended range, suggesting a mechanism of allostery. The most conserved regions in the QSFR motifs include the active site and hydrophobic tunnel, which reflects evolutionary conservation. However, variations are substantial at the interface, particularly in the coiled-coil arm that glues the two monomers together. Interestingly, we observe slight differences in structure-based pharamacophore features across species. We corroborate results obtained from evolutionary trees, pharmacophore modeling, characterization of dynamics and stability to reveal the mechanism of binding selectively. With 14 proteins studied in detail thus far, our results suggest a critical flexibly correlated motion spans both domains of the UPPS homodimer, which creates an allosteric pathway responsible for modulating binding selectively.
Regulation of osteoclast differentiation by myosin X

Osteoclasts begin as mononuclear cells that fuse to form multinuclear cells able to resorb bone. The mechanisms that regulate all the steps of osteoclast differentiation are not entirely known. MYO10, an unconventional myosin, has previously been shown in mature osteoclasts to play a role in attachment and podosome positioning. We determined that MYO10 is also expressed early during osteoclast differentiation. Loss of MYO10 expression in osteoclast precursors inhibits the ability of mononuclear osteoclasts to fuse into multinuclear osteoclasts. Expression of Nfatc1, Dc-stamp, Ctsk, and β 3 integrin is reduced in the osteoclasts with reduced MYO10 expression. A slight reduction in the osteoclasts ability to migrate, as well as a reduction in SMAD 1/5/8 phosphorylation are also noted with reduced MYO10 expression. Interestingly we also detected a change in the ability of the osteoclast precursors to form tunneling nanotubes (TNTs), which suggests that MYO10 may regulate the presence of TNTs through its interaction with the cytoskeletal proteins.
PERCUTANEOUS CORONARY INTERVENTION VERSUS LEFT INTERNAL MAMMARY ARTERY ROBOTIC-ASSISTED CORONARY ARTERY BYPASS FOR LEFT ANTERIOR DESCENDING ARTERY CHRONIC TOTAL OCCLUSION

Revascularization for left anterior descending artery (LAD) chronic total occlusion (CTO) lesions remains a challenge. Currently, no studies exist in the literature comparing revascularization of LAD CTO lesions via PCI versus LIMA Robotic-Assisted Coronary Artery Bypass (RACAB). The Emory CTO
Transient Gain Measurements of Chromium-Doped Forsterite (Cr4+:Mg2SiO4)

The nonradiative relaxation time within the 3T2 manifold of chromium doped forsterite (Cr4+: Mg2SiO4) was determined using a picosecond excite-and-probe gain technique. A value of 10 ± 5 ps was determined for intra-3T2 vibrational relaxation time.
Nervous System Diseases, Disorders, and Bone: Emerging Therapeutics and Treatment Options

Clinical literature and experimental data support a link between neurological disorders and bone metabolism. Because bone tissue has a rich nerve supply, as discussed in this chapter, it has long been speculated that nerve input has an active role in bone metabolism. Despite the limitations of conventional histological techniques that limited a full exploration of this question for decades, clinical observations of bone changes in patients with neurological disorders, such as spinal cord injury, in which patients have localized osteopenia, increased lower extremity fractures, and increased sites of pathological ossification have fueled researchers in their studies of the relationships between the nervous and bone systems. It is now known that bone metabolism and growth are regulated not only by mechanical loading, humoral factors (such as hormones), and local factors (such as cytokines released by osteoclasts), but also by neuronal signals released from the peripheral and central nervous systems. This has created a new field of neuroskeletal biology from which key findings are covered in this chapter.
A Nonthermodynamic Formalism for Biological Information Systems: Hierarchical Lacunarity in Partition Size of Intermittency

Generally, the thermodynamic formalism for dynamical systems, the study of nonlinear flows and/or their maps (the first transformed into the second by a Poincare surface of section) involves modeling them using a simpler symbolic system and them applying measure theoretic tools from abstract ergodic theory and statistical mechanics to their analyses. (Kolmogorov, 1956; Sinai, 1972; Bowen, 1975; Ruelle, 1978). genotypes.
Investigating Generative Factors of Score Matrices

An implicit assumption in psychometrics and educational statistics is that the generative model for student scores on test questions is governed by the topics of those questions and each student's aptitude in those topics. That is, a function to generate the matrix of scores for m students on n questions should rely on each student's ability in a set of t topics, and the relevance of each question to those topics. In this paper, we use educational data mining techniques to analyze score matrices from university-level computer science courses, and demonstrate that no such structure can be extracted from this data.
Initiation Sequence of E-Cigarette and Cigarette Smoking among US Adolescents: A National Study.

Background and objectives The primary objectives were to: (1) examine the initiation sequence of e-cigarette use and cigarette smoking; (2) assess other substance use as a function of the initiation sequence of e-cigarettes and cigarettes; and (3) investigate the role of early e-cigarette initiation among US secondary school students. Methods Data were collected via self-administered questionnaires from independent 2015 and 2016 nationally representative cross-sectional samples of 8th grade, 10th grade, and 12th grade students (N = 36 410). Results The lifetime initiation sequence included: (1) e-cigarette use before cigarette smoking (1.7%); (2) e-cigarette use and cigarette smoking in same grade (4.2%); (3) cigarette smoking before e-cigarette use (6.1%); (4) e-cigarette use only (12.6%); (5) cigarette smoking only (3.6%); and (6) no e-cigarette use or cigarette smoking (71.8%). The risk of substance use was highest among dual users (regardless of initiation sequence), followed by cigarette smokers, e-cigarette users, and no e-cigarette use or cigarette smoking. The most prevalent initiation sequence of e-cigarette use involved initiating other substances before e-cigarettes, especially among older adolescents. Early initiation of e-cigarette use was associated with increased odds of substance use behaviors for all three age groups. Discussion and conclusions Adolescents who report a history of both e-cigarette use and cigarette smoking should be considered at high risk for substance-related problems. Early initiation of e-cigarette use is a signal for other substance use. Scientific significance Youth substance use prevention programs and prospective studies must take into account polysubstance use when addressing the relationships between e-cigarette use and cigarette smoking. (Am J Addict 2019;28:285-294).
Baseline Semantic Fluency Is Associated with Six-Year Progression to Mild Cognitive Impairment in Middle-Aged Men

Abstract Objective Test the hypothesis that individual differences in episodic memory and verbal fluency in cognitively normal middle-aged adults will predict progression to amnestic MCI after 6 years. Method The analysis sample included 842 male twins who were cognitively normal at baseline (M=56 years), completed measures of episodic memory and verbal fluency at baseline and again 6 years later (M=62 years). Results Poor episodic memory predicted progression to both amnestic MCI (OR=4.42, 95% CI [2.44, 10.60]) and non-amnestic MCI (OR=1.92, 95% CI [1.32, 3.44]). Poor semantic verbal fluency also independently predicted progression to amnestic MCI (OR=1.86, 95% CI [1.12, 3.52]). In the full sample, a semantic-specific fluency latent variable at wave 1 (which controls for letter fluency) predicted change in episodic memory at wave 2 (β=.13), but not vice-versa (β=.04). Associations between episodic memory and verbal fluency factors were primarily explained by genetic, rather than environmental, correlations. Conclusions Among individuals who were cognitively normal at wave 1, episodic memory moderately-to-strongly predicted progression to MCI at average age 62, emphasizing the fact that there is still meaningful variability even among cognitively normal individuals. Episodic memory, which is typically a primary focus for AD risk, declined earlier and more quickly than fluency. However, semantic fluency at average age 56 predicted 6-year change in memory as well as progression to amnestic MCI even after accounting for baseline memory performance. These findings emphasize the utility of memory and fluency measures in early identification of AD risk.
Ensemble encoding of action speed by striatal fast-spiking interneurons

Striatal fast-spiking interneurons (FSIs) potently inhibit the output neurons of the striatum and, as such, powerfully modulate action learning. Through electrical synaptic coupling, FSIs are theorized to temporally coordinate their activity. This has important implications for their ability to temporally summate inhibition on downstream striatal projection neurons. While some in vivo single-unit electrophysiological recordings of putative FSIs support coordinated firing, others do not. Moreover, it is unclear as to what aspect of action FSIs encode. To address this, we used in vivo calcium imaging of genetically identified FSIs in freely moving mice and applied machine learning analyses to decipher the relationship between FSI activity and movement. We report that FSIs exhibit ensemble activity that encodes the speed of action sub-components, including ambulation and head movements. These results suggest FSI population dynamics fit within a Hebbian model for ensemble inhibition of striatal output guiding action.
“It’s important to me”: A qualitative analysis of shared decision-making and patient preferences in early-stage breast cancer patients.

227Background: Shared decision-making (SDM) occurs when both patient and provider are involved in the treatment decision-making process. SDM allows patients to understand the pros and cons of diffe...
Six ‘Shots’ in Dallas: ‘Framing’ the Perpetrator of the Kennedy Assassination through the Zapruder Film, 1963-2013

When three shots were fired at the John F. Kennedy motorcade in Dallas on 22 November 1963, three important photographic ‘shots’ were also taken of the scene. These images by amateur filmmaker Abraham Zapruder were seen by Americans as a kind of Rosetta stone for deciphering the otherwise discordant ‘language’ of the assassination and as a key to identifying the perpetrator(s). The Zapruder film was to yield two diametrically opposing interpretations – conspiracy or no conspiracy – de pending largely on the agendas of the viewers and their willingness or unwillingness to contextualize their interpretations with other evidence. While the Zapruder frames have turned out to tell us nothing about the actual perpetrator(s) of this particular crime, the way they are remembered tells us much about the ideal political assassin of the American imagination. Tracing the different ways in which the Zapruder shots were interpreted since the 1960s and circulated across a variety of media, institutional settings, and contexts of display, this article discusses what these changes mean for the cultural memory of the Kennedy assassination in particular and, more generally, what these changes tell us about the evolving perception and definition of the political ‘perpetrator’ in American society. Furthermore, the article explores the relation between visual sources (and their changing status from documentary to eviden tiary to iconic) and political and historical interpretations of the act of perpetration.
Progress towards a phenomenological picture and theoretical understanding of glassy dynamics and vitrification near interfaces and under nanoconfinement.

The nature of alterations to dynamics and vitrification in the nanoscale vicinity of interfaces—commonly referred to as “nanoconfinement” effects on the glass transition—has been an open question for a quarter century. We first analyze experimental and simulation results over the last decade to construct an overall phenomenological picture. Key features include the following: after a metrology- and chemistry-dependent onset, near-interface relaxation times obey a fractional power law decoupling relation with bulk relaxation; relaxation times vary in a double-exponential manner with distance from the interface, with an intrinsic dynamical length scale appearing to saturate at low temperatures; the activation barrier and vitrification temperature Tg approach bulk behavior in a spatially exponential manner; and all these behaviors depend quantitatively on the nature of the interface. We demonstrate that the thickness dependence of film-averaged Tg for individual systems provides a poor basis for discrimination between different theories, and thus we assess their merits based on the above dynamical gradient properties. Entropy-based theories appear to exhibit significant inconsistencies with the phenomenology. Diverse free-volume-motivated theories vary in their agreement with observations, with approaches invoking cooperative motion exhibiting the most promise. The elastically cooperative nonlinear Langevin equation theory appears to capture the largest portion of the phenomenology, although important aspects remain to be addressed. A full theoretical understanding requires improved confrontation with simulations and experiments that probe spatially heterogeneous dynamics within the accessible 1-ps to 1-year time window, minimal use of adjustable parameters, and recognition of the rich quantitative dependence on chemistry and interface.The nature of alterations to dynamics and vitrification in the nanoscale vicinity of interfaces—commonly referred to as “nanoconfinement” effects on the glass transition—has been an open question for a quarter century. We first analyze experimental and simulation results over the last decade to construct an overall phenomenological picture. Key features include the following: after a metrology- and chemistry-dependent onset, near-interface relaxation times obey a fractional power law decoupling relation with bulk relaxation; relaxation times vary in a double-exponential manner with distance from the interface, with an intrinsic dynamical length scale appearing to saturate at low temperatures; the activation barrier and vitrification temperature Tg approach bulk behavior in a spatially exponential manner; and all these behaviors depend quantitatively on the nature of the interface. We demonstrate that the thickness dependence of film-averaged Tg for individual systems provides a poor basis for discriminati...
The Effect of Sustainable Fashion Brands’ Posts on Customers’ Emotions in Social Media

Many brands have added social media as an important outlet for communication about sustainability. It is important to understand how sustainable apparel brands utilize social media to advertise their product and service, engage with consumers, and to find where social media marketing for sustainable brandsshould go. By analyzing both visual and textual information, this study aims to investigate the impact of color and text features of brands’ posts on customers’ response, including their emotions and emphasis topics in social media marketing. Color theory and semantic frame theory were used in this study. A system was established to scrape images, captions and comments regarding three fashion brands from the official Cloud application program interface on Instagram. Color analysis results reveal that images brands chose for social media posts are consistent with their values and visions. Results of text analysis show that three brands focus on conveying different topics and values.
A Meta-Analysis on Computer Technology Intervention Effects on Mathematics Achievement for Low-Performing Students in K-12 Classrooms

This meta-analysis extended the current literature regarding the effects of computer technology (CT) on mathematics achievement, with a particular focus on low-performing students. A total of 45 in...
Juvenile homicide offenders: Why they were involved in serious crime

The perpetration of murders by juveniles (individuals under age 18) has been a serious concern in the United States since the 1960s. As a result of four decisions by the United States Supreme Court during the 21st century, the likelihood that juvenile homicide offenders will be released back into society is substantially higher than it was in the year 2000. Given these changes in sentencing policies and practices, understanding why youths under 18 engage in homicidal behavior is more important than ever for two reasons: to prevent juveniles from killing in the first place and to determine whether their reasons for killing are related to post-release outcome. This research is a part of a 35-year follow-up study of 59 boys, age 14 to 17, who were convicted of murder or attempted murder, and sentenced to adult prisons in a southeastern state. Twenty of these men discussed the reasons for their involvement in murder in person in a second interview conducted by the author 35 years after her first interview with them. These men's reasons for engaging in serious homicidal behavior reflected both psychological and sociological factors. Although the type of explanation for criminal involvement was not significantly related to post-release outcome, some interesting patterns were discernible. The implications of these findings, limitations of the study, and suggestions for future research are discussed.
Synthesis and functionalization reactivity of Fe-thiocarbonyl and thiocarbyne complexes

Abstract The remarkable catalytic transformation of CO to liquid hydrocarbons by Fe and Co catalysts in the industrial Fischer-Tropsch process motivates interest in developing well-defined systems to model aspects of this chemistry. One of the most interesting potential intermediates in this chemistry is a terminally-bound, first row metal carbide, yet a molecular model of this species remains elusive. With this in mind, we targeted the synthesis of highly-activated Fe-thiocarbonyl complexes, as prospective precursors to S-functionalization, C–S bond cleavage, and carbide generation. Herein, we describe the synthesis of three Fe–CS complexes that can be alkylated to generate a series of terminal Fe-carbynes that could be characterized across three oxidation states. Strategies to access C–S bond scission from these species are discussed, including limitations that, thus far, have precluded the generation of a terminal Fe-carbide for this system.
Sextus chest radiograph severity score correlates to clinical outcomes in patients with COVID-19: A cross-sectional study

ABSTRACT The value of chest radiography (CXR) in detection and as an outcome predictor in the management of patients with coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) has not yet been fully understood.To validate a standardized CXR scoring system and assess its prognostic value in hospitalized patients found to have COVID-19 by imaging criteria and to compare it to computed tomography (CT).In this cross-sectional chart review study, patients aged 18-years or older who underwent chest CT at a single institution with an imaging-based diagnosis of COVID-19 between March 15, 2020 to April 15, 2020 were included. Each patient's CXR and coronal CT were analyzed for opacities in a 6-zonal assessment method and aggregated into a "Sextus score." Inter-reader variability and correlation between CXR and coronal CT images were investigated to validate this scoring system. Univariable and multiple logistic regression techniques were used to investigate relationships between CXR scores and clinical parameters in relation to patient outcomes.One hundred twenty-four patients (median [interquartile range] age 58.5 [47.5-69.0] years, 72 [58%] men, 58 [47%] Blacks, and 35 [28%] Hispanics) were included. The CXR Sextus score (range: 0-6) was reliable (inter-rater kappa = 0.76; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.69-0.83) and correlated strongly with the CT Sextus score (Spearman correlation coefficient = 0.75, P < .0001). Incremental increases of CXR Sextus scores of 2 points were found to be an independent predictor of intubation (adjusted odds ratio [95% CI]: 4.49 [1.98, 10.20], P = .0003) and prolonged hospitalization (≥10 days) (adjusted odds ratio [95% CI]: 4.06 [1.98, 8.32], P = .0001).The CXR Sextus score was found to be reproducible and CXR-CT severity scores were closely correlated. Increasing Sextus scores were associated with increased risks for intubation and prolonged hospitalization for patients with COVID-19 in a predominantly Black population. The CXR Sextus score may provide insight into identifying and monitoring high-risk patients with COVID-19.
Symptom Variation on the Trauma Symptom Checklist for Children: A Within-Scale Meta-Analytic Review

Trauma exposure in youth is widespread, yet symptom expression varies. The present study employs a within-scale meta-analytic framework to explore determinants of differential responses to trauma exposure. The meta-analysis included 74 studies employing samples of youth exposed to traumatic events and who completed the Trauma Symptom Checklist for Children (TSCC). Mean weighted T scores across all TSCC subscales for U.S. samples ranged between 49 and 52. Youth outside the U.S. reported higher posttraumatic stress, anxiety, and depressive symptoms, whereas those exposed to sexual abuse reported the highest posttraumatic stress, anxiety, depressive, and dissociative symptoms. Higher female representation in samples was associated with higher symptoms on all TSCC subscales except anger. In contrast, ethnic minority representation was associated with lower depressive symptoms. Moderator analyses revealed that sexual abuse, increased percentage of females, and older age were all associated with higher posttraumatic symptoms. The present meta-analytic results help elucidate some of the divergent findings on symptom expression in youth exposed to traumatic events.
Celebrity spokesperson and brand congruence

Abstract Conventional wisdom regarding the matching of spokesperson and brand in advertising is empirically tested. Within the theoretical framework of social cognition, celebrity-brand congruence is found to enhance effectiveness of advertising. a) Recall is found to be enhanced when the celebrity and brand are matched, as predicted by the filtering model. b) Transfer of affect from spokesperson to brand is found to be facilitated when the two are matched. c) Affect toward the brand is also found to be higher when brand and spokesperson are matched. The usefulness and importance of schemas in information processing of advertising are discussed.
Fibers, Cellulose Esters

The principal cellulose ester fiber is cellulose acetate, a partially acetylated cellulose, also called acetate or secondary acetate. Although widely used in textiles, its primary use is now for the preparation of cigarette filters, which consumed 65% of the 731,000 metric tons produced worldwide in 1991. Cellulose triacetate is an almost totally acetylated cellulose, but environmental considerations encountered in the preparation of fibers have almost totally eliminated its production. This article initially describes the physical and chemical properties of cellulose acetate and triacetate polymers and fibers. A review of the manufacturing process operations and considerations follows, providing an overview of the key process steps. Since both textile and cigarette filter applications are commercially important, both are described to illustrate the products available and how they are used. Finally, a brief overview of some smaller volume applications provides some insight into other possible uses. Keywords: Fibers; Cellulose esters; Cellulose triacetate fibers; Anisotropic solutions; Yarns; Staple; Tow; Fibrillated fibers; Textiles; Cigarette tow
Bacteriophage Lambda Terminase and the Mechanism of Viral DNA Packaging

The developmental pathways of many double-stranded DNA (dsDNA) viruses, both prokaryotic and eukaryotic, are remarkably similar. In viruses as diverse as bacteriophage λ and the herpesviruses, DNA replication proceeds through a rolling circle mechanism where the circular genome serves as a template for the synthesis of linear concatemers multiple genomes in length. Concurrently, viral gene expression produces structural proteins, which self-assemble into procapsids and, in the case of the bacteriophage, tails necessary to assemble an infectious virion. Virus assembly requires that monomeric virion DNA molecules be produced from concatemers during packaging of the DNA into a procapsid. Thus, packaging represents the convergence of the DNA replication and capsid shell assembly pathways. Genome packaging in bacteriophage λ has been extensively studied and this system has been used as a paradigm for virus assembly. Here we summarize current knowledge, present a working model, and indicate issues worthy of further investigation.
Isolation and characterization of the Rickettsia prowazekii recA gene.

Abstract The recA gene has been isolated from Rickettsia prowazekii, an obligate intracellular bacterium. Comparison of the amino acid sequence of R. prowazekii RecA with that of Escherichia coli RecA revealed that 62% of the residues were identical. The highest identity was found with RecA of Legionella pneumophila, in which 69% of the residues were identical. Amino acid residues of E. coli RecA associated with functional activities are conserved in rickettsial RecA, and the R. prowazekii recA gene complements E. coli recA mutants for UV light and methyl methanesulfonate sensitivities as well as recombinational deficiencies. The characterized region upstream of rickettsial recA did not contain a sequence homologous to an E. coli LexA binding site (SOS box), suggesting differences in the regulation of the R. prowazekii recA gene.
Congenital Cytomegalovirus Infection: New Prospects for Prevention and Therapy

Cytomegalovirus is the commonest congenital viral infection in the developed world, with an overall prevalence of approximately 0.6%. Approximately 10% of congenitally infected infants have signs and symptoms of disease at birth, and these symptomatic infants have a substantial risk of subsequent neurologic sequelae. These include sensorineural hearing loss, mental retardation, microcephaly, development delay, seizure disorders, and cerebral palsy. Antiviral therapy for children with symptomatic congenital cytomegalovirus infection is effective at reducing the risk of long-term disabilities and should be offered to families with affected newborns. An effective preconceptual vaccine against CMV could protect against long-term neurologic sequelae and other disabilities.
The role of oligomerization in regulation of maize phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase activity. Influence of Mg-PEP and malate on the oligomeric equilibrium of PEP carboxylase.

Abstract A purification procedure which yields a near homogenous preparation of phosphoenolpyruvate (PEP) car☐ylase from the leaves of Zea mays is reported. The enzyme had a final specific activity of 33.3 micromoles per minute per milligram protein. Size exclusion high performance liquid chromatography and dynamic laser-light scattering spectroscopy showed that PEP car☐ylase exists in an equilibrium of aggregates. Enzyme predominantly in the dimeric configuration is less active (when assayed at sub-optimal Mg-PEP concentrations, It thus appears that the quaternary structure (oligomeric state) of maize PEP car☐ylase can be regulated by the naturally occurring effector molecules Mg-PEP and malate which in turn can control the enzyme's activity.
Optimal Monetary and Exchange Rate Policies in Crisis-Prone Small Open Economies ?

Banking crises are fairly ubiquitous events with large adverse consequences. This paper studies the potential for banking crises and their effects on exchange rate policies in a microfounded general equilibrium dynamic model in the tradition of Diamond and Dybvig (1983) and Chang and Velasco (2000). More specifically, we produce a small open economy pure exchange overlapping generations model with random relocation along the lines of Smith (2002). The combination of random relocation and the assumed role of currency in interlocation trade creates random location - and country - specific liquidity needs. Banks naturally arise to provide much-desired insurance against these liquidity shocks. In this setting, if withdrawal demand for the bank's deposits is high enough, the bank will exhaust all its cash reserves and a banking crisis will occur. We provide a complete characterization of optimal interest rate policies in this setting. We find that nominal interest rates that are desirable from a welfare perspective may be associated with a high probability of banking crises. We go on to study the classic issue of the relative desirability of fixed versus flexible exchange rate regimes by introducing time-varying random endowments into the above structure. This makes the banks' portfolio allocations dependent on the exchange rate regime. Under a fixed exchange rate regime, by interest rate parity, the banks' portfolio choice is deterministic and constant over time and this is supported by the injection/removal of nominal balances by the central bank. Under a flexible exchange rate regime, the money supply stays constant but a rate-of-return uncertainty emerges that is in addition to the income uncertainty common to both regimes. Our results show that a flexible exchange rate regime is superior in an ex-ante welfare sense relative to the fixed exchange rate regime; however, the ordering is reversed when it comes to the likelihood of banking and currency crises.
Role of M13 Gene 1 Protein in Filamentous Virus Assembly

The M13 gene 1 protein is needed continuously for virus production but is not needed directly for the proteolytic conversion of procoat to coat.
Proteolytic activity of tarantula venoms due to contamination with saliva

Abstract The venoms of the tarantulas Pterinochilus sp., Aphonopelma chalcodes and Dugesiella hentzi, collected by electroshock, were tested for proteolytic activity. The proteases found were chymotrypsin-like with optima of Hide Powder Azure hydrolysis at approximately pH 8. However, activity inconsistencies led to the discovery that the presence of proteolytic enzymes in the three venoms was the result of a contamination with fluids utilized for external digestion by the spiders. Contamination of the venoms could be prevented by forcing the spider to strike through a membrane prior to stimulation. Based on the findings of a literature survey, it is concluded that previous demonstrations of proteolytic activities of spider venoms might have resulted from contamination by saliva.
Critical Properties of Dilute Carbon Dioxide + Entrainer and Ethane + Entrainer Mixtures

Critical temperatures and pressures for dilute supercritical fluid−entrainer systems are imperative for the design of efficient and environmentally conscious separation processes. In this study, the constant volume, visual method is used to measure the critical point of CO2 + acetone, CO2 + toluene, CO2 + propan-2-ol, CO2 + methylene chloride, CO2 + benzene, and ethane + benzene mixtures. The dilute entrainer concentration region is emphasized. The estimated experimental error for the critical temperature and pressure measurements is ±0.5 K and ±0.7 bar, respectively. Molar volumes are presented for all systems studied.
Were some dinosaurs gregarious

Abstract A careful survey of the dinosaur footprints and trackways (identified as Eubrontes, Anchisauripus and Grallator) at the Mt. Tom site north of Holyoke, Massachusetts, and plots of their orientations reveal that an improbable percentage (70%) of the tracks are oriented in a nearparallel course. All but one of these coincident ancient traverses were probably made by the same kind of Triassic dinosaur (the footprints of which are referred to as Eubrontes). Comparable trackway orientation patterns have been reported by Albritton (1942) near Comanche, Texas for an Early Cretaceous dinosaur (iguanodobntid?) and Bird (1941, 1944) cited paralled sauporod trackways of Early Cretaceous age near the Paluxy River in Texas. Probability dictates that these sub-parallel traverses were not independent events and the presence of other deviating trackways at all three sites indicates that the trackmakers probably were not confined in their passage by physical barriers. Furthermore, the coincidental occurrence of such natural barriers at all of the sites mentioned here seems highly improbable. the combinedevidence of the Massachusetts site and the two Texas localities, together with the apparently widespread occurrence of dinosaur trackway lineation, strongly indicates gregarious habits for several different kinds of dinosaurs.
Walking the Talk? What Employers Say Versus What They Do

This article considers the relationship between employers' attitudes toward hiring exoffenders and their actual hiring behavior. Using data from an experimental audit study of entry-level jobs matched with a telephone survey of the same employers, the authors compare employers' willingness to hire black and white ex-offenders, as represented both by their self-reports and by their decisions in actual hiring situations. Employers who indicated a greater likelihood of hiring ex-offenders in the survey were no more likely to hire an ex-offender in practice. Furthermore, although the survey results indicated no difference in the likelihood of hiring black versus white ex-offenders, audit results show large differences by race. These comparisons suggest that employer surveys-even those using an experimental design to control for social desirability bias-may be insufficient for drawing conclusions about the actual level of hiring discrimination against stigmatized groups.
Participation, Performance, and Advancement of Women in Academic Science and Engineering: What is at Issue and Why

Using multi-staged methods developed in this research for coding/analysis of interview data, this article portrays women’s reported experiences of participation, performance, and advancement in academic science and engineering in a major technological institution. The methods and findings have implications for understanding the complexity underlying women’s participation and performance, and for practices and policies to support advancement of women faculty, particularly those in research universities.
Parsifal's Aura

Abstract ““Aura””——configured as an interplay of preservation and loss or——to quote the first version of Walter Benjamin9s famous artwork essay——as an ““interweaving of space and time””——is central not only to sound recording, but also to the musical dramaturgy of Wagner9s final work. This article examines ways in which this unusual alignment affected early (pre-1948) recordings of Parsifal . The potential contradictions implicit in the concept of aura are nowhere more strikingly revealed than in these early recordings. On one hand, they foreground the problems of reducing complex and lengthy works to easily recorded excerpts or arrangements. In this quasi-Adornian reading, early sound recordings of Parsifal manifest the inexorable power of the culture industry to undermine the authentic work of art. And yet sound recording can also be seen as the fruit of a different impulse, the impulse toward a fully transcendent work of art, the realization of the ““invisible theater”” for which Wagner himself supposedly yearned. Indeed, Parsifal (even more than Wagner9s other works) was recorded primarily as a symphonic work, divested of what Adorno so tellingly called the ““phony hoopla”” of operatic production. Early sound recording of Parsifal thus amplifies the conflict between materialism and transcendence that forms the ideological substratum of the plot. This conflict manifests itself in the ““resistance”” that Parsifal offers up to the process of recording, a resistance that is ironically most audible precisely during the age in which the recordings themselves are most ““imperfect.”” It is in these traces of resistance, I will argue, that we may imagine the aura of Wagner9s final work.
Synthesis and characterization of polyisobutylene-b-polyamide multi-block copolymer thermoplastic elastomers

Abstract A series of polyisobutylene (PIB)-polyamide (PA) multi-block copolymers was synthesized via an amidation reaction to form novel thermoplastic elastomers (TPEs). A two prepolymer approach was taken in which a difunctional primary-amine-terminated polyisobutylene (NH2-PIB-NH2) was synthesized as the soft block and a difunctional carboxylic acid-terminated polyamide (HO2C-PA-CO2H) was synthesized separately as the hard block. The two prepolymers were reacted in the bulk under nitrogen at 220 °C to form the multiblock copolymer TPEs. Various copolymers were synthesized from combinations of two different PIBs (either 1000 or 2000 g/mol), and four different PAs (PA-11 and PA-6, each at either 1000 or 2000 g/mol). 1H and 13C NMR spectroscopies were used to confirm the structure of the individual prepolymers and the copolymers. Prepolymer molecular weights were determined by gel-permeation chromatography (GPC), end-group titration, and matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF-MS); the latter also provided confirmation of end-group functionality of prepolymers. For GPC of PA homopolymers and PIB-PA copolymers, trifluoroacetylation of the secondary amide groups of the PA blocks was necessary to obtain solubility of the copolymers in the THF mobile phase. Copolymer number–average molecular weights varied from 8100 to 20,630 g/mol.
Video-assisted thoracic surgery. Current state of the art.

OBJECTIVE. The author reviews the current state of the art of video-assisted thoracic surgery in the context of modern thoracic surgical practice. SUMMARY BACKGROUND DATA. Thoracoscopy has been a part of thoracic surgical practice for many years, but was used mainly for diagnosis of pleural disease. The development of laparoscopic cholecystectomy awakened a new interest in this technique and led to the development of many new therapeutic and diagnostic applications of video-assisted thoracic surgery. METHODS. Current literature and the author's personal experience with more than 500 cases are reviewed. RESULTS. Video-assisted techniques have proven useful for the performance of a broad spectrum of thoracic surgical procedures. Patients may experience less pain and have a shorter hospital stay after a video-assisted procedure. Definitive proof of less morbidity when compared with the analagous open procedure remains to be determined. Patient acceptance has been high, and most thoracic surgeons use these techniques in their practice. CONCLUSIONS. Video-assisted thoracic surgical procedures have made a significant impact on the practice of thoracic surgery. Advantages and disadvantages of specific procedures remain to be definitively determined. Surgeons have learned these techniques and have kept morbidity to acceptance levels during the learning phase. Where these techniques ultimately fit into the overall practice remains to be determined as more experience is gained.
Alfalfa "Yellow Top" and Leafhoppers.

The purpose of this paper is definitely to record in entomological literature some of the observations and experimental data, which proved beyond a doubt that the common potato leafhopper, Empoasca fabae (Harris), is responsible for the symptoms known as alfalfa “yellows” or “yellow top.” Healthy alfalfa plants in the field and in the greenhouse were caged and infested with leafhoppers collected from the affected alfalfa plants in the field. The initial symptoms on older plants were produced in five days of leafhopper feeding. The young seedlings showed wilting from 24 to 36 hours after the confinement of a single nymph on a young succulent shoot of alfalfa seedling. Prolonged feeding resulted in badly discolored, stunted plants, while the young seedlings were often killed outright. The root system of the infested plants was found to be weakened, which is considered an important contributing factor in the winter killing of alfalfa seedings.