cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
First Impressions: Status Signaling Using Brand Prominence

Consumers use products to signal status in different ways. We propose a classification system employing four tiers to explain consumers' choice among subtly or conspicuously branded items based on how and to whom they wish to signal. The first tier consists of consumers who are well-acquainted with luxury brands and thus relative experts. They are designated as patricians. Patricians signal horizontally, spending more to buy brands that are labeled discreetly and are recognizable primarily to other experts. Relative novices to luxury brands comprise the second tier, the parvenus. They crave status and thus buy more accessible (less expensive), conspicuously branded goods that signal to those below and to other neophytes that they have arrived. Using data from two of the world's largest luxury brands, we substantiate a negative relationship between the conspicuousness of the brand on the product (what we call "Brand Prominence") and price for status goods. In addition, a survey reveals how a greater need for status leads to displaying the brand loudly, while greater expertise leads to the opposite. Further, a field survey of patricians and parvenus demonstrates that while patricians can recognize and value luxury goods even in the absence of brand markings, parvenus cannot. Our third tier is labeled poseurs; they cannot or will not buy authentic luxury goods but instead buy copies of what they believe will signal status, the products favored by the parvenus. This creates a significant market opportunity for loud copies of luxury goods. We study this market using data from Thai counterfeiters and online sellers of knockoffs revealing how counterfeiters disproportionately copy louder, less expensive, products. The lowest tier, dubbed plebs, does not participate in the market for luxury goods. Taken together, our field and lab experiments, along with the analysis of market data for authentic and counterfeit luxury handbags, supports the proposed model of status signaling behavior based on expertise, need-for-status, and brand prominence.
Sex Differences in Young Children's Use of Tools in a Problem-Solving Task

Three-year-old children were observed in two free-play sessions and participated in a toy-retrieval task, in which only one of six tools could be used to retrieve an out-of-reach toy. Boys engaged in more object-oriented play than girls and were more likely to use tools to retrieve the toy during the baseline tool-use task. All children who did not retrieve the toy during the baseline trials did so after being given a hint, and performance on a transfer-of-training tool-use task approached ceiling levels. This suggests that the sex difference in tool use observed during the baseline phase does not reflect a difference in competency, but rather a sex difference in motivation to interact with objects. Amount of time boys, but not girls, spent in object-oriented play during the free-play sessions predicted performance on the tool-use task. The findings are interpreted in terms of evolutionary theory, consistent with the idea that boys’ and girls’ play styles evolved to prepare them for adult life in traditional environments.
Electron trapping and charge transport by large amplitude whistlers

Trapping of electrons by magnetospheric whistlers is investigated using data from the Waves experiment on Wind and the S/WAVES experiment on STEREO. Waveforms often show a characteristic distortion which is shown to be due to electrons trapped in the potential of the electrostatic part of oblique whistlers. The density of trapped electrons is significant, comparable to that of the unperturbed whistler. Transport of these trapped electrons to new regions can generate potentials of several kilovolts, Trapping and the associated potentials may play an important role in the acceleration of Earth's radiation belt electrons.
Facial Image Recognition Using Neural Networks and Genetic Algorithms

This paper addresses the design of a simple yet efficient facial image recognition system. We show that a face can be recognised based on the relative size and position of its basic features, i.e., eyes, nose and lips. The key to the efficiency of our algorithm is in the feature search method employed. Feature search is accomplished through the combination of conventional template matching and genetic algorithms. Genetic algorithms alone would take a long time in order to converge to a valid solution. However, by first performing a coarse but fast template matching, we can obtain an approximate solution that can be utilised to initialise the genetic algorithm. The output of the facial feature detection stage is fed to a back-propagation neural network which accomplishes the recognition task. Our experimental results show that the system is very efficient both computationally and in recognition accuracy as long as the facial database to be recognised has a moderate size (16 in our experiments). We also note that the basic ideas conveyed in this work can be easily generalised to general purpose object recognition applications.
Detection of mesial temporal lobe hypoperfusion in patients with temporal lobe epilepsy by use of arterial spin labeled perfusion MR imaging.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Interictal hypometabolism has lateralizing value in cases of temporal lobe epilepsy and positive predictive value for seizure-free outcome after surgery to treat epilepsy. Alterations in regional cerebral metabolism can also be inferred from measurements of regional cerebral perfusion. The purpose of this study was to determine the feasibility of detecting cerebral blood flow (CBF) asymmetries in the mesial temporal lobes using continuous arterial spin labeling perfusion MR imaging, which is a noninvasive method for calculating regional CBF. METHODS: Twelve patients with medically refractory temporal lobe epilepsy who underwent preoperative evaluation for temporal lobectomy and 12 normal control participants were studied retrospectively. Absolute and normalized mesial temporal CBF measurements were compared between the patient and control groups. Lateralization based on a perfusion asymmetry index was compared with metabolic (18[F]-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography) and hippocampal volumetric asymmetry indices and with clinical lateralization. RESULTS: Mesial temporal CBF was more asymmetric in patients with temporal lobe epilepsy than in normal control participants, although asymmetric mesial temporal CBF was also found in normal participants, with the left side dominant. Ipsilateral mesial temporal CBF was significantly decreased compared with contralateral mesial temporal CBF in patients with temporal lobe epilepsy. Global CBF measurements were significantly decreased in patients compared with control participants. Asymmetry in mesial temporal blood flow in patients persisted after normalization to global CBF. Lateralization using continuous arterial spin labeling perfusion MR imaging asymmetry index significantly correlated with lateralization based on 18[F]-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography hypometabolism, hippocampal volumes, and clinical evaluation. CONCLUSION: Continuous arterial spin labeling perfusion MR imaging can detect interictal asymmetries in mesial temporal lobe perfusion in patients with temporal lobe epilepsy. This technique is readily combined with routine structural assessment and potentially offers an inexpensive and noninvasive means of screening for asymmetries in interictal mesial temporal lobe function.
REITs and Customer Satisfaction in Apartment Housing

The explosive growth of Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) is changing the ownership structure of rental housing in the U.S. and across the world. This paper reports the impact of REIT ownership on renter satisfaction by analyzing nearly one-half million ratings posted on the largest consumer comment website for apartments. Descriptive statistics and ordered logit analyses (both with and without zip code fixed effects) indicated that REITs following an aggressive branding strategy had positive effects on residential satisfaction, while non-branding REITs had negative effects. This dichotomous outcome is consistent with an asymmetric-information model of consumer choice in apartment rentals.
Characterization of androgen receptors in embryonic chick spinal cord.

Abstract While androgen binding sites have been localized to motoneurons of the lateral motor column (LMC) of 10–18-day chick embryo spinal cord, they have yet to be characterized biochemically. Studies were undertaken to characterize the binding of the androgen [3H]5α-dihydrotestosterone ([3H]DHT) to spinal cord cytosols. Saturable, high-affinity binding of [3H]DHT to cytosols prepared from both 6 and 10-day spinal cords was observed. The binding component was (1) a macromolecular species as it displayed a sedimentation coefficient of 8S upon centrifugation in sucrose gradients; (2) proteinaceous, as binding was eliminated by heating cytosols; and (3) displayed steroid-specific binding, as other non-androgen steroid agonists did not significantly inhibit [3H]DHT binding. The number of binding sites increased 10-fold from embryonic day 6 to day 10. The availability of testosterone and presence of androgen receptors in spinal cord motoneurons as spontaneous limb motility begins7 suggests a possible role for androgen-receptor-dependent gene expression in the process of target-dependent differentiation of LMC motoneurons.
Silicate weathering and base cation export in granitic watersheds, Sierra Nevada, California, U.S.A.

Under certain conditions the composition of runoff from the Sierra Nevada, California, can be explained by the stoichiometry of weathering products from a selected suite of primary minerals found in the bedrock. In the seminal study of this problem, the dissolution of plagioclase feldspars and the formation of kaolinite largely explained "typical" runoff composition (Feth et al., 1964; Garrels and MacKenzie, 1967). There is no question that primary mineral weathering is the ultimate source of cations in surface waters in the Sierra Nevada. While the compositions of samples collected in the summer at the time of maximum accessibility and minimum flows (e.g., Feth et al., 1964; Clow, 1987) can be explained by basin mineralogy, waters collected during the period of spring snow melt in alpine and subalpine watersheds are not as easily interpreted (Brown et al., 1990; Williams et al., 1991, 1993). Accurate mass balance has required modifications and assumptions in nearly all cases, including: selective mineral weathering, mixing multiple sources of waters, and selective cation retention by soils. The analysis of cation export from alpine Sierra watersheds needs to include some or all of these mechanisms to produce an accurate accounting. Primary mineral weathering alone is not sufficient to explain intra-annual variations in cation export. 2. Selective mineral weathering
Leadership Preparation: Designing and Planning for Interprofessional Doctoral Education and Practice:

Executive Summary New directions in the study of leadership preparation are transforming the practices and theories about leaders, especially those who serve in educational and human services organ...
Barriers to alcoholism treatment: reasons for not seeking treatment in a general population sample.

Objective: The present study reports responses to numerous direct questions related to reasons for not seeking alcoholism treatment given the perceived need for treatment among respondents classified with an alcohol use disorder (N = 964, 69.8% male, 93.5% nonblack) in a larger representative sample of the United States population. Method: Data were derived from the 1992 National Longitudinal Alcohol Epidemiologic Survey, a national probability sample of 42,862 respondents, aged 18 years and older, from the noninstitutionalized population of the contiguous states. Results: Lack of confidence in the alcoholism treatment system and its effectiveness, stigmatization and denial were identified as significant barriers to alcoholism treatment at the aggregate level. In general, enabling factors such as lack of financial resources or facilities for child care were much less important barriers to care than were individual predisposing factors including attitudes towards alcoholism treatment. Conclusions: Importan...
Some estimations of Banach limits

In the first part of this paper, we introduce the notions of upper weight, lower weight and weight of subsequences of natural numbers and investigate some new estimations about Banach limits by using some results from Sucheston [L. Sucheston, On existence of finite invariant measures, Math. Z. 86 (1964) 327–336; L. Sucheston, Banach limit, Amer. Math. Monthly 74 (1967) 308–311]. In the second part of this paper, we study the connections between weights and densities of subsequences of natural numbers, and give a familiar formula to find some values of Banach limits on almost convergent sequences.
Evolution of seed dormancy

Palaeozoic fossil conifer cones bearing mature seeds with well developed cotyledonary embryos have been recovered from Permo-Carboniferous strata of North America. These are the most ancient embryos ever discovered within gymnosperm seeds1,2. In contrast to the pteridophytic ancestors of seed plants and other major groups of Palaeozoic gymnosperms3,4, these embryos indicate that there was a significant delay between fertilization and seed germination in the earliest conifers. We suspect that this post-zygotic quiescence may be a first step in the evolution of seed dormancy.
Lectin binding beneath the epithelium and in smooth muscle cells in the developing bronchial tree.

Abstract Components of the subepithelial stratum in developing rat lung reacted transiently with Maclura pomifera agglutinin (MPA) and Aleuria aurantia agglutinin (OFA) conjugated to horseradish peroxidase. These lectins possess selective affinity for and serve to localize glycoconjugates (GCs) with terminal Gal / GalNAc and Fuc, respectively. Staining was strongest with both lectins in the proximal bronchial tree and decreased peripherally to growing buds where it was absent. MPA staining of subepithelial structures decreased from the pseudoglandular through the canalicular period and disappeared by the terminal sac stage. Disappearance of this subepithelial reactivity coincided with appearance of apical MPA-positive glycoconjugate in the canalicular period. OFA stained selectively a layer of flattened cells and a thin extracellular stratum under the epithelium of proximal bronchi in the canalicular period. This lectin affinity extended farther peripherally in the pseudoglandular interval and diminished thereafter. The layer of OFA-positive cells underlying the epithelium was identified immunohistochemically as immature smooth muscle. These muscle cells gained contractile protein while losing surface lectin reactivity during fetal development. The high iron diamine method localized sulfated GC in basement membrane of proximal respiratory passages in the fetal lung. The results attest to the involvement of specific GCs in mediating epithelial-mesenchymal cell interaction during critical stages of bronchial morphogenesis.
The costs of drug-eluting coronary stents among Medicare beneficiaries

Background Clinical trials predict the higher initial costs of drug-eluting coronary stents (DES) compared to bare metal stents (BMS) would be partially offset by decreased costs during the first year after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). However, the costs of DES in nonexperimental settings are not well understood. Methods We used a random, nationwide sample of Medicare beneficiaries who had received either DES from April through December 2003 or BMS from July 2002 through December 2003. Propensity score methods separately matched DES recipients (n = 4,375) to historical and contemporary BMS controls. Costs were estimated for each patient based on all physician and institutional claims beginning with the PCI hospitalization through the subsequent year, with institutional charges converted to costs via cost center–specific cost-to-charge ratios, as reported to Medicare by each institution. Results Drug-eluting stent patients had higher 30-day costs compared to both historical controls (mean difference $2,131, 95% CI $1,726 to $2,516) and contemporary controls ($1,882, 95% CI $1,480 to $2,322), but at 1 year, the DES-BMS mean cost differences had diminished substantially ($647, 95% CI $−385 to $1,664 compared to historical controls; $−84, 95% CI $−1,202 to $1,018 compared to contemporary controls) and were no longer statistically significant. Conclusions Despite higher initial costs of DES, the lower follow-up costs during the first year resulted in relatively small cumulative cost differences between DES and BMS recipients. These differences are comparable to those modeled in economic studies predicting acceptable cost-effectiveness for drug-eluting stents.
Information space models for data integration, and entity resolution

Geospatial information systems provide a unique frame of reference to bring together a large and diverse set of data from a variety of sources. However, automating this process remains a challenge since: 1) data (particularly from sensors) is error prone and ambiguous, 2) analysis and visualization tools typically expect clean (or exact) data, and 3) it is difficult to describe how different data types and modalities relate to each other. In this paper we describe a data integration approach that can help address some of these challenges. Specifically we propose a light weight ontology for an Information Space Model (ISM). The ISM is designed to support functionality that lies between data catalogues and domain ontologies. Similar to data catalogues, the ISM provides metadata for data discovery across multiple, heterogeneous (often legacy) data sources e.g. maps servers, satellite images, social networks, geospatial blogs. Similar to domain ontologies, the ISM describes the functional relationship between these systems with respect to entities relevant to an application e.g. venues, actors and activities. We suggest a minimal set of ISM objects, and attributes for describing data sources and sensors relevant to data integration. We present a number of statistical relational learning techniques to represent and leverage the combination of deterministic and probabilistic dependencies found within the ISM. We demonstrate how the ISM provides a flexible language for data integration where unknown or ambiguous relationships can be mitigated.
Transient NMR quantitative measurements

The transient nuclear magnetic resonance technique is briefly described. Application of this technique allowed quantitative observation of the protons in the oil, water and solid material in a single corn kernel and on a corn kernel baked at 107 C. These results along with measurements on lyophilized foods are discussed.
Use of solid film highlighter in automation of D sight image interpretation

ABSTRACT Many studies have shown inspector variability to be a crucial parameter in nondestructive evaluation (NDE) reliability.Therefore it is desirable to automate the decision making process in NDE as much as possible. The automation of inspectiondata handling and interpretation will also enable use of data fusion algorithms currently being researched at JAR forincreasing inspection reliability by combination of different NDE modes.Enhanced visual inspectioii techniques such as D Sight (double pass retroreflection) have the capability to rapidlyinspect lap splice joints in transport aircraft for corrosion. Automated interpretation of D Sight images is being developed tomaximize inspection reliability. This requires that variability in surface reflectivity due to paint, contaminants, and dirt beeliminated or controlled.A method of applying a solid film to a surface before optical inspections has been patented by JAR. This filmconforms to the surface, preserving topographical information while maintaining constant reflectivity. These conditionsallow for the development of metrics for quantitative corrosion measurement in aircraft lap splice joints using D Sight andother optical methods. IAR's NDI Analysis software has been used to perform analysis and feature extraction on D Sightinspections. Different metrics suitable for automated interpretation have been developed and tested on inspections of actualservice-retired aircraft specimens using D Sight with solid film highlighter.Keywords: nondestructive evaluation, D Sight, double pass retroreflection, highlighter, automated interpretation
Atmospheric moisture residence time affects rainwater isotope ratios

The water cycle is expected to respond to rising air temperature, which redistributes moisture in the lowest part of the atmosphere, known as the boundary layer. To understand how boundary layer processes redistribute rainfall across different climate settings, climatologists use stable isotope ratios of oxygen and hydrogen in rainwater. A process known as Rayleigh fractionation—which depends on air temperature and amount of rainfall among other factors—controls the stable isotope makeup of rainwater. For example, in the tropics the isotope ratio depends on the amount of rainfall, whereas in high-latitude continents it depends on the air temperature.
Abandoned Railways, Renewed Pathways: Opportunities for Accessing Landscapes

The abandonment of railway lines and station buildings is the outcome of social, economic and technological developments that have changed the local infrastructure systems. Unlike many European nations, in Italy the strategic role of these resources is still undervalued. The paper proposes a methodological approach aimed at achieving the valorisation of railways and station buildings network through integrated actions. The disused railways are potential new pathways and the abandoned stations provide available spaces for new activities, supporting sustainable local development and regeneration processes. Considering disused railways and stations as integrated parts of a system, they can improve the accessibility of environmental, cultural and historical resources network. The proposed methodological approach identifies categories of variables adopting to face up to the case of the disused railway of Cancello-Torre Annunziata in the South of Italy. The International Competition of ideas "Green Boulevard - Parkways of the 3rd millennium" has been the occasion to confront with the research object through a planning testing that has successfully proved and won an award.
Surgical outcome following resection of rolandic focal cortical dysplasia.

Summary Objective This study evaluates surgical outcomes in patients with balloon cell containing, focal cortical dysplasia (FCD type IIB) in the peri-rolandic region. We also address the question of, postoperative seizure worsening after an incomplete resection in this patient population. Methods We retrospectively reviewed the clinical data on patients with pathologically proven FCD, who underwent epilepsy surgery over a 12-year period. Seizure outcomes were compared between, patients with rolandic FCD and non-rolandic frontal FCD. Results Seventeen patients with rolandic and 22 patients with non-rolandic FCD were identified. Twelve patients were found to have type IIB lesions (8 rolandic). Seizure freedom at last follow up was, achieved in 59% of the rolandic subset of patients (including 75% seizure freedom in the rolandic type, IIB cases, as opposed to 44% of rolandic non-type IIB and 75% of type IIB outside the rolandic, region). New postoperative neurological deficits occurred in 59% of the rolandic subgroup and were, independent of pathology. Three patients (3/8) with incompletely resected rolandic type IIB lesions, developed status epilepticus postoperatively; all 3 patients became seizure free following a second, more extensive surgical resection. Conclusions Patients with rolandic FCD can achieve a good surgical outcome after a complete, resection. However, an incomplete surgical resection in this patient population may lead to acute, postoperative seizure worsening.
Improving aneurysm-related outcomes: nationwide benefits of endovascular repair.

Objectives Endovascular aneurysm repair (EVAR) has changed the practice of abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) surgery. We examined a national Medicare database to establish the effect of EVAR introduction into the United States. Methods A 5% random sample of inpatient Medicare claims from 2000 to 2003 was queried using International Classification of Diseases, 9th Revision (ICD-9) diagnosis and procedure codes. An EVAR procedure code was available after October 2000. Occurrences were multiplied by 20 to estimate yearly national volumes and then divided into the yearly Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) population of elderly Medicare recipients for rates per capita, reported as cases per 100,000 elderly Medicare recipients. Statistical analysis was performed by using χ 2 , Student's t test, nonparametric tests, and multiple regression analysis, with significance defined as P ≤ .05. Results Elective AAA repairs averaged 87.7 per 100,000 Medicare patients between 2000 and 2003, with EVAR has steadily increasing to 41% of elective repairs in 2003. From 2000 to 2003, overall elective AAA mortality declined from 5.0% to 3.7% ( P 84 years receiving EVAR increased to 62.7% ( P P P Conclusions EVAR is replacing open surgery without an increase in overall case volume. EVAR is responsible for overall decrease in operative mortality even in ruptured aneurysms while decreasing utilization variables. Reimbursement to hospitals is shrinking, however.
The Specificity and Importance of Humoral Antibody in the Protection of Mice against Intraperitoneal Challenge with Complement-Sensitive and Complement-Resistant Salmonella

Received for publication July 11, 1969, and in revised form September 24, 1969. This investigation was supported by U.S. Public Health Service research grant 02755 from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. The authors are indebted to Professor B. A. D. Stocker and Dr. K. D. Beernink for valuable discussions during the preparation of this manuscript. Please address requests for reprints to Dr. John P. Steward, Fleischmann Laboratories, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford Medical Center, Stanford, California 94305.
Explaining Trends in Racial Segregation, 1970-1980:

The authors argue that white racial attitudes have shifted from a universal rejection of blacks as potential neighbors to an acceptance of open housing in principle—but not in practice. As a result...
The burden, trends, and demographics of mortality from subarachnoid hemorrhage.

Objective: The objective of this study was to describe the recent epidemiology of mortality from subarachnoid hemorrhage in the United States. Background: Subarachnoid hemorrhage is distinct from other forms of stroke in its risk factors, demographics, and treatment. However, it is often clustered with other stroke subtypes, obscuring its unique epidemiology. Methods: We analyzed subarachnoid hemorrhage mortality data from the National Center for Health Statistics of the United States for the years 1979 to 1994 and compared it with other stroke subtypes. Results: Age-adjusted mortality rates of subarachnoid hemorrhage were 62% greater in females than in males and 57% greater in blacks than in whites. The median age of death from subarachnoid hemorrhage was 59 years compared with 73 years for intracerebral hemorrhage and 81 years for ischemic stroke. Mortality rates of subarachnoid hemorrhage have decreased by approximately 1% per year since 1979, and the mean age of death has steadily increased from 57 years in 1979 to 60 years in 1994. Subarachnoid hemorrhage accounted for 4.4% of stroke mortality but 27.3% of all stroke-related years of potential life lost before age 65, a measure of premature mortality. The proportion of years of potential life lost due to subarachnoid hemorrhage was comparable with ischemic stroke (38.5%) and intracranial hemorrhage (34.2%). Conclusions: Subarachnoid hemorrhage is an uncommon cause of stroke mortality but occurs at a young age, producing a relatively large burden of premature mortality, comparable with ischemic stroke.
Further characterization of a temperature-sensitive transformation mutant in Caenorhabditis elegans.

Abstract The temperature-sensitive sex transformer tra-2 ( b202 ) II of the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans causes the transformation of genotypically hermaphrodite worms into phenotypic males and sterile intersexes at restrictive temperature. In this note, we show that the entire gonad structure is transformed and that oocyte development is autonomous of the form of the gonad and of the presence of a cellular sheath. Four oocyte-specific proteins are present in male intersexes that produce oocytes but are lacking in transformed males and hermaphrodite intersexes that do not produce oocytes.
Discussion on the Formation and Quality Type of Acidic Gob Water

Abstract The control of gob water hazard is the key work of prevention and control of mine water in recent years, and the main content of the “11th Five-Year Plan” period of coal mine safety production and research work. Based on the data of water quality of Jincheng coal mine, the evolution of quality of gob water and formation mechanism of acid gob water are discussed, the causes of acid gob water and the water quality characteristics under various conditions of the mining space are analyzed, which provides a reference to distinguish the source of mine water inrush and predict the acid gob water and prevention water work.
THE UTILITY OF COMMERCIAL MEMORY AIDS AS A FUNCTION OF THE KIND OF AID AND INDIVIDUAL DIFFERENCES

Two investigations examined how college students perceived the utility of commercial memory aids. In investigation 1 the participants rated the perceived utility of a wide range of commercial external aids. The commercial aids rated as most useful were ones that served an encoding function. In general, the participants viewed the aids as somewhat more useful to themselves than they would be to other people. A review of the literature and Investigation 2 showed that the utility of commercial memory aids varies with three kinds of individual differences: those pertaining to demographic characteristics (age, gender); personality (conscientiousness, desire for control, agreeableness, fearfulness); and past experience (such as having a consistent or chaotic schedule). As the world relies more on technology, proper understanding of cognition in everyday life will increasingly require research that clarifies why people do or do not make good use of commercial memory aids.
Poxvirus-induced acid deoxyribonuclease: regulation of synthesis; control of activity in vivo; purification and properties of the enzyme.

Abstract Of three nucleases induced by poxvirus, one is a nuclease that acts on denatured DNA at acid pH values. This enzyme has been purified over 3000-fold and has the following characteristics: It degrades heat-denatured DNA exonucleolytically but has negligible activity toward native DNA or RNA; the degradation of denatured DNA is not inhibited by native DNA but is competitively inhibited by sRNA; there is no requirement for added divalent cations; the pH optimum for the degradation of denatured DNA is 4.5, a pH at which the enzyme is insoluble; the enzyme has a Km of 7.7 × 10−6 g and an S20ow of 5.8 ± 0.3. There is no detectable enzyme activity with all of these characteristics in uninfected cells. In contrast to the other poxvirus-induced nucleases, the acid nuclease is synthesized under the direction of only progeny DNA templates. During the course of viral infection the enzyme undergoes a sharp transition, in vivo, from a soluble to bound state but is synthesized continuously for about 18 hours postinfection.
Poster: Pay as You Go in the Cloud: One Watt at a Time

Advancements in virtualization have led to the construction of large data centers that host thousands of servers and to the selling of virtual machines (VMs) to consumers under a per-hour rate. This current pricing scheme employed by cloud computing providers ignores the disparities in consumer usage and in its related infrastructural costs of providing the service to different users. We thus propose a new pricing model based on the liable power consumption of the VM, which we correlate to the VM's proportion of CPU and disk I/O usage. In the poster, we evaluate the fairness and practicality of our accountable power consumption model on various machines and storage types. We then demonstrate the benefits of the proposed pricing model by looking four consumer cases. Our work is undergoing further experimentation and we hope to expand our testing using cloud services.
Potential effect of the administration of substance P and allergen therapy on immunoglobulin E–mediated allergic reactions in human subjects

Previously we observed and reported that immunoglobulin E-mediated (IgE-mediated) allergy in rhesus monkeys was decreased by the administration of substance P (SP) and an allergen. We extended these studies to human subjects, giving SP and 1 allergen to subjects with reactivity to more than 1 allergen, using reactivity to a second allergen as a control. SP and an allergen were initially given by aerosol delivery but subsequently were given by injection. The administration of SP and 1 allergen by aerosol delivery or injection resulted in decreased IgE-mediated reactivity to the allergen administered and also to the control allergen. This result occurred in 7 of 8 human subjects. The 2 initial subjects receiving 8 SP and allergen injections had a sharp reduction in their symptoms of ragweed hay fever lasting for 3 years to date. No significant reactions to the injection of SP occurred. Further controlled human research is necessary on the administration of SP and allergen and the mechanisms of action. Unexpected and serendipitous results first observed in rhesus monkeys and reproduced in allergic human subjects provide a new and potential mechanism for control and perhaps obliteration of common IgE-mediated allergies and even more-serious allergic problems.
Morphologic heterogeneity of mouse Paneth cell granules before and after secretory stimulation.

Paneth cells from fasted, fed and pilocarpine stimulated mice were studied with the light and electron microscopes. While human and rat Paneth cells contain structurally homogeneous granules, most mouse Paneth cell granules were found to be structurally heterogeneous both by light and electron microscopy. These structurally heterogeneous granules consisted of an outer rim or halo which surrounded the central core of the granule. These halos varied strikingly in electron density ranging from much paler to much darker than the granule core. Electron density of the halos correlated well with their affinity for toluidine blue in light microscopic preparations. The granule halo could be stained with both alcian blue and with PAS indicating that it contained acid mucopolysaccharide while the central core of the granule could be stained only with PAS and not with alcian blue. While actively secreting Paneth cells were seen in preparations from fasting mice, the secretory activity was increased after feeding and after stimulation with pilocarpine. The actively secreting mouse Paneth cells discharged their granules into the crypt lumen by merocrine secretion. The fine structure of mouse Paneth cell granules was the same in resting and in actively secreting cells.
Microbial reduction of nitrate in the presence of nanoscale zero-valent iron.

Microbial reduction of nitrate in the presence of nanoscale zero-valent iron (NZVI) was evaluated to assess the feasibility of employing NZVI in the biological nitrate treatment. Nitrate was completely reduced within 3 d in a nanoscale Fe(0)-cell reactor, while only 50% of the nitrate was abiotically reduced over 7 d at 25 °C. The removal rate of nitrate in the integrated NZVI-cell system was unaffected by the presence of high amounts of sulfate. Efficient removal of nitrate by Fe(II)-supported anaerobic culture in 14 d indicated that Fe(II), which is produced during anaerobic iron corrosion in the Fe(0)-cell system, might act as an electron donor for nitrate. Unlike abiotic reduction, microbial reduction of nitrate was not significantly affected by low temperature conditions. This study demonstrated the potential applicability of employing NZVI iron as a source of electrons for biological nitrate reduction. Use of NZVI for microbial nitrate reduction can obviate the disadvantages associated with traditional biological denitrification, that relies on the use of organic substrates or explosive hydrogen gas, and maintain the advantages offered by nano-particle technology such as higher surface reactivity and functionality in suspensions.
Note: Comments on viscous damping in oscillating liquid columns

Abstract The damping of free oscillations of an oscillating liquid column is characterized by two Reynolds numbers. Previous studies are briefly reviewed; further work concerning the onset of transition and its detection, the effect of U-tube inclination and of change in tube cross-section is described.
Effect of diamorphine, Δ9‐tetrahydrocannabinol and ethanol on intravenous cocaine disposition

The disposition of cocaine (1 mg kg-1) was altered by diamorphine (0.1 mg kg-1) and that of morphine (1 mg kg-1) was altered after their concurrent administration as a bolus i.v. injection to rats by cocaine, without any changes in the metabolism of the drugs. delta 9-Tetrahydrocannabinol (10 mg kg-1 i.p.) did not affect the cocaine disposition. Chronic ethanol treatment (2.5 g kg-1 orally twice daily for 16 days) produced a significantly higher brain-to-plasma cocaine concentration ratio than did saline as control, without any changes in cocaine metabolism.
The application of multiple scattering theory to therapeutic electron dosimetry

Fermi–Eyges multiple scatteringtheory for electrons is explained, and a general three‐dimensional formalism is developed for its application to problems of therapeutic electron dosimetry. The formalism is illustrated by a number of elementary examples: a rectangular beam, an isotropic point source, and a scanning line source.
Hexokinase Isozyme Patterns of Human Erythrocytes and Leucocytes

HEXOKINASE catalyses the initial phosphorylation of glucose in the glycolytic pathway of carbohydrate metabolism. This step appears to be rate limiting in glycolysis of the human erythrocyte1,2. Quantitative studies of the activity of hexokinase have been carried out with human erythrocytes1–5, but the qualitative characteristics of the enzyme from red cells or white cells have not been evaluated by electrophoretic methods. This communication describes a method for investigating the hexokinase isozyme patterns of haemolysates and leucocyte sonicates, and presents our observations on these patterns in certain population groups.
Application for design and simulation of conformal radiation therapy

An application for design and simulation of conformal radiation therapy is described. The goal is to design a beam configuration that delivers therapeutic dose to the disease and minimizes irradiation of surrounding healthy tissues. The application supports a wide variety of tasks including: creation of patient- specific anatomic models from multimodality medical image data; interactive manipulation of high-level beam constructs; evaluation of calculated dose; and simulation of treatment procedures. The application exploits standard visualization technology as well as custom techniques developed specifically for treatment planning. This application, coupled with new computer-controlled treatment technologies permits design and delivery of radiation treatments that conform high dose to the diseased tissue, while minimizing the dose to surrounding healthy tissue. As a result, larger doses of radiation can now be safely applied than previously possible.© (1994) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Shape memory behavior of high temperature Ti–Ni–Pt thin films

Abstract Titanium–nickel–platinum (Ti 54 Ni 26 Pt 20 ) thin films shape memory alloys are produced using direct current magnetron sputtering process. The films are deposited on a (100) silicon substrate with 500 nm of wet thermal oxide layer. As-deposited amorphous films are crystallized at 550 °C and 600 °C for 1 h. X-ray diffraction shows that the structure of the martensitic phase is orthorhombic (B19). Both films exhibit classic shape memory effect. The transformation temperatures for the films are above 300 °C, the film annealed at 600 °C has higher transformation temperatures which are attributed to the presence of large precipitates not found in the film annealed at 550 °C.
Intracellular distribution of vitamin B6 in rat and mouse livers and induced rat liver tumors.

SummaryThe intracellular distribution of vitamin B6 in rat liver tumors induced by 4-dimethylaminoazobenzene and in the livers of rats and mice before and after administration of the azo dye was determined after differential centrifugation of the tissue homogen-ates in hypertonic sucrose solution.In all cases vitamin B6 was concentrated in the washed large granules or mitochondria (28 to 45% of total) and in the supernatant fluids (45 to 64% of total). The washed nuclear fractions contained 3 to 11% of the total vitamin B6 present. The unwashed small granules or microsomes contained 4 to 8% of the total vitamin B6 in the case of normal rat liver one washing reduced the level to about 1 1/2%.The ingestion of the azo dye reduced the levels of the vitamin in the large granule and supernatant fluid fractions of the livers in each species. The decrease in protein content of the large granules paralleled the decrease in vitamin B6 content. The large granule and supernatant fluid fractions of the liver tumors co...
Obesity and asthma, an association modified by age of asthma onset

Background Studies of asthma phenotypes have identified obesity as a component of a group characterized by a high proportion of subjects with adult-onset asthma. However, whether age of asthma onset modifies the association between obesity and asthma is unknown. Objectives We sought to compare the associations between body mass index (BMI) categories with physiological, inflammatory, and clinical parameters across age of asthma onset phenotypes; and to compare the rate of BMI change in relation to asthma duration, by age of onset asthma phenotypes. Methods From the Severe Asthma Research Program, we defined age of asthma onset as early ( Results The study population consisted of 1049 subjects, and the median age for asthma onset was 10 years (interquartile range, 4-25 years); 48% had late-onset asthma (≥12 years of age), and 52% had early-onset asthma ( Conclusion Asthmatic subjects are differentially affected by obesity based on whether they had asthma early (
The Association Between Personal Health Record Use and Diabetes Quality Measures

Background Electronic personal health records (PHRs) have the potential to empower patients in self-management of chronic diseases, which should lead to improved outcomes.
Prevention of chemically induced synaptosomal changes

The ability of altered environmental conditions to modulate some properties of synaptosomes has been studied. Incubation conditions used included the presence of methyl mercury or an organochlorine insecticide: chlordecone. Other adverse chemical conditions during incubation were the absence of calcium salts from the incubation medium or the addition of agents bringing about enhanced oxidative conditions. Synaptosomal parameters studied were the cytosolic level of free, ionic calcium, [Ca2+]i, the extent of depolarization-induced uptake of radioactive calcium, and the permeability of the limiting membrane. In addition, peroxidative activity was estimated by quantitation of thiobarbituric acid-reactive material. All these facets of synaptosomal function were responsive to the presence of these potentially deleterious changes in the incubation medium. While the response of [Ca2+]i was potentially in either direction, all adverse conditions increased synaptosomal permeability as evaluated by leakage of fura-2 into the extracellular compartment. Pretreatment with ganglioside GM1 in some situations or alpha-tocopherol in others could either wholly or partially prevent the onset of such altered synaptosomal characteristics.
The organization of actin filaments in human placental villi.

The surface of the syncytial trophoblast of the human placenta is covered by a microvillous (brush) border that is in direct contact with maternal blood. Because of this location, it is the site of a variety of transport, enzymatic and receptor activities vital to many placental functions. The organization of the brush border as well as other features of placental villus organization may well be influenced by the distribution of cytoplasmic actin filaments. In order to determine the distribution of actin filaments in human placenta, small pieces of villi were briefly fixed in glutaraldehyde, permeabilized with saponin, and incubated in solutions containing subfragment 1 of myosin (S1). After S1 decoration of actin filaments, tissue was fixed in glutaraldehyde containing tannic acid in order to better visualize the polarity of the filaments, and prepared for electron microscopic examination. The microvilli each contained a core of actin filaments running from the tip of the microvillus to the apical cytoplasm. Most of the actin filaments displayed a distinct polarity, with the S1 arrowheads pointing away from the microvillar tips. These filaments extended only a short distance into the apical cytoplasm. There appeared to be another group of actin filaments in a matlike arrangement in the apical cytoplasm. Coated pits and vesicles were often observed between the microvilli. There appeared to be no clear association between the coated pits and decorated actin filaments, but this was difficult to establish with certainty because of the close proximity of the microvilli. Bundles of actin filaments were sometimes observed near the basal cell surface of the syncytial trophoblast, and in pericytes and capillary endothelial cells in the cores of the villi. These results suggest the integrity and organization of brush border of human placenta is in part a result of the underlying organization of the cytoskeleton, especially actin filaments. The maintenance of the microvillar extensions serves to increase the surface area of the syncytial trophoblast that is in contact with maternal blood, thereby enhancing maternal—fetal transport activities. Actin filaments in the capillary endothelial cells and pericytes, in conjunction with intermediate filaments, may have a structural role, maintaining the patency of the capillary lumen.
Quantitative performance metrics for evaluation and comparison of middleware interoperability products

Interoperability in modeling and simulation is understood as the ability of simulations to exchange information and use the information exchanged. Several alternative models have been applied to support interoperability. The traditional approach has been to apply standards, such as the High-level Architecture, to create a federation and use a runtime infrastructure to physically connect simulations. Recently, there has been a move towards web-based standards to loosely couple simulations, and the future points to cloud-enabled interoperability services. Despite the existence of implementations of these models from industry, academia and government, very few performance metrics have been formulated to evaluate them.In this paper, we propose quantitative performance metrics that includes a set of dependent and independent variables for implementations of interoperability models. We apply the metrics to a web-based infrastructure that uses web standards and a traditional runtime infrastructure. We analyze th...