cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Smoking and Cervical Cancer: Cause or Coincidence?

In the debate on the role of cigarette smoking in the etiology of cervical cancer, there is one central point of agreement: women who smoke cigarettes are more likely to develop cervical neoplasia than are nonsmokers. Beyond that key point, however, there is considerable controversy. The basic question is whether the association of smoking and cervical cancer is causal, mediated by some biologically plausible mechanism, or artifactual, produced by some extraneous confounding difference between smokers and nonsmokers. The noteworthy article by Slattery and collegues 1 in this issue ofThe Journalwill open a new controversy in this area by suggesting an etiologic role of passive exposure to the smoke of others' cigarettes in cervical carcinogenesis. In addition, Slattery and colleagues have reopened the long-standing, more general debate about whether cervical cancer should be added to the list of tobacco-induced cancers. Winkelstein's 2 insightful recognition of the similarity of cervical
Interaction metric of emergent behaviors in agent-based simulation

Agent-based simulation (ABS) has been a popular tool in various science and engineering domains. Simulating emergent behavior is one main usage of ABS. This paper investigates the use of interaction statistics as a metric for detecting emergent behaviors from ABS. An emergent behavior arises if this interaction metric deviates from normality.
A simplified method for the calculation of the Z-average molecular weight from ultracentrifuge data

Abstract A modification of the method of Lansing and Kraemer for obtaining Z-average molecular weights from ultracentrifuge measurements under equilibrium conditions is described. By employing the differrential form of the equation normally used for homogeneous materials, in conjunction with numerical differentiation, the amount of computation involved in obtaiining a Z-average molecular weight is greatly reduced. The modified treatment yields essentially the same values of the Z-average as does the original treatment, and the computation error is slightly less in the modified method than in the original. It is also shown that the Z-average molecular weight at each point in the cell can be derived directly from the Archibald equation relating concentration to distance in the cell. Tentative molecular weight averages of 80 000 (Z-average) and 76 000 (weight-average) are assigned to a sample of crystalline yeast aldolase.
Going in circles: conserved mechanisms control radial patterning in the urinary and digestive tracts.

Radial patterning in the urinary tract and gut depends on reciprocal signaling between epithelial cells, which form mucosa, and mesenchyme, which forms smooth muscle and connective tissue. These interactions depend on sonic hedgehog (Shh), which is secreted by epithelial cells and induces expression of bone morphogenetic protein 4 (Bmp4), a signaling molecule required for differentiation of smooth muscle progenitors. Patterning of the specialized mucosa lining the anterior-posterior (A-P) axis may be controlled independently by regionally expressed mesenchymal transcription factors. A study by Airik et al. in this issue of the JCI reveals that T-box 18 (Tbx18), a transcription factor selectively expressed in ureteral mesenchyme, regulates smooth muscle differentiation by maintaining Shh1 responsiveness in mesenchymal progenitors. Deletion of Tbx18 resulted in defective urothelial differentiation at the level of the ureter, suggesting that Tbx18 acts via mesenchyme as an important regulator of A-P patterning in the urinary tract.
Flow cytometric analysis of lymphocytes from rats following chronic ethanol treatment

Abstract The current investigation focused on lymphoid cell populations of adult male Sprague-Dawley rats fed a total enteral nutrition diet in which ethanol provided 38% of the total calories. Rats received the National Research Council (NRC) recommended daily intake of nutrients 35 days. An evaluation of lymphocyte populations from peripheral blood demonstrated a decrease in the absolute number of B cells ( p ≤ 0.007) and absolute numbers of CD4 T cells ( p ≤ 0.06) in the ethanol-treated animals. Spleen and thymus weights were significantly reduced ( p = 0.0001) in the ethanol-treated rats and the CD4CD8) ratio of splenic lymphocytes decreased in the ethanol group ( p ≤ 0.03). Thymus T-cell recovery from the ethanol-treated group was significantly reduced with no apparent redistribution in subset numbers with the exception of a minor, yet significant, decrease ( p ≤ 0.05) in the CD4CD8 ratio. These data are the first to demonstrate that chronic alcohol intake alters lymphoid cell populations in the peripheral blood and primary organs of the immune systems in the presence of adequate nutrition.
Excited states of OH-(H2O)n clusters for n = 1–4: An ab initio study

Equation of motion coupled cluster calculations were performed on various structures of OH in clusters with one, two, three, and four water molecules to determine the energies of valence and charge transfer states. Motivation for these calculations is to understand the absorption spectrum of OH in water. Previous calculations on these species have confirmed that the longer wavelength transition observed is due to the A(2∑) ← X(2∏) valence transition, while the shorter wavelength transition is due to a charge-transfer from H2O to OH. While these previous calculations identified the lowest energy charge-transfer state, our calculations have included sufficient states to identify additional solvent-to-solute charge transfer states. The minimum energy structures of the clusters were determined by application of the Monte Carlo technique to identify candidate cluster structures, followed by optimization at the level of second-order Moller-Plesset perturbation theory. Calculations were performed on two structures of OH-H2O, three structures of OH-(H2O)2, four structures of OH-(H2O)3, and seven structures of OH-(H2O)4. Confirming previous calculations, as the number of water molecules increases, the energies of the excited valence and charge-transfer states decrease; however, the total number of charge-transfer states increases with the number of water molecules, suggesting that in the limit of OH in liquid water, the charge-transfer states form a band.
Evidence for organized small-scale structure in fully developed turbulence.

The intermittent fine structure of fully developed turbulence is studied by means of a visualization experiment. Characteristic locally ordered flow patterns, tentatively identified as layered vortex sheets, are observed.
The state of presidential election forecasting: The 2004 experience

Abstract This paper assesses the current state of U. S. presidential election forecasting, describing forecast methods and their predictive accuracies for the most recent election, 2004. Three types of forecasts were made for the election using the methods noted: 1) point forecasts of the popular vote (by campaign polls, futures contracts on candidates' performance, regression models, Delphi expert surveys, and a combination of forecasts from these methods); 2) point forecasts of the electoral vote (by regression models, probability models based on state polls, a compilation of median polls in states, and exit polls); and 3) dichotomous forecasts of the popular-vote winner (by a multi-indicator index, cut-points for single indicators, and bellwether states). Candidate futures provided the most accurate popular-vote forecasts. A state probability model and the median state poll technique were the most accurate electoral vote methods. All three dichotomous techniques successfully predicted the election winner.
Tin heterocycles some phenoxastannin and phenothiastannin derivatives

Abstract 10,10-Dialkylphenoxastannins, the first examples of heterocycles containing the CSnC linkage and oxygen in the ring, were obtained in low yield from the reaction of 2,2′-dilithiodiphenyl ether (I) with dialkyltin dichlorides and, in higher yield, from the reaction of 10,10-dichlorophenoxastannin (III) with organolithium reagents or Grignard reagents. 10,10-Diphenylphenoxastannin could only be obtained by the organolithium and Grignard route. (III) was prepared in high yield by allowing 10,10′-spirobiphenoxastannin (II) to react with stannic chloride. The reaction of (I) with stannic chloride gave three products: (II), tetrakis( o -phenoxyphenyl)tin, and a novel twelve-membered ring heterocycle containing two tin atoms in the ring (VIII). The reaction of (VIII) with stannic chloride gave a high yield of (III). The first examples of heterocycles containing the CSnC linkage and sulfur in the ring were obtained by allowing 2,2′-dilithiodiphenyl sulfone to react with diorganotin dichlorides and stannic chloride. Infrared, far infrared, ultraviolet, and NMR data are reported for the new heterocycles.
Glomerular Number and Perfusion during Normal and Compensatory Renal Growth in the Guinea Pig

Glomerular Number and Perfusion during Normal and Compensatory Renal Growth in the Guinea Pig
The use of cluster analysis for cell typing

Abstract In invertebrates, large neurons, identifiable in each animal, have proven to be useful models for investigating basic neurobiological phenomena. In vertebrates, the number of neurons and the complexity of nervous systems increase and `identifiability' is lost. To compensate for this, other approaches must be adopted to study the vertebrate brain. One successful approach has been to identify cell types, recognizable in each individual. The identification of cell types in central nuclei has helped us understand the organization of these nuclei and has provided an important foundation for examining possible relationships between the structure and function of neurons. Unfortunately, not all nuclei are composed of neurons of readily identifiable types. Nuclei lacking distinct cell types are, in general, less well understood than nuclei with morphologically distinct cell types. This article describes a statistical approach known as cluster analysis that we [11] used to define cell types in the nucleus of the solitary tract – a nucleus that had been suggested to contain identifiable cell types 3 , 4 , 14 , 18 but within which cell typing had proven difficult. Similar techniques have been used to classify Golgi-impregnated cells in the ventrobasal complex of the dog [5] , the subthalamic nucleus of the bushbaby [9] and the human retina [6] . Cluster analysis has also been used in the gustatory system 10 , 16 , in general, and nucleus of the solitary tract, in specific, to classify electrophysiologically characterized cells 2 , 8 , 15 . The method also includes a technique for verifying the utility of the resulting classification.
The origin of space group violations in a lunar orthopyroxene

The space group of an orthopyroxene (En86) from a deep crustal lunar rock (sample 76535) that was previously reported as having space group P21ca has been re-examined on an automated X-ray diffractometer. In addition to diffractions violating the b-glide of the conventional space group, Pbca (0kl,k-odd) reported in the earlier study, diffractions violating the a-glide of Pbca are also present. Careful examination of both the a-glide- and b-glide-violations shows them to be sharp, with no evidence of diffuse streaks parallel to a*, and with consistent intensities at several rotations about ψ. Diffractions violating the b-glide are in registry with the host, however, those violating the a-glide appear to be out of registry and result from a cell with a slightly longer a of about 18.4 A, consistent with previous electron diffraction studies.
A note on the stabilization impact of asset-side versus liability-side constraints

Abstract This study employs a general equilibrium model of the financial sector to evaluate the impact of changing asset-side versus liability-side constraints on effective monetary control. On the basis of maximizing assumptions for individual and institutional behavior, it is possible to conclude qualitatively that asset-side constraints (e.g., a loan reserve requirement and/or a bank capital/assets ratio) automatically stabilize the economy by reducing the expected fluctuations of the rate of return on physical capital. By contrast, the stabilization impact of liability-side constraints (e.g., a deposit reserve requirement and/or a bank capital/deposits ratio) is found to be ambiguous.
On the equations of elastic materials with micro-structure

Abstract In the classical theory of elasticity it is possible to reduce the displacement equations of motion to Lame's form by means of the Helmholtz resolution. In this paper the analogous reduction is effected for equations, derived recently [1], of an isotropic, elastic material with micro-structure.
A tale of two books: Bessarion's In Calumniatorem Platonis and George of Trebizond's Comparatio Philosophorum Platonis et Aristotelis1

The two central Latin works of the Plato-Aristotle Controversy of the Fifteenth Century were George of Trebizond's Comparatio Philosophorum Platonis et Aristotelis and Cardinal Bessarion's In Calumniatorem Platonis in response to George. The Renaissance fortuna of Bessarion's work is well known and reflects the relative success it enjoyed. George's Comparatio, however, had a much harder time of it. The story of its eventually printing in 1523 involves us tracing the history of MS Vat. Lat. 3382 of the Biblioteca Apostolica Vaticana through Central Europe until its arrival in Venice. The key figure in the printing proved to be the imperial official Jacopo Bannisio. A marginal note by the Englishman Robert Ridley in a copy of Bessarion's work now at Yale University reporting a conversation he had with Jacques Lefevre d’Etaples in Paris provides interesting insights on how Lefevre and others viewed the conflict between Bessarion and George as well as on the fortuna of George's Comparatio.
Adherence to the low-sodium diet plays a role in the interaction between depressive symptoms and prognosis in patients with heart failure.

BACKGROUND Although a low-sodium diet (LSD) is important in self-management of patients with heart failure (HF), the impact of LSD on event-free survival has not been investigated. Depressive symptoms predict worse event-free survival, in part, by affecting adherence to self-management. However, there are few investigations of the relationship among depressive symptoms, adherence to the LSD, and event-free survival. PURPOSE The purpose of this study was to determine the relationships among adherence to the LSD, depressive symptoms, and event-free survival. METHODS A total of 254 patients (57% male, 62 ± 14 years, 52% New York Heart Association class III/IV, ejection fraction of 36% ± 14%) were recruited from outpatient HF clinics in Korea. Twenty-four-hour urinary sodium excretion was collected as an indicator of patient adherence to the LSD. Patients were grouped based on the cut point of 3 g of urinary sodium excretion. Depressive symptoms were assessed by the Korean version of Beck Depression Inventory, and patients were split into 2 groups at the cutoff of the Korean version of Beck Depression Inventory. Event-free survival for 12 months was determined by medical records. Hierarchical Cox proportional hazards regression was used to determine the association of depressive symptoms and adherence to 3-g sodium intake on event-free survival. RESULTS After controlling for age, sex, etiology of HF, body mass index, New York Heart Association class, ejection fraction, N-terminal B-type natriuretic peptide, and total comorbidity score, nonadherence to 3-g sodium intake (hazard ratio = 1.56, 95% confidence interval = 1.05-2.32) and depressive symptoms (hazard ratio = 2.21, 95% confidence interval = 1.47-3.33) independently predicted event-free survival. Patients with sodium intake higher than 3 g and with depressive symptoms demonstrated a 3.7 times higher risk for cardiac events compared with patients with sodium intake lower than 3 g and without depressive symptoms (P < .001). CONCLUSION Improvement of adherence to the LSD and treatment for depressive symptoms could improve event-free survival.
MgO DIFFUSION BARRIER FOR TITANIUM MATRIX COMPOSITES

ABSTRACT The feasibility of developing an effective diffusion barrier for titanium matrix composites was investigated. MgO was identified as a potential barrier and was applied to silicon carbide and B4C-coated boron filaments. The interface microstructure and fracture behavior of the resulting composites were characterized using ion microprobe mass analysis, optical microscopy, and scanning electron microscopy. The results indicate that MgO is a viable diffusion barrier for titanium matrix composites.
Conceptualizing Prenatal Care: Recent Research and the Application of Tae-Kyo, Korean Traditional Beliefs and Practices

The value of prenatal care has long been recognized by various cultures. The author's purpose in this article is to propose a framework to conceptualize prenatal care using the traditional Korean practice of prenatal care called Tae-Kyo, which means education for the fetus. The philosophy of Tae-Kyo shows the importance of children's development from the very beginning of life and indicates the moral and social responsibilities of pregnant women, family members, and communities in delivering healthy babies. This comprehensive view implies a framework for conceptualizing prenatal care that encompasses multidimensional aspects of prenatal care.
Exact results on scaling exponents in the 2D enstrophy cascade.

We establish rigorous inequalities for short-distance scaling exponents in 2D incompressible turbulence. Using only the condition of constant ultraviolet enstrophy flux, we show that $〈({\ensuremath{\Delta}}_{\mathit{l}}\ensuremath{\omega}{)}^{p}〉\ensuremath{\sim}{\ensuremath{\ell}}^{{\ensuremath{\zeta}}_{p}}$ must have ${\ensuremath{\zeta}}_{2}\ensuremath{\le}2/3$ (Sulem-Frisch bound) and ${\ensuremath{\zeta}}_{p}\ensuremath{\le}0$, for $p\ensuremath{\ge}3$. If the minimum H\"older singularity of the vorticity is negative, ${h}_{\mathrm{min}}l0$, then the bounds can be improved to ${\ensuremath{\zeta}}_{p}\ensuremath{\le}{\ensuremath{\tau}}_{p/3}$, where ${\ensuremath{\tau}}_{p}$ is the scaling exponent of a local enstrophy flux: $〈|{Z}_{\ensuremath{\ell}}{|}^{p}〉\ensuremath{\sim}{\ensuremath{\ell}}^{{\ensuremath{\tau}}_{p}}$. However, if ${h}_{\mathrm{min}}\phantom{\rule{0ex}{0ex}}=\phantom{\rule{0ex}{0ex}}0$, then ${\ensuremath{\zeta}}_{p}\phantom{\rule{0ex}{0ex}}=\phantom{\rule{0ex}{0ex}}0$ for $p\ensuremath{\ge}2$ and Kraichnan theory is exact.
Contrasting self-reported willingness to pay and demonstrated purchase behavior for energy-saving technologies in a small island developing state

Abstract Sustainable development in small island developing countries often hinges upon the successful adoption and diffusion of energy technologies developed abroad. To guide investments and policies seeking to promote new energy efficiency technologies academic and marketing studies often rely upon consumer self-reports of willingness to pay (WTP) for the environmental and economic benefits such technologies may provide. But marketing research has long reported disparities between consumer self-reports of willingness to pay and the actual amounts consumers will pay when making a purchase decision. This study uses the results of a survey and associated coupon distribution in Saint Lucia to contrast self-reported willingness to pay for energy-efficient compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs) with actual consumer behavior in a developing country context. Survey responses suggested that more than 94% of urban consumers in Saint Lucia were willing to pay some price premium for a high quality CFL bulb. However, when given a coupon allowing them to purchase a CFL bulb at a price equal to or below their self-reported willingness to pay, only one-third of the consumers actually purchased the product. High income respondents, low income respondents, and younger respondents were among those most likely to not purchase a CFL bulb when offered the chance to do so at or below their self-reported willingness to pay. The presence of systematic discrepancies between self-reported willingness to pay and observed consumer behavior in CFL markets has important implications for energy efficiency market research, coupon-based incentive programs and energy policy in Saint Lucia and other developing nations.
Wordsworth in the Himalayas: Indian Narratology and Sacred Space in William Delafield Arnold’s Oakfield: Fellowship in the East

William Delafield Arnold’s single novel, Oakfield: Fellowship in the East , is a transparently autobiographical account of what happens when the earnestness of a son and pupil of Dr. Thomas Arnold encounters the ancient world of India in the decade of the Sepoy Rebellion. This essay explores what has been far less apparent to Western readers and critics: the presence of Indian philosophy at the heart of the novel. Following in the tradition of the Wordsworthian Romantic prophet, W. D. Arnold relates Oakfield’s spiritual search and enlightenment to present the novel itself as the spiritual common ground that the hero seeks. The use of Indian narratological devices produces variegation by ancient spiritual design, merging the myths of enlightened beings East and West, including Brahmins, Buddha, Wordsworth, and Oakfield, on epiphanic mountains. The novel celebrates the potential for Western enlightenment discovered in the Himalayas, but also warns Britain that the colonizing effort is responsible for the loss of England’s best and brightest.
Sleep Disturbances and Risk of Falls in Older Community-Dwelling Men: The Outcomes of Sleep Disorders in Older Men (MrOS Sleep) Study

OBJECTIVES: To test the hypothesis that subjective and objective sleep disturbances are associated with risk of incident falls in older men. DESIGN: The prospective observational MrOS Sleep Study. SETTING: Six academic clinical centers in the United States. PARTICIPANTS: Community-dwelling men aged 67 and older (mean 76) (n = 3,101). MEASUREMENTS: Subjective sleep measurements included daytime sleepiness (Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS)), sleep quality (Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI)), and total sleep time (TST). Objective sleep measurements included actigraphic TST and sleep efficiency (an index of fragmentation) and sleep disordered breathing (measured using in-home polysomnography). Fall frequency during the subsequent year was ascertained three times per year using questionnaires. Recurrent falling was defined as having two or more falls in the subsequent year. RESULTS: In multivariable-adjusted models, participants with excessive daytime sleepiness (ESS > 10) but not poor subjective sleep quality (PSQI > 5) had greater odds of experiencing two or more falls in the subsequent year (odds ratio (OR) = 1.52 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.14-2.03). Based on actigraphic recordings, the odds of having recurrent falls was higher for men who slept 5 hours or less (OR = 1.79, 95% CI = 1.22-2.60) than for those who slept 7 to 8 hours. Actigraphically measured sleep efficiency was also associated with greater risk of falls, as was nocturnal hypoxemia (≥10% of sleep time with arterial oxygen saturation Language: en
Analysis of zero-adjusted count data

Abstract In this paper a zero adjusted discrete model is developed. Such a situation arises when the proportion of zeros in the data is higher (lower) than that predicted by the original model. The effect of such an adjustment is studied. The failure rates and the survival functions of the adjusted and the non-adjusted models are compared. The relative error incurred by ignoring the adjustment is studied and it is shown that the relative error is a decreasing function of the count. An adjusted generalized Poisson distribution is studied and the three parameters of this model are estimated by the maximum likelihood method. Finally, two examples are presented. In both the examples, it is shown that the zero adjusted generlized Poisson distribution fits very well and the estimates of the parameters are obtained by simple and straight-forward methods.
Rockwell 135-Mbit/sec lightwave system

This new 135-Mbit/sec lightwave system for medium density application includes state-of-the-art advances in nearly every area of design. All optical components are contained in hermetically sealed hybrid enclosures and are temperature controlled using thermoelectric heat pumps. ECL semicustom gate arrays are used for high-speed digital design to improve performance while reducing power dissipation and cost. Lightwave system gain is also maximized by a patented decision-directed feedback equalizer that compensates tor bandwidth reduction in the optical fiber.
Fouling one's own nest revisited

Transport of Hazards from the workplace to the home by workers is a previously recognized but poorly addressed public health problem. Particularly disturbing are the childhood intoxications which may result from such paraoccupational exposure. Work clothes and shoes appear to be a common vehicle for hazard transport in recently reported cases as they were in the past, although other “markers” for potential paraoccupational exposure may be derived from case reviews. These include: poor workplace hygiene, occupational intoxications in adult workers, and the “cottage industry” phenomenon. These markers are reviewed in the context of recently reported cases and strategies are suggested to mitigate these easily preventable exposures. © 1993 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
CONSTRUCT VALIDITY OF THE MATHEMATICS ATTITUDE SCALE

A factor analysis of 273 university students' responses to the Mathematics Attitudes Scale was conducted. Four factors (Motivation and Enjoyment, Freedom of Fear, Importance, and Residual Enjoyment) accounted for 59.5% of the total variance. Of the 24 items, 16 loaded on the first factor which accounted for 40.8% of the total variance. The scale was viewed as more unidimensional than multidimensional for the group examined.
THE NEUTRALITY OF RIGHTNESS AND THE INDEXICALITY OF GOODNESS : BEYOND OBJECTIVITY AND BACK AGAIN

My purpose in the present paper is two-fold: to provide a theoretical framework for understanding the difference between rightness and virtue; and to systematically account for the role of objective rightness in an individual person's decision making. I argue that a decision to do something virtuous differs from a decision to do what's right not simply, as is often supposed, in being motivated differently but, rather, in being taken from a different point of view. My argument to that effect is the following. The ‘objectively right’ course of action must be right, ‘neutrally’ speaking, that is right for each of the participants in a given situation: if it is right for you to do A, then it cannot, at the same time, be right for me to prevent you from doing A. But the latter is precisely how things work with virtuous action: for instance, it may be virtuous of you to assume responsibility for my blunder, but it isn't virtuous of me to let you do so. I maintain, on this basis, that, while objectivity does have normative force in moral decision-making, the objective viewpoint is not, typically, the viewpoint from which decisions to act virtuously are taken. I then offer an account of objectivity's constraining power.
Nationalizing states in the old ‘New Europe’ – and the new

Abstract The literature on nationalism as a form of politics has focused on polity‐seeking (or polity‐upgrading) nationalist movements, paying much less attention to the nationalization of existing polities. This article reverses the emphasis. It develops a framework for the analysis of ‘nationalizing states’. These are states that are conceived by their dominant elites as nation‐states, as the states of and for particular nations, yet as ‘incomplete’ or ‘unrealized’ nation‐states, as insufficiently ‘national’ in a variety of senses. Almost all of the twenty‐odd new states of post‐communist Eurasia are nationalizing states in this sense. Without directly analysing developments in these incipient states ‐ a difficult task when so much is still in flux – this article seeks to develop a way of thinking about the projects and processes of ‘nationalization’ that are already observable in the new states, and that are likely to continue to play a key role in the coming years. It does so by way of a sustained exa...
Stress increases aversive prediction error signal in the ventral striatum

From job interviews to the heat of battle, it is evident that people think and learn differently when stressed. In fact, learning under stress may have long-term consequences; stress facilitates aversive conditioning and associations learned during extreme stress may result in debilitating emotional responses in posttraumatic stress disorder. The mechanisms underpinning such stress-related associations, however, are unknown. Computational neuroscience has successfully characterized several mechanisms critical for associative learning under normative conditions. One such mechanism, the detection of a mismatch between expected and observed outcomes within the ventral striatum (i.e., “prediction errors”), is thought to be a critical precursor to the formation of new stimulus–outcome associations. An untested possibility, therefore, is that stress may affect learning via modulation of this mechanism. Here we combine a translational model of stress with a cognitive neuroimaging paradigm to demonstrate that stress significantly increases ventral striatum aversive (but not appetitive) prediction error signal. This provides a unique account of the propensity to form threat-related associations under stress with direct implications for our understanding of both normal stress and stress-related disorders.
Antisense expression of the human pro-melanin-concentrating hormone genes.

Expression of transcripts for human pro-melanin concentrating hormone (pMCH) were studied in the hypothalamus, the primary location for pMCH producing cells in the mammalian CNS. Human hypothalamic tissue was extracted for total RNA and the cDNA generated with reverse transcriptase (RT). PCR amplification with primers spanning exons 2 and 3 of the pMCH human-variant genes (pMCHL), yielded an unspliced product, confirming prior work [T.B. Campbell, C.K. McDonald, M. Hagen, The effect of structure in a long target RNA on ribozyme cleavage efficiency, Nucleic Acids Res. 25 (1997) 4985-4993]. In addition, this product was shown to be exclusively antisense, and to be derived from the 5p (pMCHL1), not the 5q (pMCHL2) locus. Thus, there is no evidence that the MCH peptide-precursor molecule is produced in the brain by the human-variant pMCHL loci. In contrast, corresponding RT-PCR for pMCH RNA generated by the locus on 12q, demonstrated the presence of both sense and antisense spliced RNA. Partial sequencing of the spliced product confirmed that production of at least the two C-terminal peptides would occur from the 12q pMCH locus. The significance of the findings for pMCH and pMCHL1 are discussed relative to what is known about the function of endogenous antisense RNA.
Laplacian electrocardiograms with active electrodes

Laplacian electrocardiograms (ECG) were acquired with excellent signal to noise ratio (SNR). The signal locates the moment of activation (MOA) at an electrode site from the surface of the chest. A tripolar concentric ring electrode provides a small but well-defined localized signal with high common mode rejection (CMR). The active amplifier mounted on the electrode is powered by two on-board lithium batteries. The amplifier has high CMR ratio (CMRR) and 10 G/spl Omega/ input impedance. Frequency response is from 5 Hz to 500 Hz. Time shift changes were observed in one subject with bigeminal rhythm.
Potential Paddy Rice Yields for Rainfed and Irrigated Agriculture in China and Korea

Abstract YIELD, a water-balance and crop-yield model that calculates production and water consumption variables for a variety of major crops, was applied specifically for wetland rice to China and Korea in order to estimate the region's potential and actual yields for irrigated and rainfed rice production. A network of 241 stations provided the climatic data averaged over approximately a 25-year period. Highest potential yields under full irrigation for a single rice crop occurred in Kansu-Niangsia, the Yangtze River plain, Yunnan-Szechwan-Kweichow, coastal China and Korea, and the islands of Hainan and Taiwan. The yields ranged from 6,000 to 10,000 kg/ha. Smallest yields were found for the western interior and the northeast. In areas where multiple cropping was possible, total yields exceeded 16,000 kg/ha in the south. Under rainfed conditions, only the central and southern China region retained a viable production. In order to achieve optimum crop yields, about 1.000 mm of irrigation water was needed in...
Real-time Health Monitoring of Mechanical Structures

The paper presents development and experimental validation of a real-time health monitoring and nondestructive evaluation (NDE) method for residual life prediction of ductile-alloy structures. Application areas include fatigue crack damage in mechanical structures such as those in aircraft, surface ship, submarines, civil infrastructures, and power plants. The technical approach relies on fusion of heterogeneous information derived from physics-based models of fatigue damage and real-time sensor data. This ultrasonic-sensor-based NDE method requires theoretical formulation and experimental validation: (i) a stochastic damage model under fatigue crack initiation and propagation; and (ii) filter algorithms for on-line damage estimation and remaining life. The analytical part of the work is supported by laboratory experimentation on a special-purpose fatigue test apparatus that is equipped with computer-based ultrasonic, optical, and mechanical sensing devices.
Demography: An Enhancement of Marketing Decisions

While demographic methods and population trends receive some attention in most marketing curricula, the full value of this body of knowledge is almost never incorporated. Given the decision making and strategic planning orientation of marketing as a discipline, the inclusion of a demographic perspective is needed if better decisions are to be made. An integrated approach for including a more extensive demographic perspective in a marketing curriculum is presented.
A generalized solution scheme for integral equations

In this work we have presented a generalization of the standard method of moments scheme to solve integral equations. Error bounds have been derived to show that the error in using a partition of unity scheme is controlled by the local error in the approximating function. We have, shown two-dimensional examples that it may be possible to take away the burden of modeling the singular nature of the current away from the fine-ness of the discretization and lay it on the choice of the basis function. We have thereby allowed for the inclusion of as much of the physics of the problem as possible, hopefully resulting in more accurate solutions in a wide variety of cases. Some examples of implementation of the method have been presented to demonstrate the h and p convergence of the method. Implementations on more realistic problems, involving a wide variety of geometries, including a three dimensional ogive will be presented at the conference.
An Investigation of Wind-Shear Models and Experimental Data Trends for Different Terrains

The importance of characterizing the wind-shear at a given site for a utility-scale wind turbine cannot be overemphasized. Such characterization is needed for an accurate prediction of its power output. Thus, the objective of this work based on the use of several US tall tower wind data sets was to determine the accuracies of different wind-shear enumeration methods, especially when used at sites having hills and/or forests. In addition, average wind-shear variations with respect seasonal and annual effects and data length are presented for various long data sets, recorded to between 1995 and 2005. Wind direction and atmospheric stability were not a factor in the analysis. At some of the sites the greatest average wind-shear was found during the summer. For the site with the most complex terrain, the average annual all-direction wind-shear varied by up to 7% between different years; this was partly due to year-to-year variations of the direction distribution. There was found to be no significant differenc...
The Episodic Memory System: Neurocircuitry and Disorders

The ability to encode and retrieve our daily personal experiences, called episodic memory, is supported by the circuitry of the medial temporal lobe (MTL), including the hippocampus, which interacts extensively with a number of specific distributed cortical and subcortical structures. In both animals and humans, evidence from anatomical, neuropsychological, and physiological studies indicates that cortical components of this system have key functions in several aspects of perception and cognition, whereas the MTL structures mediate the organization and persistence of the network of memories whose details are stored in those cortical areas. Structures within the MTL, and particularly the hippocampus, have distinct functions in combining information from multiple cortical streams, supporting our ability to encode and retrieve details of events that compose episodic memories. Conversely, selective damage in the hippocampus, MTL, and other structures of the large-scale memory system, or deterioration of these areas in several diseases and disorders, compromises episodic memory. A growing body of evidence is converging on a functional organization of the cortical, subcortical, and MTL structures that support the fundamental features of episodic memory in humans and animals.
Studies on Steroid Conjugates; III. Separation of Conjugated Steroids by Means of High Voltage Paper Electrophoresis1

Recent demonstration by us of a consistent presence of solvolyzable (presumably sulfate) conjugated corticosteroids in human plasma stimulated search for a reproducible technique for the separation of various groups of steroid conjugates. It was found that a very distinct, quick and reproducible separation of steroid glucuronides from steroid sulfates, as well as steroid monosulfates from disulfates, and monoglucuronides from diglucuronides can be achieved with the aid of high voltage (H.V.) paper electrophoresis. Runs were carried out on Whatman No. 3 MM filter paper in an Ensco H.V. electrophoresis chamber, installed in a cold room (+ 4 C). The separated steroids were located by color spot tests. Mixtures of various conjugates of C18, C19 and C21 steroids were rapidly resolved, with an excellent reproducibility. With the technique developed it was possible to separate dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) glucuronide from DHEA sulfate during a 90-min run in a pyridine-formic-acetic acid buffer (pH 2.2) at 2,000...
Experiments on the Toxicity of the Calcium Salt of Penicillin.

ConclusionSatisfactorily purified Ca-salt of penicillin is not more toxic for man and mice than its Na-salt.
Integrating Advanced Practice Providers Into Medical Critical Care Teams

Because there is increasing demand for critical care providers in the United States, many medical ICUs for adults have begun to integrate nurse practitioners and physician assistants into their medical teams. Studies suggest that such advanced practice providers (APPs), when appropriately trained in acute care, can be highly effective in helping to deliver high-quality medical critical care and can be important elements of teams with multiple providers, including those with medical house staff. One aspect of building an integrated team is a practice model that features appropriate coding and billing of services by all providers. Therefore, it is important to understand an APP's scope of practice, when they are qualified for reimbursement, and how they may appropriately coordinate coding and billing with other team providers. In particular, understanding when and how to appropriately code for critical care services (Current Procedural Terminology [CPT] code 99291, critical care, evaluation and management of the critically ill or critically injured patient, first 30-74 min; CPT code 99292, critical care, each additional 30 min) and procedures is vital for creating a sustainable program. Because APPs will likely play a growing role in medical critical care units in the future, more studies are needed to compare different practice models and to determine the best way to deploy this talent in specific ICU settings.
Reading and Questioning in Content Area Lessons.

This paper reports the results of an analysis of 12 fourth-grade science and social studies lessons in which a textbook was used as a focus of instruction. The purpose was to determine how the textbook was used by teachers and students and, in particular, what kinds of questions the teachers asked during the textbook-based lessons. The results replicate and extend several findings from previous research. First, even when textbooks were used during instruction, students did not do very much reading, and the reading they did was round robin oral reading. Second, the teachers asked a large number of questions. Third, very few of these questions came from textbooks; rather, the teachers made up about 90% of their own questions. Finally, only about one-fourth of the questions asked were about the text segments currently being read and, of those questions, text explicit questions outnumbered text implicit questions two to one. Also of interest were the large number of question repetitions and rhetorical questions (questions that did not appear to elicit a response). Students have difficulty understanding and learning from informational text. A recent summary of findings from the National Assessment of Educational Progress (Applebee, Langer, & Mullis, 1989) includes this dismal conclusion about the reading ability of American students:
Vocal cord paralysis after aortic surgery.

Objective The purpose of this study was to investigate variables associated with vocal cord paralysis during complex aortic procedures. Design A retrospective review. Setting A tertiary care center. Participants Four hundred ninety-eight patients who underwent aortic surgery between 2002 and 2007. Methods Two groups were studied. Group A patients had procedures only involving their aortic root and/or ascending aorta. Group B patients had procedures only involving their aortic arch and/or descending aorta. Results The incidence of vocal cord paralysis was higher (7.26% v 0.8%) in group B patients (p Conclusions Increasing duration of cardiopulmonary bypass time was associated with a higher risk of vocal cord paralysis in patients undergoing aortic surgery. Additionally, within group B patients, descending aortic aneurysm was an independent risk factor associated with vocal cord paralysis. Most importantly, vocal cord paralysis appeared to have an association between an increased length of stay and tracheostomy among a select group of patients undergoing aortic surgery.
Ganglion Impar Block: Critical Evaluation

Abstract Visceral pain that affects the distal structures of the pelvis can be treated by blocking the nerve fibers at the level of the ganglion impar. Two basic approaches, through the anococcygeal ligament and the transsacrococcygeal approach, have been described with some variations. Neurolysis can be performed either with 6% phenol or cryoablation. Published results are few: 2 studies totaling 36 patients showed good efficacy for visceral perineal pain, whereas 1 study with 20 patients showed no efficacy for coccygodynia. There are no reported complications. Copyright © 2001 by W.B. Saunders Company
Peptide-mediated targeting of the islets of langerhans

Strategies for restoring beta-cell function in diabetic patients would be greatly aided by the ability to target genes, proteins, or small molecules specifically to these cells. Furthermore, the ability to direct imaging agents specifically to beta-cells would facilitate diagnosis and monitoring of disease progression. To isolate ligands that can home to beta-cells in vivo, we have panned a random phage-displayed 20-mer peptide library on freshly isolated rat islets. We have isolated two 20-mer peptides that bind to islets ex vivo. One of these peptides preferentially homes to the islets of Langerhans in a normal rat with clear differentiation between the endocrine and exocrine cells of the pancreas. Furthermore, this peptide does not target beta-cells in a type 2 diabetes animal model, suggesting that the peptide can discriminate between glucose-stimulated insulin secretion-functional and -dysfunctional beta-cells.
Fermilab Energy Saver Refrigeration System Tests

The Energy Saver Refrigeration System is based on the concept of a central helium liquefier (5000 l/hr) providing liquid to 24 satellite refrigerators (966 W at 4.6/degree/K), which operate as amplifiers with a gain of 12. This concept was tested, cooling two 125 m long strings of superconducting magnets. The test was run using one satellite refrigerator operating as the ''central liquefier'', shipping liquid helium through a 250 m long transfer line to a second satellite refrigerator, which in turn cooled the magnets. In addition to testing the satellite concept, the heat loads of the magnets and transfer line were also measured. 3 refs.
Findings and Theory in the Study of Fear Communications

Publisher Summary This chapter reviews the empirical results and theoretical underpinnings of studies of fear arousing communications. It focuses on the interrelationship of emotional and instrumental behavior. The chapter presents an overview of the key components of fear communication experiments and introduces the two major theoretical paradigms that can be used to interpret the findings. The first and historically most important of the paradigms is the fear drive model, a variant of the classic drive reduction model used in many animal learning studies. It assumes that the emotional response of fear functions as a drive that mediates belief change and behavior change. The second paradigm was suggested by the experimental data. This model assumes that the communication produces both persuasion and fear; fear does not cause persuasion. The chapter reviews the evidence regarding interactions between the level of fear elicited by the communication and other factors such as personality variables and recommendation effectiveness. It reveals that the outcomes are often influenced by complex contingencies. But despite the complexity, serious effort has been made to identify empirical regularities and presents a theoretical model to provide conceptual integration.
Significance analysis of lexical bias in microarray data

Genes that are determined to be significantly differentially regulated in microarray analyses often appear to have functional commonalities, such as being components of the same biochemical pathway. This results in certain words being under- or overrepresented in the list of genes. Distinguishing between biologically meaningful trends and artifacts of annotation and analysis procedures is of the utmost importance, as only true biological trends are of interest for further experimentation. A number of sophisticated methods for identification of significant lexical trends are currently available, but these methods are generally too cumbersome for practical use by most microarray users. We have developed a tool, LACK, for calculating the statistical significance of apparent lexical bias in microarray datasets. The frequency of a user-specified list of search terms in a list of genes which are differentially regulated is assessed for statistical significance by comparison to randomly generated datasets. The simplicity of the input files and user interface targets the average microarray user who wishes to have a statistical measure of apparent lexical trends in analyzed datasets without the need for bioinformatics skills. The software is available as Perl source or a Windows executable. We have used LACK in our laboratory to generate biological hypotheses based on our microarray data. We demonstrate the program's utility using an example in which we confirm significant upregulation of SPI-2 pathogenicity island of Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium by the cation chelator dipyridyl.