cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Digital divide and digital dividend in the age of information technology.

In the third millennium, we are more connected to the rest of the world than at any time before, thanks to the internet technology (IT). The first meeting of the World Summit on Information Society (WSIS) in Geneva in 2003 expressed the hope that every corner of the world would have access to internet and be linked via IT by 2015. As predicted, this technology continues to penetrate the rest of the world slowly but steadily. For instance, news is being instantly transmitted around the world via IT. So also IT is being used to sell consumer products worldwide, from New York to New Delhi, from Peoria to Pretoria. Internet technology is revolutionizing our lives and empowering people the way steam engine did in the 19th century and the automobile in the 20th century. Internet technology is not only transmitting information but also changing the lifestyle of people around the world. It is not just providing entertainment but also empowering people to become entrepreneurs, businessmen and farmers. It is bringing people together like never before, crossing social and economic barriers. Internet technology also has the potential to change political structure. In effect, IT is bringing about great social reforms quietly, reforms that Karl Marx had only dreamed of. There is increasing evidence regarding the role of IT in improving access to information in improving health, education and, therefore, economy across the globe. This is the Digital Dividend. However, there exists a wide gap in accessibility to IT for majority of the population in the developing countries and for poor people living in the developed countries. This phenomenon is known as the Digital Divide. The second WSIS summit held during November 2005 in Tunis, Tunisia focused on bridging the digital divide. The differential access to IT raises important concerns regarding the potential negative effects of the digital divide on the poor nations. Whereas the rich countries are rapidly gaining huge dividends from internet connectivity, poor people in both the rich countries and poorer nations of the world are lagging behind in reaping the benefits of digital connectivity. Digital connectivity and access to knowledge
A conserved region in the sea urchin U1 snRNA promoter interacts with a developmentally regulated factor

The expression of the sea urchin L. variegatus U1 snRNA gene is temporally regulated during embryogenesis. Using a microinjection assay we show that a region between 203 and 345 nts 5' of the gene is required for expression. There are four conserved regions between two sea urchin species in the 345 nts 5' to the U1 gene. One region, located at about -300, binds a protein factor which is present in blastula but not gastrula nuclei. Three other potential protein binding sites within the first 200 nts 5' to the gene have been identified using a mobility shift assay and/or DNase I footprinting. Two of these regions bind factors which are not developmentally regulated and one binds a factor which is developmentally regulated. It is likely that the factor which binds at -300 is involved in expression and developmental regulation of the sea urchin U1 snRNA gene.
(Solid + liquid) phase equilibria and solid-hydrate formation in water + methyl, + ethyl, + isopropyl, and + tertiary butyl alcohols

Abstract (Solid + liquid) phase diagrams have been obtained from time-temperature melting curves for water + methyl, + ethyl, + isopropyl, and + tertiary butyl alcohols. Incongruently melting hydrates form in all four systems. In addition, water + t-butyl alcohol has a congruently melting compound. Correlations between inflexions found in the water-rich compositions of the (solid + liquid) equilibrium lines and the size of the alkyl groups of the alcohols are noted, and a possible interpretation is given.
Sex ratio and oviposition responses to host age and the fitness consequences to mother and offspring in the parasitoid wasp Spalangia endius

In the parasitoid wasp Spalangia endius more offspring and a greater proportion of daughters were oviposited in, and emerged from 0-day-old versus 3-day-old hosts. Offspring that developed on the younger hosts (1) were larger at adulthood, (2) developed more quickly, (3) had higher survivorship to adulthood, and (4) were more often able to chew their way out of the host. Sons and daughters did not differ in how host age affected their size, development rate, or survivorship. The greater proportion of daughters from the younger hosts may be adaptive, as described by the host quality model (a variant of the Trivers and Willard hypothesis). It is adaptive if greater size or more rapid development has a more positive effect on a daughter’s than a son’s fitness and the positive effect is large enough to compensate for sons being trapped disproportionately to daughters in the older hosts. Despite greater success at drilling the younger hosts, mothers did not try to drill them sooner or more often. Having previously oviposited on the older rather than the younger hosts had no detrimental effect on the mother’s subsequent longevity or offspring production.
Characterization of damping in microfibrous material

MEMS gyroscopes are used in many applications including harsh environments such as high-power, high-frequency acoustic noise. If the latter is at the natural frequency of the gyroscope, the proof mass will be overexcited giving rise to a corrupted gyroscope output. To mitigate the effect of the high-power, high-frequency acoustic noise, it is proposed to use nickel microfibrous sheets as an acoustic damper. For this purpose, the characterization of vibration damping in Nickel microfibrous sheets was examined in the present research effort. The sheets were made from nickel fibers with cellulose as a binding agent using a wet-lay papermaking technique. Sintering was done at 1000 °C to remove all the cellulose giving rise to a porous material. Square sheets of 20 cm were made from three diameters of nickel fibers namely 4, 8, and 12 microns. The sheets were cut into smaller pieces to fit the requirements of a fixture specially designed for this study. The fixture was attached to a LDS V408 shaker with a mass resting on a stack of the microfibrous sheets to simulate transmitted vibration by base motion with the sheet stack acting as a damper. A series of experiments was conducted using these 3 fiber diameters, different number of layers of microfibrous sheets and varying the vibration amplitude. From the collected vibration data, the stiffness and damping ratio of the microfibrous material was characterized.
Design, Synthesis, and Characterization of a Dual Modality Positron Emission Tomography and Fluorescence Imaging Agent for Monoclonal Antibody Tumor-Targeted Imaging

A novel lysine-based trifunctional chelate 3 was designed, synthesized, and characterized and bears both a chelating moiety (CHX-A‘ ‘) for sequestering radiometals (86Y or 111In) and the near-infrared dye Cy5.5 for dual modality PET (or SPECT) and fluorescence imaging, respectively. Successful conjugation of 3 to the monoclonal antibody trastuzumab (Herceptin) was achieved by efficient thiol-maleimide chemistry, thereby yielding immunoconjugate 2. Analysis of 2 by flow cytometry and competitive binding assay demonstrates that immunoconjugate 2 binds to SKOV3 tumor cells comparably to native trastuzumab and, thus, may be used as a tumor-targeted monoclonal antibody probe for multimodality imaging.
Patent foramen ovale and brain infarct. Echocardiographic predictors, recurrence, and prevention.

Paradoxical embolism through a patent foramen ovale is a recognized cause of stroke, but clinical predictors, recurrence rate, and prevention of brain infarcts in patients with patent foramen ovale have not been determined. We reviewed transesophageal echocardiographic records to ascertain echocardiographic predictors and optimal prophylaxis for patent foramen ovale-related infarcts.A patent foramen ovale was identified in 74 patients during 615 transesophageal echocardiograms by color Doppler or saline contrast during a 60-month period. On the basis of final clinical situation, the patients were divided into the following groups: group 1, infarct with patent foramen ovale a likely cause (n = 16); group 2, infarct with patent foramen ovale an unlikely cause (n = 23); and group 3, no infarct (n = 35). Transesophageal echocardiograms were reviewed to assess patent foramen ovale characteristics and associated cardio-embolic sources without knowledge of clinical details or group assignment. Follow-up after a ...
Use of cytokeratins 7 and 20 in determining the origin of metastatic carcinoma of unknown primary, with special emphasis on lung cancer

Metastatic carcinoma of unknown primary is a common problem, accounting for up to 10-15% of all solid tumours at presentation. Proper identification of the site of origin has prognostic and therapeutic significance. Prior immunohistochemical methods to identify the site of origin have been useful in a limited number of cases. Differential cytokeratin staining may be useful in this setting, particularly in identifying metastases from lung cancer. We have identified 144 cases of metastatic carcinoma of unknown primary to bone, lung or liver at Brigham and Women's Hospital between 1 January 1997 and 1 July 1998. Cytokeratin (CK) 7 and CK20 were used in 75 of these cases to narrow down the possible sites of the primary tumours. All of these cases were ambiguous as to the site of the primary tumour. Forty-five cases were CK7+/CK20-, 15 cases were CK7-/CK20-, 9 cases were CK7-/CK20+ and 6 cases were CK7+/CK20+. Three of the cases were selected for detailed presentation and discussion as well as a discussion of the pertinent literature. Overall, the CK7+/CK20- phenotype favours a lung primary, the CK7+/CK20+ phenotype strongly favours transitional cells (urothelial) carcinoma, the CK7-/CK20+ phenotype favours colorectal carcinoma, while the CK7-/CK20- profile is not helpful.
Non-premixed and premixed extinction and autoignition of C2H4, C2H6, C3H6, and C3H8

Experimental studies are conducted on laminar non-premixed and premixed flames stabilized in the counterflow configuration. The fuels tested are ethene (C2H4), ethane (C2H6), propene (C3H6), and propane (C3H8). Studies on non-premixed systems are carried out by injecting a fuel stream made up of fuel and nitrogen (N2) from one duct and an oxidizer stream made up of air and N2 from the other duct. Studies on premixed systems are carried out by injecting a premixed reactant stream made up of fuel, oxygen, and nitrogen from one duct and an inert-gas stream of N2 from the other duct. Critical conditions of extinction are measured by increasing the flow rates of the counterflowing streams until the flame extinguishes. Critical conditions of autoignition are measured by preheating the oxidizer stream of the non-premixed system and the inert-gas stream of the premixed system. Experimental data for autoignition are obtained over a wide range of temperatures of the heated streams. In addition, for premixed systems, experimental data are obtained for a wide range of values of the equivalence ratio including fuel-lean and fuel-rich conditions. Numerical calculations are performed using a detailed chemical-kinetic mechanism and compared with measurements. The present study highlights the influences of non-uniform flow-feld on autoignition in premixed systems that were not available from previous studies using shock tubes. For the premixed system considered here, the changes in the strain rates at extinction with equivalence ratio are found to be similar to previous observations of changes in laminar burning velocities with equivalence ratio. The studies on autoignition in the premixed system show that the temperature of the inert-gas stream at autoignition reaches a minimum for a certain equivalence ratio. For premixed systems, abrupt extinction and autoignition are not observed if the value of the equivalence ratio is less than some critical value.
Human Capital Augmentation versus the Signaling Value of MBA Education.

Abstract Panel data on MBA graduates is used in an attempt to empirically distinguish between human capital and signaling models of education. The existence of employment observations prior to MBA enrollment allows for the control of unobserved ability or selection into MBA programs (through the use of individual fixed effects). In addition, variation in the amount of pre-MBA work experience allows for a test to distinguish between the models. In particular, a predominant signaling view is shown to predict smaller returns to the degree, the more pre-MBA work experience one has (controlling for total experience). Additionally, a unique feature of the data is that respondents were asked to report skills or abilities gained through their schooling, allowing us to determine the extent to which these purported skills are valued in the labor market. The combined evidence suggests that while human capital accumulation may contribute to the returns to an MBA, the majority of the returns is derived from the signaling/screening function of the degree.
Efficiency of mutual funds and portfolio performance measurement: A non-parametric approach

Abstract In finance, portfolio performance assessment is an important area of research. The two popular indices of performance are the Jensen's alpha and the Sharpe index. However there are a number of shortcomings of the above measures that have been highlighted in the literature. We propose a new measure of performance that seeks to address the limitations of the earlier indices. The new index is calculated by employing a well known method in operations research called data envelopment analysis. We show the benefits of the proposed approach and assess the performance of mutual funds. We compare the results with traditional indices of performance. An interesting result we obtain is that the mutual funds are all approximately mean-variance efficient.
Dissection of the thoracic aorta following cardiopulmonary resuscitation

An 86-year-old patient was admitted to the ICU with multiple trauma injury following a fall down ten stairs. Shortly after ICU admission the patient went into cardiac arrest and resuscitation efforts, including cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), were initiated. Transesophageal echocardiogram was performed to guide therapy and, after regaining heart rhythm and blood pressure, the echocardiogram exam demonstrated critical aortic stenosis and type-B aortic dissection. The aortic dissection was not present on initial chest computerized tomography done on admission to the hospital. The aortic dissection appears to have resulted from the CPR performed to revive the patient.
Comparison of three methods of evaluating coronary obstructive lesions: Postmortem arteriography, pathologic examination and measurement of regional myocardial perfusion during maximal vasodilation

Abstract Numerous studies of coronary obstructive lesions in patients by angiographic and pathologic techniques have concluded that the severity of obstruction is seriously underestimated by angiography. It has generally been assumed that morphologic examination of an undistended coronary vessel is a reasonable reference standard. To test this assumption, three methods of examining coronary arteries were compared in cynomolgus monkeys with diet-induced coronary atherosclerosis. Total and regional myocardial perfusion during maximal coronary vasodilation were measured, postmortem coronary arteriography was performed with contrast medium injected at systemic pressure and the undistended coronary vessels were extended pathologically. In these atherosclerotic monkeys, there were widespread intimai changes in the epicardial arteries ranging from fatty streaks to large plaques with medial atrophy; morphometric studies showed a mean (± standard error of the mean) luminal stenosis of 57 ± 3 percent (range 38 to 76). Postmortem coronary arteriograms showed no evidence of localized obstruction. Under resting conditions, global and transmural left ventricular perfusion were normal. During maximal coronary vasodilation, minimal coronary vascular resistance was higher (p The findings of unobstructed coronary angiograms and only modest impairment of perfusion, despite moderate obstructive lesions, suggest that at normal distending pressures coronary atherosclerotic lesions are outwardly displaced; medial atrophy may allow dilation and preservation of luminal size. Thus, in cynomolgus monkeys with diet-induced coronary atherosclerosis, pathologic examination of the undistended coronary vessel appears to overestimate the hemodynamic significance of the lesions. The relevance of these experimental findings to the evaluation of atherosclerotic coronary lesions in patients remains to be determined.
Relaxin Stimulates Uterine Edema via Activation of Estrogen Receptors: Blockade of its Effects Using ICI 182,789, a Specific Estrogen Receptor Antagonist

Relaxin’s ability to stimulate uterine growth is well established. The mechanisms by which relaxin exerts this effect, however, remain unclear. In light of previous work demonstrating peptide growth factor activation of estrogen receptors (ERs), the present study was conducted to determine if relaxin similarly stimulates ERs. Twenty-five day-old female Sprague-Dawley rats were bilaterally ovariectomized and treated with estradiol or porcine relaxin alone or in combination with the ER antagonist ICI 182,780. Following treatment with 17β-estradiol or relaxin alone, the uterine weight/body weight ratio (UtW/BW) increaased significantly over control values (+98% and +77%, respectively, p< 0.0003). Pre-treatment of animals with ICI 182,780 (3 μg/g BW) prior to either estradiol or relaxin treatment completely inhibited the hormone-induced increases in uterine weight (p < 0.0005). ICI 182,780 alone had no significant effect. Histological analysis of uterine cross-sections revealed that the edema present in the e...
Hypertensive pulmonary vascular disease in Down syndrome

Clinical studies have suggested that patients with Down syndrome have precocious development of pulmonary hypertension, even in the absence of congenital heart disease. To examine the pathologic basis of this impression, we studied 82 patients with Down syndrome autopsied at The Johns Hopkins Hospital from 1913 to present. The patients ranged in age from 26 hours to 25 years; 41 (50%) were female. Atrioventricular canal defect was present in 40 patients, nine of whom also had pulmonary stenosis. Eight had isolated ventricular septal defect and seven had other malformations. Histologic sections of the lung from each patient were studied and the degree of hypertensive pulmonary vascular disease graded. Age and sex-matched controls without cardiovascular manifestations, all other autopsied patients with atrioventricular canal defect not associated with Down syndrome, and age-matched patients with ventricular septal defect or other malformations were similarly studied for pulmonary vascular changes. Comparison of the 27 patients with Down syndrome and no cardiovascular malformations with normal controls showed no differences, with one notable exception: an 8-month-old child with Down syndrome had severe HPVD secondary to idiopathic pulmonary hypertension. HPVD in patients with the various cardiovascular malformations was similar for those groups with Down syndrome and those without, when HPVD was considered as a function of the patients' age and the type of malformation. We conclude that, in general, patients with Down syndrome have no predisposition to develop severe or precocious hypertensive pulmonary vascular disease.
An explicit series for the semiempirical analysis of NMR coupling constants

Abstract An iterative series for calculating NMR coupling constants is developed. The development is based on the unrestricted Hartree-Fock treatment of coupling constants and serves as an alternative to finite perturbation theory. The series is broken down into several terms which can be summed separately using the multinomial expansion. The first and third terms have explicit dependence on local properties while the second depends on the symmetry and dispersion of the molecular orbitals. These formulas may be used to relate the changes in the coupling constant in a homologous series of molecules to properties such as bond order, ionization energies, etc. They may also be used in direct conjunction with a semiempirical program to calculate a molecule's coupling constants.
A review of post-column photochemical reaction systems coupled to electrochemical detection in HPLC.

Abstract Post-column photochemical reaction systems have developed into a common approach for enhancing conventional methods of detection in HPLC. Photochemical reactions as a means of ‘derivatization’ have a significant number of advantages over chemical reaction-based methods, and a significant effort has been demonstrated to develop an efficient photochemical reactor. When coupled to electrochemical (EC) detection, the technique allows for the sensitive and selective determination of a variety of compounds (e.g., organic nitro explosives, beta-lactam antibiotics, sulfur-containing antibiotics, pesticides and insecticides). This review will focus on developments and methods using post-column photochemical reaction systems followed by EC detection in liquid chromatography. Papers are presented in chronological order to emphasize the evolution of the approach and continued importance of the application.
Global priority areas for incorporating land–sea connections in marine conservation

Coastal marine ecosystems rank among the most productive ecosystems on earth but are also highly threatened by the exposure to both ocean- and land-based human activities. Spatially explicit information on the distributions of land-based impacts is critical for managers to identify where the effects of land-based activities on ecosystem condition are greatest and, therefore, where they should prioritize mitigation of land-based impacts. Here, we quantify the global cumulative impact of four of the most pervasive land-based impacts on coastal ecosystems—nutrient input, organic and inorganic pollution, and the direct impact of coastal populations (e.g., coastal engineering and trampling)—and identify hotspots of land-based impact using a variety of metrics. These threat hotspots were primarily in Europe and Asia, with the top three adjacent to the Mississippi, Ganges, and Mekong rivers. We found that 95% of coastal and shelf areas (<200 m depth) and 40% of the global coastline experience little to no impact from land-based human activities, suggesting that marine conservation and resource management in these areas can focus on managing current ocean activities and preventing future spread of land-based stressors. These results provide guidance on where coordination between marine and terrestrial management is most critical and where a focus on ocean-based impacts is instead needed.
Le mythe de la naissance et de la fin de l’art: convergences Blanchot‐Bataille‐Adorno

Cet essai se propose d’aborder la question de l’origine dans l’oeuvre de Maurice Blanchot sous un angle moins etudie dans les etudes qui lui sont consacrees. Il s’agit de l’origine historique de l’oeuvre d’art, motif que j’analyse – et que Blanchot lui-meme analyse –a la lumiere des ecrits a caractere quasi-anthropologique de Georges Bataille. Ainsi, dans le texte principal de Blanchot que j’ai en vue, « Naissance de l’oeuvre d’art » de L’Amitie, il fait un parallele entre le desir de creer comme desir d’un commencement absolu et le sentiment de presence primordiale que les premieres peintures humaines provoquent en nous. Dans la deuxieme partie de l’essai, je m’arrete a l’autre versant du mythe de l’origine de l’art chez Blanchot: Le mythe de la fin de l’art, duquel je traite a partir de certains de ses textes qui parlent de la modernite comme de l’epoque de l’impersonnel et de la perte de la subjectivite. Pour mieux illustrer l’idee que Blanchot imagine « la mort du dernier ecrivain » comme une consequence de la technicisation du monde contemporain, je recours a la Theorie esthetique d’Adorno.
To consume or not: How oil prices affect the comovement of consumption and aggregate wealth

Abstract This paper provides insight into how oil price movements affect the consumption choices of U.S. households through the wealth channel. Lettau and Ludvigson (2001) show that while consumption, asset wealth, and labor income share a common long-term trend; they substantially deviate from one another in the short run. In this paper, I show that these transitory deviations can be explained by fluctuations in the price of crude oil. Linear and threshold multivariate autoregressive models are used to measure the oil price effect. Oil price effect on the consumption to aggregate wealth ratio is robust to monetary policy effect, sub-period effect, and econometric specifications of oil price effect. Generally speaking, higher (lower) oil price will lead to a decrease (increase) in the proportion of aggregate wealth consumed. In addition, the magnitude of the oil price effect is asymmetric and sub-period dependent. Oil price effect was higher before the 1980's than in succeeding periods.
Quasiparticle scattering and local density of states in the d-density-wave phase

We study the effects of single-impurity scattering on the local density of states in the high-T-c cuprates. We compare the quasiparticle interference patterns in three different ordered states: d-wave superconductor (DSC), d-density wave (DDW), and coexis
Hammerstein integral equations with indefinite kernel

This paper deals with the problem of finding solutions of the --._rstein integral equation. It is shown that this problem can be reduced to the study of the critical points of certain functional defined on L2(). Existence of a solution of the Hammersteln integral equation is proved. Some other related results of interest are obtained.
Reduction of Chalcopyrite with SO 2 in the Presence of Cupric Ions

The cathodic reduction of chalcopyrite with SO2 in cupric sulfate/sulfuric acid media CuFeS2+3Cu++ +2SO2+4H2O=2Cu2S+6H++2HSO4 −+Fe++ was studied using monosize particles. During the reaction a defect structure of chalcopyrite followed by bornite was observed as intermediate reaction products. The effects of particle size, temperature, partial pressure of SO2, and copper and iron solution concentration on the reaction rate were determined. The reaction was found to be electrochemical, involving cathodic reduction of chalcopyrite in the presence of cupric ion to cuprous sulfide (actually djurleite) with the associated oxidation of SO2 to sulfuric acid. Interesting commercial applications seem possible.
Plasticity of astrocytes of the ventral glial limitans subjacent to the supraoptic nucleus

We present evidence of gross morphological changes in astrocytes of the ventral glial limitans (VGL) associated with a well-known model of central nervous system (CNS) plasticity: the hypothalamic supraoptic nucleus (SON). Activity of SON magnocellular neuroendocrine cells (MNCs) was stimulated in experimental rats by substitution of 2% saline for drinking water for 2 or 9 days. Light microscopic measures revealed that a significant decrease in VGL thickness, by 34%, occurred with 9 days of stimulation. Astrocyte nuclei of 9-day dehydrated animals were also found to be 39% closer to the pial surface when compared with controls. Electron microscopy revealed a reorientation of individual astrocytes from a direction perpendicular (vertical) to the pial surface, to one parallel (horizontal) to this region. Vertically oriented astrocytes were found to be greater in the control group, by 49%, when compared with the 9-day dehydrated group, where cells were predominantly horizontal in orientation. Vertically oriented cells were further analyzed as to the direction of their vertical projections. Control, 2-day dehydrated and 9-day rehydrated animals, had more vertical cells which were oriented toward the pial surface when compared with 9-day dehydrated animals, where the relatively few vertically oriented astrocytes were significantly more likely to project toward the dendritic zone. In animals allowed to rehydrate for 9 days following a period of dehydration, these changes returned toward control levels. We conclude that astrocytes in vivo are capable of reversible gross morphological changes over a relatively short time. © 1996 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Acetylcholine receptor clustering is triggered by a change in the density of a nonreceptor molecule.

Acetylcholine receptors become clustered at the neuromuscular junction during synaptogenesis, at least in part via lateral migration of diffusely expressed receptors. We have shown previously that electric fields initiate a specific receptor clustering event which is dependent on lateral migration in aneural muscle cell cultures (Stollberg, J., and S. E. Fraser. 1988. J. Cell Biol. 107:1397-1408). Subsequent work with this model system ruled out the possibility that the clustering event was triggered by increasing the receptor density beyond a critical threshold (Stollberg, J., and S. E. Fraser. 1990. J. Neurosci. 10:247-255). This leaves two possibilities: the clustering event could be triggered by the field-induced change in the density of some other molecule, or by a membrane voltage-sensitive mechanism (e.g., a voltage-gated calcium signal). Electromigration is a slow, linear process, while voltage-sensitive mechanisms respond in a rapid, nonlinear fashion. Because of this the two possibilities make different predictions about receptor clustering behavior in response to pulsed or alternating electric fields. In the present work we have studied subcellular calcium distributions, as well as receptor clustering, in response to such fields. Subcellular calcium distributions were quantified and found to be consistent with the predicted nonlinear response. Receptor clustering, however, behaves in accordance with the predictions of a linear response, consistent with the electromigration hypothesis. The experiments demonstrate that a local increase in calcium, or, more generally, a voltage-sensitive mechanism, is not sufficient and probably not necessary to trigger receptor clustering. Experiments with slowly alternating electric fields confirm the view that the clustering of acetylcholine receptors is initiated by a local change in the density of some non-receptor molecule.
Readers and Writers in Ovid's Heroides: Transgressions of Genre and Gender

Synopses of the Myths 1. Getting Down to Essentials? 2. Reading Characters Read: On Methodology 3. Landscapes of Lost Innocence 4. The Heroines in the Chora of Writing 5. Postcards Home: The Heroides as Letters 6. A Splintery Frame: The Heroides as Short Stories Postscript: Writing on the Edge
Security Design in a Production Economy with Flexible Information Acquisition

This paper looks into security design in a production economy with a new informational friction. It highlights the investor as an expert, who may acquire costly information on the market prospect of the entrepreneur’s project and then screen it through nancing decisions. Thus, real production depends on information production, while these two are separated, which constructs a friction. Debt is optimal when the dependence of real production on information production is weak and thus the friction is not severe, and convertible preferred stock is optimal when the dependence is strong and thus the friction is severe. Such a dichotomy is unied under a new interaction between the payo structures of securities and the exible incentives to screen regarding attention allocation. Both the optimal securities and their correspondences to economic environments t in line with empirical evidence. A new approach, exible information acquisition, characterizes information sensitiveness of securities and attention allocation of investors in a state contingent way, which enables us to work with arbitrary securities on continuous states without distributional assumptions and delivers sharper predictions.
Postfiltering to equalize the effects of finite coefficient wordlength in digital filters

A linear-phase FIR postfilter is proposed as an equalizer to reduce the passband error of digital filters with fixed point coefficients. By representing a filter's frequency magnitude response by a Fourier cosine series over a passband, a time-frequency dual is used to derive a simple relationship between the Fourier coefficient values and the tap weights of an FIR postfilter. It is shown that all but the largest Fourier components can be neglected and that the nonnegligible components can be truncated to a power of two. This results in a hardware efficient multiplierless postfilter where most of the taps are zero. Design examples are presented using multiplierless postfilters to equalize fixed wordlength filters such that the overall passband error is equivalent to a filter with infinite coefficient precision. >
Vitamin D deficiency does not predict progression of coronary artery calcium, carotid intima–media thickness or high-sensitivity C-reactive protein in systemic lupus erythematosus

Objective. Vitamin D deficiency is common in SLE. Cardioprotective effects of vitamin D have been postulated due to modulation of inflammatory cytokines. However, the effects of vitamin D supplementation on inflammatory cytokines in trials have been inconsistent. We determined whether levels of vitamin D at baseline were associated with subclinical measures of atherosclerosis, or with changes in subclinical measures over 2 years. Methods. Of the 200 patients enrolled in the Lupus Atherosclerosis Prevention Study, complete baseline and follow-up data [including coronary artery calcium (CAC), carotid intima–media thickness (IMT), 25-hydroxy vitamin D [25(OH)D] and high-sensitivity CRP (hsCRP) levels] were available for 154 patients. Assessments were repeated 2 years later. Results. 25(OH)D values ranged from 4 to 79 ng/ml. Among African American patients, 25(OH)D values ranged from 4 to 55 ng/ml. With low 25(OH)D (vitamin D 100 (11%) compared with those with vitamin D insufficiency (21–32 ng/ml) (10%) and normal (≥32 ng/ml) 25(OH)D (3%), which was not statistically significant. 25(OH)D was neither associated with nor did it predict progression of CAC or carotid IMT over 2 years. The mean hsCRP decreased over 2 years. Conclusion. 25(OH)D was not associated with any measure of subclinical atherosclerosis. 25(OH)D deficiency was associated with higher hsCRP at baseline, but did not predict a change in hsCRP over 2 years.
Transformation of the Lyme Disease Spirochete Borrelia burgdorferi with Heterologous DNA

Studies of the spirochete Borrelia burgdorferi have been hindered by the scarcity of genetic tools that can be used in these bacteria. For the first time, a method has been developed by which heterologous DNA (DNA without a naturally occurring B. burgdorferi homolog) can be introduced into and persistently maintained by B. burgdorferi. This technique uses integration of circular DNA into the bacterial genome via a single-crossover event. The ability to transform B. burgdorferi with heterologous DNA will now permit a wide range of experiments on the biology of these bacteria and their involvement in the many facets of Lyme disease.
Independent and conjoint associations of gout and hyperuricaemia with total and cardiovascular mortality

Background: Gout and serum uric acid are associated with mortality but their simultaneous contributions have not been fully evaluated in the general population. Purpose: To explore the independent and conjoint relationships of gout and uric acid with mortality in the US population. Methods: Mortality risks of gout and serum uric acid were determined for 15 773 participants, aged 20 years or older, in the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey by linking baseline information collected during 1988–1994 with mortality data up to 2006. Multivariable Cox proportional hazards regression determined adjusted hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for each exposure and all analyses were conducted in 2011 and 2012. Results: Compared with subjects without a history of gout, the multivariable HR for subjects with gout were 1.42 (CI 1.12–1.82) for total and 1.58 (CI 1.13–2.19) for cardiovascular mortality. Adjusted HRs per 59.5 µmol/l (1 mg/dl) increase in uric acid were 1.16 (CI 1.10–1.22) for total and cardiovascular mortality and this pattern was consistent across disease categories. In the conjoint analysis, the adjusted HRs for mortality in the highest two uric acid quartiles were 1.64 (CI 1.08–2.51) and 1.77 (CI 1.23–2.55), respectively, for subjects with gout, and were 1.09 (CI 0.87–1.37) and 1.37 (CI (1.11–1.70), respectively, for subjects without gout, compared with those without gout in the lowest quartile. A similar pattern emerged for cardiovascular mortality. Conclusions: Gout and serum uric acid independently associate with total and cardiovascular mortality. These risks increase with rising uric acid concentrations.
Economic Contributions to Transportation Planning II

This is the second part of a three-part article on the contributions of microeconomic analysis to urban transportation planning. Part One surveyed urban transportation demand. Part Two examines urban transportation costs and develops a framework and methodology for analyzing preferences. The third part of the article considers models integrating demand and supply considerations.
Mandibular Nerve Schwannoma Resection Using Sagittal Split Ramus Osteotomy

A case is presented of a unique presentation and treatment of a mandibular nerve schwannoma. Its uniqueness stems from the fact that it consisted of 2 distinct tumors along the same nerve: one within the body of the mandible and the other within the ipsilateral pterygomandibular space. Rather than the standard approach of lip split and hemimandibulectomy, a unique approach of a sagittal split ramus osteotomy was used that allowed access to the 2 lesions and avoided the added morbidity of the former approach. The 2 portions of the lesion were successfully removed and the patient was satisfied with the result. Recurrence has not been detected after 6 months.
Transportation and precipitation of uranium and vanadium at low temperatures, with special reference to sandstone-type uranium deposits

U and V in sandstone-type deposits of the western United States apparently have been transported to their present environment from external sources by low-temperature aqueous solutions. In this paper an attempt is made to interpret the characteristics of aqueous solutions capable of transporting significant quantities of U and V through continental sedimentary rocks, and the changes in these characteristics that might result in precipitation of uraninite and other ore minerals in concentrations of ore grade. On the basis of present knowledge, the transportation environment is shown to be that of weakly alkaline, moderately reducing ground water, with an average or larger than average concentration of dissolved carbonate species (H 2 CO 3 +HCO (sub 3-) +CO (sub 3-) ). Precipitation is induced by reduction, probably by carbonaceous material or hydrogen sulfide, or both. U is transported mainly in the form of the highly stable uranyl dicarbonate and tricarbonate complexes. Precipitation results from reduction of hexavalent aqueous U species to form uraninite, reduction of tetravalent V to form montroseite, and fixation of uranyl ions by combination with K ions and quinquivalent V to form the mineral carnotite.
Polysiloxane dizwitterionomers. IV. Mechanical and dielectric relaxations

The relaxation behavior of a series of polysiloxane dizwitterionomers has been studied by using dynamic mechanical and dielectric spectroscopy. The temperature range was 100–375 K and the frequency was ca. 1 Hz in the mechanical measurements and 50 Hz–50 kHz in the dielectric measurements. Three relaxation regions, labeled αs, β, αz in order of increasing temperature, were observed. The βs relaxation was assigned to the nonionic portion of the siloxane chain and correlated with the glass transition of polydimethylsiloxane. The β and αz processes are ionic-related relaxations; β probably originated from the motion of a chain segment carrying a dizwitterion, and αz, from the collapse of the organization in the ionic domains. Absorbed water exerts a profound influence on relaxation behavior–primarily on αz ionic relaxation and the relative rigidity of the samples. The water molecules solvate the ions and thus shift the αz relaxation to lower temperatures. Some aspects of the effect of thermal history on the microphase separation into domains have also been investigated. The results indicate that the organization of the zwitterions in the ionic domains is improved at slow cooling rates.
Traps for Monitoring Pear Thrips (Thysanoptera: Thripidae) in Maple Stands and Apple Orchards

The effect of trap color and orientation on capture of adult pear thrips, Taeniothrips inconsequens (Uzel), was tested in Connecticut and Massachusetts. In single degree-of-freedom comparisons, vertically positioned fluorescent yellow rectangles caught the greatest numbers of thrips compared with all other vertically positioned hues tested, but numbers captured on fluorescent yellow did not differ significantly from captures on commercially available yellow, dark red, or white traps. Dark green and dark blue traps were least attractive to adults. In season-long trials of commercially available yellow, red, and white traps alone in apple and maple, yellow traps captured the most thrips. Fluorescent yellow traps in horizontal adhesive-down and 45°-adhesive-down orientations caught significantly fewer adult thrips than cylindrical, vertical, horizontal adhesive-up, or 45° adhesive-up orientations of the same hue. Upward-facing 45° orientations caught significantly more thrips than vertical rectangles of the same hue. Captures on vertical rectangles and on vertical cylinders did not differ significantly. We found that the most practical visual trap to estimate relative density and activity of pear thrips was a commercially available, nonbaited vertical yellow rectangle (16 by 19.5 em).
Three modeling paradigms in mathematical programming

Celebrating the sixtieth anniversary since the zeroth International Symposium on Mathematical Programming was held in 1949, this paper discusses several promising paradigms in mathematical programming that have gained momentum in recent years but have yet to reach the main stream of the field. These are: competition, dynamics, and hierarchy. The discussion emphasizes the interplay between these paradigms and their connections with existing subfields including disjunctive, equilibrium, and nonlinear programming, and variational inequalities. We will describe the modeling approaches, mathematical formulations, and recent results of these paradigms, and sketch some open mathematical and computational challenges arising from the resulting optimization and equilibrium problems. Our goal is to elucidate the need for a systematic study of these problems and to inspire new research in the field.
Optimized viral dose and transient immunosuppression enable herpes simplex virus ICP0-null mutants To establish wild-type levels of latency in vivo

The reduced efficiency with which herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) mutants establish latent infections in vivo has been a fundamental obstacle in efforts to determine the roles of individual viral genes in HSV-1 reactivation. For example, in the absence of the “nonessential” viral immediate-early protein, ICP0, HSV-1 is severely impaired in its ability to (i) replicate at the site of inoculation and (ii) establish latency in neurons of the peripheral nervous system. The mouse ocular model of HSV latency was used in the present study to determine if the conditions of infection can be manipulated such that replication-impaired, ICP0-null mutants establish wild-type levels of latency, as measured by viral genome loads in latently infected trigeminal ganglia (TG). To this end, the effects of inoculum size and transient immunosuppression on the levels of acute replication in mouse eyes and of viral DNA in latently infected TG were examined. Following inoculation of mice with 2 × 103, 2 × 104, 2 × 105, or 2 × 106 PFU/eye, wild-type virus replicated in mouse eyes and established latency in TG with similar efficiencies at all four doses. In contrast, increasing the inoculum size of the ICP0-null mutants n212 and 7134 from 2 × 105 to 2 × 106 PFU/eye significantly decreased the levels of infectious virus detected in the tear films of mice from days 4 to 9 postinfection. In an attempt to establish the biological basis for this finding, the effect of viral dose on the induction of the host proinflammatory response was examined. Quantitative reverse transcription-PCR demonstrated that increasing the inoculum of 7134 from 2 × 104 to 2 × 106 PFU/eye significantly increased the expression of proinflammatory (interleukin 6), cell adhesion (intercellular adhesion molecule 1), and phagocyte-associated (CD11b) genes in mouse eyes 24 h postinfection. Furthermore, transient immunosuppression of mice with cyclophosphamide, but not cyclosporin A, significantly enhanced both the levels of acute n212 and 7134 replication in the eye and the levels of mutant viral genomes present in latently infected TG in a dose-dependent manner. Thus, the results of this study demonstrate that acute replication in the eye and the number of ICP0-null mutant genomes in latently infected TG can be increased to wild-type levels for both n212 and 7134 by (i) optimization of inoculum size and (ii) transient immunosuppression with cyclophosphamide.
Organizing for Information Retrieval in Transactive Memory Systems

Advancing transactive memory (TM) theory, this research explores information retrieval between members of 12 preexisting organizational work teams. The teams examined are larger than the ad hoc groups studied in previousTM research. The central components are team members' (a) communication for topic-specific information retrieval, (b) perceptions of their own knowledge levels, and (c) perceptions of each others' knowledge levels. Social network analysis techniques were used to examine the communication ties between members at multiple levels. The emergent communication patterns were compared to theoretically expected patterns. The perceptions of self and others' expertise were used to understand the emergent patterns. The results show emergent communication patterns in these work teams only partially match the theoretical predictions and are highly related to members' perceptions of others' expertise. Self-reported expertise levels were not good indicators of the communication patterns. The results also ...
Solution Stability and Degradation Pathway of Deoxyribonucleoside Phosphoramidites in Acetonitrile

The impuritiy profiles of acetonitrile solutions of the four standard O‐cyanoethyl‐N,N‐diisopropyl‐phosphoramidites of 5′‐O‐dimethoxytrityl (DMT) protected deoxyribonucleosides (dGib, dAbz, dCbz, T) were analyzed by HPLC‐MS. The solution stability of the phosphoramidites decreases in the order T, dC>dA>dG. After five weeks storage under inert gas atmosphere the amidite purity was reduced by 2% (T, dC), 6% (dA), and 39% (dG), respectively. The main degradation pathways involve hydrolysis, elimination of acrylonitrile and autocatalytic acrylonitrile‐induced formation of cyanoethyl phosphonoamidates. Consequently, the rate of degradation is reduced by reducing the water concentration in solution with molecular sieves and by lowering the amidite concentration. Acid‐catalyzed hydrolysis could also be reduced by addition of small amounts of base.