cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Anomalous insertion of papillary muscle directly into anterior mitral leaflet in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. Significance in producing left ventricular outflow obstruction.

BACKGROUNDObstruction to left ventricular outflow in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) is usually due to systolic anterior motion of the mitral valve. Occurrence of structural mitral valve abnormalities in HCM and their significance in producing outflow obstruction (even in the absence of typical systolic anterior motion) has not been fully appreciated.METHODS AND RESULTSAnalysis of 78 mitral valves excised from patients with obstructive HCM showed that 10 (13%) had anomalous insertion of one or both left ventricular papillary muscles directly into the anterior mitral leaflet. This malformation was identified by echocardiography, which demonstrated direct continuity between the hypertrophied papillary muscle and mitral leaflet, resulting in a long rigid area of midcavity narrowing that appeared to be solely or largely responsible for outflow obstruction. Basal subaortic pressure gradients were large (70-150 mm Hg). Mitral valve replacement reduced the outflow gradient substantially to 0-15 mm Hg in four p...
Tympanometric volume: A predictor of success of tympanoplasty in children

Objectives To determine if preoperative tympanometric volumes have any predictive value in the success of pediatric tympanoplasty. Study design and setting Retrospective chart review in a tertiary referral center. Main outcome measures Success was defined as no evidence of tympanic membrane perforation via otoscopic examination and normal aeration of the middle ear. Methods Fifty-eight pediatric patients who underwent tympanoplasty between 1996 and 2004 were studied; reviewed factors included recent discharge from the ear, perforation size, disease of the contralateral ear, age, gender, middle ear findings, and location of perforation. Results The overall success rate was 59 percent. The success rate was 89 percent for patients with a large preoperative tympanometric volume compared with 34 percent for patients with a small volume. Multivariate analysis demonstrated that disease of the contralateral ear and a large tympanometric volume were statistically significant. Conclusion and significance A large tympanometric volume may be an important factor when considering tympanoplasty in children. In addition, disease of the contralateral ear may be a prognostic indicator.
Electrochemical stripping detection of DNA hybridization based on cadmium sulfide nanoparticle tags

Abstract We report on the detection of DNA hybridization in connection to cadmium sulfide nanoparticle tracers and electrochemical stripping measurements of the cadmium. A nanoparticle-promoted cadmium precipitation is used to enlarge the nanoparticle tag and amplify the stripping DNA hybridization signal. In addition to measurements of the dissolved cadmium ion we demonstrate solid-state measurements following a ‘magnetic’ collection of the magnetic-bead/DNA-hybrid/CdS-tracer assembly onto a thick-film electrode transducer. The new protocol combines the amplification features of nanoparticle/polynucleotides assemblies and highly sensitive stripping potentiometric detection of cadmium, with an effective magnetic isolation of the duplex. The low detection limit (100 fmol) is coupled to good reproducibility (RSD=6%). Prospects for using binary inorganic colloids for multi-target detection are discussed.
Simultaneous measurement of strain or acoustic pressure and temperature with an optical fiber interferometer

An all polarization-maintaining fiber Mach-Zehnder interferometer has been developed for simultaneous measurement of strain or acoustic pressure and temperature. The two forcefully maintained polarization states act as two separate interferometric sensors. In this study, longitudinal strain and heat were applied to the same portion of the fiber to experimentally evaluate cross-sensitivity effects created by simultaneous application. Experimental measurements using a passive homodyne demodulation scheme based on a 3 X 3 coupler agree well with those predicted by a finite element model of the fiber. In addition, response of the interferometer to simultaneous disturbances of acoustic pressure and temperature were calculated. Results of this study show that the cross-sensitivity is negligible and may be ignored for the fiber examined in this study. Furthermore, simultaneous measurement of temperature with another desired measurand has potential to eliminate measurement errors and limitations on resolution that currently limit the use of fiber interferometers in industrial and structural applications.© (1994) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Using the Wiener estimator to determine optimal imaging parameters in a synthetic-collimator SPECT system used for small animal imaging

In synthetic-collimator SPECT imaging, two detectors are placed at different distances behind a multi-pinhole aperture. This configuration allows for image detection at different magnifications and photon energies, resulting in higher overall sensitivity while maintaining high resolution. Image multiplexing the undesired overlapping between images due to photon origin uncertainty may occur in both detector planes and is often present in the second detector plane due to greater magnification. However, artifact-free image reconstruction is possible by combining data from both the front detector (little to no multiplexing) and the back detector (noticeable multiplexing). When the two detectors are used in tandem, spatial resolution is increased, allowing for a higher sensitivity-to-detector-area ratio. Due to variability in detector distances and pinhole spacings found in synthetic-collimator SPECT systems, a large parameter space must be examined to determine optimal imaging configurations. We chose to assess image quality based on the task of estimating activity in various regions of a mouse brain. Phantom objects were simulated using mouse brain data from the Magnetic Resonance Microimaging Neurological Atlas (MRM NeAt) and projected at different angles through models of a synthetic-collimator SPECT system, which was developed by collaborators at Vanderbilt University. Uptake in the different brain regions was modeled as being normally distributed about predetermined means and variances. We computed the performance of the Wiener estimator for the task of estimating activity in different regions of the mouse brain. Our results demonstrate the utility of the method for optimizing synthetic-collimator system design.
Soviet parliamentary committees after Khrushchev: Obstacles and opportunities

MODERN parliamentary assemblies typically delegate most of their legislative functions to standing and ad hoc committees, reserving for themselves only limited debating and voting powers. Whether the voting function itself is significant depends on the basic sources of power in the political system. In the case of the Soviet Union, where political power is centralized in the party leadership structure, parliamentary votes have always expressed unanimous approval of every proposal submitted by the party leadership. This fact seems to justify Merle Fainsod's description of the Supreme Soviet as 'strictly ornamental'.1 It would be erroneous, however, to conclude from this that parliamentary government is in all respects merely a symbolic facade in the USSR. On the contrary, the Soviet political system has traditionally provided limited means whereby parliamentary agencies, public organizations and even the masses of Soviet citizens can participate in the discussion of major policy proposals prior to their enactment into law. Such participation has been carried out within the limits of two important conditions, persistently imposed by the leadership: I) that it should serve primarily as a means of generating wide support for party proposals and only secondarily for the articulation of unorganized interests; and 2) that it should not contribute to the development of an interest group structure which would tend to give non-party interests a framework in which to exert continuous and organized pressure on the policy-making process. Under these conditions, participation in the policy-making process on the national level has been conducted on a largely ad hoc basis. An announcement by a party leader or government minister of a new proposal concerning, say, pensions or education typically initiates a complex process of consultation, including regional and national conferences of interested organizations, intensive study by academic specialists, deliberations by legislative committees and sub-committees, public hearings involving legislators as well as outside experts and ordinary citizens, special investigative committees created by the
A spiral nerve cuff electrode for peripheral nerve stimulation

A novel type of nerve cuff electrode consisting of conductive segments embedded within a self-curling sheath of biocompatible insulation has been developed. This spiral nerve cuff is biased to self-wrap around peripheral nerves and possesses a 'self-sizing' property, presenting an alternative to present commercially available, fixed-size nerve cuffs that are manually wrapped around nerves and sutured shut ('split-cylinder' cuffs). Spiral cuff design and manufacture are described. The authors hypothesize that unlike traditional cuffs, the spiral cuff potentially can be implanted safely when sized to fit peripheral nerves snugly. Theoretical pressure analyzes of traditional and spiral cuffs that support this hypothesis are presented. These analyses are designed to predict the minimum CNR (cuff diameter/nerve diameter ratio) at which there is no interference with intraneural blood flow. Results of a preliminary experiment in which snug spiral cuffs were implanted on feline peripheral nerve support the prediction that they may be safe. >
Effect of pyrophosphate on the dechlorination of tetrachloroethene by the Fenton reaction

The effectiveness of Fenton's reagent for the remediation of contaminated sandy soils is affected by the precipitation and sorption of Fe species in soil/water systems. We investigated the ability of pyrophosphate to maintain Fe in solution and thus enhance the dechlorination of tetrachloroethene (PCE) by the Fenton reaction. The results of the experiments showed that pyrophosphate could significantly increase the concentrations of Fe in aqueous solutions and enhance the dechlorination of PCE. The dechlorination rate of PCE in the presence of pyrophosphate was found to decrease with time, which was attributed to both the conversion of Fe(II) to Fe(III) and the decrease of aqueous Fe concentration. In comparison to organic chelating agents, pyrophosphate appeared to be more stable and thus catalyzed the dechlorination of PCE for a longer time. The extended dechlorination (>120 h) was attributed to the solubilization of Fe and the stabilization of H2O2 caused by the addition of pyrophosphate.
Metabolism of 4-C14-testosterone in human subjects. III. Fate of androsterone and etiocholanolone.

C14-androsterone and C14-etiocholanolone were administered intravenously to 7 human female subjects; 3 received both steroids, and 4 (with bile fistulas) received only one. The radioactivity was excreted in the urine almost quantitatively in a few hours. The unconjugated steroids were cleared from the plasma rapidly, with a half-life of twenty minutes. The level of the glueuronidate fraction of the plasma was approximately ten times higher than that of the unconjugated fraction. The glucuronidates after administration of etiocholanolone were cleared faster than after administration of androsterone. Androsterone and etiocholanolone are not excreted in the bile in appreciable quantities; in 3 of the 4 bile-fistula subjects negligible amounts of radioactivity were recovered. Moreover, after administration of 4-C14-testosterone, no androsterone and only a small amount of etiocholanolone was recovered from the bile. This last observation is tempered by the fact that most of the radioactivity in bile is not ext...
Nifedipine blocks apamin-induced bursting activity in nigral dopamine-containing neurons

Intrinsic sinusoidal oscillations in membrane potential, characteristic of nigral dopamine cells, are converted to plateau potentials following application of apamin, a potent antagonist of SK-type Ca2+-activated K+ channels. Blockade of these channels also changes neuronal firing pattern from a single-spike pacemaker discharge to a multiple spike bursting pattern. Nifedipine, a selective antagonist of L-type Ca2+ channels, blocks plateau potential generation; however, its effects on firing pattern have yet to be determined. In the present study, extracellular single unit recording techniques were used in conjunction with a brain slice preparation to determine whether nifedipine, in a concentration known to block plateau potential generation, also affects bursting activity. Nifedipine (30 microM) was equipotent in inhibiting the firing rate of control (51.2+/-10.8%) and apamin-treated (44.9+/-5.4%) neurons. Slow firing neurons (<2 Hz) were particularly sensitive to the inhibitory effects of the drug. Apamin-induced bursting was completely suppressed by nifedipine and accompanied by a significant increase in the regularity of firing. By contrast, pacemaker-like activity exhibited by control neurons was unaffected by the drug. These data demonstrate that the intrinsic plateau properties exhibited by DA neurons are responsible for the generation of phasic activity induced following blockade of apamin-sensitive Ca2+-activated K+ channels and provide further support for the involvement of an L-type Ca2+ conductance in mediating this type of activity.
How do loan officers make their decisions about credit risks? A study of parallel distributed processing

Abstract The purpose of this paper is to illustrate how a parallel distributed processing (PDF) two-stage model depicts decision makers' knowledge representation of information that may influence their analysis, which in turn may have an impact on their decisions. The cognitive view of knowledge representation was used as a basic ingredient in understanding how loan officers may not rationally process accounting information. This study presents a path analysis model (covariance model) which describes how loan officers' parallel processing affects their decisions of whether or not to make loans. The results from this study implied that certain decision makers benefited by retrieving more different parallel cues in the first stage and second stage of processing information. The results further imply that users of information generally priorized selected information in order to come to a decision point. It is important to understand decision makers' knowledge representation in the first and second stage of processing in order to explain and predict what types of information are priorized before a final decision is made. Also, if decision makers are aware of their processing biases they may be able to correct and modify their future actions.
Biopsy trauma dislodges thymocytes from a thymoma to fill regional lymph node sinusoids

We present a case of an incisional thymoma biopsy causing dissemination of thymocytes to a regional lymph node. Lymphatic seeding from circulating tumor cells is a distinct mechanism of tumor spread. We review the literature relevant to operative trauma as a cause of tumor cell migration to nearby lymph nodes. Summarized are case reports wherein metastasis of benign tumors has been related to operative trauma.
Current combination chemotherapy regimens for metastatic breast cancer.

Purpose. To review the role of combination therapy in the treatment of metastatic breast cancer and to describe strategies to help manage adverse events associated with combination therapy. Summary. Although the median survival of patients with metastatic breast cancer has increased over the last several decades, new treatment options are needed to further improve survival and quality of life for these patients. Novel cytotoxic and noncytotoxic agents have recently been evaluated in combination regimens for patients with metastatic breast cancer. Combinations for metastatic breast cancer that appear in recently approved labeling include ixabepilone with capecitabine, and the targeted biological agent lapatinib in combination with capecitabine. Ixabepilone is the first of a new family of cytotoxic agents—the epothilones—to enter clinical practice. Similar to the taxanes, ixabepilone binds to and stabilizes intracellular microtubules, resulting in decreased DNA replication and cell proliferation. Ixabepilone possesses antitumor activity in taxane-resistant tumor cells and has been shown to significantly improve progression-free survival when used in combination with capecitabine in patients with taxane-resistant tumors. Lapatinib, an oral small-molecule inhibitor of human epidermal growth factor receptors-1 and -2, has been shown, when combined with capecitabine, to improve progression-free survival in patients with advanced metastatic breast cancer who had progressed on prior therapy. The combination of paclitaxel and bevacizumab carries approved labeling for treatment of metastatic breast cancer, although there are concerns about bevacizumab and the risk of toxicity. Conclusion. Ongoing clinical trials continue to define the role of novel antitumor agents in combination regimens for patients with metastatic breast cancer. Targeted agents are less likely to produce adverse events that are typical of cytotoxic chemotherapy but, because of their effects on specific molecular targets, may cause toxicities that were previously uncommon in cancer therapy.
CRUSTACEAN-BEARING CONTINENTAL DEPOSITS IN THE PETROLIA FORMATION (LEONARDIAN SERIES, LOWER PERMIAN) OF NORTH-CENTRAL TEXAS

Abstract Numerous pygocephalomorph crustaceans occur with conchostracans, plants, fishes, amphibians, and amniotes in the Petrolia Formation (Leonardian Series, Lower Permian) of Baylor and Archer counties, Texas. Two pygocephalomorph species are represented; Mamayocaris serendipitous, new species, by hundreds of specimens that appear to be molted exoskeletons, and Paulocaris schrami, new species, by only a few specimens. Mamayocaris has been reported previously from the Lower Permian of Texas and South Dakota and the Upper Carboniferous of Illinois; Paulocaris was previously known only from South America. Associated plant assemblages are dominated by conifers accompanied by other Early Permian and some Late Carboniferous elements. Accompanying vertebrate remains include aquatic to fully terrestrial forms with close taxonomic ties to genera or families recorded in Upper Carboniferous deposits. The fossils are preserved in local deposits of thin (<2 cm), lenticular to nodular beds of limestone and thin (<1...
Synthesis of tritiated diborane and cryptand [2.2.2]

In order to provide a method for in vivo and in vitro detection of cryptand [2.2.2], tritiated cryptand was synthesized by reduction of appropriate bicyclic diamide with tritiated diborane. As part of this synthesis, tritiated diborane was synthesized by the reaction of tritiated sodium borohydride with boron trifluoride etherate and trapped in dry THF. This is a potentially useful agent for selective tritiation of molecules with functional groups which are prone to electrophilic attack.
Domestic airborne black carbon levels and 8-isoprostane in exhaled breath condensate among children in New York City☆

Background Exposure to airborne black carbon (BC) has been associated with asthma development, respiratory symptoms and decrements in lung function. However, the mechanism through which BC may lead to respiratory symptoms has not been completely elucidated. Oxidative stress has been suggested as a potential mechanism through which BC might lead to adverse health outcomes. Exhaled breath condensate (EBC) allows for the non-invasive collection of airway lining fluid containing biomarkers of oxidative stress like 8-isoprostane, a stable by-product of lipid peroxidation. Therefore, we sought to characterize the association between domestic airborne BC concentrations and 8-isoprostane in EBC.
The electrospray and combustion at the mesoscale

An application of the electrospray to mesoscale combustion is studied, with the ultimate goal of coupling the combustor with direct energy conversion modules for power production. The combustor design relies on fuel dispersion by multiplexed electrosprays coupled with a series of catalytic meshes acting as ground electrode and initiators of the fuel oxidation. The combustor has a volume on the order of few cm3 and operates on jet fuel (JP8), which is electrosprayed at a flow rate on the order of 10 g/h with equivalence ratios varying from 0.35-0.70. The behavior of the electrospray in high temperature environments is examined and the phenomenology of the electrospray in the combustion chamber is visualized using planar laser-induced fluorescence from a fluorescent tag doped into the fuel. Combustion efficiencies on the order of 97% can be achieved with uniform temperatures at the catalyst in the range of 900-1,300 K (within ±5%) when the electrospray is operated in an unsteady mode, accompanied by a “hissing” sound characteristic of the onset of corona discharge. Remarkably, no fouling, soot, or NOx were detected in the exhaust gases, which resulted in clean and efficient combustion of even environmentally problematic liquid hydrocarbons.
Heat Transfer From Partially Ionized Gases in the Presence of an Axial Magnetic Field

This work was performed in order to investigate the influence of an axial magnetic field on the flow properties and heat-transfer characteristics of a partially ionized gas in a cylindrical flow channel. A description of the plasma generator and test channel is given along with exper mental results for heat-transfer measurements at the channel wall and flow conditions within the channel as a function field strength. Data obtained show a heat-flux reduction to the walls of the order of 20% for a field strength of 2Okilogauss with indications that the interaction is limitedto the boundary-layer region. (auth)
She3p Binds to the Rod of Yeast Myosin V and Prevents It from Dimerizing, Forming a Single-headed Motor Complex

Abstract Vertebrate myosin Va is a dimeric processive motor that walks on actin filaments to deliver cargo. In contrast, the two class V myosins in budding yeast, Myo2p and Myo4p, are non-processive (Reck-Peterson, S. L., Tyska, M. J., Novick, P. J., and Mooseker, M. S. (2001) J. Cell Biol. 153, 1121–1126). We previously showed that a chimera with the motor domain of Myo4p on the backbone of vertebrate myosin Va was processive, demonstrating that the Myo4p motor domain has a high duty ratio. Here we examine the properties of a chimera containing the rod and globular tail of Myo4p joined to the motor domain and neck of mouse myosin Va. Surprisingly, the adaptor protein She3p binds to the rod region of Myo4p and forms a homogeneous single-headed myosin-She3p complex, based on sedimentation equilibrium and velocity data. We propose that She3p forms a heterocoiled-coil with Myo4p and is a subunit of the motor. She3p does not affect the maximal actin-activated ATPase in solution or the velocity of movement in an ensemble in vitro motility assay. At the single molecule level, the monomeric myosin-She3p complex showed no processivity. When this construct was dimerized with a leucine zipper, short processive runs were obtained. Robust continuous movement was observed when multiple monomeric myosin-She3p motors were bound to a quantum dot “cargo.” We propose that continuous transport of mRNA by Myo4p-She3p in yeast is accomplished either by multiple high duty cycle monomers or by molecules that may be dimerized by She2p, the homodimeric downstream binding partner of She3p.
Comparative molecular field analysis (CoMFA) models of phenylethanolamine N-methyltransferase (PNMT) and the α2-adrenoceptor: The development of new, highly selective inhibitors of PNMT

Abstract As a guide to the development of new and more selective inhibitors of phenylethanolamine N -methyltransferase (PNMT) vs the α 2 -adrenoceptor, we have performed a comparative molecular field analysis (CoMFA) on a series of 80 benzylamine analogues. Using the models obtained, we have proposed a series of 3-trifluoromethyl-1,2,3,4-tetrahydroisoquinolines and predicted the activity of other analogues.
Structure in confined colloid suspensions

Abstract The study of confined condensed matter is motivated by the observation that when the range of molecular interaction and the length scale associated with position correlation in a system are similar to the length scale of confinement, that system can support structures and have transport properties that differ from those found in the bulk. This Letter is a selective overview of information that has been obtained about the nature of phase transitions from studies of confined quasi-two-dimensional colloid suspensions, with attention paid to the roles of the colloid–colloid interaction and the extent of deviation from an idealized geometry of confinement, e.g. whether and/or how phase transitions in quasi-one-dimensional and quasi-two-dimensional systems differ from those in a two-dimensional system or a three-dimensional system.
Design and implementation of a distributed PACS database system

The requirements of a PACS database system (PACS DBS), which has been characterized to have large-volume image data, multi-media data and cross-modality reference, suggest the adoption of a distributed approach to PACS DBS design. This paper presents the design and the implementation of such a distributed PACS DBS. The design issues of a distributed PACS DBS include distributed transaction management for concurrency/recovery/security control, catalogue management for archiving fragmentation/location/replication transparency, and strategies for the distributed query processing. A prototype distributed PACS DBS that has been implemented and some implications from its evaluation will be discussed.
New Elements Einsteinium and Fermium, Atomic Numbers 99 and 100

Author(s): Ghiorso, A.; Thompson, S.G.; Higgins, G.H.; Seaborg, G.T.; Studier, M.H.; Fields, P.R.; Fried, S.M.; Diamond, H.; Mech, J.F.; Pyle, G.L.; Huizenga, J.R.; Hirsch, A.; Manning, W.M.; Browne, C.I.; Smith, H.L.; Spence, R.W.
Interface temperatures in cold rolling

A simplified model for heat transfer is cold rolling which considers only convection parallel to the roll-strip interface and conduction normal to this direction is developed. The interface temperatures predicted by the model show good agreement with experimental measurements by Jeswiet and Rice [10]. The influence of various processing parameters on interface temperatures is discussed and a semi-empirical equation to estimate the maximum interface temperature is presented.
Do the benefits of naïve realism outweigh the costs? Comments on fish, perception, hallucination and illusion

Fish’s book (2009) is inventive, clear and bold. I have learned much from thinking about it. My plan is as follows. In §1 I will evaluate Fish’s arguments for naive realism about visual phenomenology. In §2 I will identify potential intuitive costs of his theory of hallucination and certain illusions. In §3 I will argue on empirical grounds that the brain plays a more serious role in shaping phenomenal character than is allowed by the naive realist. I think this may be the strongest argument against naive realist and disjunctivist views in general. Burge (2005) also has argued that such views are at odds with science, but my argument differs from his.
Dielectric behavior of polyelectrolytes. V. Dynamic response of spherical biopolymers to electric fields — The Kerr effect of disk membrane vesicles

Abstract A formalism for deriving the joint probability density in configuration space for a system of charged particles constrained to the surface of a sphere is developed. This distribution function can be used to evaluate position dependent macroscopic properties in the canonical ensemble and is used to evaluate the dynamic Kerr effect (time dependence of the optical phase shift). The results are compared to experimental data for bovine disk membrane vesicles.
Antidepressive treatment as a modulator of inflammatory process in patients with heart failure: Effects on proinflammatory cytokines and acute phase protein levels

Abstract Background Depression has been associated with increased inflammatory process. Although anti-depressive medication has anti-inflammatory effect in major depression, its role in patients with heart failure (HF) is unknown. In the present study we evaluated the impact of antidepressive medication on the expression of proinflammatory cytokines and acute phase response proteins, in patients with HF and major depression. Methods The study population consisted of 250 patients with HF (154 suffering from major depression). Patients with major depression were under selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs, n =120) or tricyclic antidepressants (TCA) and/or serotonin/norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs) ( n =34), for at least 6 months. Results Levels of TNF-α, IL-6, CRP and fibrinogen were not significantly different between HF patients with depression under treatment and those without depression ( p =NS for all). However, TNF-α and CRP levels were significantly lower in patients receiving TCA/SNRI compared to patients receiving SSRIs or those without depression ( p β =0.036(SE:0.016) and log(CRP) ( β =0.099(SE:0.048), p =0.041). Conclusions In the present study we demonstrate for the first time that treatment of patients with HF and major depression with TCAs/SNRIs, is associated with lower levels of TNF-α and CRP, suggesting that the type of antidepressive treatment may have a significant effect on the underlying inflammatory process.
How Quality of Writing Instruction Impacts High-risk Fourth Graders’ Writing

From a larger longitudinal study of 610 fourth graders in 17 inner city schools, 40 students were randomly selected from 10 classrooms rated high (i.e., top quartile) or low (i.e., bottom quartile) in quality of writing instruction in grades 3 and 4. The written compositions of these students were scored in three ways: (1) according to a rating scale within a reliable scoring rubric, (2) according to countable surface features such as words correctly sequenced, and (3) according to the frequency of specific phonological, morphosyntactic, and orthographic errors in the children’s writing. A multivariate analysis of variance was conducted to examine whether quality of writing instruction in grades 3 and 4 predicted students’ writing performance at the end of grade 4. Students who received high quality instruction in fourth grade wrote longer compositions with more correctly spelled words than those who had poor quality writing instruction. There was a tendency for two years of quality instruction to be better than one, and, among students who had poor quality instruction in grade 3, compositions were longer in grade 4 when they received quality instruction in fourth grade. Foundational problems of language formulation, production and representation, however, were ubiquitous across the sample. Although these students were within the average range on standardized reading tests, spelling and writing were not developing at average levels. The study confirms the urgent need for more and better writing instruction for high risk, minority children.
Using Q-Methodology to Reveal Nurse Educators' Perspectives about Simulation Design

Abstract Background Considering educators can hold varying beliefs toward teaching, it is to be expected a certain degree of subjectivity exists as educators make choices when designing and conducting simulation activities. The aim of this study was to discover nurse educators' perspectives (patterns of thought) about simulation design. Method In a Q-methodological approach, 44 nurse educators rank ordered 60 opinion statements about simulation design into a quasi-normal distribution grid. Results Factor analysis revealed nurse educators share an overriding Facilitate the Discovery perspective. Two secondary bipolar factors revealed educators hold opposing views about student role assignment, degree to provide student support, and when and if to stop a simulation. Conclusions Results suggest that ongoing and sustained educational development along with time for nurse educators to clarify their perspective about simulation design is essential. Further educational research on the extent to let students struggle during simulation activities and the emotional preparation students need before simulation activities is crucial. Awareness of perspectives (individual and shared) about simulation design enhances instructional delivery and develops educators' skill in simulation pedagogy.
White light emission characteristics of europium doped fluoride crystals

Under 405 nm diode laser excitation Europium doped Lanthanum fluoride glows bright white and revealed numerous wavelengths in the blue, green and red regions of the electromagnetic spectrum. These lines were emitted from 5 D J (J=0, 1, 2 and 3) to 7 F J (J=0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6) levels. For the same excitation conditions Europium doped Calcium fluoride glows white with abundant blue emission and some yellow light. These materials appear to be promising candidates for solid state white light sources. Emission characteristics are described in detail.
Aerodynamic roughness length: Correlation with roughness elements

Abstract This paper examines the relationship between the aerodynamic roughness length, zo, and the size, shape, and spacing of the roughness elements in both natural and controlled situations. Correlations are given to allow prediction of zo. Preliminary results of a wind tunnel study with random height roughness elements indicate that errors up to 30% can occur in the measured pressure coefficients on a low rise structure when related to a prototype situation.
Human supervisory control of robot systems

This paper reviews some what's and whys of "supervisory control", "telerobotics" and "telepresence" as applied to operations in space. Specific salient problems and developments in control are described, including: (1) computer-based planning; (2) command language; (3) geometric resolution; and (4) arm/end-effector dexterity and impedance. Key problems and developments in telesensory feedback are also described, including: (i) predictive display; (2) teleproprioception; (3) force reflection; and (4) teletouch. Finally, some "policy" problems of design/development by computer simulation vs. hardware design, and the problems of evaluation of prototype systems are mentioned. Efforts from the author's laboratory are cited as examples; no comprehensive literature review is intended.
Sublethal Hyperoxia Impairs Pulmonary Innate Immunity

Supplemental oxygen is often required in the treatment of critically ill patients. The impact of hyperoxia on pulmonary host defense is not well-established. We hypothesized that hyperoxia directly impairs pulmonary host defense, beyond effects on alveolar wall barrier function. C57BL/6 mice were kept in an atmosphere of >95% O 2 for 4 days followed by return to room air. This exposure does not lead to mortality in mice subsequently returned to room air. Mice kept in room air served as controls. Mice were intratracheally inoculated with Klebsiella pneumoniae and followed for survival. Alveolar macrophages (AM) were harvested by bronchoalveolar lavage after 4 days of in vivo hyperoxia for ex vivo experiments. Mortality from pneumonia increased significantly in mice exposed to hyperoxia compared with infected mice in room air. Burden of organisms in the lung and dissemination of infection were increased in the hyperoxia group whereas accumulation of inflammatory cells in the lung was impaired. Hyperoxia alone had no impact on AM numbers, viability, or ability to phagocytize latex microbeads. However, following in vivo hyperoxia, AM phagocytosis and killing of Gram-negative bacteria and production of TNF-α and IL-6 in response to LPS were significantly reduced. AM surface expression of Toll-like receptor-4 was significantly decreased following in vivo hyperoxia. Thus sublethal hyperoxia increases Gram-negative bacterial pneumonia mortality and has a significant adverse effect on AM host defense function. Impaired AM function due to high concentrations of supplemental oxygen may contribute to the high rate of ventilator-associated pneumonia seen in critically ill patients.
Axonal terminals of sensory neurons and their morphological diversity

The application of electron microscopy to defining the fine structural characteristics of axon terminals and synapses was followed by a half century of intensive exploration of the molecular concomitants of synaptic activity. The summer of 2003 marks the 50th anniversary of the earliest accounts of synapses by Palay and Palade. Prompted by recent findings of specialization in the fine structure of nociceptor terminals that lack contacts remotely resembling a synapse, we present a survey of arrangements, contacts and axoplasmic contents of peripheral sensory axon terminals. The morphological principles underlying the variety of small, clear, spherical vesicles, mitochondrial aggregation, the membrane thickenings associated with sensory terminals and the organelles or inclusions associated with the site of transduction apparently do not conform to a simple parsimonious rule. It is also evident that the terminal of the central branch of bifurcated sensory axons differs structurally from its distal counterparts. This brief illustrated account addresses some important unresolved problems in the functional interpretation of the diverse morphological features exhibited in both synaptic and non-synaptic sensory axon terminals with the aim of identifying and emphasizing some key questions amenable to resolution with contemporary morphological and physiological techniques.
Analyzing Security Interoperability during Component Integration

Developing large software systems by integrating components has a great potential to reduce costs and time to market. However, it also poses serious threats to the nonfunctional aspects of the composed system. One such problem is how to build secure composite system from components which may or may not be individually secure. A systematic approach for determining interoperability of components from a security standpoint and unifying the security features, policies and implementation mechanisms of components is needful. This paper presents a goal-oriented and model-driven approach to analyzing the security features of components to determine interoperability and a guideline for integrating them to fulfill the security goals of the composite system. The proposed analysis procedure leads to discovery of some classes of security interoperability conflicts which helps to determine whether or not the components should be used together. We provide an empirical study by applying the proposed approach to integrate two components by unifying the security features of the components to satisfice the security goals of a student and seminar information system.
Architecture: effect of territory, boundary, and orientation on family functioning

Most students of family process and family therapy practitioners have failed to pay sufficient attention to the importance of the physical home environment. The thesis of this paper is that the physical home environment may facilitate or constrain inter- and intrafamily interaction, role relationships, values, and indentities. The paper presents a comprehensive review of the status of current knowledge concerning family interaction and the home environment. We propose a conceptual framework to facilitate discussion of the nature of man-environment relationships and focus attention on those aspects of the physical environment that have been noted as profoundly influencing family life. These are illustrated by three brief vignettes drawn from case studies of families in their home environment.
A dynamic programming methodology in very large scale neighborhood search applied to the traveling salesman problem

We consider the standard dynamic program to solve the TSP. We then obtain exponentially large neighborhoods by selecting a polynomially bounded number of states, and restricting the dynamic program to those states only. We show how the Balas and Simonetti neighborhood and the insertion dynasearch neighborhood can be viewed in this manner. We also show that one of the dynasearch neighborhoods can be derived directly from the 2-exchange neighborhood using this approach.
Bacterial Survival Amidst an Immune Onslaught: The Contribution of the Staphylococcus aureus Leukotoxins

The success of Staphylococcus aureus as a human pathogen is influenced by its ability to elaborate factors that prevent infection resolution by the host immune system. Such immune-altering factors include complement inhibitory molecules, antibody binding proteins, super-antigens, as well as potent cytolytic peptides and pore-forming toxins. Here, we discuss one class of immune cell-targeting toxins, the bi-component leukotoxins. These toxins are believed to form octameric oligomers of alternating subunits on the surface of host cells and insert β-barrel pores into cell membranes leading to osmotic imbalance and cell lysis [1]. We will discuss the reemerging interest in leukotoxins as potent virulence factors with defined cellular targets, the implications of their lethal and sublethal cellular effects, as well as challenges that have restricted understanding of their functional activity in vivo, while emphasizing areas of interest for future exploration. In addition, we highlight studies supporting the development of antileukotoxin antibodies and immunization strategies as potential modalities to counter S. aureus infection.
Shock and annealing in the amphibole‐ and mica‐bearing R chondrites

MIL 11207 (R6) and LAP 04840 (R6) contain hornblende and phlogopite; MIL 07440 (R6) contains accessory titan-phlogopite and no hornblende. All three meteorites have been shocked: MIL 11207 contains extensive sulfide veins, pyroxene that formed from dehydrated hornblende, and an extensive network of plagioclase glass; MIL 07440 contains chromite-plagioclase assemblages, chromite veinlets and blebs, pincer-shaped plagioclase patches, but no sulfide veins; LAP 04840 contains olivine grains with chromite-bleb-laden cores and opaque-free rims, rare grains of pyroxene that formed from dehydrated hornblende, and no sulfide veins. These meteorites appear to have been heated to maximum temperatures of approximately 700–900 °C under conditions of moderately high PH2O (perhaps 250–500 bars). All three samples underwent postshock annealing. During this process, olivine crystal lattices healed (giving the rocks the appearance of shock-stage S1), and diffusion of Fe and S from thin sulfide veins to coarse sulfide grains caused the veins to disappear in MIL 07440 and LAP 04840. This latter process apparently also occurred in most S1–S2 ordinary chondrites of high petrologic type. The pressure–temperature conditions responsible for forming the amphibole and mica in these rocks may have been present at depths of a few tens of kilometers (as suggested in the literature). A giant impact or a series of smaller impacts would then have been required to excavate the hornblende- and biotite-bearing rocks and bring them closer to the surface. It was in that latter location where the samples were shocked, deposited in a hot ejecta blanket of low thermal diffusivity, and annealed.
2011 Marshall Urist Young Investigator Award: When to Release Patients to High-impact Activities after Hip Resurfacing

Background Surface replacement arthroplasties are commonly performed in young, active patients who desire return to high-impact activities including heavy manual labor and recreational sports. Femoral neck fracture is an arthroplasty-related complication unique to surface replacement arthroplasty. However, it is unclear regarding whether patients are at lower risk for fracture after a certain postoperative time.
WRINKLES INDUCED BY THE USE OF SMOOTHING PROCEDURES APPLIED TO SERIAL GROWTH DATA

Summary. This paper elucidates the effects of moving average filters when applied to serial growth measurements. This is a question of interest because smoothing procedures are inherently part of a number of analytical methods presently employed in auxological analyses. Particular attention is paid to sequential growth data analysed to identify what has been described as pulsatile, saltation and stasis patterns or mini-growth spurts. When applied to pulsatile, or saltatory, time series data the process of smoothing itself creates artifactual temporal patterns in the time scries data similar to previously described mini growth spurts while removing the actual pulsatile characteristics of the data. These observations illustrate that smoothing approaches add noise to time series data while removing meaningful patterns in the original data sequence. Analyses employing such approaches produce results that include waveforms or other fluctuations compatible with an underlying pulsatile driving mechanism, but do not necessarily reflect the temporal characteristics of the original biological process.
A Selective Review of Time Assumptions in Strategy Research

Concepts of time vary dramatically across individuals and cultures. We draw from work in anthropology, psychology, sociology, and management to identify five time dimensions that guide our review and discussion of dynamic strategic management research. Although strategy researchers incorporate time in many ways, they generally ignore a subjective view of time and the temporal perceptions of actors in their models. We conclude by suggesting how strategy researchers and practitioners can incorporate an unambiguous and multifaceted view of time explicitly into their work.
Identification and Characterization of Saccharomyces cerevisiae Cdc6 DNA-binding Properties

Recent studies have shown that Cdc6 is an essential regulator in the formation of DNA replication complexes. However, the biochemical nature of the Cdc6 molecule is still largely unknown. In this report, we present evidence that the Saccharomyces cerevisiae Cdc6 protein is a double-stranded DNA-binding protein. First, we have demonstrated that the purified yeast Cdc6 can bind to double-stranded DNA (dissociation constant ∼ 1 × 10−7 M), not to single-stranded DNA, and that the Cdc6 molecule is a homodimer in its native form. Second, we show that GST-Cdc6 fusion proteins expressed in Escherichia coli bind DNA in an electrophoretic mobility shift assay. Cdc6 antibodies and GST antibodies, but not preimmune serum, induce supershifts of GST-Cdc6 and DNA complexes in these assays, which also showed that GST-Cdc6 binds to various DNA probes without apparent sequence specificity. Third, the minimal requirement for the binding of Cdc6 to DNA has been mapped within its N-terminal 47-amino acid sequence (the NP6 region). This minimal binding domain shows identical DNA-binding properties to those possessed by full-length Cdc6. Fourth, the GST-NP6 protein competes for DNA binding with distamycin A, an antibiotic that chelates DNA within the minor groove of the A+T-rich region. Finally, site-direct mutagenesis studies revealed that the 29KRKK region of Cdc6 is essential for Cdc6 DNA-binding activity. To further elucidate the function of Cdc6 DNA binding in vivo, we demonstrated that a binding mutant of Cdc6 fails to complement either cdc6-1 temperature-sensitive mutant cells or Δcdc6 null mutant cells at the nonpermissive temperature. The mutant gene also conferred growth impairments and increased the plasmid loss in its host, indicative of defects in DNA synthesis. Because the mutant defective in DNA binding also fails to stimulate Abf1 ARS1 DNA-binding activity, our results suggest that Cdc6 DNA-binding activity may play a pivotal role in the initiation of DNA replication.