cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Future of Sex Research and the Meaning of Science

One major source of discord within sex research is the conceptual confusion concerning the meaning of science. The older positivistic stance has been increasingly rejected by scientists, and a newer postpositivist perspective has been developed, but many sex researchers are not fully cognizant of these changes. The importance and nature of these recent changes for sex research are discussed and illustrated with examples from research on HIV/AIDS, pornography, and homosexuality. The new postpositivist view of the meaning of science affords sexual science a more creative role and a more problem‐resolving position in our society. The emphasis here is not on the impossible goal of being value free but on the achievable goal of being value aware. The significance of this new scientific perspective lies in its ability to integrate our professional efforts, to enhance the value of research on sexuality, and to help create a new discipline of sexology.
A semi-quantitative high-throughput screening method for microbial l -tyrosine production in microtiter plates

In this study, we developed a fluorescence-based assay for quantifying the aromatic amino acid l-tyrosine in small sample volumes employing 96-well microtiter plates. The method was based on the specific derivatisation of l-tyrosine with 1-nitroso-2-naphthol and the formation of a stable complex for the fluorescent determination of l-tyrosine concentrations. The original procedure for l-tyrosine measurements in blood or tissue samples (Waalkes and Udenfriend in J Lab Clin Med 50:733–736, 1957) was modified to a simple assay suitable for high-throughput screening of l-tyrosine producing microorganisms such as engineered Escherichia coli.
USE OF AN ESTABLISHED HUMAN HEPATOMA CELL LINE WITH ENDOGENOUS BIOACTIVATION FOR GENE MUTATION STUDIES

Genetic toxicology assays that rely on S9 microsomal mixes are subject to artifacts related to the generation of mutagenic metabolites by acidic pHs, variation in individual isolations of microsomes and the failure of subcellular fractions to faithfully produce metabolites generated in intact cells. We have developed a gene mutation assay utilizing the human hepatoma cell line HepG2, which has been shown to metabolize a broad spectrum of promutagens. Optimal conditions for assaying the induction of 6-thioguanine-resistant mutants in this cell line include: 1) growth of colonies for three weeks on lethally irradiated feeder layers of 10(6) thioguanine-resistant HepG2 cells (average plating efficiency = 60-80%); 2) a thioguanine concentration in selection dishes of 10(-4) M with a maximum seeding density of 2.5 x 10(5) cells per 100 mm culture dish; and 3) a minimum expression time of 6 days. In addition to ultraviolet light C (254 nm), a cytochrome P450 (cyclophosphamide)-dependent and a cytochrome P448 (aflatoxin B1)-dependent promutagen were shown to induce cytotoxicity and mutations in this test system. The present studies, therefore, suggest that the HepG2 cell line may be useful for a variety of assays in genetic toxicology.
The mortality risk associated with higher hemoglobin: is the therapy to blame?

Recent trials have demonstrated a trend for increased mortality when patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) or chronic kidney disease (CKD) are treated with erythropoietin-stimulating agents (ESAs) to hemoglobin levels higher than recommended (>13g/dl). Recent studies suggest that higher doses of ESAs, in themselves, may be at least partly responsible for this mortality risk. This is important, as more than 90% of patients with ESRD and approximately 20% of patients with CKD receive ESAs. Two new studies address this.
Radioactive dating of sediment cores from four contiguous lakes in Saskatchewan, Canada

The measurement of 210Pb and 137Cs profiles of sediment cores from four Qu'Appelle Valley lakes of southern Saskatchewan, Canada are described and interpreted in terms of sediment accumulation rates. The rates derived from these measurements are found to range between 4.7 and 6.6 mm yr−1 for these chain lakes. Colour changes have been observed from these rates relating to the onset of agricultural practice in the Canadian Prairies circa 1883.
Intermittent Atrial Parasystole

A case of atrial parasystole is reported. The parasystolic rhythm was intermittent in character and began each time with an atrial premature beat exhibiting a constant relation to the preceding sinus beat.
Recent Perspectives in Using Goats for Vegetation Management in the USA

Although an ever-increasing body of research data has documented the usefulness of goats for controlling brushy and weedy species such as shinnery oak, blackjack, and post oak, leafy spurge, sericea lespedeza, and many other species, this technique remains severely underutilized. Environmental concerns and the increased costs of chemical and mechanical control methods provide greater opportunities to utilize biological control methods such as goats for removal of brush and weeds. Goats have an advantage over other biological control methods in that they can profitably convert brush and weeds into a saleable product and they can graze concurrently with cattle. In addition, goats improve the cycling of plant nutrients sequestered in brush and weeds, enabling the reestablishment of grassy species. The foremost limitation to using goats for brush and weed control is the social stigma cattlemen attached to goats. The lack of an infrastructure (animal markets, source of large numbers of adapted animals, producer experience and knowledge base) to support goat enterprises is a serious constraint which is gradually being overcome as the goat industry expands. Suitable goat production systems need to be developed for specific environments. This involves the modification of existing knowledge, especially in regard to kidding date, parasite management, predator control, fencing, and marketing strategy. The lack of economic data and enterprise budgets also are constraints. Further research is needed to collect economic data and to develop stocking rate criteria and production systems to support the use of goats for biological weed and brush control in a diversity of environments.
Biofeedback assisted diaphragmatic breathing and systematic relaxation versus propranolol in long term prophylaxis of migraine.

Summary Objectives: To evaluate utility of biofeedback assisted diaphragmatic breathing and systematic relaxation in migraine and to compare their efficacy with propranolol in long term prophylaxis of migraine. Methods: 192 migraine patients were randomly distributed into two groups. Propranolol group received propranolol 80 mg/day while biofeedback group received electromyogram (EMG) and temperature biofeedback assisted diaphragmatic breathing and systematic relaxation training accompanied by home practice for 6 months. Results: Significant clinical response was seen with biofeedback in 66.66% and with propranolol in 64.58% of patients. Frequency, severity, duration of attacks and number of vomiting episodes were significantly reduced in both the groups at 6 months but inter-group differences were statistically insignificant. During 1 year post-treatment period, significantly lesser resurgence of migraine was seen in biofeedback group as whole (9.37%) and in biofeedback responders in biofeedback group (9.37%) in comparison to resurgence of migraine in propranolol group as whole (38.54%) and in propranolol responders in propranolol group (53.22%) respectively. Conclusions: Biofeedback assisted diaphragmatic breathing and systematic relaxation were very useful in migraine and had significantly better long-term prophylactic effect than propranolol in migraine.
Stability of SiC-matrix microencapsulated fuel constituents at relevant LWR conditions

Abstract This paper addresses certain key feasibility issues facing the application of SiC-matrix microencapsulated fuels for light water reactor application. Issues addressed are the irradiation stability of the SiC-based nano-powder ceramic matrix under LWR-relevant irradiation conditions, the presence or extent of reaction of the SiC matrix with zirconium-based cladding, the stability of the inner and outer pyrolytic graphite layers of the TRISO coating system at this uncharacteristically low irradiation temperature, and the state of the particle–matrix interface following irradiation which could possibly affect thermal transport. In the process of determining these feasibility issues microstructural evolution and change in dimension and thermal conductivity was studied. As a general finding the SiC matrix was found to be quite stable with behavior similar to that of CVD SiC. In magnitude the irradiation-induced swelling of the matrix material was slightly higher and irradiation-degraded thermal conductivity was slightly lower as compared to CVD SiC. No significant reaction of this SiC-based nano-powder ceramic matrix material with Zircaloy was observed. Irradiation of the sample in the 320–360 °C range to a maximum dose of 7.7 × 10 25 n/m 2 ( E > 0.1 MeV) did not have significant negative impact on the constituent layers of the TRISO coating system. At the highest dose studied, layer structure and interface integrity remained essentially unchanged with good apparent thermal transport through the microsphere to the surrounding matrix.
Differential impacts of academic and social experiences on college-related behavioral outcomes across different ethnic and gender groups at four-year institutions

The results of the study indicated that institutional experiences, academic achievement, and environmental pull factors contributed the most to persistence decisions. Furthermore, analyses revealed that differences in the effects of these factors for different ethnic and gender groups were important in explaining persistence decisions. No precollege factors (educational aspirations, prior academic achievement, attitudes toward learning, and support and encouragement to attend college) were found to improve the overall fit of the models for any of the groups in the study. For minorities, the biggest detrimental effects on dropout behavior were derived from pull factors in the form of family responsibilities and working off-campus. No significant positive effects from informal and formal interactions with faculty, close personal relationships with peers, and academic experiences during their first year in college were found to negate the large negative influences from the pull factors. For females, the most significant positive effect on college persistence came from mentoring experiences in the form of nonclassroom interactions with faculty.
Ionic Basis of Inhibitory Presynaptic Modulation in Rat Cortical Synaptosomes

Abstract: We have investigated the possibility that, regardless of the involvement of a second messenger system, the ultimate effect of presynaptic, receptor-activated inhibitory modulation is the opening of a K channel. With the consequent hyperpolarization of the terminal, less Ca2+ would enter and this would result in the observed diminished release of a neu-rotransmitter. This possibility was explored utilizing rat cortical synaptosomes that were prelabeled with either 86Rb or [3H]acetylcholine, depolarizing with either K+ or veratridine, and measuring either efflux of 86Rb or release of [3H]acetylcholine in the presence or absence of inhibitory presynaptic modulators. The modulating agents used were 2-chloroadenosine, carbamylcholine, clonidine, and morphine. In all instances, these agents promoted an increased efflux of 86Rb, indicating hyperpolarization, and decreased release of acetylcholine. These results are compatible with our suggestion that an increase in K conductance may be responsible for presynaptic inhibition of the release of neurotransmitters.
Burning of Ammonium-Perchlorate Ellipses and Spheroids in Fuel Binder

Our simulations of heterogeneous propellant combustion have always assumed that the oxidizer particles (ammonium perchlorate) are disks (two dimensional) or spheres (three dimensional). Here the effects on the burning rate are examined when the disks/spheres are replaced by ellipses/ellipsoids. In two dimensions, it is shown that an area-preserving deformation of a pack of disks, generating a pack of ellipses, can lead to significant variations in the burning rate. However, if the ellipses are randomly packed, so that the alignment of their axes is random, the shape effect is small. In three dimensions, volume-preserving deformation, which generates ellipsoids, leads to burning rate changes no greater than those in two dimensions. Absent a random packing algorithm for ellipsoids, it is speculated that here also a random alignment of the axes would eliminate the effect. ECENT years have seen significant advances in the modeling of heterogeneous propellant combustion, specifically in the context of ammonium‐perchlorate (AP)/hydroxyl-terminatedpolybutadiene propellants. In Ref. 1, a two-dimensional treatment, a numerical code is described in which the combustion field is fully coupled to heat conduction in the solid via a nonuniformly regressing nonplanar surface. The corresponding three-dimensional problem is described in Refs. 2 and 3, the first using two-step kinetics and the second three-step kinetics. Comparisons between the numerical results and experimental results of Miller 4 show that the effects of propellant morphology on burning rates can be satisfactorily predicted over a wide pressure range. At fixed pressure, the variations in burning rate due to different morphologies are as much as threefold, so that these are nontrivial predictions. In this connection, note how we chose the values of the numerous parameters for this problem, parameters identified in Refs. 1‐3. Most are typical values defined by the community at large. Some are uncertain, of course, particularly the surface pyrolysis parameters, but once a choice was made no post hoc adjustments were made to better fit the three-dimensional data of Miller. An important parameter subset is those of the gas kinetics, the reaction rates for the two-step and three-step kinetics. There, we used one-dimensional burning rate data for pure AP and for homogeneous blends of AP and binder. The use of a three-step mechanism enabled us to fit blend burning rates over a wide range of mixture ratios, and it is presumably for this reason that the three-step results are more accurate than the two-step results. Most important, our calculations are not a massive exercise in curve fitting. This does not mean that better choices for some of our parameter values are not possible. Although we reasonably capture qualitative aspects of sandwich burning, 3 most notably the surface topography, the surface topography in our three-dimensional simulations does not show concavity in the surfaces of large AP particles at pressures for which it is observed experimentally. It seems probable that this
Injuries produced by contact with electric circuits

Abstract This paper discusses the results of a series of experimental investigations that have been conducted at The Johns Hopkins University on the effects of electric shock. Rats and dogs were used as the experimental animals. They were completely anesthetized before the experiments. Studies of the effects produced by electric current upon the nervous system and upon the heart are reported. Three types of circuits were used in the work, namely, direct current, alternating current, and the discharge of an impulse generator. In the first series of experiments, the effect of voltage was studied and it was found that low voltage alternating current circuits are much more deadly than direct current circuits of the same voltage. At voltages of 1,000 and higher the reverse is the case. In this work, the importance of the size of the animal as related to the injury was definitely established, larger animals being able to withstand a greater current than those small in size. The resistance offered by a body in an electrical circuit was determined. The resistance is made up of two parts—the contact resistance, and the ohmic resistance of the body proper. The resistances offered at the contacts are of the nature of a voltage drop and are largely independent of the current flowing. The importance of contact resistances in industrial accidents is emphasized. In a second series of experiments the effect of the current path through the
Non-transitive looks & fallibilism

Fallibilists about looks deny that the relation of looking the same as is non-transitive. Regarding familiar examples of coloured patches suggesting that such a relation is non-transitive, they argue that, in fact, indiscriminable adjacent patches may well look different, despite their perceptual indiscriminability: it’s just that we cannot notice the relevant differences in the chromatic appearances of such patches. In this paper, I present an argument that fallibilism about looks requires commitment to an empirically false consequence. To succeed in deflecting putative cases of non-transitivity, fallibilists would have to claim that there can’t be any perceptual limitations of any kind on human chromatic discrimination. But there are good reasons to think such limitations exist.
Development of a Maturing T-Cell-Mediated Immune Response in Patients with Idiopathic Parkinson’s Disease Receiving r-metHuGDNF Via Continuous Intraputaminal Infusion

The development of a maturing T-cell-mediated immune response was characterized in Parkinson’s disease subjects receiving recombinant human glial-derived neurotrophic factor (r-metHuGDNF) via continuous bilateral intraputaminal infusion. Eighteen of 34 subjects tested positive for anti-r-metHuGDNF-binding antibodies. Four subjects developed neutralizing activity, three of which demonstrated classic immunoglobulin class switching from IgM to IgG. An increase of anti-r-metHuGDNF IgG-binding antibodies correlated with the development of neutralizing activity. All serum samples from two subjects with neutralizing activity were characterized for IgG subclasses. These data revealed an initial anti-r-metHuGDNF IgG population where IgG1 >> IgG2 >> IgG4, and IgG3 concentrations were negligible. However, continued antigenic stimulation resulted in concentration changes where IgG4 > IgG1> IgG2, indicating a mature immune response. In addition, using in silico techniques, two immunodominant MHC class II T-cell epitopes were predicted for the native GDNF sequence. These data demonstrate development of a mature T-cell-mediated immune response in these subjects.
A Unifying Concept: Pancreatic Ductal Anatomy Both Predicts and Determines the Major Complications Resulting from Pancreatitis

Background Precepts about acute pancreatitis, necrotizing pancreatitis, and pancreatic fluid collections or pseudocyst rarely include the impact of pancreatic ductal injuries on their natural course and outcomes. We previously examined and established a system to categorize ductal changes. We sought a unifying concept that may predict course and direct therapies in these complex patients. Study Design We use our system categorizing ductal changes in pseudocyst of the pancreas and severe necrotizing pancreatitis (type I, normal duct; type II, duct stricture; type III, duct occlusion or "disconnected duct"; and type IV, chronic pancreatitis). From 1985 to 2006, a policy was implemented of routine imaging (cross-sectional, endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography, or magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography). Clinical outcomes were measured. Results Among 563 patients with pseudocyst, 142 resolved spontaneously (87% of type I, 5% of type II, and no type III, and 3% of type IV). Percutaneous drainage was successful in 83% of type I, 49% of type II, and no type III or type IV. Among 174 patients with severe acute pancreatitis percutaneous drainage was successful in 64% of type I, 38% of type II, and no type III. Operative debridement was required in 39% of type I and 83% and 85% of types II and III, respectively. Persistent fistula after debridement occurred in 27%, 54%, and 85% of types I, II, and III ducts, respectively. Late complications correlated with duct injury. Conclusions Pancreatic ductal changes predict spontaneous resolution, success of nonoperative measures, and direct therapies in pseudocyst. Ductal changes also predict patients with necrotizing pancreatitis who are most likely to have immediate and delayed complications.
Species ' traits and environmental gradients interact to govern primary production in freshwater mussel communities

We examined the eff ect of species identity on ecosystem function across an environmental gradient by manipulating the relative dominance of three freshwater mussel species with divergent thermal preferences in mesocosms across a temperature gradient (15, 25, 35 ° C). We measured a suite of individual performance (oxygen consumption, nutrient excretion) and ecosystem response metrics (community, water column, benthic gross primary production and nutrient concentrations) to determine if species performance across temperatures was governed by 1) physiological responses to temperature, 2) species interactions associated with dominant species, or 3) context-dependent species interactions related to temperature (interaction of 1 and 2). Our results demonstrate that environmental context (temperature) combined with the functional traits of dominant species interactively infl uence the performance and services provided by other species, and that these shifts can have heightened eff ects on multiple compartments within an ecosystem. Th erefore, in addition to declines in species richness, shifts in community dominance also should be considered when interpreting the eff ects of anthropogenic disturbances on the structure and functioning of ecosystems.
Pope Pius XI's "encyclical" "Humani generis unitas" against racism and anti-Semitism and the "silence" of Pope Pius XII

In June 1938, the eighty-one-year-old Achille Ratti, who had served as Pope Pius XI since 1922, exasperated by the "exaggerated nationalism" and racism of Nazi Germany, commissioned an encyclical condemning these moral evils. Quickly drawn up by three Jesuit priests, and translated into Latin by another, it was presented to Vladi mir Ledochowski, the General of their Order, at the end of September 1938.1 Pius XI died the evening of 9-10 February 1939. The draft of the encyclical denouncing racism, together with the address he planned to present to the Italian bishops on the tenth anniversary of the Lateran Accords, were found on his desk.2 His secretary of state and chief collaborator Eugenio Pacelli, who became Pope Pius XII on 2 March 1939, decided to shelve both. Did the condemnation of ra cism and antisemitism in Humani Generis Unitas (The Unity of the Human Race) reflect the thought of Pius XI? Did it similarly reflect the sentiments of Pius XII? If so, why did Pope Pius XII refuse to
Tenth Berkshire Conference on the History of Women

The Tenth Annual Berkshire Conference on the History of Women, held in Chapel Hill, North Carolina in June 1996, offered labor historians a wide variety of panels in which gender and labor demonstrated their complex interconnections. From babysitters' unions to African-American women's activism, historians of US women's labor showed that their work was moving the field in new and exciting directions. A substantial portion of the panels on Latin America also dealt specifically with working-class women. By contrast, most of the panels on Europe empha sized women as middle-class professionals, as part of bourgeois culture, or as members of feminist movements not directly concerned with class or the workplace. Several panels dealt with American labor since World War Two. Mir iam Formanek-Brunell and Sonya Michel addressed child care. Formanek Brunell demonstrated that the babysitting profession provides a wealth of information on gender and work in the postwar United States. "Little mothers," Formanek-Brunell showed, organized sitters' unions through which they set pay rates and conditions of work. Interestingly, teens sepa rated child care from housework, demanding higher wages, plenty to eat, and telephone privileges in return for watching children, and charging extra if asked to wash dishes or iron. In fact, sitters' organizations were so successful that parents sometimes sought a cheaper and more tractable labor source: teenaged boys. In her paper, Sonya Michel investigated why the United States did not legislate postwar child-care provisions. She fo cused on the postwar use of domesticity as a bulwark against communism; liberal feminism's advocacy of individualized solutions to child-care dilem mas; psychological theories that stressed the importance of the mother child bond; and the reluctance of the US Children's Bureau and the US Women's Bureau to advocate work for women as a legitimate career choice. Papers delivered by Millicent Ellison Brown and Christina Greene underscored the importance of research on alliance building among African-American women, especially for understanding civil rights activ ism. Greene's work on the Black Solidarity Committee (BSC) in Durham, North Carolina, reveals that women were largely responsible for shaping the direction of the civil rights movement in Durham. It was women,
Teaching Phoneme Segmenting and Blending as Critical Early Literacy Skills: An Experimental Analysis of Minimal Textual Repertoires

The purpose of the current study was to examine blending and segmenting of phonemes as an instance of small, textual response classes that students learn to combine to produce whole word reading. Using an A/B/A/B design, a phoneme segmenting and blending condition that included differential reinforcement for response classes at the level of phonemes was compared to a control condition which was equated for differential reinforcement of reading words and opportunities to respond. The critical difference between conditions was the size of the responses that were brought under stimulus control (phonemes versus whole words). Findings clearly supported the superiority of the phoneme blending treatment condition over the control condition in producing generalized increases in word reading. The results are discussed in terms of the behavioral mechanisms that govern early literacy behaviors and the essential role that targeting measured increases in academic responses plays in furthering our understanding of how to improve the analysis and instruction of students who need to learn these important skills.
Machine Tongues XVII: CLM: Music V Meets Common Lisp

As the 1980s wore to an end, the wonderful PDP-10 and Samson box (Samson 1985) at the Center for Computer Research in Music and Acoustics (CCRMA) began to seem fatally old-fashioned. MIDI was everyone's new darling; tape music was dead. Worse, the old 1960s vintage hardware began to fall apart, and the repairs rivaled the designs of Rube Goldberg. When CCRMA decided to buy NeXT computers, it became painfully obvious how much we were losing-hundreds of thousands of lines of unportable Sail, Fail, and FORTRAN code, hundreds of years of effort, and the best FM synthesizer anywhere, all tossed into the trash heap. I had spent more than ten years building a little computer nest (Schottstaedt 1983) and, in the course of writing more than 20 pieces, had become very much at home there. The move to the NeXT set me back ten years with no straightforward way to recover my favorite instruments or composing tools. I had three choices: the NeXT MusicKit (Jaffe 1989), Csound (Vercoe 1991), or start all over from the beginnning. The NeXT MusicKit was similar to the Samson box system we had just left, and CSound was essentially the same as the old Mus10 world, an outgrowth of Music V (Mathews 1969; Pope 1993) that the Samson box software had replaced. Both of these choices were familiar, and both were in use by real composers, so I started out on the assumption that one or the other would become my new home. I tackled the MusicKit first. It provides a sophisticated entry into the NeXT sound-support hardware, including highly optimized access to the NeXT's built-in Motorola DSP56000, a 24-bit microprocessor aimed at common digital signal-processing tasks. Unfortunately, one DSP56000 is not a Samson box. It can just barely synthesize two FM violins (Schottstaedt 1977) in real time, but I was used to using as many as 50. To continue writing the kind of music I like to write, I would have to split up the note lists into 56000-size pieces, then do lots of overlays. In addition, the MusicKit's real-time orientation leads to complicated envelope and instrument definitions and makes it difficult to get at individual samples. Despite my admiration for the job David Jaffe and Julius Smith have done, the more I looked into the MusicKit, the less I seemed to be getting from it. On the other hand, Csound, which several of my friends use and regard very highly, did not run at that time on the NeXT, and my attempt to port it failed. So, I sat down to write yet another version of Music V.
Cost effectiveness of a computer-delivered intervention to improve HIV medication adherence

High levels of adherence to medications for HIV infection are essential for optimal clinical outcomes and to reduce viral transmission, but many patients do not achieve required levels. Clinician-delivered interventions can improve patients’ adherence, but usually require substantial effort by trained individuals and may not be widely available. Computer-delivered interventions can address this problem by reducing required staff time for delivery and by making the interventions widely available via the Internet. We previously developed a computer-delivered intervention designed to improve patients’ level of health literacy as a strategy to improve their HIV medication adherence. The intervention was shown to increase patients’ adherence, but it was not clear that the benefits resulting from the increase in adherence could justify the costs of developing and deploying the intervention. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the relation of development and deployment costs to the effectiveness of the intervention. Costs of intervention development were drawn from accounting reports for the grant under which its development was supported, adjusted for costs primarily resulting from the project’s research purpose. Effectiveness of the intervention was drawn from results of the parent study. The relation of the intervention’s effects to changes in health status, expressed as utilities, was also evaluated in order to assess the net cost of the intervention in terms of quality adjusted life years (QALYs). Sensitivity analyses evaluated ranges of possible intervention effectiveness and durations of its effects, and costs were evaluated over several deployment scenarios. The intervention’s cost effectiveness depends largely on the number of persons using it and the duration of its effectiveness. Even with modest effects for a small number of patients the intervention was associated with net cost savings in some scenarios and for durations greater than three months and longer it was usually associated with a favorable cost per QALY. For intermediate and larger assumed effects and longer durations of intervention effectiveness, the intervention was associated with net cost savings. Computer-delivered adherence interventions may be a cost-effective strategy to improve adherence in persons treated for HIV. Clinicaltrials.gov identifier NCT01304186 .
Function of gonadotropin-releasing hormone in olfaction

Gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) is present within neurons of the nervus terminalis, the zeroeth cranial nerve. In all vertebrate species, except in sharks where it is a separate nerve, the nervus terminalis consists of a chain of neurons embedded within olfactory or vomeronasal nerves in the nasal cavity. The function of the GnRH component of the nervus terminalis is thought to be neuromodulatory. Our research on GnRH effects on olfaction confirms this hypothesis. The processes of GnRH neural cell bodies located within chemosensory nerves project centrally into the ventral forebrain and peripherally into the lamina propria of the nasal chemosensory mucosa. GnRH receptors are expressed by chemosensory neurons as shown by RT-PCR/Southern blotting and GnRH agonist binding studies. Patch-clamp studies have shown that GnRH alters the responses of isolated chemosensory neurons to natural or electrophysiological stimulation through the modulation of voltage-gated and receptor-gated channels. Behavioral experiments demonstrate that interfering with the nasal GnRH system leads to deficits in mating behavior. These studies suggest that the function of the intranasal GnRH system is to modify olfactory information, perhaps at reproductively auspicious times. We speculate that the purpose of this altered olfactory sense is to make pheromones more detectable and salient.
Insights into the Structure and Function of Redox-Active Tyrosines from Model Compounds

Redox-active tyrosine residues play important roles in long distance electron-transfer reactions in enzymes, including prostaglandin H synthase, ribonucleotide reductase, and photosystem II. In cytochrome c oxidase, a cross-linked tyrosine−histidine cofactor has been proposed to play a role in proton and electron transfer reactions. Studies of tyrosyl radicals in model compounds, generated by UV photolysis, have recently provided new information about the structure and function of these redox-active species. The results of these studies, which combine magnetic resonance and optical spectroscopies, are described in this review.
Near-field MVDR source localization

ABSTRACT A method is proposed for near-field narrowband source localization based on measurements from a uniform linear array (ULA) of sensors. This incoming field can be measured as a function of delay between each outer sensor and the center reference sensor. The approach uses a Fresnel approximation for the time delay between the sensor data as a function of direction of arrival and range. A minimum variance distortionl ess response (MVDR) filter is constructed to focus on any given near field location and the output is calculated when th e recorded signal is passed through it. The intensity of this output for the various MVDR filters gives information on the source location and intensity. Keywords: MVDR Filter, Capon method, near field, spectral es timation, source localization, uniform linear array. 1. INTRODUCTION Source localization refers to determining the range and bearing of a source or multiple sources of propagating wave radiation with respect to a reference. Use of sensor arrays is common for this purpose. Th ere are applications, such as radio astronomy, where it is possible only to get the bearing information by estimating the direction of arrival (DOA). Our investigation reported in this paper is motivated by security applications. Sensor arrays are useful at millimeter wavelengths in imaging for con cealed weapon detection [1] and at terahertz wa velengths in imaging th rough barriers [2]. In applications such as terahertz imaging the sensor array is usually in the near field of the source. Several signal processing methods have been proposed for near-field source localization. Hua et al. [3] proposed a weighted linear prediction (LP) meth od that estimates the fields phase delay across the sensors as a second order Taylor approximation, as shown in the next section. However, LP methods are not well suited when the number of sensors is limited. The approach taken in this paper is similar to the Capon method used to estimate the DOA of multiple sources in the far field. It is also known as the minimum variance distortionless response (MVDR) filter and was originally used by Capon to examine spectra of seismic sensor data, but it has also been used in speech recognition, communication, radar and sonar research [4]. When using standard Capon beamforming, the filter selects weights that minimize the output power of the filter to ensure minimal distortion of the signal of interest [5]. Years of research have improved DOA estimation in Capon routines, especially in robust beamformer methods that were developed to correct certain steering vector and asymptotical bias errors. To retrofit the filter for near-field signal detection, another geometric adjustment is needed, since the wavefronts of interest are spherical. The idea of a combination of beamforming and Huas second order approximation Fresnel approach is presented as a solution in this paper. The resulting resolution data for various simulated two-dimensional scans along DOA and range data axes are documented and compared to the delay and sum beamformer solution.
Unusual presentation and complication of the prone position for spinal surgery

Patient positioning for operative procedures has long been associated with perioperative complications. We present a case report of shoulder dislocation, which occurred following positioning in the prone position, and was detected by axillary artery occlusion resulting in the loss of the radial artery blood pressure line waveform. We discuss the diagnosis and consequences of this complication.
The physical chemistry of membrane curvature.

Membrane curvature sensing by amphipathic helices is an emergent property of the ensemble of molecules and membrane sites. New data suggest that individual molecules do not experience stronger binding to curved membranes.
A model of collective nectar source selection by honey bees : self-organization through simple rules

The honey bee colony chooses among different nectar sources available in the field, selectively foraging from those which are most profitable. We present a model that describes the colony's decision-making process. The model consists of a system of non-linear differential equations describing the activity of the foraging bees. Parameter estimates are based on previously published data. Numerical solutions of the equations agree closely with experimental observations. Selective exploitation of the most profitable nectar sources occurs through an autocatalytic, self-organizing process.
Development of phase morphology in incompatible polymer blends during mixing and its variation in extrusion

An experimental study of the development of phase morphology in incompatible polymer melt blends of polyethylene/polystyrene (PE/PS), polyethylene/polycarbonate (PE/PC), and polyethylene/nylon-6 (PE/N6) is presented. Different temperatures (180°C, 240°C) of mixing and polyethylene molecular- weight levels were used in the PE/PS studies. Little variation in the cross-sectional phase morphology of the PE/PS extrudates was observed with these variables, though the morphology became finer with increased shear rate/stress in capillary die flow. Variations in the longitudinal morphology are observed with continuous filaments of dispersed phase only arising when the dispersed phase has an equal or lower viscosity than the continuous phase. The PE/N6 and PE/PC, especially the former, give coarser morphologies when the N6 and PC are the continuous phases. This was attributed to larger inter-facial tensions. The effect of viscoelasticity was also discussed.
LIVER SLICES IN DYNAMIC ORGAN CULTURE. II, AN IN VITRO CELLULAR TECHNIQUE FOR THE STUDY OF INTEGRATED DRUG METABOLISM USING HUMAN TISSUE

1. Precision cut human liver slices in dynamic organ culture have been used to study the integrated metabolism of 7-ethoxycoumarin and the conjugation of 7-hydroxycoumarin.2. The metabolism of 7-ethoxycoumarin and 7-hydroxycoumarin was monitored for 6 h. For both substrates there was a time-dependent increase in metabolites present in the incubation medium. The low levels of free 7-hydroxycoumarin found in the medium when 7-ethoxycoumarin was the substrate suggests good coupling of phase I and phase II metabolism.3. With suitable incubation conditions, i.e. change of medium containing new substrate every 2h, the metabolism of both 7-ethoxycoumarin and 7-hydroxycoumarin by human liver slices was found to proceed at similar rates for up to 24 h. This was demonstrated using five separate human liver preparations.4. Human liver slices also metabolized mono-chlorobenzene and o-, m- and p-dichlorobenzene to aqueous soluble metabolites. There was a time-dependent increase in the appearance of aqueous soluble met...
The plan of the human face: a test of three general concepts

Abstract In The Handbook of Facial Growth, Enlow proposes a series of anatomic concepts that account for “the plan of the human face.” Three of those concepts are examined in this article, which presents measurements of 253 adult female primates from thirty-two species. As part of a system of craniofacial counterparts, Enlow proposes that the breadth of the mandibular ramus should equal the breadth of the pharynx. The relationship between ramus breadth and PNS-Ba in the primates studied strongly supports this hypothesis. A second concept tested concerns the relationship between prognathism and maxillary arch length. The relationship is not as strong as in the previous case, and some species are more prognathic than required for the size of their dentition. It is concluded that arch length and prognathism have an important biologic relationship but that the two features can vary with some independence. The third concept tested is the relationship between prognathism and interorbital breadth. Here the relationship is weak, and it is concluded that the interorbital breadth is not significant in setting a structural limit to the amount of facial prognathism.
Scaling Law of the Sum-Rate for Multi-Antenna Broadcast Channels with Deterministic or Selective Binary Feedback

The sum-capacity of the multi-antenna Gaussian broadcast channel is known to be achieved by Dirty Paper Coding techniques, that require full channel state information at the base station. It has been recently shown that a sum-rate having the same scaling law of the sum-capacity with respect to the number of users n for a fixed signal to noise ratio (i.e., M log log n where M is the number of transmitting antennas) can be achieved by using reduced feedback (or equivalently reduced channel state information at the transmitter). In particular, it has been proved that n real and n integer numbers are enough to guarantee the optimal scaling law. In this paper, the optimal scaling law of the sum-rate is shown to be achievable with an even smaller amount of feedback and, more precisely, with 1) n log 2 (M + 1) bits, if a deterministic feedback scheme is employed; 2) an average number of feedback bits that scales as M log 2 M log n with the number of users n, if a selective (random) feedback scheme is employed.
The Pioneer Fund: Financier of Fascist Research

Many citations used in The Bell Curve to provide a pseudoscientific veneer for Herrnstein and Murray's academic version of The Turner Diaries for the “cognitive elite” came from advocates of eugenics, whose “research” has been supported by the Pioneer Fund. A Nazi endowment specializing in production of justifications for eugenics since 1937, the Pioneer Fund is embedded in a network of right-wing foundations, think tanks, religious fundamentalists, and global anti-Communist coalitions. This article combines Domhoff's model (1978) of how the ruling class makes public policy, Knapp and Spector's (1991) model of how and why capitalists build racism, and Oliver Cox's (1948) analysis of how and why capitalists build fascism to show that the U.S. ruling class is laying the political, ideological, economic, and paramilitary groundwork for fascism. Liberal reaction to The Bell Curve and the threat of fascism has mainly taken the form of appeasement. History suggests it is time for a different response.
Optofluidic Tomography on a Chip

Using lensfree holography we demonstrate optofluidic tomography on a chip. A partially coherent light source is utilized to illuminate the objects flowing within a microfluidic channel placed directly on a digital sensor array. The light source is rotated to record lensfree holograms of the objects at different viewing directions. By capturing multiple frames at each illumination angle, pixel super-resolution techniques are utilized to reconstruct high-resolution transmission images at each angle. Tomograms of flowing objects are then computed through filtered back-projection of these reconstructed lensfree images, thereby enabling optical sectioning on-a-chip. The proof-of-concept is demonstrated by lensfree tomographic imaging of C. elegans.
Some inequalities for diophantine approximation by continued fractions

Let ξ be an irrational number with simple continued fraction expansion ξ = [a0;a1,a2,…,an,…], let pn/qn be its nth convergent and let θn = qn|qnξ − pn|. In this paper a general method is introduced to deduce a series of inequalities involving the triple (θn−1, θn, θn+1).
Cell-mediated immunity during syphilis. A review

Evidence is presented which reinforces the complexity of the host-parasite interaction during the course of syphilis. Infection with Treponema pallidum evokes a complicated antibody response and an assortment of cell-mediated immune reactions in the host. It appears that humoral immunity plays a minor role towards the complete elimination of syphilitic infection while the cellular limb of the immune response may be an important host defence mechanism. Information now available indicates that a state of anergy, or immunosuppression, exists in the early stages of human and experimental rabbit syphilis based upon negative skin reactions to T. pallidum antigen(s), the abnormal histological appearance of lymphoid organs, and impaired in vitro lymphocyte reactivity. It is also evident that in the later stages of the disease cellular immunity becomes activated as delayed type skin reactions can normally be elicited in tertiary syphilitics and lymphocyte behaviour in cell culture appears normal. Several mechanisms have been invoked to explain the delay in an effective immune response against syphilitic infection and the duration of the disease: (1) a capsule-like substance on the outer surface of virulant T. pallidum may act as a barrier against treponemicidal antibody; (2) this material and other biological properties of virulent treponemes could enable spirochaetes to escape being engulfed by macrophages and other phagocytic cells; (3) antigenic competition among different treponemal antigens causing partial tolerance; (4) T. pallidum infection may bring about the elaboration of immunosuppressive substances of host or treponemal origin which inhibit the proper function of lymphocytes, macrophages, and other cell types.
Analysis of problems and barriers of small food and kindred products processors

Specific information is lacking on the nature of problems and barriers that cause difficulty or prevent small food and kindred products processors from expanding. The objective of this article is to provide an analysis of the specific problems and barriers encountered by small food and kindred products processors. Survey results provide data related to the characteristics of small food and kindred products processors, as well as specific problems faced by management of these businesses. Implications focus on both external (public policy) and internal (management) strategies.