cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Performance of germinated, imbibed and dry petunia seed fluid-drilled in two gels with nutrient additives

Abstract Seeds of ‘Commanche’ petunia (Petunia hybrida Vilm.) were germinated (GE) or imbibed (IM) on the surface of Laponite 445 or Natrosol 250 HHR gels prepared from 0, 0.5 or 1.0-fold Hoagland's solution. These seeds and dry seed (DS) were incorporated in the gels and extruded onto peat—vermiculite. When compared to a dry-seed control (without gels), DS in either gel without nutrient additive did not increase percentage of transplantable seedlings, but IM and GE resulted in a 32% increase. In comparing only fluid-drilled treatments, percentage of transplantable seedlings was increased by GE relative to IM in both gels, but by IM relative to DS only in Laponite. In both gels, emergence rate (T50) and uniformity (T10–90) and shoot fresh weight were influenced in the order GE > IM > DS. Increasing nutrient concentration in both gels decreased T10–90 but had no effect on T50 or shoot fresh weight. Percentage of transplantable seedlings was increased in Laponite but decreased in Natrosol with increasing gel nutrient concentration. The highest percentage of transplantable seedlings was achieved with GE in Natrosol without nutrient additive (75.4%) and in Laponite with the highest nutrient concentration (81%), each giving approximately one-half of the T50 and T10–90 values of the dry-seed control which yielded 53% transplantable seedlings.
Vitamin E activity of alpha-tocopherylhydroquinone and muscular dystrophy.

Summary and ConclusionsThe disuc-cinate of α-tocopherylhydroquinone has been tested for antisterility activity by daily intravenous injections in pregnant vit. E-deficient rats. This antidystrophic compound was found to be devoid of the antisterility activity associated with α-tocopherol. Moreover, the injection of dystrophic rabbits with large curative doses of α-tocopherylhydroquinone; or its disuccinate, did not lead to the appearance of tocopherol in the serum. Both of these observations indicate that α-tocopherylhydroquinone is not converted to α-tocopherol to a significant extent in the body. It appears therefore that α-tocopherylhydroquinone is an antidystrophic factor or vitamin per se. Alpha-tocopherol, on the other hand, is the antisterility vitamin. It may possess antidystrophic activity as such, or alternatively, it may only be the provitamin for α-tocopherylhydroquinone. The separation of antidystrophic from antisterility activity is discussed with relation to the function of vit. E in muscul...
The quote and beyond: defining boundaries of reported speech in conversational Russian

Abstract This article investigates ways in which direct reported speech is set apart from the current speaker’s own talk. Drawing on a corpus of conversational Russian materials, the article examines ways in which the onset and the offset of reported speech are marked in ordinary talk. The analysis shows that in most cases quotations are separated from other talk at their beginnings and ends through a variety of devices including grammatical framing, re-anchoring devices, and prosodic shifts for their onset and several repositioning devices and sequence organization practices for their offset. There are, however, ambiguous cases when a particular stretch of talk occurring after a quote is neither clearly separated from the quote nor clearly marked as being part of it. Such cases, referred to in this study as ‘fading out,’ appear to have specific interactional functions allowing the speaker to deal with several potential problems. The findings of this study demonstrate the importance of studying linguistic phenomena on the basis of real conversational data and suggest that the different ways in which reported speech boundaries are demarcated (or not) provide participants with a set of tools they can employ for a variety of interactional purposes.
The in vitro pharmacology of the β-adrenergic receptor pet ligand (s)-fluorocarazolol reveals high affinity for cloned β-adrenergic receptors and moderate affinity for the human 5-HT1A receptor

Rationale: s-Fluorocarazolol [(S)-FCZ] is the major positron emission tomography (PET) ligand currently used to visualize central β-adrenergic receptors in vivo, although its pharmacology is incompletely known. Objective: Our objective was to comprehensively characterize the in vitro pharmacology of (S)- and (R)-FCZ to determine its suitability for study of central and peripheral β-adrenergic receptors. Methods: We characterized the in vitro pharmacology of (S)-FCZ at 42 biogenic amine receptors and transporters in vitro using the resources of the National Institute of Mental Health Psychoactive Drug Screening Program. Results: As expected (R)- and (S)-FCZ had high affinities for β-adrenergic receptors (Ki values=0.08–0.45 nM) and negligible affinities (Ki values>100 nM) for nearly all other tested receptors and transporters with the exception of the h5-HT1A receptor for which (S)-FCZ had high affinity (Ki=34 nM). Interestingly, (R)-FCZ had low affinity for the h5-HT1A receptor (Ki=342 nM). Conclusion: The high affinity of (S)-FCZ for the h5-HT1A receptor is not likely to interfere with studies of peripheral β-adrenergic receptors, since 5-HT1A receptors are expressed at very low levels outside the central nervous system. Indeed, computer simulations predict that even at low ligand concentrations, 5-HT1A binding in brain regions like hippocampus are likely to be substantial. Thus, (S)-FCZ may not be a suitable PET ligand for studies of central nervous system β-adrenergic receptors unless the contribution by 5-HT1A sites can be shown to be negligible.
Viscosity of random coil polymers with nonzero thickness

Abstract The concentration dependence of the shear viscosity of a suspension of cylinders with random flight axes is studied at low concentrations. The intrinsic viscosity and the Huggins coefficient are found to depend on the radius, a , of the cylinder only as a series expansion in powers as a 2 / IL ( I is the Kuhn step length and L is the contour length of the cylinder axis). The leading terms give identical results to those of Freed—Edwards theory; the zero concentration limit of the leading term reproduces the Kirkwood—Riseman result for a random flight line distribution of friction.
Shock response of a symmetric pneumatic spring to a velocity pulse

Modeling and response of a pneumatic shock isolator are presented. The isolator is a symmetric pneumatic spring with self-damping, subject to a velocity pulse. Parametric studies show the effect of non-dimensional parameters on system response. The analysis of response of an undamped spring is also given. Numerical examples are given to illustrate system design.
Cortical representations of bodies and faces are strongest in commonly experienced configurations

Faces and bodies are perhaps the most salient and evolutionarily important visual stimuli. Using human functional imaging, we found that the strength of face and body representations depends on long-term experience. Representations were strongest for stimuli in their typical combinations of visual field and side (for example, left field, right body), although all conditions were simply reflections and translations of one another. Thus, high-level representations reflect the statistics with which stimuli occur.
Traceless solid-phase synthesis of 1,4-disubstituted-6-nitro-3,4-dihydro-1H-quinoline-2-ones

A traceless solid-phase route to 1,4-disubstituted-6-nitro-3,4-dihydro-1H-quinazolin-2-ones is described. N-Alloc-3-amino-3-(2-fluoro-5-nitrophenyl)propionic acid was tethered to Rink resin via its carboxylic group. The protected amine was coupled with an organic acid after Alloc-deprotection and the arylfluorine was displaced with a primary amine to generate a resin-bound aniline with two diversity points. The aniline was released via cleavage to produce the desired products in high yield and purity.
Fluid–structure interaction of turbulent pulsatile flow within a flexible wall axisymmetric aortic aneurysm model

Abstract Pulsatile turbulent flow characteristics in an axisymmetric aortic aneurysm (AA) model were analyzed numerically using a simulated physiological waveform. The transport equations were solved using the finite element formulation based on the Galerkin method of weighted residuals. A fully-coupled fluid–structure interaction (FSI) analysis was utilized in this work. We investigated the effects of turbulent flow characteristics on the distribution of wall stress and flow patterns in AA models. Wall stress distributions were calculated by computational solid stress (CSS) model, which ignores the effect of the blood flow, and the FSI model that takes into account flow and solid mechanics. Our results showed that peak wall stress and peak deformation were found to occur shortly after peak systolic flow in the FSI model and at the peak luminal pressure condition in the CSS model. Further, CSS model underestimated wall stress calculations when compared to the FSI model. There were also significant differences in the structure of flow fields between the flexible and rigid wall aneurysm models. Contour plots of kinetic energy dissipation and the application of the Kolmogorov microscale suggest that the conditions that result in red blood cell damage and platelet activation most likely occur in the near-wall region of AA during turbulent flow.
MATERNAL DEPRESSION AND CHILD BEHAVIOUR PROBLEMS : A META-ANALYSIS

Children of depressed mothers are not only at risk for the development of psychopathology, but also for behaviour problems. A meta-analysis of 33 studies was conducted to determine the magnitude of the relationship between maternal depression and behaviour problems in children 1 year of age and older. Substantive, methodological, and miscellaneous variables were extracted and coded by both the researcher and a research assistant. The initial inter-rater agreement reached in coding these variables ranged from 85% to 100%. Effect sizes were calculated in three ways: unweighted, weighted by sample size, and weighted by quality index score. The mean effect size for the r index ranged from 0.29 when weighted by sample size to 0.35 when unweighted, indicating a moderate relationship between maternal depression and child behaviour problems. Children between the ages of 1-18 whose mothers were depressed displayed more conduct behaviour problems than children whose mothers were not depressed. The magnitude of this relationship covaried significantly with the predictors of sample size and quality index scores. Implications for future research are addressed.
Depression and onset of cardiovascular disease in the US middle-aged and older adults.

Objectives: To examine the relationship between depression and onset of cardiovascular disease (CVD) among the US middle-aged and older adults.Methods: The study sample came from 1992–2010 waves of the Health and Retirement Study, a nationally representative longitudinal survey, consisting of 8597 community-dwelling adults aged 51–61 years old in 1992 with no CVD history. A score of ≥3 on the 8-item Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale was used to define clinically relevant depressive symptoms. Kaplan–Meier estimator and Cox proportional hazards model were performed to examine the association between baseline depressive symptoms and future CVD event. Subgroup analyses were conducted by sex and race/ethnicity.Results: Compared with their counterparts without clinically relevant depressive symptoms, adults with clinically relevant depressive symptoms in 1992 were 27% (hazard ratio [HR] = 1.27, 95% confidence interval = 1.17–1.39) more likely to report new diagnosis of CVD during the 18 years of...
Lower-lip EMG and displacement during bilabial disfluencies in adult stutterers.

The purpose of this study was to describe the temporal patterns and spectral characteristics of antagonist lip muscle EMG and lip displacement during bilabial disfluencies in adult stutterers. Sele...
Effects of Brans from Specialty Sorghum Varieties on In Vitro Starch Digestibility of Soft and Hard Sorghum Endosperm Porridges

ABSTRACT Brans of specialty sorghum varieties (high tannin, black, and black with tannin) were used to investigate the effects of sorghum phenolic compounds on starch digestibility of soft and hard sorghum endosperm porridges. Endosperms of varieties with the highest and lowest grain hardness index were mixed with brans of specialty sorghum varieties in the ratio of 85:15 and cooked into porridges with distilled water using a Rapid Visco Analyzer. Brans of condensed tannin containing sorghum varieties (high-tannin and black with tannin sorghums) significantly (P < 0.05) decreased starch digestibility and estimated glycemic index (EGI) and increased resistant starch (RS) content of endosperm porridges. However, the addition of phenolic-rich tannin-free (mostly anthocyanins) black sorghum bran significantly (P < 0.05) increased starch digestibility and EGI but did not affect RS content of endosperm porridges. The disparate effects with black bran may, in part, result from its larger particle size and differ...
Complications of intramedullary fixation of pediatric forearm fractures

A retrospective review of 20 children with forearm fractures treated with intramedullary fixation is presented. Indications for surgery included fracture malreduction, open fracture, polytrauma, unstable fracture pattern, and compartment syndrome. Both radius and ulna were fractured in 17 patients. Intramedullary fixation of both bones was performed in eight cases, ulna alone in nine, and isolated radius in three. A limited open approach to one or both bones was necessary for insertion of the intramedullary rod in 15 of 20 cases, including the eight open fractures. Eighteen complications occurred in 10 of 20 patients, including hardware migration, infection, loss of reduction, reoperation, nerve injury, significant decreased range of motion, synostosis, muscle entrapment, and delayed union. Despite the complications, 17 patients had excellent and two had good outcomes. Although excellent clinical results can be expected with intramedullary fixation, complications related to the surgical technique can be expected.
Anomalous resistivity peaks, localization transitions, and the electronic structure of substoichiometric lanthanum trihydrides.

The resistivity \ensuremath{\rho}(T) of ${\mathrm{LaH}}_{\mathrm{x}}$ (2.80\ensuremath{\le}x\ensuremath{\le}2.90) was determined from Q-factor measurements at 100 KlTl700 K. Its temperature coefficient \ensuremath{\alpha}g0 is small at T\ensuremath{\le}200 K, and \ensuremath{\rho}(T) peaks at some T between 220 and 260 K. The peak narrows with increasing x and is extremely sharp for x\ensuremath{\ge}2.86. At higher temperatures the behavior of \ensuremath{\rho}(T) is consistent with variable-range hopping. It is suggested that a delocalized band of states at ${E}_{F}$, associated with the superlattice of octahedral vacancies, becomes localized and its mobility is quenched when the superlattice collapses above \ensuremath{\sim}240\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}20 K.
Binary consensus with soft information processing in cooperative networks

In this paper we consider reaching binary consensus over a network with AWGN channels. We consider the case where knowledge of the corresponding link qualities is available at every receiving node. We propose novel soft information processing approaches to improve the performance in the presence of noisy links. We characterize the performance and derive an expression for the second largest eigenvalue. We show that soft information processing can improve the performance drastically. We furthermore show that, by statistically learning the voting patterns, we can solve the undesirable asymptotic behavior of binary consensus.
Lambda—Transition (He II—He I) During Heat Flow at Supercritical Pressures

New boiling-like phenomena are reported which have been observed during heat-induced lambda transitions in liquid Helium-II at pressures above the thermodynamic critical pressure.
A test for interest rate parity among seven nations from 1975–1993

Theory and practice blend quite well when one is studying interest rate parity. Early studies examined short-term interest rate parity relationships with mixed and uncertain results. Few, however, have examined interest rate parity conditions over a longer period. This study uses weekly data over an 18-year period and tests for interest rate parity among seven trading nations. These seven nations are the United States, Canada, Great Britain, France, Germany, Japan, and Switzerland. Results show a general lack of strict parity conditions before January 1982. A 16-month transition period (January 1982 to April 1983) follows during which the global markets changed their pricing significantly and moved rapidly toward interest rate parity. By April 1983, the worldwide transformation had been completed, with parity conditions generally holding since that time.
Robust Analysis of High Throughput Screening (HTS) Assay Data

Quantitative high throughput screening (qHTS) assays use cells or tissues to screen thousands of compounds in a short period of time. Data generated from qHTS assays are then evaluated using nonlinear regression models, such as the Hill model, and decisions regarding toxicity are made using the estimates of the parameters of the model. For any given compound, the variability in the observed response may either be constant across dose groups (homoscedasticity) or vary with dose (heteroscedasticity). Since thousands of compounds are simultaneously evaluated in a qHTS assay, it is not practically feasible for an investigator to perform residual analysis to determine the variance structure before performing statistical inferences on each compound. Since it is well known that the variance structure plays an important role in the analysis of linear and nonlinear regression models, it is therefore important to have practically useful and easy to interpret methodology that is robust to the variance structure. Fur...
Migration tendencies of alkyl groups in the rearrangements of lithium trialkyl ethynyl borates: semi-empirical analysis of the transition state

Abstract The iodine induced rearrangement of lithium alkynylborates yields substituted acetylenes in high yield. The facile control of stereochemistry in these reactions gives them considerable synthetic utility. The product determining step is a 1,2-migration of an alkyl group from boron to an adjacent carbon. The relative migration tendencies of a variety of alkyl groups were calculated and compared with experimental data using the conductor-like screening model (COSMO) for real solvents at the AM1 semi-empirical level. It was concluded that the major influence on migration tendencies is steric strain.
Children's responses to cognitive challenge and links to self-reported rumination.

We tested the hypothesis that less effective responses during a cognitive challenge would relate to higher levels of self-reported rumination in children. The sample was 100 children (55 boys, 45 girls), aged 7 to 14 years. A portion (n=65) was at high risk for depression due to having a parent with a childhood-onset mood disorder, and 35 were a low-risk comparison group. Using an impossible puzzle task, we assessed children's responses following failure across several domains: emotions (expressed anger, sadness, and negative self-statements), performance (being off-task, the time to solve subsequent puzzles, and the number solved), and physiology (heart rate, respiratory sinus arrhythmia). Results indicated that making negative self-blaming statements during the solvable puzzles and taking more time to solve the puzzles were associated with higher levels of self-reported rumination. Our findings advance the understanding of potential correlates of children's tendency to ruminate and may have implications...
Characterization of clustered microcalcifications using multiscale Hessian based feature extraction

Segmentation of microcalcifications (MCs) significantly influences the performance of shape-based method for the diagnosis of MCs, which continues to be a challenge as it tends to have high false positive results. Texture based characterization of MCs represents a possible alternative that does not require prior segmentation of MCs and may improve the positive predictive value of automated diagnosis of MCs. This paper presents a new approach to extracting textural features, specifically spectral measures, of mammographie MCs using multiscale Hessian filtering (or equivalently second derivative of Gaussian). Extracted features were individually ranked using Fisher-score criterion, which demonstrated the superior predictive ability of the normalized entropy. A set of mammographie regions (20 malignant and 13 benign cases) from the MIAS database were used to evaluate the classification performance of the proposed spectral features. Utilizing k-nearest neighbor classifier and ROC performance measure, the proposed Hessian based extracted features produced ROC curves with performance index Az = 0.83, which demonstrated the effectiveness of the proposed characterization scheme.
Characterization of a Proteolytically Stable D-Peptide That Suppresses Herpes Simplex Virus 1 Infection: Implications for the Development of Entry-Based Antiviral Therapy

ABSTRACT Uncontrolled herpes simplex virus 1 (HSV-1) infection can advance to serious conditions, including corneal blindness or fatal encephalitis. Here, we describe a highly potent anti-HSV-1 peptide (DG2) that inhibits HSV-1 entry into host cells and blocks all aspects of infection. Importantly, DG2 is highly resistant to proteases and shows minimal toxicity, paving the way for prophylactic or therapeutic application of the peptide in vivo .
Synthesis of bivalent ligands of β-carboline-3-carboxylates via a palladium-catalyzed homocoupling process

Abstract The first synthesis of bivalent ligands of β-carboline-3-carboxylates has been achieved from β-carboline-3-carboxylate tert -butyl ester (βCCt) via Sonogashira and palladium-catalyzed homocoupling processes. The Boc protected intermediate, an iodo-β-carboline-3-carboxylate, was employed to provide a general entry into a series of bivalent ligands structurally similar to βCCt.
Pullbacks of Arithmetical Rings

We give necessary and sufficient conditions that the pullback of a conductor square be a chain ring (i.e., a ring whose ideals are totally ordered by inclusion). We also give necessary and sufficient conditions that the pullback of a conductor square be an arithmetical ring (i.e., a ring which is locally a chain ring at every maximal ideal). For any integral domain D with field of fractions K, we characterize all Prufer domains R between D[X] and K[X] such that the conductor C of K[X] into R is nonzero. As an application, we show that for n ≥ 2, such a ring R has the n-generator property (every finitely generated ideal can be generated by n elements) if and only if R/C has the same property.
Improved quantum efficiency of InGaAs/InP photodetectors using Ti/Au-SiO 2 phase-matched-layer reflector

The quantum efficiency of an InGaAs/InP photodetector has increased from 50 to 70.2% at %%1550%nm by applying a Ti/Au reflector with a SiO 2 phase-matched-layer at the back of the device. The ultra-broadband mirror has a simple fabrication process and promising reflectivity (97.9% for the reference and 79% for the InGaAs/InP photodetector). These results are comparable to the other more commonly used high-reflectivity mirrors.
Determination of the ion exchange constants of four aromatic organic anions competing for a cationic micellar interface

In order to evaluate factors that affect the extent of organic anion binding to charged micellar interfaces, the ion exchange constants of four substituted aromatic anions, o-, m-, and p-nitrobenzo...
Prediction of the burden of released mental patients.

The burden of the patient to his family and the community is a major factor influencing the success of community care of a psychiatric patient. The hospital staff should he able to forsee it and take it into consideration in planning the aftercare of the psychiatric patient. Based on a sample of 174 patients released from a state hospital and followed for 6 months, a study of the predictive ability of various health professionals with respect to the financial burden and psychological burden of the patient to the family and two related aspects of his community life — family's welcome, and patient's work capacity — was performed. Although the professionals are doing a “good job” in predicting family welcome, the results are less encouraging for the other variables considered. With scattered exceptions, interdisciplinary differences were not detected.
Seasonal effects of sun exposure and emersion on intertidal seaweed physiology: Fluctuations in antioxidant contents, photosynthetic pigments and photosynthetic efficiency in the red alga Porphyra umbilicalis Kützing (Rhodophyta, Bangiales)

Abstract There is a great deal of speculation regarding the physiological and biochemical mechanisms that give certain seaweed species the ability to colonize the intertidal zone. Frequent exposure to ambient temperatures and high irradiance levels in addition to dehydration during tidal emersion generates acute physiological stress. The ability of seaweeds like Porphya to overcome these challenges and survive in such a harsh environment has been linked to elevated reactive oxygen metabolism. The current study focused on measuring seasonal changes in antioxidant enzymes plus alterations in pigment contents and photosynthetic efficiency of P . umbilicalis plants found growing in the uppermost intertidal zone. Our results suggest that P. umbilicalis exhibits increased antioxidant metabolism, which could contribute to its success in colonizing such a stressful habitat. Elevated levels of glutathione reductase GTR, catalase and carotenoid contents during emersion suggested heightened protection against reactive oxygen species ROS damage is a necessary attribute for species in the upper intertidal regions. This hypothesis was further strengthened by the finding that the greatest antioxidant increases were observed during summer months when irradiance levels and temperatures were at their peak. Winter emersion did not elicit the same physiological response, as antioxidant levels were similar in submersed and emersed plants. For the most part, photosynthetic pigments were largely affected by sun exposure and less by emersion stress. Shaded blades maintained higher concentrations of photosynthetic pigments compared to sun exposed thalli concurring with established research. Photosynthetic efficiency measurements indicated emersion and not sun exposure was the greater facilitator of photoinhibitory damage and ROS generation at PSII. The findings of this field study strengthen previous assertions that protection via elevated antioxidant metabolism and increased PSII repair are involved in providing relief from the acute environmental stresses in the intertidal zone.
LOOKING AT THE STRATEGIC IMPACT OF MERGERS

American industry is in the midst of a new merger boom. Recent studies, however, show that such mergers do not necessarily enhance profits, boost productivity, aid efficiency, or result in social good. Given these findings, you ought to seriously question whether a proposed merger is a sound strategic decision before acting on it.
Reinforcement of counseling attendance and alcohol abstinence in a community-based dual-diagnosis treatment program: a feasibility study.

This study evaluated the effectiveness of a community-based contingency management (CM) protocol reinforcing punctual dual-diagnosis group counseling attendance and negative breath alcohol levels. Participants were 20 dual-diagnosis patients. The A-B-A within-subjects reversal design included a 4-week baseline phase (BL), a 12-week CM intervention, and a 4-week return-to-baseline phase (R-BL). Group counseling was provided twice weekly, with breath tests before each session. CM attendance rates were significantly higher (65% ± 28%) than BL (45% ± 32%, p <.05) and remained elevated in the R-BL phase (68% ± 29%). Despite clinical reports of frequent intoxication, during the study all breath test results were negative, regardless of study phase. Thus, no contingency effect on alcohol use could be determined. Results suggest that CM interventions can be effective in increasing attendance in a community treatment program for the dually diagnosed.
Required Service-Learning Courses A Disciplinary Necessity to Preserve the Decaying Social Mission of Black Studies

Historically, the mission of Black Studies has been two-fold: scholarship and service. Both the pioneering students and the faculty of Black Studies called for the discipline to produce socially responsible scholar-activists, and studies have proven that the most proficient method of ingraining social responsibility is through service-learning. Therefore, Black Studies must require service-learning in its curriculums. It is argued that Black Studies should also require these service-learning elements because of their long legacy in Black education in general and Black Studies in particular. However, required service-learning courses are rare in departments and programs, a study conducted by the author shows. In order to increase the number of Black Studies units with service-learning elements, this article concludes with a service-learning proposal that programs and departments could use to institute a required service-learning component into their curriculums.
Review: Long-term use of inhaled corticosteroids increases fracture risk in COPD

Source Citation Loke YK, Cavallazzi R, Singh S. Risk of fractures with inhaled corticosteroids in COPD: systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials and observational studies...
Automation of a remote plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition system using LabVIEW

The remote plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (RPCVD) system is an experimental low temperature Si/Si-Ge epitaxy system. This paper describes an integrated hardware/software automation package developed for the RPCVD system. Aspects of the system controlled by the package include pneumatic gas valves, mass flow controllers (MFCs), and a temperature controller. The package was developed on an Apple Quadra 950 platform using LabVIEWTM 3.1 and associated data acquisition and control hardware supplied by National Instruments and other vendors. The software interface allows the user to operate the system through a virtual control panel which displays critical system parameters such as chamber pressure, chamber temperature and gas flow rates, along with the states of the gas valves and the MFCs. The system can also be run in the recipe mode, in which a sequence of steps are read in from an ExcelTM file. A simulation routine scans each recipe for possible errors such as violation of valve interlocks while the recipe is being loaded. All actions, whether in the manual mode or the recipe mode, are recorded in a log file. Finally, since many of the gases used in the RPCVD process are toxic and/or flammable, there is an emphasis on safety in the entire control scheme. A safety monitor routine constantly checks for valve interlocks and pressure-valve interlocks. Upon detecting an illegal state, it automatically takes necessary action to bring the system into a safe state. In addition to these software safety features, there are also hardware interlocks to deal with such situations as power outages.© (1997) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
PCR isolation and cloning of novel splice variant mRNAs from known drug target genes

Alternative splicing of pre-mRNAs is an important mechanism for the generation of vertebrate protein diversity. Unfortunately, the contribution of alternative splicing to protein diversity is currently not well understood because many full-length mRNA sequences have yet to be identified. In this report, we describe the use of RT-PCR to identify and clone 279 novel alternatively spliced mRNAs from 114 well-known drug target genes. Our findings demonstrate the existence of many novel alternatively spliced mRNA transcripts and suggest that many more genes undergo functionally significant alternative splicing than previously thought.
Importance of magnification in star test pattern use.

The influence of magnification on focal spot size determinations using the star pattern has been re‐examined with interesting results. Two methods of obtaining the magnification have been compared. The resultant information on the consequences of utilizing various magnifications for focal spot size measurement are discussed. Data indicate definitive guidelines for magnification selected.
Cell cycle: A division duet

The orchestration of cell division requires a programme of events choreographed by protein modification. A study shows that the relative activity of a phosphatase enzyme towards its substrates imposes order during the final act of division.
Regulation of interleukin-6 secretion by the two-pore-domain potassium channel Trek-1 in alveolar epithelial cells

We recently proposed a role for the two-pore-domain K+ (K2P) channel Trek-1 in the regulation of cytokine release from mouse alveolar epithelial cells (AECs) by demonstrating decreased interleukin-...
The cigarette as representational ideograph in the debate over environmental tobacco smoke

This essay examines the controversy over environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) as a public argument rooted in two conflicting synecdoches of the “cigarette” that conceptualize competing social realities for pro‐ and anti‐smoking interest groups. It argues that the social construction of the cigarette in divergent synecdochic forms or “representational ideographs” is based on varying degrees of narrative and scientific knowledge that are provided by each group in such a way as to sustain social controversy while it transforms the meaning of both the cigarette and the idea that it represents. The essay furthers research on representational ideographs in social controversies by broadening the existing theoretical perspective derived from Kenneth Burke and Michael McGee to include Jean‐Francois Lyotard's view of narrative and scientific knowledge in the construction of social reality.
Architectures For Nonlinear Optical Image Processing

This paper provides an overview of architectures for nonlinear transformations used in optical image processing. The emphasis is on the decomposability of certain nonlinear transformations as serial (cascaded) and parallel (multiplexed) combinations of elementary operations.
The work of the US National Satellite Land Remote Sensing Data Archive Advisory Committee: 1998–2000

Abstract Earth observation data have been acquired and stored since the early 1970 s. One of the world's largest, and most important, repositories for land satellite data is the Earth Resources Observation Systems (EROS) Data Center (EDC). It is a data management, systems development and research field center for the US Geological Survey's (USGS) National Mapping Division in Sioux Falls, SD, USA. It was established in the early 1970 s and, in 1992, the US Congress established the National Satellite Land Remote Sensing Data Archive at EDC. Although data have been acquired and stored for decades, the world's remote sensing community has only recently begun to address long-term data preservation and access. One such effort was made recently by remote sensing leaders from academia, industry and government as members of a federal advisory committee from 1998 to 2000. 2 This paper provides a brief account of the Committee's work product.
Alpha1-adrenergic blockers: current usage considerations.

Alpha1-adrenergic-blocking drugs are effective in reducing blood pressure and do so in a fashion comparable to most other antihypertensive drug classes. These compounds are most effective in patients in the upright position, reducing systolic and diastolic pressures by 8%–10%. Alpha1-adrenergic-blocking drugs incrementally reduce blood pressure when combined with most drug classes and are the only antihypertensive drug class to improve plasma lipid profiles. Alpha1-adrenergic-blocking drugs are also accepted as important elements of the treatment plan for symptomatic benign prostatic hypertrophy. Dose escalation of an α1-adrenergic-blocking drug can trigger renal Na+ retention, and the ensuing volume expansion can attenuate its blood pressure-lowering effect. Orthostatic hypotension can occur with these compounds, particularly when a patient is volume-contracted. Dizziness, headache, and drowsiness are common side effects with α2-adrenergic blockers. A modest decline in the use of doxazosin and other α1-adrenergic-blocking drugs has occurred coincident to the early termination of the doxazosin treatment arm in the Antihypertensive and Lipid-Lowering Treatment to Prevent Heart Attack Trial.
Variations in surgeon treatment recommendations for lobectomy in early-stage non-small-cell lung cancer by patient age and comorbidity

Background Prior research suggests that older patients are less likely to undergo resection of early-stage non-small-cell lung carcinomas (NSCLCs). We surveyed surgeons to understand how their recommendations for lobectomy were influenced by age, the presence and severity of smoking-related lung disease, or by characteristics of the surgeons and their practices.
Material challenges for spectral hole-burning memories

It was envisaged that spectral holeburning based optical memory will provide orders of magnitude improvement in storage densities. The progress has basically been hampered by the lack of materials with proper performance characteristics. In the past two decades, novel atomic scale processes involved in holeburning have been investigated in detail in order to improve the performance of existing materials and to engineer new ones. On the other hand, significant advances have been made in optical storage techniques to use the materials available. And now, new materials that can approach the specifications of a memory device using different techniques for the storage are either available or are just over the horizon. This paper reviews the status of different classes of spectral holeburning materials suitable for memory devices.
Tailored Intervention to Increase Dual Contraceptive Method Use: A Randomized Trial to Reduce Unintended Pregnancies and Sexually Transmitted Infections

Objective The objective of the study was to determine whether a transtheoretical model–tailored expert system intervention increases dual-method contraceptive use, compared with a nontailored educational intervention. Study Design We performed a randomized clinical trial of 542 women at high risk for sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and unintended pregnancy. The intervention group received computer-based tailored feedback using a multimedia program. The control group received general contraceptive information and nontailored advice. Results Participants in the intervention group were more likely to report use of dual contraceptive methods during follow-up (adjusted hazard rate ratio 1.70, 95% confidence interval 1.09, 2.66), compared with controls. However, there were no differences in the rates of incident STI or unintended pregnancy between the 2 groups. Conclusions The computer-based transtheoretical model–tailored intervention resulted in a 70% increase in reported dual-method contraceptive use in a group of women at high risk for STIs and unintended pregnancy. Inconsistent use of dual methods may explain the lack of effect on unintended pregnancy rates and incident STIs.
New Challenges, New Vision: Why Social Foundations and Teacher Education Partnerships Matter

The third edition of the Standards for Academic and Professional Instruction in Foundations of Education, Educational Studies, and Educational Policy Studies (Standards) challenge us to envision what “a more holistic, inclusive and intellectually challenging approach to preparing educators” might look like. This article discusses how the operating principles of a teacher education program parallel the commitments for educators found in the Standards and explores why collaborative relationships between teacher education and social foundations matter. Given the current political and social climate surrounding the field of education, it is important for those of us in the field of social foundations to think outside the box.
Hypermethylation of Telomere-like Foldbacks at Codon 12 of the Human c-Ha-ras Gene and the Trinucleotide Repeat of the FMR-1 Gene of Fragile X

Abstract Runs of G residues on the G-rich strands of 30mers from the region spanning codon 12 of c-Ha- ras appear to be protected against chemical modification by dimethylsulfate. This suggests that the G-rich strand might spontaneously form a Hoogsteen-paired quadruplex, which is characteristic of telomere-like DNA sequences. In this report we show that the predominant species in 1:1 mixtures of complementary 30mers from this region are duplex DNA and a smaller amount of unimolecular foldback formed by the C-rich strand. Foldbacks of this type resemble structures first observed in the C-rich strand of telomeric DNA and also occur at, the CCG triplet repeat present in the FMR-1 gene of human fragile X syndrome. Foldbacks from the C-rich strand of c-Ha- ras and the FMR-1 triplet repeat are exceptional substrates for the human methyltransferase in isolation. Substituting inosine for guanosine alters the secondary structure of the folded oligomers and dramatically reduces their ability to serve as substrates for the human methyltransferase, suggesting that secondary structure is required for recognition by the enzyme. These findings suggest that one mechanism by which methyl groups accumulate in the c-Ha- ras region of chromosome 11 during carcinogenesis and at the FMR-1 locus during repeat expansion at fragile X may be structurally induced de novo methylation at sites undergoing local conformational change. Such methylation might serve to mark unusual structures for repair. In the absence of repair, asymmetrically methylated duplexes produced by resolution of the unusual structures would be rapidly converted to symmetrically methylated duplexes through the methyl-directed activity also carried by the human methyltransferase.
Stigma: A Health Barrier for Women with HIV/AIDS

The stigma experienced by women with HIV/AIDS is much like that of Hester Prynne in The Scarlet Letter. At the time of diagnosis with HIV/AIDS, women already are aware of the stigma associated with the disease. They immediately see themselves differently and believe others do also. The purpose of this article is to explore the multidimensional effect of stigma on women's efforts to promote, maintain, and enhance their health. The experiences of the women in this study tell of rejection by family members, friends, health care providers, employers, and church members. This rejection caused by stigma affects access to health care, medication adherence, social interaction, and social support. Interventions are needed to decrease the impact of stigma on women with HIV/AIDS so they can achieve a higher level of wellness, increase their life span, continue in the workforce, and improve their quality of life.
PUMA: planning under uncertainty with macro-actions

Planning in large, partially observable domains is challenging, especially when a long-horizon lookahead is necessary to obtain a good policy. Traditional POMDP planners that plan a different potential action for each future observation can be prohibitively expensive when planning many steps ahead. An efficient solution for planning far into the future in fully observable domains is to use temporally-extended sequences of actions, or "macro-actions." In this paper, we present a POMDP algorithm for planning under uncertainty with macro-actions (PUMA) that automatically constructs and evaluates open-loop macro-actions within forward-search planning, where the planner branches on observations only at the end of each macro-action. Additionally, we show how to incrementally refine the plan over time, resulting in an anytime algorithm that provably converges to an ∊-optimal policy. In experiments on several large POMDP problems which require a long horizon lookahead, PUMA outperforms existing state-of-the art solvers.
The Physics, Chemical Physics, and Biological Physics of the Origin of Life on Earth

This article illustrates the possible application of homeokinetics to the constructive process of the origin of life. The homeokinetic strategy is to seek out cycles at all time scales in a system where they can be discovered (spectroscopy) and to show how interacting cyclic processes can account for historical emergence of new entities, many of which also are cyclic processes. The full story of emergence necessarily begins with cosmology, which eventually results in an earth that can support geological processes, which form the matrix for life.
Dissociation of feature vs. configural properties in the discrimination of faces

Faces constructed from Identi-Kit transparencies were flashed to either the right or left visual field. For faces shown to the left, discriminations involving the spatial relations among the eyes, nose, and mouth were more accurate. When faces were shown to the right, better performance occurred when the task required discrimination along dimensions.
Comparison of two radiographic techniques for evaluation of hip joint laxity in 10 breeds of dogs.

OBJECTIVE To evaluate hip joint laxity in 10 breeds of dogs via 2 radiographic techniques. ANIMALS 500 clinically normal dogs. DESIGN Prospective study. PROCEDURE Radiographs obtained via routine hip joint evaluations performed in sedated dogs of 10 popular breeds were randomly selected from a database. Measurements of distraction index (DI) and hip-extended index (HEI) on 1 hip joint radiograph randomly chosen from each dog were made. RESULTS Mean age of dogs was 20.7 months. Mean HEI was 0.17 (range, 0.0 to 0.72) and mean DI was 0.44 (range, 0.07 to 0.96). Borzois had uniformly tight hip joints as judged by use of both methods and were considered the gold standard by which hip joint laxity was judged (all Borzois had DI < or = 0.32). Overall, DI was significantly greater than HEI. Within each breed, mean DI was always greater than mean HEI. Significant differences were detected among breeds for HEI; however, compared with DI, the magnitude of differences among breeds was less. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE Distraction radiography detected the greatest range and magnitude of passive hip laxity in the 10 breeds of dogs. The difference in values between breeds known to have high prevalence of canine hip dysplasia and those in Borzois was greater for DI than for HEI. Breeds must be evaluated individually because of inherent differences in hip joint laxity.
Attenuation of renal excretory responses to ANG II during inhibition of superoxide dismutase in anesthetized rats

To examine the functional interaction between superoxide dismutase (SOD) and NADPH oxidase activity, we assessed renal responses to acute intra-arterial infusion of ANG II (0.5 ng·kg−1·min−1) befor...