cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Using focus groups to assess almond growers' plant nutrition information needs.

University of California (UC) scientists have established critical values (CVs) for almond production, but the nutritional information the CVs provide may be outdated and insufficient. In December 2006, researchers at UC Davis conducted focus group interviews with a sample of stakeholders in California's almond industry. The focus groups were designed to collect information relating to factors affecting growers' nutrition decisions, priorities in education and research relating to plant nutrition, and expected consequences of environmental regulation for the industry. Stakeholders identified problems with the CVs and voiced concern about the future of the almond industry in light of impending environmental regulations. Many stakeholders identified university research as a way to protect the industry by providing strong, recent scientific data on which nutritional limits and environmental regulations can be based. The focus groups served as a useful research method for obtaining detailed information about stakeholders' motivations and priorities and also for informing a quantitative follow-up survey that was subsequently mailed to a larger population of Californian almond growers.
A Longitudinal Study of Language and Speech in Children Who Were Internationally Adopted at Different Ages

Purpose The author followed 56 internationally adopted children during the first 3 years after adoption to determine how and when they reached age-expected language proficiency in Standard American English. The influence of age of adoption was measured, along with the relationship between early and later language and speech outcomes. Method Children adopted from Eastern Europe at ages 12 months to 4 years, 11 months, were assessed 5 times across 3 years. Norm-referenced measures of receptive and expressive language and articulation were compared over time. In addition, mean length of utterance (MLU) was measured. Results Across all children, receptive language reached age-expected levels more quickly than expressive language. Children adopted at ages 1 and 2 “caught up” more quickly than children adopted at ages 3 and 4. Three years after adoption, there was no difference in test scores across age of adoption groups, and the percentage of children with language or speech delays matched population estimate...
The Adenovirus Major Late Transcription Factor Activates the Rat γ -Fibrinogen Promoter

The major late transcription factor (MLTF) is a 46-kilodalton polypeptide that specifically binds to and activates transcription from the major late promoter of adenovirus. The presence of this promoter-specific transcription factor in uninfected HeLa cell extracts suggests that MLTF is also involved in the transcription of cellular genes. This report demonstrates that MLTF specifically stimulates transcription of the rat gamma-fibrinogen gene through a high-affinity binding site. Stimulation of transcription by MLTF was not dependent on the exact position of the MLTF binding site with respect either to the transcription initiation site or to adjacent promoter elements. These results suggest that one of the cellular functions of MLTF is to control gamma-fibrinogen gene expression.
The Role of Lysine on the Resistance of Chickens to Ascaridia

Abstract IT HAS definitely been shown that diet plays an important role in the development of resistance in a host to parasitism (Shorb, 1933; and Taylor, 1943). Experimental evidence has been presented to indicate the importance of vitamins A (Ackert et al., 1927) and B (Zimmerman et al., 1926; and Ackert and Nolf, 1931) in the diet to maintain the natural resistance of the fowl against infection by ascarids. Vitamin D was found not to retard worm development but to protect the fowl from the effects of the parasite (Ackert and Spindler, 1929). Studies of the effects of different protein sources on the resistance of chickens have been made. Luttermoser and Allen (1942) infected chickens with Raillietina cesticillus while feeding rations containing contrasting amounts of protein. A reduced protein level did retard growth, but the protein content did not correlate with the numbers of cestodes harbored. Ackert and Beach (1933) fed . . .
Italy on the 150th anniversary of national unity

The five papers that follow were originally presented at the American Historical Association 127th Annual Meeting, New Orleans, January 2013 in a panel ‘Italy on the 150th Centenary of National Unification: Issues of Unity and Identity’, sponsored by the Society for Italian Historical Studies and hosted by the American Historical Association. Following the introduction and comments by Roland Sarti, the papers explore the celebrations of the anniversary (Giuliana Limiti and Mario Di Napoli), the South and its place in the anniversary (John Davis), Church and State (Frank J Coppa) and the international contexts of the celebrations (Giuseppe Monsagrati).
Melatonin inhibits the proliferation of retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cells in vitro

The possible antiproliferative effect of melatonin on retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cells in vitro was investigated. Bovine RPE cells cultured in Ham’s F12 medium supplemented with 10% fetal bovine serum had a nuclear density of 73.6 ± 6.1 nuclei/mm2 at 72 h after seeding. The nuclear density at this time-point was doubled if either 50 or 100 ng/ml human epidermal growth factors (hEGF) was added to the culture medium. When these hEGF-stimulated cells were treated with melatonin from 10 to 500 pg/ml, the proliferation was suppressed with a dose-response relationship. At 250 and 500 pg/ml melatonin, the nuclear densities of the melatonin-treated cells were similar to those of the control cells. Using mitotically active SV-40 transformed human fetal RPE cells cultured in a serum-free medium, melatonin was also shown to be antiproliferative. In the presence of 500 pg/ml melatonin, the proliferation of these cells was inhibited to 77% as compared to the control. These results were further supported by the reduced [H3]thymidine uptake in the melatonin-treated cells. We propose that melatonin, at physiologic concentrations, has an antiproliferative effect, and that cultured RPE cells stimulated to proliferate by either hEGF treatment or SV-40 transfection are responsive to melatonin. Melatonin may either inhibit mitosis in actively dividing cells or modulate hEGF action.
Electrohydrolysis recycling of waste iodide salts into hydriodic acid for the chemical conversion of biomass into liquid hydrocarbons

Abstract Laboratory-scale electrohydrolysis with a bipolar membrane (EHBM) in a three-compartment Aqualytics cellstack demonstrated that waste sodium and potassium iodide salts are efficiently recycled into hydriodic acid and the corresponding base. Batch efficiencies for the acid product of 1.01–1.39 M solutions ranged from 50 to 95%. Highly efficient production is correlated with modified membranes, differential cellstack pressure, or both. Slightly higher pressure on the salt line provides reversed osmosis transfer of water through the membranes and significantly diminishes ‘back-migration’ of acid. Dilute HI solutions (1.00–1.39 M) can be distilled to afford the concentrated reagent (7.57 M) required for the reduction of biomass carbohydrates to liquid fuels. Costs estimates for recycling waste iodide salts into concentrated HI are less than $0.13/l, a cost savings of over two orders of magnitude for this reducing acid. Producing 2.5 M products by EHBM before costly concentration suggests that both acid and base costs may total about $0.16/l.
Cycloheximide effects on electroencephalographic and evoked responses in mice

Mice were treated with various doses of cycloheximide (CXM) 30 min prior to tests using a sequence of slowly repeated light flashes interrupted by a brief auditory stimulus. Both evoked and electroencephalographic (EEG) responses were recorded through chronic indwelling electrodes. The tests were repeated 24 hr later without additional drug treatments. Cycloheximide, especially in high doses, caused alterations in the brain electrical activity of mice. The alterations persisted for at least 24 hr after cycloheximide treatments. The time course of these effects did not correspond to the time course of cycloheximide effects on brain protein synthesis or polysome disaggregation. These results suggest that memory deficits often associated with the protein-synthesis inhibition by cycloheximide may be due, in part, to disturbances in the electrical activity of the brain. While not critical for learning or short-term memory, these electrical alterations may be related to neural mechanisms of long-term memory storage and retrieval.
Law of the Jungle in Peru: Indigenous Amazonian Uprising against Neoliberalism

Between April 9 and June 19, 2009, what started as a protest demanding attention to basic material and political rights by the most marginalized sectors of Peruvian society turned into a powerful a...
Artificial interproximal grooving of the teeth in American Indians

Artificial grooves about 2 mm in width have been observed on the cervical region of teeth of American Indian populations which come from widespread localities and which extend through considerable time depth. The grooves appear to have been made ante-mortem and to show a close relationship with interproximal caries and peridontal bone resorption. It is conjectured that the grooves represent efforts of a therapeutic or, at least, palliative nature.
WE-D-18A-01: Evaluation of Three Commercial Metal Artifact Reduction Methods for CT Simulations in Radiation Therapy Treatment Planning

Purpose: To evaluate three commercial metal artifact reduction methods (MAR) in the context of radiation therapy treatment planning. Methods: Three MAR strategies were evaluated: Philips O-MAR, monochromatic imaging using Gemstone Spectral Imaging (GSI) dual energy CT, and monochromatic imaging with metal artifact reduction software (GSIMARs). The Gammex RMI 467 tissue characterization phantom with several metal rods and two anthropomorphic phantoms (pelvic phantom with hip prosthesis and head phantom with dental fillings), were scanned with and without (baseline) metals. Each MAR method was evaluated based on CT number accuracy, metal size accuracy, and reduction in the severity of streak artifacts. CT number difference maps between the baseline and metal scan images were calculated, and the severity of streak artifacts was quantified using the percentage of pixels with >40 HU error (“bad pixels”). Results: Philips O-MAR generally reduced HU errors in the RMI phantom. However, increased errors and induced artifacts were observed for lung materials. GSI monochromatic 70keV images generally showed similar HU errors as 120kVp imaging, while 140keV images reduced errors. GSI-MARs systematically reduced errors compared to GSI monochromatic imaging. All imaging techniques preserved the diameter of a stainless steel rod to within ±1.6mm (2 pixels). For the hip prosthesis, O-MAR reduced the average % bad pixels from 47% to 32%. For GSI 140keV imaging, the percent of bad pixels was reduced from 37% to 29% compared to 120kVp imaging, while GSI-MARs further reduced it to 12%. For the head phantom, none of the MAR methods were particularly successful. Conclusion: The three MAR methods all improve CT images for treatment planning to some degree, but none of them are globally effective for all conditions. The MAR methods were successful for large metal implants in a homogeneous environment (hip prosthesis) but were not successful for the more complicated case of dental artifacts.
Design and synthesis of broad-based mono- and bi- cyclic inhibitors of FIV and HIV proteases.

Abstract Based on the substrate transition state and our strategy to tackle the problem of drug resistance, a series of HIV/FIV protease (HIV /FIV PR) monocyclic inhibitors incorporating a 15- or 17-membered macrocycle with an equivalent P3 or P3′ group and a unique unnatural amino acid, (2 R , 3 S )-3-amino-2-hydroxy-4-phenylbutyric acid, have been designed and synthesized. In addition, based on the structure of TL3 with small P3/P3′ group, we have synthesized two conformationally restricted bicyclic inhibitors containing the macrocycle, which mimic the P1/P1′-P3/P3′ tripeptide [Phe-Val-Ala] of TL3. We have found that the contribution of the macrocycle in our monocyclic inhibitors is important to the overall activity, but the ring size does not affect the activity to a significant extent. Several inhibitors that were developed in this work, exhibit low nanomolar inhibitory activity against the wild-type HIV/FIV PR and found to be highly effective against some drug-resistant as well as TL3-resistant mutants of HIV PRs. Compound 15 , in particular, is the most effective cyclic inhibitor in hand to inhibit FIV replication in tissue culture at a concentration of 1.0 μg/mL (1.2 μM).
Synchrotron radiation studies: Anomalous scattering, grazing incidence scattering, EXAFS

Abstract Over the past 7–8 years, our ability to determine atomic arrangements with synchrotron radiation has advanced markedly. Phase separation may be detected more readily using X-ray Absorption Near Edge Structure (XANES), also known as Near Edge X-ray Absorption Fine Structure (NEXAFS), and by anomalous small angle x-ray scattering (ASAXS). Short and intermediate range order can now be determined more effectively with high angle anomalous x-ray scattering in combination with EXAFS. These approaches can be applied to thin amorphous and poorly crystallized films on substrates with grazing incidence x-ray scattering (GIXS) techniques. In this paper, some of the recent developments and their applications are surveyed.
Pressure-flow Studies in Man During Pulsus Alternans

Phasic aortic blood flow and left ventricular pressure were measured at constant heart rates during pulsus alternans in four patients. Duration of ejection and peak flow rate varied directly with stroke volume, while the pre-ejection period varied inversely. A higher left ventricular end-diastolic pressure preceded large beats in two patients, suggesting alternations of left ventricular filling contributed to pulsus alternans, but was not seen in two others.
Spin rotation and depolarization in the 2H(→p, →p)2H reaction and the double-spin-flip part of the NN amplitude

Abstract It is shown that a specific set of measurements involving elastic scattering of polarized protons from an unpolarized deuterium target should furnish very useful, selective information on the p-d elastic collision matrix. The possibility of isolation of two observables which depend strongly on the double-spin-flip N-N amplitudes is discussed. The experimental study of the energy dependence of these observables could yield valuable information on the resonant behaviour of the p-p and p-n amplitudes.
Monitoring the Houston Ship Channel for inorganic pollutants by ion selective electrodes, ion chromatography, and inductively coupled plasma spectroscopy

Abstract Inorganic pollutants including anions, cations and trace metals were monitored in the surface water of the Houston Ship Channel. The analyses were carried out using ion chromatography (IC), ion selective electrodes (ISE), and inductively coupled plasma emission spectroscopy (ICP). Pollutant composition varied according to sampling sitea and seasonal variations. Nickel, chromium, and arsenic were found throughout the ship channel at an average concentration of 1160 ± 325, 245 ± 26 and 621 ± 78 μg/L for the western end of the channel; 511 ± 48, 407 ± 50, and 545 ± 42 μg/L for the middle section of the channel; and 134 ± 12, 122 ± 16, and 645 ± 33 μg/L for the eastern end of the channel, respectively. Cyanide, ammonia, and nitrite were present at lower levels averaging 5 ± 3, 230 ± 20 and 260 ± 30 μg/L for the western end of the channel; 32 ± 5, 1210 ± 60, and 540 ± 30 μg/L for the middle section of the channel; and 6 ± 2, 590 ± 40, and 340 ± 20 μg/L for the eastern end of the channel, respectively. Phosphate and nitrate concentrations were present at very low levels consistent with the reported low level of eutrophication in the Houston Ship Channel.
Isolated supporting cells from the organ of Corti: Some whole cell electrical characteristics and estimates of gap junctional conductance

Whole cell voltage clamp studies were performed upon isolated and small groups of supporting cells from the guinea pig organ of Corti in order to evaluate junctional and non-junctional membrane characteristics. Single Hensen cells have an average input resistance and capacitance of 1.03 G omega and 24.9 pF, respectively. I-V functions indicate an outward K+ rectification, which is blocked by external TEA, intracellular Cs, or photo-irradiation of intracellularly injected fluorescent dye. Voltage clamping of pairs or small groups of cells indicates that supporting cells 'share' K+ channels within the syncitium. The input impedance of coupled cells was studied during uncoupling with CO2 or octanol media. As expected, coupled cells showed an increase in input capacitance and a decrease in input resistance over single cell values. Input capacitance is a more sensitive indicator of cell coupling than dc input resistance. During uncoupling, input capacitance values drop to single cell levels prior to an increase of dc input resistance to single cell levels. Modeling the results indicates that Hensen cells are well-coupled under normal conditions and may have junctional resistances with values less than 0.1% of the non-junctional resistance. The sensitivity of the supporting cell syncitium's input impedance to small changes in junctional resistance markedly influences the syncitium's RC filter characteristics, and thus may control the frequency response of sound evoked electrical activity measurable in supporting cells in vivo.
How well do you know the back of your hand? Toward evidence-based knowledge

Familiarity with the back of one's hand has long been used as a reference criterion for knowledge despite a lack of supporting evidence. The present study prospectively tests normal subjects' knowledge of dorsal hand features. Sixty surgical, medical, and allied hospital employees (30 men, 30 women) were asked 5 questions with binary answers about features on the dorsum of their dominant hands while their hands were concealed. The proportion of correct answers to each question ranged from 0.45 to 0.65, and none was significantly different from 0.50. Similarly, the mean percentage of correct answers for all subjects and all questions was 54%, which was not significantly different from 50%. Thus, the accuracy of the answers approximated random guesses. Hand specialists scored significantly higher (75%) than other occupation groups. Men and women scored equally as a whole. These data refute the use of the hand idiom as a reference criterion for knowledge.
Phase transitions in tetramethylammonium manganese chloride and tetramethylammonium cadmium chloride

Abstract The order-disorder type phase transitions in (CH 3 ) 4 NMCl 3 (at 128°K) and (CH 3 ) 4 NCdCl 3 (at 154°K) have been studied by single crystal X-ray and Raman scattering techniques.
Behavior of Free-Ranging Macaques after Intraventricular 6-Hydroxydopamine

Macaques (Macaca mulatta) observed in a free-ranging colony on Guayacan Island, Puerto Rico, were significantly different in their social interactions, initiatives, facial expressions, and postures after intraventricular 6-hydroxydopamine compared with sham-treated and field controls. This study extends the known effects of 6-hydroxydopamine and catecholamine depletion to the social interactions of a higher primate species under free-ranging conditions.
Initial phase solubilization of normal corn starch by methyl sulfoxide (DMSO): Evidence from scanning electron microscopy and size exclusion chromatography

Initial structure and solubility changes of normal corn and starch granules, dispersed in varying methyl sulfoxide (DMSO) concentrations were investigated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and high-performance size exclusion chromatography (HPSEC). Larger granules from starches held for 6 or 15min and air dried showed increased surface etching with increasing DMSO concentration (0-70%): smaller granules showed surface peeling at 70% DMSO. At 90% DMSO, larger granules fractures into smaller pieces, while smaller granules showed full surface erosion. At 100% DMSO, large chunks eroded off both large and small granules. With 100% DMSO, a sheet-like layer formed over a mass of ruptured granules during drying, suggesting that in the absence of water, DMSO dissolves part of the granule, forming a viscous solution which may limit further DMSO granule dispersion. Granules processed with critical-point drying showed additional evidence of attack. HPSEC polymer solubility increased with DMSO concentration (0-90%). At 100% DMSO, however, there was no measured solubility. Similar solubilities for starches held at 6 or 15min (0-90% DMSO) suggest that DMSO may require an external force such as heat to facilitate polymer solubility. More amylopectin of a lower molecular weight was solubilized at 6min, while more amylose was solubilized at 15min. This suggests that granule surfaces were mostly composed of amylopectin under development, while amylose was mostly confined to amorphous regions inside the granule.
MECHANISM OF ACTION AND CLONING OF EPOXIDE HYDROLASE FROM THE CABBAGE LOOPER, TRICHOPLUSIA NI

The majority of the JH III epoxide hydrolase activity in last stadium day 3 (gate 1) wandering Trichoplusia ni was membrane bound with approximately 9% of the activity found in the cytosol. Both the microsomal and cytosolic JH epoxide hydrolases were stable, retaining 30% of their original activity after incubation at 4 degrees C for 15 days. 18O-labeled water underwent enzyme catalyzed regioselective addition to the least substituted C10 position of JH III. In multiple turnover reactions with JH epoxide hydrolase in 97.9% 18O-labeled water, only 91.3% 18O incorporation was observed. This is consistent with an SN2 reaction likely involving a carboxylate in the active site of JH epoxide hydrolase. The DNA amplification cloning of a fragment of a putative T. ni epoxide hydrolase is reported. The deduced amino acid sequence shares 67% similarity to the rat microsomal epoxide hydrolase.
Viscous vortices in two- and three-dimensional space

Abstract Recent developments for the interaction, diffusion and merging of incompressible viscous vortices in two- and three-dimensional space are presented. We study the motion and evolution of vorticity fields Ω(t, x with total strength zero, 〈Ω〉 = 0 , which is true for a three-dimensional vorticity field decaying exponentially in |X| and for a two-dimensional case if 〈Ω〉 = 0 initially. We called this type of vorticity field a viscous doublet. The strength of the doublet is defined by the time-invariant first moments of vorticity. The velocity of the center of the doublet is defined in terms of the second moments of vorticity for the two- and three-dimensional problems. We show that the long-time behavior of the trajectory of a doublet center in three-dimensional space is different from that in two-dimensional space. Examples are the motion and merging of a slender vortex ring and a two-dimensional vortex pair. For the intersection of two slender filaments (the merging of two segments in a short time interval), a simple model to simulate the merging process and criteria for the reconnection of the filaments after the merging stage is proposed.
D'Nealian and Zaner-Bloser Manuscript Alphabets and Initial Transition to cursive Handwriting

AbstractRecently, a new manuscript alphabet has been developed. The new alphabet was designed to facilitate transition from manuscript to cursive handwriting. This study compared cursive handwriting samples from 112 first graders who had received instruction using the new alphabet and 134 first-grade students who were instructed using traditional manuscript forms. The two groups did not differ in production of cursive letters.
The Populist Chameleon: The People's Party, Huey Long, George Wallace, and the Populist Argumentative Frame

This essay argues that a sustained form can be located in the complicated history of populist rhetoric. Despite its chameleonic qualities, the advancement of populism is constituted by alterations in the focus and content, not the structure, of populist activism. This structure, or what I term its argumentative frame, positions a virtuous people against a powerful enemy and expresses disdain toward traditional forms of democratic deliberation and republican representation. I trace these themes through the rhetoric of the People's Party, Huey Long, and George Wallace. I conclude by analyzing the link between populism's persistence in U.S. history and the nation's Founding.
The determination of chromium-50 in human blood and its utilization for blood volume measurements

Possible relationships between insufficient blood volume increases during pregnancy and infant mortality could be established with an adequate measurement procedure. An accurate and precise technique for blood volume measurements has been found in the isotope dilution technique using chromium-51 as a label for red blood cells. However, in a study involving pregnant women, only stable isotopes can be used for labeling. Stable chromium-50 can be determined in total blood samples before and after dilution experiments by neutron activation analysis (NAA) or mass spectrometry. However, both techniques may be affected by insufficient sensitivity and contamination problems at the inherently low natural chromium concentrations to be measured in the blood. NAA procedures involving irradiations with highly thermalized neutrons at a fluence rate of 2·1013 n·cm−2·s−1 and low background gamma spectrometry are applied to the analysis of total blood. Natural levels of chromium-50 in human and animal blood have been found to be <0.1 ng/ml; i.e., total chromium levels of <3 ng/ml. Based on the NAA procedure, a new approach to the blood volume measurement via chromium-50 isotope dilution has been developed which utilizes the ratio of the induced activities of chromium-51 to the iron-59 in three blood samples taken from each individual, namely blank, labeled and diluted labeled blood.
Effect of local framework heterogeneity on NO adsorption in cobalt-ferrierite

Abstract Quantum chemical calculations have been performed to evaluate the adsorption of NO on cobalt in several extraframework environments within ferrierite zeolites . All possible arrangements of the two nearby framework aluminum atoms have been considered for the B and G ferrierite cobalt sites. The cobalt–nitrosyl orientation, i.e., bent versus linear, depends on the local zeolite environment. The enthalpies and free energies of adsorption are also functions of the local zeolite environment. NO adsorption is favored by about 50 kJ/mol on cobalt in the B site compared to the G site. This large difference is attributable to two factors: differences in NO-induced strain on the cobalt–zeolite environments as well as an intrinsic difference based on the coordinative unsaturation of cobalt. A simulation of the temperature-programmed desorption profile reveals three distinct cobalt environments for adsorbed NO, showing the dependence of a macroscopic property that is related to catalytic activity on the local zeolite environment near a metal cation. This observation suggests that the increase in the turnover of NO to N 2 per cobalt atom with increasing cobalt loading reported in the literature may be related to the same factors. A detailed analysis of the cobalt–nitrosyl bond was also performed.
PRODUCTION OF POLARIZED PROTON BEAMS

A method is proposed to produce relatively intense beams of metastable hydrogen atoms and their subsequent ionization. Preliminary experiments indicate the feasibility of the proposed technique. (W.D.M.)
Atypical cholesonograms in primary and secondary malignant disease of the biliary tract

Hepatic metastases or mass lesion near the head of the pancreas are usually found when echograms are performed on patients with malignant diseases of the biliary tract. Atypical cholesonograms may result when the gall bladder itself is deformed or invaded by tumor, when tumor obstructing the bile duct is plaquelike and not detectable as a mass lesion, or when gall stones coexist as a purely incidental finding.
Surfactant concentration effects on amorphous PETG-montmorillonite layered silicate (MLS) nanocomposite films

Improvements in the dispersion of montmorillonite layered silicates (MLS) have centered on appropriate surfactant treatment of the MLS, to ensure chemical interaction with the polymer material. Here, polyethylene terephthalate glycol (PETG) nanocomposites made with two MLS cation exchanged with dimethyl dihydrogenated tallow quaternary ammonium at two concentrations, 95 (MLS-95) and 125 meq (100 g)−1 (MLS-125), were investigated. The host MLS had a cation exchange capacity (CEC) around 92 meq (100 g)−1. The effect of exchanging past the CEC was studied with respect to the dispersion, glass transition and mechanical properties. Films were extruded on a single-screw extruder with a film die attached. X-ray diffraction (XRD) and optical transmission measurements indicated that increasing surfactant concentration changed the dispersion from intercalated to immiscible. The differences in the dispersion were related to the inherent degradation temperature of the MLS treated with the different surfactant concentrations, relative to the processing temperature. The over-exchanged MLS (MLS-125) suffered more surfactant degradation leading to an immiscible dispersion and narrower XRD peaks reflected a higher degree of ordering. In contrast, the XRD peaks of the MLS-95 nanocomposites had increased breadth indicating decreased ordering. MLS orientation, however, did not influence birefringence measured by polarized Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). All nanocomposites showed no significant changes in the glass transition temperatures. Copyright © 2005 Society of Chemical Industry
Daily fluctuation of the serum protein-bound iodine level.

DETERMINATIONS of the concentration of protein-bound iodine (PBI) in serum are being widely used as a measure of thyroid activity. Although the normal range is generally accepted as 4–8 micrograms per 100 ml. of serum, no information is available as to the normal fluctuation of the PBI is one individual from day to day. If great reliance is to be placed on a single PBI result, then it is of importance that the circulating level of the PBI remain fairly constant. Danowski et al. (1) studied the PBI in 4 females and 2 males at about weekly intervals for one and a half to two months. Variations in the females ranged from 0.5 to 0.8 microgram per 100 ml. and in the males from 0.3 to 1.1 microgram per 100 ml. The authors concluded that the PBI level appeared to be relatively constant over a period of weeks in healthy young adults. MATERIALS AND METHODS The subjects were 2 males and 3 females. All the females were in the reproductive period, had normal regular menses, and were studied for slightly more than one...
Feedback-feedforward control of structures under seismic excitation☆

Abstract While the base acceleration resulting from a seismic activity on a civil engineering structure is not known a priori, it can be measured in real time. In this paper, it is shown that this extra information can be used for achieving a better control of the structure with little additional effort. The approach taken is to augment the equations of motion for the structural system with an appropriate model of the earthquake excitation based on filtering a Gaussian white noise process. The augmented equations of motion are used to determine a control which utilizes both feedback and feedforward compensation. The feedback loop incorporates measurements of the response of the structure into the control law. The information from both the structure and the earthquake excitation model is utilized in the feedforward control law with an observer designed to estimate the states of the eartquake model based upon the base acceleration measurements. A quadratic performance index is used as a measure of optimality of the control algorithms. Results are given which indicate that the proposed method offers advantages in performance over the control method employing only state feedback and that it is also able to improve upon results of the recently develped instntaneous control algorithms. It is also shown that the nostationarity in the earthquake excitation can often be neglected in practical design of linear systems. Finally, a discussion is given of how the method might be coupled with equivalent linearization techniques and extended for use with nonlinear structures.
Trajectory Surface Hopping in the Time-Dependent Kohn-Sham Approach for Electron-Nuclear Dynamics

The mean-field treatment of electron-nuclear interaction results in many qualitative breakdowns in the time-dependent Kohn-Sham (TDKS) density functional theory. Examples include current-induced heating in nanoelectronics, charge dynamics in quantum dots and carbon nanotubes, and relaxation of biological chromophores. The problem is resolved by the trajectory surface-hopping TDKS approach, which is illustrated by the photoinduced electron injection from a molecular chromophore into ${\mathrm{TiO}}_{2}$, and the excited-state relaxation of the green fluorescent protein chromophore.
Spin dynamics of HoAl2

Abstract Inelastic neutron scattering has been used to examine the spin excitations at 4 K in a single crystal of the cubic Laves-phase compound HoAl 2 along [ q , q ,0], [ q ,0,0], [ q , q , q ] propagation directions. Three pair of acoustic and optic modes are observed in Brillouin zones centered at (220) and (002). Crystal field and exchange parameters consistent with those found for other RAl 2 compounds were determined by an RPA pseudo-boson analysis.
Bringing a global approach to education: the case of urban planning

Bringing international perspectives to education has been a concern of many academic areas. In the case of urban planning, a professional field, this means preparing students to practice effectively in the variety of contexts found in the United States and around the world. The urban planning accreditation requirements and the views of graduates of accredited programs practicing abroad are herein examined. The vast majority of graduates suggest that a more “international view of planning” be incorporated into the curriculum. Based on specific suggestions from graduates and the current content of the accreditation guidelines, the authors recommend ways in which a global approach can be brought to planning education.
Action in the axon: generation and transport of signaling endosomes

Neurons extend axonal processes over long distances, necessitating efficient transport mechanisms to convey target-derived neurotrophic survival signals from remote distal axons to cell bodies. Retrograde transport, powered by dynein motors, supplies cell bodies with survival signals in the form of ‘signaling endosomes’. In this review, we will discuss new advances in our understanding of the motor proteins that bind to and move signaling components in a retrograde direction and discuss mechanisms that might specify distinct neuronal responses to spatially restricted neurotrophin signals. Disruption of retrograde transport leads to a variety of neurodegenerative diseases, highlighting the role of retrograde transport of signaling endosomes for axonal maintenance and the importance of efficient transport for neuronal survival and function.
Book Webbing Using Children's Literature: A Selective Guide

The value of allowing children to experience frequently the sheer pleasure of good children's literature has long been acknowledged. For at least the past twenty‐five years, educational researchers and faculty members in schools of education and library science have advocated the use of children's literature in the elementary school curriculum.
Index may show outcome differences in unilateral cleft lip and palate patients at 5-years of age

Objective To examine whether differences in dental arch relationships of 5-year-old children born with a unilateral cleft lip and palate could be detected. Materials and Methods 40 sets of study models from each of two surgical units (Bristol & Oslo) were assessed using the 5-year old index. Models from each unit were assessed twice on one day at least 1 week apart by two examiners. Positions of the models in the series were reallocated using randomly generated numbers to minimise the influence of memory. Inter and intra-examiner variability was assessed using weighted kappa statistic. Results Intra-examiner variability was good to very good while inter-examiner variability was moderate to good. Both initial and subsequent examinations of the models by the examiners showed that the Oslo sample had a greater number of patients categories 1 and 2 which are considered to indicate better long term growth outcomes. Other differences were also detected between the two modelled samples suggesting that it is possible to detect differences in surgical outcomes at 5-years of age. Conclusions Differences in dental arch relationships in patients with unilateral CLP are apparent at 5 years of age and the use of this index appears to show difference in outcomes by which it may be feasible to compare outcomes from different surgeons. Atack N E, Hathorn I, Dowell T, Sandy J, Semb G, Leach A. Early detection of differences in surgical outcome for cleft lip and palate. Br J Ortho. 1998; 25; 181–185.
Near ab-initio methods for the calculations of large molecules: Comparison of pseudopotential and ab-initio results

Abstract Results from pseudopotential calculations on 5-hydroxyindole, tryptamine, 5-hydroxytryptamine, 6-hydroxytryptamine and the imidazolium cation are compared to full ab-initio calculations. The localization of all molecular orbitals is found to be identical with the two methods. Orbital energies from the two methods are found to be linearly correlated for all molecules: the slope is close to unity and the orbital energies from the pseudopotential calculation show a very slight and virtually constant shift to lower values. Electron density maps and molecular electrostatic potential maps calculated from the wavefunctions show that the charge distributions and molecular reactivity characteristics predicted by the two methods are nearly identical.
Marketing Case Instruction at the Undergraduate Level

Successful use of complex cases in the undergraduate curriculum requires some modification of the traditional case method approach. This article examines the function of cases in the undergraduate ...
Discovery of the selective androgen receptor modulator MK-0773 using a rational development strategy based on differential transcriptional requirements for androgenic anabolism versus reproductive physiology

Selective androgen receptor modulators (SARMs) are androgen receptor (AR) ligands that induce anabolism while having reduced effects in reproductive tissues. In various experimental contexts SARMs fully activate, partially activate, or even antagonize the AR, but how these complex activities translate into tissue selectivity is not known. Here, we probed receptor function using >1000 synthetic AR ligands. These compounds produced a spectrum of activities in each assay ranging from 0 to 100% of maximal response. By testing different classes of compounds in ovariectomized rats, we established that ligands that transactivated a model promoter 40–80% of an agonist, recruited the coactivator GRIP-1
Community dwelling adults' perception of interpersonal trust vs. trust in health care providers.

Aims. This study investigated community dwelling adults’ definition of trust in health care providers vs. interpersonal trust, description of the attributes of a trustworthy provider, factors that influenced the development and loss of trust. Background. Trust is an important part of health care relationships, however, the meaning of trust for patients is not well understood. Health care providers need to understand the meaning of trust in order to build and maintain therapeutic relationships with their patients. Design. A descriptive qualitative research design was used to investigate perceptions of trust. Methods. Semi-structured open-ended interviews were carried out with 32 community dwelling adults. The participants were recruited from church groups, senior health programs and other community programs. The interviews were thematically analysed for: definitions of interpersonal trust vs. trust in a health care provider, attributes of a trustworthy provider and factors that were pivotal in the development and loss of trust in a health care provider. Results. Trust in health care providers differed from interpersonal trust in the role-specific attributes of the individuals. Trust, although influenced by having confidence in the provider's competence, was strongly tied to the interpersonal caring attributes of the provider. Loss of trust, on the other hand, was more closely allied with the issues of competency. Conclusions. Perceptions of trust varied greatly among this sample, reinforcing the significance of tailoring our approach to patients on an individual basis. Relevance to clinical practice. Assuming that we will be trusted based on our role as nurses may not facilitate the development of a therapeutic relationship with some patients. Nurses and other health care providers need to be acutely aware of our patient's trust and clues of pending loss of trust because, as this study and other prior studies have shown, once trust in a provider is lost, it is nearly impossible to rebuild.
The distribution of prime divisors in Krull monoid domains

Abstract In this paper, we show that any nonzero divisor class of a Krull domain D[S] contains a height-one prime ideal of D[S], where either D is a UFD or S is a group.
Suicide as an aggressive act.

(1967). Suicide as an Aggressive Act. The Journal of Psychology: Vol. 66, No. 1, pp. 47-50.
Probabilistic guarantees for high-level robot behavior in the presence of sensor error

This paper presents an approach for reasoning about the effects of sensor error on high-level robot behavior. We consider robot controllers that are synthesized from high-level, temporal logic task specifications, such that the resulting robot behavior is guaranteed to satisfy these specifications when assuming perfect sensors and actuators. We relax the assumption of perfect sensing, and calculate the probability with which the controller satisfies a set of temporal logic specifications. We consider parametric representations, where the satisfaction probability is found as a function of the model parameters, and numerical representations, allowing for the analysis of large examples. We also consider models in which some parts of the environment and sensor have unknown transition probabilities, in which case we can determine upper and lower bounds for the probability. We illustrate our approach with two examples that provide insight into unintuitive effects of sensor error that can inform the specification design process.
Lean/cellular approach and technology insertion allows aircraft painting in maintenance hangar, increases productivity

Ongoing transformation activities, such as lean/cellular redesign, are changing the way the Air Force does business in the maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) community. Air Force Materiel Command's three Air Logistics Centers (ALCs), Oklahoma City, Oklahoma (OC-ALC), Layton, Utah ( OOALC), and Warner-Robins, Georgia (WR-ALC), are concurrently conducting lean/cellular transformation programs to increase throughput, increase quality, decrease costs, and improve readiness. Those familiar with lean manufacturing know that the fundamental premise of this practice is to squeeze the waste out of manufacturing processes. In the case of typical MRO, waste is embodied in such things as large queue times for parts due to centralized (functional) layout of processes, mismatched and ill-sized equipment, and multiple layers of approval authority. All of these elements contribute to a high cost of doing business and, in the case of the Department of Defense (DOD), affect operational readiness. In support of the ongoing lean/cellular transformation of Building 225 (the maintenance hangar for many C-130 and F-16 weapon systems at Hill AFB), Battelle helped the 309th Aircraft Maintenance Group (309 AMXG/QP) to improve C-130 wheel-well painting operations. C-130 wheel wells are only accessible to paint when the landing gear is removed—an operation that takes place in the maintenance hangar. Through an exemption under the Aerospace National Emissions Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants (NESHAP) rules, 309 AMXG has been painting wheel wells in the maintenance hangar for some time, though this requires special considerations that impose barriers to scheduling and production flexibility. For instance, the hangar doors must be open, and one-half of the hangar personnel must be evacuated. To minimize the effect on production, Hill has scheduled wheel-well painting on the third shift for some time. However, this is known to displace F-16 maintenance workers, even on the third shift, and it is estimated that 1,650 man-hours/yr were lost on the F-16 line because of this activity. Working with aircraft engineering, Battelle took a systems engineering approach to provide a corrosion control system including portable paint modules (PPBMs) for each wheel well, a portable environmental module, and plural component paint dispensing systems (PCPDSs) that now allows C-130 wheel wells to be painted without disrupting other work in the hangar. This successfully delivered and proven corrosion control system has an estimated payback period of less than one year, and a total ten-year estimated savings of $1.4 million. Battelle has also prepared a business case analysis (BCA) to extend the application of PCPDSs to all C-130 painting operations, an action that would generate estimated savings of $285,000 per year, or $2.85 million over 10 years. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Identification of a Casein Kinase Activity Found Elevated in Human Cytomegalovirus Transformed Cells

Protein phosphorylation plays an important role in the regulation of cellular growth and proliferation and is thus thought to play a role in tumorigenesis. It has previously been reported that cells transformed by human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) contain two to four fold higher than normal levels of protein phosphorylation on serine and threonine residues, and two to six fold higher than normal levels of a casein kinase activity. We have now identified the major casein kinase activity found elevated in HCMV transformed cells as casein kinase type II; identification of this kinase was necessary in order to begin to define its role in HCMV mediated morphological transformation. Most of the differences in casein kinase II activity between normal and HCMV transformed cells were explained by differences in casein kinase II protein levels. This represents the first report concerning the elevation of casein kinase II activity in cells transformed by human cytomegalovirus.