cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
An exponential–gamma mixture model for extreme Santa Ana winds

We analyze the behavior of extreme winds occurring in Southern California during the Santa Ana wind season using a latent mixture model. This mixture representation is formulated as a hierarchical Bayesian model and fit using Markov chain Monte Carlo. The two-stage model results in generalized Pareto margins for exceedances and generates temporal dependence through a latent Markov process. This construction induces asymptotic independence in the response, while allowing for dependence at extreme, but subasymptotic, levels. We compare this model with a frequentist analogue where inference is performed via maximum pairwise likelihood. We use interval censoring to account for data quantization and estimate the extremal index and probabilities of multiday occurrences of extreme Santa Ana winds over a range of high thresholds.
CYANOGENESIS, THE PRODUCTION OF HYDROGEN CYANIDE, BY PLANTS

I. ABSTRACT The production of HCN by higher plants is due to the presence, in the plants, of compounds which release HCN when acted upon by enzymes also usually found in the plant. The cyanogenic compounds, commonly glycosides of α-hydroxynitriles, are presumably located in one part of the plant cell (e.g. the vacuole) while the degradative enzymes are located in another. Numerous factors influence the potential toxicity of the cyanogenic compounds. These include: the concentration of the compound(s) in the plant; the amount of the toxic plant ingested; the size and kind of animal involved; the type of food ingested simultaneously; the possibility of the plant enzymes remaining active in the digestive tract of the animal; and the ability of the animal to detoxify the HCN which it encounters. Information on these factors, which is available in varying degrees, is summarized together with a description of the enzymatic process by which HCN is produced.
A novel image-based system for risk stratification in patients with desmoplastic small round cell tumor

Abstract Background Desmoplastic small round cell tumor (DSRCT) is an aggressive soft tissue sarcoma affecting children and young adults with 5-year overall survival (OS) of approximately 20%. Despite generally poor prognosis, long-term survival does occur. However, no evidence-based system exists to risk-stratify patients at diagnosis. Methods We retrospectively reviewed all DSRCT cases diagnosed at our institution between January 2000 and September 2016. Demographics, diagnostic imaging, and clinical data were reviewed. Univariate and multivariate Cox proportional hazard modeling was used to evaluate associations between imaging characteristics and OS. Results There were 130 patients (85% male; median age at presentation: 21.2 years) with confirmed DSRCT and sufficient imaging and clinical information for analysis. Median 5-year OS was 28% (95% CI: 19%–37%). In univariate analysis, shorter OS was associated with presence of liver lesions (hazard ratio [HR] 2.1, 95% CI: 1.28–3.45), chest lesions (HR 1.86, 95% CI: 1.11–3.1), and ascites (HR 1.69, 95% CI: 1.06–2.7). In multivariate analysis, liver involvement and ascites were predictive and were used to stratify risk (intermediate = no liver involvement or ascites; high = either liver involvement or ascites; very high = both liver involvement and ascites). Intermediate-risk patients had a 5-year survival of 61% (95% CI: 40%–76%) versus 16% (95% CI: 6%–29%) among high-risk patients and 8% (95% CI: 1%–29%) among very high risk patients. Conclusion Patients with DSRCT can be risk-stratified at diagnosis based on specific imaging characteristics. Type of study Retrospective study with no comparison group. Level of evidence Level IV.
Regulating Consumer Lending

In order to promulgate effective consumer credit regulation, policy makers must understand the supply and demand for consumer credit as well as the economic and sociological benefits and detriments. After an explanation of each of these factors, the article proposes legislation and regulation that will reduce the damage but allow nonsuspect transactions to continue to occur.
Under what conditions does web conferencing inhibit learning in a computer science classroom

The need for viable alternatives for face-to-face classroom education is becoming a serious consideration with the exponential growth of online education and the increased instability of our climate. We aim to examine the conditions where web conferencing inhibits learning in a computer science classroom. A case study is presented that evaluates the use of web conferencing, specifically in the computer science/information systems classroom. This study explores the use and integration of a web conferencing program (WebEx) to facilitate the delivery of database material looking at characteristics such as reported stress, engagement, connection with instructor and classmates and distraction. Two introductory database lessons are compared; the first is conducted face-to-face in a traditional classroom and the other is conducted using interactive tools available from WebEx. We found that while students enjoyed the experience of using web conferencing and found it to be a less stressful when compared to the face-to-face class that distraction, decreased engagement in the course material and decreased connection with the instructor were reported as difficulties. This case study has been designed to ground future work, which will use a value-sensitive design framework to inform both the design of computer-mediated communication web conferencing tools and suggest best-practices for synchronous course delivery using web conferencing.
Deformation Processing of Cesium Iodide Crystals

Cesium iodide (CsI) is a very useful optical material combining a low refractive index with broad spectral transparency. Unfortunately, the mechanical weakness of CsI crystals severely limits practical applicability of the material. Nearly all uses require mechanical strengthening. The strengthening treatment cannot, of course, degrade the desirable single crystal optical properties. The primary goal of this work was, therefore, demonstration of high optical quality, strengthened cesium iodide material.
A Trust-Based Model for Information Integrity in Open Systems

While it is difficult to apply conventional security services to a system without a central authority, trust management offers a solution for information assurance in such a system. In this paper, we have developed a policy-oriented decision model based on object trust management to assist users in selecting reliable and secure information in an open system. In the proposed model, an object represents a topic or issue under discussion, and it may have multiple versions, each of which represents a subject’s opinion towards the characteristics of that object. The developed trust-based decision model assists a user to select one object version with desired level of quality and security features from available versions of a given object. The model balances both positive and negative aspects of an object version, and an evaluator can explicitly specify, in form of a policy specification, which features of an object version are not acceptable and which features are favorable. A high-level policy language, called Selector, expresses the policy specification in an unambiguous way. Selector consists of primary and residual policy statements. It supports recursive function calls, and the invoked external functions are defined separately from the language itself. The proposed decision model doesn’t guarantee to select the “best” version for a given object. Rather it ensures that the selected version meets a user’s requirement for information integrity.
Constant Refinement: Learning from Life’s Experiments

Scientists are some of the most curious people. They are curious about the way small intricate things work, and they are interested in why they work that way. They want to solve problems and make predictions. Scientists are observant, and most want to have a positive impact on students and society in general. As of 2018, I’ve been a chemist for the last 21 years, a professor for the last 14 years, an advocate for women in STEM for 13 years, and a mother for the last 10 years. I can say that I am very happy with all of these roles. I cannot imagine my life without any of these parts. I don’t have all the answers, but I can share some of my observations and the results of my life full of learning experiments and experiences.
Departing from the mutual exclusiveness of strength and ductility in nanocrystalline metals with vacancy induced plasticity

Abstract Strength and ductility are mutually exclusive in metallic materials. To break this relationship, we start with nanocrystalline Zirconium with very high strength and low ductility. We then ion irradiate the specimens to introduce vacancies, which promote diffusional plasticity without reducing strength. Mechanical tests inside the Transmission Electron Microscope reveal about 300% increase in plastic strain after self ion-irradiation. Molecular dynamics simulation showed that 4.3% increase in vacancies near the grain boundaries can result in about 60% increase in plastic strain. Both experimental and computational results support our hypothesis that vacancies may enhance plasticity through higher atomic diffusivity at the grain boundaries.
A survey to assess use patterns and perceptions of efficacy of eczema action plans among pediatric dermatologists

Eczema action plans (EAPs) are written, customizable documents that guide patients through the self-management of atopic dermatitis. Here, we distributed a survey regarding the use patterns and perceptions of eczema action plans to 1068 members of the Society for Pediatric Dermatology and received 87 responses. Although a strong majority of respondents endorsed the ability of EAPs to improve adherence (79%) and improve prevention and/or management of flares (70%), reported rates of EAP editing or provision sharply decline from initial to follow-up visits (61%-33%). The development of a standardized, low-literacy web-based tool could improve the efficacy of EAPs for patients and physicians by improving comprehensibility and retention.
Peoples of the Horn of Africa (Somali, Afar and Saho): North Eastern Africa Part I

Routledge is proud to be re-issuing this landmark series in association with the International African Institute. The series, published between 1950 and 1977, brings together a wealth of previously un-co-ordinated material on the ethnic groupings and social conditions of African peoples. Concise, critical and (for its time) accurate, the Ethnographic Survey contains sections as follows: Physical Environment Linguistic Data Demography History & Traditions of Origin Nomenclature Grouping Cultural Features: Religion, Witchcraft, Birth, Initiation, Burial Social & Political Organization: Kinship, Marriage, Inheritance, Slavery, Land Tenure, Warfare & Justice Economy & Trade Domestic Architecture Each of the 50 volumes will be available to buy individually, and these are organized into regional sub-groups: East Central Africa, North-Eastern Africa, Southern Africa, West Central Africa, Western Africa, and Central Africa Belgian Congo. The volumes are supplemented with maps, available to view on routledge.com or available as a pdf from the publishers.
Single-Stranded DNA-Binding Proteins

Single-stranded DNA-binding proteins (SSBs) are proteins that have essential roles in DNA replication, recombination, and repair. These proteins bind single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) independently of sequence with high affinity. Proteins with this function are found in all domains of life and most use a distinctive structural fold known as an OB fold for DNA binding. SSB proteins discussed here include gene protein 32 (gp32) from T4 bacteriophage, Escherichia coli SSB, replication protein A (RPA) from Saccaromyces cerevisiae and humans, and SSB and RPA from various archaeal species.
A Horse in the Hospital: The Importance of Collaboration between Infection Prevention and Child Life Specialists

BACKGROUND Supported by the American Academy of Pediatrics, child Life Specialists (CLS) play a pivotal role in helping pediatric patients cope emotionally and psychologically with medical procedures or hospital stays. Literature shows that CLS involvement leads to decreased anxiety and fear, and improved cooperation and adjustment to medical challenges. These patients also report lower levels of procedural and post-procedural pain. Additionally, family member support and anxiety reduction leads to improved coping in the patient as well. METHODS Our hospital has a robust Child Life program, with multiple events each day. For patients in isolation precautions, access to these events and activities was limited to what the CLS was able to provide in the patient room. These patients were unable to experience the distraction and benefits of the fully stocked playroom, as well as other larger events. Working closely with the Child Life team, Infection Prevention developed guidelines?that allowed isolation patients to safely experience activities sponsored by Child Life without the risk of transmission to other patients. RESULTS IP and CLS have developed a number of protocols for unique situations. These include allowing patients in isolation to attend private playroom time, visits from therapy and zoo animals, including dogs, horses, and reindeer, use of virtual reality equipment to enhance physical therapy, and providing donated blankets, toys, and stuffed animals. CONCLUSIONS IP can successfully support CLS to offer developmentally appropriate and beneficial opportunities for our pediatric patients while adhering to hospital infection prevention policy through the use of protocols and creative problem solving.
Stable enhancers are active in development, and fragile enhancers are associated with evolutionary adaptation

Despite continual progress in the identification and characterization of trait- and disease-associated variants that disrupt transcription factor (TF)-DNA binding, little is known about the distribution of TF binding deactivating mutations (deMs) in enhancer sequences. Here, we focus on elucidating the mechanism underlying the different densities of deMs in human enhancers. We identify two classes of enhancers based on the density of nucleotides prone to deMs. Firstly, fragile enhancers with abundant deM nucleotides are associated with the immune system and regular cellular maintenance. Secondly, stable enhancers with only a few deM nucleotides are associated with the development and regulation of TFs and are evolutionarily conserved. These two classes of enhancers feature different regulatory programs: the binding sites of pioneer TFs of FOX family are specifically enriched in stable enhancers, while tissue-specific TFs are enriched in fragile enhancers. Moreover, stable enhancers are more tolerant of deMs due to their dominant employment of homotypic TF binding site (TFBS) clusters, as opposed to the larger-extent usage of heterotypic TFBS clusters in fragile enhancers. Notably, the sequence environment and chromatin context of the cognate motif, other than the motif itself, contribute more to the susceptibility to deMs of TF binding. This dichotomy of enhancer activity is conserved across different tissues, has a specific footprint in epigenetic profiles, and argues for a bimodal evolution of gene regulatory programs in vertebrates. Specifically encoded stable enhancers are evolutionarily conserved and associated with development, while differently encoded fragile enhancers are associated with the adaptation of species.
DeepRisk: A Deep Transfer Learning Approach to Migratable Traffic Risk Estimation in Intelligent Transportation Using Social Sensing

This paper focuses on the migratable traffic risk estimation problem in intelligent transportation systems using the social (human-centric) sensing. The goal is to accurately estimate the traffic risk of a target area where the ground truth traffic accident reports are not available by leveraging an estimation model from a source area where such data is available. Two important challenges exist. The first challenge lies in the discrepancy between source and target areas (e.g., layouts, road conditions, and local regulations) and such discrepancy would prevent a direct application of a model from the source area to the target area. The second challenge lies in the difficulty of identifying all potential features in the migratable traffic risk estimation problem and decide the importance of identified features due to the lack of ground truth labels in the target area. To address these challenges, we develop DeepRisk, a social sensing based migratable traffic risk estimation scheme using deep transfer learning techniques. The evaluation results on a real world dataset in New York City show the DeepRisk significantly outperforms the state-of-the-art baselines in accurately estimating the traffic risk of locations in a city.
3-D phase-field simulations of self-organized composite morphologies in physical vapor deposited phase-separating binary alloys

We use 3D phase-field simulations to investigate the role of deposition rates and atomic mobilities on morphological self-structuring in phase-separating, vapor-deposited alloys. Our numerical simulations predict the three distinct nanocomposite morphologies: vertical composition modulations (VCMs), lateral composition modulations (LCMs), and random composition modulations. We also observed a transitional region between VCM and LCM that exhibits the coexistence of features drawn from both morphologies. We compare these results with experiments carried out on co-deposited Cu-Mo alloys and find good agreement between the two.
Practice 3: Amplify Creative Associations of Knowledge Fragments

Innovative ideas were more likely to be preceded by creative associations, than any other type of knowledge. Creative associations are personal experiences a participant might have had with a similar problem in a different context, or conflicting objectives a participant believes must be solved by any proposed solution. Creative associations have a twofold inspirational value. First, they inspire others to post their own creative associations, thus amplifying the number of creative associations available for anyone reading the posts. Second, they inspire the creation of innovative ideas by helping participants make connections in their own minds that spur creative discovery. This effect only works when the creative associations are present in the most recent five posts prior to the innovative idea; posts further back are ignored.
Land Rights and Technology Adoption: Improved Rice Varieties in Vietnam

Adopting improved seed varieties is a type of agricultural investment that has substantially ensured food security in developing countries and helped farmers transition out of poverty. This paper e...
¿Qué quiere Juan Ruiz? Estética de la alegría y Libro de buen amor

La intencion del Libro de buen amor ha sido tradicionalmente leida desde la filologia y el posestructuralismo en terminos de ars amoris, obra doctrinal, parodia y/o ambiguedad del signo linguistico. En este texto argumento que literal, estructural y dialecticamente, Juan Ruiz cifra la intencion, antropologia y legitimacion del Libro de buen amor en una estetica de la alegria, donde estetica remite al efecto de un artefacto sobre los afectos y no a los paradigmas neoplatonico o romantico, como usualmente sucede. Ademas, entender la importancia de la alegria en el poema requiere pensar esta pasion desligada de sus usuales companeras criticas, la juglaria y la parodia, que agotan su significado en los registros a los que remiten
Remote Heart Rhythm Monitoring

Ambulatory monitoring with a Holter and event recorder has been a traditional mode of detecting paroxysmal episodes of palpitations, dizziness, or syncope thought to be caused by supraventricular and ventricular arrhythmias. Over the last decade or so, atrial fibrillation (AF) has become an increasingly important indication for ambulatory monitoring to assess the burden of the arrhythmia as well as to determine the efficacy of pharmacological and nonpharmacological therapies. In this chapter remote monitoring of patients with pacemakers and defibrillators, as well as novel methods such as ECG Apps, iPhone, and IWatch for arrhythmia detection are discussed.
Evaluation of Silicon Diaphragms for Hermetic Packaging of Microbolometer Arrays

Hermetic packaging is a critical requirement for microbolometers to maintain long-term reliability. A thinner diaphragm is desirable for vacuum packaging of microbolometers to obtain higher infrared light transmission. However, a thinner diaphragm results in a larger deflection due to the pressure difference from atmosphere, which may influence the IR signal focus and possibly cause mechanical failure. In this paper, the trade-offs of using thin single crystal silicon diaphragms as encapsulation for hermetic packaging of microbolometer arrays have been investigated in terms of the mechanical stability and optical performance using COMSOL and Zemax. The optical simulations show that the bending of the thin diaphragm has negligible effect on the infrared light focus with wavelengths from 8 to 14 µm. The mechanical simulations reveal that a thin diaphragm (thickness < 70 µm) with 10×10 mm2 area and a diaphragm (thickness < 90 µm) with 12×12 mm2 area will cause mechanical failure, and the designed diaphragm thickness must incorporate margins to these values.
Ostracisation, inequity, and exclusion: the lasting effects of 9/11 and the war on terror on South Asian diasporas

A beautiful and culturally rich region, South Asia is also the epicentre of a wide array of threats to national, regional, and international security, including issues pertaining to terrorism, wate...
Packing ellipsoids into volume-minimizing rectangular boxes

A set of tri-axial ellipsoids, with given semi-axes, is to be packed into a rectangular box; its widths, lengths and height are subject to lower and upper bounds. We want to minimize the volume of this box and seek an overlap-free placement of the ellipsoids which can take any orientation. We present closed non-convex NLP formulations for this ellipsoid packing problem based on purely algebraic approaches to represent rotated and shifted ellipsoids. We consider the elements of the rotation matrix as variables. Separating hyperplanes are constructed to ensure that the ellipsoids do not overlap with each other. For up to 100 ellipsoids we compute feasible points with the global solvers available in GAMS. Only for special cases of two ellipsoids we are able to reach gaps smaller than $$10^{-4}$$10-4.
Pathologic Observations in Portal Cirrhosis

Summary Biopsy specimens were obtained from the livers of 32 patients with portal cirrhosis. The patients were classified in three groups according to whether they were: I-symptom free; II-moderately ill; and III-severely ill, deepjaundiced cases. The specimens were studied histologically in order to determine whether or not the morphologic changes correlated in any way with the clinical status. Repeated biopsy specimens were obtained in 7 cases during the course of medical management.
Development and Implementation of an Information Server for Web-based Education in Astronomy

This paper focuses on the development of a high-performance information server for web-based education. An innovative model of software architecture is provided to effectively utilize the computational power of a parallel server platform for efficient, on-demand astronomical image browsing through the Internet. Our previous research revealed the demand for astronomical image browsing raised by various communities engaged in educational and research activities. Additionally, we have characterized network performance under different levels of activity and identified techniques for efficient image transmission over the Internet.
Approximate Observers for Linear and Bilinear Systems

In this paper we address the problem of approximate observer design for linear and a special class of bilinear systems. In contrast to the well-known reduced-order observers, the approximate observers proposed in this paper are developed based upon the internally balanced model reduction of the designed observers. Simulation results obtained from the numerical design procedures are included to illustrate the difference between the reduced-order and the approximate observers.
Electoral Protest and Democracy in the Developing World

1. Introduction 2. Elite bargaining and developing world elections 3. Causes of electoral protest 4. Election day and its aftermath 5. Democratic consequences of electoral protest 6. Conclusion Appendix A. Data and robustness Appendix B. Boycotts Appendix C. Demonstrations Appendix D. Reforms.
Autoreactive B Cells Migrate into T Cell Territory

Autoreactive B cells producing antibody against self-antigen are normally deleted by apoptosis. In their Perspective, Fu and Storb discuss new work (William et al .), which shows that in a mouse strain prone to developing autoimmune disease, autoreactive B cells avoid deletion by accumulating in the T cell zone of the spleen instead of in B cell follicles.
Federal Habeas Corpus for Trial Lawyers

On April 24, 1996, new federal legislation, the Antiterrorism and Effective Death Penalty Act (AEDPA), became law. The most significant provisions of AEDPA substantially changed the federal habeas corpus statutes controlling a state inmate's pursuit of post-conviction relief in federal courts. Under AEDPA, the burden of properly presenting and preserving federal constitutional issues for federal review falls squarely on trial and appellate counsel. This article is designed to provide the defense practitioner with the basic AEDPA knowledge necessary to effectively present a state client's federal constitutional claims and preserve them for federal review.
Description of P78-2 (SCATHA) Satellite and Experiments.

Abstract : The P78-2 (SCATHA) satellite was placed into a near synchronous orbit in early February 1979. The satellite was a part of a joint U.S. Air Force/NASA program to study spacecraft charging. The satellite has its spin axis approximately parallel to the earth's equatorial plane. This allows good pitch angle coverage by the particle experiments. The experiment complement consists of a complete set of plasma, energetic particle, composition, field and wave experiments. The satellite has already provided over two years of data; about one year (February, 1979 to March, 1980) of it has been provided to the experimenters as formatted digital tapes. The data is of very high quality and the coverage is good ( 90%). (Author)
Tandem spheres in hypersonic flow

The problem of determining the forces acting on a secondary body when it is travelling at some point within the shocked region created by a hypersonic primary body is of interest in such situations as store or stage separation, re-entry of multiple vehicles, and atmospheric meteoroid fragmentation. The current work is concerned with a special case of this problem, namely that in which both bodies are spheres and are stationary with respect to one another. We first present an approximate analytical model of the problem; subsequently, numerical simulations are described and results are compared with those from the analytical model. Finally, results are presented from a series of experiments in the T5 hypervelocity shock tunnel in which a newly-developed force-measurement technique was employed.
Terrestrial digital video broadcasting for mobile reception using OFDM

A trellis-coded orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (TC-OFDM) system is studied for digital video broadcasting with emphasis on mobile reception. Mobility causes time variations over the OFDM blocks that leads to an error floor due to inter-channel interference (ICI). The paper proposes some new trellis codes for TC-OFDM systems to combat the ICI and additive noise. It also investigates the feasibility of using multiresolution modulation (MRM) as a means for extending the broadcast range.
Survey of transcripts in the adult Drosophila brain

Classic methods of identifying genes involved in neural function include the laborious process of behavioral screening of mutagenized flies and then rescreening candidate lines for pleiotropic effects due to developmental defects. To accelerate the molecular analysis of brain function in Drosophila we constructed a cDNA library exclusively from adult brains. Our goal was to begin to develop a catalog of transcripts expressed in the brain. These transcripts are expected to contain a higher proportion of clones that are involved in neuronal function. The library contains approximately 6.75 million independent clones. From our initial characterization of 271 randomly chosen clones, we expect that approximately 11% of the clones in this library will identify transcribed sequences not found in expressed sequence tag databases. Furthermore, 15% of these 271 clones are not among the 13,601 predicted Drosophila genes. Our analysis of this unique Drosophila brain library suggests that the number of genes may be underestimated in this organism. This work complements the Drosophila genome project by providing information that facilitates more complete annotation of the genomic sequence. This library should be a useful resource that will help in determining how basic brain functions operate at the molecular level.
Faraday rotation in semiconductors for photonic integration

Magnetically doped Fe:InP is demonstrated to provide 45/spl deg/ rotation at 1550 nm with only 1.66 dB insertion loss. Enhanced Faraday rotation in Fe:InGaAsP resonators and high-index contrast waveguides is also demonstrated.
Overview of Communications Satellite Technology and Operation

The original idea of a communications satellite that could be deployed in geosynchronous orbit was a quite simple one. The concept was to create the equivalent of a very, very tall microwave relay tower in the sky. This virtual tower could connect voice, messages or data links across oceans or could be a broadcast station for radio and television with very broad coverage.
Proton Impact Excitation of Positive Ions

In hot hydrogenic plasmas with an impurity content of heavier elements, the emission spectrum and the distribution of the impurity ionization stages are largely determined by electron impact processes. There are, however, particular instances where transitions are caused preferentially by proton impacts. In addition to modifying the plasma characteristics, such transitions have a special utility as diagnostic probes of the proton component of the plasma.
Dimethylaminoethanol (deanol) metabolism in rat brain and its effect on acetylcholine synthesis

Specific methods utilizing combined gas chromatography mass spectrometry were used to measure the metabolism of [2H6] deanol and its effects on acetylcholine concentration in vitro and in vivo. In vitro [2H6]deanol was rapidly taken up by rat brain synaptosomes, but was neither methylated nor acetylated. [2H6]Deanol was a weak competitive inhibitor of the high affinity transport of [2H4]choline, thus reducing the synthesis of [2H4]acetylcholine. In vivo [2H6]deanol was present in the brain after i.p. or p.o. administration, but was not methylated or acetylated. Treatment of rats with [2H6]deanol significantly increased the concentration of choline in the plasma and brain but did not alter the concentration of acetylcholine in the brain. Treatment of rats with atropine (to stimulate acetylcholine turnover) or with hemicholinium-3 (to inhibit the high affinity transport of choline) did not reveal any effect of [2H6]deanol on acetylcholine synthesis in vivo. However, since [2H6]deanol did increase brain choline, it may prove therapeutically useful when the production of choline is reduced or when the utilization of choline for the synthesis of acetylcholine is impaired.
Breast Density and Breast Cancer Risk: A Practical Review

New legislation in several states requiring breast density notification in all mammogram reports has increased awareness of breast density. Estimates indicate that up to 50% of women undergoing mammography will have high breast density; thus, with increased attention and high prevalence of increased breast density, it is crucial that primary care clinicians understand the implications of dense breasts and are able to provide appropriate counseling. This review provides an overview of breast density, specifically by defining breast density, exploring the association between breast density and breast cancer risk, both from masking and as an independent risk factor, and reviewing supplemental screening options as part of a larger framework for counseling patients with dense breasts.
A well-defined amphipathic conformation for the calcium-free cyclic lipopeptide antibiotic, daptomycin, in aqueous solution.

Daptomycin is a 13-residue cyclic lipopeptide with Ca2+-dependent bactericidal activity against a variety of high-risk pathogens. Ring closure in daptomycin is via an ester linkage between the side chain of Thr4 and the C-terminal carboxyl of the main chain; the N-terminal residue is capped by a decanoyl aliphatic chain. Extensive NMR data obtained under solution conditions that minimize aggregation have provided constraints for a detailed conformational analysis of daptomycin in aqueous solution, which should facilitate the rational design of improved analogs and enhance understanding of its mode of action. Transannular and shorter-range nuclear Overhauser effects (NOEs) as well as amide temperature shifts and 3JNHα coupling constants indicate that daptomycin adopts a well-defined conformation containing a distorted hairpin formed by Gly5–D-Ala6 type II′ β-turn. A number of hydrophobic moieties (the lipid N-cap and the Trp1 and Kyn13 side chains) are clustered at one end of the hairpin, while neutral polar and anionic residues are localized on the other end, leading to amphipathicity in the molecule. These features suggest a mode of action in which the large hydrophobic cluster of the peptide interacts with the acyl chain region of a membrane. This interaction may be facilitated by Ca2+ ions, both by neutralizing the anionic charges and by favoring association with the membrane head groups. Interestingly, our findings differ from two recent articles in which the aqueous conformation of Ca2+-free daptomycin is reported to lack a well-defined conformation (D. Jung, A. Rozek, M. Okron, and R. E. W. Hancock, Chemistry & Biology, 2004, Vol. 11, pp. 949–957) or is suggested to populate an alternate conformation (L.-J. Ball, C. M. Goult, J. A. Donarski, J. Micklefield, and V. Ramesh, Organic & Biomolecular Chemistry, 2004, Vol. 2, pp. 1872–1878). © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Biopolymers (Pept Sci), 2005
Illumination dependence of the joint transform correlation.

A simple model has been developed to explain the loss of correlation intensity in a joint transform architecture when the reference and test scenes have unequal illumination.
Weber laws, the Weber law, and psychophysical analysis

In failing to define the units in which the stimulus is to be measured, the Weber law might seem to make no definite assertion, and indeed, it is shown that any single empirical function, supposed to relate a given stimulus intensity with that intensity which is just noticeably greater, can be put into the Weber form by a suitable change of scale in which the stimulus intensity is to be measured. Nevertheless, it turns out that if different individuals have different Weber functions, when the intensities are measured on a given scale, then it is by no means always possible to transform the scale so that all of the functions can take on the Weber form. Some necessary conditions are given for the possibility of such a transformation when there is at hand a finite number of functions, and when the functions depend upon a single parameter the necessary and sufficient condition is easily derived. The same discussion leads to a generalization of Thurstone's psychophysical scale and shows that such a scale is always possible.
Predicting benthic microalgal oxygen and nutrient flux responses to a nutrient reduction management strategy for the eutrophic Neuse River Estuary, North Carolina, USA

Abstract In response to recent water quality declines, caused by excessive nitrogen (N) loading, a 30% reduction of N inputs into the Neuse River Estuary (NRE) has been mandated by the North Carolina State Legislature. Water quality model predictions as well as nutrient bioassays indicate that a 30% reduction in N will result in a 15% reduction in phytoplankton biomass (as chlorophyll a ) in the NRE. Using previously published NRE light extinction coefficient component data and NRE irradiance data, we calculated that the average NRE compensation depth ( 6 m 2 which is 20% larger than the average sediment surface area in the euphotic zone during the study period (1998–2000). Previous NRE work revealed that euphotic sediment in the NRE support autotrophic benthic microalgal communities (BMC) that alter oxygen and nutrient fluxes. To further quantify this effect, we conducted a series of light versus dark incubations of NRE sediments collected from above (shallow euphotic areas 3.5 m water depth) the compensation depth. Sediment oxygen demand (SOD), nutrient flux and organic matter content were significantly lower in shallow water cores compared to their deep-water counterparts. Furthermore, the illuminated shallow cores demonstrated a 45% decrease in SOD compared to shallow cores incubated in the dark. The combined effect of the projected increase in BMC habitat coupled with the reduction in SOD and nutrient flux associated with BMC represents an overlooked and potentially important benefit of reduced N inputs that could accelerate water quality recovery in the NRE.
Decreasing Concentration and Reversibility of the Resource Partitioning Process: Supply Shortages and Deregulation in the Bulgarian Newspaper Industry, 1987-1992

This paper examines the effect of decreasing industry concentration on organizational diversity and on the choice of positional strategies in the population of Bulgarian newspaper enterprises between 1987 and 1992. The results of the exit rate analysis of specialist organizations in a period of resource depletion confirm the reversibility of the resource partitioning process. In the case of post-socialist foundings spurred by deregulation, decreasing overall industry concentration is interpreted to conceal increasing concentration at the sub-industry level and points to the emergence of a second market centre. The formation of such polycentrist resource space accounts for the unexpected effect of overall diminishing industry concentration, which deters the entry of generalists and favours the start-up of specialists.
Altered levels of amyloid protein precursor transcripts in the basal forebrain of behaviorally impaired aged rats.

Abstract The beta/A4 protein is a constituent of plaque and vascular amyloid deposits in Alzheimer disease. Previous studies have shown increased levels of amyloid protein precursor (APP) mRNA in basal forebrain neurons in the disease. Morphological and neurochemical changes occur within the forebrain in Alzheimer disease and are also correlated with behavioral impairments in aged rats. Recent studies suggest that decreased nerve growth factor responsiveness of basal forebrain neurons is a feature of normal aging and of Alzheimer disease. We have used in situ hybridization to show that the abundance of specific forms of APP mRNA, which contain an inserted Kunitz-type serine protease inhibitor motif (APP-751, APP-770, and APP-related 563), are increased relative to the noninserted form (APP-695) of APP mRNA in the basal forebrain of aged rats. This increase appears to be specific to animals who exhibit spatial memory deficits but not aged rats without behavioral impairments.
Estimating the safety and operational impact of raised medians and driveway density: Experiences from Texas and Oklahoma case studies

This paper describes research sponsored by the Texas Department of Transportation to investigate the operational and safety impact of raised medians and driveway consolidation. Operational effects (travel time, speed, and delay) were investigated through microsimulation on three field test corridors and three theoretical corridors. Safety effects were investigated along 11 test corridors to estimate relationships between crash rates and access point densities as well as the presence of raised medians or two-way left-turn lanes (TWLTLs). The research demonstrates that access management effects are case specific and that microsimulation can assess these unique operational effects. For the case studies investigated, replacing a TWLTL with a raised median resulted in an increase in travel time on two test corridors and a decrease on one test corridor. Small increases in travel time were found with the theoretical corridors as well. The travel time differences are based on the traffic level and location and number of the raised median openings. When present, the relatively small increases in travel time, and subsequent speed and delay, appear to be outweighed by the reduction in the number of conflict points and increased safety. Detailed crash analysis on 11 test corridors indicated that as access point density increases, crash rates increase. This trend holds regardless of the median type. For test corridors in which crash data were investigated before and after the raised median installation, a reduction in the crash rate was always found. Finally, future research needs are identified, including the need to investigate operational and safety impact over a broader range of geometric conditions and longer corridors than investigated here.
Sensitivity analysis of Lyapunov and Riccati equations with application to controls-structures integrated design

Controls-structure integrated design is a complicated multidisciplinary design optimization problem which involves the state equations pertaining to open-loop eigenvalues and control laws. In order to alleviate the intensity of the computation, this study uses the adjoint variable method to derive sensitivity equations for the eigenvalue, Liapunov, and Riccati equations. These individual sensitivity equations are then combined together to form the multidisciplinary sensitivity equations for the control structure integrated design problems. A set of linear sensitivity equations, proportional in number to the number of performance functions involved in the optimization process, are solved. This proposed approach may provide a great saving in computer resources. The validity of the newly developed sensitivity equations is verified by numerical examples.
P57 Hydrogen sulfide differentially regulates hepatic blood flow at sinusoidal and extrasinusoidal sites during endotoxemia

Background The predominant effect of Hydrogen sulfide (HSS) on the vasculature is considered to be vasodilation. The vasodilatory action of H2S occurs through hyperpolarization of vascular smooth muscle cells via KATP channel opening. H2S has been shown to improve tissue perfusion in disease states, such as ischemia/reperfusion injury, where blood flow is inadequate. During sepsis, liver injury results in increased sensitivity to Endothelin 1 (ET-1) resulting in sinusoidal hyperconstriction and heterogeneous hepatic blood flow. Unlike the other gaseous vasodilators NO and CO which ameliorate liver injury by improving sinusoidal blood flow, H2S has been shown to be deleterious during sepsis. Although a vasodilatory effect of H2S has been reported on overall hepatic portal resistance, functional liver blood flow is determined by sinusoidal constriction mediate by contraction of hepatic stellate cells; the effects of H2S at this site has not been studied. Therefore, we investigated the vasoactive effect of H2S on hepatic blood flow during endotoxemia using modulators of portal venular (phenylephrine) and sinusoidal (ET-1) vessels. Methods Portal vascular response was determined using an isolated perfused rat liver. Total portal flow was maintained constant and portal resistance estimated by monitoring inflow pressure. For determination of the response to endotoxemia, rats were administered 1 mg/kg E. coli endotoxin 6 h prior to liver isolation. Sinusoidal response was determined using intravital microscopy. The liver microcirculation was viewed using NADH fluorescence for contrast and sinusoid diameter was determined off-line using morphmetric software (PTI). Results H2S inhibited the increased portal pressure response to PE infusion (20μM) from (4.7 ± 0.3 vs 3.2 ± 0.3, P Conclusion Our findings suggest H2S has both dilator and constrictor effects in the hepatic circulation with the constrictor effects leading to the heterogeneous perfusion and focal hypoxia previously observed in sepsis and endotoxemia. These sinusoid constrictor effects are likely to be a major contributor to the deleterious effects of H2S observed in sepsis.
Why is the grass greener

As well as learning from each other's existing systems, US and UK researchers have potential for collaborative research into improving health care Almost a century ago, the UK and US health systems diverged in a dramatic way. In the United Kingdom, parliament legislated on health insurance; subsequent seminal governmental reports and actions, such as the Dawson report on primary care after the first world war and the enactment of the NHS, set the stage for the current health services system. Despite several notable attempts at reform in the United States, particularly in the early 1930s, mid-1960s, and early 1990s, the US healthcare system remains much like it was a century ago, mired in a market oriented private system with private financing. The system makes only a nod towards public responsibility, mainly in the form of guaranteed financial access for elderly people (Medicare) and a fragmented and unstable system of financing and direct service for care of poor people (Medicaid and community health centres, respectively). As a result, the United States lacks system-wide health policy making. By contrast, the NHS assumes responsibility for national health policy, the quality of care (for example, the National Institute for Clinical Excellence), and banning direct to consumer advertising of prescription medicines. The United Kingdom has a national director for primary care who, besides being responsible for policy in various aspects of primary care, is the country's official representative in international deliberations on primary care. The United States has no comparable position. Despite these enormous differences between the two health systems, there remain possibilities for two-way learning. These fall into several groups: the importance of primary care as the infrastructure of a health system; information technologies for health services; quality of services; and equity in the attainment of health of populations. World Health Organization documents on …
A note on a journal selection problem

This note explores the convergence properties of certain sequences of conditional probabilities arising in a journal selection problem, where the probabilities of interest are decreasing in either a deterministic or stochastic fashion. We prove the convergence to a nonextreme value of the probability of an eventual event for any choice of problem parameters within the open unit interval. Computational results illustrate the convergence properties.
Axenic culture of Giardia lamblia in TYI-S-33 medium supplemented with bile

Le milieu de Diamond TYI-S-33, utilise pour la culture axenique d'Entamoeba histolytica permet, apres addition de bile de bœuf, la culture axenique de G. lamblia
Domain-wall renormalization-group study of the two-dimensional random Ising model

The distribution of domain-wall free energies is calculated with the use of a transfer-matrix approach for finite lattices. A renormalization-group transformation is set up which preserves the domain-wall free-energy distribution as well as the susceptibility when the lattice parameter is changed. The fixed points, critical exponents, and phase diagram are determined for the two-dimensional random Ising model with a Gaussian distribution of nearest-neighbor interactions.