cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The effects of adulthood olanzapine treatment on cognitive performance and neurotrophic factor content in male and female rats neonatally treated with quinpirole

Male and female Sprague-Dawley rats were administered quinpirole (1 mg/kg, i.p.) or saline once daily from postnatal day (P)1 to P21. This drug treatment has been shown to produce long-term priming of the D2 receptor. Beginning on P62, rats were administered the atypical antipsychotic olanzapine (2.5 mg/kg) or saline twice daily (i.p.) for 28 days. One day after olanzapine treatment ceased, rats were tested on the place and match-to-place versions of the Morris water maze (MWM) for seven consecutive days. Dopamine D2 receptor priming was verified through a yawning behavioural test, a D2 receptor-mediated event, before olanzapine was administered as well as after olanzapine treatment and behavioural testing were complete. Results showed that neonatal quinpirole treatment induced D2 priming that was eliminated by olanzapine treatment. On the MWM place version, D2-primed rats demonstrated a significant impairment that was eliminated by olanzapine treatment, but olanzapine treatment to animals neonatally treated with saline produced a significant deficit on the place version of the MWM. There were no significant deficits on the match-to-place version. Brain tissue analyses revealed that neonatal quinpirole treatment produced a significant decrease in hippocampal NGF, BDNF and ChAT that was eliminated by olanzapine treatment. Neonatal quinpirole treatment produced a significant decrease in BDNF and ChAT in the frontal cortex that was unaffected by olanzapine treatment. These results show that olanzapine eliminates D2 receptor priming and cognitive impairment and also alleviates decreases in neurotrophins and acetylcholinergic markers produced by D2 priming in the hippocampus.
Light Regulation of Coat-Shedding in a Tropical Breed of Hair Sheep

BREEDING activity in sheep in temperate climates is predominantly controlled by the photoperiod. The mechanism governing sexual activity in tropical sheep has not yet been elucidated. During current studies of this problem Persian Blackhead ewes were exposed to an experimental light regime similar to that used to induce œstrus in Suffolk ewes at Cambridge, England, namely, 14 hours dark, 4 hours light, 2 hours dark and 4 hours light1. Results regarding sexual activity were inconclusive but the coats of the treated ewes grew long, dense and shaggy. The coats of control ewes were sleek and short. Managerial conditions other than the light treatment were identical for the two groups of ewes.
Quantitation of daunorubicin and its metabolites by high-performance liquid chromatography with electrochemical detection.

A selective and sensitive high-performance liquid chromatographic method was developed for the separation and quantitation of daunorubicin and its metabolites in serum, plasma, and other biological fluids. Daunorubicin and metabolites in human plasma were injected directly into the high-performance liquid chromatography system via a loop-column to pre-extract the drugs from the plasma, and quantitated against a multilevel calibration curve with adriamycin as the internal standard. The column effluent was monitored with an electrochemical detector at an applied oxidative potential of 0.65 V and by fluorescence. Daunorubicin and four metabolites were separted and characterized by this method. In a blinded evaluation of accuracy and precision, the mean coefficients of variation were 3.8, 3.6 and 9.8% at concentrations of 150, 75 and 15 ng/ml, respectively, and blank samples gave negligible readings. The amperometric sensitivity was greater than achieved by fluorescence detection, and offers an alternative method for quantitation of these compounds. The new method has a limit of detection of less than 2 ng on column, allowing quantitation of < 10 ng/ml in plasma samples without organic extraction prior to chromatographic analysis.
An Impossibility Theorem for Fixed Preferences: A Dictatorial Bergson-Samuelson Welfare Function

Arrow's impossibility theorem (Arrow [1]) shows that a social welfare function (which specifies a transitive complete ordering on social alternatives for each m-tuple of individual preferences) is necessarily dictatorial if it has an unlimited domain (all possible m-tuples of preferences), is independent of irrelevant alternatives, Pareto consistent and there are at least three alternatives. It is shown here that such a social welfare function must be dictatorial even if there is only one m-tuple of preferences in the domain if it is neutral, Pareto consistent and there are enough alternatives so that in one m-tuple of preferences there is diversity of preference among the alternatives. Although Arrow did not require neutrality, it is a logical consequence of his conditions. In the second section we argue that this result shows that the Bergson-Samuelson welfare function is dictatorial. Samuelson [7] and Plott [5] argue that the Arrow theorem really has nothing to do with the Bergson problem since Bergson assumes that the preferences of the society are fixed. In fact, Samuelson argues that there are as many Bergson functions as there are m-tuples of preferences in the domain of Arrow's function, and hence the impossibility theorem has nothing to do with Bergson's welfare function. The result here, though, is shown for a fixed m-tuple of preferences and so can be applied to the Bergson concept.
When 3‐year‐olds understand ignorance, false belief and representational change

This study examined conditions under which 3-year-olds can conceptualize ignorance, false belief, and representational change, and assessed the order of emergence of these three abilities. One hundred and twenty children between 2:11 and 4:1 were randomly assigned to one of three conditions: standard, explanation, and trick. In the standard condition, children were administered a standard false belief task. In both experimental conditions, the discrepancy between children's false expectation and reality was highlighted. In the explanation condition, children were also given an explanation of the source of a false belief. In the trick condition, the questions were placed in the context of a deceptive game. None of the experimental manipulations affected the younger subjects (2:11-3:7). However, for the older subjects (3:8-4:1), performance on the ignorance question was significantly elevated by both the highlight alone and a combination of the highlight with either explanation or trick; performance on the false belief question was significantly elevated by the highlight alone; and performance on the representational change question was significantly elevated by a combination of the highlight plus explanation. Thus, only children over 3:7 can be helped to pass the standard ignorance and false belief questions. Finally, contrary to previous findings, all three kinds of understandings emerged simultaneously, suggesting that all require a similar level of representational ability.
Ethics and regulation in direct marketing

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to discuss the role and importance of ethical and socially responsible activities within the context of direct marketing.Design/methodology/approach – The paper considers some of the prominent ethical and legal issues related to direct marketing in the context of the US market. It has been designed to make those involved in direct marketing activities more cognizant of potential pitfalls in the areas of ethics, social responsibility, and legal compliance and how to effectively address these issues.Findings – In terms of ethical behavior, social responsibility, and legal restrictions, these will need to be integrated, both strategically and tactically, into all aspects of direct marketing activities. This is illustrated through anecdotal evidence, industry sources, real‐life/real‐time examples, and industry standards and regulations.Originality/value – The underlying value of the paper is that, beyond showing the importance of ethical, socially responsible, and legal ...
Abstract 1609: IRF1 regulates bevacizumab induced autophagy .

Antiangiogenic therapy is commonly being used for the treatment of recurrent glioblastoma. However, the benefits of angiogenesis inhibitors are typically transient and resistance often develops. Determining the mechanism of treatment failure of the VEGF monoclonal antibody bevacizumab for malignant glioma would provide insight into approaches to overcome therapeutic resistance. In this study, we observed up-regulation of autophagy marker expression and increased autophagosome formation after bevacizumab treatment. In order to determine genes regulating bevacizumab resistance, microarray gene expression analysis was performed on murine xenograft models of glioblastoma. Compared to control tumor tissues, we found increased transcriptional levels of STAT1/IRF1 signaling in bevacizumab resistant tumors, which were further confirmed by immunohistochemistry of bevacizumab treated tissue at the protein level. To determine whether IRF1 contributes to bevacizumab resistance, glioma stem cell lines with stable IRF1 down regulation were injected into the brains of nude mice. HE 2013 Apr 6-10; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2013;73(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 1609. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2013-1609
A hardware definition of microprogramming

This paper tries to give a simple, effective definition of 'microprogramming' by reducing this notion to the concept of a 'microcontrolled' machine. The class of microcontrolled machines can rigorously be defined using the terminology of switching algebra.
Reply to comment by D.‐H. Lim on “Diffusion processes in composite porous media and their numerical integration by random walks: Generalized stochastic differential equations with discontinuous coefficients”

[1] We thank Lim [2005] for providing this opportunity to clarify the restrictions and confirm the applicability of the results of LaBolle et al. [2000]. LaBolle et al. [2000] develop generalized stochastic differential equations (SDE) that converge to advection dispersion equations with discontinuous dispersion tensor D. The problem of interest here relates to equation (15a) of LaBolle et al. [2000] and its application in the numerical simulation of random walks converging to advection dispersion equations with discontinuous coefficients. In one dimension this equation can be written as
The effects of retinoic acid on the growth of mandible and long bone in fetal rats

Timed-pregnant rats were injected with a total of 90 microgram of retinoic acid from day 13 until delivery. Other pregnant groups were given either a total of 390 microgram of retinol from day 5 or a total of 270 microgram of retinol from day 13 until delivery. Although the weight gains and food intake of the dams during gestation showed no difference between groups, the long bones were slightly heavier in pups born from retinoic acid-injected dams. Total collagen content in both mandibles and long bones did not show differences between retinoic acid- and retinol-injected groups, but collagen synthesis in both bones was greatly increased in the retinoic acid-injected groups. Calcium content of the mandible in the retinol-injected group from day 13 of gestation was increased, whereas 45Ca uptake of long bone of this group was increased. Retinoic acid, when injected in physiological doses during gestation, may have some effects on the organic phase of bone, long bones being slightly more sensitive to retinoic acid than the mandibles.
A study on radiation resistance of siloxane foam containing phenyl

Abstract In this paper, the radiation effect on spherical open-porous polymethylphenylvinyl siloxane foam was studied in different atmospheres at room temperature. The behavior of unirradiated and irradiated materials was studied by SEM, FTIR, TG, GC/MS, etc. The results indicate that the gas yield increases linearly with increasing dose. Furthermore, there were some changes in the microscopic structure, composition, and mechanical property, but the maximum thermal decomposition temperature of the sample alters little with the dose.
The MTA-rip it up and start again?

Securing material transfer agreements can be burdensome for academics and make downstream research prohibitively expensive, particularly for small startups with limited resources. Two technology-transfer professionals debate the pros and cons of such contracts.
Delivery of Bordetella pertussis adenylate cyclase toxin to target cells via outer membrane vesicles

Abstract Bordetella pertussis adenylate cyclase toxin (ACT) intoxicates cells by producing intracellular cAMP. B. pertussis outer membrane vesicles (OMV) contain ACT on their surface (OMV–ACT), but the properties of OMV–ACT were previously unknown. We found that B. pertussis in the lung from a fatal pertussis case contains OMV, suggesting an involvement in pathogenesis. OMV–ACT and ACT intoxicate cells with and without the toxin’s receptor CD11b/CD18. Intoxication by ACT is blocked by antitoxin and anti-CD11b antibodies, but not by cytochalasin-D; in contrast, OMV–ACT is unaffected by either antibody and blocked by cytochalasin-D. Thus OMV–ACT can deliver ACT by processes distinct from those of ACT alone.
A new lexicon and framework for analyzing the internal structures of the U.S. Advanced Technology Program and its analogues around the world

Analogues of the U.S.’s Advanced Technology Program can be found in many countries around the world. These government programs provide financial assistance to firms and other entities to develop innovative technologies in the conviction that these developments will contribute to future economic strength. For political and economic reasons, these programs tend to be complex and intricate in their design. No informed evaluation and comparison of such programs can take place without a clear understanding of their internal structures. This paper analyzes the anatomy of such programs and constructs a vocabulary for understanding program design choices. It identifies and discusses a representative sample of important program design features—eligibility requirements, the nature of the research, technical scope, the selection process, and public-private financial arrangements—and provides examples of national programs embodying alternative design choices. This paper should interest policymakers, program administrators, program evaluators, and others involved in program design, management and evaluation.
Pharmacological trials: primary and secondary prevention of coronary heart disease.

Abstract This brief overview of outcome in studies on the primary and secondary prevention of CHD with drugs influencing cholesterol-lipid-lipoprotein metabolism or with platelet-influencing drugs indicates the following conclusions: (1) The central finding of the European trial on primary prevention with clofibrate—significant adverse effects on long-term mortality from all causes—compels the conclusion that this drug has no place in the broad effort to reduce CHD risk by lowering plasma lipids-lipoproteins. (2) No other disease endpoint data are as yet available on lipid reduction by other drugs for primary prevention; data from a U.S. cholestyramine trial are due in 1983 or 1984. (3) Results of the Coronary Drug Project with lipid-influencing drugs for secondary prevention in middle-aged post-MI men were negative for 5.0 and 2.5 mg/day mixed conjugated equine estrogens, and for dextrothyroxine, with early termination of all three of these regimens because of possible adverse effects. At the scheduled end of the trial, clofibrate showed no evidence of benefit and some signs of adverse effects. Nicotinic acid showed no evidence of benefit in regard to the primary CDP endpoint, all causes mortality, but it yielded a significant reduction in rates of nonfatal MI, nonfatal MI + CHD death, and stroke events. (4) Combined therapy with resin + nicotinic acid has a much greater capacity—over and above diet—than any single lipid-lowering drug to reduce markedly all atherogenic lipids-lipoproteins, while simultaneously raising HDL, but no disease endpoint data are available on benefit/risk ratio with this regimen. (5) Eight secondary prevention trials with platelet—influencing drugs indicate encouraging but not statistically significant results in five of six aspirin trials, in a trial with aspirin + dipyridamole, and in a trial with sulfinpyrazone. (6) Viewed in perspective, these discouraging data on lipid—influencing drugs for the primary and secondary prevention of CHD, and these equivocal data with platelet-influencing drugs for secondary prevention reinforce the fundamental conclusion that the main strategic thrust for the control of epidemic premature CHD must be primary prevention by nutritional-hygienic means , i.e., avoidance and correction of the lifestyles—especially “rich” diet and cigarette smoking, also sedentary living and incongruent behavior—that are the cause of the mass problem.
Elevated 5-HT 2A receptors in postmortem prefrontal cortex in major depression is associated with reduced activity of protein kinase A

Previous human postmortem brain tissue research has implicated abnormalities of 5-HT receptor availability in depression and suicide. Although altered abundance of 5-HT 1A, 5-HT 2A, and 5-HT 2C receptors (5-HT(1A), 5-HT(2A), and 5-HT(2C)) has been reported, the causes remain obscure. This study evaluated the availability of these three receptor subtypes in postmortem brain tissue specimens from persons with a history of major depression (MDD) and normal controls and tested the relationships to protein kinases A and C (PKA, PKC). Samples were obtained from postmortem brain tissue (Brodmann area 10) from 20 persons with a history of MDD and 20 matched controls as determined by a retrospective diagnostic evaluation obtained from family members. Levels of 5-HT(1A), 5-HT(2A), and 5-HT(2C) receptor were quantitated via Western blot analyses. Basal and stimulated PKA and PKC activity were also determined. The depressed samples showed significantly increased 5-HT(2A) receptor abundance relative to controls, but no differences in 5-HT(1A) or 5-HT(2C) receptors. Basal and cyclic AMP-stimulated PKA activity was also reduced in the depressed sample; PKC activity was not different between groups. 5-HT(2A) receptor availability was significantly inversely correlated with PKC activity in controls, but with PKA activity in the depressed sample. Increased 5-HT(2A) receptor abundance and decreased PKA activity in the depressed sample are consistent with prior reports. The correlation of 5-HT(2A) receptor levels with PKA activity in the depressed group suggests that abnormalities of 5-HT(2A) receptor abundance may depend on receptor uncoupling and heterologous regulation by PKA.
UVB-Induced formation of intrastrand cross-link products of DNA in MCF-7 cells treated with 5-bromo-2'-deoxyuridine.

Nucleoside 5-bromo-2‘-deoxyuridine (BrdU), after being incorporated into cellular DNA, is well-known to sensitize cells to ionizing radiation and UV irradiation. We reported here, for the first time, the sequence-dependent formation of intrastrand cross-link products from the UVB irradiation of BrdU-treated MCF-7 human breast cancer cells. Our results showed that BrdU replaced more than 30% dT in genomic DNA after the cells were treated with 10 μM BrdU for 48 h. LC−MS/MS data revealed that more than 50% of the incorporated BrdU was consumed during UVB irradiation, of which more than half was dehalogenated to yield dU. Low-dose (5.0 kJ/m2) UVB irradiation of BrdU-treated cells yielded four intrastrand cross-link products, where the C5 of uracil is covalently bonded to the C8 of its neighboring 5‘ or 3‘ guanine to give G[8-5]U and U[5-8]G, respectively, and the C5 of uracil could couple with the C2 or C8 of its vicinal 5‘ adenine to give A[2-5]U and A[8-5]U, respectively. All the above cross-link products e...
The fine structure of muscle in a marine turbellarian.

The fine structure of the myofibers of Notoplana acticola as studied by electron microscopy indicates that they are composed of thick myofilaments about 200 A wide with tapering ends and thin myofilaments about 50 A wide, arranged alongside each other parallel to the long axis of the cell. There is no orderly transverse arrangement of filaments; instead they appear staggered in the fiber. In cross sections 6 to 10 thin filaments form an orbit around one thick filament with possible cross-linkage between the two types of filaments. Dense bodies are associated with the sarcolemma and with the sarcoplasmic reticulum, and appear to serve as attachments for the thin filaments. Dense bodies are compared to elements forming a fragmented Z-disc. Mitochondria, situated in the periphery or the center of fibers, are associated with granules interpreted as glycogen. The sarcoplasmic reticulum consists of: sacs or cisternae in close proximity to the sarcolemma, longitudinal tubular elements between and parallel to the myofilaments, and a tubular network around the filaments. There is no well-defined sarcolemmal-derived transverse tubule system as described in striated muscles. It is hypothesized that in these muscles, the functional equivalent of the T system may be the area of sarcolemma in contact with the cisternae of the sarcoplasmic reticulum.
INDUCTION OF THE METHIONINE-ACTIVATING ENZYME IN SACCHAROMYCES CEREVISIAE.

Pigg, C. JoAnne (Oregon State University, Corvallis), W. A. Sorsoli, and L. W. Parks. Induction of the methionine-activating enzyme in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. J. Bacteriol. 87:920–923. 1964.—The methionine-activating enzyme was induced in yeast in the presence of methionine, resulting in an accumulation of S-adenosylmethionine. Formation of the sulfonium derivative prevented the accumulation of high levels of free methionine in induced cells. The physiological significance of this phenomenon is discussed.
Our Knowledge of Numbers as Self-Subsistent Objects

†A feature of Frege’s philosophy of arithmetic that has elicited a great deal of attention in the recent secondary literature is his contention that numbers are ‘self-subsistent’ objects. The considerable interest in this thesis among the contemporary philosophy of mathematics community stands in marked contrast to Kreisel’s folk-lore observation that the central problem in the philosophy of mathematics is not the existence of mathematical objects, but the objectivity of mathematics. Although Frege was undoubtedly concerned with both questions, a goal of the present paper is to argue that his success in securing the objectivity of arithmetic depends on a less contentious commitment to numbers as objects than either he or his critics have supposed. As such, this paper is an articulation and defense of both Frege’s analysis of arithmetic and Kreisel’s observation.
Two sisters with unoperated bilateral cleft lip and palate, age 6 and 4 years.

Abstract Two sisters with unoperated bilateral cleft lip and palate, aged 5 years 8 months and 3 years 11 months, are described. The degree of premaxillary protrusion in both was similar to that in unoperated infants. On the other hand, children operated in infancy showed less midfacial protrusion than the sisters following repair of their lips at a later age suggesting that the repaired lip has a long-acting effect in restricting growth of the premaxillary-vomerine complex. Later, forward growth of the mandible and elongation of the face also serve to minimise the convexity due to the projecting premaxilla.
Asymptotic stackelberg optimal control design for an uncertain Euler Lagrange system

Game theory methods have advanced various disciplines from social science, notably economics and biology, and engineering. Game theory establishes an optimal strategy for multiple players in either a cooperative or noncooperative manner where the objective is to reach an equilibrium state among the players. A Stackelberg game strategy involves a leader and a follower that follow a hierarchy relationship where the leader enforces its strategy on the follower. In this paper, a general framework is developed for feedback control of an Euler Lagrange system using an open-loop Stackelberg differential game. A Robust Integral Sign of the Error (RISE) controller is used to cancel uncertain nonlinearities in the system and a Stackelberg optimal controller is used for stabilization in the presence of uncertainty. A Lyapunov analysis is provided to examine the stability of the developed controller.
Hispanic Victims and Homicide Clearance by Arrest

When applied to homicide clearance by arrest, the victim-devaluing perspective posits that police favor higher—social status victims by allocating greater investigative effort to their cases. Previous studies have measured social status via a dichotomous race variable (White vs. Black, White vs. non-White, or non-Hispanic White vs. racial/ ethnic minority). As the Hispanic population grows in the United States, it is increasingly important to extend homicide clearance research beyond the traditional questions of dichotomous racial/ethnic differences. Using 2000-2007 homicide data from agencies that report victim’s ethnicity to the National Incident-Based Reporting System (NIBRS), the current study examines the impact of victim’s race/ethnicity on homicide clearance by arrest via a trichomotous measure (non-Hispanic White, non-Hispanic Black, or Hispanic). Event history analysis found that, controlling for other incident characteristics, homicides with Hispanic victims had a lower risk of clearance by arrest than those with non-Hispanic White or non-Hispanic Black victims.
Multicomponent Energy Conserving Dissipative Particle Dynamics: A General Framework for Mesoscopic Heat Transfer Applications

A multicomponent framework for energy conserving dissipative particle dynamics (DPD) is presented for the first time in both dimensional and dimensionless forms. Explicit definitions for unknown scaling factors that are consistent with DPD convention are found by comparing the present, general dimensionless governing equations to the standard DPD expressions in the literature. When the scaling factors are chosen based on the solvent in a multicomponent system, the system of equations reduces to a set that is easy to handle computationally. A computer code based on this multicomponent framework was validated, under the special case of identical components, for one-dimensional transient and one- and two-dimensional steady-state heat conduction in a random DPD solid. The results, which compare well with existing DPD works and with analytical solutions in one and two dimensions, show the promise of energy conserving DPD for modeling heat transfer at mesoscopic length scales.
Patterns of multiorgan dysfunction after pediatric drowning

Aims To evaluate patterns of multiorgan dysfunction and neurologic outcome in children with respiratory and cardiac arrest after drowning.
Performance evaluation of texture measures for ground cover identification in satellite images by means of a neural network classifier

The performance of several feature extraction methods for classifying ground covers in satellite images is compared. Ground covers are viewed as texture of the image. Texture measures considered are: cooccurrence matrices, gray-level differences, texture-tone analysis, features derived from the Fourier spectrum, and Gabor filters. Some Fourier features and some Gabor filters were found to be good choices, in particular when a single frequency band was used for classification. A Thematic Mapper (TM) satellite image showing a variety of vegetations in central Colorado was used for the comparison. A related goal was to investigate the feasibility of extracting the main ground covers from an image. These ground covers may then form an index into a database. This would allow the retrieval of a set of images which are similar in contents. The results obtained in the indexing experiments are encouraging. >
Functional Consequences of Central Serotonin Depletion Produced by Repeated Fenfluramine Administration in Rats

Repeated administration of d,l-fenfluramine (FEN) is known to cause prolonged depletion of forebrain serotonin (5-HT) in animals. Ironically, few studies have evaluated functional consequences of such FEN-induced 5-HT loss. In the present work, we examined neuroendocrine and behavioral responses evoked by acute FEN injection in rats that had previously received a 4 d FEN-dosing regimen known to deplete forebrain 5-HT (d,l-FEN, 20 mg/kg, s.c., b.i.d.). Rats were fitted with indwelling jugular catheters before the study to allow for repeated intravenous challenge injections and stress-free blood sampling. At 1 and 2 weeks after the 4 d dosing regimen, acute FEN (1.5 or 3.0 mg/kg, i.v.) produced dose-related elevations in plasma corticosterone and prolactin; these hormonal responses were markedly attenuated in FEN-pretreated rats. Behavioral effects of acute FEN, namely flat body posture and forepaw treading, were also blunted in FEN-pretreated rats. Interestingly, rats exposed to repeated FEN did not display overt abnormalities in hormonal or behavioral parameters under basal (i.e., unprovoked) conditions, despite dramatic decreases in postmortem tissue levels of 5-HT in numerous brain areas. Our results suggest that FEN-induced 5-HT depletion is accompanied by multiple impairments in 5-HT function. Although the clinical relevance of our data are debatable, the findings clearly show the utility of the FEN challenge test for uncovering in vivo functional deficits that might otherwise go undetected. FEN should remain an important pharmacological tool for determining the role of 5-HT neurons in mediating diverse physiological and behavioral processes.
Primary Care Physician Compensation Method in Medical Groups: Does It Influence the Use and Cost of Health Services for Enrollees in Managed Care Organizations?

Context.—Growth of at-risk managed care contracts between health plans and medical groups has been well documented, but less is known about the nature of financial incentives within those medical groups or their effects on health care utilization.Objective.—To test whether utilization and cost of health services per enrollee were influenced independently by the compensation method of the enrollee's primary care physician.Design.—Survey of medical groups contracting with selected managed care health plans, linked to 1994 plan enrollment and utilization data for adult enrollees.Setting.—Medical groups, major managed care health plans, and their patients/enrollees in the state of Washington.Study Participants.—Sixty medical groups in Washington, 865 primary care physicians (internal medicine, pediatrics, family practice, or general practice) from those groups and affiliated with 1 or more of 4 managed care health plans, and 200931 adult plan enrollees.Intervention.—The effect of method of primary care physician's compensation on the utilization and cost of health services was analyzed by weighted least squares and random effects regression.Main Outcome Measures.—Total visits, hospital days, and per member per year estimated costs.Results.—Compensation method was not significantly (P>.30) related to utilization and cost in any multivariate analyses. Patient age (P<.001), female gender (P<.001), and plan benefit level (P<.001) were significantly positively related to visits, hospital days, and per member per year costs. The primary care physician's age was significantly negatively related (P<.001) to all 3 dependent measures.Conclusions.—Compensation method was not significantly related to use and cost of health services per person. Enrollee, physician, and health plan benefit factors were the prime determinants of utilization and cost of health services.
Identification of Three Different Truncating Mutations in Cytochrome P4501B1 (CYP1B1) as the Principal Cause of Primary Congenital Glaucoma (Buphthalmos) in Families Linked to the GLC3A Locus on Chromosome 2p21

Primary congenital glaucoma (Buphthalmos) is an autosomal recessive eye disorder, postulated to result from developmental defects in the anterior eye segment. Previously, we reported two chromosomal locations for this condition on 2p21 (GLC3A) and 1p36 (GLC3B) respectively. In this study, heritable mutations of human cytochrome P4501B1 gene (CYP1B1) in affected individuals of five well-characterized families linked to the GLC3A locus are described. CYP1B1 gene has previously been mapped within the GLC3A candidate region and its expression in the trabecular meshwork cells has been demonstrated in this study. Three different homozygous mutations were identified and characterized: a 13 bp deletion in exon III; an insertion of a single cytosine base in exon II; and a larger deletion affecting the 5' end of exon III and the adjacent intronic region. All of these are frameshift mutations that are predicted to remove domains essential for the function of the CYP1B1 protein. Therefore, it is expected that all these mutations result in functional null alleles. The mutations detected in the affected members of these families were not present in 470 chromosomes from randomly selected normal individuals, thus strongly suggesting that CYP1B1 is the gene for the GLC3A locus on 2p21. The results are discussed in the context of the earlier hypothesis that 'drug-metabolizing' enzymes might modulate the processes of growth and differentiation by controlling the steady-state-levels of oxygenated growth-effector molecules.
p47phox and reactive oxygen species production modulate expression of microRNA-451 in macrophages

The production of microRNAs (miRNA) is influenced by various stimuli, including environmental stresses. We hypothesized that reactive oxygen species (ROS)-associated stress could regulate macrophage miRNA synthesis. miRNAs undergo unique steps of maturation processing through either one of two pathways of cytoplasmic processing. Unlike the canonical pathway, the regulation of alternative cytoplasmic processing of miRNA has not been fully elucidated yet. We cultured bone marrow derived macrophages (BMDM) from wild type (WT) and p47(phox-/-) mice and profiled miRNA expression using microarrays. We analyzed 375 miRNAs including four endogenous controls to normalize the data. At resting state, p47(phox-/-) BMDM has the markedly reduced expression of miR-451 compared to WT BMDM, without other significant differences. Unlike majority of miRNAs, miR-451 goes through the unique alternative processing pathway, in which Ago2 plays a key role. In spite of significant reduction of mature miR-451, however, its precursor form, pre-mir-451, was similar in both BMDMs, suggesting that the processing of pre-mir-451 is impaired in p47(phox-/-) BMDM. Moreover, p47(phox-/-) BMDM expressed significantly reduced level of Ago2. In contrast, Ago2 mRNA levels were similar in WT and p47(phox-/-) BMDM, suggesting a post-transcriptional defect of Ago2 production in p47(phox-/-) macrophages, which resulted in impaired processing of pre-miR-451. In order to examine the functional significance of miR-451 in macrophages, we cultured BMDMs from miR-451 knock-out mice. Of interest, miR-451-deficient BMDM exhibited reduced ROS generation upon zymosan stimulation, compared to WT BMDM. Our studies suggest functional crosstalk between ROS and miR-451 in the regulation of macrophage oxidant stress.
Bankers or Brokers? Firm Knowledge and Venture Capital Portfolio Performance

In this study, we explore how the knowledge resources accessible to a network of firms that share a venture capitalist may present opportunities for assimilation and recombination of knowledge. We ...
Femoral malrotation after intramedullary nailing in obese versus non-obese patients.

Abstract Objective Intramedullary nailing (IMN) of obese patients with femoral fractures can be difficult due to soft tissue considerations and overall body habitus. Complications including malrotation can occur and have significant impact on postoperative function. The purpose of this study was to evaluate femoral rotation after intramedullary nailing of obese and non-obese patients to see if there was a difference in rotation, complications and any risk factors for malrotation. Materials and methods Between 2000 and 2009, 417 consecutive patients with femur fractures treated with IM nail at Level I trauma and tertiary referral center. Of these, 335 with postoperative computed tomography (CT) scanogram of the bilateral lower extremities were included in this study. Baseline demographic, perioperative and postoperative femoral version calculations were included in the dataset. Statistical analysis included chi-squared test for categorical data, t -test for continuous data, and univariate and multivariate regression analysis. Significance was set at p Results Of the 417 patients with femur fractures between 2000 and 2009, 335 met criteria for this study. There were 111 patients with a BMI 30. When BMI was categorised into 3 groups ( 15 ( p = 0.212). Conclusions Based on this study, BMI did not have an effect on postoperative difference in femoral version. In fact, in our multivariate regression analysis, BMI of over 30 was actually predictive of significantly lower difference in femoral version. While other studies have documented the intraoperative difficulties encountered with obese patients with femur fractures, the outcome of femoral rotation is not affected by an increasing BMI.
Protinfo PPC: A web server for atomic level prediction of protein complexes

'Protinfo PPC' (Prediction of Protein Complex) is a web server that predicts atomic level structures of interacting proteins from their amino-acid sequences. It uses the interolog method to search for experimental protein complex structures that are homologous to the input sequences submitted by a user. These structures are then used as starting templates to generate protein complex models, which are returned to the user in Protein Data Bank format via email. The server supports modeling of both homo and hetero multimers and generally produces full atomic level models (including insertion/deletion regions) of protein complexes as long as at least one putative homologous template for the query sequences is found. The modeling pipeline behind Protinfo PPC has been rigorously benchmarked and proven to produce highly accurate protein complex models. The fully automated all atom comparative modeling service for protein complexes provided by Protinfo PPC server offers wide capabilities ranging from prediction of protein complex interactions to identification of possible interaction sites, which will be useful for researchers studying these topics. The Protinfo PPC web server is available at http://protinfo.compbio.washington.edu/ppc/.
Ontological domains, semantic sorts and systematic ambiguity

Abstract This paper is concerned with some aspects of the relationship between ontological knowledge and natural language understanding. More specifically, I will consider how knowledge of ontological domains and knowledge of lexical meaning work together in the interpretation of linguistic expressions. An essential assumption is that in accordance with ontological distinctions there are various semantic sorts which linguistic expressions can be divided. The specific purpose of the paper is to explore how under these conditions the intricate problem of systematic ambiguity can be dealt with. Here the term "systematic ambiguity" stands for the phenomenon that a word or a phrase has several possible meanings which systematically related to one another and from which a suitable meaning can be selected dependently on the linguistic and non-linguistic context of use. Taking into consideration that many predicative expressions impose on their arguments certain sortal selection restrictions. I will deal with the phenomenon that a word or a phrase being systematically ambiguous in some cases adapt itself to the semantic format of the expression it is combined with. Such an adaptation eliminating one or more possible meaning of the word or phrase is in fact a coercion of its semantic sort. I will argue for an approach which takes into account a set of semantic coercion operations to meet sortal constraints. Moreover, I will show how such sort coercions performed in language understanding are sanctioned by world knowledge.
Partisan of the disadvantaged

thought and activism. The examination of goals and values is worldwide. Scientists in many countries are questioning their relationship to the ugliness that surrounds their plush antisep tic offices and laboratories. Physical scien tists are asking whether they are prostitut ing themselves for questionable government goals. They are not only observing the crumbling of political alliances and affilia tions but are in many instances consciously hastening the process. Shapiro, Eeron, and Beck bluntly set forth an activist's role for scientists in the United States:
Learning end-effector orientations for novel object grasping tasks

We present a new method to calculate valid end-effector orientations for grasping tasks. A fast and accurate three-layered hierarchical supervised machine learning framework is developed. The algorithm is trained with a human-in-the-loop in a learn-by-demonstration procedure where the robot is shown a set of valid end-effector rotations. Learning is then achieved through a multi-class support vector machine, orthogonal distance regression, and nearest neighbor searches. We provide results acquired both offline and on a humanoid torso and demonstrate the algorithm generalizes well to objects outside the training data.
Reply to comment on ''CO oxidation on ruthenium: The nature of the active catalytic surface'' by H. Over, M. Muhler, A.P. Seitsonen

We first state that the premise of our Letter [1] was to state emphatically that the early studies of Peden and Goodman (PG) [2] can be entirely explained by and are only consistent with the active surface being a monolayer oxygen-covered Ru(0001) surface. Contrary to the authors’ contention in their Comment, the reaction conditions addressed in the experiments of PG [2] spanned the temperature range 375 to 600 K, a pressure range of O2 and CO pressures from 0.5 to 500 Torr, and CO/O2 ratios from 60 to .03. The authors state in their introduction that “the oxidation of Ru metal takes place to RuO2 only for temperatures higher than 500 K. Here we do not wish to address the oxidation of Ru in all morphologies, but rather the specific reaction conditions required for RuO2 to form on Ru(0001), the catalyst used in the experiments of PG and the subject of our previous Letter [1]. Indeed, as pointed out in our Letter [1], Over and coworkers in a very definitive piece of work [3] showed that the critical conditions required for the formation of RuO2 on Ru(0001) were far outside those used in the experiments of PG with respect tomore » temperature and oxygen chemical potential. Based on our earlier studies [2] and the work of Over and coworkers [3] we concluded in our Letter that RuO2 could not have formed to any appreciable extent in the PG experiments.« less
Automatically creating multilingual lexical resources

The thesis proposes creating bilingual dictionaries and Wordnets for languages without many lexical resources using resources of resource-rich languages. Our work will have the advantage of creating lexical resources, reducing time and cost and at the same time improving the quality of resources created.
Agronomic and Economic Performance of Three Crop Rotation Systemsin Central Iowa

A 22-acre field experiment was established in 2001 at the Iowa State University Marsden Farm, in Boone, Iowa to test the hypothesis that diversifying a simple corn-soybean cropping system could allow for substantial reductions in nitrogen fertilizer and herbicide use without compromising crop productivity and profitability. The site lies within a region of intensive rain-fed corn and soybean production and is surrounded by farms with high levels of productivity. Soils at the site are fertile Mollisols: Clarion loam, Nicollet loam, and Webster silty clay loam. Three rotation systems have been evaluated intensively during 2003–2012; a 2-yr corn-soybean system, a 3-yr corn-soybean-small grain + red cloversystem, and a 4-yr corn-soybean-small grain + alfalfa-alfalfa system. The 2-yr rotation is representative of cash grain farming systems in the region, whereas the 3-yr and 4- yr rotations are representative of low-externalinput (LEI) farming systems in the region that include livestock.
Factors Affecting Preconditioned Calf Price Premiums: Does Potential Buyer Competition and Seller Reputation Matter?

Feeder-calf prices are determined by the interaction of many factors. This study uses transaction data from Iowa preconditioned and regular feeder-calf auction sales to quantify the impact of a wide variety of factors, several of which have not been used in previous studies on feeder-calf prices. Notably, market premiums for preconditioned sales versus regular sales, feedlot capacity utilization, and seller reputation are found to be significant factors affecting feeder-calf prices. Estimated coefficients are then used to predict prices to demonstrate how this information can be used in making management and marketing decisions.
SYSTEMATIC SIGNIFICANCE OF LUPINE ALKALOIDS WITH PARTICULAR REFERENCE TO BAPTISIA (LEGUMINOSAE)

The genus Baptisia with 16 clearly defined species (Turner and Alston, in preparation) is confined to the eastern half of North America. It has been investigated intensively by a group of workers at The University of Texas, especially as regards the systematic implications of the distribution of flavonoids in the genus (Alston et al., 1965; etc.). Most of this work has related to problems of interspecific hybridization (Alston and Turner, 1962; 1963). A broad comparative chemical study of Baptisia is contemplated, however. The purpose is to obtain as much chemical data possible so that a general evaluation of the chemosystematic approach might be made. The present contribution, then, constitutes a report on the distribution, both qualitative and quantitative, of the alkaloids found in the 16 species that comprise the genus. In addition, the alkaloids present in seven F1 seedlings of the cross B. leuco phaea X B. sphaerocarpa have been compared with those which are known to occur in the parents. A summary of previous alkaloid studies on the genus has been presented elsewhere (Cranmer, 1965), and the methods and techniques used in the chemical analyses will be published separately (Cranmer and Mabry, 1966). Except as noted in Table 1, alkaloids were obtained from dried material of the above-ground shoots, each sample consisting of a number of plants from a given pop-
The Spectrum of Variation in Folsom-era Projectile Point Technology

While researchers acknowledge the presence of projectile point variation in Folsom assemblages, points and preforms that deviate from the usual reduction sequence have received little attention with regard to flintknapping technologies. This research examines 631 Folsom-era points and 278 preforms from across the central portion of the United States to assess their technological variability and to compare their regional distributions. Points are divided into Folsom, unifacially fluted, Midland, pseudo-fluted, and miniature variants. Results indicate some technological similarities, such as the presence of collateral flaking, on all point variants. Differences within Midland, pseudo-fluted, and miniature point reduction highlight variation even within Folsom sub-types. Among the preforms, variation occurs primarily with regard to the fluting process. On a geographic scale, fluting is most prevalent in northern Folsom sites, with unfluted variants more common to the south. This trend may be related to raw m...
Discussion on the Test Methods for the Flow Rate of Syringe Pump and Infusion Pump

The accuracy of the syringe pump and infusion pump's flow rate is very important to clinical treatment,this paper analyze the test date,compare Compare the difference between the norms of AQSIQ enacting and the test mothod in military hospital,analyse the merit and demerit of the both and existing problems.