cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Real estate risk: heavy tail modelling using Excel

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to present a practice briefing in the form of a user’s manual for Excel-based simulation of real estate risk. Based on a generic discounted cash flow model, the simulation incorporates the often ignored heavy tail behaviour of real estate investments, and consolidates Jensen’s inequality. The briefing attempts to explain a model that permits the user to decide whether to include extreme events in real estate risk modelling and how extreme these events may be. Practitioners can generate a variety of modelling outcomes and then choose risk comfort zones in which to contemplate a range of returns. Design/methodology/approach – The paper provides an overview of the underlying mathematical concepts and challenges, as well as on the perspectives on their application from the current academic literature. It offers a step-by-step walk-through of the Excel model (the model being downloadable at: www.mathestate.com). Findings – Existing models for real estate risk modelling fall short with respect to realistic simulation of the probability of extreme events due to challenges in the implementation of stable laws. These former barriers to the implementation of stable laws have been overcome by providing a unique combination of Excel-resident functionalities with a stable pseudo random number generator. Research limitations/implications – Investment advisers no longer need expensive add-ins to estimate risk. The presented Excel model is more robust than common approaches as it considers distribution shapes that are not otherwise easily available. The only apparent limitation is that users need to be familiar with the most basic functionality of Excel. Practical implications – Practitioners are provided with an easy-to-use Excel model that does not require further software add-ins. The model simulates real estate investment returns, based on a more realistic inclusion of risk behaviour. It allows specifying how much extreme value behaviour characterizes the volatility in future projections modelled to guide investment decisions. Social implications – Risk is a cost to society. Many recent news events demonstrate the importance of including extreme values in modelling. The paper attempts to contribute to more realistic risk estimation in real estate investment. Originality/value – This briefing introduces a real estate risk simulation model that includes using stable laws, using Excel, a familiar and widely used platform. Such a model has not previously been reported in the academic or practitioners’ literature.
Reasoning about actions: non-deterministic effects, constraints, and qualification

In this paper we propose the language of 'state specifications' to uniformly specify effect of actions, executability condition of actions, and dynamic and static constraints. This language allow? us to be able to express effects of action and constraints with same first order representation but different intuitive behavior to be specified differently. We then discuss how we can use state specifications to extend the action description languages A and Lo.
Book Review of Quantum Field Theory by Lewis H. Ryder

Book Review of Quantum Field Theory by Lewis H. Ryder. An observation on Ryder's derivation of Dirac equation is made. The review ends as, "A rare combination of a thorough understanding and appreciation of the essential logical structure of quantum field theory and deep pedagogic skills have intermingled to create a masterpiece on the elementary introduction to quantum field theory in less than five hundred pages... . Without reservations, I give my strongest recommendation to every beginning student of physics to acquire and read Quantum Field Theory by L. H. Ryder."
Characterization of Ion-Implanted Aluminum and Iron by Spectroscopic Ellipsometry

The change in the optical constants of aluminum alloy and iron samples caused by implantation with nitrogen and chromium ions has been investigated by spectroscopic ellipsometry. The objective is to develop a method for simple, non-destructive characterization of ion-implanted metals.
Production of Tense-Lax Contrast by Mandarin Speakers of English

The spectral and temporal characteristics of three English tense-lax vowel pairs (/i-i/, /ae-E/, /u-u/) produced by native Mandarin speakers are reported. The euclidean distance based on first and
Serine-27-Phenylalanine Mutation within the Peripherin/RDS Gene in a Family with Cone Dystrophy

Abstract Purpose: To evaluate the clinical and electrophysiologic findings in a family with two heterozygous sequence changes in the peripherin-retinal degeneration slow (RDS) gene. Methods: A family study was done of a pedigree obtained by screening for rhodopsin, peripherin/RDS, or rom-1 gene mutations in probands from families with hereditary retinal diseases. The patients consisted of three affected and four unaffected members from a family with cone dystrophy. Ophthalmoscopy, visual field testing, electroretinography, and DNA analysis were performed. Results: Denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis showed the presence of two different sequence changes in the RDS genes of this family. In three members with a retinal disease, the authors observed the substitution of phenylalanine for serine in codon 27 (serine-27-phenylalanine). The clinical and functional findings in these three patients were most consistent with autosomal-dominant cone dystrophy. Three other family members, unaffected with retinal disease, were found to show a substitution of serine for cysteine in codon 72 of the peripherin protein. Conclusion: A peripherin/RDS sequence change may produce a cone dystrophy with minimal ophthalmoscopic changes in the macula and limited peripheral degenerative changes. Caution is warranted to avoid ascribing nondisease-causing sequence polymorphisms in candidate genes as responsible for determining the development of a retinal disease phenotype.
Supporting geoscience with graphical-user-interface Internet tools for the Macintosh

Abstract This paper describes a suite of Macintosh graphical-user-interface (GUI) software programs that can be used in conjunction with the Internet to support geoscience education. These software programs allow science educators to access and retrieve a large body of resources from an increasing number of network sites, taking advantage of the intuitive, simple-to-use Macintosh operating system. With these tools, educators easily can locate, download, and exchange not only text files but also sound resources, video movie clips, and software application files from their desktop computers. Another major advantage of these software tools is that they are available at no cost and may be distributed freely. The following GUI software tools are described including examples of how they can be used in an educational setting: 1. ∗ Eudora—an e-mail program 2. ∗ NewsWatcher—a newsreader 3. ∗ TurboGopher—a Gopher program 4. ∗ Fetch—a software application for easy File Transfer Protocol (FTP) 5. ∗ NCSA Mosaic—a worldwide hypertext browsing program. An explosive growth of online archives currently is underway as new electronic sites are being added continuously to the Internet. Many of these resources may be of interest to science educators who learn they can share not only ASCII text files, but also graphic image files, sound resources, QuickTime movie clips, and hypermedia projects with colleagues from locations around the world. These powerful, yet simple to learn GUI software tools are providing a revolution in how knowledge can be accessed, retrieved, and shared.
SEGMENTAL STRAIN AND POST-SYSTOLIC SHORTENING IN RIGHT VENTRICLES OF CHILDREN WITH HYPOPLASTIC LEFT HEART SYNDROME DURING THREE STAGES OF REPAIR

The right ventricular function(RV) is usually assessed subjectively by the Echo. Speckle tracking analyzes 2D Echo images to assess the wall motion. This modality has not been used routinely to assess the RV function. Objective: We compared RV segmental function with normal age matched controls,
The ISJR Lifetime Achievement Award 2012

It is an honor and a privilege for me to write this introduction to the ISJR 2012 Lifetime Achievement Award winner, Tom Tyler. Tom is eminently deserving of this award. His impact on the study of justice is far too extensive to review in just a few sentences, but suffice it to say that few others have so profoundly shaped the direction of our field. Tom’s work on procedural fairness is truly groundbreaking and is among the most formative lines of research within the study of justice. Tom is unmatched within our field in the number of books, edited volumes, review chapters, and journal publications he has produced, as well as in the number of citations to his work. Moreover, Tom has the unique ability to discerningly synthesize justice research in ways that not only advance justice theorizing, but that also shed light on how the insights of justice research can be used to better understand issues of great societal importance. His essay that follows is one of many such efforts. In it, Tom integrates prior work in a framework that brings deep understanding to the issue of cooperation and simultaneously highlights novel and important issues for further inquiry. Importantly, Tom has also been an extraordinary ambassador for our field, introducing the concepts and teachings of justice theory to a wide range of
Proposed formula for electron inelastic mean free paths based on calculations for 31 materials

A new general formula is proposed for determining electron inelastic mean free paths (IMFP's) for 200–2000 eV electrons in solids. The new formula is based on separate IMFP calculations for 27 elements and 4 compounds using an algorithm due to Penn. This formula is believed useful for determining the IMFP dependence on electron energy for a given material and the material-dependence for a given energy. The new formula should also be a reasonable guide to electron attenuation lengths which have been difficult to determine with the needed accuracy.
THE GRADING OF LOW-ESTER PECTIN FOR USE IN DESSERT GELS

Dessert gels made from a commercially available low-ester pectin were examined for firmness with a modified Sunkist Exchange Ridgelimeter and for breaking pressure using a Marine Colloids Gel Tester. Data are presented to show the effect of temperature, pH, pectin concentration, cooking time and calcium level on these two quality characteristics. Based on the data obtained a suggested grading procedure in terms of low-ester firmness (F) and low-ester strength (S) was developed.
A proteomics approach to the identification of mammalian mitochondrial small subunit ribosomal proteins.

Mammalian mitochondrial small subunit ribosomal proteins were separated by two-dimensional polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. The proteins in six individual spots were subjected to in-gel tryptic digestion. Peptides were separated by capillary liquid chromatography, and the sequences of selected peptides were obtained by electrospray tandem mass spectrometry. The peptide sequences obtained were used to screen human expressed sequence tag data bases, and complete consensus cDNAs were assembled. Mammalian mitochondrial small subunit ribosomal proteins from six different classes of ribosomal proteins were identified. Only two of these proteins have significant sequence similarities to ribosomal proteins from prokaryotes. These proteins correspond to Escherichia coliS10 and S14. Homologs of two human mitochondrial proteins not found in prokaryotes were observed in the genomes of Drosophila melanogaster and Caenorhabditis elegans. A homolog of one of these proteins was observed in D. melanogaster but not in C. elegans, while a homolog of the other was present in C. elegans but not in D. melanogaster. A homolog of one of the ribosomal proteins not found in prokaryotes was tentatively identified in the yeast genome. This latter protein is the first reported example of a ribosomal protein that is shared by mitochondrial ribosomes from lower and higher eukaryotes that does not have a homolog in prokaryotes.
AFRICAN AMERICAN MUSLIM LEADERS AND THE WAR IN IRAQ

Abstract Two of the most prominent African American Muslim leaders in the U.S., Imam Warith Deen Mohammed of Mosque Cares Ministry and Minister Louis Farrakhan of the Nation of Islam both have critical views of the war in Iraq. However, they differ in the severity of their criticism. Imam Mohammed has adopted a more accomodationist and mainline conservative stance toward U.S. culture whereas Minister Farrakhan has assumed a more radically oppositional stance. Thus, Minister Farrakhan's stand against the war, and that of the Nation of Islam, is much more heightened than that of Imam Mohammed and the Mosque Cares Ministry.
Trade-offs in assessing environmental impacts

The evolution of the environmental issue has moved through the early stage of technological fixes and estimable economic costs into an area of larger uncertainty and higher information costs.
Electric field effects on optical transitions to the n=1 exciton in cuprous oxide

Abstract We present the results of electroabsorption measurement in the vicinity of the 1S exciton of the yellow serie of Cu2O. A peak due to field-induced direct transitions is observed at the energy of this exciton state. The intensity of the peak for light polarized with its electric field E parallel to the modulating field F is almost four times as large as for E ⊥ F . This intensity varies quadratically with F . Peaks due to indirect phonon-aided exciton formation are seen on both sides of the direct exciton. Contribution of at least three distinct phonons have been observed. The line shapes of these peaks reveals that the mechanism producing the field modulation is the field-induced change of the exciton energy.
A DCFL E/D-MESFET GaAs experimental RISC machine

The design of RCA's 32-bit GaAs microprocessor is described. Technology limitations and influences of the software environment are discussed. The details of the instruction set architecture (ISA) and the instruction execution sequence (IES) are described. The essence of the original contributions of the research and the design is emphasized. The simulated performance evaluation data are presented. >
A description of the bottom boundary layer at the HEBBLE site: Low-frequency forcing, bottom stress and temperature structure

Abstract A preliminary description of the bottom flow at the HEBBLE site (∼ 4800 m) is presented based on bottom tripod measurements in the lower 5 m of the bottom mixed layer (extending to within 30 cm of the seabed) and thermistor measurements extending through the mixed layer (up to 110 m). Two different deployment periods are described covering approximately 4 days in April of 1983 and 80 days from June to September 1983. The near-bottom flow during the 80 day period is composed of low-frequency motions with fluctuations of 20 days or greater with less energetic fluctuations of tidal and inertial periods riding on the flow. The speed at 1 m during the long deployment varies from 0 to 17 cm s −1 suggesting that the boundary layer depth should also be modulated at low frequency. Direct Reynolds stress estimates during times of moderate flow indicate the local boundary layer height is reasonably estimated using a simple drag law and classical scaling ( κu∗ f ). The mixed-layer depths observed at the site are 30–70 m, corresponding to boundary layer thicknesses estimated for the strongest flows observed and are typically more than five times the estimated boundary layer thickness for moderate flows. Two flow events observed during the 80-day record correspond to weak and moderate benthic storms during which significant sediment resuspension occurs. One event has eastward flow and the other westward. The potential importance of the role of superposition of fluid motions of several frequencies in determining the magnitude of such storms is demonstrated by comparing these two events.
Optical properties of silver island films in the attenuated-total-reflection geometry.

The absorptances of 633-nm photons by silver island films formed on room temperature substrates were measured in an attenuated-total-reflection geometry by the photoacoustic method as a function of the angle of photon incidence. From the data obtained for s-polarized light ∊″, the effective dielectric function for the direction parallel to the film and dopt, the effective optical thickness, were determined as a function of the mass thickness dm of the island films between 2 and 18 nm. The values of ∊″ and dopt were then used to calculate the absorptance for p-polarized light assuming that the films were optically isotropic. It was found that the calculated values agreed well with the experimental values indicating that the films were isotropic. The values of dopt agreed well with earlier results from an ellipsometric study in which the films were assumed to be isotropic.
Can computerized decision aids do “damage”? A case for tailoring feedback and task complexity based on task experience

Abstract The theory of technology dominance [Arnold, V., and Sutton, S.G., 1998. The Theory of Technology Dominance. Advances in Accounting Behavioral Research. 1: 175–194.] predicts that mismatches between the skills of decision-aid users and the complexity of the tasks the decision aid is designed to assess will result in a lack of reliance on the decision aid and, ultimately, a potential for deskilling. The cognitive science literature on cognitive load suggests that varying the level of feedback provided to decision-aid users might moderate the risks that result from under-reliance. The current study presented participants, who were divided between two levels of skills, with decision aids in which the level of feedback was varied. These aids were used to solve cases of differing complexity. The results show that individuals with a high level of skill in understanding internal controls deskilled when they were assigned to non-complex cases. Further, this study found that with complex cases, a lower level of feedback was helpful and with non-complex cases, a higher level of feedback was helpful.
Applications and extensions of OWA aggregations

Abstract We discuss the idea of ordered weighting averaging (OWA) operators. These operators provide a family of aggregation operators lying between the “and” and the “or”. We introduce two possible semantics associated with the OWA operator, the first being a kind of generalized logical connective and the second being a new type of probabilistic expected value. We suggest some applications of these operators. Among the applications we discuss are those involving multicriteria decision making under uncertainty and search procedures in games. We provide for a formulation of OWA operators that can be used in environments in which the underlying scale is simply an ordinal one.
The awarding of PhDs in the United States and Canada: war, the draft and other economic determinants

This article is concerned with the awarding of PhDs in the USA and Canada in the post-WW II period, overall, by gender and major academic discipline. The effects of the explanatory variables lagged by 6 years, to allow for time-to-degree completion, are consistent with the model. Military conscription with educational exemptions and the Vietnam War increased male PhDs in the USA, but, as expected, had no effect for US females or in Canada. This suggests that the war and draft effect for US males were not reflecting other unmeasured North American effects. Government expenditures on research and development enhanced the PhD production, especially for males and in the physical sciences. The cyclical indicator, the adult male unemployment rate, has a weak positive effect for males in both the USA and Canada, suggesting that during the post-WW II period, the positive effect on graduate-level education of the reduced opportunity cost of time due to a recession was stronger than the negative wealth effect of th...
Group delay recovery using iterative processing of amplitude of transmission spectra of fibre Bragg gratings

A new method of recovering the group delay of a fibre Bragg grating (FBG) by iterative processing of the amplitude of the measured transmission spectrum is described. This method is extremely simple, fast and accurate, and works well for any type of FBG, even when the measured spectra are fairly noisy.
A perspective on the ESVEM trial and current knowledge: Sotalol should not be the first-line agent in the management of ventricular arrhythmias

The Electrophysiologic Study Versus Electrocardiographic Monitoring (ESVEM) trial has recently shown the superiority of sotalol over class-1 agents in lowering the rate of recurrence of ventricular tachyarrhythmias. However, this study was not placebo-controlled, and amiodarone was not included as one of the antiarrhythmic drugs in the trial. Randomized comparative trials between sotalol and amiodarone are available, but the results are inconclusive mainly because of small sample sizes. Because of the specific pharmacokinetics of amiodarone, sotalol has become the first-line agent in the management of ventricular arrhythmias. Because this policy is based on expediency rather than follow-up data, the long-term efficacy, morbidity, and safety of sotalol should be compared with those of amiodarone as well as of nonpharmacological treatment modes for ventricular tachyarrhythmias, such as implantable cardioverter defibrillator therapy in prospective trials. Until these issues are resolved, it is incorrect to say that sotalol should be the first-line agent in the management of ventricular arrhythmias.
Protease Activity on an Immobilized Substrate Modified by Polymers: Subtilisin BPN‘

We describe the adsorption and catalytic behavior of the serine protease subtilisin BPN‘ on controlled pore glass (CPG) beads with a short (aminopropyl) or a long (aminoalkyl CH2 > 12) chain covalent link separating the reporter peptide succinyl-alanine-alanine-proline-phenylalanine-p-nitroanilide (sAAPFpNA) from the surface. The propyl-linked sAAPFpNA modified glass surface (aminopropyl CPG:sAAPFpNA) showed a 2-fold increase in protease adsorption over an aminopropyl−glass surface. In contrast, the sAAPFpNA surface with the long chain connector showed a 2-fold drop in adsorption relative to an aminoalkyl surface. BPN‘-catalyzed hydrolysis rates showed an inverse relationship to adsorption. Water-soluble polymers [poly(vinylpyrrolidone) (PVP), poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO), poly(4-vinylpyridine-N-oxide) (PVPO) and a copolymer of 1-vinyl-2-pyrrolidone and 1-vinylimidazole (PVPVI)] neutralize the 2-fold increase in BPN‘ adsorption and provide more than a 3-fold increase in the initial rate of hydrolysis for BP...
Characterization and relationship to exocrine secretion of rat parotid gland cyclic AMP-dependent protein kinase.

Abstract Soluble and particulate fractions from adult rat parotid glands contained cyclic AMP(cAMP)-dependent protein kinase activity. More than 90 per cent of the total activity was in a 37,000 g soluble fraction. Substantial dilutions of preparations were necessary for accurate measurements of total activity. The soluble protein kinase was principally a type II enzyme both by DEAE-cellulose chromatography and photo-affinity labeling, and had a K m ATP = 32 μ M, K m histone VII = 200 μg /ml, K a cAMP = 0.5 μ M, K a cyclic GMP(guanosine 3′,5′-monophosphate) = 50 μ M. Isoproterenol, a β-adrenergic agonist, increased the protein-kinase activity ratios of gland minces incubated in vitro in a concentration-dependent manner. Within 30 s of addition of isoproterenol to the minces, a marked elevation in the protein-kinase activity ratio was observed. Release of amylase from isoproterenol-treated gland-minces was no different from control incubations for the first 2.5 min, but thereafter increased markedly.
Flame-Sheet Analysis of C. W. Diffusion-Type Chemical Lasers.

Abstract : An analytical treatment of diffusion-type chemical lasers is presented. Chemical formation of the lasing molecule by laminar mixing and combustion of parallel streams of fuel and oxidizer is assumed to be diffusion controlled, and subsequent collisional deactivation of each vibrational level of the lasing molecule by nonreactive V-V and V-T energy transfer is found by a successive-approximation scheme. Radiative processes are considered only in zero-power an high-power limits. A laser employing the reaction H2 + F yields HF(v) + H is considered in detail with the use of a single-boundary-layer, flame-sheet model. Expressions for integrated zero-power gain, laser power, and efficiency are obtained. (Author)
RNAse III-Mediated Degradation of Unspliced Pre-mRNAs and Lariat Introns

Double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) has emerged as a modulator of gene expression, from gene silencing to antiviral responses. Here we show that dsRNA stem-loop structures found in intronic regions of the S. cerevisiae RPS22B and RPL18A transcripts trigger degradation of unspliced pre-mRNAs and lariat introns and can control the level of mRNA produced from these intron-containing genes. The dsRNA regions are cleaved by Rnt1p, the yeast ortholog of RNase III, which creates an entry site for complete degradation by the Xrn1p and Rat1p exonucleases and by the nuclear exosome. These results identify an alternative discard pathway for precursors and products of the splicing machinery and a physiological function for dsRNA in eukaryotic RNA catabolism.
Evaluation of intrinsic binding energy from a hydrogen bonding group in an enzyme inhibitor

This and two accompanying reports describe the intrinsic binding energy derived from a single hydrogen bond between an inhibitor and an enzyme. The results were obtained by comparing matched pairs of inhibitors of the zinc endopeptidase thermolysin that bind to the enzyme in an essentially identical manner but differ in the presence or absence of a specific hydrogen bond. This report describes five phosphorus-containing analogs of the peptides carbobenzoxy-Gly-Leu-X, in which the Gly-Leu peptide linkage is replaced with a phosphonate ester (-PO2(-)-O-). Values for the inhibition constants of these inhibitors show a direct relation with those of the corresponding phosphonamidate analogs (-PO2(-)-NH- in place of the Gly-Leu peptide moiety), which have been characterized previously as transition state analogs. However, each phosphonate ester is bound about 840 times more weakly than the analogous phosphonamidate, reflecting the loss of 4.0 +/- 0.1 kilocalories per mole in binding energy. From these results and the crystallographic analysis in the next report, it can be inferred that the value of 4.0 kilocalories per mole represents the intrinsic binding energy arising from a highly specific hydrogen binding interaction.
Leveraging social networks for anytime-anyplace health information

The health landscape is shifting to one in which common individuals are no longer merely consumers, but also producers, of health information. We demonstrate that social media platforms provide the means to seek and receive personalized, credible health advice from peers at any place and time, by tracking dental health advice sought and received in Twitter. We show that for genuine dental advice-seeking questions, answers are received 32 % of the time, with the first reply coming less than 6 min after the question is posed, in the median. We compare our results to studies focusing on generic questions and find stronger relationships between users that answer health questions. Additionally, we find that users with more social capital, in the form of more reciprocal follower/following relationships, are more likely to receive responses and receive them faster, and are thus better able to leverage their social networks in receiving advice.
The individual components of the metabolic syndrome: is there a raison d'etre?

The last few years have witnessed a veritable torrent of publications concerning a new diagnostic category: the metabolic syndrome (MetS). At least three different sets of criteria have been publis...
ω-Theorems for Quotients of Zeta-Functions at Combinations of Points

Theorem A. Let q >/= O and r >/= O be integers. Let s = sigma + it, let zeta(s) be the Riemann zeta-function, let G(o)(s) = 1, and [Formula: see text] and let F(s) = G(q)(s)/H(r)(s). Then as t --> infinity lim sup [unk]F(1 + it)[unk]/(log log t)(q+r+1) >/= (6/pi)(2))(r+1) exp {(q + r + 1)gamma}, where gamma is Euler's constant.Stronger results such as proved in [1] are valid, and in particular q and r can be allowed to increase with t as in [1]. Results involving the real part of the sum of the factors of G(q) and of the reciprocals of the factors of H(r) can be proved much as in [3].
Securing a Wireless Networked Control System Using Information Fusion

Security of a wireless sensor network practically governs its usability in several applications. Especially, in applications like Industrial control systems which use NCS and SCADA systems, the security affects the stability of the system. We propose to use an information fusion scheme which allows us to profile the different attacks in wireless sensor networks and study their affects on the control systems stability and feedback. We make use of the Bayesian Networks to obtain hypotheses as outputs which form the decisions. These decisions are made based on the feature extraction and estimation process of the entire information fusion scheme. This allows us to make sure that the WNCS works smoothly without any aberrations even under the influence of security attacks. In this paper, we go on to explain the process that we employ in ensuring the stability and security of the system.
Stent revascularization for the prevention of cardiovascular and renal events among patients with renal artery stenosis and systolic hypertension: Rationale and design of the CORAL trial

Background Atherosclerotic renal artery stenosis is a problem with no consensus on diagnosis or therapy. The consequences of renal ischemia are neuroendocrine activation, hypertension, and renal insufficiency that can potentially result in acceleration of atherosclerosis, further renal dysfunction, myocardial infarction, heart failure, stroke, and death. Whether revascularization improves clinical outcomes when compared with optimum medical therapy is unknown. Methods CORAL is a randomized clinical trial contrasting optimum medical therapy alone to stenting with optimum medical therapy on a composite cardiovascular and renal end point: cardiovascular or renal death, myocardial infarction, hospitalization for congestive heart failure, stroke, doubling of serum creatinine, and need for renal replacement therapy. The secondary end points evaluate the effectiveness of revascularization in important subgroups of patients and with respect to all-cause mortality, kidney function, renal artery patency, microvascular renal function, and blood pressure control. We will also correlate stenosis severity with longitudinal renal function and determine the value of stenting from the perspectives of quality of life and cost-effectiveness. The primary entry criteria are (1) an atherosclerotic renal stenosis of ≥60% with a 20 mm Hg systolic pressure gradient or ≥80% with no gradient necessary and (2) systolic hypertension of ≥155 mm Hg on ≥2 antihypertensive medications. Randomization will occur in 1080 subjects. The study has 90% power to detect a 28% reduction in primary end point hazard rate. Conclusions CORAL represents a unique opportunity to determine the incremental value of stent revascularization, in addition to optimal medical therapy, for the treatment of atherosclerotic renal artery stenosis.
Heads and Tales in Introductory Psychology

The story of the Wild Boy of Aveyron provides a framework for presenting the merits of narrative-assisted instruction (NAI). Approaching the human mind as a pattern-making and pattern-recognizing system, NAI has special significance in three areas of learning: motivation, comprehension, and memory. By providing a cultural and contextual approach to the study of human behavior, NAI can serve as a complement to the objective, empirical methods of traditional scientific discourse.
Entropy of planar random surfaces on the lattice

Abstract We study planar random surfaces on a hypercubic lattice in two and three dimensions by Monte Carlo techniques. Our data are consistent with the formula n 0 ( A ; C ) ∼ A b 0 α A , where n 0 ( A ; C ) is the number of planar random surfaces with area A and boundary C . We find b 0 = −1.4 ± 0.2, α = 5.31 ± 0.03 (for d = 2) and b 0 = −1.5 ± 0.2, α = 7.13 ± 0.05 (for d = 3). The values of b 0 disagree with those obtained from the Polyakov string model.
Stress, eating and the reward system

An increasing number of people report concerns about the amount of stress in their life. At the same time obesity is an escalating health problem worldwide. Evidence is accumulating rapidly that stress related chronic stimulation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis and resulting excess glucocorticoid exposure may play a potential role in the development of visceral obesity. Since adequate regulation of energy and food intake under stress is important for survival, it is not surprising that the HPA axis is not only the 'conductor' of an appropriate stress response, but is also tightly intertwined with the endocrine regulation of appetite. Here we attempt to link animal and human literatures to tease apart how different types of psychological stress affect eating. We propose a theoretical model of Reward Based Stress Eating. This model emphasizes the role of cortisol and reward circuitry on motivating calorically dense food intake, and elucidating potential neuroendocrine mediators in the relationship between stress and eating. The addiction literature suggests that the brain reward circuitry may be a key player in stress-induced food intake. Stress as well as palatable food can stimulate endogenous opioid release. In turn, opioid release appears to be part of an organisms' powerful defense mechanism protecting from the detrimental effects of stress by decreasing activity of the HPA axis and thus attenuating the stress response. Repeated stimulation of the reward pathways through either stress induced HPA stimulation, intake of highly palatable food or both, may lead to neurobiological adaptations that promote the compulsive nature of overeating. Cortisol may influence the reward value of food via neuroendocrine/peptide mediators such as leptin, insulin and neuropeptide Y (NPY). Whereas glucocorticoids are antagonized by insulin and leptin acutely, under chronic stress, that finely balanced system is dysregulated, possibly contributing to increased food intake and visceral fat accumulation. While these mechanisms are only starting to be elucidated in humans, it appears the obesity epidemic may be exacerbated by the preponderance of chronic stress, unsuccessful attempts at food restriction, and their independent and possibly synergistic effects on increasing the reward value of highly palatable food.
From fertilization to cancer: the role of centrosomes in the union and separation of genomic material.

Centrosomes play crucial roles in the union of sperm and egg nuclei during fertilization and in the equal separation of genomic material during cell division. While many studies in recent years have focused on the molecular composition of centrosomes, this article focuses on the structural behavior of centrosomes and on factors that play a role in centrosome functions under normal, artificially altered, and abnormal conditions. We review here how studies in the classic sea urchin egg model have contributed to our knowledge on the centrosome cycle within the cell cycle, on compaction and decompaction of centrosomal material, and on the contributions of maternal and paternal centrosomes during fertilization. Centrosome material is activated in unfertilized eggs by increasing pH with ammonium and by increasing calcium with the ionophore A23187, which are conditions that are normally induced by sperm. D(2)O and taxol also induce centrosome aggregation in the unfertilized egg. Maternal and paternal centrosome material both contribute to the formation of a functional centrosome but the formation of a bipolar centrosome requires material from the paternal centrosome. Fertilization of taxol-treated eggs reveals that the male centrosome possesses the capability to attract maternal centrosome material. When pronuclear fusion of the male and female pronuclei is inhibited with agents such as the disulfide reducing agent dithiothreitol (DTT) a bipolar mitotic apparatus is formed from the paternal centrosome. Furthermore, one centrosome of the bipolar mitotic apparatus is capable of organizing an additional half spindle that attaches to the female pronucleus indicating a functional and perhaps structural connection between centrosomes and chromatin. Sea urchin eggs are also useful to study centrosome abnormalities and consequences for the cell cycle. While classic studies by Theodor Boveri have shown that dispermic fertilization will result in abnormal cell division because of multiple centrosomes contributed by sperm, abnormal cell division can also be induced by chemical alterations of centrosomes. Compaction and decompaction of centrosome structure is studied using chloral hydrate or the chaotropic agent formamide, which reveals that centrosomes can be chemically altered to produce mono- or multipolar abnormal mitosis and unequal distribution of genomic material upon release from formamide. The patterns of abnormal centrosome reformations after recovery from formamide treatment resemble those seen in cancer cells which argues that structural defects of centrosomes can account for the formation of abnormal mitosis and multipolar cells frequently observed in cancer. In summary, the sea urchin model has been most useful to gain information on the role of centrosomes during fertilization and cell division as well as on adverse conditions that play a role in centrosome dysfunctions and in disease.
Effect of ovarian hormones on duration of dna synthesis in cells of the c3h mouse mammary gland.

As measured with the double labeling method with 3H-thymidine and 14C-thymidine in single intact C3H mice about 6 months old, the duration of DNA synthesis in alveolar cells of the mammary gland varies between 14.8 and 27.6 hr, with 20.1 hr as the average. With the same method, in mice ovariectomized and treated for 3–4 days with 1 μg 17-β-estradiol plus 1 mg progesterone per day, duration of DNA synthesis in the same cells varies between 9.5 and 11.9 hr, with an average of 10.7 hr. These results demonstrate that hormones speed up DNA synthesis in the target cells considerably, as well as greatly decrease variation. Two possible hypotheses for the stimulatory effect of hormones are proposed; the first considering an actual influence on the synthetic pathway with following increase of the reaction rate, and the second considering a possible synchronizing effect on chromosome duplication. The large variation of synthetic time in intact mice is ascribed to the variable ovarian secretion. Cyclic hormonal changes are abolished in animals ovariectomized and treated steadily with hormones, with ensuing low variation of the synthetic time. Very large doses of hormones, 10 μg of 17-β-estradiol plus 10 mg of progesterone per day for 3–4 days, or prolonged treatment, 2–3 weeks, with hormones decrease duration of DNA synthesis only to the same extent that the previously reported, less massive, treatments do. The results suggest that a minimum duration of DNA synthesis exists and was reached under any of the hormonal treatments given in this study. As measured by the “wave of labeled mitoses” method, a definite, significant difference was found between minimum duration of DNA synthesis in alveolar cells and cells from buds of 10-week old mice from one side, both having an 8.8 hr synthetic time, and duct cells from the same glands on the other side, which showed a 12.2 hr synthetic time. It was found that both 17-β-estradiol and progesterone, applied independently or in combination, are capable of inducing the same minimum in the same cell type. These results suggest that the minimum duration of DNA synthesis can be a characteristic of the cell, possibly representing the peculiar sequence and spacing of chromosome replication in the particular cell type. Lastly, the results are considered in the context of control of cell proliferation. It is concluded that in the cells of the mammary gland DNA synthesis is not an unadjustable process of the generative cycle, but varies with the proliferation rate. At least for the cells of the mammary gland the hypothesis of absence of correlation between duration of the DNA synthetic phase and generation time appears to be disproved.
Visualization of Valvular and Myocardial Calcification by Planigraphy

A preoperative diagnosis of valvular calcification that indicates advanced degeneration and implies potential immobility is now of more than academic interest. It is also of importance in uncovering aortic valvular disease that may contraindicate mitral commissurotomy. Surgical experience indicates that conventional roentgenography has a low positive yield. Fluoroscopy, in our hands, has a high positive yield but has the disadvantages of dependence upon individual interest and knowledge and of failure to provide a permanent record verifiable by others. In this study, planigraphy is demonstrated to be superior to all other methods described for the detection of intracardiac calcification.
Childhood sexual abuse, adolescent sexual coercion and sexually transmitted infection acquisition among homeless female adolescents☆, ☆☆

Abstract Objective: To examine the relationship between childhood experiences of sexual abuse, sexual coercion during adolescence, and the acquisition of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) in a population of homeless adolescents. Method: Homeless adolescent females (N = 216) from a northwestern United States city were recruited by street outreach workers for a longitudinal study of STI epidemiology. Baseline data on childhood abuse and recent history of sexual coercion were used to predict physiologically confirmed STI acquisition over the subsequent 6 months. Results: About 38% of all girls reported a history of childhood sexual abuse (CSA). Girls with a history of CSA were more likely to report recent sexual coercion. In turn, sexual coercion in the last three months was significantly associated with a higher number of sexual partners (but not with a greater frequency of intercourse or with lower rates of condom use). Number of sexual partners significantly predicted the future acquisition of an STI within 6 months. Conclusions: Interventions to reduce risky sexual behaviors in homeless adolescent females may need to consider the impact of CSA, particularly on the number of sexual partners during adolescence. However, it also should be noted that engagement in intercourse often results from coercion and is not voluntary in this population.
Petronius and Virgil in The Great Gatsby

F. Scott Fitzgerald was not especially well versed in the Classics. At school he performed as poorly in Latin as in most of this other subjects. In 1922, not only the appearance of a Petronian epigraph to The Waste Land, but also the defense of The Satyricon in court and the newspapers during a particularly high-profile censorship case involving his friends may have brought the novel freshly to his eyes. Fitzgeral proposed calling his novel “Trimalchio” or “Trimalchio at West Egg” before it became The Great Gatsby, for both Trimalchio and Gatsby are obsessed with wealth and death. The novel also shows affinities throughout with Virgil’s Golden Age and ghostly Underworld, and when Fitzgerald needed a moralizing figure with which to conclude, he turned to the poet who believed as firmly in the moral bedrock of Italy’s rustic past as Fitzgerald believed in midwestern America’s. The striking ending of the book recalls Aeneas’s ideal vision of Roman history in Aeneid 8 and Virgil’s striking simile of ethical struggle in the face of decay (Geo. 1.199–203).
Low density of Earth's core due to oxygen and silicon impurities

During accretion and differentiation of the Earth, chemical interactions in a silicate magma ocean and liquid iron drove silicon and oxygen impurities into what went on to become the liquid outer core. Contrasting with previous research, which suggested that silicon and oxygen would only appear in very low concentrations (less than 1% by weight) in the liquid iron, Tsuno et al. found that at the base of a magma ocean 1200 kilometers deep, these light elements could simultaneously reach concentrations as high as 5% oxygen and 8% silicon by weight. Such impurity levels would decrease the density of the outer core, accounting for the so-called “density deficit” identified in previous research, whereby the outer core is roughly 10% less dense than a pure iron-nickel alloy.
Size distribution effect on the power law regime of the structure factor of fractal aggregates.

We consider the large ${\mathrm{qR}}_{g},$ where q is the magnitude of the scattering wave vector and ${R}_{g}$ is the aggregate radius of gyration, part of the structure factor of fractal aggregates, and quantify the coefficient C of the power law, $S(q)\ensuremath{\sim}{C(qR}_{g}{)}^{\ensuremath{-}D},$ where D is the fractal dimension, for various structure factors proposed in the literature. With the aid of earlier work, we conclude the most accurate structure factors have $C=1.0.$ We then calculate the effects of polydispersity on this coefficient, and show the effects are significant, enough so to allow a measurement of the distribution width. These concepts are accurately supported with scattering data from a diffusion limited aerosol and a reaction limited colloid.
Cobalt-containing polymers as patterning assist layers in extreme ultraviolet lithography

This paper communicates the use of cobalt-containing polymers in extreme ultra-violet lithography (EUVL). The polymers were synthesized in a two-step process through the complexation of dicobalt octacarbonyl, Co2(CO)8 to a mainchain alkyne-functional polyester obtained by polycondensation protocol. As indicated by thermal analysis, the cobaltcontaining polymers are characterized by a thermal transition around 110 °C assigned to a crosslinking process, a key factor in considering these materials as candidates for patterning assist layers (PAL) in EUVL. Positive and negative impacts of the metal component introduced through PAL upon the resolution, line-width roughness (LWR), and sensitivity (RLS) of the resist were investigated. The potential utility of these materials as wet developable PAL is also described.
MMPI and Pyp prediction compared to base rate prediction of six-month behavioral outcome for methadone patients.

Discriminant functions, using the scales of the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI) and the Pyp, a scale measuring psychopathy, were compared with base rate estimates in predicting six-month outcome for 106 methadone patients. Employment, arrest and attrition were the behavioral categories used for group assignment in the discriminant analysis. The discriminant functions accurately classified 50 per cent of the employed and not arrested group., 57 per cent of the unemployed and not arrested group, 29 per cent of the unemployed and arrested group, and 50 per cent of the discharged group. Consideration was given to the utility of the MMPI and Pyp scales as compared to base rate predictions for each of the group classifications.