cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
An uncertainty assessment method for determination of iodine in urine by As3+- Ce4+ catalytic spectrophotometry

Objective To set up an uncertainty assessment method for urinary iodine measurement by As3+-Ce4+ catalytic spectrophotometry, in order to assess the accuracy of this method and find out the major influence factors. Methods A mathematical model was established based on the determination method to evaluate the uncertainty component of various factors such as potassium iodate benchmark, standard curve calibration, glass equipment, balance weighing, temperature control instrument, etc., and the uncertainty of the test results of urinary iodine standard substances was analyzed. Results The iodine content of the urinary iodine standard material GBW09108i was (72.6 ± 3.7) μg/L, and the relative expansion uncertainty was 5.10%, within the tolerance range allowed by the reference material certificate (10.0%). Among them, the calibration of the standard curve, the uncertainty of the volume of the glass equipment and related consumables had a great influence on the extended uncertainty. Conclusion The method can be used to assess the uncertainty for determination of iodine in urine by As3+-Ce4+ catalytic spectrophotometry. Key words: Urine; Iodine; Spectrophotometry; Uncertainty; Assessment
Prevention and treatment of nephrotic syndrome associated bone metabolic abnormality in children

Metabolic bone disease in nephrotic syndrome(NS) are increasingly being renal physician's attention.As calcium binding protein and VitD binding protein losing with a large number of protenuria, the bone metabolic biochemical abnormalities had happened at the beginning of the onset of the nephrotic syndrome, and is further exacerbated by therapeutic high-dose or long course of glucocorticoids(GC) application.The main mechanism of the glucocorticoid-induced osteoporosis (GIOP) is for GC to inhibit the activity of osteoblasts and promote apoptosis of osteoblasts and formation of osteoclasts, resulting in secondary hyperparathyroidism, leading to increasing the risk of osteoporosis, slow growth and fracture, seriously harm to children's physical and mental health.The biomarkers of bone transform can prompt the NS with bone metabolic abnormalities early; vertebral body bone dual-energy X-ray absorptio-metry bone mineral density detection is the best method and position to determine GIOP.As the most commonly used and effective means to prevent and control metabolic bone disease, calcium supplements and VitD were always taken when GC was treated for NS, even the dosage of GC was very low.So far, it is still lack of guideline of prevention and treatment of bone metabolic abnormalities in NS in children. Key words: Nephrotic syndrome; Glucocorticoid; Metabolic bone disease; Child; Treatment
Pedagogies of engagement use in postsecondary chemistry education in the United States: results from a national survey

Pedagogies of engagement (i.e., Peer-Led Teaming Learning, Problem-Based Learning, and Process-Oriented Guided Inquiry Learning) are active learning approaches used in postsecondary chemistry courses. In this study, we use data from a national survey of postsecondary chemistry instructors in the United States to estimate use of three pedagogies in the course for which the instructor feels they have the most control. We found that 16.6% of these faculties report they are implementing Peer-Led Team Learning (PLTL), 10.6% report implementing Problem-Based Learning (PBL), and 10.7% report implementing Process-Oriented Guided-Inquiry Learning (POGIL). We compare use of select teaching practices and other active learning strategies with implementation of PLTL, PBL, and POGIL. Additionally, we use items from the survey to understand course, institution, and instructor characteristics associated with use. Key findings include that lower-level courses and courses with large enrollments are the most likely places for PLTL to be implemented and that instructors who are not on the tenure track are more likely to implement PLTL and POGIL than tenured/tenure-track instructors. Instructors who report implementing PLTL and PBL have more student-centered beliefs about teaching and learning, while instructors who report implementing POGIL have more teacher-centered beliefs about learning, albeit all with small effect sizes. Implications are offered for how instructors, researchers, developers and disseminators of these pedagogies can use our results to inform their practices and efforts.
The role of cytochrome P450 (CYP) enzymes in hyperoxic lung injury

Hyperoxic lung injury is a condition that can occur in patients in need of supplemental oxygen, such as premature infants with bronchopulmonary dysplasia or adults with acute respiratory distress s...
New tetrahydroisoquinoline-based D3R ligands with an o-xylenyl linker motif.

Abstract The effect of rigidification of the n-butyl linker region of tetrahydroisoquinoline-containing D3R ligands via inclusion of an o-xylenyl motif was examined in this study. Generally, rigidification with an o-xylenyl linker group reduces D3R affinity and negatively impacts selectivity versus D2R for compounds possessing a 6-methoxy-1,2,3,4,-tetrahydroisoquinolin-7-ol primary pharmacophore group. However, D3R affinity appears to be regulated by the primary pharmacophore group and high affinity D3R ligands with 6,7-dihydroxy-1,2,3,4-tetrahydroisoquinoline and 6,7-dimethoxy-1,2,3,4-tetrahydroisoquinoline primary pharmacophore groups were identified. The results of this study also indicate that D3R selectivity versus the σ2R is dictated by the benzamide secondary pharmacophore group, this being facilitated with 4-substituted benzamides. Compounds 5s and 5t were identified as high affinity (Ki
Research Plan to Analyze the Role of Compliance in Influencing Cybersecurity in Organizations

Today, in order to be successful, every organization needs to be cyber secure. Cybersecurity is the practice of protecting the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of critical organizational assets. However, this practice can be complex and time-consuming, and typically is not the primary strategic goal for the majority of organizations. Conversely, compliance is one of the most powerful motivating forces behind most business investments due to the financial or reputational impact it may have. Compliance is generally defined as the act of conforming to rules or policies. In most industries, ensuring the application of these rules or policies often means meeting a third party’s regulatory requirements, such as a government or a cybersecurity framework. Nevertheless, meeting compliance regulations doesn't necessarily enable an organization to cover all cybersecurity needs. This means that achieving the highest level in compliance doesn't often mean that is also possible to achieve an equally high level in cybersecurity.
Age Norms of EEG during Sleep from 0 to 100 years old (P4.5-005)

Objective: Develop a sleep electroencephalogram (EEG) age norm from 0 to 100 years old based on large-scale datasets. Background: Establishing an age norm in normal participants provides a reference when reading an individual’s EEG. Many studies have proposed sleep EEG age norms in different portions of the lifespan, but most are derived from small datasets, therefore having limited generality in clinical practice. Design/Methods: The dataset is based on 6,365 polysomnograms from healthy subjects aged 11 days to 94 years from three large-scale datasets: the Massachusetts General Hospital dataset (N=5,132; age range: 4 to 94 years old), the Collaborative Home Infant Monitoring Evaluation [N=407; age range: 11 days to 8 months old), and the Gozal Pediatric dataset (N=826; age range: 0 to 13 years old). We took the common four EEG channels (C3-A2, C4-A1, O1-A2, and O2-A1) and computed the spectrum of each 30 second EEG epoch using the multitaper spectrum estimation method. For each sleep stage and EEG channel, we fitted a parametric model which takes age as input and outputs a spectrum. Data from 95 to 100 years old was extrapolated. Results: Delta (0.5–4 Hz) and theta (4–8 Hz) power bands are highest from birth to 10 years of age, particularly in stage N3 sleep. Alpha (8–12 Hz) power is low until 15 years of age, particularly in REM and stage N1 sleep, increasing thereafter. Spindle (12–14 Hz) power in stages N2 and N3 sleep is highest from 10 to 70 years old, peaking in middle age, and being minimal outside this age range. Beta (13–20 Hz) power stays low throughout all sleep stages and is the lowest of all band powers. Conversely, delta power has the highest band power throughout the spectrogram. Conclusions: Comprehensive age norms of sleep EEG were established using large-scale datasets providing a reference for clinical practice. Disclosure: Dr. Paixao has nothing to disclose. Dr. Sun has nothing to disclose. Dr. Thomas has nothing to disclose. Dr. Kheirandish-Gozal has nothing to disclose. Dr. Gozal has nothing to disclose. Dr. Cash has nothing to disclose. Dr. Westover has nothing to disclose.
How Families Make Their Way Into Your Heart: Exploring the Associations Between Daily Experiences Involving Family Members and Cardiovascular Health.

BACKGROUND Cardiovascular disease is a critical public health issue and a growing body of literature on relationships and health point to individuals' interactions and involvement with family members as significant correlates of cardiovascular outcomes. However, less is known about the implications of daily encounters with family members on cardiovascular health outcomes and how the associations vary across adulthood. PURPOSE The aims of this study were to examine the associations of positive and negative daily experiences with family members with comprehensive measures of cardiovascular health and to further explore how age moderates these associations. METHODS This study used data from the Midlife in the United States (MIDUS) II and MIDUS Refresher. The sample was composed of respondents who participated in two subprojects of MIDUS, namely the National Study of Daily Experiences (NSDE) and Biomarker Project (N = 1,312). Indices of cardiovascular health included inflammatory markers, autonomic functioning, and Life's Simple 7 scores. RESULTS Results showed that the associations between daily family experiences and cardiovascular outcomes differed by age. Having more daily negative experiences with family members was associated with better cardiovascular health outcomes among young adults and worse cardiovascular outcomes among older adults. Having more daily positive experiences was also associated with lower heart rate variability for older adults. CONCLUSIONS Results revealed that contrary to the general assumption that negative experiences have health-damaging effects, frequent involvement with family members in daily life, even negative ones, may be indicative of active engagement in life that could be health promoting for younger adults.
Removal of Defendants in Federal Criminal Procedure

A UNIQUE phase of federal criminal jurisprudence has been the manner of bringing to court a defendant who has been apprehended in a judicial district other than that in which the case is to be tried. The Sixth Amendment to the Constitution guarantees to the accused the right to a trial in the state and district wherein the crime shall have been committed. Consequently, if he is discovered in another district, he may not be tried there. A way must be found to transport him to the proper jurisdiction. The importance of this aspect of the administration of federal criminal law has gradually grown with the vast territorial expansion of the United States, as well as with the prodigious increase in the number of criminal offenses cognizable in the courts of the United States. The removal of a defendant from one judicial district to another is in principal far different from foreign extradition, and even from interstate rendition. In the case of foreign extradition, two distinct sovereignties are involved. In the case of interstate rendition, a state of the Union, clothed with certain aspects of sovereignty, is requested to surrender a person for trial by another state. In the case of removal of a defendant from one federal judicial district to another for trial in a federal court, only a single sovereign is concerned. The problem is merely one of transporting the defendant from one territorial subdivision to another.
Leadership and Ethics: Corporate Accountability to Whom, for What and by What Means?

This paper argues that ethical evaluation of leadership requires standards of assessment that are independent of the definition of "leader." It suggests that Stakeholder Theory is incapable of providing a substantive standard of assessment. It suggests an alternative model for adjudicating between stakeholders' conflicting claims of right and it applies that method to determine what responsibilities corporate management might have to employees and how management might be held accountable for discharging those responsibilities.
Summary Statistics of Neonatal Intensive Care Unit Network Neurobehavioral Scale Scores from the Maternal Lifestyle Study: A Quasinormative Sample

Descriptive statistics for the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit Network Neurobehavioral Scale summary scores are provided based on data from 1388 1-month-old infants in the Maternal Lifestyle Study (MLS) of prenatal drug exposure and child outcome. The multisite MLS is described, followed by tables with descriptive statistics and percentile for the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit Network Neurobehavioral Scale summary scores. The tables include data for the entire MLS sample as well as tables by drug exposure status, gestational age, poverty status, sex, race and ethnicity, and MLS study site. These tables can be used as quasinorms for comparison with other infants of this age.
Design for manufacturability in nanometer era: system implementation and silicon results

A design for manufacturability method to create manufacturable-by-construction designs is presented. Silicon results show significant yield benefit compared to traditional methods.
Government Accountability and Legislative Oversight

Introduction. 1. Tools of Legislative Oversight in the Lower Chambers. 2. Tools of Legislative Oversight in Upper Chambers. 3. Tools of Budgetary Oversight. 4. Legislative ethics and codes of conduct. 5. Oversight Capacity: new and old measures 6. Control, Democracy, Good Governance and Development?. 7. Conclusions.
Empathies of Musical Performance and Understanding

In my commentary on Erin Heisel’s thought-provoking essay, I explore alternative responses to the masterclass she describes. I propose expanding the kinds of empathy that might be most useful to performers to include “cognitive empathy,” while suggesting ways in which an empathy of identification can be problematic. I consider as well expansions to her definition of empathy to engage considerations of musical structure and embodiment, and I close with a proposal to expand Heisel’s pedagogical techniques into situations where empathy may be hard to find.
Spatial filtering approach to the direction of arrival estimation in a multipath environment

The author proposes a method, called spatial filtering, to resolve some of the problems associated with spatial smoothing. The method, which is similar to spatial smoothing, can be applied to wideband as well as narrowband problems. The objective of the method is to decorrelate completely the set of fully correlated sources. The theoretical findings are supported by simulations. >
Pointwise Convergence of Wavelet Expansions

The expansion of a distribution or function in regular orthogonal wavelets is considered. The expansion of a function is shown to converge uniformly on compact subsets of intervals of continuity. The expansion of a distribution is shown to converge pointwise to the value of the distribution where it exists.
Albumin cobalt binding test: A gold standard to rule out acute coronary syndrome?

Study objectives: The purpose of this study is to validate the Albumin Cobalt Binding (ACB) test at the Veterans Affairs (VA) Puget Sound Health Care System. This study measures the distribution of ACB values for our normal VA population and determines an initial ACB rule-out value for acute coronary syndrome. Methods: ACB values were determined photometrically with Ischemia Technologies reagents on the P-module of a Roche Modular Analytical System. We retrospectively measured serum ACB levels in 21 first-draw troponin samples obtained from patients presenting to the emergency department with chest pain. Specifically, we chose these samples only if the patient's initial troponin was negative and subsequent troponin levels became elevated. According to the correlations between the initial negative and subsequently elevated troponin, we constructed a receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve to identify the highest ACB rule-out value. Furthermore, using 30 patients not experiencing chest pain, we established an initial normal range for our population. Results: There was a statistically significant difference between ACB values in the 30 apparently healthy individuals (85.5±10.3 U/mL; 95% confidence interval [CI] 81.7 to 89.4) compared with the 21 patients whose troponin became positive (123.8±17.2 U/mL; 95% CI 115.9 to 131.6; P P Conclusion: This preliminary study suggests that the ACB test has a strong negative predictive value and sensitivity in the initial study group for predicting positive troponin results 6 to 24 hours after presentation. The ACB test, when used in conjunction with cardiac injury markers, holds promise in reducing inappropriate low-risk admissions.
Human papillomavirus vaccines and the potential for cross-protection between related HPV types

Abstract The majority of human papillomavirus (HPV) belong to the genus alpha-papillomavirus, which can be further subdivided into species and then strains. Approximately 200 strains of HPV have been identified, and the whole genomes of approximately 100 strains have been (discovered) and completely sequenced. Between 13 and 18 HPV strains have been characterized as conferring a high oncogenic risk, with 12 of these strains belonging to the HPV species 7 (HPV-18, -39, -45, -59, -68) and species 9 (HPV-16, -31, -33, -35, -52, -58, -67). While strains belonging to the same species are phylogenetically related, they may differ biologically. The available data on whether natural HPV infection infers cross-protection against other related strains from the same species are equivocal. There are data to indicate that following HPV infection, there appears to be a reduced risk of contracting the same strain of HPV. However, there is also evidence to indicate that natural infection with HPV does not confer group-specific immune protection or general protection from reinfection with genital HPV mucosal types. Recent studies conducted with HPV vaccines show data on cross-protection against related HPV strains. In vitro experiments with serum from recipients of the quadrivalent HPV vaccine (HPV-6/8/16/18) show neutralization of HPV 45 pseudovirions. Cross-protection following vaccination of women ( n =776) with three doses of bivalent HPV vaccine (HPV-16/18) demonstrated that, over a period of up to 4.5 years, long-term vaccine efficacy was observed for HPV-16 and -18, and vaccine efficacy was also observed against incident infection with HPV-31 and -45. These findings are supported by the results of a large study ( n =18,644) in women aged 15 to 25 years vaccinated with the adjuvant bivalent HPV vaccine (HPV-16/18). Over a period of 6 months, cross-protection was observed against persistent infections with HPV-45, -31 and -52, and at 12 months, modest protection was demonstrated against persistent infections with 12 combined oncogenic HPV types.
836 LD-B DOSE EFFECT IN TETRASOMY 12p PSEUDOMOSAICISM

Pallister et al (BD:OAS XIII3B:103, 1977) described two profoundly retarded adults with normal lymphocyte karyotypes and an extra metacentric chromosome in fibroblasts. In a group of eight patients the phenotype was shown to be similar to the 12p trisomy syndrome (J Clin Dysmorphol I(3):1, 1983) under the eponyms of Killian and Teschler. Lactic dehydrogenase (LD) is a tetramer with α (chromosome 11p) and β (chromosome 12p) subunits. LD isozymes were analyzed by electrophoretic and immunochemical methods in serum, red cells, white cells and fibroblasts from two patients and their parents.
Exploiting thermal energy storage to reduce data center capital and operating expenses

Power shaving has recently been proposed to dynamically shave the power peaks of a data center with energy storage devices (ESD), such that more servers can be safely hosted. In addition to the reduction of capital investment (cap-ex), power shaving also helps cut the electricity bills (op-ex) of a data center by reducing the high utility tariffs related to peak power. However, existing work on power shaving focuses exclusively on electrical ESDs (e.g., UPS batteries) to shave the server-side power demand. In this paper, we propose TE-Shave, a generalized power shaving framework that exploits both UPS batteries and a new knob, thermal energy storage (TES) tanks equipped in many data centers. Specifically, TE-Shave utilizes stored cold water or ice to manipulate the cooling power, which accounts for 30–40% of the total power cost of a data center. Our extensive evaluation with real-world workload traces shows that TE-Shave saves cap-ex and op-ex up to $2,668/day and $825/day, respectively, for a data center with 17,920 servers. Even for future data centers that are projected to have more efficient cooling and thus a smaller portion of cooling power, e.g., a quarter of today's level, TE-Shave still leads to 28% more savings than existing work that focuses only on the server-side power. TE-Shave is also coordinated with traditional TES solutions for further reduced op-ex.
Measuring Quality and Maturity

Visual evaluation of quality characteristics by an expert judge, despite limitations, is still a widely used and accepted technique. Numerical scales for specific attributes are available for commodities when no chemical or physical measure is available that relates to a specific purchase characteristic. Such scales are treated as objective measures, but they suffer from many of the problems of sensory analysis without having many of the safeguards of those techniques. Sensory evaluation incorporates a much wider range of senses than merely taste. Taste is the sense that detects chemical properties of foods in the mouth in the absence of aroma. Usually considered to be limited to sweet, sour, salty, and bitter sensations, taste is probably more complex. Maturity of a crop is an assessment of physiological development. Physiological maturity is described as the stage of development when a plant or plant part will continue ontogeny even if detached. Whereas, commercial maturity is define as the stage of development when a plant or plant part possesses the prerequisites for utilization by consumers for a particular purpose. Maturity of a crop at harvest directly affects the color and size of an item, and thus its grade. Other important quality characteristics such as texture, flavor, and nutrient content, as well as perishability and susceptibility to adverse handling and storage conditions, are a function of harvest maturity.
Search limits as a function of tree size and storage requirements

Abstract An effort to estimate the practical limits of accurate search of complex tree structures, under conditions permitting no external memory aids, consisted of having each of 25 subjects attempt exhaustive search of 19 problems whose underlying tree structures increased systematically with respect to breadth and depth. An additional group of 25 subjects solved the same problems under conditions of increased storage requirements. A very limited (2–3 chunks) fallible memory was implicated as a possible determiner of the direction and extent of the search process.
Implications of anomalous lepton hadron interactions

Abstract We discuss here a model for anomalous lepton hadron interactions which encompasses the phenomenological constraints from π 0 → e − e + , e + e − → hadrons and deep inelastic ep scattering at SLAC. Its implications to pp → l + l − H and other reactions are investigated.
Overview of HIT-SI Diagnostic Systems

The Helicity Injected Torus with Steady Inductive current drive (HIT-SI) device is a spheromak which uses two inductively driven helicity injectors to provide constant helicity injection. The HIT-SI diagnostic set includes 96 3-D magnetic surface probes, 20 toroidal flux loops, an internal array of three stems of 3-D magnetic probes, a far infrared interferometer, a SPRED diagnostic, two tangentially viewing vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) spectrometers, a bolometer, a Zeff diagnostic, H-alpha detectors, a time integrated CCD camera, and Ion Doppler Spectroscopy (IDS). In addition, a multi point Thomson Scattering system, a microwave interferometer/polarimeter, injector voltage probes, an edge Langmuir probe array, and soft X-ray camera are under development.
Charting the course of a user survey that will rock the boat

What shall we do with the user survey?What shall we do with the user survey?What shall we do with the user survey?Early in the morning?Thoughts of an upcoming annual user survey should produce neither shudders nor (worse yet) yawns from your computer center staff. Granted, most service organizations toss responsibility for the user survey around like a hot potato because the potential to “get burned” is real. But there are strategies for increasing the likelihood that you'll not just survive the survey experience in an academic computing environment, but actually benefit from it.Whether done poorly or proficiently, the user survey is a monumental task. It's just common sense, therefore, that if having a greater understanding of your services won't make a difference in how you deliver those services or if you don't have any burning questions about services that need answering, then you shouldn't bother with a user survey. You'll be doing both the campus and yourself a favor.I've put together a list of simple rules for computer user surveys that will hopefully, as the title claims, chart a course that leads to a survey that will produce changes in the way you deliver services. In an attempt to adhere to the nautical theme of the conference, I've couched these user survey rules in terms of safety rules for boating and canoeing that I found in my Girl Scout Handbook (copyright 1955). If that sounds particularly boring to you, consider that most writers couch guidelines for user surveys in the language of statistical inference and hypothesis testing, so anything is an improvement to my way of thinking.Actually, it really took very little imagination on my part to translate the simple Girl Scout boating rules into guidelines for computer center user surveys. For instance, the gem “Stay ashore in bad weather” translate very nicely into this user survey guideline:“Never administer your user survey immediately after a thunderstorm that resulted in a two week power failure in which all systems were down and a massive loss of user files occurred.”
The influence of positive end-expiratory pressure on intrapericardial pressure and cardiac function after coronary artery bypass surgery.

The hemodynamic effects of positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP) were studied in coronary artery bypass patients by recording intrapericardial and intracardiac pressures, measuring cardiac output by thermodilution, and determining left ventricular volumes by nuclear radiography. An elevation of PEEP to 5, 10, and 15 cm H2O led to a decrease in cardiac output (15% decrease at PEEP 15) as intrapericardial pressure increased and transmural left atrial pressure decreased. Modest volume loading (an increase in left atrial pressure of 3 mm Hg) greatly attenuated the deleterious effects of 15 cm H2O PEEP. There was an excellent correlation between pulmonary capillary wedge pressure and left atrial pressure at PEEP 0 and 5 (r = .85 and r = .83). This correlation was not nearly as reliable at PEEP 15 (r = .54). A predictable increase in intrapericardial pressure was observed as PEEP was applied in these patients. The magnitude of this increase can be estimated by multiplying the change in PEEP (in cm H2O) by 0.4 to estimate the change in intrapericardial pressure (in mm Hg). Using this estimation as a guide, modest volume loading can be used to maintain transmural filling pressures (and cardiac output) when PEEP is used after coronary artery bypass surgery.
A numerical study of the stability of spherical galaxies

On examine la stabilite de galaxies spheriques sans rotation en utilisant un code a N corps pour etudier l'evolution d'un ensemble de modeles initialement a l'equilibre, generes a partir de trois fonctions de distribution. Tous les modeles ont le meme profil de densite initial, essentiellement une loi de Vaucouleurs. La premiere famille est caracterisee par un ellipsoide des vitesses qui devient plus radial vers l'exterieur; le second est plus radial au centre; et le troisieme a une anisotropie constante
Plasmid-dosage effects on ultraviolet, visible light and methyl methanesulfonate mutagenesis in Salmonella typhimurium.

Abstract Salmonella typhimurium LT2 strains bearing plasmids pKM101, R64 or pColIb-P9 demonstrated enhanced UV survival when compared with strains not bearing plasmids. A strain of S. typhimurium bearing both pKM101 and pColIb-P9 survived UV irradiation slightly better than either of the single-plasmid strains. Spontaneous reversion of the hisG46 and trpE8 missense alleles was enhanced in each single-plasmid strain, and for the dual-plasmid strain containing pKM101 and pColIb-P9 enhancement represented a near additivity of the response seen for the single-plasmid strains. Following exposure to UV or visible-light irradiation, reversion of hisG46 and trpE8 was also enhanced in each single-plasmid strain, but quantitatively greater in the dual-plasmid strain and was equal to or slightly greater than additive the responses of the single-plasmid strains. In contrast to visible-light irradiation, UV exposure resulted in two phenotypic Trp+-revertant classes. One Trp+ class, having normal colony size (2.0 mm) and similar in number to His+ revertants, was comprised of intragenic revertants of trpE8, while the predominant Trp+ class, having smaller colony size (0.8 mm), represented intergenic suppressor revertants, illuminating the differences in mutation and/or repair specificity for UV and visible-light exposure. Methyl methane-sulfonate (MMS)-induced reversion of hisG46 was similar in effect to that seen with UV or visible-light irradiation. Plasmids pKM101 or pColIb-P9 enhanced the frequency of hisG46 reversion, while a more than additive response was seen in a strain with both plasmids. Furthermore, MMS-induced reversion of hisG46 was also observed to be greatest in a strain bearing plasmid R64 (incompatibility group Iα) and pKM101, when compared with single-plasmid strains bearing either R64 or pKM101.
A characterization of robert's inequality for boxicity

F.S. Roberts defined the boxicity of a graph G as the smallest positive integer n for which there exists a function F assigning to each vertex x?G a sequence F(x)(1),F(x)(2),?, F(x)(n) of closed intervals of R so that distinct vertices x and y are adjacent in G if and only if F(x)(i)?F(y)(i)?? fori = 1, 2, 3, ?, n. Roberts then proved that if G is a graph having 2n + 1 vertices, thentheboxicityofGisatmostn. In this paper, we provide an explicit characterization of this inequality by determining for each n ? 1 the minimum collection Cn of graphs so that a graph G having 2n + 1 vertices has boxicity n if and only if it contains a graph from Cn as an induced subgraph. We also discuss combinatorial connections with analogous characterization problems for rectangle graphs, circular arc graphs, and partially ordered sets.
The Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory LIGO

Abstract The Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO) Project to develop a terrestrial astronomical observatory for gravitational wave detection is being developed by a Caltech-MIT collaboration. This effort is complementary to plans for detection in space, as it is sensitive to a higher frequency band (10Hz to 10kHz) and therefore different gravitational wave sources.
Three-dimensional microfabrication using two-photon-activated chemistry

ABSTRACT Photochemical reactions which can be activated by the simultaneous absorption of two photons provide a means for single-step fabrication of complex three-dimensional microstructures. These types of structures are needed for a wide range 1applications, including microfluidics, electrooptics, and micro-electromechanical systems (MEMS). We have shown thatchromophores can be engineered to have both large two-photon absorptivities as well as an efficient means for activatingchemical processes, such as radical polymerization, subsequent to the photoexcitation. Chromophores designed followingthis strategy two-photonactivate the radical polymerization of acrylates at lower incident laser powers than conventional UVinitiators. Efficient two-photon photopolymer resins based on these chromophores were used in the fabrication of complexmicroarchitectures, such as photonic bandgap structures and tapered waveguides. We have devised a strategy which allowsthis approach to be extended to other chemical systems.Keywords: Microfabrication, two-photon absorption, photopolymerization, micro-electromechanical systems (MEMS),photonic bandgap.
The consistency of "P = NP" and related problems with fragments of number theory

@ Consistency results represent an approach to the lower bound problems of complexity theory which points to a number of interesting lines of inquiry. Our ultimate goal is to make precise the difficulty of proving certain nontrivial lower bounds. Among the possibilities which follow from this approach are: (1) that logical techniques may help us resolve the P e NP question, (2) that showing why certain arguments must fail may lead to mathematical tools capable of resolving the problems, and (3) that the special character of model theoretic methods in complexity theory may lead to new results which are of purely logical interest. We will address these possibilities below.
Increased nucleic-acid synthesis in relation to the breaking of dormancy of hazel seed by gibberellic acid.

Gibberellic acid breaks dormancy of hazel seeds. Markedly preceding growth of the embryonic axis is an increased RNA synthesis, as shown by total RNA determination and 32P incorporation into RNA. This increased RNA synthesis is accounted for by an increase in DNA template available for transcription and (subsequently) increased RNA polymerase activity. It is suggested that gibberellic acid breaks dormancy by a mechanism of gene derepression, as indicated by increased chromatin-directed RNA synthesis as measured in vitro.
Accelerating aging by mouse reverse genetics: a rational approach to understanding longevity.

Summary Investigating the molecular basis of aging has been difficult, primarily owing to the pleiotropic and segmental nature of the aging phenotype. There are many often interacting symptoms of aging, some of which are obvious and appear to be common to every aged individual, whereas others affect only a subset of the elderly population. Although at first sight this would suggest multiple molecular mechanisms of aging, there now appears to be almost universal consensus that aging is ultimately the result of the accumulation of somatic damage in cellular macromolecules, with reactive oxygen species likely to be the main damage-inducing agent. What remains significant is unravelling how such damage can give rise to the large variety of aging symptoms and how these can be controlled. Although humans, with over a century of clinical observations, remain the obvious target of study, the mouse, with a relatively short lifespan, easy genetic accessibility and close relatedness to humans, is the tool par excellence to model aging-related phenotypes and test strategies of intervention. Here we present the argument that mouse models with engineered defects in genome maintenance systems are especially important because they often exhibit a premature appearance of aging symptoms. Confirming studies on human segmental progeroid syndromes, most of which are based on heritable mutations in genes involved in genome maintenance, the results thus far obtained with mouse models strongly suggest that lifespan and onset of aging are directly related to the quality of DNA metabolism. This may be in keeping with the recent discovery of a possible ‘universal survival’ pathway that improves antioxidant defence and genome maintenance and simultaneously extends lifespan in the mouse and several invertebrate species.
Intense and exhaustive exercise induce oxidative stress in skeletal muscle

Abstract Objective To assess the oxidative stress and antioxidant defense system in the skeletal muscle of male albino rats subjected to strenuous exercise programme. Methods Wistar strain albino rats were subjected to exhaustive swimming exercise programme daily for a period of five days. The thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS), conjugated dienes, superoxide dismutase, catalase, glutathione peroxidase and glutathione-S-transferase were measured in the gastrocnemius muscle of the exercised animals. Results The elevated levels of TBARS and conjugated dienes indicated the oxidative stress in the gastrocemius muscle of the exercised animals. The depleted activity levels of superoxide dismutase, catalase, glutathione peroxidase and glutathione-S-transferase in the exercise animals indicated the increased oxidative stress and decreased antioxidative defense system in the muscle. Conclusions The study suggests that prolonged strenuous exercise programme can induce oxidative stress and therefore an optimal level of exercise schedule should be advocated to obtain the maximum benefit of exercise programme.
Sub-Surface Interferometric near-Field Tomography

We describe a straightforward method to recover the sub-surface topography of coated samples with sub-diffraction limited resolution. Experimental verification is accomplished using a near-field scanning optical microscope (NSOM) operated in dual mode.
Self-Insuring Employee Health Benefits

Self-insurance is a popular way to fund employee health benefits, but it presents a potential barrier to state health insurance reform initiatives because self-insured health plans are able to avoid state regulation. Thus it is important to understand why employers self-insure. This study tests an explanatory model of self-insurance, using data from the 1989 Survey of Health Insurance Plans. Models predicting self-insurance are estimated for private employers and for all health plan sponsors, including public employers, unions, and trade associations. The author found a threshold for self-insuring among private employers at about 100 employees and another at about 200 workers when all health plan sponsors were considered. Plans with union members are more likely to be self-insured. Self-insurance is more likely in the presence of alcohol treatment mandates but less likely with mental health mandates.
The substructure of crystalline cellulose and chitin microfibrils

The fine structures of the highly crystalline cellulose microfibrils from the cell walls of the marine algae Valonia ventricosa, and the extra cellular chitin spines of the euryhaline diatoms Thalassiosira fluviatilis, have been investigated by observation of deformed and un-deformed specimens in the electron microscope. On treatment with ultrasonic vibrations, the purified Valonia cell wall broke down into long microfibrils, with approximate cross section 210 A × 110A Some of these microfibrils appeared to have been disruptedby the ultra-sonic treatment, and consisted of elementary fibrillar fragments, with a regular width of ∼35 A, or multiples thereof. Deformation by stretching or mylar films separated the micro-fibril into smaller fibrils with width of ∼35 A. Striations on the intact microfibrils are in-terpreted in terms of a substructure of these elementary fibrils. A similar substructure is observed for the crystalline chitin of the diatom spines. The spines have a lamella morphology, and break down into ribbons with widths of 200-300 A, and a thickness of 20 A. These ribbons were generally observed as lateral or stacked aggregates. Further disruption by ultrasonic vibrations and deformation shows that these ribbons are made up of smaller fibrils with a width of ∼35 A Striations are observed on the intact ribbons indicating the presence of substructure.
Retractable-bar avoidance

In an avoidance learning situation with rats, the usual fixed bar was replaced with a bar that was introduced at warning signal onset and retracted after a bar press. Acquisition of bar-press avoidance with the retracting bar was significantly faster than with a fixed bar; that is, retracting-bar Ss reached the criterion of 95% avoidance for two successive days, significantly faster and with fewer shocks than fixed-bar Ss.
An Interview With Alma Flor Ada

This interview with Dr. Alma Flor Ada, conducted after the California Council on Teacher Education Conference, addresses multiple educational issues that teachers face in the public school system. Critical literacy, teacher education, parent involvement, and critical pedagogy are the major themes Dr. Ada discusses in this interview. To this end, the reader is invited to reflect on the aforementioned themes and, consequently, examine conditions that are shaping the academic trajectory of Latinos and other culturally and linguistically diverse students in the United States.
Quantification of hearing loss associated with superior semi-circular canal dehiscence

Abstract Introduction Superior semi-circular canal dehiscence (SSCD) is a known cause of hearing loss. This study quantifies hearing loss in SSCD ears in a frequency-specific fashion. Methods A meta-analysis of English language literature pertaining to SSCD was performed, with extraction and evaluation of available human audiometric data. Our own institution's case series of SSCD patients was also similarly analysed. Hearing loss in SSCD ears was compared to same patient control ears and to age-matched normative audiometric data. Results Ears with SSCD had statistically significant worse hearing as compared to both normative data and to own normal ear controls at 2000 Hz and below. The effect appears to diminish with increasing frequency. Discussion The presence of statistically significant conductive hearing loss in the low frequencies was confirmed for SSCD ears. SSCD may also predispose ears to high frequency sensorineural hearing loss.
Approximately invariant manifolds and global dynamics of spike states

We investigate the existence of a true invariant manifold given an approximately invariant manifold for an infinite-dimensional dynamical system. We prove that if the given manifold is approximately invariant and approximately normally hyperbolic, then the dynamical system has a true invariant manifold nearby. We apply this result to reveal the global dynamics of boundary spike states for the generalized Allen-Cahn equation.
Estimating crack arrest under accident conditions

Abstract Initiation and arrest stress intensities for cleavage crack propagation in thermal-shock and pressurized-thermal-shock experiments appear to be linearly related. The relation can be used as a predictive tool, provided the fracture mechanism is cleavage.
Computational and theoretical modeling of intermediate filament networks: Structure, mechanics and disease

Intermediate filaments, in addition to microtubules and actin microfilaments, are one of the three major components of the cytoskeleton in eukaryotic cells. It was discovered during the recent decades that in most cells, intermediate filament proteins play key roles to reinforce cells subjected to large-deformation, and that they participate in signal transduction, and it was proposed that their nanomechanical properties are critical to perform those functions. However, it is still poorly understood how the nanoscopic structure, as well as the combination of chemical composition, molecular structure and interfacial properties of these protein molecules contribute to the biomechanical properties of filaments and filament networks. Here we review recent progress in computational and theoretical studies of the intermediate filaments network at various levels in the protein’s structure. A multiple scale method is discussed, used to couple molecular modeling with atomistic detail to larger-scale material properties of the networked material. It is shown that a finer-trains-coarser methodology as discussed here provides a useful tool in understanding the biomechanical property and disease mechanism of intermediate filaments, coupling experiment and simulation. It further allows us to improve the understanding of associated disease mechanisms and lays the foundation for engineering the mechanical properties of biomaterials.
Tracer diffusion in dense ethanol: A generalized correlation for nonpolar and hydrogen-bonded solvents

Tracer diffusion coefficients were measured for benzene, toluene, mesitylene, naphthalene, and phenanthrene in dense ethanol at 0.56 ≤ TR ≤ 1.07 and ρR ≥ 1.44. The results were used to examine the temperature dependence of the degree of association between ethanol molecules across the entire range of temperature. The hard-sphere tracer diffusion equation and the Stokes-Einstein equation were used to develop two engineering correlations. The former approach was found to be adequate for solvents of relatively compact molecules, and the latter to be more general in its applications. The absolute deviation of prediction from observed values of tracer diffusivities is 4%, with a maximum error of 13%.
Patients' satisfaction with male versus female physicians: a meta-analysis.

ContextFemale physicians have a more patient-centered practice style than male physicians, and patient satisfaction is predicted by a more patient-centered practice style.ObjectivesTo assess whether there is a difference in patients' satisfaction with male versus female physicians and to examine mod
Coherence-based photoacoustic imaging of brachytherapy seeds implanted in a canine prostate

Visualization of individual brachytherapy seed locations assists with intraoperative updates to brachytherapy treatment plans. Photoacoustic imaging is advantageous when compared to current ultrasound imaging methods, due to its superior sensitivity to metal surrounded by tissue. However, photoacoustic images suffer from poor contrast with insufficient laser fluence. A short-lag spatial coherence (SLSC) beamformer was implemented to enhance these low-contrast photoacoustic signals. Photoacoustic imaging was performed with a transrectal ultrasound probe and an optical fiber surrounded by a light-diffusing sheath, placed at a distance of approximately 4-5 mm from the location of seeds implanted in an in vivo canine prostate. The average energy density through the tip of the sheath was varied from 8 to 167 mJ/cm2. When compared to a fast Fourier transform (FFT)- based reconstruction method, the mean contrast and signal-to-noise ratios were improved by up to 22 dB and a factor of 4, respectively, with the SLSC beamformer (12% of the receive aperture elements were included in the short-lag sum). Image artifacts that were spatially coherent had spatial frequency spectra that were quadrantally symmetric about the origin, while the spatial frequency spectra of the seed signals possessed diagonal symmetry. These differences were utilized to reduce artifacts by 9-14 dB after applying a bandpass filter with diagonal symmetry. Results indicate that advanced methods, such as SLSC beamforming or frequency-based filters, hold promise for intraoperative localization of prostate brachytherapy seeds
Towards a scale for measuring technology in new product innovations

Abstract There are many uses for an operational scale that measures technologies. This paper describes the development of such a scale. It is an important potential tool for project selection, investment choice decision making, organizing new product developments and managing innovation processes.