cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Young adult waterpipe tobacco users' perceived addictiveness of waterpipe tobacco.

Introduction Young adults generally do not perceive waterpipe tobacco smoking (WTS) to be addictive. Underlying reasons for these false perceptions have received limited research attention and little is known about effective WTS prevention messaging. This study examined perceptions of the addictiveness of WTS among young adults and ascertained their feedback on WTS prevention message content. Methods Young adult (n=44, Mean [M] age 25.3, SD 2.7, range 18-30) waterpipe tobacco users were recruited online for a cross-sectional survey. Closed-ended measures assessed demographics, waterpipe use, other tobacco consumption, and perceived addictiveness of WTS. Open-ended items assessed perceptions of WTS and ascertained feedback on WTS prevention message content. Quantitative data were analyzed descriptively. Open-ended data were coded to identify emerging themes. Results Participants reported low perceived addictiveness of WTS (Mean 2.0, SD 0.9, range 1- not at all, 4 - very), perceived chances of becoming addicted (Mean 3.0, SD 1.6, range 1- no chance, 7- certain), and desire to quit (Mean 3.0, SD 1.8, range 1- not at all, 7- very). In open-ended responses, participants indicated social WTS does not lead to addiction and believe it is easy to quit. Some expressed concerns that WTS addiction may lead to health harms, social stigma, and financial costs. Participants indicated messages using vivid imagery and conveying negative health effects could motivate cessation. Conclusions Young adults view that WTS is not addictive, particularly related to use in social settings. Research can build from this study by developing and testing messages to motivate WTS cessation in young adults.
Spectral efficiency enhancements utilizing analog RF frontend in-band interference cancellation

Today's radios operate invariably in half duple) mode, i.e., they can either transmit or receive, but not both simultaneously in the same frequency band. The inability to simultaneously transmit and receive inherently reduces the spectral efficiency of a radio channel by 50%. Spectrum scarcity and souped-up demand for data from the smar devices, the wireless networks have been unable to cope with the growing needs of the user community. The realization of the full duplex mode operation in the prevailing circumstance has attracted a lot of attention from both industry and academia. The fundamental obstacle in achieving the ful duplex mode operation emanates from the self-induced interference from its own transmitted signal, which interfere with the received Signal of Interest (SoI). Majority of wireles communication systems operate in half duplex mode (inheren inefficiency) to avoid self-interference and to preven desensitizes of their receive chain. The key challenge in achieving the full-duplex radio operation in the same frequency band originates from the huge power differentia between transmitted power and the received signal of interest arriving from a faraway transmitter as well as the nonlinearity of the Radio Frequency Front End (RFFE) transmit/receive components. This large power differential saturates the Low Noise Amplifiers (LNA) and overwhelms the dynamic range o the Analog to Digital Converter (ADC) in the receive chain raising the Receive (Rx) noise floor to an undesirably high level. Many analog and digital cancellation techniques have been proposed and implemented with limited success in specific environments. A more generic technique, which allow for adaptive cancellation of interference from various source in dynamic environment, has been studied, implemented, and the result has been documented in this paper.
"Foreign serum" heterophile antibodies in patients receiving antithymocyte antisera.

Forty-six patients with venous immunologically mediated or lymphoproliferative diseases received goat antihuman thymocyte antisera globulin (ATG) therapy. Heterophile antibody production occurred in 91 % of these patients, following ATG administration. The heterophile antibody was absorbable with both guinea pig kidney and boiled beef erythrocyte antigens. This corresponds to a form of heterophile antibody previously reported as a "serum sickness" variety. The heterophile antibody was composed of a mixture of gamma G and gamma M antibodies and was partially absorbed by ATG. Serum sickness did not occur in any of these patients, in spite of the production of heterophile antibodies. It is recommended that the involved heterogenetic antigen be termed "foreign serum" variety, and the resulting antibody described as a "foreign serum" type of heterophile antibody.
Properties of [3H]haloperidol and [3H]dopamine binding associated with dopamine receptors in calf brain membranes.

[ 3 H]Haloperidol and [ 3 H]dopamine bind in saturable fashion to membranes from calf brain with high affinity and other characteristics indicating an association with post-synaptic dopamine receptors. Kinetic analysis of rates of association and dissociation yields K D values in agreement with equilibrium measurements. Regional variations in [ 3 H]dopamine and [ 3 H]haloperidol binding are parallel and correspond to regional differences in dopaminergic innervation. Drug specificity does not appear to differ between limbic and striatal areas. The relative potencies of various agonists and antagonists on the binding of the two ligands parallel their pharmacological actions at dopamine receptor sites. Dopamine agonists have 6-38 times more affinity for [ 3 H]dopamine than [ 3 H]haloperidol binding sites. By contrast, dopamine antagonists have 20-12,000 times more affinity for [ 3 H]haloperidol than [ 3 H]dopamine binding sites. Ergot derivatives, including d -lysergic acid diethylamide, and other serotonin antagonists have substantial affinity for both types of binding.
Influence of confining environment polarity on ethanol dehydration catalysis by Lewis acid zeolites

Abstract Lewis acidic Sn centers isolated within Beta zeolite frameworks catalyze bimolecular ethanol dehydration to diethyl ether, yet with kinetic behavior sensitive to the hydrophobic character of their confining microporous voids. Sn sites in open ((HO)-Sn-(OSi )3) and closed (Sn-(OSi )4) configurations, quantified from infrared spectra of adsorbed CD3CN before and after reaction, convert to structurally similar intermediates during ethanol dehydration catalysis (404 K) and revert to their initial configurations after regenerative oxidation treatments (21% O2, 803 K). Dehydration rate data (404 K, 0.5–35 kPa C2H5OH, 0.1–50 kPa H2O) measured on ten low-defect (Sn-Beta-F) and high-defect (Sn-Beta-OH) zeolites were described by a rate equation that was derived from mechanisms identified previously by density functional theory calculations and simplified using microkinetic modeling to identify kinetically-relevant pathways and intermediates. Polar hydroxyl defect groups located in the microporous environments that confine Sn sites preferentially stabilize reactive (ethanol-ethanol) and inhibitory (ethanol-water) dimeric intermediates over monomeric ethanol intermediates. As a result, equilibrium constants (404 K) for ethanol-water and ethanol-ethanol dimer formation are 3–4× higher on Sn-Beta-OH than on Sn-Beta-F, consistent with insights from single-component (302 K) and two-component (303 K, 403 K) ethanol and water adsorption measurements. Intrinsic dehydration rate constants (404 K) were identical, within error, among Sn-Beta-OH and Sn-Beta-F zeolites; thus, measured differences in dehydration turnover rates solely reflect differences in prevalent surface coverages of inhibitory and reactive dimeric intermediates at active Sn sites. The confinement of Lewis acidic binding sites within secondary microporous environments of different defect density confers the ability to discriminate surface intermediates on the basis of polarity, providing a design strategy to accelerate turnover rates and suppress inhibition by water.
Impacts of enquiry-based science teaching on achievement gap between high-and-low SES students: findings from PISA 2015

The purpose of this study was to empirically investigate, in a large-scale assessment, the prevalence of enquiry-based teaching, as defined by PISA, implemented in science lessons, and the extent t...
Waveguide-enhanced grazing-incidence small-angle x-ray scattering of buried nanostructures in thin films

X-ray standing waves generated by the interference of the scattered x rays from parallel surfaces of a thin film, the so-called waveguide effect, can be used to enhance or reduce the scatterings from certain depths of the film. Used in combination with grazing-incidence small-angle x-ray scattering, this resonance effect provides depth sensitivity to extract buried structures in thin films of polymer and polymer/nanoparticle nanocomposite, which are not readily accessible by most surface techniques, such as scanning probe microscopy. We developed a rigorous theory of the diffuse scattering in the framework of the distorted-wave Born approximation using a discretization method analogous to Parratt's recursive formalism. In such a case, the distortion of the electric field of the unperturbed state from the nanostructures of interest is considered in a self-consistent manner. This theory allows a quantitative determination of the buried nanostructures when the x-ray waveguide enhancement is present or the size of the nanostructures of interest is comparable to or larger than the spatial frequency of electric-field intensity modulation. A unique capability afforded by this theory is that a nanometer or even subnanometer spatial resolution can be achieved in the depth information of the buried nanostructures, along with the in-plane correlation ofmore » the structures.« less
Role of Patient Maximizing-Minimizing Preferences in Thyroid Cancer Surveillance

PURPOSETo understand the effect of patient preferences on thyroid cancer surveillance intensity.PATIENTS AND METHODSEligible patients diagnosed with thyroid cancer between January 1, 2014, and Dece...
Extracellular pyridine nucleotides trigger plant systemic immunity through a lectin receptor kinase/BAK1 complex

Systemic acquired resistance (SAR) is a long-lasting broad-spectrum plant immunity induced by mobile signals produced in the local leaves where the initial infection occurs. Although multiple structurally unrelated signals have been proposed, the mechanisms responsible for perception of these signals in the systemic leaves are unknown. Here, we show that exogenously applied nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+) moves systemically and induces systemic immunity. We demonstrate that the lectin receptor kinase (LecRK), LecRK-VI.2, is a potential receptor for extracellular NAD+ (eNAD+) and NAD+ phosphate (eNADP+) and plays a central role in biological induction of SAR. LecRK-VI.2 constitutively associates with BRASSINOSTEROID INSENSITIVE1-ASSOCIATED KINASE1 (BAK1) in vivo. Furthermore, BAK1 and its homolog BAK1-LIKE1 are required for eNAD(P)+ signaling and SAR, and the kinase activities of LecR-VI.2 and BAK1 are indispensable to their function in SAR. Our results indicate that eNAD+ is a putative mobile signal, which triggers SAR through its receptor complex LecRK-VI.2/BAK1 in Arabidopsis thaliana.
Floquet Analysis of a Time-Modulated Metasurface

A Floquet scattering matrix method is presented for the characterization and design of a time-modulated metasurface. The analysis is applied to a metasurface composed of two tunable, shunt resonators separated by an impedance inverter. The tunable shunt resonators are composed of an inductor and an anti-series varactor pair biased with a time-modulated waveform. The technique is shown to accurately predict the magnitude and phase of the reflected and transmitted voltage and current harmonics.
Management of Hematologic Disease in Mastocytosis

Systemic mastocytosis (SM) with an associated hematologic neoplasm (SM-AHN) has generally poor prognosis and therefore considered a subtype of advanced SM (advSM). Other subtypes of advSM are aggressive SM and mast cell leukemia. Myeloid neoplasms such as chronic myelomonocytic leukemia, myeloproliferative neoplasm, myelodysplastic syndrome, and acute myeloid leukemia constitute the majority of AHN. Mutations other than KIT frequently identified in SM-AHN have also been found to be prognostic. Treatment of SM-AHN is challenging because SM-AHN is the most heterogeneous subtype in SM. In this chapter, we discuss the data available in the literature and propose an algorithm for the treatment of patients with SM-AHN.
Licensing and the increased safety of power reactors’ operation

Abstract The implementation of accident tolerant fuel concepts will increase the safety of nuclear power plant operation. This increased safety will occur not only because of the actual performance of the material concepts under normal and accident conditions but also because of the full evaluation of plant operation. This assessment can be accomplished by considering the concept of source term, which is defined as the type and number of radioactive contaminants that can be released for a nuclear power station owing to an accident. The analyses of several areas of improvements by use of ATF concepts in the reactor showed a decrease in the source term when compared with the current fuel designs.
Crystal structures of two dysprosium–aluminium–sodium [3.3.1] metallacryptates that form two-dimensional sheets

The two [3.3.1] metallacryptate complexes, namely, poly[[μ3-acetato-hexa­kis­(μ-N,N-di­methyl­formamide)­bis­(N,N-di­methyl­formamide)bis­[salicyl­hydroxi­mato(2−)]hepta­kis­[salicyl­hydrox­im­ato(3−)]hexa­aluminium(III)dysprosium(III)penta­sodium(I)] N,N-di­methyl­formamide tetra­solvate monohydrate], [DyAl6Na5(OAc)(Hshi)2(shi)7(DMF)8]·4DMF·H2O or {[DyAl6Na5(C7H5NO3)2(C7H4NO3)7(C2H3O2)(C3H7NO)8]·4C3H7NO·H2O}n, 1, and poly[[di-μ4-acetato-nona­kis­(μ-N,N-di­methyl­form­amide)­octa­kis­(N,N-di­methyl­formamide)tetra­kis­[sali­cyl­hydroximato(2-)]tetra­deca­kis­[salicyl­hydroximato(3−)]dodeca­aluminium(III)didysprosium(III)deca­sodium(I)] N,N-di­methyl­form­amide 6.335-solvate], [DyAl6Na5(OAc)(Hshi)2(shi)7(DMF)8.5]2·6.335DMF or {[Dy2Al12Na10(C7H5NO3)4(C7H4NO3)14(C2H3O2)2(C3H7NO)17]·6.335C3H7NO}n, 2, where shi3− is salicyl­hydroximate and DMF is N,N-di­methyl­formamide, both consist of an aluminium-based metallacryptand. In 1 and 2, the metallacryptand encapsulates a dysprosium(III) ion in the central cavity, and the resulting metallacryptates are connected to each other via sodium-DMF linkages to generate a two-dimensional sheet. The metallacryptates of 1 and 2 are the three-dimensional analogues of metallacrowns as the metallacryptates contain a metal–nitro­gen–oxygen cyclic repeat unit throughout the complexes. For 1 the building block of the two-dimensional sheet is comprised of only one type of metallacryptate, which is connected to four neighboring metallacryptates via four sodium–DMF linkages. In 2, the building block is a dimeric unit of two metallacryptates. Each dimeric metallacryptate unit is connected to four other dimeric units via six sodium–DMF linkages. The two metallacryptates of each dimeric unit can be considered enanti­omers of each other. In both 1 and 2, chirality is imparted to the metallacryptate due to the Λ and Δ propeller configurations of the four octa­hedral aluminium ions of the metallacryptand shell.
Industrial scale Large Eddy Simulations with adaptive octree meshes using immersogeometric analysis

Abstract We present a variant of the immersed boundary method integrated with octree meshes for highly efficient and accurate Large Eddy Simulations (LES) of flows around complex geometries. We demonstrate the scalability of the proposed method up to O ( 32 K ) processors. This is achieved by (a) rapid in-out tests; (b) adaptive quadrature for an accurate evaluation of forces; (c) tensorized evaluation during matrix assembly. We showcase this method on two non-trivial applications: accurately computing the drag coefficient of a sphere across Reynolds numbers 1 − 10 6 encompassing the drag crisis regime; simulating flow features across a semi-truck for investigating the effect of platooning on efficiency.
A Multimedia Active Learning Approach to Introducing Human Parasitic Diseases in an Undergraduate Parasitology Course.

Student learning in undergraduate science courses is well known to benefit from the use of active learning methods (1, 2) and the incorporation of multimedia techniques (3–5). Here, I describe a multifaceted, multimedia teaching technique that familiarizes students with key aspects of major human parasitic diseases while also giving the students opportunities to increase their (i) ability to read and analyze primary literature, (ii) oral presentation skills and ability to articulate and discuss scientific concepts, (iii) laboratory skills in microscopy and organism identification, and (iv) cultural awareness. I teach an upper-division undergraduate course in Medical Parasitology that typically enrolls 15 to 20 students majoring in zoology, health science, or general biology. While this course is relatively small and specialized, the teaching approach described here could be easily used or adapted for most courses that involve eukaryotic parasites, including lecture-only courses. Each “Parasite of the Week” module is essentially stand-alone and could be used in less specialized courses that feature an in-depth look at only one or a few parasites.
Winged Victory: How the Great War Ended: The evolution of Giulio Douhet’s theory of strategic bombing:

A war’s conclusion can impact strategic thinking even when the outcome is misinterpreted or an outlier. For a century, Giulio Douhet in Command of the Air, 1921 and a 1926 revision, has been the pr...
Which Children Use School-Based Health Services as a Primary Source of Care?

Background School-based health centers (SBHCs) offer primary and preventive health care for children and adolescents. Using nationally representative data, we aimed to examine which child and family characteristics are associated with using school-based health care providers as the primary source of health care, and whether care received from these providers met the criteria for a medical home. Methods Using data from the 2016-2018 National Survey of Children's Health (NSCH), we analyzed children's usual source of care (school-based provider, doctor's office or clinic, other location, or none), and whether they received care meeting medical home criteria. Results Based on a sample of 64,710 children, 0.5% identified school-based providers as their primary source of health care. Children who were older, uninsured, or living in the Northeast were significantly more likely to report school-based providers as their usual source of care. Children whose usual source of care was a school-based provider were less likely to receive care meeting medical home criteria than children who usually received care at a doctor's office. Conclusions While SBHCs improve access to care, our findings indicate potential challenges with establishing a medical home for children who usually receive health care from a school-based provider.
All-Ceramic LC Resonator for Chipless Temperature Sensing Within High Temperature Systems

The primary focus of this work is to fabricate and evaluate electroceramic based LC resonators for wireless sensing at high temperatures. An all-ceramic planar LC resonator was fabricated on a polycrystalline Al2O3 substrate by using tin-doped indium oxide (ITO) as the electrode material. The LC resonators were deposited on the substrate by a novel two-step micro-casting technique. The resonator was designed using the ANSYS Maxwell package to operate within a wide frequency bandwidth from 10 to 80 MHz. A similar all-ceramic inductor was fabricated and used as the interrogator antenna to collect the wireless response at high operating temperature. The wireless characterization was performed by a radio frequency (RF) signal generator and an in-situ spectrum analyzer from 500 - 1200°C. The microstructural, chemical, and electrical stability of the LC resonator was investigated by SEM, 4-point conductivity, and XRD. Additionally, a robust adaptive signal processing algorithm was developed to analyze the wireless response of multiple LC resonator. The adaptive algorithm developed in this work is data driven and does not require a predefined model to analyze the wireless response from the LC resonator.
Binational Study Abroad: Planning for Sustainably Literate Teachers

An important dimension of science teaching is for teachers to have a clear understanding of the context of learning for each child, whether it is in the day-to-day classroom, the community, the larger society or within the global context. This chapter describes the Belize Summer Teacher Institute, a study abroad course, for preservice and inservice teachers. The course is offered through a comprehensive college in the Northeastern U.S. and is situated in Belize, Central America. This chapter describes a preliminary evaluation of the course in order to identify activities that would strengthen sustainability literacy for educators. Limited and low quality of data on the course prompted this re-evaluation. We discuss the methods and instruments and the collection of data with the goal of creating a framework for the understanding of the environment, society, culture and economics as a part of preparing science teachers who are sustainably literate global citizens.
On Computing the Stationary Probability Vector of a Network of Two Coxian Servers

This paper presents an efficient direct method for the solution of a queueing network consisting of two Coxian servers. The structure of the transition rate matrix associated with this network is examined in some detail, and it is shown how advantage may be taken of this structure to derive the required stationary probability vector in a number of operations which is proportional to N, the number of customers in the network. The direct method which is employed, is based on a single step of inverse iteration. The method is shown to be stable.
Is Falsifiability the Touchstone of Scientific Rationality? Karl Popper Versus Inductivism

There is already a sizeable literature in which the question posed in the title of this essay is answered in the negative. That literature includes the writings of Imre Lakatos.
Smoked, Cured, and Dried Fish

Before refrigeration and canning techniques, humans preserved food caught in times of plenty to use in times of scarcity by taking advantage of environmental conditions, both induced and natural. In addition, they used naturally occurring preservatives such as salt and smoke. Undoubtedly one of the first foods cooked on an open wood fire was some form of fish.
Ambient energy harvesting from a two-way talk radio for flexible wearable devices utilizing inkjet printing masking

In this paper, the design, on a flexible LCP substrate, and fabrication process of a wearable circuit harvesting the ambient energy emitted from a two-way radio is discussed in detail.The circuit is fabricated through the combination of circuit traces made with masking utilizing inkjet printing technology and lumped circuit components. The input power for the RF-DC conversion circuit is analytically computed from the measured S-parameters of the Tx-Rx propagation channel. A maximum output power of 43.2mW with the RF-DC conversion efficiency of 82.5% and open- circuit voltage of 17.87 V is achieved with an E-field energy harvester placed 7cm away from an off-the-shelf 1W two-way talk radio.
Hydrogen peroxide stimulation of CFTR reveals an Epac-mediated, soluble AC-dependent cAMP amplification pathway common to GPCR signalling.

Background and Purpose H2O2 is widely understood to regulate intracellular signalling. In airway epithelia, H2O2 stimulates anion secretion primarily by activating an autocrine PGE2 signalling pathway via EP4 and EP1 receptors to initiate cytic fibrosis transmembrane regulator (CFTR)-mediated Cl− secretion. This study investigated signalling downstream of the receptors activated by H2O2. Experimental Approach Anion secretion by differentiated bronchial epithelial cells was measured in Ussing chambers during stimulation with H2O2, an EP4 receptor agonist or β2-adrenoceptor agonist in the presence and absence of inhibitors of ACs and downstream effectors. Intracellular calcium ([Ca2+]I) changes were followed by microscopy using fura–2-loaded cells and PKA activation followed by FRET microscopy. Key Results Transmembrane adenylyl cyclase (tmAC) and soluble AC (sAC) were both necessary for H2O2 and EP4 receptor-mediated CFTR activation in bronchial epithelia. H2O2 and EP4 receptor agonist stimulated tmAC to increase exchange protein activated by cAMP (Epac) activity that drives PLC activation to raise [Ca2+]i via Ca2+ store release (and not entry). Increased [Ca2+]i led to sAC activation and further increases in CFTR activity. Stimulation of sAC did not depend on changes in [HCO3−]. Ca2+-activated apical KCa1.1 channels and cAMP-activated basolateral KV7.1 channels contributed to H2O2-stimulated anion currents. A similar Epac-mediated pathway was seen following β2-adrenoceptor or forskolin stimulation. Conclusions and Implications H2O2 initiated a complex signalling cascade that used direct stimulation of tmACs by Gαs followed by Epac-mediated Ca2+ crosstalk to activate sAC. The Epac-mediated Ca2+ signal constituted a positive feedback loop that amplified CFTR anion secretion following stimulation of tmAC by a variety of stimuli.
Euler Equations and Related Hyperbolic Conservation Laws

Abstract Some aspects of recent developments in the study of the Euler equations for compressible fluids and related hyperbolic conservation laws are analyzed and surveyed. Basic features and phenomena including convex entropy, symmetrization, hyperbolicity, genuine nonlinearity, singularities, BV bound, concentration and cavitation are exhibited. Global well-posedness for discontinuous solutions, including the BV theory and the L ∞ theory, for the one-dimensional Euler equations and related hyperbolic systems of conservation laws is described. Some analytical approaches including techniques, methods and ideas, developed recently, for solving multidimensional steady problems are presented. Some multidimensional unsteady problems are analyzed. Connections between entropy solutions of hyperbolic conservation laws and divergence-measure fields, as well as the theory of divergence-measure fields, are discussed. Some further trends and open problems on the Euler equations and related multidimensional conservation laws are also addressed.
Chapter 18 Empirical studies of innovation and market structure

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the perceptible movement of empirical scholars from a narrow concern with the role of firm size and market concentration toward a broader consideration of the fundamental determinants of technical change in industry. Although tastes, technological opportunity, and appropriability conditions themselves are subject to change over time, particularly in response to radical innovations that alter the technological regime, these conditions are reasonably assumed to determine inter-industry differences in innovative activity over relatively long periods. Although a substantial body of descriptive evidence has begun to accumulate on the way the nature and effects of demand, opportunity, and appropriability differ across industries, the absence of suitable data constrains progress in many areas. It has been observed that much of the empirical understanding of innovation derives not from the estimation of econometric models but from the use of other empirical methods. Many of the most credible empirical regularities have been established not by estimating and testing elaborate optimization models with published data but by the painstaking collection of original data, usually in the form of responses to relatively simple questions.
Development of target tracking control of gun-turret system

In a gun-turret system design, the target tracking system characteristic of a gun-turret system is one of the important systems required in most of armored vehicles. Neglecting the target tracking system of an armored vehicle will affect the aiming accuracy of the gun system due to handling and ride disturbance. In this paper, a control system of gun-turret system is developed to overcome the disturbance using the target tracking control. The gun turret mathematical model is developed using Lagrange Theory with two (2) degree-of-freedoms (DOFs) each corresponds to the turntable bearing direction and gun arm elevation angle. The results of this study proves the ability of the 2 DOF gun-turret model to be employed in the target tracking control system during firing condition.
PRODUCTION RATE DETERMINES PLASMA CONCENTRATION OF LARGE HIGH DENSITY LIPOPROTEIN IN NON-HUMAN PRIMATES

Large LpAI HDL particles, containing only apoA-I without apoA-II, are reported to be the major anti-atherogenic portion of HDL and to be increased in individuals with low risk for coronary heart disease. To determine whether the plasma concentration of large LpAI is modulated by the rate of production or catabolism of apolipoprotein A-I (apoA-I) in large LpAI, kinetic studies of large LpAI were performed in African green monkeys consuming an atherogenic diet with either high plasma HDL concentration (120 +/- 36 mg/dl, mean +/- SD, n = 3) or low plasma HDL concentration (40 +/- 13 mg/dl, n = 3). Large LpAI was isolated, without ultracentrifugation, by immunoaffinity and gel filtration and radiolabeled. After injection, the specific activity of apoA-I in large HDL, consisting of both LpAI and LpAI:AII particles, was followed. A multicompartmental model was developed for the kinetics of apoA-I in large HDL, which indicated that a portion of large HDL is distributed to a sequestered pool, outside the circulating plasma, and reenters circulating plasma approximately 3 h after injection. There was no conversion of large LpAI to smaller HDL particles or transfer of radiolabeled apoA-I to smaller HDL particles. Although the mean fractional catabolic rate was not different comparing the high and low HDL group, the mean production rate of apoA-I in large HDL was 4-fold greater in the high HDL group compared with the low HDL group. These data support the hypothesis that the plasma concentration of large HDL is controlled primarily by the rate of production of apoA-I in large HDL.
On the regular representation of a nonunimodular locally compact group

Abstract We study the discrete part of the regular representation of a locally compact group and also its Type I part if the group is separable. Our results extend to nonunimodular groups' known results for unimodular groups about formal degrees of square integrable representations, and the Plancherel formula. We establish orthogonality relations for matrix coefficients of square integrable representations and we show that the formal degree in general is not a positive number, but a positive self-adjoint unbounded operator, semi-invariant under the representation. Integrable representations are also studied in this context. Finally we show that when the group is nonunimodular, “Plancherel measure” is not a true measure, but a measure multiplied by a section of a certain real oriented line bundle on the dual space of the group.
Disseminated Cytomegalovirus Disease in Hosts without Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome and without an Organ Transplant

We describe 7 histologically proven cases of cytomegalovirus disease in patients without human immunodeficiency virus and without organ transplants, all of whom had associated comorbid conditions. Therapy with ganciclovir generally resulted in a favorable outcome.
Fatty acids as model systems for the action of Ricinus leaf extract on higher plant chloroplasts and algae

Abstract The ability of long-chain unsaturated fatty acids to serve as models for the action of the protein fraction of Ricinus leaf extract on chloroplasts (and algae) has been determined experimentally for several parameters. These include steady-state fluorescence emission and excitation (measured at −196 °), fluorescence induction, light-induced absorption changes of chlorophylls a II and a I , Hill activity, and chloroplast ultrastructure. In addition, the sequential inhibition of system II- and system I-associated electron flow has been demonstrated as a function of increasing concentration of exogenous fatty acid.
A Successive Approximations Approach to Character Weighting

Abstract Fa~ris, J. S. (Dept. Biol. Sci., State Uniu., Stony Brook, New York 11790) 1969. A successive approximations approach to charaaer weighting. Syst. Zool., 18:374385.-Characters that are reliable for cladistic inference are those that are consistent with the true phyletic relationships, that is, those that have little homoplasy. A set of cladistically reliable characters are correlated with each other in a particular non-linear fashion here referred to as hierarchic correlation. Cladistically unreliable characters can be hierarchically correlated only by chance. A technique that infers cladistic relationships by successively weighting characters according to apparent cladistic reliability is suggested, and computer simulation tests of the technique are described. Results indicate that the successive weighting procedure can be highly successful, even when cladistically reliable characters are heavily outnumbered by unreliable ones. [Evolutionary taxonomy. Cladistics. Char-acter weighting.]
Human and computational question answering

The ability to answer questions about a text is the strongest possible demonstration of text comprehension. The question-answering problems that arise in a story-understanding system are discussed. Some solutions are described and illustrated by a computer program which reads stories and answers questions.
Interactions of the excision proteins of CTnDOT in the attR intasome

Excision of the conjugative transposon CTnDOT from the chromosome of Bacteroides spp. involves four CTnDOT-encoded proteins: IntDOT, Xis2c, Xis2d, and Exc along with a host factor. These proteins form excisive intasomes on the attR and attL sites which undergo synapsis and recombination to form the attDOT and attB sites. We recently developed an in vitro intramolecular excision reaction where the attL and attR sites are on the same plasmid. This reaction requires IntDOT, Xis2c, Xis2d, and is stimulated by Exc. We used this reaction to identify the binding sites of the IntDOT, Xis2c, and Xis2d. In this paper, we show that three of the six arm-type sites are absolutely required for excision. Furthermore, we also identified two binding sites for Xis2d and two possible binding sites for Xis2c on the attR site. We also showed that IntDOT interacts cooperatively with the Xis2c and Xis2d proteins on the attR site.
Search for varicella zoster virus and herpes simplex virus-1 in normal human cerebral arteries

Virological confirmation of varicella zoster virus (VZV) vasculopathy is provided by presence of virus in the cerebral arteries, frequently associated with inflammation. Yet, cerebral arteries from normal subjects have never been studied for VZV DNA or antigen. We analyzed 63 human cerebral arteries from 45 subjects for VZV DNA and antigen, control herpes simplex virus (HSV)-1 DNA and antigen, and leukocyte-specific CD45 antigen. No cerebral arteries contained VZV or HSV-1 DNA or antigen; eight arteries from seven subjects contained leukocytes expressing CD45. Thus, the presence of VZV antigen in cerebral arteries of patients with stroke is likely to be clinically significant.
Product positioning based on search, experience and credence attributes using conjoint analysis

Purpose – Using the framework of search attributes, experience attributes, credence attributes and conjoint analysis methodology, the purpose of this paper is to estimate the utilities of various attributes that may be used in positioning teeth‐whitening products. In addition, this research also investigates the role of “penny‐a‐day” (pricing in cents) versus full pricing. Third, disclosure of side‐effects that may result from using these products (an important health care issue) and its impact on consumer choice are also investigated.Design/methodology/approach – The study uses conjoint analysis to estimate the utilities of key attributes of teeth‐whitening products.Findings – The results reveal that consumers prefer a product that provides benefits lasting for several months after use, a product that does not result in any side‐effects and a slight preference for penny‐a‐day pricing approach.Research limitations/implications – Caution is advised in extrapolating the results beyond the range investigated...
Influence of thalamic cooling on sensory responses in association cortex.

Abstract O'BRIEN, J. H. AND S. M. ROSENBLUM. Influence of thalamic cooling on sensory responses in association cortex . BRAIN RES. BULL. 4 (1) 91–98, 1979.—Evoked responses to light flash, click, and paw stimuli were recorded in the four cortical association areas in the acutely prepared cat. Average evoked responses (AEP) for 100 trials were formed before, during, and after localized cooling in the midline thalamus. Cooling of the midline thalamus reduced the magnitude of responses to click and paw stimuli, and increased or did not change the responses to light flash. There was very little similarity in trial-to-trial fluctuations of EP magnitude across cortical areas, and cooling did not reduce the similarity that existed. Waveform similarity was reduced by cooling for responses across the cortex to a single stimulus modality, whereas similarity of responses in a single cortical area to all three stimuli was not changed. The temporal components of the AEP influenced by thalamic cooling were different for different stimuli and cortical locations. It was concluded that the midline thalamo-cortical projection through the centromedian area to association cortices is particularly well-differentiated for multisensory responses in a single cortical region, and that the system should not be thought of as nonspecific but as convergent or multisensory.
Cruzada, herejía e inquisición en las tierras de la Corona de Aragón (siglos XII-XIII)

This study explores three interconnected subjects concerning the general theme of heterodoxy in the Thirteenth Century: the Albigensian Crusade; the increase of heresy in the lands of the Crown of Aragon, and the development of the Inquisition. Firstly, we ask if the decisions taken by James I were the necessary consequence of the defeat of the battle of Muret in order to avoid a direct conflict with the papacy and France. Second, we examine where heresy as present and absent in the lands of the Crown. Third, we suggest reasons why the inquisition took a distinctive form in the lands of the Crown.
Disruption of Fetal Hormonal Programming (Prenatal Stress) Implicates Shared Risk for Sex Differences in Depression and Cardiovascular Disease

Comorbidity of major depressive disorder (MDD) and cardiovascular disease (CVD) represents the fourth leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide, and women have a two times greater risk than men. Thus understanding the pathophysiology has widespread implications for attenuation and prevention of disease burden. We suggest that sex-dependent MDD-CVD comorbidity may result from alterations in fetal programming consequent to the prenatal maternal environments that produce excess glucocorticoids, which then drive sex-dependent developmental alterations of the fetal hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis circuitry impacting mood, stress regulation, autonomic nervous system (ANS), and the vasculature in adulthood. Evidence is consistent with the hypothesis that disruptions of pathways associated with gamma aminobutyric acid (GABA) in neuronal and vascular development and growth factors have critical roles in key developmental periods and adult responses to injury in heart and brain. Understanding the potential fetal origins of these sex differences will contribute to development of novel sex-dependent therapeutics.
Body weight and preference for a free-operant conflict situation

Six male food-restricted hooded rats were trained to press a bar on a two-component multiple schedule in which a response chain enabled the rats to control which component was operating (switchable-multiple schedule). The reinforcement density was several times higher in one component, but barpress responses were intermittently punished with foot shock in this conflict component. On this switchable-multiple schedule, the rats responded at a higher rate in the unshocked component and stayed in this component most of each session. After 5 months, however, 2 rats began spending most of each session in the shocked component. To test whether a deprivation manipulation would influence preference for the shock-food conflict component as it does final spatial distance from the goalbox in an approach-avoidance runway conflict situation, the weights of these 2 rats were gradually increased and then gradually decreased in an ABA design. When their weights were increased, these rats more than quadrupled their time in the unshocked component. This was reversed with weight reduction. These findings support the contention that the temporal resolution of conflict in the free-operant choice paradigm is analogous to the spatial resolution of conflict in a runway.
Neonatal respiratory depression and delay in diagnosis in Prader-Willi syndrome

The authors retrospectively evaluated the diagnoses at four months of age for 48 individuals with known Prader-Willi syndrome. 15 had been diagnosed as having cerebral palsy, and at four months only two of the 48 had been correctly diagnosed as Prader-Willi syndrome. 11 (23 per cent) had had birth asphyxia, compared with an expected rate of 1 per cent. Other perinatal features which occurred more frequently than expected included breech presentation, decreased fetal movements and prolonged gestation. Failure to make an early diagnosis of Prader-Willi syndrome often results in later disability being blamed on the birth process, when instead the child's neonatal problems are secondary to a prenatal condition.
Measuring the Demand for Improved Urban Sanitation Services: Results of a Contingent Valuation Study in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso

In developing countries, there are few institutional mechanisms for the incorporation of demand information in the planning of public services. As a result, misjudgements about consumer preferences have often led to poor project design and performance. The contingent valuation method which relies on direct elicitation of consumer preferences and willingness to pay has emerged as one approach to address this shortcoming. The paper describes an application of the method to facilitate demand-driven planning for provision of improved sanitation in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso. The results suggest that demand information about unfamiliar technologies can be successfully obtained and can serve as a useful input in the design of public services.
A method for the estimation of gastrointestinalluminal proteolysis of biologically-important dietary peptides

Abstract Milk from several species contains a variety of biologically-important polypeptides which may function either within the developing gastrointestinal tract or at distant body sites following absorption from the gut. Because the capacity to perform such funtions may be dependent in part upon the nature of luminal digestion of the peptide, a method for estimating digestive susceptibility and for preparing generated degradation products for further study is desirable. A method is described in which a radiolabelled peptide is incubated in vitro with fluid flushed from the intestinal lumen of rats, followed by detection of degradation products soluble in acid. Using casein as substrate, rat small intestinal proteolysis was shown to be optimal at pH 7.4 in the presence of 5–10 mM CaCl 2 . In contrast to previous reports of gastrointestinal deiodination in vivo , no generation of inorganic iodine occurs during the in vitro reaction with luminal fluid. Using this assay, the substantially greater digestibility of bovine casein compared to lactoferrin was demonstrated. The method is simple, reproducible, inexpensive, and requires only small amounts of luminal fluid. Application to any dietary polypeptide and gastrointestinal fluid should be possible.
CD4+,CD28- T cells in rheumatoid arthritis patients combine features of the innate and adaptive immune systems.

Objective To determine whether CD4+,CD28− T cells, which are expanded in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), express receptors that typically regulate the function of natural killer (NK) cells. Methods Expression of the NK cell surface molecules CD158, p70, CD94, CD161, and CD8α on T cell subsets was determined by multicolor flow cytometric analysis of peripheral blood mononuclear cells from 36 RA patients. Expression of CD161 on tissue-infiltrating CD4 T cells was determined by 2-color immunohistochemistry analysis of synovial tissue samples. Results Killer cell–inhibitory receptors (KIR) and killer cell–activating receptors (KAR) were exclusively expressed on CD4+,CD28− T cells, with the CD158b molecule being the most frequently detected isoform. A coordinated mechanism inducing KIR/KAR expression was suggested by similarities in the expression of CD158b on CD4 and CD8 T cells. CD4+,CD28− T cells were also positive for CD8-αα homodimers, another characteristic shared with NK cells. Of the C-type lectin NK cell receptors (NK receptors), CD94 was consistently absent, but CD161 was found on a CD4 T cell population that is significantly expanded in RA patients (P = 0.01). Involvement in disease of NK receptor–expressing CD4 T cells was suggested by the presence of CD4+,CD161+ T cells in follicular microstructures typical of rheumatoid synovitis. Conclusion Patients with RA have an expanded and unusual subset of CD4 T cells that infiltrates the tissue lesions and is characterized by a deficiency of CD28, the expression of CD8-αα homodimers, and the expression of several types of HLA class I–recognizing NK receptors. CD4 T cells bearing NK receptors can bridge functions of the innate and adaptive immune systems, such as responsiveness to specific antigen, rapid release of interferon-γ, cytotoxicity, independence from classic costimulatory pathways, and integration of multiple activating and inhibitory signals to control effector functions.
Contradiction and Consent in Kant’s Ethics

Let us examine the contradiction test for morally permissible maxims of action, which Kant associates with the formula of universal law in the Groundwork of the Metaphysics of Morals. We will not take up the details of precisely how the contradiction test should be interpreted. Instead, after considering some problems with the contradiction test, we will determine whether or not the contradiction test is needed and why Kant uses the test if it is so problematic. Could Kant simply avoid problems with the contradiction test by using the formula of humanity instead to decide what is right and wrong, as some recent writers on Kant, such as Derek Parfit and Barbara Herman, would prefer? As we will see, the formula of humanity in fact cannot be separated from the contradiction test without compromising some of Kant’s deepest commitments. In particular, Kant’s views about the nature of autonomy and happiness require him to use the contradiction test as his criterion of right and wrong, and prevent him from using the formula of humanity independently of the contradiction test.