cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
John Denis McGarry, PhD: A Remembrance of a Master Metabolic Physiologist.

John Denis McGarry, PhD (“Denis” to all who knew him), was the most charming and engaging man that I have ever known. He was also one of the most thoughtful and impactful scientists of his generation. Although remarkably talented, Denis was a humble man. This quality can be traced to his birth and upbringing in Widnes, a working-class town in northwest England near Liverpool. His father Cornelius McGarry was English, and his mother Sarah O’Dell was Irish. Cornelius worked in a chemical production plant making sulfuric acid, and his mother cared for Denis and his two sisters Ann and Pat. They were “quite poor but thrifty,” according to Denis’s wife Angela. Denis went to a local public school until the age of 11 and then won a scholarship to attend St. Francis Xavier’s College Catholic boys school from age 11 until graduation at age 18. During this period, Denis visited a research laboratory at the University of Liverpool and was intrigued by what he saw. Denis was an excellent student and was able to secure scholarships to attend The University of Manchester, where he earned both his Bachelor of Science and PhD degrees, the latter in 1966. His career-long focus on regulation of intermediary metabolism began with his PhD studies with Brian Hodgson at The University of Manchester, where he studied the metabolic fates of radiolabeled propionate in the bacterium Moraxella lwoffi (1,2). He also performed a postgraduate fellowship with Hugh K. King at the University of Liverpool and then moved with Professor King to The University College of Wales, Aberystwyth, where he performed studies on bacterial lipoamide dehydrogenase (3). Left: Young Denis circa 1944. Right: J. Denis McGarry earns his PhD, The University of Manchester, 1966. Denis met Angela Caldwell, also from Widnes, through friends, and …
Dimensions of Growth? Examining the Distinctiveness of the Five Factors of the Posttraumatic Growth Inventory.

Posttraumatic growth, defined as positive transformation following trauma, is commonly measured using the Posttraumatic Growth Inventory (PTGI; Tedeschi & Calhoun, 1996) and is postulated to comprise five distinct domains: Changes in Relationships, Life Possibilities, Personal Strength, Spirituality, and Appreciation of Life. However, research has indicated that the model fit is not good and the factors are highly intercorrelated. Further, no studies have formally examined the heterogeneity of correlations of the five factors with external constructs. In an effort to examine the construct validity of the five-factor model of the PTGI, the present study aimed to examine the degree to which the theorized five factors demonstrate meaningful differential associations with relevant external correlates. Participants were 400 undergraduate students who reported having experienced a stressful event and completed the Life Events Checklist for DSM-5, PTGI, Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Checklist for DSM-5, Grit Scale-12, Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale-10, and Work and Social Adjustment Scale. We found few instances of significant differentiation, and effect sizes for pairwise comparisons were generally small, Cohen's qs = 0.01-0.35. Although factor analytic evidence suggests there are five distinct underlying constructs, our results indicated that these factors do not significantly differ in their associations with external correlates. Implications for use of the PTGI and future research directions are discussed.
Characterization of cardiac Na+Ca2+-exchange by site-directed polyclonal antibodies

Abstract Cardiac Na + Ca + -exchange is an integral membrane protein consisting of approx. 970 amino acids with as many as 12 membrane-spanning and 11 extramembranal regions (Nicoll, D.A., Lognoni S. and Philipson K.D. (1985) Science 250, 562–565). Based upon primary sequence information, 3 amino-acid sequences located in either extramembranal segment a or f, consisting largely of acidic amino-acids, were selected for the production of synthetic peptides. The peptides were cross-linked to carrier ovalbumin and used to generate site-directed polyclonal antibodies (sd-Ab). Western blot analysis of bovine cardiac sarcolemmal (SL) proteins demonstrated that sd-Ab against segment a and 1 against loop f recognized a 70 kDa protein and a lower molecular mass band at 55 kDa under reducing conditions. A different loop f sd-Ab failed to recognize the 70 kDa protein but did associate with a 120, 65 and 55 kDa protein under the same conditions. Under non-reducing conditions, antibodies to all three peptides recognized the 65 kDa protein. All sd-Ab were blocked by addition of their respective peptides and were not inhibited by either of the other peptides. A sd-Ab against loop f was immobilized to an affinity support matrix and used to immunoprecipitate detergent solubilized cardiac SL vesicle protein. Immunoprecipitated protein was reconstituted into proteoliposomes which demonstrated Na + Ca + -exchange activity. Immunoprecipitated protein cross-reacted with sd-Ab against all three peptides with bands at 120, 70 and 55 kDa on Western blots. Tryptic digests of native SL vesicles abolished recognition of segment a sd-Ab for SL proteins while having little or no affect on reactivity to the protein by both sd-Ab against loop f. Digestion of the SL vesicle protein with endoproteinase Arg C did not alter sd-Ab recognition. The results suggest that specific domains of the cardiac Na + Ca + -exchange r depending upon the conformation of the protein, may not be available for antibody binding. The 70 kDa polypeptide appears to include the N-terminal region of the protein and what is believed to be a large cytoplasmic extramembranal loop. Limited proteolysis by trypsin and endoproteinase Arg C yielded results consistent with the model which places the N-terminus of the protein on the extracellular surface and a large extramembranal segment (loop f) on the cytoplasmic side of the SL membrane.
Wireless Telecommunications Issues: Cell Phone TV, Wireless Networks in Disaster Management, Ubiquitous Computing, and Adoption of Future Wireless Applications

This paper is a summary of a 2007 Association for Information Systems Americas Conference on Information Systems (AMCIS) panel discussion regarding current mobile wireless issues and technologies. The invited panelists are four faculty members specializing in information systems from the United States. The covered topics included cell phone TV and misconceptions surrounding it, wireless networks in disaster management, ubiquitous computing including “anatomy of a mote” and sensors, and the adoption of future wireless applications. First, we present wireless cell phone TV as a functioning multipurpose computer, or a “Swiss army knife,” of media devices. The misconceptions are stated, influenced by preconceived notions by the media critics as well as users. Next we discuss a range of wireless technologies including wearable computing, ad hoc and mesh wireless networks as a means of providing communications for first respondents during a natural or man-made disaster. Then we examine the anatomy of motes and RFIDs, including sensors, in an era of ubiquitous computing and a world of (inter-)connected objects. Finally, we discuss the socio-cultural constructs impacting users’ intentions to adopt future wireless applications.
Predictors of residency status in chronically institutionalized and community dwelling schizophrenia patients.

Abstract Background This cross-sectional study contrasted chronically hospitalized schizophrenia (SZ) spectrum disorder inpatients to SZ community dwelling patients on measures of psychopathology, social competence, neuropsychological performance and real-world functioning in order to discern factors predictive of patients' residency status and to characterize the contrasting ends of the SZ outcome continuum. Method Subjects included 26 chronic SZ patients hospitalized continuously on average for 12.8 years, and 26 SZ patients with a history of at least 18 months tenure in community placement. Results A series of multivariate analyses revealed both chronically hospitalized and community dwelling patients were similar in terms of their real world functioning abilities such as work skills, interpersonal skills, self-care skills and community engagement. Chronic SZ inpatients' manifested more severe functional competency and neurocognitive deficits relative to outpatients. Additionally, chronic inpatients were discriminated from community dwelling outpatients by their symptom severity and commitment of more socially undesirable/antisocial type behaviors. Conclusions Factors associated with chronic institutionalization are, in part, related to commission of antisocial type behaviors, as well as poor social and neurocognitive competences, and total symptom severity rather than deficits in everyday functional abilities.
Delineation of Human Carotid Plaque Features In Vivo by Exploiting Displacement Variance

While in vivo acoustic radiation force impulse (ARFI)-induced peak displacement (PD) has been demonstrated to have high sensitivity and specificity for differentiating soft from stiff plaque components in patients with carotid plaque, the parameter exhibits poorer performance for distinguishing between plaque features with similar stiffness. To improve discrimination of carotid plaque features relative to PD, we hypothesize that signal correlation and signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) can be combined, outright or via displacement variance. Plaque feature detection by displacement variance, evaluated as the decadic logarithm of the variance of acceleration and termed “log(VoA),” was compared to that achieved by exploiting SNR, cross correlation coefficient, and ARFI-induced PD outcome metrics. Parametric images were rendered for 25 patients undergoing carotid endarterectomy, with spatially matched histology confirming plaque composition and structure. On average, across all plaques, log(VoA) was the only outcome metric with values that statistically differed between regions of lipid-rich necrotic core (LRNC), intraplaque hemorrhage (IPH), collagen (COL), and calcium (CAL). Further, log(VoA) achieved the highest contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR) for discriminating between LRNC and IPH, COL and CAL, and grouped soft (LRNC and IPH) and stiff (COL and CAL) plaque components. More specifically, relative to the previously demonstrated ARFI PD parameter, log(VoA) achieved 73% higher CNR between LRNC and IPH and 59% higher CNR between COL and CAL. These results suggest that log(VoA) enhances the differentiation of LRNC, IPH, COL, and CAL in human carotid plaques, in vivo , which is clinically relevant to improving stroke risk prediction and medical management.
Comparative analysis of Airborne Visible/Infrared Imaging Spectrometer (AVIRIS), and Hyperspectral Thermal Emission Spectrometer (HyTES) longwave infrared (LWIR) hyperspectral data for geologic mapping

Airborne Visible/Infrared Imaging Spectrometer (AVIRIS) and spatially coincident Hyperspectral Thermal Emission Spectrometer (HyTES) data were used to map geology and alteration for a site in northern Death Valley, California and Nevada, USA. AVIRIS, with 224 bands at 10 nm spectral resolution over the range 0.4 – 2.5 μm at 3-meter spatial resolution were converted to reflectance using an atmospheric model. HyTES data with 256 bands at approximately 17 nm spectral resolution covering the 8 – 12 μm range at 4-meter spatial resolution were converted to emissivity using a longwave infrared (LWIR) radiative transfer atmospheric compensation model and a normalized temperature-emissivity separation approach. Key spectral endmembers were separately extracted for each wavelength region and identified, and the predominant material at each pixel was mapped for each range using Mixture-Tuned-Matched Filtering (MTMF), a partial unmixing approach. AVIRIS mapped iron oxides, clays, mica, and silicification (hydrothermal alteration); and the difference between calcite and dolomite. HyTES separated and mapped several igneous phases (not possible using AVIRIS), silicification, and validated separation of calcite from dolomite. Comparison of the material maps from the different modes, however, reveals complex overlap, indicating that multiple materials/processes exist in many areas. Combined and integrated analyses were performed to compare individual results and more completely characterize occurrences of multiple materials. Three approaches were used 1) integrated full-range analysis, 2) combined multimode classification, and 3) directed combined analysis in geologic context. Results illustrate that together, these two datasets provide an improved picture of the distribution of geologic units and subsequent alteration.
INTERRELATIONS OF RES ENDOCYTIC AND EXOCYTIC FUNCTIONS WITH GLUCOSE HOMEOSTASIS IN THE PATHOGENESIS OF ENDOTOXIN SHOCK

Publisher Summary This chapter describes the interrelations of reticuloendothelial system (RES) endocytic and exocytic functions with glucose homeostasis in the pathogenesis of endotoxin shock. Numerous lines of evidence support a key role for the RES in the pathogenesis of circulatory shock in general and endotoxin shock in particular. As hypoglycemia and RES depression are major factors leading to irreversibility and death following the administration of endotoxin, the question of whether hypoglycemia contributes to the loss of RES phagocytic function is of great interest. Buchanan and Filkins demonstrated a progressive increase in half-time of intravascular carbon clearance with decreasing plasma glucose levels; at glucose levels less than 30 mg/dl, maximal depression was observed. This depression of the RES was also extended to the clearance of test doses of endotoxin following induction of hypoglycemia. The chapter presents some studies demonstrating the effects of hypoglycemia on RES function using in vivo bouts of hypoglycemia induced by regular and long-acting insulin. Plasma glucose levels in both insulin-treated groups showed marked hypoglycemia. Glucose continued to decline in the regular insulin group, remained stable in the long-acting insulin group, and increased slightly in the control group during the clearance period.
Sensitivity of Cn2 in the Marine Environment to Different Empirical Refractive Index Equations

The refractive structure parameter (Cn2) are sensitive to the various formulations of the refractive index (n). The small differences in Cn2 may result in measurable difference in the high energy laser weapon performance.
Drying Complex Porous Materials-Modelling and Experiments

Most of the information which is available in the drying literature is theroetical and deals with homogeneous, isotropic materials. In practice many materials of interest are both heterogeneous and anisotropic. In this paper past modelling efforts will be reviewed and some recent results for complex materials will be presented. The importance of experimental measurements to compliment modelling efforts is emphasized through the presentation of experimental results which utilized gamma attenuation to obtain saturation distributions and infra-red absoprtion to measure local surface moisture content. These experimental rsults demonstrate that under certain conditions a drying front develops at the interior as well as at the surface.
“How did you learn to map?” A model for describing influential learning experiences in geologic mapping

As much as we think of a geologic map as objective, it is filtered through the experiences of individual geologists and the larger geology community. Thus it is important to understand how geologis...
Trainee Autonomy in Minimally Invasive General Surgery in the United States: Establishing a National Benchmark

Objective Minimally invasive surgery (MIS) is an integral component of General Surgery training and practice. Yet, little is known about how much autonomy General Surgery residents achieve in MIS procedures, and whether that amount is sufficient. This study aims to establish a contemporary benchmark for trainee autonomy in MIS procedures. We hypothesize that trainees achieve progressive autonomy, but fail to achieve meaningful autonomy in a substantial percentage of MIS procedures prior to graduation. Setting/Participants Fifty General Surgery residency programs in the United States, from September 1, 2015 to March 19, 2020. All Categorical General Surgery Residents and Attending Surgeons within these programs were eligible. Design Data were collected prospectively from attending surgeons and categorical General Surgery residents. Trainee autonomy was assessed using the 4-level Zwisch scale (Show and Tell, Active Help, Passive Help, and Supervision Only) on a smartphone application (SIMPL). MIS procedures included all laparoscopic, thoracoscopic, endoscopic, and endovascular/percutaneous procedures performed by residents during the study. Primary outcomes of interest were “meaningful autonomy” rates (i.e., scores in the top 2 categories of the Zwisch scale) by postgraduate year (PGY), and “progressive autonomy” (i.e., differences in autonomy between PGYs) in MIS procedures, as rated by attending surgeons. Primary outcomes were determined with descriptive statistics, one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) and Z-tests. Secondary analyses compared (i) progressive autonomy between common MIS procedures, and (ii) progressive autonomy in MIS vs. non-MIS procedures. Results A total of 106,054 evaluations were performed across 50 General Surgery residency programs, of which 38,985 (37%) were for MIS procedures. Attendings performed 44,842 (42%) of all evaluations, including 16,840 (43%) of MIS evaluations, while residents performed the rest. Overall, meaningful autonomy in MIS procedures increased from 14.1% (PGY1s) to 75.9% (PGY5s), with significant (p Conclusions US General Surgery residents receive progressive autonomy in MIS procedures, and appear to progress more rapidly in MIS versus non-MIS procedures. However, residents fail to achieve meaningful autonomy in nearly 25% of MIS cases in their final year of residency, with higher rates of meaningful autonomy only achieved in a small subset of basic MIS procedures.
A Multi-Method, Multi-Informant Test of Maternal Emotion Socialization in Relation to Adolescent Fears of Social Evaluation

Fears of negative and positive social evaluation are considered potential transdiagnostic mechanisms underpinning multiple internalizing disorders and impairments in adolescence. Although emotion socialization processes have been associated with adolescents’ internalizing symptoms, the socialization of distinct fears of social evaluation has not been studied. Thus, the goal of the current study was to test whether mother’s emotion expression, direct messages, responses to emotions, and parenting behaviors interact with adolescents’ gender and temperamental shyness in relation to fears of negative and positive evaluation. A community sample of 107 adolescents ages 11 to 14 (M = 12.39; Girls = 45.8%) and their mothers completed survey measures of emotion socialization, temperament, and fears of social evaluation, in addition to participating in a speech preparation task used to code observed behaviors. For shy adolescents, adolescent-reported maternal cautious messages about social evaluation were associated with greater fears of positive evaluation, while encouraging messages were linked to less fears of positive evaluation. Further, maternal self-reported warmth was associated with fewer fears of negative and positive for shy adolescents, while supportive responses to emotions were linked to higher fears of positive evaluation for boys. Among girls, maternal ratings of encouraging messages were associated with higher fears of social evaluation, while cautious messages were linked to lower fears of negative evaluation. These findings are the first to consider several features of emotion socialization in relation to two distinct valences of adolescents’ socio-evaluative fear, and highlight the importance of assessing emotion socialization behaviors via multiple informants and methods.
Subprime Lending and the Housing Bubble: Tail Wags Dog?

ABSTRACT The cause of the “housing bubble” associated with the sharp rise and then drop in home prices over the period 1998–2008 has been the focus of significant policy and research attention. The dramatic increase in subprime lending during this period has been broadly blamed for these market dynamics. In this paper we empirically investigate the validity of this hypothesis vs. several other alternative explanations. A model of house price dynamics over the period 1998–2006 is specified and estimated using a cross-sectional time-series data base across 20 metropolitan areas over the period 1998–2006. Results suggest that prior to early 2004, economic fundamentals provide the primary explanation for house price dynamics. Subprime credit activity does not seem to have had much impact on subsequent house price returns at any time during the observation period, although there is strong evidence of a price-boosting effect by investor loans. However, we do find strong evidence that a credit regime shift took place in late 2003, as the GSE’s were displaced in the market by private issuers of new mortgage products. Market fundamentals became insignificant in affecting house price returns, and the price-momentum conditions characteristic of a “bubble” were created. Thus, rather than causing the run-up in house prices, the subprime market may well have been a joint product, along with house price increases, (i.e., the “tail”) of the changing institutional, political, and regulatory environment characteristic of the period after late 2003 (the “dog”).
“We have no magic bullet”: Diagnostic ideals in veterans’ mild traumatic brain injury evaluations

Abstract Objective To understand military veterans’ and healthcare providers’ experiences identifying veterans’ personal histories of combat-related mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) months or years after the injury. Methods Patients and clinical staff of a Veterans Health Administration (VA) Polytrauma/TBI clinic participated in a seven-month ethnographic study, which combined direct observation and interviews with veterans (n = 12) and VA clinicians (n = 11). Data were analyzed thematically. Results Veterans and staff have different understandings of the value of neuroimaging in care for patients with post-acute mTBI, and different understandings of the role of diagnostic certainty in clinical care. Veterans sought to understand the relationship between their past head injuries and their current symptoms. Clinicians educated veterans that their symptoms could be caused by multiple factors and embraced ambiguity as part of treating this patient population. Conclusions Patient-provider communication may be enhanced by conversations about common norms of diagnosis and why evaluating mTBI histories departs from these norms. Practice implications Clinicians should anticipate that patients may expect a diagnostic process that entails neuroimaging and resolves their uncertainty. In the case of post-acute mTBI, patients would likely benefit from education about the diagnostic process, itself.
Resistance of Acta2R149C/+ mice to aortic disease is associated with defective release of mutant smooth muscle α-actin from the chaperonin-containing TCP1 folding complex.

Pathogenic variants of the gene for smooth muscle α-actin (ACTA2), which encodes smooth muscle (SM) α-actin, predispose to heritable thoracic aortic disease. The ACTA2 variant p.Arg149Cys (R149C) is the most common alteration; however, only 60% of carriers have a dissection or undergo repair of an aneurysm by 70 years of age. A mouse model of ACTA2 p.Arg149Cys was generated using CRISPR/Cas9 technology to determine the etiology of reduced penetrance. Acta2R149C/+ mice had significantly decreased aortic contraction compared with WT mice but did not form aortic aneurysms or dissections when followed to 24 months, even when hypertension was induced. In vitro motility assays found decreased interaction of mutant SM α-actin filaments with SM myosin. Polymerization studies using total internal reflection fluorescence microscopy showed enhanced nucleation of mutant SM α-actin by formin, which correlated with disorganized and reduced SM α-actin filaments in Acta2R149C/+ smooth muscle cells (SMCs). However, the most prominent molecular defect was the increased retention of mutant SM α-actin in the chaperonin-containing t-complex polypeptide folding complex, which was associated with reduced levels of mutant compared with WT SM α-actin in Acta2R149C/+ SMCs. These data indicate that Acta2R149C/+ mice do not develop thoracic aortic disease despite decreased contraction of aortic segments and disrupted SM α-actin filament formation and function in Acta2R149C/+ SMCs. Enhanced binding of mutant SM α-actin to chaperonin-containing t-complex polypeptide decreases the mutant actin versus WT monomer levels in Acta2R149C/+ SMCs, thus minimizing the effect of the mutation on SMC function and potentially preventing aortic disease in the Acta2R149C/+ mice.
On a safe capital stock for consumption maintenance in a convex model of stochastic growth

In a stochastic one-sector optimal growth model with convex technology we show that there may be a critical “safe” capital stock for maintaining positive consumption over time. Consumption and capital paths are bounded away from zero with probability one if the initial stock is above this safe level, but are arbitrarily close to zero with positive probability if it is below. We derive verifiable sufficient conditions on technology and preferences under which the optimal policy generates such a critical stock. High risk aversion near zero, decreasing risk aversion and large spread of the technology shock are important factors behind this phenomenon.
Pyridoxine-Dependent Epilepsy

A 2-day-old male neonate became increasingly irritable and developed repetitive twitching in the eyelids, face, and limbs around 24 h of life. He was the full-term product of non-consanguineous parents following a normal pregnancy and uneventful spontaneous vaginal delivery. Investigations for infectious etiologies including blood and urine cultures as well as cerebrospinal fluid analysis were unrevealing. An MRI of the brain was normal. Prolonged video EEG demonstrated voltage suppression of the background activity. Irritability and recurrent irregular lightening-like jerks became noted several hours after birth that were associated with electrographic bursts of high-voltage epileptiform discharges on the EEG suggesting myoclonic seizures (Fig. 2.1). Myoclonic seizures remained refractory to conventional antiepileptic drugs (AEDs). Pyridoxine 100 mg IV resulted in almost immediate cessation of his myoclonic seizures. In addition, gradual return of continuous EEG background activity was noted. Extensive investigations to find metabolism inborn error or genetic etiologies later revealed an elevated plasma pipecolic acid level and an elevated urinary α-aminoadipic semialdehyde level that supported a diagnosis of pyridoxine-dependent epilepsy.
Relationship of anthropometric indices to abdominal and total body fat in youth: sex and race differences.

Objective To determine the influence of sex and race on relationships between anthropometry (body mass index [BMI], waist circumference [WC], waist-to-height ratio [W/Ht]), and adiposity (fat mass [FM], abdominal subcutaneous [SAT] and visceral adipose tissue [VAT]) in African American and white youth.
Electric machine drive design improvements through control and digital signal processing techniques

Developing the control algorithms of electric machine drives for less noise and harmonics is proposed here for design improvements. Modern control algorithms for electric machine drives are implemented and their radiated magnetic fields are measured and imported into a digital signal processing unit. The measurement was implemented using magnetic field antennas which cover low frequencies. A digital signal processing unit was designed for online and real-time measurement and processing of the fields and categorizing the harmonics. The controller compares the desired and measured signals and modifies the duty cycle of the switches to suppress the existing harmonics. The manual and automatic suppressions of some critical harmonics were implemented in two switching techniques using a defined procedure. Consequently, the modified control algorithm of the drive would radiate the electromagnetic stray field with less noise and harmonics. This lead to lower electromagnetic interference (EMI) from the machine drive. Since there is no need to locate any sensor inside the machine or the converter, this can be considered as a nondestructive method for industry implementations, where it's impossible to access the parameters of components for online monitoring.
Sexually transmitted infection risk perception among female college students.

Purpose To describe perceived risk for sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and sexual risk behavior among sexually active female college students. Data sources An online, anonymous survey was used to collect data from 458 sexually active female students between the ages of 18–24 enrolled at a private, suburban university in the mid-Atlantic region. Conclusion Most women in this study did not consider themselves at risk for contracting an STI, despite low levels of condom use. Perceiving no risk and never using condoms were both more common among women with just one sex partner. Further investigation of factors contributing to individual risk perception is warranted in order to develop effective prevention programs. Implications for practice Nurses and advanced practice nurses who work with women, particularly at-risk women, should be aware of low levels of risk perception for STIs, despite engaging in risk-taking behaviors. Education regarding strategies to reduce and prevent contracting STIs should be incorporated into encounters with women seeking health care, and in health promotion settings.
Using the Clark Simulation Evaluation Rubric with Associate Degree and Baccalaureate Nursing Students

Abstract As simulation becomes a common teaching strategy in nursing education, faculty struggle with methods for measuring student performance in summative, or evaluative, scenarios. While skills checklists have been shown to be a valid way to quantify performance on many of the technical components of a patient care scenario, nurse educators have also begun to utilize simulation grading rubrics to capture more contextual and critical thinking components. The article describes a pilot study using the Clark Simulation Evaluation Rubric with undergraduate nursing students of different levels from two types of programs. Sixty-nine associate degree and 109 baccalaureate degree students were evaluated and scored in simulation performance using the rubric. The rubric was found to be a practical tool that could potentially be used with or without skills checklists. Future work will involve refining use of the rubric and establishing interrater reliability among faculty who routinely evaluate students using this...
Seedling Establishment of Ferocactus Acanthodes in Relation to Drought

The 30 smallest seedlings of Ferocactus acanthodes (Lem.) Britton and Rose (Cactaceae) at a canyon site in the northwestern Sonoran desert averaged 2.5 cm in height. Based on field studies of CO/sub 2/ exchange throughout the year, the estimated time of their germination was late summer 1976. To explan why so little establishment occurred in recent years, the length of lethal drought for seedlings of various ages was calculated from the seedling geometry (volume-to-surface ratio), dehydration tolerance, and transpiration rates. Individual years were identified which had sufficiently long growing seasons relative to the length of the subsequent droughts to allow establishment. Eight of the last 18 y were found to be suitable for establishment of F. acanthodes, the latest year being 1976.
Development of a Course Ratings Form by a Tests and Measurements Class

Thirty psychology majors in a Tests and Measurements class and 49 faculty members developed a college-wide course ratings questionnaire. Students collected data from peers and faculty members at each stage of the design process. Following each research activity, class discussions centered on technical and conceptual issues raised by that aspect of the research process. Feedback from the students indicated that this hands-on experience contributed to their satisfaction with the course and that it provided an opportunity to think critically about research. Successful development and general acceptance of the new form were credited to student and faculty participation in designing it.
Fully Convergent Chemical Synthesis of Ester Insulin: Determination of the High Resolution X-ray Structure by Racemic Protein Crystallography

Efficient total synthesis of insulin is important to enable the application of medicinal chemistry to the optimization of the properties of this important protein molecule. Recently we described "ester insulin"--a novel form of insulin in which the function of the 35 residue C-peptide of proinsulin is replaced by a single covalent bond--as a key intermediate for the efficient total synthesis of insulin. Here we describe a fully convergent synthetic route to the ester insulin molecule from three unprotected peptide segments of approximately equal size. The synthetic ester insulin polypeptide chain folded much more rapidly than proinsulin, and at physiological pH. Both the D-protein and L-protein enantiomers of monomeric DKP ester insulin (i.e., [Asp(B10), Lys(B28), Pro(B29)]ester insulin) were prepared by total chemical synthesis. The atomic structure of the synthetic ester insulin molecule was determined by racemic protein X-ray crystallography to a resolution of 1.6 A. Diffraction quality crystals were readily obtained from the racemic mixture of {D-DKP ester insulin + L-DKP ester insulin}, whereas crystals were not obtained from the L-ester insulin alone even after extensive trials. Both the D-protein and L-protein enantiomers of monomeric DKP ester insulin were assayed for receptor binding and in diabetic rats, before and after conversion by saponification to the corresponding DKP insulin enantiomers. L-DKP ester insulin bound weakly to the insulin receptor, while synthetic L-DKP insulin derived from the L-DKP ester insulin intermediate was fully active in binding to the insulin receptor. The D- and L-DKP ester insulins and D-DKP insulin were inactive in lowering blood glucose in diabetic rats, while synthetic L-DKP insulin was fully active in this biological assay. The structural basis of the lack of biological activity of ester insulin is discussed.
Forecasting hurricane-induced power outage durations

Accurate estimates of the duration of power outages caused by hurricanes prior to landfall are valuable for utility companies and government agencies that wish to plan and optimize their restoration efforts. Accurate pre-storm estimates are also important information for customers and operators of other infrastructures systems, who rely heavily on electricity. Traditionally, utilities make restoration plans based on managerial judgment and experience. However, skillful outage forecast models are conducive to improved decision-making practices by utilities and can greatly enhance storm preparation and restoration management procedures of power companies and emergency managers. This paper presents a novel statistical approach for estimating power outage durations that is 87 % more accurate than existing models in the literature. The power outage duration models are developed and carefully validated for outages caused by Hurricanes Dennis, Katrina, and Ivan in a central Gulf Coast state. This paper identifies the key variables in predicting hurricane-induced outage durations and their degree of influence on predicting outage restoration for the utility company service area used as our case study.
On the relation of harvest methods to early agriculture in the Near East

If we might somehow resurrect man who lived 35,000 years ago and provide him with modern clothes, he would appear no different from any other person emerging from the subway station in New York or Boston. However, such an activity for man living 35,000 years ago would be decidedly atypical. In fact, the last 9,000 years of man's life on earth have been unusual. It is only in that short span of time that some of mankind have lived by agriculture. The events and circumstances that encouraged increasing numbers of people to depart from a huntingand-gathering way of life are of interest to both botany and anthropology. The fields of ethnobotany, economic botany, and cultural ecology lean against the fence separating the two sciences. But despite a tightly constructed fence, thoughts tend to slip through even the smallest openings. For example, the village site of (atal Hiiyiik, an early agricultural settlement (5850-5600 B.C.) on the Konya Plain of Turkey (Fig. 1), possesses an abundance of milling implements and baking ovens for the cultivated grain recovered in the storage bins. However, excavators found no flint sickle blades with the characteristic sheen produced by cutting the grain (Bialor, 1961: 72). The lack of harvest tools creates a paradox in the archaeological record, until we look into the harvest methods of some subsistence farmers. In the Middle East and Europe, uprooting of cereals is rare, but surprisingly widespread (Table I). Early harvesters of wheat and barley might have uprooted their crop too. In the Southwestern United States, grasses incorporated in the foundation of large storage baskets or as linings for stor-
Estimated Construction Period Impact of Widening State Highway 21 in Caldwell, Texas

Documented are the during- and after-construction effects of widening a highway. Between 1991 and 1993, a 3.75 km (2.33 mi) section of State Highway (TX-21) in Caldwell, Texas, a town of 3,000, was widened for a continuous two-way left-turn lane with curbs and gutters. Data collected during and after construction include information about the abutting businesses' estimation of the impact of construction on their businesses profits and property values and on the traffic volumes, travel times, and accident rates of the highway. The number of most businesses' usable parking spaces, customers per day, and full-time and parttime employees decreased slightly during construction. Most business managers thought that sales decreased. Reported sales figures showed a 5 percent decrease, which was less severe than the business managers had estimated. Appraised abutting property values fell between 1990 and 1992, while land values increased. Construction expenditures in Texas totaled $6.095 million. The Texas input-ou...
Affinity chromatography in purification of A1 adenosine receptors.

Abstract Purification of A 1 adenosine receptor of rat brain membranes was performed using a newly developed affinity gel employing xanthine amine congener (XAC) as an immobilized ligand. The A 1 adenosine receptor was solubilized with digitonin—cholate from brain membranes and then purified by a sequential use of affinity chromatography on XAC-agarose, hydroxyapatite chromatography and reaffinity chromatography on XAC-agarose. The A 1 adenosine receptor was purified ca. 45 000-fold with a yield of 5%. The final receptor preparation gave a single broad band on sodium dodecyl sulfate—polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis with a M r = 34 000. This band was also shown to be specifically labelled with an affinity labelling reagent for A 1 adenosine receptors. This purification method was also applicable for the complete purification of A 1 adenosine receptors from rat testis and human brain membranes.
Determination of the Middle Distillate Fuel Potential of Shale Oil

Oil shale deposits constitute a large reserve of oil stocks. These immense deposits can potentially be used most conveniently as a source of middle distillate fuels such as jet fuel. The characteristic of the jet fuel distillation cut is a high n-alkane content. Jet fuels require a large n-alkane fraction in order to simultaneously meet both the freezing point and flash point requirements. The conditions reported in this study mimic the refining process known as delayed coking. This study focuses on a method for the rapid determination of the middle distillate fuel potential of shale-derived fuels.
Solution to problem #7 using MACSYMA

The solution to problem 7 [SIGSAM Bulletin vol 8, no. 1 (issue no. 29), Feb., 1974] was obtained in its entirety with the use of MACSYMA [1]. No hand calculations were required. The factorization step, the major cost of the solution, uncovered a poor design decision in the existing factorization program [2]. This program was modified, and the factorization was accomplished in 602 seconds of PDP-10 machine time. Since the modified factorization program produces shorter run-times on almost all of our standard test cases. it is now the standard routine.
Transformation of white spruce (Picea glauca) somatic embryos by microprojectile bombardment

Cotyledonary somatic embryos of white spruce [Picea glauca (Moench) Voss] were subjected to microprojectile bombardment with a gene construct containing a gus::nptll fusion gene. Somatic embryos were used to re-induce the embryogenic tissue after bombardments. Histochemical assay using X-gluc as a substrate showed that all the embryos (100%) were GUS positive 48 h after bombardment. However, only thirteen out of 605 embryos (2.2%) remained GUS positive after two months in culture. Three of those thirteen (23%) embryo-derived tissues consistently showed GUS activity for eight months in culture. These putatively transfomed embryogenic tissues were subjected to Southern blot analysis and the results suggested integration of the gus::nptll gene expression cassette in the white spruce genome.
Is time an illusion

The article examines concepts related to time and the static universe. The study of time is related to the search for a unified theory causing physicists to re-examine time as a basic assumption. Theories differ about time, some physicists claiming that time does not exist, while others argue that time exists but it is not a fundamental. The article examines the theory that time may derive from the way in which the universe in partitioned and what humans perceive as time reflects the relationship of the divided parts.
Detection of legumin gene DNA sequences in pea by in situ hybridization

In order to detect low copy number sequences in pea using biotin-labelled probes we optimised some aspects of the in situ hybridization technique. We found protoplast preparations to be superior to standard squashes in terms of their signal: noise ratio. Heat and alkali denaturation of chromosomal DNA were both more effective than acid denaturation. A comparison of antibody-fluorochrome and streptavidin-enzyme conjugates showed the streptavidin-alkaline phosphatase conjugate to be the most sensitive detection system. Using the optimised method, we were able to detect a single site for a 13.5 kb legumin gene clone.
3D intersubject warping and registration of pulmonary CT images for a human lung model

CT can be used to study pulmonary structure-function relationships. There is a growing clinical need to match pulmonary structures across individuals to detect abnormal structure due to disease and to compare regional pulmonary function. In this paper, we propose a novel scheme for registering and warping 3-D pulmonary CT images of different subjects in two main steps: 1) identify a set of reproducible feature points for each CT image to establish correspondences across subjects; 2) use a landmark and intensity-based consistent image registration algorithm to warp a template image volume to the rest of the lung volumes. Effectiveness of the proposed scheme is evaluated and visualized using both gray-level and segmented CT images. Results show that the proposed scheme is able to reduce landmark registration error and relative volume overlapping error from 10.5 mm and 0.70 before registration to 0.4 mm and 0.11, respectively. The proposed scheme can be used to construct a computerized human lung model (or atlas) to help detect abnormal lung structural changes.
Visualizing the allocation and death of objects

We present memory allocation and death plots, a visualization technique for showing both which method an object is allocated in a Java program, and in which method that object eventually dies. This relates the place in a program's execution where memory is first used to the place it is no longer used, thus helping the programmer to better understand the memory behavior of a program.
The blow-up time for higher order semilinear parabolic equations with small leading coefficients

Consider the first initial-boundary value problem for parabolic equations such as Lϵu ≡ ut+ ϵ4Δ2u = ƒ(u) , Lϵu ≡ ut+ ϵ4Δ2u − Δu = ƒ(u) with f(u) superlinear, and denote the blow-up time of the solution by Te. It is proved that Te → T0as e → 0 where T0 is the smallest blow-up time for Lou = ƒ(u). Since there is no maximum principle for higher order parabolic equations, one cannot use here traditional comparison methods. The main results are outlined in Section 1.
A-c magnets and solenoids

The design and construction of single phase a-c magnets is a subject about which little has been published although these magnets possess several advantages over d-c magnets. The problems which confront a designer in this field are collected and considered in this article.
The Relative Priority of Conceptual and Procedural Knowledge in University Second Language Teacher Education (SLTE) Programs: Perspectives of In-Service Language Teachers in New Jersey

Against a backdrop of critical discussion over the fundamental relevance of university teacher educator programs in general, this study surveyed 102 second-language K–12 teachers in New Jersey on their perceptions of the relative priority of conceptual teacher knowledge (i.e., theory/research) and procedural teacher knowledge (i.e., practical instructional techniques) in university Second Language Teacher Education program coursework. Likert-type scale and open-ended response survey data communicate a higher priority for procedural knowledge over conceptual knowledge. As is demonstrated in related studies, in-service teacher perspectives are nuanced on this issue. By reporting on in-service perceptions in a particular geographic and discipline area, this study enriches our general knowledge of in-service teacher perceptions seen more broadly.
On the utility of looking in the “wrong” direction1

In his reply to Lamiell, Foss, and Cavenee (1980), Shweder (1980) fails to address an important question: Did the behavior report task used by Lamiell et al. meet his requirements for a “diffieult memory condition,” or did it not? In light of the nature of the illusory correlation hypothesis and Lamiell et al.'s findings, it is explained that for any of three possible answers to this question (yes, no, or maybe) the integrity of the illusory correlation hypothesis in its present form is compromised. It is also explained that further research on the hypothesis is likely to be pointless, because Lamiell et al.'s findings suggest that it is not salvageable in any form. Finally, it is explained that the incompatibility between lay persons' usage of personality concepts and the study of individual differences does not lead inextricably to the conclusion that the former have no legitimate role to play in a science of personality.