cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Genome-scale models of microbial cells: evaluating the consequences of constraints

Microbial cells operate under governing constraints that limit their range of possible functions. With the availability of annotated genome sequences, it has become possible to reconstruct genome-scale biochemical reaction networks for microorganisms. The imposition of governing constraints on a reconstructed biochemical network leads to the definition of achievable cellular functions. In recent years, a substantial and growing toolbox of computational analysis methods has been developed to study the characteristics and capabilities of microorganisms using a constraint-based reconstruction and analysis (COBRA) approach. This approach provides a biochemically and genetically consistent framework for the generation of hypotheses and the testing of functions of microbial cells.
A STUDY OF THE STYLE AND STIGMA, WITH REFERENCE TO THE NATURE OF THE CARPEL

EVJER SINCE the appearance of Goethe's essay on the " Metamorphosis of Plants " in 1790, the nature of the carpel has been a leading subject of discussion among botanists. Linked as it is with the question of the origin of the angiosperms, an understanding of the carpel is needed in the construction of a natural system of plant classification. The carpel was at first studied in its external form (the method of organography), but following the classical work of Van Tieghem ( 1875), investigation has centered on its vascular anatomy. It has been found that ancestral conditions of structure, long since lost to external view, may often be represented by a lingering vascular supply. Plant vascular tissue, like the skeleton of animals, is slow to change. Only the fossil remains themselves can show more, and well authenticated proto-angiosperm fossils are yet to be found. In previous anatomical studies of the carpel, comparatively little consideration has been given to the style and stigma. Excepting the conclusions of Brown (1866), the studies of style and stigma bore little morphological import until recent years. The subject was re-opened when Saunders (1925-1934, 19281931) urged a new explanation for the commissural stigmas described by Brown. This was in connection with the theory of carpel polymorphism. Although that theory in itself has only clouded the issue (Eames, 1931), at least the attention thereby called to the stigma has served to suggest this new line of attack upon the problem of the carpel. DIsCITSSION.The "classical theory" (as it is often termed in current literature) of the origin of the carpel is that it was derived from an infolded foliage leaf (fig. 1) 2 This explanation is generally
On SGn of orders

Abstract The main result of the paper is: If R is a Dedekind domain with field of fractions K, and M is an R-order in a separable K-algebra A, then, under certain conditions on R and M, SGn(M) = ker(Gn(M) → Gn(A)) = 0 for all n⩾ 1. In particular, this theorem applies to the integral group ring of a finite group G. If M is regular, e.g., if M is maximal, then SKn(M) = 0.
Convergence of nonlinear massive quantum field theory in the Einstein universe.

Abstract We treat as prototype for four-dimensional nonlinear quantum field theories the gϕ q theory in the Einstein Universe E = R 1 × S 3 . The underlying free system is defined by the Klein-Gordon equation in E. We show rigorously, without the intervention of any cutoffs or perturbative renormalizations, that the interaction and total hamiltonians are self-adjoint operators in the free field Hilbert space that depend continuously on g . The boundary condition that the interacting field is asymptotically free in the infinite past is rigorously implemented, and a unitary S -matrix of Yang-Feldman type is given a finite expression. Our formalism agrees with that of conventional relativistic theory within terms of order 1 R , where R is the cosmic distance scale (radius of S 3 ) in laboratory units and 10 40 fm. Any mass packet in Minkowski space extends covariantly to the ambient Einstein Universe. The microscopic relevance of cosmic effects is discussed; e.g., Einstein gravity produces an effective cutoff of order 10 37 Gev on the energy of massive particle.
Competition, predation and natural selection in island lizards.

Arising from R. Calsbeek & R. M. Cox , 613–616 (2010)10.1038/nature09020 ; Calsbeek and Cox reply Discerning the relative influence of competition and predation as selective forces is an important goal of evolutionary ecology. Calsbeek and Cox1 argue that intraspecific competition outweighs predation as an agent of natural selection on island populations of the lizard Anolis sagrei. However, we identify several problems with the design and analysis of the Calsbeek and Cox1 study that we believe render its results uninterpretable.
Human Monocyte Interleukin-1β Posttranslational Processing: EVIDENCE OF A VOLUME-REGULATED RESPONSE

Interleukin (IL)-1β produced by monocytes and macrophages is not released via the normal secretory apparatus, and prior to its release, this cytokine must be proteolytically processed to generate a mature biologically active species. Biochemical mechanisms that regulate these posttranslational steps are not well understood. Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) is a poor activator of IL-1 posttranslational processing despite serving as a potent inducer of IL-1 synthesis. For example, freshly isolated human monocytes treated with LPS released
Martingale problems for large deviations of Markov processes

Abstract The martingale problems provide a powerful tool for characterizing Markov processes, especially in addressing convergence issues. For each n, let metric space E-valued process Xn be a solution of the A n martingale problems (i.e. f(X n (t))−f(X n (0))− ∫ 0 t A n f(X n (s)) d s is a martingale), the convergence of A n f→ A f in some sense usually implies the weak convergence of Xn⇒X, where X is some process characterized by A . Our goal here is to establish similar results for another type of limit theorem – large deviations: defining H n f= e −f A n e f , then exp f(X n (t))−f(X n (0))− ∫ 0 t H n f(X n (s)) d s is a martingale. We prove that the convergence of nonlinear operators 1 n H n (nf)→ H f implies the large deviation principle for the Xns, where the rate function is characterized by a nonlinear transformation L of H . Furthermore, a ‘running cost’ interpretation from control theory can be given to this function. The main assumption is a regularity condition on H in the sense that for each f 0 ∈ D ( H ) , bounded viscosity solution of −∂ t u(t,x)+( H u(t,·))(x)=0; u(0,x)=f 0 (x) is unique. This paper considers processes in CE[0,T].
Blood Products, Volume Control, and Renal Support in the Coagulopathy of Liver Disease

Plasma-based products are commonly used in patients who have chronic liver disease to treat perceived coagulopathy despite unproven efficacy and potentially severe risks, such as transfusion-related acute lung injury, which carries a high mortality rate. Moreover, volume expansion may acutely worsen portal hypertension and increase bleeding from the collateral portal vascular bed. Although factor replacement therapy may be warranted in selected situations, its use should be restricted because of the limitations of target tests, such as international normalized ratio, which poorly reflects presence of bleeding diatheses in patients who have cirrhosis. Renal replacement therapies are frequent adjuncts in patients who have cirrhosis and are acutely decompensated, and may correct uremia-related bleeding diathesis and assist in controlling vascular volume, although they are generally limited to use as a bridge to liver transplantation. Novel extracorporeal therapies are emerging and may also have significant interaction with the hemostatic system. Volume contraction and blood conservation therapies are relatively new and promising approaches to reduce use of blood products in liver transplantation.
Oral cobalamin for pernicious anemia: back from the verge of extinction.

BACKGROUND: High dose oral cobalamin therapy was shown to be effective for pernicious anemia and other cobalamin deficiency states 30 years ago, and physicians and patients state that they would find oral therapy useful, but a survey conducted in 1989 found that physicians were generally unaware of it. OBJECTIVE: To assess physician awareness and use of oral cobalamin since 1989. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: Minneapolis area internists not listed as having subspecialties or academic business addresses were surveyed in 1989 and in 1996. MEASUREMENTS AND RESULTS: There were 245 responses to the 1989 survey and 223 responses to the 1996 survey for response rates of 68% and 69%, respectively. The percentage of internists who ever used oral cobalamin to treat pernicious anemia increased from 0 in 1989 to 19% in 1996 (P < .001). The percentage who were aware of an effective oral cobalamin preparation for treating cobalamin deficiency states also increased significantly from 4 to 29% (P < .001). The percentage of internists who agreed with the incorrect view that sufficient quantities of cobalamin cannot be absorbed when given orally declined from 91% in 1989 to 71% in 1996 (P < .001). CONCLUSION: /b Minneapolis internists' awareness and use of oral cobalamin treatment for pernicious anemia increased substantially between 1989 and 1996, but the majority of internists remained unaware of this treatment option.
Global temperature monitoring from space

Global and regional temperature variations in the lower troposphere and lower stratosphere are examined for the period 1979-92 from Microwave Sounder Unit (MSU) data obtained by the Television Infrared Observation Satellite (TIROS)-N series of National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) operational satellites. In the lower troposphere, globally-averaged temperature variations appear to be dominated by tropical El Nino (warm) and La Nina (cool) events and volcanic eruptions. The Pinatubo volcanic eruption in June 1991 appears to have initiated a cooling trend which persisted through the most recent data analyzed (July, 1992), and largely overwhelmed the warming from the 1991-92 El Nino. The cooling has been stronger in the Northern Hemisphere than in the Southern Hemisphere. The temperature trend over the 13.5 year satellite record is small (+0.03 C) compared to the year-to-year variability (0.2-0.4 C), making detection of any global warming signal fruitless to date. However, the future global warming trend, currently predicted to be around 0.3 C/decade, will be much easier to discern should it develop. The lower stratospheric temperature record is dominated by warm episodes from the Pinatubo eruption and the March 1982 eruption of El Chichon volcano.
ROOM TEMPERATURE THREE‐DIMENSIONAL PHOTOELASTIC MODEL STUDY OF A COMPLEX AIRFRAME COMPONENT

The use of optically isolated layers within a complex three-dimensional model permits a photoelastic analysis in their planes at room temperatures. A programme was undertaken to determine experimentally the state of stress in, and the structural behaviour of a portion of the aft bulkhead of an Fill aircraft in order to improve the fatigue life of the component. Information obtained about its behaviour under load clearly indicates the usefulness of this technique as a design tool; its general advantages and disadvantages are discussed by comparison with the stress freezing and slicing technique.
SU-E-J-212: Identifying Bones From MRI: A Dictionary Learnign and Sparse Regression Approach.

Purpose: To develop an efficient and robust scheme to identify bony anatomy based on MRI-only simulation images. Methods: MRI offers important soft tissue contrast and functional information, yet its lack of correlation to electron-density has placed it as an auxiliary modality to CT in radiotherapy simulation and adaptation. An effective scheme to identify bony anatomy is an important first step towards MR-only simulation/treatment paradigm and would satisfy most practical purposes. We utilize a UTE acquisition sequence to achieve visibility of the bone. By contrast to manual + bulk or registration-to identify bones, we propose a novel learning-based approach for improved robustness to MR artefacts and environmental changes. Specifically, local information is encoded with MR image patch, and the corresponding label is extracted (during training) from simulation CT aligned to the UTE. Within each class (bone vs. nonbone), an overcomplete dictionary is learned so that typical patches within the proper class can be represented as a sparse combination of the dictionary entries. For testing, an acquired UTE-MRI is divided to patches using a sliding scheme, where each patch is sparsely regressed against both bone and nonbone dictionaries, and subsequently claimed to be associated with the class with the smaller residual. Results: The proposed method has been applied to the pilot site of brain imaging and it has showed general good performance, with dice similarity coefficient of greater than 0.9 in a crossvalidation study using 4 datasets. Importantly, it is robust towards consistent foreign objects (e.g., headset) and the artefacts relates to Gibbs and field heterogeneity. Conclusion: A learning perspective has been developed for inferring bone structures based on UTE MRI. The imaging setting is subject to minimal motion effects and the post-processing is efficient. The improved efficiency and robustness enables a first translation to MR-only routine. The scheme generalizes to multiple tissue classes.
Large-scale near-duplicate image retrieval by kernel density estimation

Bag-of-words model is one of the most widely used methods in the recent studies of multimedia data retrieval. The key idea of the bag-of-words model is to quantize the bag of local features, for example SIFT, to a histogram of visual words and then standard information retrieval technologies developed from text retrieval can be applied directly. Despite its success, one problem of the bag-of-words model is that the two key steps, i.e., feature quantization and retrieval, are separated. In other words, the step of generating bag-of-words representation is not optimized for the step of retrieval which often leads to a sub-optimal performance. In this paper we propose a statistical framework for large-scale near-duplication image retrieval which unifies the two steps by introducing kernel density function. The central idea of the proposed method is to represent each image by a kernel density function and the similarity between the query image and a database image is then estimated as the query likelihood. In order to make the proposed method applicable to large-scale data sets, we have developed efficient algorithms for both estimating the density function of each image and computing the query likelihood. Our empirical studies confirm that the proposed method is not only more effective but also more efficient than the bag-of-words model.
Vortex grinding for mechanochemistry: application for automated supramolecular catalysis and preparation of a metal–organic framework

An automated grinding method based on a vortex mixer has been developed. The method enables simultaneous grinding and UV-irradiation, as well as in situ monitoring of solid-state reactivity. The method has been applied to a cocrystallization, supramolecular catalysis, and the preparation of a metal–organic framework.
A method for spatial analysis of risk in a population-based case-control study.

Abstract Spatial distributions of disease occurrence and risk have traditionally served as a tool for identifying exposures of public health concern. Current software for manipulating geographic data (GIS) now allows many kinds of analyses not feasible before. This paper presents a method for producing a “picture” of disease risks based on residential history data from a population based case-control study. We illustrate the method using geographically coded data on individual-level risk factors, such as age and smoking, from a cancer study of the Upper Cape Cod region of Massachusetts for 1983 – 1986. Our results show the association between lung cancer and residential location as an indicator of exposure. Crude and adjusted odds ratios were estimated by adaptive rate stabilization and mapped using kriging as an interpolation method to examine the risk of lung cancer in the region. The crude and adjusted surfaces for various smoothing parameters were compared to identify areas of increased lung cancer not explained by standard risk factors. Such spatial patterns of disease risk may provide clues to exposures of importance or confirm associations with previously suspected exposures.
Partial and complete de Toni-Debré-Fanconi syndrome after ifosfamide chemotherapy of childhood malignancy.

Ten out of 79 patients treated with ifosfamide (IFO) developed a complete (n = 2) or partial (n = 8) de Toni-Debre-Fanconi syndrome (RFS). All but one of these patients had been treated in addition with cisplatinum (CPL) or had undergone radiotherapy to the abdomen or nephrectomy as part of the overall treatment for malignancy.
Mechanism of fragmentation of organic molecules during keV particle bombardment

Abstract A simplified scheme is presented to distinguish between surface and gas-phase fragmentation of molecular ions in SIMS or FABMS experiments. The scheme is based on the measurement of the polar angle distribution of ejected parent and daughter cluster-ions and is derived from straightforward considerations of classical mechanics. Examples are given for chlorobenzene, benzene and pyridine adsorbed onto Ag(111) at 153 K.
In Vitro Evaluation of a Series of N-Dodecanoyl-l-Amino Acid Methyl Esters as Dermal Penetration Enhancers

A series of N-dodecanoyl-L-amino acid methyl esters (1–10) and n-pentyl N-acetylprolinate (11) were evaluated for dermal enhancement properties using an in vitro diffusion cell technique. Methods of synthesis of these compounds were described. Enhancers were applied 1 h prior to drug treatment. Hydrocortisone was used as the model drug and was applied to excised hairless mouse skin as a saturated suspension in propylene glycol. Enhancement ratios (ER) were determined for permeability coefficient, 24 h diffusion cell receptor concentration (Q24), and 24 h full-thickness skin steroid content. Controls received no enhancer pretreatment of the skin. N-Dodecanoyl-L-proline (10) showed the highest Q24 value for total steroid (ER 13.7) while N-dodecanoyl-L-phenylalanine (5) showed the highest total steroid skin retention (ER 16.5).
Sialic acids and sialyltransferases in murine lymphoid cells: indicators of T cell maturation.

The sialic acid content and the sialytransferase activity of murine lymphoid cells of different types (thymocytes, hydrocortisone-resistant thymocytes, T Cells, B cells, and macrophages) were determined. Thymocytes contained the lowest amount of sialic acid and macrophages the highest. Hydrocortisone-resistant thymocytes, T cells, and B cells contained similar amounts. The sialytransferase activity of thymocytes, hydrocortisone-resistant thymocytes, and T cells paralleled their sialic acid content. The high levels of sialic acid and transferase activity in hydrocortisone-resistant thymocytes and T cells suggest that the expression of this enzyme may be an important event in the differentiation of T cells. In contrast to recent suggestions, the data obtained also indicate that there is no clear-cut relationship between sialic acid content and the electrophoretic mobility of lymphoid cells.
Supplemental Data on the Correlation of Infrared Absorption Spectra and the Chemical Composition of Alkali Feldspars

As part of a continuing study concerning the petrologic significance of selected rock forming minerals, approximately 50 alkali feldspars were obtained from co-workers and commercial establishments and were subjected to ir absorption analyses (wave-number range, 1200–300 cm−1). This was done soon after the author had completed a reconnaissance study on selected gneisses and granites of New England, in which an approximately equal number of alkali feldspars were analyzed in a similar manner. In that study, it was noted that systematic variations in the ir spectra did occur in the region beyond that studied by Laves and Hafner, specifically within the region 600–300 cm−1. (In addition, it has been pointed out to the author that albite has been investigated in the 635–85 cm−1 region.)
Poison Formation upon the Dissociative Adsorption of Formic Acid on Bismuth-Modified Stepped Platinum Electrodes

The amount of poison formed and oxidatively desorbed upon the dissociative adsorption of formic acid on bismuth-modified Pt[n(111) × 100 and 110] electrodes has been investigated and found to decre...
APL-based on-line retrieval of financial data

Abstract FACTS is an APL-based interactive on-line system used for retrieval of budget and accounting data. The system provides selective retrieval and manipulation of financial data for management in a development laboratory. The terms “teilnehmer” and “teilhaber” are defined and it is argued that use of a teilnehmer system, such as APL, can considerably reduce the programming and monitary investment for information science systems applications. A brief discussion of APL's text editing facilities is also included to introduce this relatively unknown language to information scientists.
Associability of CVC-word pairs and its relation to list difficulty

Previous data showed that two lists, constructed of seemingly homogeneous materials, were not equivalent. It was hypothesized that the reason for the difference lay in the Associability (AS) of the pairs used in the lists. In this study, AS was determined by the proportion of 50 Ss giving an associative aid to link a pair within 15-sec. The two lists differed significantly in mean AS value and the correlation between AS and errors in learning (previous data) was -.64, confirming the hypothesis.
Quantitative Research in Proxemic Behavior1

Proxemics is the study of how man structures microspace, how he relates physically to other persons with whom he is interacting, and what is communicated by these physical relationships. Edward Hall, who coined the term “proxemics” and devised a system of notation for recording proxemic behavior, reports many impressionistic observations on Arab and American proxemic differences. To test these hypotheses systematically, 32 Arab and American college students were observed under controlled conditions and their proxemic behavior recorded. The Arabs and Americans were found to differ significantly in proxemic behavior, the Arabs interacting with each other closer and more directly than Americans, as hypothesized.
Robotic Observations of Dust Storm Enhancement of Carbon Biomass in the North Pacific

Two autonomous robotic profiling floats deployed in the subarctic North Pacific on 10 April 2001 provided direct records of carbon biomass variability from surface to 1000 meters below surface at daily and diurnal time scales. Eight months of real-time data documented the marine biological response to natural events, including hydrographic changes, multiple storms, and the April 2001 dust event. High-frequency observations of upper ocean particulate organic carbon variability show a near doubling of biomass in the mixed layer over a 2-week period after the passage of a cloud of Gobi desert dust. The temporal evolution of particulate organic carbon enhancement and an increase in chlorophyll use efficiency after the dust storm suggest a biotic response to a natural iron fertilization by the dust.
Psychology and Aging: The First 20 Years

This article provides a review of the first 20 years of Psychology and Aging, the American Psychological Association’s first and only scholarly journal devoted to the topic of aging. The authors briefly summarize its history, its contributions to the study of aging, and its broader status as a scholarly publication. One theme highlighted in our review is the diversity of content in the journal throughout its history. Another is the strong impact that articles published in the journal have had on both basic and applied topics in aging. Efforts to encompass the breadth of topics and methodologies in aging research while retaining excellent quality remain the exciting but essential challenge for Psychology and Aging.
Corpus‐Driven Characterizations of Pronominal da‐Compound Use by Learners and Native Speakers of German

Teachers of German appreciate the difficulty associated with getting their students to understand the grammar of the pronominal da-compounds.1 They further understand how hard it is for their students to use the compounds appropriately in interaction with others. Part of the challenge posed by the da-compounds is that they are used to link together pieces of language of various sizes in very different ways. In Modern German, the da-compounds do this by functioning as pronominal adverbs that index nominal and prepositional phrases as well as larger syntactic and conceptual units (Dreyer and Schmidt, 71-72; Eisenberg et al., 372-77).2 Nominal and prepositional phrases typically are referenced anaphorically (rickweisend) by the da-compounds, while larger textual units such as dass-clauses are indexed both anaphorically and cataphorically (vorausweisend). An anaphoric use is illustrated in example 1, while a cataphoric use is given in example 2: 1. Habt ihr die Ubersetzung von Ben liebt Anna gelesen?? Ein Punkt, der uns auffiel war, dass der "Indianer" durch "Eskimo" ersetzt wurde. Das ist for uns komisch, da "Indianer und Cowboys" Kinderhelden sind, und wir nichts negatives oder diskriminierendes damit verbinden. 2. Hier ist es so, dass viele junge Leute froh sind, wenn sie erstmal nicht mehr zu Hause wohnen miissen, und die meisten griinden auch erst spater eine eigene Familie, mit 28 oder 30 or so. Das hat sicher auch damit zu tun, dass wir hier linger studieren und auch spiiter mit dem Studium anfangen.
Factors related to the intention to have additional children in the United States: A reanalysis of data from the 1965 and 1970 national fertility studies

Reproductive intentions of white mothers with no more than three children in 1965 and in 1970 were analyzed for their stability and change with respect to such factors as parity, age of the youngest child, wife’s employment, and husband’s education. Parity and age of the youngest child were found to have a much more important effect on the intent to have additional children than were such socioeconomic variables as wife’s employment and husband’s education. Parity and the interval since the latest birth (or the age of the youngest child) were found to have a nonlinear effect and to interact in affecting the reproductive intention. This suggests a convergence to a twochild family as the threshold size and that the length of childspacing is contingent on the parity. Change during 1965–1970 in this direction was found to be greater among mothers with husbands having college or higher educations.
Plasma Aldosterone Concentration in Normal Subjects from Infancy to Adulthood

ABSTRACT Plasma aldosterone concentration was measured in 135 infants and children ranging in age from 2 weeks to 16 yr, using a sensitive radioimmunoassay method. The mean concentration of aldosterone during the first year of life was found to be significantly higher than at any other age (p < 0.005). This increase was found to be mainly due to an increased rate of secretion in relation to size.
Confidentiality in the forensic evaluation.

Confidentiality has become a much-discussed subject among mental health professionals in the last decade (Appelbaum, 1982; Schuchman, Foster, & Nye, 1982; Wilson, 1978). Yet, problems related to confidentiality in forensic mental health work have, for reasons to be explored below, attracted little attention. This would be understandable if forensic settings were immune from the conflicts clinicians often face in attempting to balance the competing interests involved in protecting confidentiality. In fact, however, the issues tend to be even more complex for forensic clinicians and thus clearly in need of exploration. This paper discusses some of the most salient problems confronted by forensic clinicians in relation to confidentiality. First, however, the groundwork for this analysis will be laid by considering the theoretical and empirical bases for protecting confidentiality in ordinary mental health settings. The applicability of these general principles to the forensic evaluation will then be considered. Finally, three specific problem areas-knowledge of subjects’ past crimes, knowledge of subjects’ plans for future crimes, and public revelation of information acquired during a forensic examination -will be addressed. The general thesis of this paper is that though the legal context may be different for the forensic clinician, the ethical imperatives to protect confidentiality are much the same as those seen in non-forensic clinical work.
Electrocatalysis of the charge-transfer process for the Sb(III)/Sb(V) couple at a platinum electrode in concentrated HCl

Abstract Electrocatalysis of the electrochemical oxidation and reduction of Sb(V) and Sb(III) by adsorbed I− and I2 at a rotating Pt disc electrode was investigated in 12 M HCl. The heterogeneous rate constant in the absence of adsorbed halogen was increased by 200x for a maximum surface coverage by halogen. This large rate increase cannot be predicted on the basis of an electrostatic argument and a mechanism based on electron-transfer bridging is proposed.
The method of interface stress adjustment and its uses in the solution of some plane elasticity problems

Abstract A method of solution of plane elasticity problems, which utilizes known, closed-form solutions and a finite-difference correction technique, is presented. The method, which simplifies the required computation, is particularly adaptable to problems involving semi-infinite media, singularities, and thermal discontinuities. Some applications are included.
Processing electrochemical signals at both sides of interface: electronic vs. chemical signal processing

The paper outlines the development of methods and instrumentation for signal processing in electrochemical systems. Particular attention is given to the transition of the signal processing from an electronic circuitry to molecular information processing systems.
β-Amyloid stimulates glial cells in vitro to produce growth factors that accumulate in senile plaques in Alzheimer's disease

The effects of a synthetic homolog of beta-amyloid (beta 1-42) on the secretion of interleukin-1 (IL-1) and basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) from cultures of microglia and astrocytes, cells that surround beta-amyloid-containing plaques in Alzheimer's disease, were examined. Our results show that beta-amyloid not only enhances glial cell secretion of these factors, it stimulates the proliferation and morphological transformation of microglia. Since IL-1 and bFGF are known to elevate the synthesis of the beta-amyloid precursor protein and other plaque components, it is suggested that in this way, cascades may arise that contribute to the process of plaque development.
Evaluation of the hypolipidemic activity of xenalipin in experimental animals.

Xenalipin (4'-trifluoromethyl-2-biphenylcarboxylic acid) is a chemically novel compound which has been found to be an effective hypolipidemic agent in two animal species. Significant reductions in serum cholesterol and triglycerides were observed in cholesterol-cholic acid-fed rats following oral doses of 10-30 mg/kg/day. Xenalipin was considerably more potent than clofibrate, nicotinic acid, and cholestyramine in the same model. Lipoprotein analysis showed that xenalipin reduced cholesterol and protein content in very low density lipoprotein (VLDL), intermediate density lipoprotein (IDL), and low density lipoprotein (LDL). Triglycerides were reduced in VLDL and IDL. Xenalipin was also effective in reducing serum cholesterol and triglyceride concentrations in normocholesterolemic rats. In diet-induced hypercholesterolemic African green monkeys, xenalipin at oral doses of 15-60 mg/kg b.i.d. reduced serum LDL-cholesterol concentrations. These results suggest that xenalipin has a profile of activity which would be beneficial in therapy for hyperlipidemia.
A comparison of oil-water slip velocity models used for production log interpretation

Abstract The accuracies of five slip velocity models that can be used to interpret production logs in oil-water flow have been examined using the flow loop data of Davarzani and Miller. Optimal values of the constants used in the models were determined for each model; the abilities of each model to predict oil and water volumetric flow rates from measured values of water holdup and mixture velocity were then tested. The empirical model of Nicolas and Witterholt performed the best of the models tested.
The Differentiation of Pigmentation in Flower Parts X. Biosynthesis of Acyl Pelargonidin 3,5-Diglucoside in the White Genotype (llhhpp) of Impatiens balsamina

Summary Evidence is provided for the biosynthetic sequence of the predominant pigment, 3-p-coumaroyl pelargonidin 3,5-diglucoside, in developing petals of the red-flowered genotype (llHHprpr) of Impatiens balsamina. Our results indicate the following pathway: 3-monglucoside (1) → 3-p-coumaroyl 3-monoglucoside (II) → 3-p-coumaroyl 3,5-diglucoside (III). Feeding compound I or IT to white petals of Impatiens balsamina (llhhpp) results in the appearance of compound III. No product is formed when the 3,5-diglucoside is adminstered. Feeding compound IT together with 14C-glucose compound III is formed with radioactive label in position 5.
The Impact of Price Risk on Sow Farrowings, 1967–78

Several studies have attempted, with varying degrees of success, to quantify price risk variables for crops at various levels of aggregation (Just, Behrman, Traill, and Lin). Price risk in particular market situations is an empirical issue and difficult to predict ex ante. Several factors suggest the potential for a risk response in sow farrowings. The limited ability of hog futures market prices to forecast subsequent cash prices (Leuthold and Hartman, Martin and Garcia) indicates that the level of uncertainty about future price is high. This, coupled with livestock producers reticence to use the futures market as a hedging mechanism (Leuthold) suggests that producers' exposure to existing price risk may be prevalent. This analysis quantitatively examines the importance of input and output price risk on aggregate sow farrowings. First, the price risk model is reviewed briefly. Then, a conventional adaptive expectations model is used to develop price and risk variables. Alternative definitions of risk are assessed. Finally, futures prices are used to generate expected price and risk variables.
Persistent effects of sarin and dieldrin upon the primate electroencephalogram.

Abstract Rhesus monkeys were injected with the organophosphate sarin or the chlorinated hydrocarbon dieldrin according to one of two schedules: (1) a single “large dose” (5 μg/kg of sarin or 4 mg/kg of dieldrin, iv) which produced overt signs of toxicity, or (2) a series of 10 “small doses” (1 μg/kg of sarin or 1 mg/kg of dieldrin, im, given 1 week apart) which did not produce any major clinical signs. Electroencephalograms (EEG) were recorded from chronically implanted electrodes according to the following schedule: (1) three recording sessions prior to drug administration, (2) one at 24 hr post-drug, and (3) another three at 1 yr post-drug. Each recording session consisted of runs in the following states: (1) awake and alert in a lighted environment, (2) awake and alert in total darkness, and (3) drowsy. A series of control monkeys received equal treatment but were given only drug diluent. Fast-Fourier transforms were performed on the EEGs with a PDP-12 computer to yield voltage vs frequency spectra. Results of statistical analysis of EEG spectra showed the following: For both sarin and dieldrin the single large-dose administration produced significant increases in the relative amount of beta voltage (15–50 Hz) which persisted for 1 yr. For sarin the predominant effect was in the EEG derivation from the temporal cortex, and for dieldrin from the frontal cortex. For both drugs, the beta increase was most prominent in the states of awake in darkness and drowsy. These results indicate that a single symptomatic exposure or a series of subclinical exposures to sarin or dieldrin can alter the frequency spectrum of the spontaneous EEG for up to 1 yr.
Knowledge as a Measure of News Reception in the Agenda-Setting Process

This study investigates the role knowledge plays in the agenda-setting process, conceptualizing public affairs knowledge as a measure of news reception. Comparing content analysis data and opinion survey results of 2 election campaigns in Canada and the United States, this study finds that, on the individual level, knowledge better predicted media's agenda-setting effects than traditional self-reported exposure items. Furthermore, these findings demonstrate that knowledge mediated the effects of interest on the variance of agenda-setting effects. Implications of these findings are discussed.
Inhibition of tachykinin-induced hypotension in dogs by CP-96,345, a selective blocker of NK-1 receptors.

The effects of substance P, neurokinin A, neurokinin B, [Sar9, Met(O2)11]-substance P, [Nle10]neurokinin A (4–10) and senktide {succinyl-[Asp6, McPhe8]-substance P (6–11)} on blood pressure and heart rate were studied in anesthetized dogs. Dose-dependent decreases in blood pressure and increases in heart rate were caused by each peptide except senktide. The latter elicited weak hypotensive or hypertensive responses at high doses. The order or potency was as follows: [Sar9, Met(O2)11]-substance P ≥ substance P > neurokinin s1 > neurokinin B > [Nle10]-neurokinin A (4–10) » senktide.
The Lindstedt--Poincaré Technique as an Algorithm for Computing Periodic Orbits

The Lindstedt--Poincare technique in perturbation theory is used to calculate periodic orbits of perturbed differential equations. It uses a nearby periodic orbit of the unperturbed differential equation as the first approximation. We derive a numerical algorithm based upon this technique for computing periodic orbits of dynamical systems. The algorithm, unlike the Lindstedt--Poincare technique, does not require the dynamical system to be a small perturbation of a solvable differential equation. This makes it more broadly applicable. The algorithm is quadratically convergent. It works with equal facility, as examples show, irrespective of whether the periodic orbit is attracting, or repelling, or a saddle. One of the examples presents what is possibly the most accurate computation of Hill's orbit of lunation since its justly celebrated discovery in 1878.
Profiling the Dielectric Constant at the Membrane-Peptide Interface using Ionizable EPR Probes

Polarity, electric potentials, and hydration are the major physico-chemical characteristics of lipid membranes that govern membrane-protein and protein-protein interactions as well as small molecules transport. Insertion of transmembrane proteins perturbs membrane structure altering local dielectric environment and hydration at the membrane-protein interface. The significance of distorting local membrane structure at the lipid-protein interface for modulating protein-protein interactions should not be overlooked. In this work we report on employing pH-sensitive ionizable EPR labels to profile a heterogeneous dielectric environment along the α-helix of a WALP peptide integrated in a lipid bilayer. Labels were attached to two cysteine residues positioned equidistant from the center of the peptide so that the primary sequence of each peptide is palindromic, thus insuring symmetric location of the labels with respect to the bilayer center. The change in protonation state of the nitroxide was directly observed by EPR. Q-band double electron-electron resonance (DEER) experiments were carried out to determine the distance between spin labels when imbedded in lipid bilayers to provide information about the label location. Thus, for the first time measurements of local electrostatics at peptide-bilayer interface were based on direct distance measurements rather than on assumptions on the probe location. Two pH sensitive spin labels, methanethiosulfonic acid S-(1-oxyl-2,2,3,5,5-pentamethyl-imidazolidin-4-ylmethyl) ester (IMTSL) and S-4-(4-(dimethylamino)-2-ethyl-5,5-dimethyl-1-oxyl-2,5-dihydro-1H-imidazol-2-yl) benzylmethanethiosulfonate (IKMTSL), with intrinsic pKa's differing by approximately 2 pH units were used to expand the pH range of the titration experiments. This provided the opportunity to vary the lipid composition in order to investigate effect of the surface charge on dielectric profile at peptide-membrane interface. Water penetration at the peptide-membrane interface was assessed by hyperfine sublevel correlation spectroscopy (HYSCORE) experiment in which the hyperfine coupling between the nitroxide and hydrogen/deuterium atom of water is measured. Supported by NSF-0843632 to TIS.
A proposed technique for intraoperative measurement of cervical spine stiffness.

OBJECTIVE : Classically cervical biomechanical data have been obtained using cadaver models. Few methods exist for in vivo measurement of cervical biomechanics. A technique for intraoperative measurement of cervical motion segment stiffness (load-axial displacement) has been developed, enabling load/displacement data to be obtained during surgery at the spinal levels operated on and at adjacent cervical levels. METHODS : The instrument used for measuring motion segment stiffness was a vertebral retractor equipped with displacement and strain transducers and designed to be placed over the shafts of Caspar distraction screws. Stiffness was measured under simulated anterior cervical surgical conditions. RESULTS : A preliminary study deciphering axial cervical spine load/displacement data on 12 cadavers was performed with this instrument. Using a distraction load of 88.8640 N, axial displacements of 2.110 ± 0.258 mm (mean ± standard error of the mean) at C3-C4, 2.367 ± 0.304 mm at C4-C5, and 2.207 ± 0.238 mm at C5-C6 were found. When data were evaluated for age, there was a significant decrease in stiffness with advancing age in two of the three spinal segments tested (P < 0.05 for C3-C4, P < 0.04 for C4-C5, P < 0.12 for C5-C6), which correlated with previous studies. CONCLUSION : These results suggest that this technique may be useful in assessing intraoperative motion-segment stability.
Some empirical observations on primitive roots

Abstract Two conjectures about primitive roots are given. These conjectures are supported by empirical evidence obtained by using a digital computer.
Interferon alpha treatment and thyroid dysfunction.

Interferon alpha (IFNα) is the cornerstone therapeutic agent for chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. Prospective studies have shown that up to 15% of HCV patients receiving IFNα develop clinical thyroid disease, and up to 40% become thyroid antibody positive. In some cases IFN-induced thyroiditis (IIT) may result in discontinuation of interferon therapy; thus, IIT represents a major clinical problem for hepatitis C patients receiving IFNα therapy. Recently, the mechanisms leading to the development of IIT have begun to be unraveled. It is now clear that HCV itself plays a role in the disease. Moreover, recent data suggest the IFNα precipitates thyroiditis by both immune modulatory mechanisms and direct thyroid toxic effects. Genetic factors also play a major role in the etiology of IIT. IIT can manifest both as clinical autoimmune thyroiditis (ie, Hashimoto's thyroiditis and Graves' disease) and as nonautoimmune thyroiditis (ie, destructive thyroiditis). Early detection and therapy of these conditions are important to avoid complications of thyroid disease such as cardiac arrhythmias. This article reviews the epidemiology and clinical manifestations of IIT and the mechanisms causing IIT, focusing on the role of HCV.
Regional Anesthesia and Pain Medicine After 30 Years: A Historical Perspective

Regional Anesthesia and Pain Medicine celebrates its 30th anniversary in 2006. What began as a 10-page, industry-sponsored bulletin has evolved into a major anesthesiology and pain journal. This history article chronicles the journal’s growth and development over 3 decades.
The effect of growth rate variation on the conductivity and morphology of polypyrrole thin films

This study reports the growth conditions and resulting surface and electrical properties of BF-4 doped polypyrrole films for possible electronic device applications. Growth rate has been observed to significantly affect both the conductivity and morphology of the polypyrrole films grown by a constant current electrochemical polymerization technique. A peak in the conductivity occurs at a growth current density of 0.75 mA/cm2 (anode voltage of 0.54 V) coincident with a break in the linearity of the current density-anode voltage plot suggesting a possible change in reaction kinetics. Surface morphology also showed a strong dependence on film thickness as well as growth rate. Electronic conductivities in excess of 200 (Ω-cm)1 have been obtained but tend to deteriorate with time. Thin films are most affected showing a conductivity decrease of three orders of magnitude in two months, and results suggest changes are limited to the top 1–2 μm of the film.
Flavonoid chemistry, chromosome number and phylogenetic relationships of Helenium chihuahuensis

Abstract Five populations of Helenium chihuahuensis were examined for flavonoid content, chromosome number and morphological characteristics. Thirteen flavonoid compounds were detected of which eleven were at least partially identified and were found to be flavones. The chromosome number was determined to be 2 n = 15II . Helenium arizonicum also was found to have a chromosome number of 2 n = 15II . Helenium chihuahuensis, H. arizonicum, H. mexicanum and H. laciniatum were compared by constructing Wagner Networks, both excluding and including flavonoid data, in order to clarify their phylogenetic relationships.
Spatial visualization and the gender gap in videogame interest among young adults

Purpose – Videogame play is more popular among young males compared with young females. The present study aims to investigate spatial visualization ability as an explanation for this gender gap. The premise is based on a well‐documented gender difference in spatial ability favoring males and assumes that spatial ability would be an advantage in playing videogames. Also, reports in the literature indicate improvement in spatial ability following videogame play, suggesting that play may specifically task spatial ability.Design/methodology/approach – A convenience sample of 114 university students aged 18 to 24 answered questions on attitudes and videogame behavior and completed a psychometric test of spatial visualization ability.Findings – Regression analysis indicated that interest in videogame play is significantly predicted by gender, interest in science fiction, and number of semesters of foreign language completed (with the latter having a negative influence). Mediation analysis suggested that neither...