cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Firm Performance Measures: Temporal Roadblocks to Innovation?

This study identified four performance measures often employed in corporate analysis and examined their relationship with the firm's expenditures in research and development over different periods. These measures reflect both the profitability of the firm and the market value of the firm's total capitalization. This inquiry is motivated by numerous attempts made in the literature to define an ideal measure of corporate financial performance. Repeated surveys and several financial studies [Mechlin and Berg (1980), Watts (1986), Dubofsky and Varadarajan (1987), and Obi (1994)] have revealed that in spite of their empirical shortcomings, the most frequently employed measures are those based on the firm's profitability, essentially, return on equity (ROE), profit margin on sales and return on total capitalization. These measures are handicapped by the fact that they reflect only the historical pattern of the accounting data generating them. In this study, we contend that a reliable measure of performance should reflect the market's perception of the riskiness and timing of the expected returns on the firm's current investments.
Possible origin of “anomalous charge states” in Mössbauer spectra

Abstract The formation of iron atom charge states both more and less positive than the charge state of the cobalt atom in the parent compound have been observed in 57Fe Mossbauer experiments on inorganic solids. While the persistence of more positive charge states can be rationalized as a consequence of an internal conversion—Auger cascade process, the mechanism for the formation of less positive charge states has so far not been clearly understood. Recent experiments by Drickamer et al. on inorganic 57Fe Mossbauer absorbers have shown that ferric compounds under pressure give isomer shifts and quadrupole splittings normally associated with ferrous complexes. This phenomenon may be able to account for the observation of the “anomalously” low charge states of 57Fe formed from 57Co in an ionic cobaltic ion lattice, since the well known ionic radius difference between the two transition metal ions can manifest itself as an “internal pressure” at the metal ion lattice site. This working hypothesis is examined in some detail in the light of existing information pertaining to the compressibilities and charge states of iron compounds and to the nature of the nuclear precursor event in 119Sn Mossbauer experiments.
Resolving the nebulae: the science and art of representing M51

Abstract Astronomy has a long tradition of translating data into different visual representations and scholars have noted a division between ‘pretty pictures’ and scientific images. A series of drawings and engravings of M51 derived from Lord Rosse’s observations at Birr Castle and Hubble Space Telescope images of the same object offer an opportunity to examine shifts in the object’s representation within a given period, as well as over the long history of observing it. This demonstrates both the consistent interest of astronomy in structure and improved resolution, as well as the subjective treatment of light and color. Furthermore, while the distinction between ‘pretty pictures’ and scientific images offers a starting point for analyzing the translations within a given period, the line between the two blurs, suggesting the complexity of aesthetic choices within astronomical images.
TCT-317 Implementation of a Real-Time Skin Dose Tracking System in a Cardiac Catheterization Laboratory

Radiation exposure levels to the skin during long fluoroscopic interventional procedures can exceed the threshold for deterministic effects such as erythema, epilation, desquamation and even necrosis. The interventionalist generally has little information during the procedure to accurately assess
A snapshot of the Ixodes scapularis degradome

Parasitic encoded proteases are essential to regulating interactions between parasites and their hosts and thus they represent attractive anti-parasitic druggable and/or vaccine target. We have utilized annotations of Ixodes scapularis proteases in gene bank and version 9.3 MEROPS database to compile an index of at least 233 putatively active and 150 putatively inactive protease enzymes that are encoded by the I. scapularis genome. The 233 putatively active protease homologs hereafter referred to as the degradome (the full repertoire of proteases encoded by the I. scapularis genome) represent ~1.14% of the 20485 putative I. scapularis protein content. Consistent with observations in other animals, the content of the I. scapularis degradome is ~6.0% (14/233) aspartic, ~19% (44/233) cysteine, ~40% (93/233) metallo, ~28.3% (66/233) serine and ~6.4% (15/233) threonine proteases. When scanned against other tick sequences, ~11% (25/233) of I. scapularis putatively active proteases are conserved in other tick species with ≥ 60% amino acid identity levels. The I. scapularis genome does not apparently encode for putatively inactive aspartic proteases. Of the 150 putative inactive protease homologs none are from the aspartic protease class, ~8% (12/150) are cysteine, ~58.7% (88/150) metallo, 30% (45/150) serine and ~3.3% (5/150) are threonine proteases. The I. scapularis tick genome appears to have evolutionarily lost proteolytic activity of at least 6 protease families, C56 and C64 (cysteine), M20 and M23 (metallo), S24 and S28 (serine) as revealed by a lack of the putatively active proteases in these families. The overall protease content is comparable to other organisms. However, the paucity of the S1 chymotrypsin/trypsin-like serine protease family in the I. scapularis genome where it is ~12.7% (28/233) of the degradome as opposed to ~22-48% content in other blood feeding arthropods, Pediculus humanus humanus, Anopheles gambiae, Aedes Aegypti and Culex pipiens quinquefasciatus is notable. The data is presented as a one-stop index of proteases encoded by the I. scapularis genome.
Synthesis and renal function study of Val-Asp-(Arg8)-vasopressin.

Abstract A new neurohypophyseal hormone analogue, Val-Asp-[Arg8]-vasopressin (VAAVP), was synthesized by the stepwise solution techniques and its effect on systemic blood pressure and renal function was examined in nondiuretic Sprague-Dawley rats. Clearance of inulin was used to study glomerular filtration rate. Intravenous administration of 50 pmole/100g. b. wt. VAAVP caused diuresis and increase in urinary excretion of sodium and potassium without significant change of mean arterial blood pressure. The same dose of VAAVP caused a maximal increase infractional excretion of sodium by 80% although it also caused a slight increase of GFR. The present study suggests that VAAVP could be a natriuretic hormone which acts directly on kidney without affecting systemic circulation.
MULTIPLE TRAIT ASSOCIATIONS IN RELATION TO HABITAT DIFFERENTIATION AMONG 17 FLORIDIAN OAK SPECIES

Differentiation of species distributions along environmental gradients and phenotypic specialization help explain the co-presence of 17 oak species that might oth- erwise be expected to competitively exclude one another. In an effort to understand the role of niche differentiation in the co-presence of these congeneric species in north-central Florida, we examined the community structure of oak-dominated forests in this region in relation to environmental variables and a suite of life history and physiological traits. Landscape distribution patterns of oaks and other woody species were determined from randomly established plots in three state parks. Soil moisture, nutrient availability, and fire regime were found to be critical factors influencing community structure, and the distri- bution of oak species was strongly correlated with these gradients. Detrended correspon- dence analysis of species' distributions supported the grouping of oak species into three major community types: (1) hammock, (2) sandhill, and (3) scrub. Principal components of multiple traits also supported differentiation of oak species into these three groups. There is clear evidence for ecological sorting among the oaks in these forests as species partition environmental gradients more than expected by chance, and most functional traits of species correspond to species distributions as predicted based on a priori understanding of trait function. Across phylogenetic lineages, species showed evolutionary convergence in function and habitat preference. In contrast, leaf-level traits were conserved within phylogenetic lineages and were not well correlated with local habitat factors, but rather with the broader geographic distributions and northern range limits of species. The cu- mulative results reported here provide strong evidence that oak species specialize for par- ticular niches via trade-offs in functional traits, and such niche partitioning contributes to the high diversity of oak species at the landscape level. At smaller spatial scales, phylo- genetic diversity among the oaks is likely to be important in promoting their coexistence through other mechanisms.
Bioinspired resource management for multiple-sensor target tracking systems

We present an algorithm, inspired by self-organization and stigmergy observed in biological swarms, for managing multiple sensors tracking large numbers of targets. We devise a decentralized architecture wherein autonomous sensors manage their own data collection resources and task themselves. Sensors cannot communicate with each other directly; however, a global track file, which is continuously broadcast, allows the sensors to infer their contributions to the global estimation of target states. Sensors can transmit their data (either as raw measurements or some compressed format) only to a central processor where their data are combined to update the global track file. We outline information-theoretic rules for the general multiple-sensor Bayesian target tracking problem. We provide specific formulas for problems dominated by additive white Gaussian noise. Using Cramer-Rao lower bounds as surrogates for error covariances, we illustrate, using numerical scenarios involving ballistic targets, that the bioinspired algorithm is highly scalable and performs very well for large numbers of targets.
Lorentz Force on Screw Dislocations and Related Problems

The concept of a Lorentz force on screw dislocations, first introduced by Nabarro, is analyzed. It is concluded that the Nabarro-Lorentz force on screws and the Lorentz force of electromagnetism are not analogous, and that the term a Lorentz force on screws should be dropped in order to avoid confusion. Only when the screw is constrained to move on one slip plane is the analogy with electromagnetism complete. Total quasimomentum is not generally conserved when screw dislocations interact with elastic waves.
Oocyte-specific expression of growth/differentiation factor-9

Growth/differentiation factor-9 (GDF-9) is a previously described member of the transforming growth factor-beta superfamily expressed specifically in the ovary in adult mice. Using in situ hybridization methods, we have localized the expression of GDF-9 messenger RNA (mRNA) exclusively to oocytes. GDF-9 mRNA was detected in oocytes at all stages of follicular development, except in primordial follicles, in both neonatal and adult ovaries. GDF-9 mRNA continued to be expressed in oocytes after ovulation, but disappeared by 1.5 days after fertilization. Based on Western analysis of ovarian extracts using antibodies raised against recombinant GDF-9 protein, GDF-9 mRNA expressed by oocytes appears to be translated. A human homolog of GDF-9 was isolated from a complementary DNA library prepared from adult ovary mRNA. The predicted human protein is 90% identical to murine GDF-9 in the mature portion of the molecule. These results are significant because no other growth factor-like molecules have been shown to be...
Allergen immunotherapy in allergic respiratory diseases: from mechanisms to meta-analyses.

Allergen-specific immunotherapy (SIT) involves the repeated administration of allergenic extracts to atopic individuals over a period of 3 to 5 years either subcutaneously (SCIT) or sublingually (SLIT) for the treatment of allergic respiratory diseases, including asthma and allergic rhinitis (AR). In studies, SCIT and SLIT have been shown to improve existing symptoms of asthma and AR and to also have the capability to cause disease-modifying changes of the underlying atopic condition so as to prevent new allergic sensitization as well as arrest progression of AR to asthma. Recent evidence suggests that immunotherapy brings about these effects through actions that use T-regulatory cells and blocking antibodies such as IgG4 and IgA2, which can then result in an “immune deviation” from a T-helper (Th) 2 cell pattern to a Th1 cell pattern. Numerous meta-analyses and studies have been performed to evaluate the existing data among these studies, with the consensus recommendation favoring the use of immunotherapy because of its potential to modify existing diseases. Significant adverse reactions can occur with immunotherapy, including anaphylaxis and, very rarely, death. A primary factor in considering SIT is its potential to provide long-lasting effects that are able to be sustained well after its discontinuation. Given the significant burden these allergic diseases impose on the health-care system, SIT appears to be a cost-effective adjunctive treatment in modifying the existing disease state.
ADAPTIVE FILTERING AND PREDICTION OF NOISY MULTIVARIATE SIGNALS: AN APPLICATION TO SUBANNUAL VARIABILITY IN ATMOSPHERIC ANGULAR MOMENTUM

Principal component analysis (PCA) in the space and time domains is applied to filter adaptively the dominant modes of subannual (SA) variability of a 12-year long multivariate time series of Northern Hemisphere atmospheric angular momentum (AAM); AAM is computed in 23 latitude bands of equal area from operational analyses of the U.S. National Meteorological Center. PCA isolates the leading empirical orthogonal functions (EOFs) of spatial dependence, while multivariate singular spectrum analysis (M-SSA) yields filtered time series that capture the dominant low-frequency modes of SA variability. The time series prefiltered by M-SSA lend themselves to prediction by the maximum entropy method (MEM). Whole-field predictions are made by combining the forecasts so obtained with the leading spatial EOFs obtained by PCA. The combination of M-SSA and MEM has predictive ability up to about a month. These methods are essentially linear but data-adaptive. They seem to perform well for short, noisy, multivariate time series, to which purely nonlinear, deterministically based methods are difficult to apply.
Longitudinal Assessment of Autonomy and Relatedness in Adolescent-Family Interactions as Predictors of Adolescent Ego Development and Self-Esteem.

This study examined links between processes of establishing autonomy and relatedness in adolescent-family interactions and adolescents' psychosocial development. Adolescents in 2-parent families and their parents were observed in a revealed-differences interaction task when adolescents were 14, and adolescents' ego development and self-esteem were assessed at both 14 and 16. Developmental indices were strongly related to autonomy and relatedness displayed by both parents and adolescents. Significant variance was explained even after accounting for the number and quality of speeches of each family member as rated by a different, well-validated family coding system. Increases in adolescents' ego development and self-esteem over time were predicted by fathers' behaviors challenging adolescents' autonomy and relatedness, but only when these occurred in the context of fathers' overall display of autonomous-relatedness with the adolescent. The importance of the mutually negotiated process of adolescents' exploration from the secure base of parental relationships is discussed.
Z-Semicontinuous Posets

Z-semicontinuous posets include semicontinuous lattices and Z-continuous posets as special cases. We characterized when the associated Z-waybelow relation is multiplicative and also make a topological connection.
A GEOMETRIC CONSTRUCTION OF THE DIRICHLET KERNEL

If sin (x/2) ≠ 0 then 1/2 + cos x + cos 2x + … + cos nx = sin (n + ½)x/2 sin (x/2). This relation is fundamental in the theory of Fourier series. We define a geometric construction in the euclidean plane whose analysis leads to this and related trigonometric identities.
The abstraction of linguistic ideas: A review

Abstract The present paper investigates the status of the individual sentence. Is the sentence the unit of memory, or is it primarily a unit for communicating ideas? A series of studies is presented demonstrating that Ss do not simply retain information expressed by individual input sentences. Instead Ss spontaneously integrate information communicated by sets of semantically related (and often non-consecutively presented) acquisition sentences to construct more wholistic semantic descriptions. These wholistic descriptions may contain more information than any particular input sentence expressed. Memory is primarily a function of these wholistic structures. Ss will recognize and recall many sentences never presented during acquisition but which are derivable from the semantic structures acquired. However, Ss will rarely recall or recognize information that represents a distortion of these integrated ideas. Semantic integration is investigated in a variety of experimental conditions. It is shown to occur within the context of specially designed ‘integration paradigms’ as well as in prose passages, and it is shown to occur for a wide variety of acquisition tasks. Some models attempting to account for the data are evaluated, and implications are discussed.
Neurocognitive outcomes following successful resuscitation from cardiac arrest

Introduction Cardiac arrest commonly results in varying degrees of cognitive injury. Standard outcome measures used in the cardiac arrest cohort do not rigorously evaluate for these injury patterns. We examined the utility of the Computerized Assessment for Mild Cognitive Injury (CAMCI) in cardiac arrest (CA) survivors. We hypothesized that cognitive deficits would be more severe in patients who were comatose on hospital arrival.
Lactate dehydrogenases in the frog, Eleutherodactylus coqui.

1. 1. No electrophoretic variability was found in either M or H subunits in 95 individuals studied. 2. 2. The pyruvate ratios for heart homogenates are the lowest yet found for a terrestrial frog.
Hyperacidity of secreted fluid from submucosal glands in early cystic fibrosis.

Prior studies have shown that fluid secretions from airway submucosal glands in cystic fibrosis (CF) are reduced and hyperviscous, possibly contributing to the pathogenesis of CF airway disease. Be...
A personal view from China in turmoil: Eyewitnesses to revolution

We were evacuated from Beijing Foreign Studies University 3 days after the massacre of students and workers in Tiananmen Square. The year began well. We arrived in China in August, 1988 to begin an academic year teaching Library Science and English in one of the most notable universities in Beijing. Our assignment came about through an agreement between the School of Library and Information Studies at the University of Hawaii and Beijing Foreign Studies University which sends Chinese students to study in Hawaii for M.L.S. degrees and American faculty to teach in Beijing. The Chinese system of education is very different from ours in America. Chinese high school graduates take national examinations and are usually permitted to request several possible careers. Depending on their exam results and what skills the central government decides it needs, students are assigned to educational institutions that specialize in that subject. There is no concept of a core curriculum. The students we taught had been exposed to very little in the sciences, the social sciences, or the humanities. There is no attempt to create a citizen who is “well rounded” in a number of disciplines. This produces students who have vast gaps in their knowledge and which makes library education difficult. Their level of English, however, was very high. But our students were sweet and wonderful. They all possessed a refreshing innocence, a naivete, that was so different from worldly American students. Female students, for example, would think nothing of coming to talk with male instructors in their apartments in the evenings. Nothing could happen to them; we were their uncles and aunts and were thought of as part of the university family. So our teaching ranged far beyond librarianship. We were asked, constantly, about life in the West. Information, comparisons, discussions with students whose questions would not let us leave until we were hoarse. And then there were the questions on many subjects that students did not feel comfortable asking in public as we were accompanied to our apartment or dining hall.
Reconstructing Body Size in Extinct Crown Cetacea (Neoceti) Using Allometry, Phylogenetic Methods and Tests from the Fossil Record

Living cetaceans exhibit interspecific size rang- ing across several orders of magnitude, and rank among the largest vertebrates ever. Details of how cetaceans evolved different body sizes, however, remain obscure, because they lack basic morphological proxies that have been tradition- ally used in other fossil vertebrates. Here, we reconstruct the body size of extinct crown group cetaceans (Neoceti) using different regression methods on extant skull and length data, in a phylogenetic context. Because most fossil cetaceans are fragmentary, we developed regression equa- tions to predict total length based on cranial metrics that are preserved on most fossil crania. The resultant regression equations are based on a database of skull and length data from most extant lineages of cetaceans (n=45 species; 272 specimens), sampling all living mysticete genera and all major clades of odontocetes. In generating predictive equations, we compared both conventional species data regression and independent contrast regression methods, as well as single trait predictors and a new approach that combines the advantages of a partial least squares (PLS) multivariate regression with independent contrasts. This last approach leverages the predictive power of using multiple correlated proxies. Lastly, we used the rare occurrences of fossil cetaceans with preserved total lengths to test the performance of our predictive equations for reconstructing body size from skull measurements alone. Our results demonstrate that incorporating information about phyloge- netic relationships and multiple cranial measures in PLS scaling studies increases the accuracy of reconstructed body size, most notably by reducing prediction intervals by more than 70%. With this empirical foundation, we highlight the outline of major features in the evolution of body size for Neoceti and future opportunities to use these metrics for paleobiological questions.
Finite Spectrum Property and Predictors

Abstract Three topics are discussed as related to predictors and finite spectrum property of time delay systems. First, the finite spectrum assignment (FSA) problem is greatly simplified by exploiting some particularly simple solutions to Bezout equations. Second topic is a new explicit formula for a solution to the robust control problem. The robust controller is a hybrid one. It contains an analog part solving a FSA problem and a digital part delivering minimum time deadbeat tracking with zero steady state error. The controller is robust against arbitrary input delay perturbations. Third is an application topic: Robustified Smith predictor for an Exhaust Gas Recirculation (EGR). It is shown that for this application the robustness constraints are very hard to satisfy if good nominal performance is expected. We show how to tune the Smith predictor to get better robustness and performance as available for a traditional PID.
Iatrogenic vascular injury during peripheral revascularization

Abstract Iatrogenic vascular injury may occur during peripheral revascularization procedures secondary to the application of vascular occlusive devices. This review summarizes the known mechanical causes of such injury, relates this to clamp design, and suggests methods to minimize such injury by appropriate selection and handling of vascular occlusive clamps. (J VASC SURG 1985;2:491-8.)
Gamma rays from coulomb excitation of 151Eu and 153Eu

Abstract De-excitation gamma rays following Coulomb excitation of 151 Eu and 153 Eu by 4.5 MeV protons and 5 to 11 MeV alpha particles were studied with a 2 cm 3 and a 50 cm 3 Ge(Li) detector. Excitation curves and reduced transition probabilities were measured. Nineteen gamma-ray transitions found in 151 Eu are interpreted as decay branches from levels of 195.8, 196.5, 243.0, 306.8, 500.0, 503.1, 578.0, 600.6, 719 and possibly 696, 781 and 906 keV. In 153 Eu ten gamma rays were found and are interpreted as decays from levels of 83.3, 151.3, 192.3, 569.0, 617.5 and 711.0 keV. The level energies are consistent with recent inelastic scattering data. In 153 Eu the level at 569.0 keV may be the gamma-vibrational band head with J = 9 2 . The levels at 617.5 and 711.0 keV may be the beta-vibrational band members with J = 5 2 and 7 2 respectively.
The synthesis of 8-(6-aminohexyl)-amino-GMP and its applications as a general ligand in affinity chromatography.

The synthesis of a new general ligand, i.e., 8-(6-aminohexyl)-amino-GMP, has been achieved by bromination of GMP and subsequent substitution of the bromine for hexamethylene diamine. The overall yield of the synthesis has been 60 to 70%. This new general ligand was immobilized on BrN-activated Sepharose and used as an affinity adsorbent for inosinic acid dehydrogenase (E.C. 1.2.1.14) from Aerobacter aerogenes. Various elution methods were investigated in order to increase the specific activity of the purified enzyme.
Faith in the physicists

In Search of the Big Bang: Quantum Physics and Cosmology. By John Gribbin. Bantam/Heinemann: 1986. Pp.413. Pbk 9.95, Hbk 14.95.
Reason and religion in Rerum Novarum

In his 1891 encyclical Rerum Novarum Pope Leo XIII forged an “antecedent genre” that set the terms for a century of Catholic rhetoric on social justice. This essay explains how Leo, bound by doctrinal constraints, tried to transcend the Church's longstanding conflict with modernism by using the natural law philosophy of St. Thomas Aquinas.
The effect of interfacial viscosities on the motion of drops and bubbles

Abstract We describe here the important theoretical analysis which accounts for the effect of interfacial viscosities on the creeping motion of a bubble or drop in another fluid medium containing trace amounts of impurities such as surfactants. The earlier theoretical analyses of Frumkin—Levich and Saville which simply deal with surface tension gradients are extended by incorporating the general momentum balance containing interfacial viscosities. It is shown that the interfacial viscosity retards the motion of drops or bubbles. This analysis may be used to measure the dilational viscosity of liquid—liquid or liquid—gas interfaces containing surfactants from measurements of the velocity of rise or fall of fluid globules through another medium.
The penalty method for the Navier-Stokes equations

The penalty finite element method as it applies to the Stokes and Navier-Stokes flow equations is reviewed. The main developments are discussed and selected but still extensive list of references is provided.
Hydrous phase equilibria of a Mexican high-silica andesite:A candidate for a mantle origin?

Abstract A group of Pleistocene-recent lavas, with 62 to 64% SiO2 and 5.6 to 3.5% MgO, have erupted along a linear fault system near the volcanic front of central Mexico. Not only is the composition of this group of lavas distinctive in comparison to andesites from other parts of the Mexican Volcanic Belt, but their typical pyroxene phenocryst assemblages may include hornblende and rarely plagioclase. Consequently, the experimental (water-saturated) P-T conditions, up to 3 kbar, necessary to reproduce the various phenocryst assemblages have been explored for the most Mg-rich andesite. The phenocryst assemblages in this group of lavas can be reproduced over a range of water concentrations (∼6 to ∼3 wt%) at temperatures consistent with those derived from phenocryst mineral geothermometers (910 to 1055°C). The phase fields of the phenocryst assemblages are ∼200°C below the water-saturated liquidus (>1100°C), which is defined by orthopyroxene, followed by olivine, ∼30°C below. However, the orthopyroxene and olivine assemblage has never been found in the Valle de Bravo lavas. Three observations are consistent with a mantle source for this andesitic lava that contains up to 176 ppm Ni and 257 ppm Cr. Both experimental liquidus olivine (Fo90) and orthopyroxene (En88) have compositions appropriate to a lherzolite source; the composition of a water-saturated partial melt of lherzolite at 1000°C and 10 kbar is comparable to these andesites. Last, a contemporaneous andesite lava that erupted along the same fault system contains nodules of hornblende-spinel-lherzolite, representative of the Mexican subarc mantle.
Inadvertent intraosseous gadolinium injection during pediatric shoulder MR arthrography

A variety of problems can arise while performing MR arthrography of the shoulder. These have been well documented in the literature and range from improper patient selection to errors in technique or in the choice of imaging sequences. We present a rare case of inadvertent, painless intraosseous injection of dilute gadolinium into the proximal humeral epiphysis of a 13-year-old male athlete. The clinical relevance is discussed and technical recommendations are offered.
Optimal inversions of uncertain matrices - an estimation and control perspective

Many system and signal related problems involve matrix inversion of some kind. For example, in estimation and signal recovery applications, inversion of the channel response matrix is often required in order to estimate the source signals. In the control of multivariable systems, inverting a process gain matrix may be called for in order to deliver appropriate control actions. There are situations where these matrices should be considered as uncertain (or random): for example, when the process/channel environments vary randomly, or when significant uncertainties are involved in estimating these matrices. Based on a unified approach, this paper considers both the right inversion (for control) and the left inversion (for estimation) of random matrices. In both cases, minimizing a statistical error function leads to the determination of optimal or linear optimal inversion. Connections with related techniques, such as the total least squares (TLS), the ridge regression, the Levenberg-Marquardt algorithm and the regularization theory are discussed. A variant Kalman filtering problem with randomly varying measurement gain matrix is among the applications addressed. Monte Carlo simulation results show substantial benefits by taking process/model uncertainty into consideration.
The presence of immunoreactive myelin basic protein peptide in urine of persons with multiple sclerosis

A polyclonal antiserum has been produced that can detect nanogram amounts of myelin basic protein (MBP)-like material in unconcentrated human urine. The urinary immunoreactive material is cross-reactive with human MBP peptides 45-89 and 69-89, dialyzable, heat resistant, and is not artifact of either degradation of radioligand or salt effect. An octapeptide, MBP peptide 82-89, was demonstrated to be the smallest peptide containing the main epitope against which this antiserum was directed. This epitope differed from the major epitope recognized by antisera detecting MBP-like material in cerebrospinal fluid, implying that the MBP-like material is altered, presumably degraded, in the kidney. Results of gel filtration and high-performance liquid chromatography suggested a size of 1,000 daltons or less and a charge similar to that of human MBP peptide 80-89. In a group of 39 persons with multiple sclerosis, 48 with other neurological diseases, and 26 normal control subjects, the concentration of urinary MBP-like material, related to the concentration of urinary creatinine, was significantly higher in the multiple sclerosis group (22.0 ng MBP-like material/mg creatinine) than in the other neurological diseases or control groups, in which the values were 7.0 and 3.9 ng MBP-like material/mg creatinine, respectively. Variations in the level of MBP-like material appearing in the urine may provide a clinically feasible test for myelin damage. The precise identification of the chemical nature of the urinary MBP-like material may also furnish a means for further analyzing the in vivo catabolism of the potentially autoantigenic MBP.
Inhibition of hexose transport in the human erythrocyte by 5, 5'-dithiobis(2-nitrobenzoic acid): role of an exofacial carrier sulfhydryl group.

The sulfhydryl reagent 5, 5′-dithiobis (2-nitrobenzoic acid) (DTNB) was used to study the functional role of an exofacial sulfhydryl group on the human erythrocyte hexose carrier. Above 1mm DTNB rapidly inhibited erythrocyte 3-O-methylglucose influx, but only to about half of control rates. Efflux was also inhibited, but to a lesser extent. Uptake inhibition was completely reversed by incubation and washing with 10mm cysteine, whereas it was only partially reduced by washing in buffer alone, suggesting both covalent and noncovalent interactions. The covalent thiol-reversible reaction of DTNB occurred on the exofacial carrier, since (i) penetration of DTNB into cells was minimal, (ii) blockade of potential uptake via the anion transporter did not affect DTNB-induced hexose transport inhibition, and (iii) DTNB protected from transport inhibition by the impermeant sulfhydryl reagent glutathione-maleimide-I. Maltose at 120mm accelerated the covalent transport inhibition induced by DTNB, whereas 6.5 μm cytochalasin B had the opposite effect, indicating under the one-site carrier model that the reactive sulfhydryl is on the outward-facing carrier but not in the substrate-binding site. In contrast to glutathione-maleimide-I, however, DTNB did not restrict the ability of the carrier to reorient inwardly, since it did not affect equilibrium cytochalasin B binding. Thus, carrier conformation determines exposure of the exofacial carrier sulfydryl, but reaction of this group may not always “lock” the carrier in an outward-facing conformation.
Variable aperture neutron collimator — II☆

Abstract A second model of a completely adjustable, variable aperture neutron collimator has been developed. This redesigned model can be scaled to a full-size device appropriate for use in a medical facility. The collimator aperture can be easily adjusted to provide a square or rectangular cross-sectional exposure while maintaining a uniformly diverging line-of-sight from the neutron source.
Synergetic activity of catechin and other antioxidants.

The antioxidant synergy between (+)-catechin and other wine or biological antioxidants (Trolox, ascorbate, SO2, uric acid) was measured in vitro using the Folin−Ciocalteu (FC) and metmyoglobin assays. Although the two assays are based on very different reagents (i.e., metal salts versus organic and biochemical reagents), the individual antioxidants showed similar relative activities in both systems. In addition, interaction studies showed simple additive effects in all cases except with the (+)-catechin/SO2 mixture, which showed a remarkable synergetic effect in both assays. Keywords: Antioxidant; interaction; synergy; wine; free radical; catechin; SO2; ascorbic acid
Drug Uptake Systems in Liver and Kidney: A Historic Perspective

Drugs and their metabolites are eliminated mainly by excretion into urine and bile. Studies in whole animals, isolated organs, cells, and membrane vesicles led to the conclusion that different transport systems are responsible for the transport of different classes of organic compounds (small, large, anionic, and cationic). In the early 1990s, functional expression cloning resulted in the identification of the first transporters for organic anions and cations. Eventually, all the major transport systems involved in the uptake of these organic compounds were cloned and characterized, and we now know that they belong to the organic anion transporters (OATs) and organic cation transporters (OCTs) of the SLC22A superfamily and the organic anion-transporting polypeptides (OATPs) of the SLCO superfamily of polyspecific drug transporters. Today we can explain, at the molecular level, why small and hydrophilic organic compounds are excreted predominantly through urine whereas large and amphipathic compounds are excreted mainly through bile, and we can start to predict drug-drug interactions in the case of new compounds.
Programmed Autophagy in the Fat Body of Aedes aegypti Is Required to Maintain Egg Maturation Cycles

Autophagy plays a pivotal role by allowing cells to recycle cellular components under conditions of stress, starvation, development and cancer. In this work, we have demonstrated that programmed autophagy in the mosquito fat body plays a critical role in maintaining of developmental switches required for normal progression of gonadotrophic cycles. Mosquitoes must feed on vertebrate blood for their egg development, with each gonadotrophic cycle being tightly coupled to a separate blood meal. As a consequence, some mosquito species are vectors of pathogens that cause devastating diseases in humans and domestic animals, most importantly malaria and Dengue fever. Hence, deciphering mechanisms to control egg developmental cycles is of paramount importance for devising novel approaches for mosquito control. Central to egg development is vitellogenesis, the production of yolk protein precursors in the fat body, the tissue analogous to a vertebrate liver, and their subsequent specific accumulation in developing oocytes. During each egg developmental cycle, the fat body undergoes a developmental program that includes previtellogenic build-up of biosynthetic machinery, intense production of yolk protein precursors, and termination of vitellogenesis. The importance of autophagy for termination of vitellogenesis was confirmed by RNA interference (RNAi) depletions of several autophagic genes (ATGs), which inhibited autophagy and resulted in untimely hyper activation of TOR and prolonged production of the major yolk protein precursor, vitellogenin (Vg). RNAi depletion of the ecdysone receptor (EcR) demonstrated its activating role of autophagy. Depletion of the autophagic genes and of EcR led to inhibition of the competence factor, betaFTZ-F1, which is required for ecdysone-mediated developmental transitions. Moreover, autophagy-incompetent female mosquitoes were unable to complete the second reproductive cycle and exhibited retardation and abnormalities in egg maturation. Thus, our study has revealed a novel function of programmed autophagy in maintaining egg maturation cycles in mosquitoes.
From ε-entropy to KL-entropy: Analysis of minimum information complexity density estimation

We consider an extension of e-entropy to a KL-divergence based complexity measure for randomized density estimation methods. Based on this extension, we develop a general information-theoretical inequality that measures the statistical complexity of some deterministic and randomized density estimators. Consequences of the new inequality will be presented. In particular, we show that this technique can lead to improvements of some classical results concerning the convergence of minimum description length and Bayesian posterior distributions. Moreover, we are able to derive clean finite-sample convergence bounds that are not obtainable using previous approaches.
Cognitive Slowing Associated With Elevated Serum Anticholinergic Activity in Older Individuals is Decreased by Caffeine Use

Objectives This study examined whether some of the age-associated decrements in basic cognitive resources (information-processing speed and working memory) result from anticholinergic medication use (as measured by serum anticholinergic activity [SAA]) and whether such decrements are lessened by caffeine. Design Cross-sectional observational study. Setting University medical center. Participants One hundred fifty-two normal-elderly community volunteers. Measurements Two tests each of information-processing speed and of working memory were administered, and blood samples were drawn before and after cognitive testing to determine serum levels of anticholinergic activity and of paraxanthine—a caffeine metabolite. Results Elevated SAA was associated with a significant but modest slowing in information-processing time but only in those individuals who had low levels of serum paraxanthine. SAA did not correlate with performance on tests of working memory. Conclusions These results suggest that anticholinergic medications are a relatively minor contributor to the decrements in basic processing resources commonly found in studies of normal aging.
Theory of fast quantum control of exciton dynamics in semiconductor quantum dots

Optical techniques for the quantum control of the dynamics of multiexciton states in a semiconductor quantum dot are explored in theory. Composite bichromatic phase-locked pulses are shown to reduce the time of elementary quantum operations on excitons and biexcitons by an order of magnitude or more. Analytic and numerical methods of designing the pulse sequences are investigated. Fidelity of the operation is used to gauge its quality. A modified quantum Fourier transform algorithm is constructed with only Rabi rotations and is shown to reduce the number of operations. Application of the designed pulses to the algorithm is tested by a numerical simulation.
The Raymond pearl memorial lecture, 1991: health, exercise, and athletics : a millennium of observations - A century of research

The history of exercise science reveals that at least three scientists received the Nobel prize for investigations in exercise physiology. The work of these men and their contemporaries was concerned with physiological mechanisms and work performance, not directly with health. Hippocrates and other physicians and philosophers of the ancient world believed that regular physical activity contributed to health and longevity. However, it was only during the last 30-40 years that the focus of exercise research shifted to a study of the impact of physical activity on health and disease. The reason for this change in research emphasis is due to the fact that a) chronic disease is associated with life-styles, b) people are less active in the Western world, c) prevention is perhaps the ultimate answer to the maintenance of health, and d) chronic disease frequently begins in childhood. A summary of our knowledge concerning the effects of exercise is presented. Because former college athletes have engaged in strenous sports training in their youth, they are of particular interest in this regard. Results of many investigations indicate that former college athletes live about as long as their classmates, and die at about the same rate from heart disease. Former athletes come from larger families, gain less weight after college up to the age of 55 years, are more active in life, and are more likely to be smokers and/or drinkers than their former college classmates.
Towards an intelligent and personalized retrieval system

Development of an information retrieval system that can be personalized to each user requires maintaining and continually updating an interest profile for each individual user. Since people tend to be poor at self-description, it is suggested that profile development and maintenance is an area in which machine learning and knowledge based techniques can be profitably employed. This paper presents a model for such an application of AI techniques.
But Is It Myopia? Risk Aversion and the Efficiency of Stock-Based Managerial Incentives

This paper points out that stock incentives do not lead to myopia unless they result in more emphasis on the short-term than would occur under an optimal contract. It shows that myopia findings relative to the standard used throughout the literature (first-best efficiency) are often reversed when evaluated relative to the relevant standard of optimal contracting. Results reported by the previous literature to be myopia often in fact have excessive emphasis on the long-term. The paper solves in closed-form for the region in parameter space which gives rise to these reversals and shows that it can be arbitrarily large.
Interleukin (IL)-23 receptor is a major susceptibility gene for Graves' ophthalmopathy: the IL-23/T-helper 17 axis extends to thyroid autoimmunity.

Context: IL-23 and its receptor (IL-23R) guide T cells toward the T-helper 17 phenotype. IL-23R single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) have been associated with several autoimmune diseases, including Crohn’s disease and rheumatoid arthritis. Objective: Our objective was to determine whether variants in the IL-23R gene are associated with Graves’ disease (GD) and Graves’ ophthalmopathy (GO). Design and Participants: A total of 216 North American Caucasian GD patients and 368 healthy controls were genotyped for four SNPs spanning the IL-23R gene. SNPs rs11209026 and rs7530511 were genotyped using the TaqMan allelic discrimination assays (Applied Biosystems, Foster City, CA), and SNPs rs2201841 and rs10889677 were genotyped using a fluorescent-based restriction fragment length polymorphism method. Results: The A allele of rs2201841 was present in 78.8% of GD patients with GO and 64.7% of controls [P = 1.1 × 10−4; odds ratio (OR) = 2.04]; the AA genotype was also significantly increased in GO patients compare...
Effects of hypotonic swelling on the cellular distribution and expression of pICln in human nonpigmented ciliary epithelial cells

Purpose. It has been proposed that pI Cln, a highly acidic protein, is a candidate gene product related to the swelling-activated chloride (Cl -) channel I cl.swell in mammalian cells. However, no consensus has been reached as to whether this relationship is direct or indirect. Recently the cDNA for pI Cln was isolated from human ciliary epithelial cells. To learn more about the structure-function of pI Cln we attempted to: i) overexpress pI Cln as a fusion protein in bacteria; ii) carry out its purification; iii) generate polyclonal antibodies to study its expression and cellular localization in the ciliary epithelial cells; and iv) determine whether cell-swelling affects pI Cln expression in ciliary epithelial cells. Methods. The open reading frame (ORF) of human pI Cln was subcloned in the pET-20b(+) plasmid and established as a recombinant vector in E. coli BL21(DE3)pLysS cells. Upon induction with iso-propyl-s-thio-galactopyranoside (IPTG), pI Cln was isolated as a His-Tag fusion protein and purified...