cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Test of a procedure to control inter-pair learning and the effect of repeated, post-criterion test trials on retention

A test was made of the effectiveness of Battig’s (1965) “correction” method in controlling inter-item associative strength. Since no reliable differences were found between item recall frequencies at criterion, the method achieves its purpose. After several post-criterion tests (Ts), however, significant inter-item differences were found which may necessitate a modification of the method. The repeated Ts, contrary to previous findings, revealed no increase in associative strength over Ts and had no effect on recall after three days.
Alfven resonance mode conversion in the Phaedrus-T current drive experiments: modelling and density fluctuations measurements

Summary form only given, as follows. Current drive experiments on the Phaedrus-T tokamak (R/sub maj/=92 cm, r/sub min/=25.5 cm, B/sub t/=.6/spl rarr/1 T, I/sub p/<100 kA, n/sub e0/: 1.2/spl times/10/sup 12//spl rarr/1.5/spl times/10/sup 13/ cm/sup -3/, H plasma) performed with a low field side two-strap fast wave antenna at frequencies below /spl omega//sub cH/(f/spl sim/7 MHz, P/sub RF/<400 kW, poloidal extent: /spl plusmn/30/spl deg/, strap separation: /spl sim/15 cm) show loop volt drops of up to 30% with strap phasing (0,/spl pi//2). RF induced density fluctuations in the plasma core have also been observed with a microwave reflectometer. It is believed that they are caused by kinetic Alfven waves generated by mode conversion of fast waves at the Alfven resonance. Correlation of the observed density fluctuations with the magnitude of the /spl Delta/V/sub loop/ suggest that the /spl Delta/V/sub loop/ is attributable to current drive/heating due to mode converted kinetic Alfven waves. The toroidal cold plasma wave code LION is used to model the Alfven resonance mode conversion surfaces in our experiments while the cylindrical hot plasma kinetic wave code ISMENE is used to model the behavior of kinetic Alfven waves at the Alfven resonance location. Initial results obtained from limited density, magnetic field, antenna phase, and impurity scans show good agreement between the RF induced density fluctuations and the predicted behavior of the kinetic Alfven waves.
PI3K/AKT Pathway Mediates Induction of IL-1RA by TSH in Fibrocytes: Modulation by PTEN

Context: TSH provokes expression of inflammatory genes in CD34+ fibrocytes. These cells appear to infiltrate the orbit in Graves' disease (GD), where they putatively become the CD34+ orbital fibroblast subset (GD-OF). This may have importance in solving the pathogenesis of thyroid-associated ophthalmopathy. The IL-1 family is targeted by TSH in fibrocytes and OFs by inducing secreted IL-1 receptor antagonist (IL-1RA) and intracellular IL-1RA in a cell-specific pattern. Phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K) mediates several TSH actions in thyroid. This pathway is modulated by phosphatase and tensin homolog deleted on chromosome 10 (PTEN). Vanishingly little is known currently about TSHR signaling to IL-1RA expression in nonthyroidal cells. Furthermore, factors modulating TSH action in these cells are largely unexplored. Objectives: To characterize intermediate signaling between TSHR and IL-1RA in fibrocytes and GD-OFs and to begin to identify the proximate regulators of TSHR signaling in nonepithelial, extrathy...
722-6 Prediction of Recovery of Function of Hibernating Myocardium After Coronary Angioplasty: Comparison of Dobutamine Echocardiography and Rest-Redistribution Thallium Tomography

Dobutamine echocardiography (DE) and rest-redistribution Thallium-201 (TI) scintigraphy are promising techniques in the evaluation of myocardial hibernation. To assess the comparative accuracy of both modalities in the prediction of recovery of function following revascularization, 14 patients with chronic stable coronary artery disease and regional dysfunction underwent DE, rest and 4h redistribution TI tomography prior to, and late 16-8 wks) following coronaryangioplasty. Low and high dobutamine doses were used (2.5 up to 40 μg/kg/min). A 13 segment-LV model was used for analysis of both, quantitative TI tomograms and semiquantitative wall motion score (6 grades; hyperkinesia = 0 to dyskinesia = 5). Serial resting echocardiograms were digitized and randomized on a quad-screen. Of 182 segments, 91 had abnormal wall motion of which 54 were revascularized. Seventeen of the 54 revascularized segments (31%) exhibited significant recovery of function ( ≥ 2 grade improvement) at late follow-up. In contrast, of the 37 dysfunctional segments not revascularized, none had improvement in function. In these unrevascularized dysfunctional segments, resting TI uptake was unchanged from preto late post angioplasty (68% vs 63%, P = NS). However, in revascularized segments, a significant improvement in TI uptake was observed, the most pronounced being in segments showing recovery of function (72% to 89%, P = 0.0002, n = 17). Criteria for prediction of recovery of function were, for DE, the presence of biphasic response (augmentation at low dose and worsening at peak dose) and for TI, a resting uptake ≥ 60% or an increase to ≥ 60% upon redistribution). The sensitivity for prediction of recovery of function of individual segments was 94% for DE and 100% for TI tomography with a specificity of 84% for DE and 53% for TI. In false positive segments by TI (n = 18), resting uptake was unchanged after angioplasty (78% vs 83%, P = NS). Analysis by patients showed similar findings: both DE and TI tomography were 100% sensitive with a specificity of 78% and 63%, respectively. Dobutamine echocardiography and rest-redistribution TI tomography are therefore helpful in the assessment of myocardial hibernation. While both tests have similar sensitivity, dobutamine echocardiography appears to have a higher specificity for predicting significant recovery of systolic function following revascularization.
Regulation of gluconeogenesis and glycolysis: studies of mechanisms controlling enzyme activity.

Abstract Various regulatory mechanisms functioning at the enzyme activity and enzyme biosynthetic level in carbohydrate metabolism were explored. The regulatory influences operate on receptor sites on the enzyme molecules and on the enzyme-forming systems. These enzymatic control mechanisms were examined as the basis for rapid and chronic regulation of gluconeogenesis and glycolysis by hormones and regulatory signal molecules. This work presented the effects of NADH, free fatty acids, and other compounds on strategic enzymes of liver carbohydrate metabolism. The selective action of free fatty acids was characterized in terms of inhibition of key enzymes of glycolysis, and the direct oxidative pathway, and of certain enzymes in the Krebs cycle. Since liver pyruvate kinase is pivotal in the regulation of gluconeogenesis and glycolysis, detailed attention was given to the effects of fructose 1,6-diphosphate, ATP, ADP, NADH, magnesium, free fatty acids, and other regulatory molecules on this enzyme.
High Soluble CD30, CD25, and IL-6 May Identify Patients with Worse Survival in CD30+ Cutaneous Lymphomas and Early Mycosis Fungoides

Histopathology alone cannot predict the outcome of patients with CD30+ primary cutaneous lymphoproliferative disorders (CD30CLPD) and early mycosis fungoides (MF). To test the hypothesis that serum cytokines/cytokine receptors provide prognostic information in these disorders, we measured soluble CD30 (sCD30), sCD25, and selected cytokines in cell cultures and sera of 116 patients with CD30CLPD and 96 patients with early MF followed up to 20 years. Significant positive correlation was found between sCD30 levels and sCD25, CD40L, IL-6, and IL-8, suggesting that CD30+ neoplastic cells secrete these cytokines, but not Th2 cytokines. In vitro studies confirmed that sCD30, sCD25, IL-6, and IL-8 are secreted by CD30CLPD-derived cell lines. CD30CLPD patients with above normal sCD30 and sCD25 levels had worse overall and disease-related survivals, but only sCD30 retained significance in Cox models that included advanced age. High sCD30 also identified patients with worse survival in early MF. Increased IL-6 and IL-8 levels correlated with poor disease-related survival in CD30CLPD patients. We conclude that (1) neoplastic cells of some CD30CLPD patients do not resemble Th2 cells, and that (2) high serum sCD30, sCD25, IL-6, and perhaps IL-8 levels may provide prognostic information useful for patient management.
In Search of the Message

I was born in Auckland, New Zealand, in 1933. Hitler was on the rise in Germany, but this was of little concern to most of the inhabitants of this beautiful country so far from the political, economic, and cultural centers of the world. During my early years, my family lived by the seaside, and my sister and I led an idyllic existence playing on the beach, exploring rock pools teeming with life, and climbing the cliffs to see the nests of ocean birds. My exposure to the unique flora and fauna of New Zealand engendered an early interest in biology. I left all this behind when my family moved to the city, where my education began in earnest. This was when atomic bombs were dropped on Japan to end World War II. I did not recognize the moral issues involved in this act, but it stimulated my intense interest in nuclear physics. I was probably one of few elementary school pupils in New Zealand who read about Madame Curie, Niels Bohr, Max Planck, Ernest Lawrence, Enrico Fermi, Walter Heisenberg, Erwin Schrodinger, and, of course, New Zealand's own Ernest Rutherford.
Comments on kenneth M. Bond, “to stay or to leave: The moral dilemma of divestment of South African assets”

We owe Professor Kenneth Bond a good deal of gratitude for having addressed the issue of South African corporate divestment in the highly original way that he does. By asking four central questions, Professor Bond is able to raise discussions of the concept of corporate social responsibility, contemporary theories of justice and morality, and principles of normative ethics, while on the way to answering the general question of whether corporations have any duvy to divest their assets from involvement with the apartheid government of the Republic of South Africa. We are indebted to Professor Bond not only for bringing these philosophical issues to bear on the South African divestment debate, but also for having done so in such a concise and precise way. However, I will take the opportunity of these comments to argue that while Professor Bond's paper raises some of the right questions about corporate divestment, he hasn't raised all of them and in so doing he arrives at the wrong general answer and thereby offers an erronous conclusion about the question of the morality of corporate involvement in South Africa. Since Part I of the paper contains the crux of Professor Bond's analysis of the morality of corporate involvement, I will concentrate on it. In particular I will want to focus on the way in which the last of the four central questions of this part is both formulated and answered, since it is here where Professor Bond puts his own emphasis and it is here where, I think, his paper pivots to either succeed or to fail in proving the general thesis of the work. Before I turn to these
Hypothalamic progesterone implants and facilitation of lordosis behavior in estrogen-primed ovariectomized guinea pigs

Abstract Adult ovariectomized Hartley guinea pigs were bilaterally implanted in the basal hypothalamus or anterior hypothalamic-preoptic area with stainless steel cannulae with removable inserts. In experiment 1, animals received inserts containing crystalline progesterone, 17α-hydroxyprogesterone or cholesterol 36 h after subcutaneous injection of 3.3 μg estradiol benzoate. Regardless of cannula content, about 43% of animals with implants aimed at the basal hypothalamus displayed heat. Lesions or irritation associated with implants in this region may have increased behavioral responsiveness to estrogen. However, control implanted animals (17α-hydroxyprogesterone and cholesterol) tended to have shorter heat durations and more scattered facilitatory implant sites than progesterone implanted animals, suggesting that progesterone might be acting in basal hypothalamus to facilitate lordosis. Progesterone placed in basal anterior hypothalamic-preoptic area did not facilitate lordosis. Progesterone in basal hypothalamus or basal anterior hypothalamic-preoptic area did not produce inhibitory effects on behavior. In experiment 2, a revised procedure was used to control for sexual behavior resulting from estrogen treatment alone. The control procedures revealed that most of the animals with cannulae in the ventromedial-arcuate area displayed lordosis after estradiol benzoate alone. When animals not displaying estrus in response to estradiol benzoate alone were utilized for further implantation, it was clear that progesterone placed in the ventromedial-arcuate-premammillary area facilitated the expression of short latency, long duration heat. However, animals with cannulae in the basal hypothalamus, regardless of cannula content, had short maximum lordoses. No inhibitory effects of progesterone implants (in ventromedial-arcuate-premammillary area) on lordosis were observed. These results suggest that brain sites selectively responsive to the facilitatory actions of progesterone exist in the ventromedial-arcuate-premammillary region and that the whole basal hypothalamus participates in the normal, full expression of guinea pig behavioral estrus.
Contribution of Salmonella Enteritidis virulence factors to intestinal colonization and systemic dissemination in 1-day-old chickens

Salmonella enterica serovar Enteritidis is one of the most common serovars associated with poultry and poultry product contamination in the United States. We previously identified 14 mutant strains of Salmonella Enteritidis phage type 4 (PT4) with significantly reduced invasiveness in human intestinal epithelial cells (Caco-2), chicken macrophages (HD-11), and chicken hepatocellular epithelial cells (LMH). These included Salmonella Enteritidis mutants with transposon insertions in 6 newly identified Salmonella Enteritidis-specific genes (pegD and SEN1393), and genes or genomic islands common to most other Salmonella serovars (SEN0803, SEN0034, SEN2278, and SEN3503) along with 8 genes previously known to contribute to enteric infection (hilA, pipA, fliH, fljB, csgB, spvR, and rfbMN). We hypothesized that Salmonella Enteritidis employs both common Salmonella enterica colonization factors and Salmonella Enteritidis-specific traits to establish infection in chickens. Four Salmonella Enteritidis mutants (SEN0034::Tn5, fliH::Tn5, SEN1393::Tn5, and spvR::Tn5) were indistinguishable from the isogenic wild-type strain when orally inoculated in 1-d-old chickens, whereas 2 mutants (CsgB::Tn5 and PegD::Tn5) were defective for intestinal colonization (P < 0.05) and 8 mutants (hilA::Tn5, SEN3503::Tn5, SEN0803::Tn5, SEN2278::Tn5, fljB::Tn5, rfbM::Tn5, rfbN::Tn5, and pipA::Tn5) showed significant in vivo attenuation in more than one organ (P < 0.05). Complementation studies confirmed the role of rfbN and SEN3503 during infection. This study should contribute to a better understanding of the mechanisms involved in Salmonella Enteritidis pathogenesis, and the target genes identified here could potentially serve as targets for the development of live-attenuated or subunit vaccine.
On the Scaling of Emitter Stripes of SiGe Power HBTs

The emitter stripe width scaling issues for power SiGe HBTs are fully investigated in this work. Both theoretical and experimental results show that the fmax of power SiGe HBTs heavily depends on the emitter stripe width. Different from high speed device design principle, downscale of emitter stripe width is not always valid to improve the performance of power devices due to the presence of significant interconnect resistance. Instead, an optimal emitter stripe width exists, which is decided by both base sheet resistance and total emitter area. Employing a high base doping concentration and with "optimal" emitter stripe width design, the state-of-the-art power SiGe HBTs were successfully developed
A theory of residential location decisions of two-worker households

Abstract This paper presents a model of the residential location of a household with two members working in separate urban employment centers. A three-dimensional bid-rent surface is developed and compared with the bid-rent surfaces for three other types of land users. The resulting bid-rent surfaces are used to describe the location and shape of the regions where these various types of households will choose to reside in an urban community.
HOW TO GRADE 300 MATHEMATICAL ESSAYS AND SURVIVE TO TELL THE TALE

ABSTRACT This paper addresses methods for teaching and grading writing without detracting from the mathematical content of the course. In particular, the author will discuss how to grade a large quantity of essays in a way that is meaningful, equitable to all students, helpful to the students' writing, and time-efficient.
Mechanisms of Androgen-Refractory Prostate Cancer

Prostate cancer is the second-leading cause of cancer-related death among men and the seventh most common cause of death in the United States overall. Most prostate cancers are androgen-dependent, meaning that they respond to androgen-ablation therapy. However, these tumors eventually become androgen-independent and grow despite androgen ablation. When prostate cancer is localized in the prostate, the treatment of choice is prostatectomy or irradiation. However, when the tumor relapses or is already metastatic at diagnosis, therapy is problematic. Androgen ablation has been the main option for unconfined disease for more than 50 years, since Clarence V. Hodges and Charles B. Huggins . . .
Conditions for nondegeneracy in supersymmetric quantum mechanics

It is shown that the positive ''bosonic'' and ''fermionic'' bound-state spectra in spherically symmetric supersymmetric (SUSY) quantum mechanics are degenerate if and only if the superpotential W(r) satisfies deltaequivalentlim/sub r/..-->..0rVertical BarW(r)Vertical Bar> or =0.5. Also, if delta<0.5, then SUSY is broken.
The Relationship Between Oral Malodor, Gingivitis, and Periodontitis. A Review

Volatile sulfur compounds (VSC) are a family of gases which are primarily responsible for halitosis, a condition in which objectionable odors are present in mouth air. Although most patients perceive this condition as primarily a cosmetic problem, an increasing volume of evidence is demonstrating that extremely low concentrations of many of these compounds are highly toxic to tissues. VSC may, therefore, play a role in the pathogenesis of inflammatory conditions such as periodontitis. Since these compounds result from bacterial putrefaction of protein, investigations have been conducted to determine whether specific bacteria are associated with odor production. Two members of this family, hydrogen sulfide (H2S) and methyl mercaptan (CH3SH), are primarily responsible for mouth odor. Although many bacteria produce H2S, the production of CH3SH, especially at high levels, is primarily restricted to periodontal pathogens. Direct exposure to either of these metabolites adversely affects protein synthesis by hum...
Capturing assertions from natural language descriptions

We present a technique to automatically generate formal, executable assertions from natural language assertion descriptions written in English. Assertions are program invariants which are commonly used for result checking in the hardware verification process. We present an attribute grammar which captures the semantics of a subset of English language assertion descriptions. Using the attribute grammar, we parse assertion descriptions and generate semantically equivalent formal models. We have evaluated our technique using a large set of industrial assertion descriptions. We present the successful assertion generation results, as well as the limitations of our approach and methods to address those limitations in the future.
A hierarchical analysis of the interactive effects of elevated CO2 and water availability on the nitrogen and transpiration productivities of velvet mesquite seedlings

In this study we apply new extensions of classical growth analysis to assess the interactive effects of elevated CO2 and differences in water availability on the leaf-nitrogen and transpiration productivities of velvet mesquite (Prosopis velutina Woot.) seedlings. The models relate transpiration productivity (biomass gained per mass of water transpired per day) and leaf-nitrogen productivity (biomass gain per unit leaf N per day) to whole-plant relative growth rate (RGR) and to each other, allowing a comprehensive hierarchical analysis of how physiological and morphological responses to the treatments interact with each other to affect plant growth. Elevated CO2 led to highly significant increases in N and transpiration productivities but reduced leaf N per unit leaf area and transpiration per unit leaf area, resulting in no net effect of CO2 on the RGR of seedlings. In contrast, higher water availability led to an increase in leaf-tissue thickness or density without affecting leaf N concentration, resulting in a higher leaf N per unit leaf area and consequently a higher assimilatory capacity per unit leaf area. The net effect was a marginal increase in seedling RGR. Perhaps most important from an ecological perspective was a 41% reduction in whole-plant water use due to elevated CO2. These results demonstrate that even in the absence of CO2 effects on integrative measures of plant growth such as RGR, highly significant effects may be observed at the physiological and morphological level that effectively cancel each other out. The quantitative framework presented here enables some of these tradeoffs to be identified and related directly to each other and to plant growth.
Modelling monopolist pricing and protection period decisions for new products under warranty

The main objectives of this paper are to propose diffusion models that incorporate price and warranty period, to derive optimal pricing and warranty period policies over the planning horizon and to choose among alternative model specifications. The study assumes low discount rates and significant effect of experience on production costs. Four high-priced consumer durables are analysed for which penetration, price and warranty data are available. Empirical research findings suggest that for the products under study, price and warranty period play a significant role in the diffusion process. Theoretical research findings imply that previous monopolist pricing results are in general robust upon the inclusion of the additional marketing variable in the diffusion model. The warranty period is found to be dependent on the pricing policy and influenced considerably by the shape of the pricing response function.
A Measure of Association for Bivariate Frailty Distributions

A general formula is derived for the variance of Kendall's coefficient of concordance for absolutely continuous bivariate distributions generated by frailties. The formula is specialized to the case of Gumbel's Type II distribution of extreme values, which arises when the frailty has a positive stable distribution. A new diagnostic is suggested for the goodness of fit of a bivariate frailty distribution, based on the value of Kendall's tau for a truncated sample. It is shown that as a function of the proportion of the sample truncated, this truncated tau characterizes the original frailty distribution. The methods are applied to some cable insulation failure data.
Brief bursts of parallel fiber activity trigger calcium signals in bergmann glia.

Changes in synaptic strength during ongoing activity are often mediated by neuromodulators. At the synapse between cerebellar granule cell parallel fibers (PFs) and Purkinje cells (PCs), brief bursts of stimuli can evoke endocannabinoid release from PCs and GABA release from interneurons that both inhibit transmission by activating presynaptic G-protein-coupled receptors. Studies in several brain regions suggest that synaptic activity can also evoke calcium signals in astrocytes, thereby causing them to release a transmitter, which acts presynaptically to regulate neurotransmitter release. In the cerebellum, Bergmann glia cells (BGs) are intimately associated with PF synapses. However, the mechanisms leading to calcium signals in BGs under physiological conditions and the role of BGs in regulating ongoing synaptic transmission are poorly understood. We found that brief bursts of PF activity evoke calcium signals in BGs that are triggered by the activation of metabotropic glutamate receptor 1 and purinergic receptors and mediated by calcium release from IP 3 -sensitive internal stores. We found no evidence for modulation of release from PFs mediated by BGs, even when endocannabinoid- and GABA-mediated presynaptic modulation was prominent. Thus, despite the fact that PF activation can reliably evoke calcium transients within BGs, it appears that BGs do not regulate synaptic transmission on the time scale of seconds to tens of seconds. Instead, endocannabinoid release from PCs and GABA release from molecular layer interneurons provide the primary means of feedback that dynamically regulate release from PF synapses.
β‐adrenergic receptors regulate astrogliosis and cell proliferation in the central nervous system in vivo

Astrocytes express several cell surface receptors including the beta 2 -adrenergic receptor. To explore whether beta-adrenergic receptors (beta-ARs) directly regulate astrogliosis and glial scar formation, we evaluated the effects of beta-AR activation and blockade on astrocyte hypertrophy and cell proliferation in rabbit optic nerves in vivo. Artificial cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), isoproterenol (ISO; a beta-agonist), or propranolol (PROP; a beta-antagonist) were infused via osmotic minipumps into non-injured and crushed optic nerves for 14 days. Changes in nerve cell numbers and astroglial hypertrophy were monitored by ethidium bromide nuclear staining and glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) immunohistochemistry, respectively. In non-injured nerves infused with CSF or PROP, there were no alterations in GFAP-immunoreactivity or cell numbers compared to normal optic nerves; however, in non-injured nerves infused with ISO, there was a significant increase in both GFAP-immunoreactivity and cell number. In crushed optic nerves, there was a significant increase in both GFAP-immunoreactivity and cell number compared to normal nerves, and this increase was not altered by infusion of either CSF or ISO. In contrast, PROP infusion significantly reduced the crush-induced increase in GFAP-immunofluorescence and cell number. These findings suggest that a) beta-AR activation, in the absence of injury, can promote astroglial hypertrophy and cell proliferation; b) after injury, beta-AR activation drives injury-induced astrogliosis and cell proliferation; c) astrocyte beta-ARs are maximally stimulated after neuronal injury; and d) neuronal regeneration may be influenced, both positively and negatively, through the pharmacological manipulation of glial receptors.
Effects of limb exercise after spinal cord injury on motor neuron dendrite structure

An integration center subserving locomotor leg movements resides in the upper lumbar spinal cord. If this neuronal network is preserved after a spinal cord injury, it is possible to stimulate this circuitry to initiate and promote walking. The several effective approaches (electrical stimulation, pharmacologic agents, physical therapy training programs) may all share a common modus operandi of altering synaptic activity within segmental spinal cord. To understand the neural substrate for the use-dependent behavioral improvement, we studied the dendritic architecture of spinal motor neurons. In the first experiment, we compared three groups of animals: animals with an intact spinal cord, animals that had a complete spinal cord transection (SCT) and animals with SCT who engaged in a daily exercise program of actively moving paralyzed hindlimbs through the motions of walking. When compared with animals with an intact spinal cord, the motor neurons from animals with SCT displayed marked atrophy, with loss of dendritic membrane and elimination of branching throughout the visible tree within transverse tissue slices. None of these regressive changes were found in the motor neurons from SCT animals that underwent exercise. In a second experiment, we inquired whether exercise of animals with an intact spinal cord influenced dendrite structure. Increased exercise had very modest effects on dendrite morphology, indicating an upper limit of use-dependent dendrite growth. Our findings suggest that the dendritic tree of motor neurons deprived of descending influences is rapidly pruned, and this finding is not observed in motor neurons after SCT if hindlimbs are exercised. The functional benefits of exercise after SCT injury may be subserved, in part, by stabilizing or remodeling the dendritic tree of motor neurons below the injury site.
Angiotensin and renal disease: the jury is still out.

To the Editor: In their meta-analysis, MacKinnon et al1 concluded that combining an angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor with an angiotensin receptor blocker provides an additional decrease in proteinuria over monotherapy with an angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor. The analysis confirms the safety of combination therapy. However, we have concerns with the finding of a superior decrease in proteinuria with combination therapy because the latter results may be susceptible to bias through heterogeneity. MacKinnon et al1 appropriately did not perform a meta-analysis on the parallel-group trials because of heterogeneity.2 Although the investigators also found significant heterogeneity among the crossover trials, they nevertheless proceeded to perform a meta-analysis. These trials were clinically heterogeneous, studying patients with chronic kidney disease resulting from diabetes and other nephropathies and with baseline proteinuria ranging from protein of 0.9 to 7.9 g/d. To better assess the level of statistical heterogeneity, we calculated an I-squared statistic of 82% for the analysis of effects of combination therapy on proteinuria; values greater than 50% represent significant heterogeneity.2,3 The investigators appropriately attempted to elucidate the cause of heterogeneity through a subgroup analysis by cause of renal disease. Unfortunately, their conclusion, that combination therapy may provide additional benefit for patients with nondiabetic kidney disease compared with patients with diabetes, also is burdened by statistical heterogeneity. Because there is significant residual heterogeneity even in subgroup analysis, we should be wary of any inferences on the effect of combination therapy on proteinuria and await results from larger trials.
Reforming practice or modifying reforms?: Elementary teachers' response to the tools of reform

Understanding the interaction between internally constructed and externally imposed aspects of the teaching context may be the missing link between calls for school reform and teachers' interpretation and implementation of that reform. Although the context of the local school culture has a profound impact on teachers, there are other external forces that are specifically aimed at influencing teachers' pedagogical and curricular decisions. These externally imposed aspects of context include some of the existing tools of reform, such as national standards, mandated state core curricula, and related criterion-referenced testing. However, little is known about how these reform tools impact teachers' thinking about science and science teaching or how teachers respond to such tools. This study examined the interactions between individual teachers' beliefs about teaching and learning science in elementary school and the tools of reform that are imposed upon them. Comparative case studies were conducted in which two elementary teachers' science instruction, teaching context, and related beliefs were examined, described, and analyzed. In this study, the teachers' fundamental beliefs about science and what it means to teach and learn science influenced their interpretations of the sometimes contradictory messages of reform as they are represented in the standards, mandated curriculum, and end-of-level tests. Suggestions about what these findings mean for needed aspects of teacher professional development are offered. 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Res Sci Teach 44: 396-423, 2007
Are Acquisitions Unique? Evidence of the Pedestrian Nature of Post-Merger Returns

This paper compares firm stock returns associated with acquired and organic (non-acquired) asset growth. Using a large sample of U.S. firms, we show that the poor post-deal returns that have been associated with acquisitions are not unique but similar to the returns of other firms that grow organically at the same rate. This observation calls into question a large existing literature by asserting that the distinguishing characteristic associated with acquiring firms is simply their tendency to expand their balance sheet. Tests using analyst forecast errors and operating returns provide similar patterns. By proposing that investors systematically and symmetrically overcapitalize acquired and organic growth, the findings reframe our understanding of both the merger and asset growth literature.
Cognitive Performance in Senile Dementia of the Alzheimer’s Type: The Kitchen Task Assessment

The Kitchen Task Assessment (KTA) is a functional measure that records the level of cognitive support required by a person with Senile Dementia of the Alzheimer's Type (SDAT) to complete a cooking task successfully. The results allow the clinician to help caregivers understand the level of support the impaired person needs to perform daily living tasks. This paper presents the validity and internal consistency of the KTA. Data were collected from 106 persons diagnosed with SDAT. Construct validity was established by examining the relationship between subjects' performance on the KTA and standard neuropsychological measures.
Hard Times and Heart Break Linking Economic Hardship and Relationship Distress

We used the Fragile Families and Child Well-Being Study to examine an integrated mediational model linking economic hardship to relationship distress. Depressive symptoms, partner’s discord, parenting stress, and coparenting are combined into a joint model linking economic hardship to relationship distress among mothers and fathers in intimate relationships. Although economic hardship is significantly associated with each mediating factor, only discord is associated with both relationship distress and dissolution in the full model. Moreover, comparisons using multigroup structural equation modeling indicate that while economic hardship is associated with higher discord among both mothers and fathers, the influence is substantially larger among fathers. We suggest that the link between hardship and relationship distress is largely contingent on interactional processes (i.e., discord) and how mothers perceive their child’s father in the midst of economic hard times.
The Link Between Environmental Variation and Evolutionary Shifts in Dormancy in Zooplankton

Sex and dormancy are intertwined in organisms that engage in asexual and sexual reproduction. The transition between asexual and sexual reproduction typically results in a dormant stage that provides a mechanism for persisting under harsh environmental conditions. For example, many zooplankton engage in sexual reproduction when environmental conditions deteriorate and produce resting eggs that remain viable for decades. It has long been assumed that observed variation in the timing and magnitude of investment into a dormant stage among populations or species reflects local environmental conditions. Yet, the importance of dormancy for the persistence of a given population can differ dramatically among habitats (i.e., permanent vs. seasonal ponds). As a result, environmental conditions may exert selection on the propensity for zooplankton to engage in sexual reproduction and enter dormancy in natural populations. Here, I highlight a growing body of research illustrating an important link between environmental conditions and divergent reproductive strategies in zooplankton. I specifically: (1) review the environmental cues that initiate a transition between asexual and sexual reproduction in zooplankton and (2) describe recent work demonstrating an evolutionary consequence of ecological selective pressures, such as predation and habitat predictability, on variation in the extent to which organisms engage in sex and enter dormancy. Such results have implications for the genetics and ecology of these organisms.
Secreted 3-isopropylmalate methyl ester signals invasive growth during amino acid starvation in Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

The Saccharomyces cereVisiae methyltransferase encoded by TMT1 catalyzes the AdoMet- dependent monomethylation of 3-isopropylmalate, an intermediate of the leucine biosynthetic pathway. The biological significance of methylating 3-isopropylmalate and the relationship between Tmt1 and the leucine biosynthetic pathway is not yet established. We present evidence here showing that methylation of 3-isopropylmalate functions to extracellularly signal yeast to grow invasively. We show that methyl esterification generates 3-isopropylmalate-1-methyl ester. We find that the Tmt1 methyltransferase functions independently of the biosynthetic pathway but is induced when cells are starved for amino acids; the largest induction is observed with the removal of leucine from the media. This amino acid starvation stress response is controlled by the transcriptional activator Gcn4. After methylation, 3-isopropylmalate methyl ester is secreted into the media within 3 h. Thin layer chromatography and gas chromatography mass spectroscopy confirm that the intact molecule is secreted. Finally, we show that purified 3-isopropylmalate methyl ester can enhance the ability of the haploid yeast strain 10560-23C to grow invasively. Our data identifies 3-isopropylmalate methyl ester as an autoinductive molecule that provides a signal to yeast to switch from vegetative to invasive growth in response to amino acid starvation.
Real-Time Reference-Free Video Quality Measurement for Multimedia Communication

In this paper, we proposed a reference-free (RF) objective measurement algorithm for the digital video signals of multimedia communication. With the statistical analysis, we utilized the important feature vectors (FVs) which have high relationships with the subjective perceptual quality of digital video sequences. After considering the fundamentality and force of these FVs, we combined them with different weighted coefficients to build an ideal video quality measurement algorithm. With our simulation results, the proposed method exhibits its significant function for video quality measurement (VQM). It can give a high correlation with the subjective perceptual video quality score. And because of its low computational complexity, it can be used to the real-time multimedia communication systems.
A high-temperature displacement-sensitive indenter for studying mechanical properties of thermal barrier coatings

Electron beam physical-vapor-deposited Y 2 O 3 -stabilized ZrO 2 thermal barrier coating (TBC) samples were indented from room temperature to 900 °C using an instrumented high-temperature vacuum displacement-sensitive indenter. Hardness and elastic modulus were determined from the load-displacement curves recorded during indentation. Both the hardness and the elastic modulus of the TBCs were much lower than those of dense ceramics of a similar composition; this is attributed to the increased compliance that results from the porous columnar microstructure of the TBCs. In addition, the TBCs showed an unusual absence of elastic recovery at the residual indents compared to the dense ceramics.
Visual Hints for Tangible Gestures in Augmented Reality

Tangible augmented reality (AR) systems imbue physical objects with the ability to act and respond in new ways. In particular, physical objects and gestures made with them gain meaning that does not exist outside the tangible AR environment. The existence of this new set of possible actions and outcomes is not always apparent, making it necessary to learn new movements or gestures. Addressing this opportunity, we present visual hints, which are graphical representations in AR of potential actions and their consequences in the augmented physical world. Visual hints enable discovery, learning, and completion of gestures and manipulation in tangible AR. Here, we discuss our investigation of a variety of representations of visual hints and methods for activating them. We then describe a specific implementation that supports gestures developed for a tangible AR user interface to an electronic field guide for botanists, and present results from a pilot study.
When the sexes need not differ: Emotional responses to the sexual and emotional aspects of infidelity

This study assessed whether previously reported sex differences in jealousy could be accounted for by other related emotions. Participants were presented with hypothetical scenarios involving both a sexual and an emotional infidelity, then were asked how jealous, angry, hurt, and disgusted they would be (using continuous scales). The results replicate the sex difference in response to sexual and emotional infidelity, demonstrate that it is robust when continuous measures are used, and confirm that it is unique to jealousy. Sex differences did not emerge for anger, hurt, or disgust. Instead, sexual infidelity elicited greater anger and disgust, and less hurt, than emotional infidelity, for both women and men. The results also suggest that it is the jealous response to an emotional infidelity that best discriminates women from men, and that both women and those participants in a serious, committed relationship reported significantly greater intensity in their emotional reactions, as compared to men and those not in a committed relationship. According to evolutionary theorists, sex differences often stem from the different reproductive challenges faced by men and women (Kenrick, Sadalla, Groth, & Trost, 1990). Because a woman carries the fetus and gives birth to the resulting child, she is assured of the genetic link between herself and the child—an assurance distinctly lacking for her male partner. Daly, Wilson, and Weghorst (1982; see also Symons, 1979) suggested that male sexual jealousy may have arisen as a solution to this problem of parental uncertainty. A woman, in contrast, faces the problem of ensuring paternal investment—ensuring that her mate will invest his resources into the upbringing of her offspring rather than divert
Taking the Show on the Road: Special Collections Instruction in the Campus Classroom

Introduction Teaching with primary source materials is unquestionably “hot” in higher education. Teaching faculty, administrative bodies, and even students are now beginning to understand what special collections librarians have always known: working with authentic rare books, manuscripts, or archival documents produces a particularly stimulating educational environment, and physically handling original materials fuels lively discussion, generates uncommon ideas, and cultivates critical thinking. Special collections librarians have spent considerable time and energy over the past decade building relationships and creating outreach programs that show how a visit to special collections to interpret actual primary sources can provoke an unusual level of critical . . .
Small-scale oxygen fluxes and remineralization in sinking aggregates

Sinking aggregates are the major component of the vertical particulate flux in most regions of the ocean. Controlling factors for aggregate remineralization rates and solute exchange with the surrounding water, however, are poorly quantified because of few empirical data. To study the role of flow and diffusion on aggregate remineralization rates, oxygen distributions were mapped within and around aggregates by use of microelectrodes in a flow field similar to that experienced by sinking aggregates. The oxygen distribution was asymmetrical with a wake of undersaturated water at the rear (downstream) of the aggregates. Oxygen concentrations within the aggregates were .80% of air saturation. The diffusive fluxes of oxygen at the aggregate-water interface were similar along the equator and at the downstream pole for a wide range of different aggregate sources (field-sampled diatom aggregates, lab-made diatom aggregates, aggregates formed from freeze-thawed diatoms, and zooplankton detritus aggregates) measured at various temperatures. Remineralization rates were reaction limited and, hence, determined by substrate quality and quantity rather than by transport-limited oxygen supply during sedimentation at ambient oxygen concentrations above ;25 mM.
On Lyapunov stability of scalar stochastic time-delayed systems

In this paper, we obtain an analytical Lyapunov- based stability conditions for scalar linear and nonlinear stochastic systems with discrete time-delay. The Lyapunov–Krasovskii and Lyapunov–Razumikhin methods are applied with techniques from stochastic calculus to obtain the regions of mean square asymptotic stability in the parameter space. Both delay-independent and delay-dependent stability conditions are analyzed corresponding to both additive and multiplicative stochastic Brownian motion excitation in the Ito form. It is also shown that the derived sufficient conditions are less conservative in comparison with other numerical LMI-based Lyapunov approaches. A range of different stability charts are obtained based on the derived Lyapunov-based stability criteria, which are also compared with numerical first and second moment stability boundaries computed using the stochastic semidiscretization method. A Lipschitz condition is used to treat nonlinear functions of the current and delayed states.
Technical change and US economic growth: the interwar period and the 1990s

Introduction Looking back over the twentieth century, the years 1948–1973 stand out as the “golden age” of labor productivity growth and living standard improvement in the United States – the result of a combination of respectable multifactor productivity (MEP) growth and robust rates of capital deepening. The period 1973–1989, in contrast, was the most disappointing, because of the virtual collapse of multifactor productivity growth during these years. The contrast between these periods gave rise to a raft of studies trying to pinpoint the causes of the slowdown in MFP growth and, as a consequence, labor productivity growth. More recently, attention has shifted towards determining the contribution of the IT revolution to the revival of productivity growth in the 1990s. Most of these studies, however, embrace an historical perspective that reaches back no further than 1948, the year in which most of the standard series maintained by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) begin. This chapter, in contrast, pushes the time horizon back to the beginning of the twentieth century, with particular attention to the period following the First World War and preceding US entry into the Second World War in 1941. It combines a summary of the magnitude and sources of productivity advance during the interwar years (for more details, see Field, 2003, 2006a) with a comparative examination of progress during the last decade of the century.