cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Learning Disabled Secondary School Dropout: What Teachers Should Know. What Teachers Can Do.

A disproportionately large number of learning disabled students are leaving high school before graduation. While the solutions are not simple, previous research and experience indicates that teachers can play a significant role in preventing dropout among learning disabled students. School-related indicators among learning disabled adolescents and potential interventions are discussed.
Insurance Economics and Theory of Option Pricing: A Proposal

Probability and maximum expected utility under risk aversion are corner stone of the contemporary insurance economics. Since economists use arbitrage assumption and riskless portfolio to construct the modern theory of option pricing, probability plays no role to determine option price under uncertainty. It is wrong that the contemporary insurance economics and the modern theory of option pricing are irrelevant and opposite because all prices of substitute products (e.g., portfolio insurance and option) should be explained by the same independent variables. Since option pricing is supposed to be similar to insurance pricing, the purpose of this paper is to propose a single price theory that explains both the premium of portfolio insurance and option price.
Photoreceptor localization of the KIF3A and KIF3B subunits of the heterotrimeric microtubule motor kinesin II in vertebrate retina.

Abstract The heterotrimeric microtubule motor kinesin II has been shown to be required for morphogenesis and maintenance of both motile flagella and immotile sensory cilia. Recently, we showed that the KIF3A subunit of kinesin II is concentrated in the inner segment and connecting cilium of fish photoreceptors. Here we report the gene structure of human KIF3A (HsKIF3A) and describe its localization in human and monkey retina. We also describe the localization of both KIF3A and KIF3B kinesin II subunits in Xenopus retina. Using a portion of HsKIF3A we had amplified from adult human retinal cDNA, we found by a GenBank database search that an identical sequence had already been obtained by the Human Genome Center at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratories in a direct sequencing analysis of 680 kb of human chromosome 5q31. By comparing the genomic sequence of HsKIF3A to the open reading frame (ORF) of the highly homologous mouse Kif3A, we determined that the HsKIF3A gene has 17 exons and an ORF of ∼2.1 kb, predicting a protein of 80.3 kDa. Antibodies against sea urchin KRP85, a KIF3A homologue, bound to a single band of ∼85 kDa in immunoblots of total retina protein from human, monkey and Xenopus. In these same samples, a single band of ∼95 kDa is recognized by antibodies against Xklp3, a Xenopus KIF3B homologue. In sections of Xenopus retina, both antibodies strongly labelled photoreceptor inner segments and the outer limiting membrane. Both antibodies also labelled photoreceptor axonemes. The axonemal localization of kinesin II subunits suggests that kinesin II may play a role in transport of materials from the photoreceptor cell body to the outer segment.
Desmosome Assembly and Disassembly Are Membrane Raft-Dependent

Strong intercellular adhesion is critical for tissues that experience mechanical stress, such as the skin and heart. Desmosomes provide adhesive strength to tissues by anchoring desmosomal cadherins of neighboring cells to the intermediate filament cytoskeleton. Alterations in assembly and disassembly compromise desmosome function and may contribute to human diseases, such as the autoimmune skin blistering disease pemphigus vulgaris (PV). We previously demonstrated that PV auto-antibodies directed against the desmosomal cadherin desmoglein 3 (Dsg3) cause loss of adhesion by triggering membrane raft-mediated Dsg3 endocytosis. We hypothesized that raft membrane microdomains play a broader role in desmosome homeostasis by regulating the dynamics of desmosome assembly and disassembly. In human keratinocytes, Dsg3 is raft associated as determined by biochemical and super resolution immunofluorescence microscopy methods. Cholesterol depletion, which disrupts rafts, prevented desmosome assembly and adhesion, thus functionally linking rafts to desmosome formation. Interestingly, Dsg3 did not associate with rafts in cells lacking desmosomal proteins. Additionally, PV IgG-induced desmosome disassembly occurred by redistribution of Dsg3 into raft-containing endocytic membrane domains, resulting in cholesterol-dependent loss of adhesion. These findings demonstrate that membrane rafts are required for desmosome assembly and disassembly dynamics, suggesting therapeutic potential for raft targeting agents in desmosomal diseases such as PV.
Latina Mothers' Characterizations of Their Young Children with Disruptive Behaviors

We add to current understanding of maternal cognitions and attributions about their children with disruptive behaviors by describing and exploring mothers’ naturalistic characterizations of their children. Participating mothers from Cuba, Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic had 4- to 10-year-old children with disruptive behaviors. Data were collected with a structured interview that included open-ended questions, optional probes, questions with set response categories, and rating scales. Both qualitative and quantitative analyses were conducted. The three most common characterizations were “intelligent,” “malcriado,” (spoiled/rude mannered) and “caracter fuerte” (stubborn/willful). Cultural informants sorted these and other descriptors used by mothers into categories of their choosing which provided a basis for classifying maternal characterizations. These characterizations were statistically and significantly associated with the onset of maternal concerns, with the number of members from the mothers’ social network who suggested professional services, with maternal perceptions of stigma, and with maternal ratings of the severity of the children’s symptoms. Overall, mothers’ naturalistic characterizations were structured differently from researcher dimensions typically used to study maternal cognitions about child behavior.
An Artificial Diet for Rearing Cochliomyia macellaria (Diptera: Calliphoridae)

Larvae of the secondary screwworm, Cochliomyia macellaria (F.), feed on carrion and may sometimes cause animal myiasis. They have been reared in the laboratory on various animal tissues to study their growth and development because of their importance in forensic science. We use secondary screwworms in our laboratory for preliminary experiments as a model for the primary screwworm, Cochliomyia hominivorax (Coquerel), which has been eradicated from the United States. C. macellaria larvae reared on animal tissues produced a putrid odor, an unfavorable condition in the laboratory, and variable pupal size and weight, bringing into question the validity of use as a model for C. hominivorax. Therefore, studies were conducted to develop a less odiferous artificial diet with reduced variability in resulting pupae by comparing three diets: 1) an artificial diet prepared from spray-dried blood, spray-dried poultry egg, dry milk substitute, and solidified with a polyacrylate polymer gel; 2) a fresh blood-based diet prepared similarly, except fresh bovine blood was used in place of spray-dried blood; and 3) a beef liver diet. Data from seven life-history parameters of resulting insects were collected and analyzed. Larval and pupal weights of C. macellaria reared on both the dry and fresh blood-based diets were significantly higher than those reared on the liver diet. Numbers of pupae and percentage of adult emergence were also significantly higher from both dry blood and fresh blood-based diets than those reared on the liver diet. Female flies developing from larvae reared on dry and fresh blood-based diets laid significantly more eggs than females developing from larvae reared on the liver diet. Results show that C. macellaria larvae developed and grew normally in the dry and fresh blood-based diets, indicating that an artificial diet can effectively replace the liver diet commonly used for rearing C. macellaria.
Leaf Expansion Rate Effects on Yield and Yield Components in Early-Maturing Maize

Assimilate supply (source) reportedly limits grain yields of early-maturing maize (Zea mays L.) hybrids. We studied combining abilities of S 2 lines with extremes in average leaf expansion rate (ALER) values to test for genetically correlated responses for grain yield, ear moisture, stalk lodging, yield components, and yield stability parameters. The S 2 hybrids ware selected to represent a 2 × 2 factorial arrangement of ALER types (HER = high and LER = low ALER) (...)
Inpatient staffing within pediatric residency programs: work hour restrictions and the evolving role of the pediatric hospitalist.

OBJECTIVE: In October 2010, the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) mandated new standards that will further restrict resident work hours. There is growing concern surrounding the impact these restrictions will have on the staffing of inpatient services. The objective of this study was to survey the landscape of pediatric resident coverage of noncritical care inpatient teaching services prior to the implementation of these guidelines. In addition, we sought to explore how changes in work hour restrictions might affect the role of pediatric hospitalists in training programs. METHODS: In January 2010, an institutional review board (IRB)-approved electronic survey was sent to 196 US residency training programs via the Association of Pediatric Program Directors (APPD) listserve. RESULTS: One hundred twenty responses were received representing 5201 pediatric residents. Of the programs that responded, 84% have hospitalists. At programs with hospitalists (n = 97), 24% have pediatric hospitalist attendings in-house at night. Nearly a quarter of responding programs (22%) reported having no attending physicians in-house at night. At the time of our survey, 31% of programs anticipated the addition of 24-hour in-house hospitalist coverage within the next 5 years. When the additional work hour restrictions are implemented, 70% of programs anticipated the need to add additional hospitalist coverage at night. CONCLUSIONS: Significant variation exists in how pediatric teaching services provide overnight coverage. While hospitalists are prevalent in pediatric training programs (84% overall, 67% day only), their role in direct patient care during the overnight hours has been limited thus far. New work hour restrictions will promote the need for more hospitalists. Journal of Hospital Medicine 2012;. © 2011 Society of Hospital Medicine.
NASA-GSFC Nano-satellite technology for Earth science missions

Abstract The NASA-GSFC Nano-satellite Technology Program is currently formulating solutions for 21st century Earth Science requirements. We anticipate that nano-satellite (~ 10 kg) and micro-satellite (10 to 100 kg) constellations will have important applications in both Earth and Space science. Such constellations, acting in unison and with a large degree of autonomy, could form “virtual platforms” of detailed remotely sensed measurements providing orders of magnitude more information than today's thinly-populated networks of LEO and GEO satellites. If the constellations include a variety of basic, versatile instruments, for example UV, VIS and IR hyperspectral spectrometers, then virtual platforms for different applications can be formed in space, on the fly, and “disassembled” later for other uses or to test other scientific hypotheses. Example applications include weather prediction, radiative/reflected energy measurements for global change studies, hazard warning and monitoring systems (fires, volcanoes, hurricanes, etc.), and in-situ measurements of Earth's magnetic field. For a wide range of applications, nano- and micro-satellite technology is likely to further the way NASA explores not only the Earth, but the solar system and beyond. Identifying the strategies and technologies that provide strong benefit to both the Earth and Space science programs will provide the best return on NASA's technology investment. This paper will highlight some possible Earth Science applications for nano- and micro-satellite constellations as well as the current status of planned NASA-GSFC nano/micro-satellite technology development.
Managing pain in patients with addiction

The Office of National Drug Control Policy recently released the Obama Administration's action plan to address the national prescription drug abuse epidemic and announced new federal requirements aimed at educating the medical community about proper prescribing practices. The 2011-2012 College of Psychiatric and Neurologic Pharmacists (CPNP) Recertification Committee recognized a need to provide evidence-based education to pharmacists and other health care providers to encourage our professions to be agents of change in providing solutions to the prescription drug abuse epidemic.
Benthic meiofauna assemblage structure of headwater streams: density and distribution of taxa relative to substrate size

Permanent meiofauna taxa and portions of the population of other invertebrates that are temporarily in the meiofauna size class are often precluded from stream studies and assessments. This study was designed to determine the identity, density, and distribution of major meiofauna taxa relative to substrate size in a set of similar headwater streams. Using a coring technique, meiofauna (80 μm–1 mm) and substrate samples were collected from 11 Ozark headwater streams in the Boston Mountain ecoregion of Arkansas, USA. Mean meiofauna density among streams was 1739 ± 436 organisms per l. Permanent meiofauna taxa (Copepoda, Cladocera, Ostracoda, Rotifera, Nematoda, Hydrachnida, and Tardigrada) comprised 22.5% of the organisms collected with a mean density of 394 ± 233 organisms per l; temporary meiofauna taxa (Oligochaeta, Turbellaria, Hydroidea, Chironomidae, Ephemeroptera, and other insects) comprised the remainder with a density of 1346 ± 308 organisms per l. Chironomidae was the most numerous temporary meiofauna taxon, and Hydrachnida was the most numerous permanent taxon. Streams were found to differ significantly in substrate composition and densities of major taxonomic categories. Substrate size was found to predict densities for most of these taxonomic categories. Meiofauna patchiness was reflected in high variability within streams. Canonical correspondence analysis revealed positive associations between Copepoda and Nematoda and silt, and between Copepoda, Nematoda, and Rotifera and fine sand. Hydrachnida and Rotifera were negatively associated with silt and coarse sand, respectively. The potential value of inclusion of meiofauna in stream environmental assessments is discussed.
Microwave Synthetic Route for Highly Emissive TOP/TOP-S Passivated CdS Quantum Dots

Through selective microwave absorption, we demonstrate the ability to activate TOPS as an efficient sulfur donor, allowing the rapid (18 m) growth of highly emissive (PLQY = 33%), Zn blende CdS quantum dots (QDs) passivated by TOP/TOPS in the 4−6 nm size regime (5% size dispersity). The CdS QDs exhibit sharp absorption features and bandedge photoluminescence even for the largest CdS sample. Addition of hexadecylamine restricts the growth rate by limiting the Cd monomer activity and lowers overall PLQY. The use of MW chemistry for QD formation allows a highly reproducible synthetic protocol that is fully adaptable to industrial applications.
Characterization of east Asian dust outbreaks in the spring of 2001 using ground‐based and satellite data

[1] This study presents a detailed examination of east Asian dust events during March–April of 2001, by combining satellite multisensor observation (Total Ozone Mapping Spectrometer (TOMS), Moderate-Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS), and Sea-Viewing Wide Field-of-View Sensor (SeaWiFS)) meteorological data from weather stations in China and Mongolia and the Pennsylania State University/National Center for Atmospheric Research Mesoscale Modeling System (MM5) driven by the National Centers for Environmental Prediction Reanalysis data. The main goal is to determine the extent to which the routine surface meteorological observations (including visibility) and satellite data can be used to characterize the spatiotemporal distribution of dust plumes at a range of scales. We also examine the potential of meteorological time series for constraining the dust emission schemes used in aerosol transport models. Thirty-five dust events were identified in the source region during March and April of 2001 and characterized on a case-by-case basis. The midrange transport routes were reconstructed on the basis of visibility observations and observed and MM5-predicted winds with further validation against satellite data. We demonstrate that the combination of visibility data, TOMS aerosol index, MODIS aerosol optical depth over the land, and a qualitative analysis of MODIS and SeaWiFS imagery enables us to constrain the regions of origin of dust outbreaks and midrange transport, though various limitations of individual data sets were revealed in detecting dust over the land. Only two long-range transport episodes were found. The transport routes and coverage of these dust episodes were reconstructed by using MODIS aerosol optical depth and TOMS aerosol index. Our analysis reveals that over the oceans the presence of persistent clouds poses a main problem in identifying the regions affected by dust transport, so only partial reconstruction of dust transport routes reaching the west coast of the United States was possible.
P-152 - Post traumatic stress disorder and stuttering: hypothesis for the etiology of acquired stuttering based on successful treatment with clonidine

Stuttering is a disorder in which the flow of speech is disrupted by involuntary repetitions and prolongations of sounds, syllables or words. In this report, we will describe a patent with a diagnosis of PTSD who presented with acquired stuttering and that was successfully treated in part with clonidine. Mr. S A is a 37 year old married man who at the time of presentation was in active military service. He was diagnosed with PTSD and acquired stuttering and referred for psychotherapy with the option of choosing between cognitive processing therapy and exposure therapy. He was started on sertraline 50 mg po q daily which was titrated to 100 mg po q daily. Clonidine 0.3 mg po qhs was prescribed to treat his nightmares as well. Three weeks after starting clonidine treatment, his PTSD symptoms and stuttering reduced in intensity. He is now being followed for maintenance therapy at the outpatient clinic. Clonidine, a centrally acting alpha adrenergic receptor agonist which acts at noradrenergic autoreceptors and may be responsible for reducing the release of norepinepherine in the brain. We hypothesize that this may work in reducing the symptoms of acquired stuttering by preventing an increase in blood flow and subsequent increase in activity of both the amygdala and to the right cortical motor area. It would be of use to carry out more studies looking at the effect of clonidine on acquired stuttering in patients with PTSD.
THERMAL COUPLING REACTIONS OF 1-PHENYL-3,4-DIMETHYLPHOSPHOLE WITHIN THE COORDINATION SPHERE OF PALLADIUM(II)

The thermolyses of dihalobis(1-phenyl-3,4-dimethylphosphole)palladium(II) complexes [(DMPP)(2)PdX(2), X = Cl, Br, I] were investigated in 1,1,2,2-tetrachloroethane solutions at 145 degrees C and in the crystalline state at 140 degrees C. For cis-(DMPP)(2) PdCl(2) and cis- or trans-(DMPP)(2) PdBr(2) four types of products were formed: (1) [4 + 2] cycloaddition products, (2) [2 + 2] cycloaddition products, (3) compounds that result from 1,5-hydrogen migration from a methyl group on one phosphole to the beta-carbon of an adjacent phosphole (exo-methylene), and (4) products that result from an intermolecular [4 + 2] coupling of two phospholes followed sequentially by phosphinidene elimination and intramolecular [4 + 2] cycloaddition to another phosphole to give diphosphatetracyclotetradecatrienes (DPTCT). trans-(DMPP)(2)PdBr(2) undergoes thermal isomerization to cis-(DMPP)(2)PdBr(2) in the solid state, and cis- and trans-(DMPP)(2)PdBr(2) give the same products in both their solid- and solution-state thermolyses. In contrast, trans-(DMPP)(2) PdI(2) neither isomerizes to the cis-isomer nor undergoes any of the phosphole coupling reactions in either the solution or solid state. The crystal structures of trans-(DMPP)(2)PdX(2) (X = Br, I), {(DMPP)(2)[2 + 2]}PdBr(2), {(DMPP)(2)(exo-methylene)}PdBr(2), and (DPTCT)PdCl(2) were determined. They crystallize in the monoclinic P2(1)/c, triclinic Po, monoclinic P2(1)/c, monoclinic P2(1)/n, and orthorhombic P2(1)2(1)2(1) space groups in units cells of the following dimensions: a = 10.158 (3) A, b = 14.876 (4) A, c = 16.829 (5) A, beta = 104.25(2) degrees, rho(calc) = 1.732 g/cm(3), Z = 4; a = 9.025(1) A, b = 11.023(1) A, c = 13.833 (1) A, alpha = 101.15(1) degrees, beta = 98.82(1) degrees, gamma = 105.30(1) degrees, rho(calc) = 1.886 g/cm(3), Z = 2; a = 13.090 (2) A, b = 17.637 (2) A, c = 21.834 (2) A, beta = 100.51 (1) degrees, rho(calc) = 1.738 g/cm(3), Z = 4, a = 10.721 (1) A, b = 16.929 (1) A, c = 14.675(1) A, beta = 97.86 (1) degrees, rho(calc) = 1.663 g/cm(3), Z = 4; and a = 15.532 (3) A, b = 19.401 (4) A, c = 9.910 (2) A, rho(calc) = 1.490 g/cm(3), Z = 2, respectively. Least-squares refinements converged at final values of R(F) of 0.041, 0.0354, 0.0624, 0.0533, and 0.035 for 2770, 2672, 2729, 2159, and 2525 independent observed reflections, respectively. Kinetic studies suggest that the reaction mechanisms are the same in both the solid and solution states and that the reaction mechanisms are substantially different from those previously reported for the thermolyses of the analogous cis-(DMPP)(2)PtX(2) complexes.
A numerical method for the time-dependent Krook kinetic equation

Abstract Time-dependent problems in kinetic theory described by the Krook and other model kinetic equations can be formulated as systems of nonlinear Volteira integral equations. The derivation of these equations is described and a numerical procedure for solving them is presented. The nonlinear piston problem for the Krook equation is used to illustrate the discussion.
PHOSPHATE AND SILICATE GROWTH AND UPTAKE KINETICS OF THE DIATOMS ASTERIONELLA FORMOSA AND CYCLOTELLA MENEGHINIANA IN BATCH AND SEMICONTINUOUS CULTURE

SUMMARY Information on the nutrient kinetics of Asterionella formosa Hass. and Cyclotella meneghiniana Kutz. under either phosphate or silicate limitation was obtained for use in a Monod model and in a variable internal stores model of growth. Short-term batch culture growth experiments were fit to the Monod model and long-term semicontinuous culture experiments and short-term uptake experiments were fit to the variable internal stores model. Mathematical analysis indicates that the parameters of the 2 models may be expressed in terms of each other at steady state. The qualitative results of both batch and steady state culture methods agree. For limiting phosphate experiments. A. formosa is better able to grow at low PO4-P concentrations than C. meneghiniana, as shown by its lower K for PO4-P limited growth. The kQ of A. formosa compared to C. meneghiniana found in long-term semicontinuous culture indicates that A. formosa is almost an order of magnitude more efficient at using internal phosphate for growth. The qualitative results under silicate-limited growth of C. meneghiniana is less than that of A. formosa. The kQ from semicontinuous culture experiments indicates that C. meneghiniana is the more efficient at using internal silicate for growth. Nutrient uptake experiments showed more variability from a Michaelis-Menten relationship than short-term growth experiments. There were no significant differences between the 2 species in half saturation constants for either phosphate or silicate uptake. We observed a marked dependence of the coefficient of luxury consumption (R) of phosphate on the steady state growth rate. A. formosa has a higher R than C. meneghiniana.
Arrhythmogenic effects of carbon monoxide in experimental acute myocardial ischemia: Lack of slowed conduction and ventricular tachycardia

To investigate the possibility that carbon monoxide (CO) at high clinically encountered levels may have arrhythmogenic effect in initial minutes of acute myocardial ischemia, 14 dogs underwent thoracotomy and recording of bipolar epicardial electrograms during brief (6-minute) left anterior descending coronary artery (LAD) occlusions. Eight of the 14 dogs were studied both before and after CO pretreatment in which carboxyhemoglobin levels of 6.8% to 14.6% (mean 10.4 +/- 2.8%) were achieved. Epicardial electrograms showed no change in degree of ischemic myocardial conduction slowing after CO, and there was no significant difference between CO and no-CO LAD occlusions in incidence of spontaneous ventricular tachycardia. Since the degree of myocardial conduction slowing is thought to be importantly related to susceptibility to ventricular arrhythmias in acute ischemia, this study suggests that CO may not be arrhythmogenic during early minutes of acute myocardial ischemia.
Brain maturation and response to anoxia: 31P NMR spectroscopic studies in rat pups.

The differential effects of systemic anoxia on the immature rat brain in two postnatal developmental age groups, group I (1–2 days postnatal) and group II (9—10 days postnatal), were studied utilizing phosphorus-31 nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. While all pups in group I survived the 15-min anoxic period, only half of the pups in group II survived. Brain adenosine triphosphate and intracellular pH of pups in group I remained essentially unchanged throughout the anoxic period, while phosphocreatine and inorganic phosphate were sensitive indicators of anoxia. These parameters were all more drastically affected in group II pups than in group I pups. Group II pups also exhibited a significant increase in phosphomonoester, indicating developmental differences in phospholipid metabolism. © 1992 Academic Press, Inc.
Hybrid Conducting Polymer–Hydrogel Conduits for Axonal Growth and Neural Tissue Engineering

Successfully and efficiently bridging peripheral nerve gaps without the use of autografts is a substantial clinical advance for peripheral nerve reconstructions. Novel templating methods for the fabrication of conductive hydrogel guidance channels for axonal regeneration are designed and developed. PEDOT is electrodeposited inside the lumen to create fully coated-PEDOT agarose conduits and partially coated-PEDOT agarose conduits.
Culture, Timing, and the Legal Profession: Rueschemeyer’s Lawyers and Their Society Revisited

The comparative-historical study Lawyers and Their Society explores the professional practices and cultural repertoires of the legal professions in the United States and Germany. Rueschemeyer argues that the relative timing of two major features of modernization-the bureaucratic rationalization of states and the spread of market exchange-ultimately explain the contrasts between the work and outlook of lawyers in these countries. His empirical analysis is based on a combination of secondary literature, some descriptive statistics, and in-depth interviews with lawyers in Germany, the United States, as well as with German-born lawyers who emigrated to the United States. While Lawyers and Their Society was published 30 years ago, revisiting this work is a worthwhile enterprise-not only for scholars interested in the sociology of law and the study of professions, but also for students of culture and the comparative-historical analysis of societies. The study starts out with the observation that legal professions with highly specialized expertise are characteristic features of modern societies. The formation of legal professions is related to the emergence of modern states and the development of market economies. The centralization of political power and the development of bureaucratic rule propelled legal innovation and the expansion of legal counseling. Enhanced market exchange entailed a stronger demand for legal service in order to ensure the predictability and enforcement of contracts.
Alkylation-induced frameshift mutagenesis during in vitro DNA synthesis by DNA polymerases α and β

We have analyzed the mutational spectra produced during in vitro DNA synthesis by DNA polymerase alpha-primase and DNA polymerase beta. The polymerase mutation frequency as measured in the in vitro herpes simplex virus thymidine kinase (HSV-tk) forward assay was increased when reactions utilized single-stranded DNA templates randomly modified by 20 mM N-ethyl-N-nitrosourea (ENU), relative to solvent-treated templates. A 20- to 50-fold increase in the frequency of G-->A transition mutations was observed for both polymerases, as expected due to mispairing by O6-ethylguanine lesions. Strikingly, ENU treatment of the template also resulted in a five- to 12-fold increased frequency of frameshift errors at heteropolymeric (non-repetitive) template sequences produced by polymerase beta and polymerase alpha-primase, respectively. The increased proportion of frameshift mutations at heteropolymeric sequences relative to homopolymeric (repetitive) sequences produced by each polymerase in response to ENU damage was statistically significant. For polymerase alpha-primase, one-base deletion errors at template guanine residues was the second most frequent mutational event, observed at a frequency only four-fold lower than the G-->A transition frequency. In the polymerase beta reactions, the frequency of insertion errors at homopolymeric (repetitive) sequences was increased six-fold using alkylated templates, relative to solvent controls. The frequency of such insertion errors was only three-fold lower than the frequency of G-->A transition errors by polymerase beta. Although ENU is generally regarded as a potent base substitution mutagen, these data show that monofunctional alkylating agents are capable of inducing frameshift mutations in vitro. Alkylation-induced frameshift mutations occur in both repetitive and non-repetitive DNA sequences; however, the mutational specificity is dependent upon the DNA polymerase.
Assessing locational advantages of markets in terms of delivered cost of wood

Procedures are described which estimate the locational advantages of mill sites in terms of wood procurement costs and the relative competition among mills in a region. At the heart of the process ...
Functional capacity after cardiac surgery in elderly patients.

Objectives. This study was performed to determine whether cardiac surgery improves functional capacity in patients >70 years of age and to identify factors associated with good and poor functional results in this age group. Background. Cardiac surgery has been used increasingly among older patients, but the effectiveness of surgery in this age group remains controversial. Methods. Self-reported functional capacity was assessed by the Dyke Activity Status Index preoperatively and again 1 year after coronary artery bypass or valve replacement surgery in a total of 199 patients with a mean age of 76 years (range 70 to 91). Results. Functional capacity improved significantly after surgery (mean Duke Activity Status Index 27.9 at baseline vs. 36.8 at 12 months, p < 0.001), with improvements in most patients (74%). Six preoperative factors were independent predictors of less improvement in functional capacity between baseline and 1 year: smoking, female gender, higher Charlson comorbidity index, syncope, previous cardiac operation and older age. Postoperative complications were also a highly significant predictor of lower functional capacity at 1 year. Conclusions. Most older patients have meaningful improvements in functional capacity after cardiac surgery, and clinical factors appear to modify the degree of improvement attainable.
Electrophoretic variants of xanthine dehydrogenase in Drosophila melanogaster. II. Enzyme kinetics.

Abstract 1. 1.|The activity of xanthine dehydrogenase in Drosophila melanogaster is affected by mutations at three loci: maroon-like (ma-l) on the X chromosome, and rosy (ry) and the low xanthine dehydrogenase (lxd) on the third chromosome. Previous studies on four types of naturally-occurring electrophoretic variants of xanthine dehydrogenase have shown that ry is a structural gene for xanthine dehydrogenase. 2. 2.|In the present study, kinetic analyses were carried out on these four electrophoretic variants. These include the Km's of 2-amino-4-hydroxpyteridine, xanthine, methylene blue, and nicotinamide-adenine dinucleotide, and the Ki's of 2-amino-4-hydroxypteridine-6-carboxyaldehyde, ammeline, and 8-azaguanine. The data have shown no significant differences in the kinetic parameters of the xanthine dehydrogenase from the electrophoretic variants or from lxd. 3. 3.|The experiments of this study also indicate the possible presence of two active sites on xanthine dehydrogenase, one for purines and one for pteridines, and that pyridoxal can bind both active sites. 4. 4.|The biological significance of the electrophoretic variation is discussed in view of the present data.
An Iterative Ensemble Kalman Filter for Multiphase Fluid Flow Data Assimilation

Summary The dynamical equations for multiphase flow in porous media are highly non-linear and the number of variables required to characterize the medium is usually large, often two or more variables per simulator gridblock. Neither the extended Kalman filter nor the ensemble Kalman filter is suitable for assimilating data or for characterizing uncertainty for this type of problem. Although the ensemble Kalman filter handles the nonlinear dynamics correctly during the forecast step, it sometimes fails badly in the analysis (or updating) of saturations. This paper focuses on the use of an iterative ensemble Kalman filter for data assimilation in nonlinear problems, especially of the type related to multiphase flow in porous media. Two issues are key: (1) iteration to enforce constraints and (2) ensuring that the resulting ensemble is representative of the conditional pdf (i.e. that the uncertainty quantification is correct). The new algorithm is compared to the ensemble Kalman filter on several highly nonlinear example problems, and shown to be superior in the prediction of uncertainty.
On the Supposed Temporal Asymmetry of Counterfactual Dependence; or: It Wouldn’t Have Taken a Miracle!

The thesis that a temporal asymmetry of counterfactual dependence characterizes our world plays a central role in Lewis’s philosophy, as, among other things, it underpins one of Lewis most renowned theses – that causation can be analyzed in terms of counterfactual dependence. To maintain that a temporal asymmetry of counterfactual dependence characterizes our world, Lewis committed himself to two other theses. The first is that the closest possible worlds at which the antecedent of a counterfactual conditional is true is one in which a small miracle occurs – i.e. one whose laws differ from the actual laws in a small spatiotemporal region. The second is that our world is characterized by a temporal asymmetry of miracles. In this paper, I will argue, first, that the latter thesis is either false or incompatible with the picture of the relations among temporal asymmetries endorsed by Lewis and, second, that former thesis conflicts with some of the intuitions which seem to guide us when engaging in counterfactual reasoning. If there is any fact of the matter as to which possible worlds in which the antecedent of a counterfactual conditional is true are closest to the actual world, these are not worlds at which a small miracle occurs.
Faculty Perceptions of Marketing Journals

The qualitative assessment of scholarly journals plays an important role in promotion and tenure decisions, recognition, scholarly dialogue, and the contribution to the knowledge base of marketing. To aid marketing faculty and administrators in this assessment, the latest perceptions among marketing faculty regarding the relative hierarchical positioning of scholarly marketing journals are reviewed. Besides the overall ranking, the study segments journals along two dimensions: AACSB- / non-AASCB-accredited institutions (American Assembly of College Schools of Business) and marketing doctorate- / non-doctorate-granting institutions. The results of this study can be used by various marketing faculty constituencies to aid in evaluating publication importance via their selected reference groups.
Linkages among land-use, water quality, physical habitat conditions and lotic diatom assemblages: A multi-spatial scale assessment

We assessed the importance of spatial scales (catchment, stream network, and sample reach) on the effects of agricultural land-use on lotic diatom assemblages along a land-use gradient in the agricultural Willamette Valley Ecoregion of Oregon. Periphyton, water chemistry, and physical habitat conditions were characterized for 25 wadeable streams during a dry season (July to September, 1997). Additional water chemistry samples were collected in the following wet season (February 1998) to assess seasonal effects of land-use on stream water chemistry. Percent agricultural land-use in the study catchments ranged from 10% to 89% with an average of 52%. Partial canonical correspondence analysis (CCA) with the first axis constrained by % agricultural land-use showed that % agricultural land-use at 3 spatial scales explained between 3.7%–6.3% of variability in the diatom species dataset. Monte Carlo Permutation tests indicated that the variance explained by % agricultural land-use was only significant at the spatial scale of the stream network with 10- and 30-m band width (p<0.05, 999 permutations). In addition to the effects of % agricultural land-use, partial CCAs with a forward selection option showed that water chemistry (e.g., SiO2), reach-scale stream channel dimensions (e.g., width, depth, and slope), reach-scale in-stream habitats (substrates and filamentous algal cover in stream beds), and riparian vegetative buffer were all important with relation to diatom species assemblages. Percent of obligately nitrogen-heterotrophic taxa was the only diatom autecological metric that showed a significant but weak correlation with % agricultural land-use along the stream network (r=0.50), but not at catchment or sample reach scale. Correlation between % agricultural land-use and water chemistry variables varied among the spatial scales and between seasons. Physical habitat variables (log10 erodible substrate diameters and stream reach slope) were significantly correlated with % agricultural land-use along the stream network but not at catchment or sample reach scale. Our data suggest that spatial scales are important in assessing effects of land-use on stream conditions but the spatial scale effects may vary between seasons. Direct linkages between agricultural land-use and lotic diatom assemblages were weak during summer base-flow time regardless of the spatial scales. Summer sampling may underestimate the effects of catchment land-use on stream conditions in areas where seasonal patterns are so distinctive as in the Willamette Valley.
Impact of Treatment Site in Adolescents and Young Adults With Central Nervous System Tumors

Cancer remains the leading cause of nonaccidental death in individuals aged 15 to 39 years (1,2), in part because these individuals have not benefited from the improvement in survival evidenced by the younger patients. Thus, although 5-year survival in children aged 14 years or younger improved over the past 25 years, survival rates improved minimally in those aged 15 to 24 years and not at all among those aged 25 to 34 years (3). Those aged 15 to 39 years constitute a vulnerable population and are therefore given special designation by the National Cancer Institute (NCI) as adolescents and young adults (AYAs), with a critical need to address the AYA gap (3,4). Previous studies indicate better survival of AYA populations treated on pediatric therapeutic trials and at specialized centers (5–8), such as pediatric-centered facilities (9), with higher probability of enrollment on pediatric trials. However, AYAs (in particular, older AYAs) are more likely to receive care at adult community facilities (10) and, in this setting, are enrolled less often on therapeutic trials (11). NCI-designated Comprehensive Cancer Centers (NCICCC) are dedicated to developing effective approaches to prevent and treat cancer, meeting standards for breadth and depth in research while serving as models for translating discoveries from the bench to the bedside, including underserved populations (12). The impact of care at NCICCCs across the age range of the AYA population, including the older AYAs (aged 22–39 years), remains unstudied. We tested the hypothesis that the AYA gap is, in part, due to disparities in access to quality cancer care experienced by AYAs. Thus, we aimed to study the impact of site of care for complex diseases with poor prognosis, such as central nervous system (CNS) tumors that require multidisciplinary, evidence-based care available at NCICCCs; we followed this by examining barriers to care at these centers in the AYA population.
Matrix metalloproteinase-10 is required for lung cancer stem cell maintenance, tumor initiation and metastatic potential.

Matrix metalloproteinases (Mmps) stimulate tumor invasion and metastasis by degrading the extracellular matrix. Here we reveal an unexpected role for Mmp10 (stromelysin 2) in the maintenance and tumorigenicity of mouse lung cancer stem-like cells (CSC). Mmp10 is highly expressed in oncosphere cultures enriched in CSCs and RNAi-mediated knockdown of Mmp10 leads to a loss of stem cell marker gene expression and inhibition of oncosphere growth, clonal expansion, and transformed growth in vitro. Interestingly, clonal expansion of Mmp10 deficient oncospheres can be restored by addition of exogenous Mmp10 protein to the culture medium, demonstrating a direct role for Mmp10 in the proliferation of these cells. Oncospheres exhibit enhanced tumor-initiating and metastatic activity when injected orthotopically into syngeneic mice, whereas Mmp10-deficient cultures show a severe defect in tumor initiation. Conversely, oncospheres implanted into syngeneic non-transgenic or Mmp10−/− mice show no significant difference in tumor initiation, growth or metastasis, demonstrating the importance of Mmp10 produced by cancer cells rather than the tumor microenvironment in lung tumor initiation and maintenance. Analysis of gene expression data from human cancers reveals a strong positive correlation between tumor Mmp10 expression and metastatic behavior in many human tumor types. Thus, Mmp10 is required for maintenance of a highly tumorigenic, cancer-initiating, metastatic stem-like cell population in lung cancer. Our data demonstrate for the first time that Mmp10 is a critical lung cancer stem cell gene and novel therapeutic target for lung cancer stem cells.
Inverse analysis for transient moisture diffusion through fiber-reinforced composites

A new approach has been developed, based on an inverse analysis technique, to determine critical moisture diffusion parameters for a fiber-reinforced composite. This technique incorporates two distinct features: direct experimental observations of the weight gained by a composite material exposed to a humid environment, and highly detailed computational analyses that capture the actual heterogeneous microstructure of the composite. The latter feature was carried out by modeling more than 1000 individual carbon fibers that are randomly distributed within an epoxy matrix. The verification and efficacy of this technique was established by conducting an experiment on a high-grade IM7/997 carbon fiber-reinforced epoxy to determine the maximum moisture content at saturation and the diffusivity of epoxy. With the inverse analysis, the time duration required to estimate these moisture diffusion parameters could be drastically reduced as compared to conventional procedures. Subsequently, the established models were employed to characterize transient moisture absorption process within the composite. Here, it was demonstrated that modeling the heterogeneous microstructure of the composite is critical for obtaining accurate diffusion parameters, and an analytical model with effective properties does not produce correct transient moisture absorption behavior. Furthermore, the evolution of stress fields due to moisture induced volumetric expansion was quantified. It was observed that high stress concentrations develop in regions of fiber concentration. These regions then act as potential failure initiation sites that can lead to lower damage tolerance.
Self-Rated Health and Health Care Use Among Women With Histories of Gestational Diabetes Mellitus

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS — This study was a cross-sectional analysis of the 2006 National Health Interview Survey of parous women with (n 370) and without (n 6,695) hGDM. RESULTS — Women with hGDM reported fair or poor health status and 10 office visits in the past year more frequently than women without hGDM. The higher prevalence of obesity in hGDM women accounted for their poorer self-rated health after adjustment for other demographic factors. Whereas the association between hGDM and more frequent office visits was reduced after adjustment for demographic factors including health insurance, hGDM was still associated with a lower odds of contact with a mental health professional. CONCLUSIONS — Because of obesity, women with hGDM have poorer self-rated health than women without hGDM. Contact with mental health providers was reduced compared with women without hGDM. Diabetes Care 33:41–42, 2010
Morphological and pharmacological evidence for the role of peripheral prostaglandins in the pathogenesis of neuropathic pain

Inflammatory mediators produced in the injured nerve have been proposed as contributing factors in the development of neuropathic pain. Prostaglandins (PGs) are probably included in these important inflammatory mediators. In the present study, 2 and 4 weeks following partial sciatic nerve ligation (PSNL), we observed a dramatic increase in the prostaglandin synthesizing enzyme cyclooxygenase (COX)2-immunoreactive (IR) cell profiles in the injury site and adjacent region. Some of these COX2-IR cells were identified as macrophages because they coexpressed ED1. None of these COX2-IR cell profiles coexpressed the Schwann cell marker S100. In the contralateral sciatic nerve and sciatic nerve from normal rats, we failed to observe any of these COX-IR cell profiles. We also observed COX1-IR cell profiles (presumably Langerhans cells) in the epidermis of the footpad of both normal and PSNL rats. Interestingly, a greater number of COX1-IR cell profiles were observed in the epidermis of the ipsilateral footpad of PSNL rats. Local injection of ketorolac, a nonselective COX inhibitor, into the ipsilateral plantar side or into the injury site of the sciatic nerve, effectively reversed the tactile allodynia induced by PSNL for > 5 days. Intraperitoneal or intramuscular injection of ketorolac had a similar but shorter antiallodynic effect. Intraplantar or peri-neural injection of ketorolac dramatically suppressed the PSNL-induced increase in the phosphorylation of a transcription factor cAMP response element binding protein (CREB) in the ipsilateral dorsal horn of L4 and L5 spinal cord of PSNL rats. Intraplantar or peri-neural injection of ketorolac at the time of lesion did not prevent mechanical hypersensitivity but reduced it with a slow onset 3 weeks after lesion. Our data suggest that PSNL induces over-production of PGs in peripheral tissues and that PGs probably sensitize nociceptors and are involved in central plasticity and sensitization at the spinal cord level, thus contributing to the maintenance of tactile allodynia.