cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Internal Heteroatom Substitution and the Layer Packing of Polymethylene Chains

In an investigation of methylene replacement by small heteroatom insertions the crystal structures of N,N-dioctadecylamine, (C18H37)2NH, and dihexadecyl ether, (C16H33)2O, were determined by electron crystallography and infrared spectroscopy. Crystals of the amine, epitaxially oriented on naphthalene, are characteristic of the analogous odd-chain n-paraffin in its high-energy orthorhombic B-polymorph. Cell constants are a = 7.52(2), b = 5.04(1), and c/2 = 50.0(4) A and the extinction rules for the 0,k,l reflections (k + l = 2n + 1) are consistent with the space group A21am. Carbon and nitrogen coordinates in a paraffin-like model match observed data reasonably well (R = 0.22). A binary phase diagram reveals that the secondary amine is continuously cosoluble with the n-paraffin of the same chain length (n-C37H76). The ether, crystallized on benzoic acid, is polymorphic. The major monoclinic form, which forms a eutectic solid with n-C33H68, crystallizes in space group Aa with a ≈ 5.59, b ≈ 7.40, and c = 88....
Seasonal variation in detection of bacterial DNA in arthritic stifle joints of dogs with cranial cruciate ligament rupture using PCR amplification of the 16S rRNA gene.

An underappreciated cause and effect relationship between environmental bacteria and arthritis may exist. Previously, we found that stifle arthritis in dogs was associated with the presence of environmental bacteria within synovium. Cranial cruciate ligament rupture (CCLR) is often associated with stifle arthritis in dogs. We now wished to determine whether seasonal variation in detection of bacterial material may exist in affected dogs, and to also conduct analyses of both synovium and synovial fluid. We also wished to analyze a larger clone library of the 16S rRNA gene to further understanding of the microbial population in the canine stifle. Synovial biopsies were obtained from 117 affected dogs from January to December 2006. Using PCR, synovium and synovial fluid were tested for Borrelia burgdorferi and Stenotrophomonas maltophilia DNA. Broad-ranging 16S rRNA primers were also used and PCR products were cloned and sequenced for bacterial identification. Overall, 41% of arthritic canine stifle joints contained bacterial DNA. Detection of bacterial DNA in synovial fluid samples was increased, when compared with synovium (p < 0.01). Detection rates were highest in the winter and spring and lowest in the summer period, suggesting environmental factors influence the risk of translocation to the stifle. Organisms detected were predominately Gram's negative Proteobacteria, particularly the orders Rhizobiales (32.8% of clones) and Burkholderiales (20.0% of clones), usually as part of a polymicrobial population. PCR-positivity was inversely correlated with severity of arthritis assessed radiographically and with dog age. Bacterial translocation to the canine stifle may be associated with changes to the indoor environment.
Long-term lead accumulation in abalone (Haliotis spp.) fed on lead-treated brown algae (Egregia laevigata)

In this study we assessed the amount of lead accumulated in the body of a grazing mollusc by transfer from its algal food in laboratory experiments, and compared these results with the amounts found in naturally occurring molluscs and seaweed. Near La Jolla, California (USA), where the concentration of lead in seawater is probably less than 0.08 μg l-1, most of the naturally occurring Egregia laevigata contains less than 0.4 μg Pb g-1 wet weight. The total body masses, without shells, of juvenile Haliotis rufescens fed on this seaweed for 3 to 6 months showed similar concentrations. When, however, E. laevigata is placed for 1 to 6 days in seawater to which lead has been added (0.1 or 1.0 mg l-1) both the seaweed and the abalone subsequently fed with it accumulate proportionally larger amounts of lead. After 6 months, young abalone fed on E. laevigata pretreated with 1.0 mg Pb l-1 accumulated up to 21 μg Pb g-1 wet weight. This amount of lead had no apparent consequences on the growth or activity of the molluscs. Analyses of 6 different organs from adult abalone showed that the lead was selectively concentrated in the digestive gland. In the foot (muscle tissue), which is the part normally consumed by humans, only negligible amounts were found.
Visualization of Support Vector Machines with Unsupervised Learning

The visualization of support vector machines in realistic settings is a difficult problem due to the high dimensionality of the typical datasets involved. However, such visualizations usually aid the understanding of the model and the underlying processes, especially in the biosciences. Here we propose a novel visualization technique of support vector machines based on unsupervised learning, specifically self-organizing maps. Conceptually, self-organizing maps can be thought of as neural networks that investigate a high-dimensional data space for clusters of data points and then project the clusters onto a two-dimensional map preserving the topologies of the original clusters as much as possible. This allows for the visualization of high-dimensional datasets together with their support vector models. With this technique we investigate a number of support vector machine visualization scenarios based on real world biomedical datasets.
Libraries?—Yes, In My Backyard!

What is the element most people want in their residential area? Hospitals? Schools? Parks? If you answered any of those you would be incorrect. Libraries, according to one survey, are the most attractive amenity in residential areas. Libraries are so popular, they garnered as high a desirability rating as grocery stores and drug stores. However, despite the overwhelming support for the institution, libraries are often not able to translate this popularity into successful building campaigns. The article begins by examining the immense popularity of libraries and asks why there are not more libraries in light of their universal appeal. Difficulties encountered when mounting library elections are discussed. A recommendation to expand library advocacy by librarians and library supporters is offered, in the hopes more people's desire to live near a library could be realized.
Level structure of 225Ac

Abstract The level scheme of 225 Ac has been deduced from the study of the α-decay of 229 Pa and β − decay of 225 Ra. Sources of 229 Pa were produced by the 229 Th(d, 2n) and 230 Th(d, 3n) reactions, and the 225 Ra activity was obtained by milking a 229 Th sample. Gamma singles spectra of 229 Pa and 225 Ra were measured with high-resolution Ge detectors placed in a very low background shield. Alpha-gamma and γγ-coincidence measurements were made with 229 Pa sources. Using the ratio of the KX-ray and γ-ray intensities obtained from gated γ-ray spectra, we were able to deduce K conversion coefficients of the 115.55 and 120.80 keV transitions which gave M1 multipolarities for these transitions. Four bands were identified: K π = 3 2 − , ground; 3 2 + , 40.09 keV; 5 2 − , 120.80 keV; and 5 2 + , 155.65 keV. The half-life and alpha branching ratio, α/(α+EC), were measured to be 1.50 ± 0.05 d, and (0.48±0.05)%, respectively.
Measuring the surplus of superficiality: the case of dented bumper repair

This article uses data from a survey administered to 400 automobile owners in northern Utah to estimate willingness-to-pay (WTP) for removal of a superficial dent in the bumper of a typical owner’s vehicle. A unique set of controls are used to estimate the determinants of WTP for this particular manifestation of superficiality. Both parametric and nonparametric measures of mean WTP are also derived. To the extent that a driver’s demand for superficiality represents a market failure, e.g., due to imperfect information, or, in a normative sense, the influence of wasteful social norms, our welfare measures represent estimates of the potential social deadweight loss associated with the purchase of this particular good. In this case, potential social deadweight loss is defined as total surplus from the market for dented-bumper repair that remains ‘untransferred’ to markets for non-(or less)superficial goods. Best-guess estimates of the annual potential deadweight loss from dented-bumper repair in the US fall i...
Signaling by Gasotransmitters

Nitric oxide is well established as a major signaling molecule. Evidence is accumulating that carbon monoxide and hydrogen sulfide also are physiologic mediators in the cardiovascular, immune, and nervous systems. This Review focuses on mechanisms whereby they signal by binding to metal centers in metalloproteins, such as in guanylyl cyclase, or modifying sulfhydryl groups in protein targets.
Expression of BMP-2 by Rat Bone Marrow Stromal Cells in Culture

To investigate the role of bone morphogenetic protein (BMP-2) in ossifying rat bone marrow stromal cell cultures, we determined the population of fibroblast-like stromal cells that expressed BMP-2 immunocytochemically (anti-rhBMP-2 monoclonal antibody), and compared that to alkaline phosphatase (AP) and collagen synthesis formed in culture over a 4-week period in control and dexamethasone-supplemented mineralizing media. In control media, the percentage of BMP-2-positive stromal cells (BMP-2+) increased from 12 to 25% within the first 4 days of culture. In mineralizing media, the level of BMP-2+ cells was significantly increased (43–44%). The intensity of immunostaining gradually increased with time. The levels of AP were undetectable at 1 week in both control and mineralizing media, but increased gradually over the next 2 weeks and peaked at 3 weeks. ALP levels were significantly greater in cultures grown in mineralizing medium (P < 0.05 at 3 weeks, P < 0.01 at 4 weeks). Collagen synthesis peaked and was significantly greater at 3 weeks (P < 0.05) in cultures grown in mineralizing medium. The levels of AP and collagen synthesis most closely reflected the changes in the percentage of BMP-2+ cells from 7 to 28 days. Though these changes may reflect a primary action of BMP-2 on marrow osteoprogenitor-like stromal cells, they do not exclude a mechanism that involves the induction of other members of the BMP family known to stimulate AP and collagen synthesis. We conclude that BMP-2 expression in cultures of fibroblast-like marrow stromal cells is enhanced when those cells are induced to become osteoblasts by exposure to dexamethasone.
An Experimental Study of the Laminar Flow Separation on a Low-Reynolds-Number Airfoil

An experimental study was conducted to characterize the transient behavior of laminar flow separation on a NASA low-speed GA (W)-1 airfoil at the chord Reynolds number of 70,000. In addition to measuring the surface pressure distribution around the airfoil, a high-resolution particle image velocimetry (PIV) system was used to make detailed flow field measurements to quantify the evolution of unsteady flow structures around the airfoil at various angles of attack (AOAs). The surface pressure and PIV measurements clearly revealed that the laminar boundary layer would separate from the airfoil surface, as the adverse pressure gradient over the airfoil upper surface became severe at AOA ≥8.0 deg. The separated laminar boundary layer was found to rapidly transit to turbulence by generating unsteady Kelvin-Helmholtz vortex structures. After turbulence transition, the separated boundary layer was found to reattach to the airfoil surface as a turbulent boundary layer when the adverse pressure gradient was adequate at AOA 12.0 deg.
Particle Shapes and the 2175 Å Feature

The Galactic interstellar extinction curve exhibits a pronounced feature at 2175 ?. The most striking characteristic of this feature is the relatively fixed nature of its central wavelength, while the width of the feature may vary. Small graphite particles are often proposed as the carrier of this UV bump. However, graphite grains of a single size and shape cannot reproduce the observed width and peak characteristics simultaneously. Here, we investigate to what extent these characteristics may be reproduced by invoking a shape distribution of prolate and oblate graphite particles. The graphite constants calculated by Draine and Lee do not yield the narrowest 2175 ? features that have been observed. We have recalculated the dielectric function of astronomical graphite such that a spherical grain of radius 50 ? produces a feature with a peak at x0 = 4.6 ?m-1 and a width ? = 0.8 ?m-1. Using grains in the Rayleigh approximation, we have calculated extinction curves for combinations of prolate, spherical, and oblate grain shapes and successfully reproduce the stationary nature of the peak. In addition, such shape variations do give a standard deviation in the width of the feature of ~1/2 the observed standard deviation. However, the absolute values of the calculated widths fall short by ~10% compared with observed widths. The observed lack of correlation between peak position and width is not reproduced by the shape variations considered here.
Is only seeing really believing?: Sources of the true belief in the false belief task

Abstract It has been argued that young preschoolers cannot correctly attribute a false belief to a deceived actor (Wimmer & Perner, 1983) . The present study considers three possible sources of difficulty for the young child on the false belief task: (a) The child may be unable to change the truth value of a representation as is required in the standard false belief task; (b) the fact that the deceived actor's belief was acquired by visual experience, normally a reliable source of information, makes it harder for the child to consider it false; and (c) the child's own visual experience of the object's true location, and therefore the certainty with which the child knows the object's true location, make it impossible to ignore. The present experiment tests these hypotheses by contrasting the standard false belief task with two testimony conditions. In both testimony conditions the false belief is stipulated as false from the beginning (the deceiver announces that he will tell a lie); no change of truth status is involved. The difference in the two testimony conditions is that in the ‘seen’ condition the subject sees the object's true location, while in the ‘unseen’ condition the subject is merely told the object's true location. Those 3-year-olds in the ‘unseen’ condition successfully attributed a false belief, while 3-year-olds in the two other conditions did not. This pattern of results supports the third hypothesis.
Critical period control in sensory cortex

The search continues for factors whose regulation during development accounts for the end of the critical period for experience-dependent cortical plasticity. Recent studies suggest that NMDA receptors and neurotrophins may be involved either individually or in concert. NMDA receptor subunits are developmentally regulated in a way that affects the kinetic properties of the NMDA receptor. The expression of mRNAs for neurotrophins and their receptors is regulated by developmental factors and by neuronal activity, and exogenous neurotrophins block critical period plasticity in the visual cortex.
Defending David Lewis’s modal reduction

David Lewis claims that his theory of modality successfully reduces modal items to nonmodal items. This essay will clarify this claim and argue that it is true. This is largely an exercise within ‘Ludovician Polycosmology’: I hope to show that a certain intuitive resistance to the reduction and a set of related objections misunderstand the nature of the Ludovician project. But these results are of broad interest since they show that would-be reductionists have more formidable argumentative resources than is often thought. Lewis’s reduction depends on a set of methodological commitments each of which is fairly plausible or at least currently popular, and none of which is particular to modality. The choice of which of these commitments to reject I leave to the discerning antireductionist. The essay proceeds as follows: §1 discusses reduction generally and one or two relevant puzzles; §2 discusses Lewis’s reduction in particular; the longest section, §3 replies to four objections.
Marketing research using single-item indicators in structural equation models

This article analyzes the use of single-item indicators in marketing research and their utilization in structural equation modeling (SEM). The study provides a literature review regarding the debate of the use of single-item measures in social sciences research and methodologically in SEM. The analysis of recent studies that use single-item indicators from top marketing journals provides information regarding the types of constructs fit for single-item measurement and their use in SEM. The article presents clarifications to the debate regarding the use of single-item indicators in marketing research, gives examples of types of constructs measurable through single-item indicators and provides recommendations that add knowledge to the empirical analysis and methodology domains of marketing research.
An approach to sequential circuit construction in LSI programmable arrays

Programmable logic arrays (PLAs) are nowadays extensively used in the design of combinational and sequential logic circuits for LSI/VLSI implementation of digital systems. A PLA realisation that requires lesser number of cells for implementing the required logic results in a reduced chip area, and this is suitable for LSI/VLSI designs. The PLA design technique for sequential logic circuits, presented in the paper, is motivated by the above consideration of reduced number of cells. The proposed method takes advantage of the common next-state table entries to reduce the number of P-terms required, thereby reducing the number of PLA cells. The method is formalised by an iterative construction procedure which produces the PLA fuse tables, together with the corresponding state codings. A Pascal program implementing this procedure has been developed.
Spin state of ferric iron in MgSiO3 perovskite and its effect on elastic properties

Abstract Recent studies have indicated that a significant amount of iron in MgSiO 3 perovskite (Pv) is Fe 3+ (Fe 3+ /ΣFe = 10–60%) due to crystal chemistry effects at high pressure ( P ) and that Fe 3+ is more likely than Fe 2+ to undergo a high-spin (HS) to low-spin (LS) transition in Pv in the mantle. We have measured synchrotron Mossbauer spectroscopy (SMS), X-ray emission spectroscopy (XES), and X-ray diffraction (XRD) of Pv with all iron in Fe 3+ in the laser-heated diamond-anvil cell to over 100 GPa. Fe 3+ increases the anisotropy of the Pv unit cell, whereas Fe 2+ decreases it. In Pv synthesized above 50 GPa, Fe 3+ enters into both the dodecahedral (A) and octahedral (B) sites approximately equally, suggesting charge coupled substitution. Combining SMS and XES, we found that the LS population in the B site gradually increases with pressure up to 50–60 GPa where all Fe 3+ in the B site becomes LS, while Fe 3+ in the A site remains HS to at least 136 GPa. Fe 3+ makes Pv more compressible than Mg-endmember below 50 GPa because of the gradual spin transition in the B site together with lattice compression. The completion of the spin transition at 50–60 GPa increases bulk modulus with no associated change in density. This elasticity change can be a useful seismic probe for investigating compositional heterogeneities associated with Fe 3+ .
Patients' intentions to seek medication information from pharmacists.

Abstract Objectives To determine whether perceived medication use knowledge held and/or needed influenced intention to seek information from pharmacists, whether an information–intention relationship held after accounting for other variables, and whether asking medication use knowledge questions increased pharmacist information-seeking intention. Design Cross-sectional study. Setting United States during July 2012. Participants Qualtrics national panel members 21 years or older obtaining a new chronic medication within previous 30 days. Intervention Internet-administered survey. Main outcome measures Medication information–seeking intention, medication knowledge held and needed, and pharmacist medication information–seeking intention. Results Although knowledge held and needed were initially significant, they became nonsignificant after adding affective and evaluative attitudes, perceived control, and risk. The final best-fitting model explained 21% of variance in pharmacist information-seeking intention. Patient intentions to seek information from pharmacists increased significantly after being asked medication use knowledge questions. Conclusion Perceptions of medication risk, attitudes, and information-seeking control predict pharmacist information-seeking intention and offer pharmacists an opportunity to market information services.
Retrospective analysis of landscape dynamics using normalized spectral entropy

Forest dynamics, such as deforestation, reforestation and afforestation, could be caused by the natural and human-induced disturbances. Traditional methods rarely quantify the history of such disturbances along a continuous temporal trajectory; yet, such disturbance history often determines system course and evolution. We adopted a retrospective perspective to study system history by implementing a newly proposed entropy index. The forest dynamics in the Amazon region, expressed by a time-series vegetation index, were taken as an example to demonstrate the application of such an entropy index. The results indicated that high entropy values were mainly distributed around the major cities with intensive land conversion rates, as well as the riverine areas with unsteady physiological and/or phenological fluctuations. Utilization of this index can measure forest dynamics in a retrospective way with accumulated information and therefore can provide a solid basis of information for current research and planning...
Least-squares for second-order elliptic problems

Abstract In this paper, we introduce and analyze two least-squares methods for second-order elliptic differential equations with mixed boundary conditions. These methods extend to problems which involve oblique derivative boundary conditions as well as nonsymmetric and indefinite problems as long as the original problem has a unique solution. With the methods to be developed, Neumann and oblique boundary conditions are imposed weakly and thus avoid compatibility conditions on the finite element subspaces. The resulting least-squares approximations are unconditionally stable (no conditions on the step-size h ) and will be shown to converge at an optimal rate. The first least-squares method involves a discrete, computable H −1 -norm of the residual and stabilization terms consisting of the jumps at the interelement boundaries and a weighted elementwise L 2 -norm of the residual over the finite elements. This method is developed without the introduction of additional problem variables. The second method involves the use of the flux as an additional unknown. Although this method is similar to the least-squares method for first-order systems introduced in [7], it differs in that discontinuous finite elements are allowed. It is also more general in that it extends to the oblique boundary problem.
Improved performance of polymer bulk heterojunction solar cells through the reduction of phase separation via solvent additives.

A high-boiling-point additive that favors both poly[(4,4-didodecyldithieno[3,2-b:2',3'-d]silole)-2,6-diyl-alt-(2,1,3-benzoxadiazole)-4,7-diyl] and PC₇₁BM in a bulk heterojunction solar cell is used to reduce large-scale aggregation and phase separation, which increases device performance. This is in contrast to the majority of high-boiling-point additives that improve performance by increasing phase separation.
Bioaccumulation, Retention, and Depuration of Enteric Viruses by Crassostrea virginica and Crassostrea ariakensis Oysters

ABSTRACT Crassostrea ariakensis oysters are under review for introduction into the Chesapeake Bay. However, the human health implications of the introduction have not been fully addressed. This study evaluated rates of bioaccumulation, retention, and depuration of viruses by Crassostrea virginica and C. ariakensis when the two oyster species were maintained in separate tanks containing synthetic seawater of various salinities (8, 12, or 20 ppt). Oyster bioaccumulation tanks were seeded with 103 PFU/ml of hepatitis A virus (HAV), poliovirus, male-specific bacteriophage (MS2), and murine norovirus 1 (MNV-1) and 103 PCR units/ml of human norovirus (NoV). After 24 h, depuration commenced as oysters (n = 255) were placed in pathogen-free seawater under continuous filtration. Oysters (n = 6) were sampled weekly for 1 month from each tank. Viral RNA was recovered using a modified proteinase K, guanidine, and glassmilk method and analyzed by quantitative reverse transcription-PCR. The odds of C. ariakensis oysters harboring NoV, MNV-1, or HAV were statistically greater than the odds of C. virginica oysters harboring the same viruses (MNV-1 odds ratio [OR], 4.5; P = 0.01; NoV OR, 8.4; P
The dopamine D3 receptor partial agonist CJB 090 inhibits the discriminative stimulus but not the reinforcing or priming effects of cocaine in squirrel monkeys

Rationale Dopamine D3 receptor mechanisms have been implicated in the abuse-related behavioral effects of cocaine.
Combined gemcitabine and carboplatin therapy for carcinomas in dogs.

Background: Response and adverse reactions to combined gemcitabine (GEM) and carboplatin (CARBO) therapy in dogs with carcinomas are not documented. Hypothesis: GEM and CARBO are safe for the treatment of dogs with carcinomas. Animals: Thirty-seven dogs with histologically or cytologically confirmed carcinomas. Methods: Prospective clinical trial. Dogs were treated with GEM (2 mg/kg, 20–30-minute infusion IV) on Days 1 and 8 and 4 hours later, CARBO (10 mg/kg IV) on Day 1. The cycle was repeated on Day 22. Results: Thirty-seven dogs (29 with measurable tumor) received a median of 2 cycles (range 0.5–6) for a total of 101 cycles administered. Twelve dogs (32%) developed neutropenia (3 Grade 3, and 5 Grade 4) and 9 (24%) thrombocytopenia (2 Grade 3, and 1 Grade 4). Dogs >20 kg were twice as likely to develop thrombocytopenia (P= .023). Twenty-seven dogs (73%) had evidence of gastrointestinal (GI) toxicosis, but most signs were of mild to moderate severity and self-limiting. One dog died of treatment-related complications. Overall tumor response rate was 13%. One dog with metastatic prostatic carcinoma achieved a complete remission and 1 dog with intestinal adenocarcinoma and 1 with tonsillar squamous cell carcinoma achieved partial remission. Twelve dogs achieved stable disease for a median of 72 days. Conclusion and Clinical Importance: GEM and CARBO combination causes mild to moderate hematologic and GI toxicosis in dogs with carcinoma. Response rate in this study was modest, and optimization of dosing of this combination is required.
Pre-steady-state Kinetic Characterization of the AP Endonuclease Activity of Human AP Endonuclease 1

Human AP endonuclease 1 (APE1, REF1) functions within the base excision repair pathway by catalyzing the hydrolysis of the phosphodiester bond 5 ′ to a baseless sugar (apurinic or apyrimidinic site). The AP endonuclease activity of this enzyme and two active site mutants were characterized using equilibrium binding and pre-steady-state kinetic techniques. Wild-type APE1 is a remarkably potent endonuclease and highly efficient enzyme. Incision 5 ′ to AP sites is so fast that a maximal single-turnover rate could not be measured using rapid mixing/quench techniques and is at least 850 s–1. The entire catalytic cycle is limited by a slow step that follows chemistry and generates a steady-state incision rate of about 2 s–1. Site-directed mutation of His-309 to Asn and Asp-210 to Ala reduced the single turnover rate of incision 5 ′ to AP sites by at least 5 orders of magnitude such that chemistry (or a step following DNA binding and preceding chemistry) and not a step following chemistry became rate-limiting. Our results suggest that the efficiency with which APE1 can process an AP site in vivo is limited by the rate at which it diffuses to the site and that a slow step after chemistry may prevent APE1 from leaving the site of damage before the next enzyme arrives to continue the repair process.
Utility of upright tilt-table testing in the evaluation and management of syncope of unknown origin

Abstract purpose: Vasovagally mediated hypotension and bradycardia are believed to be common, but difficult to diagnose, causes of syncope. Upright tilt-table testing has been proposed as a possible way to test for vasovagal episodes. This study investigated the clinical utility of this technique in the evaluation and management of patients with syncope of unknown origin. patients and methods: Twenty-five patients with recurrent unexplained syncope and six control subjects were evaluated by use of an upright tilt-table test for 30 minutes, with or without an infusion of isoproterenol (1 to 3 μg/minute given intravenously), in an attempt to provoke bradycardia, hypotension, or both. Of the 25 patients, there were 14 males and 11 females, with a mean age of 50 ± 16 years. Six control patients with no history of syncope were also studied. All tilt-positive patients received therapy with either β-blockers, disopyramide, transdermal scopolamine, or hydroflurocortisone, the efficacy of which was evaluated by another tilt-table test. results: Syncope occurred in six patients (24%) during the baseline tilt and in nine patients (36%) during isoproterenol infusion (total positives, 60%). None of the controls had syncope during the test. All patients who had positive test results eventually became tilt-table-negative by therapy, and over a mean follow-up period of 16 ± 2 months no further episodes have occurred. conclusion: From this study we conclude that upright tilt-table testing combined with isoproterenol infusion is clinically useful in the diagnosis of vasovagal syncope and the evaluation of pharmacologic therapy.
Personalizing sentences and text

Abstract In two experiments undergraduates learned sentences or text in which nouns were modified or replaced by the subject's episodic representation. When compared to representations produced by other subjects, personal instantiations yielded significantly greater recall of associatively related information.
Gender and renewable energy: Policy, analysis, and market implications

Women are the main producers of energy in developing countries and households are the main users of energy. Because gender roles and traditions have been largely ignored in energy, the global potential for renewable energy has been negatively affected. However, microcredit lending could fund sustainable development technology. This paper argues that renewable energy, gender roles, and microfinancing should be inherent parts of sustainable economic development programs. The relevant activities of pertinent development organizations and potential synergies are briefly described, the plans of the U.S. National Renewable Energy Laboratory to explore the gender issue are summarized, and the evolution of gender and energy as a field is addressed.
Potential multiparticle entanglement measure

In this Brief Report we discuss entanglement of multiparticle quantum systems. We propose a potential measure of a type of entanglement of pure states of $n$ qubits, the $n\ensuremath{-}\mathrm{t}\mathrm{a}\mathrm{n}\mathrm{g}\mathrm{l}\mathrm{e}.$ For a system of two qubits the $n\ensuremath{-}\mathrm{t}\mathrm{a}\mathrm{n}\mathrm{g}\mathrm{l}\mathrm{e}$ is equal to the square of the concurrence, and for systems of three qubits it is equal to the ``residual entanglement.'' We show that the $n\ensuremath{-}\mathrm{t}\mathrm{a}\mathrm{n}\mathrm{g}\mathrm{l}\mathrm{e}$ is also equal to a generalization of the concurrence squared for even $n,$ and use this fact to prove that the $n\ensuremath{-}\mathrm{t}\mathrm{a}\mathrm{n}\mathrm{g}\mathrm{l}\mathrm{e}$ is an entanglement monotone. However, the $n\ensuremath{-}\mathrm{t}\mathrm{a}\mathrm{n}\mathrm{g}\mathrm{l}\mathrm{e}$ is undefined for odd $ng3.$ Finally, we propose a measure related to the $n\ensuremath{-}\mathrm{t}\mathrm{a}\mathrm{n}\mathrm{g}\mathrm{l}\mathrm{e}$ for mixed-state systems of $n$ qubits, and find an analytical formula for this measure for even $n.$
Autonomous sequence generation

The problem of designing autonomous discrete-time systems to generate specified sequences of real numbers is investigated in this paper. Motivated by a desire to develop synthesis techniques for a simple, but general, class of nonlinear systems, the only constraints placed upon allowable sequence generators are physically motivated. These constraints, boundedness and Lipschitz behavior, are used to develop (1) necessary and sufficient conditions for generability in one dimension, (2) an approach for generability techniques in higher dimensions, and (3) certain nonrealizability results. Algorithms are introduced for generating, with given Lipschitz constants and bounds, certain subclasses of sequences. Relationships between these physical constraints and the required dimensionality of generators are also explored.
The allergy of infection: statements, speculations and syntheses.

I. INTRODUCTORY STATEMENT The study of the immune processes of infectious diseases was pursued more intensively in the past than now. The impetus then was need to develop prophylactic and therapeutic means against diseases for which there were no drug specifics or other effective treatments. And, the work was exceedingly productive. Smallpox, diphtheria, typhoid fever and some other dysenteries, yellow fever and tetanus have vaccines, toxoids and/or sera that are still used for active and/or passive immunization and for treatment.
Resilience Factors that Support the Classroom Functioning of Acting Out and Aggressive Students.

Fifth and sixth grade students from a Latino community who were characterized as aggressive and acting out by their classroom teachers were organized into two groups: those rated by teachers as high on school learning (classroom academic performance) and those rated as low on school learning. Students were compared on self-ratings of resiliency concepts such as academic and social self-concept, social support, school bonding, and perceived parent supervision. Gender differences were also examined. Students who were rated as aggressive by their teachers, but high on school learning, reported more resiliency indicators including more social support functions fulfilled and higher perceived parental supervision compared to their peers, who were rated low on school learning. A discriminant analysis revealed that perceived parental supervision was the key variable in differentiating these groups. Analyses of differences by gender indicated that girls reported greater classroom readiness than boys. Implications for utilizing resiliency constructs for the early intervention of aggressive behavior in students, as well as the need for involving parents and teachers as sources of social support and supervision are discussed. ©1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
A new method utilizing indicator-dilution technics for estimation of left-to-right shunts in infants.

The short circulatory pathways of infants cause rapid systemic and pulmonary circulation times. So rapid are they that the usual methods for calculating left-to-right shunts frequently yield a considerable overestimation. A new formula was described for use with injections into the left heart and arterial sampling. This formula applied to 11 infants and 7 older patients showed a significantly better correlation with oximetric calculations than did the right heart injections. This method also will reveal the presence of a left-to-right shunt that is of insufficient magnitude to distort dye curves obtained following right heart injections.
Leadership favouritism in Africa

In this note, I document a strong and positive relationship between the ethnic affiliation of African leaders and satellite night-time luminosity in the historical homelands of ethnic groups. Using a unique data-set on 630 ethnicities and 86 leaders from 48 African countries, I show that luminosity is on average 75% relatively higher in leaders’ ethnic homelands.
Social Effectiveness in Organizations: Construct Validity and Research Directions:

Social dynamics of interpersonal and group processes has been an active area of investigation in the organizational sciences for many years, as have the social effectiveness competencies that facilitate such process dynamics. In recent years, we have witnessed a proliferation of social effectiveness constructs in the field, which appear to reflect some convergence, but unique character as well. In this article, we examine the nature of these various social effectiveness constructs, their construct validity, and their relationships with important work outcomes. We conclude with a discussion of directions for future research and implications of the growth of interest in social effectiveness in organizations.
Functional importance of connective tissue repair during the development of experimental abdominal aortic aneurysms

Background. Abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAAs) involve an unfavorable balance between the destruction and the repair of connective tissue proteins. The purpose of this study was to assess the functional importance of connective tissue repair during experimental aneurysmal degeneration. Methods. Male Wistar rats (n = 70) underwent transient intraluminal perfusion of the abdominal aorta with porcine pancreatic elastase. In Study I, the aortic diameter was measured before elastase perfusion and at days 0, 2, 7, and 14 (n = 6 rats at each interval). Aortic wall concentrations of desmosine (Des) and hydroxyproline (OHP) were measured at each interval, and the expression of tropoelastin (TE), α1(I) procollagen (PC), and lysyl oxidase genes was evaluated by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction. In Study II, 22 rats were treated with β-aminopropionitrile (BAPN) to block connective tissue repair. In Study III (n = 30), rats were treated with doxycycline, a matrix metalloproteinase inhibitor, beginning 7 days after elastase perfusion. Results. AAAs consistently developed between 7 and 14 days after elastase perfusion. Aortic wall Des concentration decreased markedly during aneurysm development, reaching 3% of normal by day 14 (377 ± 22 pmol of Des/sample on day 0 vs 9 ± 1 pmol of Des/sample on day 14; P <.05). Aortic wall OHP decreased to only 68% of normal at the same interval (121 ± 10 nmol of OHP/sample on day 0 vs 82 ± 14 nmol of OHP/sample on day 14; P <.05). TE and PC expression was undetectable in healthy aorta, but they both increased by day 7 (P <.05); while TE expression decreased again by day 14, PC continued to rise. Lysyl oxidase expression progressively decreased at all intervals after elastase perfusion. Treatment with β-aminoproprionitrile resulted in acute aortic dissection in 81% of the rats (50% mortality). These early deaths occurred between days 3 and 6, coinciding with aortic infiltration by proteinase-secreting inflammatory cells. Delayed treatment with doxycycline suppressed the progression of aneurysmal dilatation between days 7 and 21 (P <.05 vs untreated controls). Conclusions. The development of elastase-induced AAAs is accompanied by an active process of connective tissue repair. While this reparative process is necessary to stabilize the developing aneurysm wall, it is insufficient to prevent aneurysm progression. In contrast, reducing the proteolytic destruction of connective tissue proteins promotes stabilization of the aneurysmal aorta. (Surgery 2000;128:429–38)
n-Tuple colorings and associated graphs

The n-tuple graph coloring, which assigns to each vertex n colors, is defined together with its respective chromatic number xn. It is proved that these numbers satisfy the inequality xn ≥ 2 + xn−1, and that equality holds only for bipartite graphs. Graphs Gnm are defined which play the same role for the n-tuple coloring that Km plays for the conventional coloring. The chromatic numbers of various classes of graphs are also calculated.
Mid-IR high-power transmission through chalcogenide fibers: current results and future challenges

We present current results and discuss future potential for laser power transmission through chalcogenide fibers in the 2-11 micrometers wavelength region. Results include both high average power and high peak power laser transmission. Multiple pulse laser induced damage thresholds are presented for polished glass surfaces, bulk glass and fiber endfaces. Important issues for optimum power delivery are discussed, including antireflection coatings on fiber endfaces and a method for smoothing the fiber output spatial distribution.
Barriers to Optimal Hypertension Control

There is an obvious gap in the translation of clinical trial evidence into practice with regards to optimal hypertension control. The three major categories of barriers to BP control are patient-related, physician-related, and medical environment/health care system factors. Patient-related barriers include poor medication adherence, beliefs about hypertension and its treatment, depression, health literacy, comorbidity, and patient motivation. The most pertinent is medication adherence, given its centrality to the other factors. The most salient physician-related barrier is clinical inertia--defined, as the failure of health care providers to initiate or intensify drug therapy in a patient with uncontrolled BP. The major reasons for clinical inertia are: 1) overestimation of the amount of care that physicians provide; 2) lack of training on how to attain target BP levels; and 3) clinicians' use of soft reasons to avoid treatment intensification by adopting a "wait until next visit" approach in response to patients' excuses.
The critical iron-oxygen intermediate in human aromatase.

Aromatase (CYP19) is the target of several therapeutics used for breast cancer treatment and catalyzes the three-step conversion of androgens to estrogens, with an unusual C-C cleavage reaction in the third step. To better understand the CYP19 reaction, the oxy-ferrous complex of CYP19 with androstenedione substrate was cryotrapped, characterized by UV-vis spectroscopy, and cryoreduced to generate the next reaction cycle intermediate. EPR analysis revealed that the initial intermediate observed following cryoreduction is the unprotonated g{sub 1} = 2.254 peroxo-ferric intermediate, which is stable up to 180 K. Upon gradual cryoannealing, the low-spin (g{sub 1} = 2.39) product complex is formed, with no evidence for accumulation of the g{sub 1} = 2.30 hydroperoxo-ferric intermediate. The relative stabilization of the peroxo-ferric heme and the lack of observed hydroperoxo-ferric heme distinguish CYP19 from other P450s, suggesting that the proton delivery pathway is more hindered in CYP19 than in most other P450s.
A Tournament Problem

Abstract : An improved solution is presented for the problem of finding the smallest number of direct pairwise comparisons which will always suffice to rank n objects according to some transitive characteristic. In his book, Mathematical Snapshots, Steinhaus discusses the problem of ranking n objects according to some transitive characteristic, by means of successive pairwise comparisons. In this paper, the terminology was adopted of a tennis tournament by n players. The problem may be briefly stated: 'What is the smallest number of matches which will always suffice to rank all n players.'
On Rounding Percentages

Abstract We assess the probability that a table of rounded percentages adds to 100 percent. This extends work of Mosteller, Youtz, and Zahn (1967) who found that the chance of rounding to 100 percent was about 3/4 with three categories, 2/3 with four categories, and (6/πc)1/2 with a large number c of categories. We give a mathematical treatment of this phenomenon when the table is drawn from a multinomial distribution or from a mixture of multinomial distributions. We discuss the very different small-sample behavior and treat Benford's leading digit data as an example.
The neuroscience of translation

The neurological mechanisms involved in translating and interpreting are one of the chief known unknowns in translation studies. Translation studies has explored many facets of the processes and products of translation and interpreting, ranging from the linguistic aspects to the textual aspects, from the politics of translation to implications from cognitive science, but little is known about the production and reception of translation at the level of the individual brain and the level of molecular biology.1 Much of this terra incognita will be explored and illuminated by neuroscience in the coming quarter century, and significant discoveries pertaining to language processing in translation will be made during the coming decade, linking observable behaviors at the macro level with knowledge of what happens in the production and reception of translation at the micro level of the neuron and the neuronal pathways of the brain.In the past two decades powerful new techniques for observing brain function in healthy living individuals have been devised. To a large extent neuroscience has become a rapidly developing field because of new technologies that make it possible to monitor the brain as it actually works, to document neural pathways, and even to track the activity of specific neurons. This article focuses on discoveries in neuroscience pertaining to perception, memory, and brain plasticity that have already achieved consensus in the field and that have durable implications for the ways we will think about translation in the future.
Polyubiquitin in crustacean striated muscle: increased expression and conjugation during molt-induced claw muscle atrophy

Abstract The claw muscles of decapod crustaceans undergo a molt-induced atrophy to facilitate withdrawal of the claws at ecdysis. Polyubiquitin expression, as well as the levels of ubiquitin conjugates, a ubiquitin-conjugating enzyme involved in the ATP/ubiquitin-dependent proteolytic pathway (crustacean E2 16 kDa homolog of Drosophila UbcDl), and proteasome, were examined to determine the role of ATP/ubiquitin-dependent proteolysis in the enhanced degradation of myofibrillar proteins during muscle atrophy. A partial-length clone (1.7 kb) of polyubiquitin was isolated from a lobster muscle cDNA library; the 5′ end lacked the 5′ untranslated region (UTR) and the beginning of the first ubiquitin monomer, while the 3′ end contained the terminal ubiquitin monomer and 3′ UTR. The deduced amino acid sequence was 100% identical with that from Manduca, Drosophila , and human. In land crab claw muscle, the polyubiquitin mRNA (2.7 kb) increased about 5-fold and ubiquitin-protein conjugates (> 200 kDa) increased about 8-fold during atrophy. In contrast, the level of a ubiquitin-conjugating enzyme (E2 16 kDa ) remained unchanged. The proteasome, which constitutes the catalytic core of the ATP/ubiquitin-dependent proteinase complex, increased about 2-fold during proecdysis, reaching its highest level immediately before ecdysis. These results suggest that the ATP/ubiquitin-dependent proteolytic pathway contributes to the changes in protein metabolism that occur during molt-induced muscle atrophy.
Medicaid preferred drug lists' costs to physicians.

Background:Medicaid preferred drug lists (PDLs) might reduce costs for Medicaid programs while creating costs to physicians.Objectives:To measure the costs from complying with Medicaid PDLs for primary care physicians and cardiologists, and to quantify the costs of a hypothetical PDL for Medicare Pa