cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
SU‐FF‐T‐116: Comparison of 2D Electronic Array Systems with Film for IMRT QA

Purpose: Comparison of 2D electronic array systems with film for IMRT QA. Method and Materials: Two electronic array systems, MapCHECK (SunNuclear) and MatriXX (Scanditronix), were evaluated and compared with EDR2, XV, and Gafchromic EBT film. Patient evaluations included two HN a standard method (such as 2D array) and a more detailed backup method (such as film). 2D arrays can provide a complete QA package with resolution limitations. Film analysis for MapCHECK is awkward at best with GafChromic analysis for both MapCHECK and MatriXX being better but demonstrated difficulties in user friendliness and final values. The MatriXX film analysis was preferred.
Christine Sylvester. War as Experience: Contributions from International Relations and Feminist Analysis

In War as Experience: Contributions from International Relations and Feminist Analysis, Christine Sylvester argues that non-feminist international relations (IR) studies fail to examine war as an e...
Optimal Penal Codes in Price-setting Supergames with Capacity Constraints

This paper constructs optimal (pure strategy) penal codes for a broad class of symmetric Bertrand supergames with capacity constraints. The results should simplify the analysis of Bertrand supergames because the punishments comprising the penal codes constructed below have a very simple form and the associated payoffs are often easy to calculate. It is also shown that for a commonly employed subclass of the games considered the admission of mixed strategies does not allow severer punishments. The analysis draws heavily on the pathbreaking work of Abreu (1984). He demonstrated that in the search for optimal penal codes attention can be restricted to "simple penal codes". Simple penal codes are characterized by a vector of outcome paths, one for each player. The ith outcome path is interpreted as the punishment to be imposed on the ith player if he deviates from the equilibrium path or from any punishment path. Section 2 explains the basic framework of analysis. The class of Bertrand games studied is very general. No particular rationing rule is imposed; some mild restrictions are placed on the firms' sales functions instead. (The commonly used models of Levitan and Shubik (1972) and Beckman (1965) are special cases of the games analysed below.) It is assumed throughout that there is a price firms can be induced to charge if the punishment for charging a different price gives the offending firm a payoff equal to its security level for the supergame. (Thus either there must exist a static Nash equilibrium in pure strategies or else the discount factor must not be too close to zero.) In Section 3 optimal penal codes are constructed and it is established that the punishments comprising them always drive punished firms to their security levels. The arguments employed make clear that optimal penal codes are not generally unique. This issue is addressed in Section 4, where it is also shown that the Levitan-Shubik rationing rule exhibits more types of optimal penal codes than do other rules. In particular, if the Levitan-Shubik rule is employed then punishments that are analogous to Abreu's (1986) symmetric two-phase punishments for Cournot games can be used to construct optimal penal codes in Bertrand games. This property does not hold generally, however.
The Role of Generalized and Specific Expectancies in Determining Academic Achievement

Summary The purpose of the present study was to examine the relation of generalized and specific expectancies to actual academic performance. Thirty-five female and 28 male fifth and sixth graders completed Nowicki-Strickland locus of control scales and Rotter Level of Aspiration Board procedures. Results indicated that those who perceived themselves to be internally controlled or those who used immediate experience on the Rotter board to form accurate expectancies of future performance on this board achieved more than their counterparts. These results were taken as supportive of conceptualizing achievement in expectancy terms.
Changes in endogenous cell surface galactosyltransferase activity during in vitro limb bud chondrogenesis.

Abstract When the subridge mesoderm of the embryonic chick limb bud is cultured in the absence of the apical ectodermal ridge and adjacent ectoderm, the cells rapidly progress through the various stages of chondrogenesis. During the first day of culture, the cells initiate condensation, and during subsequent days, deposit a cartilage matrix. In the present study, we show that early in the first day there is a progressive 2-fold increase in cell surface galactosyltransferase activity towards endogenous acceptors. Later in the first day, although the cells are still in condensation, endogenous galactosyltransferase activity has decreased, suggesting in situ galactosylation of surface acceptors. During subsequent development, when cartilage matrix is being deposited, surface galactosyltransferase activity remains low. All controls have been performed to insure cell surface localization of enzyme activity. Two other surface glycosyltransferases show very low levels of activity, which do not change significantly during culture. We suggest that during cellular condensation, an interaction between surface galactosyltransferases and acceptors on adjacent cells occurs, and this interaction may be causally related to subsequent chondrogenic differentiation.
ED use by older adults attempting suicide

Abstract Objective The objective of this study was to describe patterns of older adult patient visits to emergency departments (EDs) for self-harm and suicide-related injuries. Methods A retrospective, secondary data analysis of the Nationwide Emergency Department Sample was conducted. Nationally representative estimates of patient visits by older adults attempting suicide were calculated using available sampling weights. Population estimates were calculated using estimates from the US Census Bureau. Results Findings suggest that 22 444 ED patient visits were made by adults aged 65 years and older for suicide-related injuries, representing an estimated population rate of 63 ED patient visits per 100 000 adults aged 65 years and older, with nearly half of all visits involving substance use. Total ED and hospital charges exceeded $353.9 million. Conclusions Effort is needed to better integrate and deliver suicide screening and support services in the ED, while also connecting at-risk older adults with mental health services before and after the ED encounter.
Glycosyltransferase mechanisms: impact of a 5-fluoro substituent in acceptor and donor substrates on catalysis.

In glycosyltransferase-catalyzed reactions a new carbohydrate−carbohydrate bond is formed between a carbohydrate acceptor and the carbohydrate moiety of either a sugar nucleotide donor or lipid-linked saccharide donor. It is currently believed that most glycosyltransferase-catalyzed reactions occur via an electrophilic activation mechanism with the formation of an oxocarbenium ion-like transition state, a hypothesis that makes clear predictions regarding the charge development on the donor (strong positive charge) and acceptor (minimal negative charge) substrates. To better understand the mechanism of these enzyme-catalyzed reactions, we have introduced a strongly electron-withdrawing group (fluorine) at C-5 of both donor and acceptor substrates in order to explore its effect on catalysis. In particular, we have investigated the effects of the 5-fluoro analogues on the kinetics of two glycosyltransferase-catalyzed reactions mediated by UDP-GlcNAc:GlcNAc-P-P-Dol N-acetylglucosaminyltransferase (chitobiosyl...
Is latent infection with Toxoplasma gondii a risk factor for suicidal behavior

Expert Rev. Anti Infect. Ther. 11(4), 339–342 (2013) “Toxoplasma gondii, with its ability to both evade and manipulate the host immune system and its affinity for privileged sites in the CNS, can potentially operate at multiple pathways to increase risk of suicidal self-directed violence.”
Trace elements in primitive meteorites—VII Antarctic unequilibrated ordinary chondrites

Abstract We report RNAA results for Co, Au, Sb, Ga, Rb, Cs, Se, Ag, Te, Zn, In, Bi, Tl and Cd (in increasing order of metamorphic mobility) in 22 Antarctic unequilibrated ordinary chondrites (UOC). This brings to 38 the number of UOC for which data for highly volatile elements are known. For elements of lesser mobility (Co to Se, omitting Cs) overall variability in UOC are low, relative standard deviations (one sigma) being no more than a factor of two. For Ag, Te and Zn, relative standard deviations are 2–4×, while for Cs and the four most volatile elements, the variabilities are 8–110×. Elemental abundances do not vary with chemical type (H, L and LL) nor with UOC subtype (3.0–3.9). Contents of all elements reach levels up to, even exceeding, cosmic and all but Cd and the two alkalis, seem unaffected by post-accretionary processes. Contents of highly volatile elements are consistent with the idea that source regions producing contemporary falls and older Antarctic UOC differed in thermal histories. The presence or absence of carbide magnetite assemblages (CMA) generally accords with high or low Cd contents, respectively. This relationship accords with the prior suggestion that CMA formed by alteration of Fe–Ni metal by C–O–H-containing fluids at temperatures
Disease Genes Are Not Patentable: A Rebuttal of McGee

Dr. McGee presents a cogent argument for the patentability of the diagnosis of gene forms that are found to be associated with disease or other phenotypic manifestations. We're convinced he's wrong. An analogy will help explain why.
Effects of maintained illumination upon [K+]0 in the subretinal space of the isolated retina of the toad.

Illumination of the vertebrate retina evokes a transient decrease in extracellular potassium concentration, [K+]0, in the subretinal space. During maintained illumination. [K+]0 recovers toward its dark-adapted level. The mechanisms most likely to contribute to this recovery process were examined by using K+-selective microelectrodes to measure [K+]0 in the isolated retina of the toad.Bufo marinus. Although both diffusion of K+ and changes in the rod membrane voltage contribute to the recovery of [K+]0 during maintained illumination, other factors are likely to be involved as well. It is suggested that this recovery process could be due in part to inhibition of the Na+ K+ pump in the rod photoreceptors during maintained illumination.
Critical Data Needs Associated with Asbestos Cement Pipe Renewal Methods

AbstractAsbestos cement (AC) pipe accounts for approximately 15% of the total length of water distribution system piping in North America. Pipe renewal activities are needed to maintain these pipes as they deteriorate, but concerns over the environmental impact and regulations associated with these construction methods are largely misunderstood. Confusion around these issues led this study to determine (1) what the regulations allow, (2) which renewal methods are applicable, and (3) the critical data needs associated with these methods when used for AC pipe renewal. This paper describes current AC pipe renewal regulations and practices (e.g., pipe bursting, cured-in-place pipe lining, etc.) and the critical data needs relating to AC pipe renewal (e.g., study of the asbestos fibers released in air, water, and soil during construction). These findings are valuable for water utilities in need of solutions for renewing their aging AC pipes and in understanding regulations. The recommendations highlight the ne...
A Comparison between Intelligence and Neuropsychological Functioning.

Abstract The overlap of the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children—Revised (WISC-R) and the Halstead-Reitan Neuropsychological Battery (HRNB) was investigated in light of their use in diagnosing children's learning problems. Scores for 1,181 children on the WISC-R and the HRNB were related using a canonical correlational analysis. One significant correlation emerged, R c =.64. Further analyses indicated that some 10% of the variance of both the HRNB and the WISC-R were redundant. The primary source of overlap between measures was attributed to cognitive functions. In an effort to explore the constructs for both measures, data from the WISC-R and the HRNB were submitted to a factor analysis. Six factors emerged, three of which corresponded closely to those usually reported for the WISC-R. The implications for assessing children's learning disabilities are discussed.
Effect of human kidney lipids on human kidney renin activity

Abstract The major lipids of human kidney tissue were isolated by solvent extraction, and the lipid composition was determined by thin-layer chromatographic techniques. The positional distribution of fatty acyl groups in ethanolamine and choline phosphatides was determined after enzymatic hydrolysis. Major phosphatides were assayed for plasmalogen content. Triglycerides were characterized by argentation chromatography. The fatty acyl composition of these lipids was also determined. The effect of intact triglycerides, phospholipids, 1- and 2-monoacyl phosphatides and ether lipids on renin activity in vitro was determined by incubations with 3-[U 14 C]valyl tetradecapeptide renin substrate. Kidney triglycerides, 1-monoacyl and 2-monoacyl phosphatidylethanolamines and phosphatidylcholines significantly inhibited renin activity. The renin-inhibitory effect of these lipids was comparable to inhibition by hog kidney phospholipid inhibitor. The intact phospholipids and cholesterol potentiated human kidney renin activity. Phosphatidylserines and synthetic glyceryl ether lipids have no significant effect. These results indicate that lipid-induced inhibition of human renin activity does not require the ethanolamine moiety, acyl group unsaturation, or the presence of a hydroxyl group at the 2-position. Additionally, no specific structure-activity relationships can describe lipid-renin interactions.
Home Foreclosures as Early Warning Indicator of Neighborhood Decline

Problem, research strategy, and findings: Ideally, planners would intervene in neighborhood processes before substantial forces of decline have gained momentum. Unfortunately, currently there is no guidance about which neighborhood indicators forecast future neighborhood changes. This study seeks a neighborhood early warning indicator that is readily available, frequently updated, and that predicts with substantial foresight and accuracy future changes in key aspects of neighborhood market processes and quality of life. We search over a range of neighborhood indicators for one or more that clearly lead others in a temporal sense, instead of lagging behind them. We employ Granger causality tests with indicators related to public safety, housing market, and economic activity that are based on data from Chicago neighborhoods between 1998 and 2009. Our key finding is that only one indicator analyzed, completed home foreclosures, systematically precedes other neighborhood indicators but does not systematically...
Response and bifurcation analysis of a MDOF rotor system with a strong nonlinearity

A new HB (Harmonic Balance)/AFT (Alternating Frequency Time) method is further developed to obtain synchronous and subsynchronous whirling response of nonlinear MDOF rotor systems. Using the HBM, the nonlinear differential equations of a rotor system can be transformed to algebraic equations with unknown harmonic coefficients. A technique is applied to reduce the algebraic equations to only those of the nonlinear coordinates. Stability analysis of the periodic solutions is performed via perturbation of the solutions. To further reduce the computational time for the stability analysis, the reduced system parameters (mass, damping, and stiffness) are calculated in terms of the already known harmonic coefficients. For illustration, a simple MDOF rotor system with a piecewise-linear bearing clearance is used to demonstrate the accuracy of the calculated steady-state solutions and their bifurcation boundaries. Employing ideas from modern dynamics theory, the example MDOF nonlinear rotor system is shown to exhibit subsynchronous, quasi-periodic and chaotic whirling motions.
Core-excited states in 54Fe

Abstract The influence of 3h-1p and 4h-2p states on the J =0 + spectrum of 54 Fe is studied. The results are consistent with the 56 Ni calculation of Wong and Davies. The 2.56 MeV 0 + level is found to be predominantly 4h( J h =0, T h =0) −2p( J p =0, T p =1).
Oxidative stress and mitochondrial DNA repair: implications for NRTIs induced DNA damage

Nucleotide analogue reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NRTI) can be incorporated into mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA), leading to mtDNA depletion and deletions. This is accompanied by elevated mitochondrial oxidative stress, which can cause accumulation of oxidative DNA lesions. Oxidized DNA damage is removed by the base excision repair (BER) pathway, by the sequential action of a DNA glycosylase, an Apurinic/Apyrimidinic endonuclease, DNA polymerase and DNA ligase. Mitochondria are very proficient in BER and various DNA glycosylases have been identified. DNA polymerase gamma is also involved in mitochondrial BER. In addition, there is growing evidence that mammalian mitochondria also possess mismatch repair activity.
Type IIB von Willebrand's Disease: Report on the First Case in Japan

Three members of a family are reported with type IIB von Willebrand's disease (vWD), characterized by prolonged bleeding time, increased ristocetin-induced platelet aggregation, fast anodal migration of factor VIII-related antigen on crossed immunoelectrophoresis and an absence in plasma and presence in platelets of the larger multimers of factor VIII/von Willebrand factor (FVIII/vWF). Binding ability of the patient's FVIII/vWF to washed normal platelets is significantly increased in the presence of low concentrations of ristocetin, whereas binding ability of the patient's platelets to normal FVIII/vWF is not increased. These later findings are contrary to those in patients with pseudo-vWD or platelet type vWD. The administration of DDAVP gives a shortening of bleeding time and an increase in plasma levels of factor VIII-related activities. In addition, there is a transitory appearance of the larger multimers and a moderate diminution of the platelet count.
Characterization of Cholecystokinin Receptors and Messenger RNA Expression in Rat Pancreas: Evidence for Expression of Cholecystokinin-A Receptors but Not Cholecystokinin-B (Gastrin) Receptors

Abstract It has been previously demonstrated that guinea pig pancreas possesses both cholecystokinin-A (CCK-A) receptors and CCK-B (gastrin) receptors. In contrast to guinea pig pancreas, it is not known whether CCK receptors in rat pancreas are CCK-A receptors, CCK-B (gastrin) receptors, or both. Thus, in the present study, we characterized CCK receptors in rat pancreas at the receptor and mRNA level. 125 I-Bolton-Hunter-labeled CCK octapeptide ( 125 I-BH-CCK-8), the specific CCK-A and CCK-B (gastrin) receptor antagonists L364,718 and L365,260, and 125 I-labeled gastrin-I were utilized to characterize CCK receptors in normal rat pancreas. Additionally, we utilized 32 P-labeled cDNA probes of the CCK-A receptor and CCK-B (gastrin) receptor coding regions in order to examine the expression of CCK receptor subtypes in normal rat pancreas at the mRNA level. The dose-inhibition curve of CCK-8 inhibiting binding of 125 I-BH-CCK-8 was significantly best fit by a two-site model with a high-affinity site ( K d = 0.68 ± 0.13 n M ) and a low-affinity site ( K d = 656 ± 289 n M ). L364,718 inhibited binding of 125 I-BH-CCK-8 with high affinity, whereas no high-affinity inhibition for L365,260 to inhibit binding of 125 I-BH-CCK-8 was detected. L364,718 was 627 times as potent as L365,260 in inhibiting binding of 125 I-BH-CCK-8. No saturable binding was present for 125 I-labeled gastrin-I. Gastrin-17-I did not inhibit binding of 125 I-BH-CCK-8. The CCK-A receptor mRNA was identified in normal rat pancreas using Northern blot analysis and reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction. However, no CCK-B (gastrin) receptor mRNA was detected by these techniques. In conclusion, normal rat pancreas expresses two classes of CCK receptors, i.e., high-affinity receptor and low-affinity receptor. All of the CCK receptors are CCK-A receptors and no CCK-B (gastrin) receptors appear to be present. This study suggests that the rat is a pure in vivo model for studying the biological activity of the CCK-A receptor in the pancreas.
Tabriz on the Silk Roads: Thirteenth-Century Eurasian Cultural Connections

Tabriz under Mongol Ilkhanate rule commanded a global reach in the thirteenth- century Afro-Eurasian world. Tabriz functioned during this period not only as a commercial emporium and diplomatic center but as a seat of innovative artistic and intellectual activity. Consideration of Tabriz as a world historical city offers insight into the economic and social dynamics that shaped a critical passage in Eurasia's history including regions of the Mediterranean and East Asian zones.
The Shape of Demand: What Does it Tells Us About Direct-to-Consumer Marketing of Antidepressants?

Much of the debate surrounding Direct-to-Consumer Advertising (DTCA) of pharmaceuticals centers on whether DTCA conveys useful information to consumers or indiscriminately increases requests for the advertised medication. By identifying how DTCA changes the shape of the demand curve for antidepressants, we seek to infer the promotional objectives of manufacturers. Using data from the 1996-2003 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS), we find that advertising shifts the demand curve for antidepressants outward and rotates it counter-clockwise. DTCA increases the probability that an individual will initiate use of antidepressants, particularly when out-of-pocket medication costs are low, but does not necessarily increase utilization levels among those already taking antidepressants. This is consistent with a promotional campaign that seeks to alert consumers to the product's existence, but conveys no real information that would allow them to learn their true match with the product.
Common susceptibility variants examined for association with dilated cardiomyopathy.

Dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) is characterized by left ventricular enlargement and systolic dysfunction and is one of the most common causes of congestive heart failure. Patients with idiopathic DCM (IDC) are those with DCM in which all detectable causes (other than genetic) have been excluded. Patients with familial dilated cardiomyopathy (FDC) are those from families with ≥ 2 members meeting criteria for IDC. Efforts to identify genetic causes of DCM have focused primarily on FDC patients, and rare, mostly private mutations in more than 20 genes have been discovered. However, these mutations account for only a fraction of FDC cases (probably less than 25%).1 In our recent paper we selected six (CSRP3, LDB3, MYH7, SCN5A, TCAP, and TNNT2) of the previously identified FDC candidate genes for resequencing based upon their estimated mutation frequency and likelihood to show disease-associated variation.2 These genes included muscle LIM protein (CSRP3), LIM binding domain 3 (LBD3), β-myosin heavy chain (MYH7), the cardiac sodium channel (SCN5A), titin-cap or telethonin (TCAP), and cardiac troponin T (TNNT2), which have a role in cardiac muscle contraction and have been previously reviewed3. We showed that rare non-synonymous (NS) mutations were present not only in those probands with FDC but also in some IDC patients, that is, those with apparently sporadic disease. This finding not only emphasizes that the underlying etiology of IDC can be genetic, but further suggests that in some cases, rare private mutations can be observed in FDC or IDC patients. The 31 NS mutations that we identified were found in 36 of the 313 DCM patients that were resequenced but in none of the 253 controls; 30 of these mutations were found in individuals of white European descent. Genetic cause, if present, of DCM in the remaining 277 patients remains unknown, but could be due to rare mutations in other known DCM genes, mutations in other undiscovered DCM genes, or alternatively, to the influence of more common variants. The genetics of DCM is complicated due to observed locus and allelic heterogeneity. Focusing our investigation only on rare variants that are present in DCM cases but absent in controls (i.e., a standard resequencing approach) limits the identification of other variants that may be functionally important. We hypothesized that common variants play a role in increasing genetic susceptibility to DCM, similar to other complex disorders. In an effort to test this hypothesis, we evaluated all rare and common variants identified in the six genes, including intronic variants, synonymous coding variants, and those in the 5′ and 3′ UTR regions. While this method of examining common non-coding variants is a conventional approach for genetic studies of common, complex disorders (e.g., Type 2 Diabetes or Alzheimer’s disease), it has never been applied to dilated cardiomyopathy which has long been considered a Mendelian-like disorder.
A Novel Multiplierless Hardware Implementation Method for Adaptive Filter Coefficients

Adaptive filter implementations require real-time conversion of coefficients to canonical signed digit (CSD) or similar representations to benefit from multiplierless techniques for implementing filters. Multiplierless approaches are used to reduce the hardware and increase the throughput. This paper introduces a novel hardware implementation method that converts two's complement numbers to their CSD representations using a fixed number of shift and logic operations. As a result, we can greatly reduce the power consumption and area requirements for hardware implementation of DSP algorithms in which coefficients are not known a priori. Because all CSD digits are produced simultaneously, the conversion speed and thus the throughput are improved when compared to overlap-and-scan techniques such as Booth's recoding.
Functional contouring of the palatal vault for improving speech with complete dentures

A method for functionally modifying the contour of the palatal vault of maxillary complete dentures was described. This can be achieved at the trial stage of the denture construction and incorporated in the finished denture. Alternatively, the procedure can be accomplished at the time of insertion and the palatal vault modified with self-polymerizing acrylic resin. The immediate speech achieved by the modification is much more normal and eliminates the waiting and training period after denture insertion. Because the modification of the palatal vault is achieved by the functional contact of the tongue during articulation, the tongue does not have to adapt to the presence of the denture in order to achieve "normal speech." One of the advantages of the method is the ease with which it can be performed in a clinical setting and the minimal requirement of any extra material or equipment. Moreover, no special skills are needed to achieve successful results, which can be exceptionally gratifying.
Flow Through Porous Media of Packed Spheres Saturated With Water

The existing literature on the flow of fluids through porous packed beds gives very limited quantitative information of the criteria employed in marking the applicability of the different flow regimes. It is the objective of this paper to provide experimental evidence for determining the demarcation criteria during the flow of water through a bed of randomly packed spherical beads. Two different sizes of glass beads, 3 mm and 6 mm, were employed as the porous matrix through which water flowed at rates varying from 5.07 [times] 10[sup [minus]6] m[sup 3]/s to 4,920 [times] 10[sup [minus]6] m[sup 3]/s. The dimensionless pressure drop data showed less variation when the characteristic length of the porous medium was taken to be proportional to the square root of the permeability over the porosity and not the bead diameter. Curves of properly nondimensionalized pressure drop plotted against the actual flow Reynolds number based on the porous medium permeability provided the following information. It was found that Darcy's law has very limited applicability and is valid for a small range of Reynolds numbers. This leads to a pre-Darcy flow that is valid for a much broader range of Reynolds numbers than expected. Alternatively, the range of validitymore » of the post-Darcy laminar Forchheimer flow is also found to be of much more limited applicability than previous studies have indicated. Transition to turbulence takes place earlier than expected and turbulent flow prevails from then on. The dimensionless pressure drop in both the Forchheimer and turbulent flow regimes can be modeled by an appropriately nondimensionalized Ergun's equation i.e., a first-order inertia term correction is sufficient in both flow regimes.« less
Neuroadaptations in the dopaminergic system after active self-administration but not after passive administration of methamphetamine

Abstract Methamphetamine is a strong and long-lasting stimulant that can be easily synthesized and is effective when taken either orally, intravenously, or smoked as `ice'. Due to it's escalating abuse, a clear need exists for laboratory procedures to evaluate motivational components of methamphetamine abuse and their underlying neurobiological mechanisms. In the present experiment, we utilized a `yoked' procedure in which rats were run simultaneously in groups of three, with two rats serving as yoked controls which received an injection of either 0.1 mg/kg methamphetamine or saline which was not contingent on responding each time a response-contingent injection of 0.1 mg/kg methamphetamine was self-administered by the third paired rat. Rats that had actively self-administered methamphetamine for 5 weeks and were then withdrawn from methamphetamine for 24 h showed marked decreases in somatodendritic dopamine D2 autoreceptors levels in the ventral tegmental area (34%) and medial (31%) and dorsal (21%) part of the substantia nigra zona compacta with a corresponding down-regulation of dopamine D1 receptors in the shell of the nucleus accumbens (15%), as measured by in vitro quantitative autoradiography. Since the decreases in levels of dopamine D1 and D2 receptors which occurred in rats self-administering methamphetamine did not occur in littermates that received either yoked injections of methamphetamine or saline, these changes likely reflect motivational states that were present when methamphetamine injection depended on active drug self-administration behavior.
Adiabatically tunable optical delay lines and their performance limitations

A simple tunable optical delay line based on adiabatic zone folding in coupled resonator lines is proposed, and its performance is analyzed. The results, valid for all adiabatically tunable optical buffers based on resonators, indicate that, while at low to medium bit rates the performance is improved substantially compared with that of the fixed delay lines, this improvement vanishes for high bit rates and large storage capacities.
Interface-defining a metaphor for group work

An overview of investigations on computer-supported cooperative work is presented. It is argued that the only way to achieve the next evolutionary stage of groupware, software that supports the interactive work of groups, is to understand how computers and groups fit into an organization. Linking and awareness, two coordination functions central to groupware, are discussed. The Perspective Wall, an interface for representing the large amount of information required to coordinate group work in an intuitive, perceptual framework, is described. >
The Bmi-1 polycomb group gene in skin cancer: regulation of function by (-)-epigallocatechin-3-gallate.

The PcG genes encode a family of evolutionarily conserved regulators that were discovered in Drosophila as repressors of Homoeotic gene expression. Homeotic genes are required to establish body segmentation patterns during development. In mammalian systems, PcG proteins regulate genes involved in development and differentiation, via epigenetic (e.g., chromatin modification) mechanisms. They are intimately involved as silencers of gene expression during cell lineage determination, and they play an important role in promoting cell survival. Proteins encoded by PcG genes comprise two protein complexes that act coordinately to regulate gene expression – the Bmi-1 complex and the Eed complex. The Bmi-1 complex includes Bmi-1, Mel-18, Mph1/Rae28, M33, Scmh1, Ring1A, and Ring1B, while the Eed complex includes Eed, EzH1, and EzH2. The first step in gene silencing is mediated by the Eed complex. Eed-containing complexes modify chromatin by recruiting histone deacetylase, which leads to local chromatin deacetylation. The Eed complex also catalyzes the methylation of Lys27 of histone H3. In the second step, the Bmi-1 complex binds to the methylated Lys27 of histone H3 and then catalyzes the ubiquitinylation of histone H2A. This cooperation between the Eed and Bmi-1 complexes leads to silencing of gene expression. The Bmi-1 complex appears to remain anchored to the chromatin after these events are completed. The Bmi-1 PcG protein has a particularly important role in gene silencing due to its ability to enhance the rate and extent of histone ubiquitinylation. This is accomplished through activation of Ring 1B, a ubiquitin ligase (and PcG protein) present in the Bmi-1 complex.1,2 Bmi-1 also functions in normal adult tissues. For example, aging Bmi-1−/− mice progressively lose stem cells in the leukemic, neuronal, and cerebellar granule cell lineages3–5 and Bmi-1-deficient fibroblasts display enhanced senescence and slow proliferation rates.6 In contrast, Bmi-1 …
CC1-04: Online Patient Access to Their Medical Record and Health Providers is Associated With a Greater Use of Clinical Services

Background/Aims To compare utilization of office and telephone encounters by patients with online access to their electronic medical record (EMR) to patients without online access.
Freshmen vs. Incumbents: Congressional Voting Patterns on Prohibition Legislation during the Progressive Era

pioneered by reformers a decade earlier. In short, the campaign launched in 1812 by the Connecticut General Association and the Presbyterian General Assembly, and the greatly expanded crusade of the late 1820s and 1830s, constituted the same movement at different stages of development. This raises important questions about the origins of entire abstinence. The standard view that abstinence was a response to industrialization and the growth of a market economy must be carefully qualified. Such developments undoubtedly contributed to the growing receptiveness to temperance in the 1820s, but they cannot account for the origins of the movement's ideology. To understand why a mass crusade against liquor emerged in early republican America we will have to learn more than we now know about social developments in the decade preceding the War of 1812. Students of temperance need to broaden their vision. In the future we must examine carefully the long-ignored moral societies that dotted the American landscape during the 1810s, the expanding domestic mission movement that provided much of the initial leadership for the temperance crusade, and the hopes and fears of average evangelicals in such remote pockets of the country as Austinburgh, Ohio, and Livingston County, Kentucky.
Adaptive methods for the computation of PageRank

We observe that the convergence patterns of pages in the PageRank algorithm have a nonuniform distribution. Specifically, many pages converge to their true PageRank quickly, while relatively few pages take a much longer time to converge. Furthermore, we observe that these slow-converging pages are generally those pages with high PageRank. We use this observation to devise a simple algorithm to speed up the computation of PageRank, in which the PageRank of pages that have converged are not recomputed at each iteration after convergence. This algorithm, which we call Adaptive PageRank, speeds up the computation of PageRank by nearly 30\%.
Family Businesses’ Contribution to the U.S. Economy: A Closer Look:

In 1995, we were commissioned to conduct research on the impact of family businesses on the U.S. economy. A search of all relevant research led to the conclusion that the majority of existing data ...
Beyond Expulsion The Emergence of “Unwanted Elements” in the Postwar Czech Borderlands, 1945-1950

This article examines how the complexities of the Sudeten German expulsion and resettlement of the former Sudetenland spawned the notion that certain groups of people were unreliable or suspicious ...
Evaluating the HATCH score for predicting progression to sustained atrial fibrillation in ED patients with new atrial fibrillation.

Abstract Objectives Atrial fibrillation (AF) is often first detected in the emergency department (ED). Not all AF patients progress to sustained AF (ie, episodes lasting > 7 days), which is associated with increased morbidity. The HATCH score stratifies patients with paroxysmal AF according to their risk for progression to sustained AF within 1 year. The HATCH score has previously never been tested in ED patients. We evaluated the accuracy of the HATCH score to predict progression to sustained AF within 1 year of initial AF diagnosis in the ED. Methods We conducted a retrospective cohort study of 253 ED patients with new onset AF and known rhythm status for 1 year following the initial AF detection. The exposure variable was the HATCH score at initial ED evaluation. The primary outcome was rhythm status at 1 year following initial AF diagnosis. We constructed a receiver operating characteristic curve and calculated the area under the curve to estimate the HATCH score's accuracy of predicting progression to sustained AF. Results Overall, 61 (24%) of 253 of patients progressed to sustained AF within 1 year of initial detection, and the HATCH score receiver operating characteristic area under the curve was 0.62 (95% confidence interval, 0.54-0.70). Conclusions Among ED patients with new onset AF, the HATCH score was a modest predictor of progression to sustained AF. Because only 2 patients had a HATCH greater than 5, this previously recommended cut-point was not useful in identifying high-risk patients in this cohort. Refinement of this decision aid is needed to improve its prognostic accuracy in the ED population.
DEVELOPMENT OF AN ENZYME-LINKED IMMUNOSORBENT ASSAY FOR ATRAZINE MERCAPTURIC ACID IN HUMAN URINE

Improved assessments of human exposure to electrophilic chemicals require rapid and inexpensive analytical techniques that can detect specific urinary metabolites at low levels as needed for epidemiological screenings of large populations. The first aim of this study has been to apply rational hapten design strategies to develop a more sensitive and selective enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for atrazine mercapturic acid. Polyclonal sheep antiserum was generated against an improved hapten, numerous coating antigen chemistries were evaluated, and assay conditions were optimized. An assay was developed with an IC50 of 0.08 ± 0.02 μg/L (K ≅ 10-10 M) for atrazine mercapturic acid. The assay exhibited greatest recognition of atrazine mercapturic acid relative to other known urinary metabolites of atrazine as well as other triazine herbicides. The assay was surprisingly selective to atrazine mercapturic acid over the structurally similar simazine mercapturic acid. Urine samples presented matrix effects due in ...
Examining the benefit of vaccinating adults against pertussis

Purpose: To examine recent evidence concerning the health benefits and cost effectiveness of replacing a single dose of adult tetanus/diphtheria vaccine with a single dose of tetanus/diphtheria/pertussis (TDaP). Methods: A review of the literature was conducted utilizing the databases CINAHL and Medline with the keywords pertussis, adult immunization, vaccination, TDaP, DTaP, and healthcare workers. Conclusions: Recent outbreaks of pertussis have shown that preventing such outbreaks through immunization of adults with a single TDaP vaccine is a cost-effective measure. These studies focused on hospitals and universities where air-borne diseases are easily spread. Four hospital studies that examined the financial cost of investigating and treating a pertussis outbreak were reviewed. Results presented offer strong evidence to support vaccinating adults with TDaP at their next scheduled immunization or sooner if they are frequently exposed to populations vulnerable to pertussis. Implications for practice: Financially, investigating a single case of pertussis can cost hospitals hundreds of thousands of dollars. This is related to the time and expense of determining who was exposed and the provision of preventive treatment for those exposed. Preventing unnecessary illness and potential mortality, especially among not yet immunized infants, provides a strong argument for administration of the TDaP vaccine. Healthcare providers should educate adults about the availability and advantages of TDaP immunization and encourage them to be immunized with TDaP.
Atlas of photoneutron cross sections obtained with monoenergetic photons

Abstract Photoneutron cross-section data obtained with monoenergetic photons are presented in a uniform format. This compilation is current as of January, 1975.
Improved reverse transcriptase–polymerase chain reaction protocol with exogenous internal competitive control for prostate-specific antigen mRNA in blood and bone marrow

The possibility of improving diagnosis of micrometastases from prostate cancer by further enhancing the detection of prostate-specific antigen-producing cells in circulation is being evaluated. We have developed a reverse transcriptase-PCR protocol with the desirable characteristics of low limit of detection, high specificity, reproducibility of response, and ease of performance. Among the procedural alterations that have contributed to these improvements are longer PCR primers, a two-step amplification cycle, and hot-start PCR. We have lowered the limit of detection to one LNCaP prostate-cancer cell in 108 peripheral blood mononuclear cells, and samples of blood and bone marrow from healthy donors have yielded no false positives. Because PCR procedures frequently exhibit tube-to-tube variability, we have incorporated a set of internal and external controls into the protocol—a significant advance in assuring assay reliability.
Detection of Template Strand Switching during Initiation and Termination of DNA Replication of Porcine Circovirus

Nucleotide substitution mutagenesis was conducted to investigate the importance of the inverted repeats (palindrome) at the origin of DNA replication (Ori) of porcine circovirus type 1 (PCV1). Viral genomes with engineered mutations on either arm or both arms of the palindrome were not impaired in protein synthesis and yielded infectious progeny viruses with restored or new palindromes. Thus, a flanking palindrome at the Ori was not essential for initiation of DNA replication, but one was generated inevitably at termination. Among the 26 viruses recovered, 16 showed evidence of template strand switching, from minus-strand genome DNA to palindromic strand DNA, during biosynthesis of the Ori. Here I propose a novel rolling-circle “melting-pot” model for PCV1 DNA replication. In this model, the replicator Rep protein complex binds, destabilizes, and nicks the Ori sequence to initiate leading-strand DNA synthesis. All four strands of the destabilized inverted repeats exist in a “melted” configuration, and the minus-strand viral genome and a palindromic strand are available as templates, simultaneously, during initiation or termination of DNA replication. Inherent in this model is a “gene correction” or “terminal repeat correction” mechanism that can restore mutilated inverted-repeat sequences to a palindrome at the Ori of circular DNAs or at the termini of circularized linear DNAs. Potentially, the melted state of the inverted repeats increases the rate of noncomplementary or illegitimate nucleotide incorporation into the palindrome. Thus, this melting-pot model provides insight into the mechanisms of DNA replication, gene correction, and illegitimate recombination at the Ori of PCV1, and it may be applicable to the replication of other circular DNA molecules.
CHANGING BUSINESS ENVIRONMENTS, INTERNATIONAL TRADE AND REGIONAL INTEGRATION: WHO NEEDS CAFTA?

Despite little progress in FTAA negotiations, other regional trade agreements are being considered by the US government. The recently signed CAFTA brings hope to smaller developing nations in Central America and it should offer new opportunities to US businesses. However, the new trade pact has not been free from controversy and criticism, and opposition to free trade has been stronger in the USA than in Latin America.
Layered Hybrid Connectionist Models for Cognitive Science

Direct connnectionist modeling of higher cognitive functions, such as language understanding, is impractical. This chapter describes a principled multi-layer architecture that supports AI style computational modeling while preserving the biological plausibility of structured connectionist models. As an example, the connectionist realization of Bayesian model merging as recruitment learning is presented.
Control of dust in solution for turbidimetry

Dust-free polymer solutions have been prepared with the aid of special equipment which is described.
The Use of 3D Imaging Tools in Facial Plastic Surgery

The authors present an overview of 3D computer-aided design and computer-aided modeling tools available to the facial plastic surgeon. They describe the role of 3D tools in all phases of computer-aided surgery including: data acquisition, planning, surgery, and assessment. Applications of these tools include obtaining 3D measurements, using mirror imaging to reconstruct missing areas of the head and neck, and 3D sizing or segmentation of bone and soft tissue. They review of clinical outcomes obtained from studies reviewing 3D tools. These systems have potential value for education, reducing operating room time, and improving clinical outcomes.
Analysis of Sparse Channel Estimation

Channel Estimation is an essential component in applications such as radar and data communication. In multi path time varying environments, it is necessary to estimate time-shifts, scale-shifts (the wideband equivalent of Doppler-shifts), and the gains/phases of each of the multiple paths. With recent advances in sparse estimation (or “compressive sensing”), new estimation techniques have emerged which yield more accurate estimates of these channel parameters than traditional strategies. These estimation strategies, however, restrict potential estimates of time-shifts and scale-shifts to a finite set of values separated by a choice of grid spacing. A small grid spacing increases the number of potential estimates, thus lowering the quantization error, but also increases complexity and estimation time. Conversely, a large grid spacing lowers the number of potential estimates, thus lowering the complexity and estimation time, but increases the quantization error. In this thesis, we derive an expression which relates the choice of grid spacing to the mean-squared quantization error. Furthermore, we consider the case when scale-shifts are approximated by Doppler-shifts, and derive a similar expression relating the choice of the grid spacing and the quantization error. Using insights gained from these expressions, we further explore the effects of the choice and grid spacing, and examine when a wideband model can be well approximated by a narrowband model.
Neurospect Findings in Patients Exposed to Neurotoxic Chemicals

Exposures to neurotoxic chemicals such as pesticides, glues, solvents, etc. are known to induce neurologic and psychiatric symptomatology. We report on 41 patients 16 young patients (6 males, 10 fe...