cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Reaction of water vapor with α-Al2O3(0001) and α-Fe2O3(0001) surfaces : synchrotron X-ray photoemission studies and thermodynamic calculations

Abstract X-ray photoemission experiments were carried out to study the reaction of water vapor with clean (0001) surfaces of single-crystal corundum ( α -Al 2 O 3 ) and single-crystal, thin-film hematite ( α -Fe 2 O 3 ) at constant reaction time (3 min) as a function of water vapor pressure [ p (H 2 O)] and, in separate experiments, at longer reaction times (=30 min, with total exposure ranging from 1.8 L to 1.8×10 10 L) at constant p (H 2 O). A two-stage reaction was observed for each oxide surface, with dissociative chemisorption of water occurring mainly at defect sites below threshold pressures of ≈1 Torr and ≈10 −4 Torr for the corundum and hematite (0001) surfaces, respectively. Extensive hydroxylation of these surfaces was found to occur above the respective threshold pressures. Longer exposures to water vapor below these threshold pressures did not result in increased hydroxylation; however, longer exposures above these threshold pressures resulted in increased hydroxylation, as expected. The threshold pressure of α -Al 2 O 3 was accurately predicted using a simple equilibrium thermodynamic model for the conversion of corundum to gibbsite (Al(OH) 3 ). In contrast, the measured threshold pressure for hematite is more than five orders of magnitude lower than the predicted threshold pressure for the conversion of hematite to FeOOH or Fe(OH) 3 . This difference between observation and prediction for hematite (0001) is not completely understood, but may be due to the presence of a passivating layer of Fe-hydroxide that reduces the surface energy of the hydroxylated hematite (0001).
Selenium: an insulin-mimetic.

Insulin or agents that can mimic its action (insulin mimetics) are necessary to promote the entry of glucose into tissues where the glucose can either be converted into energy or stored for later use. In recent years, selenium has been shown to mediate a number of insulin-like actions both in vivo and in vitro. These insulin-like actions include stimulating glucose uptake and regulating metabolic processes such as glycolysis, gluconeogenesis, fatty acid synthesis and the pentose phosphate pathway. The mechanism by which selenium is capable of mimicking insulin is not clear; however, reports indicate that selenium does activate key proteins involved in the insulin-signal cascade. Various proteins in the insulin-signal cascade have been shown to be necessary for different insulin-regulated events, and presumably data will be forthcoming soon that illustrate this similarly for selenium. This review compares the action of selenium to that of insulin and discusses the available evidence in support of selenium as an insulin mimetic.
Time-of-flight ultrasmall-angle neutron scattering instrument for SNS

The present calculations describing the Bonse-Hart Ultra-Small-Angle Neutron Scattering (USANS) Instrument with triple-bounce Si channel-cut crystals show that significant gains in neutron flux and Q-resolution can be achieved using multiple high-order Bragg reflections. These reflections become usable only after combining the Bonse-Hart and Time-of-Flight techniques, thus this variant of the USANS camera needs a pulsed neutron source. We clearly demonstrate that new instruments of that type installed at the SNS water moderator will improve the current state-of-the art USANS camera dramatically increasing the neutron flux and sharpening the Q-resolution by almost one order of magnitude.
Subglacial seismic reflection strategies when source amplitude and medium attenuation are poorly known

Seismic reflection techniques are a powerful way to probe physical properties of subglacial strata. Inversion of seismic data for physical properties may be hampered, however, by lack of knowledge of the source amplitude as well as lack of knowledge of the compressional and shear attenuation in the ice. New methods are described to measure the source signature that require no a priori knowledge of the ice attenuation profile. Another new method is described to obtain the angular dependence of the subglacial bed reflection coefficient that is relatively insensitive to knowledge of the ice attenuation. Finally, a correction is provided to a long-standing error in the literature regarding measurement of the bed normal incidence reflection coefficient.
Making behavioral change the outcome measure in research on violence

While changes in scores on anger and aggression as measured on psychological tests may result from violence prevention programs in prisons and schools, they do not demonstrate what effect, if any, there is on rates of violent behavior. A shift toward behavior as the primary outcome measure is called for. Language: en
Error reduction techniques in quasi-monte carlo integration

A generalized quasi-Monte Carlo integration rule is introduced. A Koksma-Hlawka type inequality for the rule is proved, using a recently introduced concept ''bounded variation in the measure sense''. Error reduction techniques and, in particular, ''importance sampling'' are studied as the consequences of the integration rule. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.
Teacher Attitudes toward Mainstreaming

(1984). Teacher Attitudes toward Mainstreaming. Journal of Physical Education, Recreation & Dance: Vol. 55, Including Leisure Today, pp. 69-71.
Maximizing MPI point-to-point communication performance on RDMA-enabled clusters with customized protocols

Message Passing Interface (MPI) point-to-point communications are usually realized with two protocols, the eager protocol for small messages and the rendezvous protocol for medium and large sized messages. Traditional sender-initiated rendezvous protocols are sub-optimal in many situations. In this work, we propose to refine the rendezvous protocol for medium and large messages on RDMA-enabled clusters with three protocols that are customized for different situations, a hybrid protocol for medium sized messages when the sender arrives early, a sender-initiated protocol for large messages when the sender arrives early, and a receiver-initiated protocol when the receiver arrives early. In comparison to traditional sender-initiated rendezvous protocols, the proposed scheme reduces unnecessary synchronizations, decreases the number of control messages that are in the critical path of communications, and improves the communication progress, which results in a significantly better communication-computation overlap capability. We present and analyze these protocols, and describe how these protocols and the eager protocol can be seamlessly integrated in one system without introducing an excessive number of control messages. We have implemented the proposed scheme for InfiniBand clusters. The experimental results demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed technique.
Americans in Europe: the role of travel in the spread of European ethology after World War II

One way in which new ideas spread is through travel of individuals to and away from centres of innovation. Here, a process is described wherein at least 84 North Americans travelled to work in European ethological laboratories prior to 1975 and at least 15 European ethologists relocated in North America. The North Americans typically learned of ethology from courses, readings, advisors and personal meetings. They were attracted to the kind of science promulgated by ethologists and generally reported positive experiences in Europe. These interactions were one factor as Europeans were successful in spreading their discipline and North Americans found an approach that was congenial and allowed them to build successful academic and scientific careers.
The immunochemistry of sandwich ELISAs. II. A novel system prevents the denaturation of capture antibodies.

Abstract The studies reported here describe a model system by which the effect of surface adsorption on the antigen capture capacity (AgCC) of monoclonal antibodies (MoAbs) can be quantitated. Three mouse anti-fluorescein (FLU) MoAbs were biotinylated and iodinated with [125I]Na. The AgCC/ng of these MoAbs was compared when they were adsorbed directly on plastic or immobilized via a Protein Avidin Biotin Capture (PABC) system. In this system, biotinylated MoAbs were allowed to adsorb on biotinylated carrier proteins through a “bridging” process using Streptavidin. This permits MoAbs to complex with antigen at some distance from the plastic surface. The AgCCs of the MoAbs immobilized using the PABC system were 5-400-fold higher than when they were directly adsorbed on plastic.
Maturational changes in measures of habituation

Abstract The age-related changes and individual stability of measures of visual habituation and changes with age were assessed in a sample of 38 infants seen longitudinally at 3, 4, 5, and 6 months. Three findings are presented. First, there was a gradual decrease in the duration of certain quantitative habituation measures between 3 and 6 months. Five measures—accumulated looking time, length of longest look and look at criterion, length of the baseline looking time, and the rate or slope of decline in looking—changed with age. Second, for individual infants, four of these habituation measures were reliable only between 3 and 4 months and not afterwards. Third, despite only moderate and early reliability in quantitative measures, a qualitative description of the habituation function—the pattern of decline—was more stable. Half of the infants in this sample maintained the same habituation pattern over 2 or 3 months. These findings are discussed in terms of developmental discontinuities in the middle months of the first year.
Silicate and sulphide thermobarometry of low‐ to medium‐grade metamorphic rocks from Holkham Bay, south‐east Alaska

The western metamorphic belt of the Coast Plutonic Complex, south-east Alaska and adjacent British Columbia, contains strongly deformed rocks and a prominent topographic low: the Coast Range megalineament. Near Holkham Bay, south-east Alaska, the lineament separates the western metamorphic belt into: a western low-grade (greenschist facies) terrane, and an eastern medium-grade (amphibolite facies) terrane. Sphalerite compositions of grains in direct contact with pyrite and pyrrhotite in chlorite-muscovite zone rocks in the low-grade terrane give pressures of about 8 kbar; compatible with pressures of 8-10 kbar at 500°C calculated from plagioclase-biotite-garnet-muscovite assemblages adjacent to the Windham Bay pluton about 15 km away. A pressure of 4.8 ± 0.7 kbar was calculated from sphalerite compositions in staurolite zone rocks east of the Coast Range megalineament. This is indistinguishable from pressures of 4.8 ± 1 kbar at 585°C and 5.1 ± 1 kbar at 680°C (plagioclase-garnet-aluminum silicate-quartz equilibria), and 4.1 ± 1 kbar at 585°C (plagioclase-biotite-garnet-muscovite equilibrium) determined for the medium-grade terrane. An identical pressure of 4.8 ± 0.7 kbar was calculated from sphalerite compositions in biotite zone rocks adjacent to the lineament; this is considerably higher than a pressure of 3.1 ± 1 kbar at 525°C obtained using plagioclase-biotite-garnet-muscovite geobarometry from shear zones within the lineament. The discrepancy may be explained by later equilibration of mineral phases within the shear zones. The geothermobarometry suggests relatively low temperatures and high pressures for the low-grade terrane (6-10 kbar), and intermediate temperatures and pressures for the medium-grade terrane to the east (4-6 kbar). Comparison of the barometers indicate that sphalerite can be used to estimate metamorphic pressures, similar to those estimated from silicate mineral chemistry when pyrrhotite-sphalerite-pyrite assemblages are used.
Metabolism and mechanism of action of formycin B in Leishmania.

Abstract Formycin B is a potent inhibitor of growth of the promastigote forms of Leishmania tropica, L. mexicana, L. braziliensis, and L. donovani. The metabolic products formed in these organisms are formycin B 5'-monophosphate and formycin A 5'-mono-, di-, and triphosphates, with formycin A 5'-triphosphate predominating. In addition, formycin A is extensively incorporated into RNA. From the metabolic profile, we conclude that formycin B is first converted to the 5'-monophosphate by the nucleoside phosphotransferase found in Leishmania and is subsequently converted to cytotoxic adenosine nucleotide analogs of formycin A that become incorporated into RNA. The metabolism and mechanism of formycin B appears to be qualitatively similar to that of allopurinol riboside, but quantitative differences and species selectivity suggest that these agents may have a different spectrum of activity as potential anti-leishmanial agents.
Role of germinal centers in the generation of B cell memory.

In 1959 Jaroslav ~TERZL, a s one of the first to realize the importance of studying cellular aspects of the immune response, organized the first of the renowned series of Czechoslovakian Immunology meetings. At that time we knew that lymphocytes and plasma cells both played a role in antibody formation, but the interrelationship between these two cell types did not become clear until 1969, around the time of the third and, unfortunately, last meeting. Insight into heterogeneity of immunoglobulins and the biological properties of different isotypes made rapid progress between the first and the second meeting (1964). Jaroslav STERZL made many important scientific contributions to our understanding of the ontogeny and kinetics of the immune response. In addition, by organizing these catalytic meetings in the field of cellular immunology, with their animated debates, one might say that he presided over the development of cellular immunology. It is, therefore, with pleasure and respect that we participate in this celebration of his sixtieth birthday. Our interest in germinal centers of lymphoid tissue was stimulated by findings reported by the late Bob White (White et al. 1960) at the first Prague meeting. Although for many years following this meeting we attempted to determine the relevance of germinal center cell proliferation to immunological memory, it was not until we could differentiate between T and B lymphocytes that a meaningful examination of this relationship could be made. I t became clear that T--B cell interaction was not only important for the induction of antibody formation in primary and secondary responses, but also for the generation of B cell memory (Mond et al. 1974). We showed that T cells played a definitive role in germinal center formation by studying athymie mice with and without reconstitution by thymus cells (Jacobson et al. 1974). The reconstituted nu/nu mice showed both germinal centers and B-cell memory formation to the T-independent antigens, B. abortus, whereas nu/nu mice without reconstitution did not. It became apparent tha t development
B,B-dihaloterpenylboranes as reagents for the diastereo- and enantioselective synthesis of syn-aldols

Abstract A series of known and new B,B-dihaloterpenylboranes, readily synthesized from the corresponding terpenes, were examined for the diastereo- and enantioselective synthesis of syn-aldols. Thus, IpcBCl2, EapBCl2, LgfBCl2, cis-MyrBCl2, 2-IcrBCl2, 4-IcrBCl2, and 2-IcrBBr2 in the presence of i-Pr2NEt, convert 3-pentanone to ≥99% Z-enolates, converted by aldehydes to pure syn-aldols in 7–74% enantiomeric excess (ee). The most efficient of these reagents, B,B-dibromo-2-isocaranylborane, was tested for the enolboration of 3-pentanone, followed by aldolization with a series of aldehydes.
Quantification of DNA damage products resulting from deamination, oxidation and reaction with products of lipid peroxidation by liquid chromatography isotope dilution tandem mass spectrometry.

The analysis of damage products as biomarkers of inflammation has been hampered by a poor understanding of the chemical biology of inflammation, the lack of sensitive analytical methods and a focus on single chemicals as surrogates for inflammation. To overcome these problems, we developed a general and sensitive liquid chromatographic tandem mass spectrometry (LC/MS-MS) method to quantify, in a single DNA sample, the nucleoside forms of seven DNA lesions reflecting the range of chemistries associated with inflammation: 2′-deoxyuridine, 2′-deoxyxanthosine and 2′-deoxyinosine from nitrosative deamination; 8-oxo-2′-deoxyguanosine from oxidation; and 1,N2-etheno-2′-deoxyguanosine, 1,N6-etheno-2′-deoxyadenosine and 3,N4-etheno-2′-deoxycytidine arising from reaction of DNA with lipid peroxidation products. Using DNA purified from cells or tissues under conditions that minimize artifacts, individual nucleosides are purified by HPLC and quantified by isotope-dilution, electrospray ionization LC/MS-MS. The method can be applied to other DNA damage products and requires 4–6 d to complete depending upon the number of samples.
On nonlocal damage models for interface problems

Abstract Consistent with thermodynamic restrictions, nonlocal formulations of damage models are investigated with regard to their analytical and numerical capabilities for predicting the evolution of microcracking. To trace the post-limit structural response with an efficient numerical algorithm, an incremental-iterative solution strategy is constructed through the use of an initial elasticity stiffness matrix and an evolving-localization constraint. The constraint is related to a suitable measure of microcracking at the most severely damaged element that changes with the evolution of a localization zone. As a simple phenomenological approach, a nonlocal feature is incorporated into the constitutive model through the gradient of a scalar measure of damage, and a symmetry boundary condition is invoked for the nonlocal governing differential equation. In numerical calculations, the gradient is evaluated through a simple difference scheme. For applications to the interface problems with geologic media, the proposed procedure is verified with analytical solutions for one-dimensional cases, and illustrated with two-dimensional cases for which experimental observations are available. Some important theoretical and computational issues associated with nonlocal models are then discussed based on the results obtained.
Unexpected Twists in Geometric Dissections

New techniques are introduced for designing twist-hinged dissections of two-dimensional geometric figures. The techniques are applied in the creation of dissections of one regular polygon to another, for various combinations not previously known to have twist-hingeable dissections.
David Simpson Receives 2012 Waldo E. Smith Medal: Citation

David Simpson was awarded the 2012 Waldo E. Smith Medal at the AGU Fall Meeting Honors Ceremony, held on 5 December 2012 in San Francisco, Calif. The medal is for “extraordinary service to geophysics”.
Visualization of Agonist-induced Sequestration and Down-regulation of a Green Fluorescent Protein-tagged β2-Adrenergic Receptor

To date, the visualization of β2-adrenergic receptor (β2AR) trafficking has been largely limited to immunocytochemical analyses of acute internalization events of epitope-tagged receptors in various transfection systems. The development of a β2AR conjugated with green fluorescent protein (β2AR-GFP) provides the opportunity for a more extensive optical analysis of β2AR sequestration, down-regulation, and recycling in cells. Here we demonstrate that stable expression of β2AR-GFP in HeLa cells enables a detailed temporal and spatial analysis of these events. Time-dependent colocalization of β2AR-GFP with rhodamine-labeled transferrin and rhodamine-labeled dextran following agonist exposure demonstrates receptor distribution to early endosomes (sequestration) and lysosomes (down-regulation), respectively. The observed temporal distribution of β2AR-GFP was consistent with measures of receptor sequestration and down-regulation generated by radioligand-receptor binding assays. Cells stimulated with different β-agonists revealed time courses of β2AR-GFP redistribution reflective of the intrinsic activity of each agonist.
The classical limit of quantum mechanics from Fermat’s principle and the de Broglie relation

The classical limit of quantum mechanics may be obtained, in a much simpler fashion than usual, by applying the de Broglie relation to Fermat’s principle.
Between-year variation of periphyton community structure in two Appalachian headwater streams

We used unglazed quarry tiles to survey periphyton community structure in two small Appalachian mountain streams from January through April in 1990, 1991, and 1992. Mean periphyton cell densities were greatest in 1990 (maximum of 1.3 × 108 cells cm−2), the year with the fewest periods of high discharge; cell densities were lowest in 1991 (maximum of 5.9 × 105 cells cm−2), the year characterized by the most periods of high discharge, and intermediate in 1992 (maximum of 2.1 × 106 cells cm−2). Mean cell densities of the dominant alga, the cyanophyte Chamaesiphon sp., followed this pattern, but some taxa of diatoms did not.
Estimation of the direct and indirect effects of vaccination.

Indirect effects play a major role in the protection afforded by a vaccination programme. In this work we define new measures of direct, indirect and total (direct + indirect) effects of a vaccination programme in terms of the protection they provide to unvaccinated and vaccinated individuals, and to the entire population. We show how these measures can be estimated using data from a vaccine trial or an observational study. The bias and standard errors of these estimates can be evaluated via stochastic simulations. Examples from a mumps outbreak and a (hypothetical) HIV vaccine trial are used to illustrate the estimation of these new measures of vaccination effectiveness.
Cestodes from deep-water squaliform sharks in the Azores

Abstract The majority of our knowledge on marine tapeworms (cestodes) is limited to taxa that are relatively easy to obtain (i.e., those that parasitize shallower-water species). The invitation to participate in a deep-water research survey off the Condor seamount in the Azores offered the opportunity to gain information regarding parasites of the less often studied sharks of the mesopelagic and bathypelagic zone. All tapeworms (Platyhelminthes: Cestoda) found parasitizing the spiral intestine of squaliform shark species (Elasmobranchii: Squaliformes) encountered as part of this survey, as well as some additional Azorean sampling from previous years obtained from local fishermen are reported. In total, 112 shark specimens of 12 species of squaliform sharks representing 4 different families from depths ranging between 400 and 1290 m were examined. Cestodes were found in the spiral intestines from 11 of the 12 squaliform species examined: Deania calcea, D. cf. profundorum, D. profundorum, Etmopterus princeps, E. pusillus, E. spinax, Centroscyllium fabricii, Centroscymnus coelolepis, C. cryptacanthus, C. crepidater, and Dalatias licha. No cestodes were found in the spiral intestines of Centrophorus squamosus. Light microscopy and scanning electron microscopy revealed several potentially novel trypanorhynch and biloculated tetraphyllidean species. Aporhynchid and gilquiniid trypanorhynchs dominated the adult cestode fauna of Etmopterus and Deania host species, respectively, while larval phyllobothriids were found across several host genera, including, Deania, Centroscyllium, and Centroscymnus. These results corroborate previous findings that deep-water cestode faunas are relatively depauperate and consist primarily of trypanorhynchs of the families Gilquiniidae and Aporhynchidae and larval tetraphyllideans. A subset of specimens of most cestode species was preserved in ethanol for future molecular analysis to allow more definitive determinations of the identification of the larval tetraphyllideans and trypanorhynchs lacking evaginated tentacles and other key diagnostic features.
Are Hot Spots between Two Plasmonic Nanocubes of Silver or Gold Formed between Adjacent Corners or Adjacent Facets? A DDA Examination

Of all the plasmonic solid nanoparticles, single Ag or Au nanocubes are known to be plasmonic nanoparticles with strong plasmonic fields, which are concentrated around their corners. However, when nanoparticles aggregate, they do so in a face-to face arrangement. The formation of hot spots between plasmonic nanoparticles in close proximity to each other is known to greatly enhance their plasmonic fields which are important in the field of imaging. Thus, what is the structural development of hot spots between two nanocubes in a dimer? Do they form between the corners or are they between the adjacent facets, and what does this depend on? A detailed discrete dipole approximation (DDA) simulation of Au-Au and Ag-Ag dimers suggests that there is a competition between their formation in these two locations, which depends on the polarization direction of the exciting light (with respect to the interparticle axis in the dimer), its intensity and the wavelength as well as the interparticle separation of the dimer.
Structural Coupling between the Oxygen-Evolving Mn Cluster and a Tyrosine Residue in Photosystem II As Revealed by Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy†

The flash-induced Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) difference spectrum of the oxygen-evolving Mn cluster upon S1-to-S2 transition (S2/S1 spectrum) was measured using photosystem II (PS II) core complexes of Synechocystis 6803 in which tyrosine residues were specifically labeled with 13C at the ring-4 position. The double-difference spectrum between the unlabeled and labeled S2/S1 spectra showed that the bands at 1254 and 1521 cm-1 downshifted by 25 and 15 cm-1, respectively, upon ring-4-13C-Tyr labeling. This observation indicates that there is a tyrosine residue coupled to the Mn cluster, and the vibrational modes of this tyrosine are affected upon S2 formation. From a comparison of the above band positions and isotopic shifts in the S2/S1 spectrum with those of the FTIR spectra of tyrosine in aqueous solution at pH 0.6 (Tyr-OH) and pH 13.4 (Tyr-O-) and of the YD•/YD FTIR difference spectrum, the 1254 and 1521 cm-1 bands were assigned to the CO stretching and ring CC stretching modes of tyrosine, respec...
Sclerostin Binds to LRP5/6 and Antagonizes Canonical Wnt Signaling

The loss of the SOST gene product sclerostin leads to sclerosteosis characterized by high bone mass. In this report, we found that sclerostin could antagonize canonical Wnt signaling in human embryonic kidney A293T cells and mouse osteoblastic MC3T3 cells. This sclerostin-mediated antagonism could be reversed by overexpression of Wnt co-receptor low density lipoprotein receptor-related protein (LRP) 5. In addition, we found that sclerostin bound to LRP5 as well as LRP6 and identified the first two YWTD-EGF repeat domains of LRP5 as being responsible for the binding. Although these two repeat domains are required for transduction of canonical Wnt signals, canonical Wnt did not appear to compete with sclerostin for binding to LRP5. Examination of the expression of sclerostin and Wnt7b, an autocrine canonical Wnt, during primary calvarial osteoblast differentiation revealed that sclerostin is expressed at late stages of osteoblast differentiation coinciding with the expression of osteogenic marker osteocalcin and trailing after the expression of Wnt7b. Given the plethora of evidence indicating that canonical Wnt signaling stimulates osteogenesis, we believe that the high bone mass phenotype associated with the loss of sclerostin may be attributed, at least in part, to an increase in canonical Wnt signaling resulting from the reduction in sclerostin-mediated Wnt antagonism.
Comparison of direct hospital costs and length of stay for radical nephrectomy versus nephron-sparing surgery in the management of localized renal cell carcinoma

Objectives. Recent work has demonstrated comparable surgical results and 5-year cancer-specific survival rates between radical nephrectomy and nephron-sparing surgery (NSS) in the treatment of patients with small (4 cm or smaller) solitary renal cell carcinomas (RCCs). However, differences exist in the intraoperative management and postoperative care of patients undergoing NSS versus radical nephrectomy, and we sought to compare direct hospital costs and length of stay (LOS) between these two groups to determine whether either treatment imparts a specific cost advantage. Methods. Data were retrieved from medical records and administrative data sets containing billing encounters for all costs incurred during hospitalization at the Cleveland Clinic Foundation. Individual costs were grouped together using nine cost center categories encompassing every aspect of direct hospital care, including anesthesiology, laboratory, radiology, nursing, pharmaceutical, and emergency services, and medical care, surgical care, and miscellaneous costs. Each cost center was further subdivided, and a total of 52 cost subcategories were assessed. The total direct costs of hospitalization were compared using a multivariate regression model in which patient demographics and tumor characteristics, type and year of surgery, LOS, and cost center categories were assessed as single and interactive factors. Postoperative complication and cancer-specific survival rates were also compared to identify any potential therapeutic differences between the two groups. Results. Between 1991 and 1995, 80 patients underwent surgery at the Cleveland Clinic Foundation for solitary RCCs 4 cm or smaller, including 52 partial and 28 radical nephrectomies. We found no difference in the postoperative complication rate or cancer-specific survival rate between the two surgical groups. Total direct hospital costs and LOS were not statistically different between the NSS and radical nephrectomy groups (P >0.05). This was further supported by our multivariate model, which accounted for 61% of the observed variance in the total costs (F = 12.11, P = 0.0001). The type of surgery was not associated with total cost when controlling for all other factors, including age, sex, year of surgery, tumor size, grade, and stage, and postoperative complications (P = 0.7). There was no significant interaction between the type of surgery and the LOS (P = 0.5). Conclusions. This study demonstrated that elective NSS can be performed with equivalent direct hospital costs and LOS when compared with patients undergoing radical nephrectomy for small solitary RCCs. These data have significant economic implications for the comparison of competing surgical treatment strategies for localized RCC.
ENDOBRONCHIAL LASER THERAPY

We have sought to briefly outline the history and current role of laser therapy in airway obstruction. A primary goal in the use of laser therapy is the safe, effective, and rapid palliation of symptoms owing to tracheal or bronchial obstruction. This seems clearly supported in the literature despite some variation in definitions as to measurement of success. Objective criteria for improvement has also been studied, with authors noting improvement in walk tests, spirometric studies, and caliber of airways after treatment in significant percentages of patients. Patient survival, as noted by Ramser and Beamis, may not be the proper endpoint when discussing therapy, which for malignant causes, is meant to be palliative. Noting this, there are many benign conditions that may be effectively treated with laser therapy with a possible "cure" for some lesions defined as "carcinoma in situ." We believe laser therapy in the treatment of airway obstruction is an important tool that has proven beneficial in the therapy of benign and malignant lesions of the airway. Although future studies should prospectively examine survival characteristics, the current evidence firmly supports the use of laser as a useful modality of therapy in our endeavors to provide palliative and potentially curative care to our patients with lung disease.
Air Quality Management Using Modern Remote Sensing and Spatial Technologies and Associated Societal Costs

Abstract: This paper presents a study of societal costs related to public health due to the degradation of air quality and the lack of physical activity, both affected by our built environment. The paper further shows road safety as another public health concern. Traffic fatalities are the number one cause of death in the world. Traffic accidents result in huge financial loss to the people involved and the related public health cost is a significant part of the total societal cost. Motor vehicle exhausts and industrial emissions, gasoline vapors, and chemical solvents as well as natural sources emit nitrogen oxides and volatile organic compounds, which are precursors to the formation of ground-level Ozone. High concentration values of ground-level Ozone in hot summer days produce smog and lead to respiratory problems and loss in worker’s productivity. These factors and associated economic costs to society are important in establishing public policy and decision-making for sustainable transportation and development of communities in both industrialized and developing countries. This paper presents new science models for predicting ground-level Ozone and related air quality degradation. The models include predictor variables of daily climatological data, traffic volume and mix, speed, aviation data, and emission inventory of point sources. These models have been implemented in the user friendly AQMAN computer program and used for a case study in Northern Mississippi. Life-cycle benefits from reduced societal costs can be used to implement sustainable transportation policies, enhance investment decision-making, and protect public health and the environment.
Using SNOMED CT to represent two interface terminologies.

Objective: Interface terminologies are designed to support interactions between humans and structured medical information. In particular, many interface terminologies have been developed for structured computer based documentation systems. Experts and policy-makers have recommended that interface terminologies be mapped to reference terminologies. The goal of the current study was to evaluate how well the reference terminology SNOMED CT could map to and represent two interface terminologies, MEDCIN and the Categorical Health Information Structured Lexicon (CHISL). Design: Automated mappings between SNOMED CT and 500 terms from each of the two interface terminologies were evaluated by human reviewers, who also searched SNOMED CT to identify better mappings when this was judged to be necessary. Reviewers judged whether they believed the interface terms to be clinically appropriate, whether the terms were covered by SNOMED CT concepts and whether the terms' implied semantic structure could be represented by SNOMED CT. Measurements: Outcomes included concept coverage by SNOMED CT for study terms and their implied semantics. Agreement statistics and compositionality measures were calculated. Results: The SNOMED CT terminology contained concepts to represent 92.4% of MEDCIN and 95.9% of CHISL terms. Semantic structures implied by study terms were less well covered, with some complex compositional expressions requiring semantics not present in SNOMED CT. Among sampled terms, those from MEDCIN were more complex than those from CHISL, containing an average 3.8 versus 1.8 atomic concepts respectively, p0.001. Conclusion: Our findings support using SNOMED CT to provide standardized representations of information created using these two terminologies, but suggest that enriching SNOMED CT semantics would improve representation of the external terms.
Fromm’s Dialectic of Freedom and the Praxis of Being

Positive freedom, according to Fromm’s definition, is the capacity for “spontaneous relationship to man and nature, a relationship that connects the individual with the world without eliminating his individuality” (1941, p. 29). Negative freedom according to Fromm exists in dialectical relationship to this as “freedom from” (1941, p. 34) external restraints that limit the exercise of free will.
The expression of lipid metabolism genes in bone are altered by mechanical stimuli

Osteoblasts and adipocytes are two differentiated cell types which are both derived from mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) and a reciprocal relationship may exist between osteoblastogenesis and adipogenesis in the bone marrow. Our previous studies in the mouse have indicated that low-magnitude, high-frequency mechanical stimuli can stimulate bone formation. To investigate whether lipid metabolism gene expression is altered during the application of low-level mechanical stimuli, adult female BALB/cByJ mice were subject to either disuse, mechanical vibration, or control conditions. RNA was extracted from the bones upon sacrifice after 4d. By microarray we screened lipid metabolism genes and confirmed them with real-time RT-PCR. Three genes were picked up - PPAR-gamma, Alox15 and Lrp5. PPAR-gamma and Alox15 were significantly down-regulated with mechanical vibrations, while Lrp5 was significantly down-regulated with disuse as indicated by the microarray data. It is speculated that mechanical stimuli down-regulate PPARgamma and Alox15, both of which are involved in promotion of osteoblastogenesis and inhibition of adipogenesis, result in bone formation and fat loss. However, disuse modulated gene expression changes in lipid metabolism were not necessarily opposite from those suffering from mechanical stimuli.
Noninvasive Pulse Wave Analysis for the Early Detection of Vascular Disease

Abstract A noninvasive technique has been developed and validated for calculating capacitive and oscillatory systemic arterial compliance with the use of pulse wave analysis and a modified Windkessel model. Application of the technique to subjects with hypertension, postmenopausal women with symptomatic coronary artery disease, and appropriate control subjects has confirmed a reduction of oscillatory compliance in the disease states and an increase in capacitive and oscillatory compliances in response to vasodilator drugs. This method should be useful in screening subjects for early evidence of vascular disease and in monitoring the response to therapy.
A critical evaluation of public health programs at the Bunker Hill Superfund site

Since 1983, the Bunker Hill Superfund site (BHSS) has been the second largest on US Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) National Priority List for cleanup. Contaminants include millions of tons of Pb, Cd, Hg and As. In 1974, following a bag house fire, 22.1% of young children had blood lead levels >80 μg/dl. In the early 1980s to the present, EPA initiated the cleanup of exterior residential soils and the smelter complex. In 1999, The National Geological Service confirmed that heavy metal pollution had extended from BHSS to Lake Coeur d'Alene (already known earlier) all the way to the Spokane River in Washington State via water borne tributaries linking Idaho and Washington States. This report focuses on public health programs and their results initiated by Federal and State agencies at the BHSS. These programs include blood lead screening, educational programs, exploratory dust control plans, and land transactions. These programs and their results are then evaluated, assessed and critically discussed. The conclusion of this critical evaluation assessment is that the protection of public health has not been adequately addressed or protected by Federal and State agencies.
Case studies: First-Year engineering nanotechnology-based design projects

Nanotechnology as a research field presents many new opportunities and challenges for educating the next generation of engineers. In this paper, we attempt to understand the impact of this research team's initiatives to increase engineering students' awareness and understanding of nanotechnology. This is a case study of how four student teams changed their iteratively-developed design solutions for a nanotechnology-based design project. The goal is to investigate how first-year engineering (FYE) students developed their demonstrated knowledge of nanotechnology. We found that all four teams discussed nanotechnology concepts from the beginning of their solutions. Although they had difficulty relating their nanotechnology applications to science and mathematics concepts, they had consistent ideas for the nanotechnology-specific content they wanted to focus on throughout their project. The results show that all four project cases have a clear potential connection to a field of engineering. Connecting nanotechnology to potential engineering fields may present a better content focus than science and mathematics concepts.
Do redundant visual and auditory target variables facilitate control behavior

The compensatory tracking paradigm has been used extensively in pioneering work on Control Theory, a cybernetic model of behavior. In most studies subjects have been asked to control or maintain at a steady state a single variable or aspect of the stimulus display. The present study utilized three groups of subjects, comparing their performance effectiveness in controlling: (1) a visual stimulus (cursor) versus (2) an auditory stimulus (tone) versus (3) a combined, redundant-cue condition employing both cursor and tone. Freshman volunteers responded to a computer display using a joystick controller; their task was to keep stationary a stimulus that was subject to a smoothed, quasirandom disturbance. Contrary to predictions, subjects in the cursor-alone group performed more effectively than subjects in the combined cursor-tone group. While speculative interpretations are offered, further research is needed to clarify these results.
Erythrophagocytosis in vivo in sickle cell anemia

Recent observations that the sickle RBC are excessively susceptible to phagocytosis by macrophages in vitro prompted me to look for evidence of in vivo erythrophagocytosis (Ep) in patients with sickle cell anemia (SS). Freshly prepared smears of unmanipulated blood of 27 patients with SS in steady state were examined for Ep by a 500-cell differential white blood cell (WBC) count performed in duplicate. Ten of 27 (37%) SS patients showed Ep (1-6/1,000 WBC or 1-10/100 monocytes). By contrast, no Ep was found in similarly prepared blood smears of 25 normal adult controls and nine splenectomized subjects. The mean hemotocrit value of the Ep(+) SS patients was significantly lower than that of the Ep(-) patients (21.0 +/- 1.7% vs 24.0 +/- 2.7% p less than 0.01). Considering the rarity of spontaneous Ep in unmanipulated blood from normal subjects and the relative insensitivity of the method used, the finding of Ep in over one third of SS patients indicates a significant membrane injury of the sickle RBC and serves to validate the in vitro observations. The possible role of the "senescence" mechanism in the induction of Ep is discussed.
Function and distribution of three rat 5-hydroxytryptamine7(5-HT7) receptor isoforms produced by alternative splicing

Serotonin (5-HT7) receptor pre-mRNA is alternatively spliced in rat tissue to produce three isoforms, 5-HT(7a), 5-HT(7b) and 5-HT(7c), which differ in the amino acid sequences of their carboxyl terminal tails. Substantial species differences in structure and expression patterns exist for 5-HT7 isoforms. We have now compared some of the functional characteristics and level of expression for the three rat 5-HT7 receptor isoforms. Recombinant receptor isoforms were expressed in COS-7 cells for examination of [3H]5-HT binding characteristics and in JEG-3 cells to ascertain their ability to stimulate cAMP production. These studies showed that all three isoforms are functionally active and have similar agonist binding characteristics. Distribution of expression of the three rat receptor isoforms were examined in several brain regions and peripheral tissues using RT-PCR and in situ hybridization. The relative proportions of total 5-HT7 receptor message lent by each isoform varied little between these areas. In contrast to what has been observed in human tissue, the 5-HT(7a) isoform predominated in all regions examined, while the 5-HT(7c) isoform revealed a low level of expression (3% of total transcript). In situ hybridization was used to determine if the overall low level of expression of the 5-HT(7c) isoform by RT-PCR could be attributed to a small localized subpopulation of cells expressing high levels 5-HT(7c) message. In situ hybridization results indicate a generalized low level of expression of the 5-HT(7c) isoform throughout the CNS. These data suggest that while all three known 5-HT7 receptor isoforms in the rat are functionally competent, any functionally important differences between the three isoforms are not likely to involve differences in ligand binding or gross differences in adenylate cyclase coupling. However, differences in receptor phosphorylation, regulation or coupling to other effectors or cell trafficking could still exist.
The Maturation of Estradiol-Negative Feedback in Female Rats: Evidence that the Resetting of the Hypothalamic “Gonadostat” Does Not Precede the First Preovulatory Surge of Gonadotropins

Several experiments were performed to study the changes in the negative feedback of estradiol on gonadotropin secretion around the time of puberty in the female rat. Ovariectomy of juvenile, first diestrus, or adult animals elevated FSH and LH levels 2 and/or 4 days later. Estradiol administered via Silastic capsules, at several dose levels, was much more effective in preventing the postcastration rise of gonadotropins in juvenile than in the older animals. A dose of estradiol that inhibited gonadotropin levels in juvenile rats, but not in adult animals, maintained preovariectomy serum estradiol levels more efficiently in the adult rats. Therefore, a more rapid removal of estradiol from the blood stream cannot explain its lower effectiveness in suppressing gonadotropin release in adult rats. Estradiol-negative feedback effectiveness remained maximal until the day of first proestrus and decreased markedly on the next day (first estrus), remaining low thereafter. "Resetting" of the gonadostat to estradiol negative feedback was advanced by inducing precocious puberty by means of hyperprolactinemia, but not by mimicking the periovulatory changes in serum estradiol and progesterone in the absence of an LH surge. Serum progesterone levels were much higher in postpubertal rats than in juvenile animals. Ovariectomy of juvenile rats slightly decreased the already low levels of serum progesterone, but it produced a striking progesterone decrease in postpubertal animals. Quantitative replacement of preovariectomy serum progesterone levels in adult rats, treated with an ineffective dose of estradiol, almost completely restored the prepubertal effectiveness of estradiol in inhibiting LH release and, to a lesser extent, release of FSH...
Beer Taxes, Workers' Compensation, and Industrial Injury

The apparent effects of beer taxes, workers' compensation rules, and other factors on reported rates of lost work-days due to injury are estimated. The data used are for injury rates for two-digit ...
Dynamics of a passive tracer in a velocity field of four identical point vortices

The dynamics of a passive tracer in the velocity field of four identical point vortices, moving under the influence of their self-induced advection, is investigated. Of interest is the change in mixing and transport properties of the tracer for the three different classes of vortex motion: periodic, quasi-periodic and chaotic. As a consequence of conservation laws, the vortex motion is confined to a finite region of phase space; therefore, the tracer phase space can be partitioned into an inner and an outer region. We find that in the case of quasi-periodic vortex motion the tracer phase space exhibits a well-defined barrier to transport between the central chaotic region and the outer region, where the trajectories are regular. In the case of chaotic vortex motion the barrier becomes permeable. The particle dynamics goes through an intermittent behaviour, where forays into the central region alternate with trapping in outer annular orbits. In the far field, an estimate of diffusion rates is made through a multipole expansion of the tracer velocity field. We make use of a specific stochastic model for the tracer velocity field which predicts no diffusion for the case of quasi-periodic vortex motion and, for the case of chaotic vortex motion, a diffusion rate that goes to zero at large distances from the vortex cluster.