cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Optimal choice of rater terms I: Theory

How can an investigator choose a good team of raters to use for measuring a continuous variable when each available rater produces only dichotomous responses? We formulate an underlying model, define an index of goodness for rater teams in terms of average mean square error of the estimate, develop a new estimator and derive the optimal rater terms. The optimal raters have characteristic curves which are linear in form and satisfy the requirements for a Guttman scale.
Old, new and not yet exploited purinergic vasomechanisms of the pulmonary circulation

In the pulmonary circulation, the ultimate role of liberated adenosine 5'-triphosphate (ATP) is to influence vascular tone. Extracellular ATP may be derived from sympathetic or purinergic nerves impinging on blood vessels, in addition to vascular endothelial cells, erythrocytes, thrombocytes and mast cells. Purinergic innervation is more marked on the arterial side than the venous, and produces vasoconstriction through P2X purinoceptors although there is a newly discovered non-P2X purinoceptor mediated vasoconstriction produced by ATP which remains to be characterized. Agonists as well as flow derived shear stress have been shown to release ATP from endothelial cells, which in turn act on either the same cell in an autoregulatory manner, or the ATP may travel short distances in the blood to act on endothelial cells downstream. Activation of endothelial P2Y purinoceptors by ATP produces nitric oxide release and vasodilation. There are also P2Y purinoceptors on pulmonary vascular smooth muscle, and it appears that the number of P2Y purinoceptors located on the smooth muscle is inversely proportional to vessel size. Unlike other sources of ATP, erythrocytes as well as mast cells are relatively mobile and the magnitude of their effect can change due to alterations in their number. Thrombocyte derived ATP can be released by episodes of hypoxia, and the P2T purinoceptor on thrombocytes may have an autoregulatory function. The P2Z purinoceptor is activated by ATP and has been shown to inhibit the activity of natural killer cells as well as macrophages in addition to producing degranulation of mast cells. It is likely that together with unique features of pulmonary vascular smooth muscle, a combination of purinoceptor mediated mechanisms contributes to the unusual characteristics of the pulmonary circulation. Such a varied and essential role of purinergic regulatory mechanisms in the pulmonary circulation makes purinoceptors sensible targets for therapeutic strategies. Biomedical Reviews 1994; 3: 11-25.
Distribution kinetics for polymer mixture degradation

Most research on polymer degradation is for single polymers, even though the thermal decomposition of polymer mixtures is of interest both practically and theoretically. Polymer degradation rates depend on the mixture type, and adding a polymer can increase, decrease, or leave unchanged the degradation rate of the first polymer. We show how distribution kinetics theory, based on molecular weight distributions (MWDs), provides expressions for such degradation rates of binary polymer mixtures. The approach accounts for initiation, termination, hydrogen abstraction, and radical-chain scission in the governing equations for MWDs. Molecular weight moments yield expressions for molar and mass concentrations and rate coefficients for combinations of random-chain and chain-end scission. Experimental data show the concentration effect of poly(α-methylstyrene) (PAMS) on the degradation of polystyrene dissolved in mineral oil at 275 °C in a batch reactor. PAMS and polystyrene undergo mainly chain-end and random-chain scission, respectively. Samples analyzed by gel permeation chromatography yielded the time evolution of the MWD. The results indicated that, because of the interaction of mixed radicals with polymer by hydrogen abstraction, the polystyrene degradation rate decreases with increasing PAMS concentration.
Simulation of TLCP Deformation During Isothermal Melt Spinning of In Situ Composite Fibers

Abstract The evolution of thermotropic liquid‐crystalline polymer (TLCP) morphology during isothermal melt spinning of in situ composites is predicted using the Lee and Park theory. According to the theory, the blend morphology results from the competition between the external flow, which extends droplets into fibrils, and the interfacial tension that retracts droplets into spheres. In this study, the three parameters (λ, μ, and ν) in the Lee and Park theory describing the characteristics of the blend morphology are treated as curve‐fitting parameters; an algorithm was developed to obtain their correct values. The relationship between blend morphology and rheology is also established and verified using data from online measurement during isothermal spinning.
On randomness and reliability of electronic devices: A case-study of thick dielectrics

In a recent article [1], I discussed the growing importance of process-related variability and stress-induced reliability in electronic devices and how it complicates the design of complex IC predicated on transistors of identical characteristics. Various circuit techniques developed to address these variability and reliability issues were also discussed. In this article, I continue the discussion emphasizing that the problems of variability and reliability are connected at more nuanced and fundamental levels. I use the theory of dielectric breakdown of thick insulators relevant for wide variety of practical problems to illustrate this connection. Details of these ideas are also discussed in a ‘Percolation and Reliability’ series discussed in [2].
Magnetic Study of Amethyst

AMETHYST (a well-known variety of quartz) has a rich violet colour, the origin of which has been discussed by several workers. Tutton1 states that the twinning of right-handed and left-handed quartz may be the probable cause. Holden2 has suggested that an impurity like iron oxide imparts the colour. An inorganic dye, the physical state of aggregation of which changes on heating, has also been mentioned as another possibility. It was felt that a magnetic study of quartz and amethyst may throw some light on this problem.
Ovarian regulation of foraging division of labour in Africanized backcross and pollen-hoarding honeybees

Division of labour (i.e. differential task performance) is the hallmark of social insects. One highly studied component of honeybee division of labour is foraging specialization through collection of protein (pollen) or carbohydrates (nectar). The reproductive ground plan hypothesis proposes that this foraging division of labour is regulated by the same physiological control networks that controlled foraging behaviour during the reproductive life cycle of solitary honeybee ancestors. Based on observed differences in foraging behaviour and reproductive anatomy between bees selected for storing high and low quantities of pollen (high and low pollen-hoarding strains) and observed differences between wild-type pollen and nectar foragers, the reproductive ground plan hypothesis suggests that ovary size in facultatively sterile worker honeybees has a regulatory effect on variation in foraging division of labour, with increased protein bias correlated with increased ovary size (measured as ovariole number). An alternative explanation for the link between ovary size and foraging behaviour is that genes for ovarian development and foraging are inherited together because of genetic linkage or chance gene associations in the selected and natural populations. To address this alternative explanation, we investigated the relationship between ovary size and foraging bias in honeybees where genetic linkage was broken using a backcross mating design. We also studied high- and low-strain bees where ovary size effects were partitioned from other potential linkage effects. We found that ovariole number was related to foraging bias in the backcross bees and in the selected strains, as predicted by the reproductive ground plan hypothesis. An interaction effect between nectar sugar concentration and ovariole number was observed in the backcross and high-strain bees. This result suggests a potential mechanism by which the ovary affects sucrose perception, which in turn influences foraging behaviour.
Association of Progesterone Receptor Gene (PGR) variants and breast cancer risk in African American Women

Prolonged exposure to combined hormone replacement therapy (estrogen plus progestin) increases a woman’s risk of breast cancer, whereas estrogen-only hormone replacement therapy does not. This suggests that progesterone may play a role in breast carcinogenesis. Association studies have reported inconsistent relationships between progesterone receptor gene variants and breast cancer. A population-based case–control study in three counties of the Philadelphia Metropolitan area was undertaken. We evaluated 8 PGR candidate SNPs and 18 PGR tagging SNPS in 487 breast cancer cases and 843 controls using multivariable logistic regression with adjustment for combined hormone replacement therapy use. Separate analyses were conducted for European Americans (EA: 399 cases, 490 controls) and African Americans (AA: 88 cases, 353 controls). In EAs, no significant associations were observed with the investigated PGR variants. In AAs, two tagging SNPs (rs590688 and rs10895054) were statistically significantly associated with breast cancer. For rs590688, each addition of the C allele was protective compared to the G allele (OR = 0.56, 95 % CI 0.39–0.82, p value 0.003, corrected p value 0.03). For rs10895054, each addition of the T allele increased the risk of breast cancer compared to the A allele nearly threefold (OR = 2.9, 95 % CI 1.47–6.02, p value 0.002, corrected p value 0.04). Three haplotype blocks, all containing rs590688, were found to be significantly associated with breast cancer risk. Environmental exposures, namely parity and obesity modified the effect of both SNPs on breast cancer risk in EA. This is the first study to find an association between two PGR variants and breast cancer in AA women. These results suggest that studies of PGR variants in other non-White populations may reveal additional cancer associations of interest.
Early learning of discrete call variants in red crossbills: implications for reliable signaling.

The identification of appropriate companions and mates is essential to both speciation and the maintenance of species through prezygotic isolation. In many birds, social assortment is mediated by vocalizations learned through imitation. When imitative vocal learning occurs throughout life, emergent shared signals reflect current social associations. However, when vocal and genetic variation arises among populations, shared learned signal variants have a potential to reflect cultural or genetic origin and to limit social and reproductive intermixing, provided that signal learning occurs prior to dispersal. The red crossbill (Loxia curvirostra) is a bird species in which discrete contact call variants are associated with morphological variation, raising the possibility that learned calls play a role in limiting intermixing. I examined the process of early call learning to determine if contact call variants have a potential to limit intermixing in crossbills. I conducted a captive playback study to nestlings to evaluate potential learning predispositions. I also cross-fostered nestlings to adoptive adult pairs of either their own or a different call variant than their biological parents to assess the degree of vocal learning plasticity. Results show that young crossbills imitate the call structures of adoptive parents, generating shared family-specific calls, which could facilitate family cohesion. Learning processes that generate family-specific calls could also ensure that discrete call variants are transmitted across generations, making call variants reliable signals of crossbills’ morphological and genetic backgrounds.
Treatment of gold-induced aplastic anaemia with immunosuppressive therapy.

Summary. Between June 1978 and August 1985 12 patients with gold-induced aplastic anaemia were treated with immunosuppressive therapy. Median age was 38.5 years for the 11 females and one male. Treatment regimens varied, but all patients received 150–160 mg/kg horse anti-human thymocyte globulin (ATG) over 4–10 d. Five patients had complete recovery of peripheral counts and one patient had a partial response. Of the six nonresponders one had a spontaneous recovery a year later and five died 6–67 d after beginning treatment. Seven patients are alive 4.3–8.9 years later. Six patients remain haematologically stable and one patient has developed a myelodysplastic syndrome. This experience confirms earlier reports of patients recovering marrow function after receiving immunosuppressive therapy for gold-related aplasia.
278 MEASUREMENT OF FUNCTIONAL RESIDUAL CAPACITY (FRC) WITH HELIUM/OXYGEN (HELIOX) AS A WASHOUT GAS IN A MECHANICAL LUNG MODEL

OBJECTIVE: To test, whether FRC measurement by heliox washout is as reliable as with the standard oxygen washout technique, because even short term lung measurements with hyperoxic condition are potentially harmful to premature infants. METHODS: We used a mixture of helium/oxygen (60/40) in an open circuit N2 washout technique. N2 was continuously measured with a N2-UV-analyzer and FRC calculated with a standard lung function cart (Sensormedics 2600). Using a calibrated syringe (20-80 ml) as a model lung of spontaneous breathing and a rubber lung (48 ml) as a model of the ventilated lung different volumes were washed out, the initial FiO2 in the “lung” varying between .21 and .75. RESULTS: Using the same calibration volumes the heliox technique yielded more N2 counts and the calibration line was steeper as compared to the O2 washout. With 10 measurements for each setting deviation of the mean volume from the expected volume ranged from −11.5 to 6.1% for the spontaneous breaths and from −17.2 to −7.6% for the ventilated lung. Maximal coefficient of variation was 9.1%. CONCLUSION: Heliox used as a washout gas gives reproducible results with high accuracy in FRC measurement of low volumes, even with elevated FiO2 and although a mass spectrometer is not used for N2 detection. (Supported by Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft He 1835/1-1)
Performance of adaptive dual-dropping ILUT preconditioners in semiconductor dopant diffusion simulation

Preconditioning strategies based on incomplete LU factorization using thresholding with dual dropping (ILUT) are investigated for iterative solution of sparse linear systems arising in semiconductor dopant diffusion modelling. Of particular interest are questions associated with selection and adaption of threshold parameters with spatial resolution, timestep in the adaptive ODE integrator and the problem physics. We investigate these issues and carry out detailed numerical studies in one- and two-dimensions for a representative phosphorus diffusion model. Guidelines for optimally selecting the threshold parameters are deduced from the results, and strategies for adaptive parameter selection are presented. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Governing Aliens in Times of Upheaval: Immigration Control and Modern State Practice in Early Twentieth-Century Britain, Compared with Prussia

In the history of immigration control, the period from the 1880s to the 1920s saw an international dynamic of growing restrictions. World War I in particular has been regarded as watershed marking the end of laissez-faire migration policy. But whether 1914 can be seen as a crucial turning point depends on the country under consideration, as well as on the chosen analytical approach. Analysing Britain’s politics of immigration control before and after the war and comparing it with its Prussian equivalent, this article discusses the shifts and continuities in the concrete administration of migration. Focusing on the changing practice of expelling foreigners, it suggests a chronology of control that does not entirely correspond with the overall political changes. By 1918, the British bureaucracy possessed elaborate means to monitor aliens, and the state increasingly impacted on the migrants’ lives. In contrast, Prussia was maintaining a tightly regulated regime already, which its authorities had established well before 1914.
Improving beam spectral and spatial quality by double-foil target in laser ion acceleration

Mid-$Z$ ion driven fast ignition inertial fusion requires ion beams of hundreds of MeV energy and $l10%$ energy spread. The break-out afterburner (BOA) is one mechanism proposed to generate such beams; however, the late stages of the BOA tend to produce too large of an energy spread. Here we show how use of a second target foil placed behind a nm-scale foil can substantially reduce the temperature of the comoving electrons and improve the ion beam energy spread, leading to ion beams of energy hundreds of MeV and 6% energy spread.
Purification and characterization of NADH dehydrogenase complex from Paracoccus denitrificans

Abstract An NADH dehydrogenase complex was isolated from the plasma membranes of aerobically grown Paracoccus denitrificans cells by extraction with NaBr and purification on an NAD-agarose column. The NADH-ubiquinone-1 reductase activity of the isolated NADH dehydrogenase complex was about 10 times higher than that of the NaBr extract. The preparation was composed of 10 (6 major and 4 minor) unlike polypeptides, and lacked identifiable components and activities characteristic of other enzyme complexes of the oxidative phosphorylation system. The purified enzyme contained noncovalently bound FMN, nonheme iron, and acid-labile sulfide. The ratio of FMN to nonheme iron to acid-labile sulfide was 1:13~14:11~12, suggestive of the presence of multiple iron-sulfur clusters. The isolated NADH dehydrogenase complex cross-reacted with antisera to beef heart mitochondrial complex I and protein fraction derived therefrom, indicating the presence in the Paracoccus enzyme of antigenic sites similar to those in the intact complex I and its iron-sulfur protein and possibly hydrophobic protein fractions.
Performance characterization of edge detectors

Edge detection is the most fundamental step in vision algorithms. A number of edge detectors have been discussed in the computer vision literature. Examples of classic edge detectors include the Marr-Hildreth edge operator, facet edge operator, and the Canny edge operator. Edge detection using morphological techniques are attractive because they can be efficiently implemented in near real time machine vision systems that have special hardware support. However, little performance characterization of edge detectors has been done. In general, performance characterization of edge detectors has been done mainly by plotting empirical curves of performance. Quantitative performance evaluation of edge detectors was first performed by Abdou and Pratt. It is the goal of this paper to perform a theoretical comparison of gradient based edge detectors and morphological edge detectors. By assuming that an ideal edge is corrupted with additive noise we derive theoretical expressions for the probability of misdetection (the probability of labeling of a true edge pixel as a nonedge pixel in the output). Further, we derive theoretical expressions for the probability of false alarm (the probability of labeling of a nonedge pixel as an output edge pixel) by assuming that the input to the operator is a region of flat graytone intensity corrupted with additive Gaussian noise of zero mean and variance (sigma) 2. Even though the blurring step in the morphological operator introduces correlation in the additive noise, we make an approximation that the output samples after blurring are i.i.d. Gaussian random variables with zero mean and variance (sigma) 2/M where M is the window size of the blurring kernel. The false alarm probabilities obtained by using this approximation can be shown to be upperbounds of the false alarm probabilities computed without the approximation. The theory indicates that the blur- min operator is clearly superior when a 3 X 3 window size is used. Since we only have an upperbound for the false alarm probability the theory is inadequate to confirm the superiority of the blur-min operator. Empirical evaluation of the performance indicates that the blur-min operator is superior to the gradient based operator. Evaluation of the edge detectors on real images also indicate superiority of the blur-min operator. Application of hysteresis linking, after edge detection, significantly reduces the misdetection rate, but increases the false alarm rate.© (1992) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Changing Recruitment Outcomes: The “Why” and The “How”

Objective Residency programs compete for applicants and commit extensive resources to the recruitment process. After failing to fill in the match for 5 years (1999–2004), this program decided to make changes in its recruitment process. The authors describe one program’s experience in improving recruitment outcomes.
Inhibitors of Histamine Methylation in Brain Promote Formation of Imidazoleacetic Acid, Which Interacts with GABA Receptors

In brain, the precursor of imidazoleacetic acid (IAA), a GABAA agonist but a GABAC antagonist, is not known. In the periphery, IAA derives from oxidation of histamine. But in brain, histamine is thought to be metabolized solely by histamine methyltransferase (HMT), forming tele-methylhistamine (t-MH) and tele-methylimidazoleacetic acid (t-MIAA). We showed that [3H]-histamine (intracerebroventricularly) could be converted to IAA in brains of rats, a process increased by inhibition of HMT. This demonstrated that brain can oxidize histamine and suggested that endogenous histamine might also be oxidized if HMT activity were reduced. We examined in rat cerebral cortex, effects of the following HMT inhibitors (mg/kg i.p.): metoprine (10), tacrine (10), velnacrine (10, 30), and physostigmine (1,2). Tacrine was a potent inhibitor (Ki approximately 22 nM). To measure histamine in tissue that contained HMT inhibitors, we developed a gas chromatography-mass spectrometry method. After 2 h, all drugs reduced endogenous levels of t-MH and t-MIAA and increased levels of histamine and IAA. Our results show that inhibition of HMT promotes oxidation of histamine in brain, probably by shunting histamine to an alternative metabolic pathway. Formation of IAA provides a novel interaction between histaminergic and GABAergic systems in brain. Accumulation of IAA should be considered when inhibitors of HMT are used to probe brain histamine function.
The 'people problem' issue of data security

Every computer installation is vulnerable to criminal activity. In the computer environment today, the possibilities of fraud, abuse, and theft are limited only by the criminal's imagination.
Correlation of the Pit Depth in Crystal Etching by Dissolution

Abstract A theoretically rigorous formulation relating the pit depth to dissolution time for crystal etching is presented and verified. The data of K. Dunn, E. Daniel, P. J. Shuler, H. J. Chen, Y. Tang, and T. F. Yen [J. Colloid Interface Sci.214, 427 (1999)] for surface dissolution of barite are analyzed and correlated accurately. It is shown that the empirically determined power law pit growth function of F. Hunkeler and H. Bohni [Corrosion, 37(11), 645 (1981)] conforms to a special solution of the present formulation and their empirically determined power law exponent of 1/2 is theoretically justified. In addition, the present study provides some insight into the mechanism of the crystal dissolution rate process and the variation of pit depth during dissolution-induced etching.
Intrinsic Motivation and Environmental Factors Affecting Research of Social Work Faculty on Aging.

Within the context of Self-determination Theory, this research identifies intrinsic motivation and environmental factors that support social-work-faculty research in aging. Intrinsic factors include faculty's interest in gerontology as a field of practice, the desire to advance knowledge in the field of gerontology, including producing publications that disseminate information about their research, and the desire to make tenure and/or to advance their careers. Environmental factors include institutional supports such as release time to do research, reduced teaching loads, summer research support. Also included are mentoring relationships that complement the faculty's intrinsic motivation and create an environment supportive of research, grant writing, and publishing. Faculty motivation to work in the field of gerontology and institutional support for gerontological research are critical to sustain and expand the capacity of social work faculty to advance science in gerontology research. Such motivation is...
From fast to last: the Japanese economy in the 1990s

Abstract Japan is the first country that achieved the economic miracle of rapid growth. From stellar performance in the 1960s, it shifted to slow growth (1975–1990) but it still maintained the highest growth, and lowest inflation, among G7 economies. However, in the 1990s it had the lowest growth rate among the G7. This stagnation is due to three major factors. The first factor is the short-term reaction to the over-expansion of the economy in the late 1980s. The financial sector still is struggling with the aftermath of the bubble. The second factor is the on-going contraction of manufacturing. Manufacturing drove Japan’s growth, especially productivity growth, but now employment is falling in that sector. The third factor is long-term changes in the population structure, specifically, the rapid aging of the population and the low level of the birth rate. All these changes have serious macroeconomic effects on the economy. If the Japanese economy is to be revitalized, an intensive and extensive overhaul is required, urgently. If Japan does not succeed at this task, its future will be dismal.
Impact of advanced onboard processing concepts on end-to-end data system

An investigation is conducted of the impact of advanced onboard data handling concepts on the total system in general and on ground processing operations, such as those being performed in the central data processing facility of the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center. In one of these concepts, known as the instrument telemetry packet (ITP) system, telemetry data from a single instrument is encoded into a packet, along with other ancillary data, and transmitted in this form to the ground. Another concept deals with onboard temporal registration of image data from such sensors as the thematic mapper, to be carried onboard the Landsat-D spacecraft in 1981. It is found that the implementation of the considered concepts will result in substantial simplification of the ground processing element of the system. With the projected tenfold increase in the data volume expected in the next decade, the introduction of ITP should keep the cost of the ground data processing function within reasonable bounds and significantly contribute to a more timely delivery of data/information to the end user.
P03-78 - No effects of polypharmacy and antipsychotic dose on spatial working memory in schizophrenia

Objectives Antipsychotic polypharmacy and high doses have been associated with poor outcome and increased adverse effects in schizophrenia. However, their relation to cognition has been poorly studied. Methods 40 right-handed patients (mean age: 42.87 years; SD:10.57) with DSM-IV schizophrenia, were recruited in an acute psychiatric ward. They were assessed on the Spatial Working Memory test (SWM) of the Cambridge Neuropsychological Test Automated Battery (CANTAB) and the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale (WAIS-III) at a time when they were able to cooperate with neuropsychological testing. The pattern of their pharmacological treatment was also assessed. Statistical correlation and Mann-Whitney tests were performed using the SPSS, as appropriate. Results 18 patients were receiving antipsychotic polypharmacy (≥2 antipsychotics) and 22 monotherapy. 13 patients received an excessive (≥1000 chloropromazine mEq(CmEq)/day), and 22 a normal antipsychotic dosage. No significant difference was detected on any of the SWM performance measures between the two groups of patients receiving either polypharmacy or monotherapy. These groups did not also differ in the WAIS full scale, performance or verbal IQ scores. When the patients were divided into two groups receiving either an excessive or a normal dose of antipsychotics, these two groups also showed a similar SWM and WAIS performance. The total antipsychotic dose showed negative but nonsignificant correlations with the SWM performance scores. Conclusions We did not detect any influence of antipsychotic polypharmacy or excessive dosing on spatial working memory in schizophrenia. This finding supports the independence of working memory deficits from the effects of treatment in schizophrenia.
Hippocampal Zinc Thionein and Pyridoxal Phosphate Modulate Synaptic Functions

The hippocampus, a component of the limbic system, is a prominent subcortical structure, which not only contains high concentrations of zinc, but also exhibits regional variations in this essential element, with concentrations being highest in the hilar region and lowest in the fimbria. For example, the concentration of zinc in the mossy fiber axons has been estimated to approach 300-350 microM. Both zinc and pyridoxal phosphate (PLP) deficiency and excess have been reported to produce epileptiform seizures, which are blocked by gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA). The proposed mechanism is that at physiological concentrations zinc stimulates the activity of the hippocampal pyridoxal kinase (50% stimulation at 1.7 x 10(-7) M), enhancing the formation of PLP, whereas in pharmacological doses zinc inhibits the activity of glutamate decarboxylase (GAD) directly (50% inhibition at 6.5 X 10(-4) M) by preventing the binding of PLP to HoloGAD. Furthermore, recent studies have shown that two forms of GAD are found in the rat brain. One form (GAD A) does not require PLP for maximal activity, while another form (GAD B) does. Furthermore, the ratio between GAD A and GAD B is nonuniform throughout brain areas, and the hippocampus contains twice as much GAD B (the PLP-requiring GAD) as GAD A. Although the hippocampus is a common target of exogenous neurotoxic agents, "free" zinc in greater than physiological concentrations should be considered an endogenous central neurotoxin. For example, iontophoretically applied zinc in the frontoparietal cortex enhances and prolongs the firing rate of neurons in urethane-anesthetized rat. In addition, zinc (50-500 microM) significantly depresses the paired-pulse potentation in the hippocampal CA3 subfield. Moreover, zinc selectively blocks the action of N-methyl-D-aspartate on cortical neurons and enhances the quisqualate receptor-mediated injury. Finally zinc competitively inhibits the calcium-dependent release of transmitter by inhibiting the entry of Ca2+ into the nerve terminals. Since zinc in a concentration of 300-350 microM could not possibly remain "unbound" in the hippocampus, we searched for and identified a metallothionein-like protein (MT) in the bovine hippocampus, which produces two isoforms on reverse-phase HPLC and lacks aromatic amino acids, but possesses metallomercaptide bonds. We believe that the hippocampal metallothionein, by donating zinc to an extensive number of zinc-activated, PLP-mediated biochemical reactions, modulates synaptic functions. Furthermore, by virtue of its inducibility, metallothionein binds additional amounts of zinc, maintains its steady-state concentration, prevents inhibition of an extensive number of sulfhydryl-containing enzymes and receptor sites, and hence averts metal-related neurotoxicity.
Relationships between job satisfaction and life satisfaction: Test of a causal model

Review of theory and research on the relationship between job satisfaction and life satisfaction suggests the prediction that causal effects flow in only one direction: that is, that job satisfaction causes life satisfaction but that life satisfaction does not cause job satisfaction. Cross-lag correlation analysis and path analysis of longitudinal survey data so not support this prediction. Indeed, job satisfaction does not predict life satisfaction when the effects of other variables are controlled, not does life satisfaction predict job satisfaction. In light of this finding, various models of work and non-work are discussed.
Offender Searches and Crime Events

This article explores how several prominent theories explain how and where crime events occur. In particular, rational choice, lifestyle-routine activities, crime pattern, and multilevel opportunit...
Low-Level Monsoon Dynamics Derived from Satellite Winds

Abstract The dynamics of low-level summer monsoon flow near 900 mb is studied using daily MONEX (1979) satellite wind data to estimate mechanisms influencing the horizontal momentum. We present an improved estimate of the large-scale monsoon geopotential field near the level of maximum wind, and a more approximate field of friction as well. Average fields for the premonsoon and established monsoon periods of 1.5 months are shown. The evolution of forces and accelerations along different trajectories crossing the western Indian Ocean are compared. The net horizontal force, equal to the pressure gradient plus friction force, is obtained for the two periods by directly estimating the mean Coriolis and relative acceleration vectors. The contribution to mean acceleration by synoptic-scale transient eddies is significant only south of 30°S. Inertial acceleration by the mean flow produces a Rossby number in excess of 0.25 in an equatorial belt which expands to 10°N in the Somali Jet entrance. A method is devised...
Amnesic effects in free recall with introverts and extroverts

A series of 40 free recall lists with 12 items were presented to each of 80 Ss with either a proper name or a burst of white noise in Position 3, 6, or 10. Forty extroverts and 40 introverts were compared for either recall or recognition of the items. A retrograde amnesia-like effect was found for the item prior to the proper name, but introverts did not show a greater effect as hypothesized. Extroverts and introverts were not differentially affected by the white noise, but the extroverts made more correct responses and errors on the recognition test than did the introverts.
Activated charcoal vs. "universal antidote" as an antidote for poisons

Abstract The results of the present investigation demonstrate that activated charcoal alone is more effective as an adsorbent for pentobarbital, strychnine, and malathion than “universal antidote” which contains an equivalent amount of activated charcoal. Apparently, the tannic acid and/or the magnesium oxide component of “universal antidote” interferes with the adsorptive activity of activated charcoal. It is recommended that activated charcoal replace “universal antidote” in the treatment of poisoning.
Effects of pulsed ultrasound on the mouse neonate: hind limb paralysis and lung hemorrhage

Exposure conditions were determined for hind limb paralysis and lung hemorrhage of neonatal mice due to pulsed exposure (10 microsecond pulse duration) to 1 MHz focused ultrasound. Spatial peak pulse average intensity and peak rarefactional pressure levels for paralysis in 50% of specimens sonicated were determined for pulse repetition frequencies of 1, 5 and 50 kHz at 10 degrees C and 2.4 s exposure duration. The results suggest that cavitation was involved in the paralysis at a pulse repetition frequency (PRF) of 50 kHz, but that cavitation took place in the coupling medium and probably not within the specimen during exposures at a PRF of 5 kHz. The results show an inverse relation between spatial peak pulse average intensity, or peak rarefactional pressure and sound on-time. Exposure conditions for lung hemorrhage were determined for a pulse duration of 10 microseconds at 10 degrees C and exposure durations of 2.4 and 180 s. The results show that the threshold exposure conditions for lung hemorrhage are much less than the conditions for cavitational or other effects reported for tissues that do not contain well defined gas bodies. In addition, the results show an inverse relation between exposure level and either exposure duration or sound on-time, suggesting that time is an important parameter associated with bubble effects.
Eukaryotic mRNA Decapping

Eukaryotic mRNAs are primarily degraded by removal of the 3' poly(A) tail, followed either by cleavage of the 5' cap structure (decapping) and 5'->3' exonucleolytic digestion, or by 3' to 5' degradation. mRNA decapping represents a critical step in turnover because this permits the degradation of the mRNA and is a site of numerous control inputs. Recent analyses suggest decapping of an mRNA consists of four central and related events. These include removal, or inactivation, of the poly(A) tail as an inhibitor of decapping, exit from active translation, assembly of a decapping complex on the mRNA, and sequestration of the mRNA into discrete cytoplasmic foci where decapping can occur. Each of these steps is a demonstrated, or potential, site for the regulation of mRNA decay. We discuss the decapping process in the light of these central properties, which also suggest fundamental aspects of cytoplasmic mRNA physiology that connect decapping, translation, and storage of mRNA.
Role of season in aquatic hazard assessment

This paper discusses the potential for time of year toinfluence the outcome of aquatic hazard assessments. Exposureof fish to contaminants under winter conditions can cause themto develop Winter Stress Syndrome (WSS). Substantial mortalitycan result, potentially changing year-class strength andpopulation structure of the affected species, and alteringcommunity-level ecological interactions. Aquatic contaminantsshould be evaluated in the context of seasonal metabolicchanges that normally occur in test organisms. WSS could be animportant, but as yet unquantified, cause of mortality in manycircumstances. Wastewater discharges may pose a greater toxicthreat to fish during winter than at other times of the year.A comprehensive protocol for aquatic hazard assessment shouldinclude testing for WSS.
Pioneers in Pediatric Psychology: Technology, Mentors, Collaborations, and Life Experiences in an Evolving Pediatric Psychologist

Though I hardly think of myself as a ‘‘pioneer,’’ I suppose I need to admit to being an older and hopefully wiser member of the Pediatric Psychology family. As proof of the ‘‘older’’ part, I will recount a few observations related to the impact of technology on our practice, scholarship, and communications. Transitions from traditional medical models to interdisciplinary health care systems that integrate psychosocial care and family empowerment are highlighted to underscore how we all may have grown a little wiser. My most significant observations are also my most personal. The invitation to submit this piece has provided a precious opportunity to review the role that mentors and collaborative relationships have played in the development of pediatric psychology and in my life. I will also share personal observations from challenging chapters in our family’s life that defined my perspectives and priorities about health care, psychosocial interventions, trauma, and resilience. The net impact of my professional and personal experiences has been to be open to change—in perceptions, in practices, and in professional roles—and to feel some urgency about making our individual and collective efforts count.
An Adaptation of Motivational Interviewing Increases Quit Attempts in Smokers With Serious Mental Illness

Introduction: Smokers with serious mental illness (SMI) have a high smoking prevalence and a low quit rate. Motivational interviewing (MI) is an empirically supported approach for addressing substance use disorders and may motivate smokers with SMI to quit. Methods: We randomized smokers (N = 98) with SMI to receive a single 45-minute session of (1) MI with personalized feedback or (2) interactive education. We hypothesized that participants receiving the MI intervention would be more likely to follow-up on a referral for tobacco depend- ence treatment, to make a quit attempt, and to quit smoking than those receiving the interactive educational intervention. Results: Smokers receiving an MI intervention were significantly more likely to make a quit attempt by the 1-month follow-up (34.7% vs. 14.3%; OR = 4.39 (95% CI = 1.44 to 13.34), P = .009); however, these quit attempts did not translate into abstinence. In addition, 32.7% of those receiving MI followed-up on a referral for tobacco dependence treatment (vs. 20.4% receiving interactive edu- cation; OR = 2.02 (95% CI = 0.76 to 3.55), P = .157). MI Treatment Integrity Code ratings indicated that the interventions were easily distinguishable from each other and that MI was delivered with proficiency. Despite the intervention's brevity, participants reported high levels of therapeutic alli - ance with their therapist. Conclusions: A brief adaptation of MI with personalized feedback appears to be a promising approach for increasing quit attempts in smokers with SMI, but future research is required to determine how to best help smokers with SMI to attain sustained abstinence.
Number of Pretraining Problems and Type of Instructions in Concept Identification.

To assess the effects of pretraining problems and type of instructions on concept identification 40 men and 40 women were given 0, 1, 2, or 3 pretraining problems prior to administration of an expe...
Template-based Recognition of Static Sitting Postures

In this paper we introduce a generalization of Fisher-Rao's discriminant analysis and its application in a human-computer interaction scenario: a sensing chair. Our algorithm shows to be able to successfully estimate the underlying distributions of the pressure maps data of the sensing chair. Other linear discriminant techniques, such as LDA, had been found to be inadequate for the job; typically yielding inferior results than PCA. We compare our approach to several template-based approaches and show that the new discriminant function is comparable to the best approach classifier. This is important because generally each application tends to prefer a different algorithm. Fortunately, our new algorithm is usually the top one (or comparable to the top one). In this paper we will however restrict our study tothe classification of sitting postures.
The Relationship Between Inadequate Oxygenation of the Brain at Birth and Developmental Outcome

Early childhood educators are likely to encounter children who experienced oxygen deprivation during the birth process. An understanding of the early signs of this condition, sometimes referred to as asphyxia, and of the cognitive and motor deficits that may result can assist in the planning of appropriate services. This article is a review of causes, effects on the brain, clinical manifestations, and developmental consequences.
A Pregnancy-Specific Protein in the Bovine Uterus

The specificity of a bovine uterine protein for pregnancy was investigated using an antibody developed against the protein. The protein was found by 15 days after mating in the endometrium and uterine flushings from cows containing a blastocyst but was not present in those not containing a blastocyst. The protein was also found in the uterine endometrium at 48 days of pregnancy. However it could not be detected in plasma liver kidney spleen and muscle tissue of pregnant animals. The protein has a molecular weight of 50-60000 and migrates more slowly on agarose than albumin. It is estimated that the uterine endometrial proteins at Day 15 of gestation contain approximately 1% or less of the pregnancy-specific protein.
Commentary: Progress and Challenges in Evidence-based Family Assessment in Pediatric Psychology

It is widely accepted that families are integral to biopsychosocial, social ecological, and other systemic approaches for understanding families and pediatric health. Pediatric psychologists are among the strongest advocates for families. At the same time, families pose challenges that we (pediatric psychology as a field) struggle with in terms of theoretical conceptualizations, assessment and intervention approaches, and training. We primarily use individual frameworks in our practice and research. In this brief commentary, prompted by the report of accomplishments in evidence-based family assessment in pediatric psychology (Alderfer et al., 2007), I outline some of the background for an implicit “challenge” to our field to advance our family orientation and provide some concrete ideas about next steps.
THE STRATEGIC ROLE OF PARTY IDEOLOGY WHEN VOTERS ARE UNCERTAIN ABOUT HOW THE ECONOMY WORKS

A continuum of voters, indexed by income, have preferences over economic outcomes. Two political parties each represent the interests of given constituencies of voters: the rich and the poor. Parties/candidates put forth policies—for instance, tax policy, where taxes finance a public good. Voters are uncertain about the theory of the economy, the function that maps policies into economic outcomes. Parties argue, as well, for theories of the economy. Each voter has a prior probability distribution over possible theories of the economy; after parties announce their theories of the economy, each voter constructs an a posteriori distribution over such theories. Suppose that voters are unsure how efficiently the government converts tax revenues into the public good. Under reasonable assumptions the party representing the rich argues that the government is very inefficient and the party representing the poor argues the opposite. What appear as liberal and conservative ideological views emerge as simply good strategies in the electoral game.
Automation Capabilities Analysis Methodology for Non-Controlled Airports

Advanced technologies will be needed to enhance and improve the current transportation capabilities of the nation's small aircraft transportation network, and thus help relieve congestion at hub airports. To achieve this goal, current operation concepts and procedures will have to be changed and improved, or perhaps even replaced. This paper proposes a decentralized Air Traffic Management approach, centered on the design of an automated arrival/departure system for non-controlled airports. A hybrid system is introduced that is a fusion of distributed air traffic management and centralized control. A new functional description of the airport terminal area infrastructure named Multi-layer Air Traffic Space is introduced, and automated terminal operations and procedures are addressed. Several types of intelligent agents with negotiation functions are developed in the automation system, and simulation methodology is presented, containing a full hardware and software description.
Defining Muscle Elastance As A Parameter

Functional descriptions of striated muscle are often based on the measured variables force and initial velocity of shortening, embodied as Hill's contractile element. The fundamental difficulty of describing the mechanical properties of muscle with a force-velocity relation that is set a priori, and the practical problem of the act of measurement changing muscle's force-velocity relation or elastance curve, are described. As an alternative, a new model of muscle contraction is presented, which characterizes muscle's contractile state with parameters, rather than variables. Muscle is treated as a force generator that is time, length, and velocity dependent. Muscle dynamics develop from a single equation based on the formation and relaxation of crossbridge bonds. This analytical function permits the calculation of muscle elastance via Em = partfm/partlscrm. This new muscle model is defined independently from load properties, and muscle elastance is dynamic and reflects changing numbers of crossbridge bonds. This parameter is more representative of the mechanical properties of muscle than are variables such as muscle force and shortening velocity.