cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Transmembrane distribution of substrate and product during the bioreduction of acetophenone with resting cells of Saccharomyces cerevisiae

The average volumetric intracellular concentrations of acetophenone and phenethyl alcohol were determined during the bioreduction of acetophenone using resting cells of Saccharomyces cerevisiae in aqueous solutions at 30 degrees C. The behavior of their distribution coefficients (ratio of intracellular to extracellular concentrations) during the bioreduction process was evaluated with different cell preparation and extracellular conditions. The distribution coefficient of acetophenone was found to be in the range of 2.3-4.0. The distribution coefficient of phenethyl alcohol was found to be in the range of 1.3-1.8. Both the distribution coefficients were correlated significantly only with the physiological state of the resting cells as reflected by the relative cell mass (0.65-1.09). The correlation is approximately linear with the largest slope for the toxic reagent, acetophenone. No significant effects on the distribution coefficients were experimentally observed or were present in a regression analysis for the concentrations of acetophenone (0-0.30% v/v), phenethyl alcohol (0-0.20% v/v), ethanol (1.60-2.25% v/v), the extracellular pH (pH 2-7), or the presence of the salts: KCl, KH2PO4, MgSO4, NaCl, and CaCl2 (each 0-0.1 M) in the medium. Different cell initialization times (0-6 days) and initialization conditions were also included.
Phosphine induced Nickel Migration in SOFC Anodes: A Computational Study

Abstract The poisoning of anode materials by impurities in coal syngas is a significant problem for utilization of coal syngas in Solid Oxide Fuel Cells (SOFCs). One such impurity, phosphine is known to cause catastrophic failure of SOFC anode at ppm level concentrations. A significant phenomenon observed in SOFC anodes, made of Ni-YSZ cermets, when exposed to phosphine is migration of the nickel from porous matrix towards the surface, which is believed to be one of the reasons for performance degradation. The mechanisms responsible for the experimentally observed nickel migration are not well understood. In this study, a plausible mechanism is proposed to reveal the effect of electrical current and steam concentration on nickel migration in SOFC anodes. A physics based transport model for nickel migration is formulated based on the electro-migration, formation of the secondary phases and diffusion. This model is integrated into a readily available one dimensional in house code for predicting SOFC anode degradation due to fuel impurities. Simulations show that the proposed mechanism of Ni diffusion driven by secondary phase formation, the electrical force, and humidity can reveal the experimentally observed accumulation of Ni and secondary phases on the SOFC anode surface.
An optimization model for the allocation of resources in family planning programs

Abstract In this paper we present a quadratic programming model for the allocation of resources in a family planning program. A quadratic cost function is minimized subject to three sets of linear constraints: one for a diffusion model of the acceptance, switching and dropout behavior of the target population; one for manpower limitations; and one for incorporating government policies on desired levels of birth rate. There are two important features to be noted. First, a recruitment cost parameter is introduced to account for the effects of market saturation on new acceptance. Second, by treating the problem as one of cost minimization rather than one of birth rate minimization, the model can be utilized to evaluate the feasibility and the minimum cost requirement of government policies on desired reductions in the birth rate. Computational considerations are also discussed.
Distribution of fatty acids during germination of soybean seeds

Gas chromatographic determination of the fatty acids in the seeds of soybean (Glycine max) showed mainly linoleic, oleic and palmitic acids with linoleic acid being the major component. Changes in the distribution of fatty acids were measured during germination in the cotyledons and roots. A decrease in palmitic and oleic acids was observed in the cotyledons from 6 to 12 days, while linoleic acid increased during the same period. In roots also, the major fatty acid was linoleic acid, while palmitic and linolenic acids were higher in roots in comparison with the cotyledons. During the 3–12 days of germination period, no major changes in the distribution pattern of fatty acids were observed in the roots. The possible significance of these changes is discussed.
Specific passive desensitization: VI. By specific homologous and heterologous antisera. VII. In actively sensitized guinea pigs

Abstract Homologous and heterologous anti-CEA sera provided complete specific passive desensitization (protection) against intravenous doses of antigen in 19 of 24 passively sensitized guinea pigs. This is an unusually low percentage of effective specific passive desensitization. 1–3 All of the twelve control guinea pigs, which were given saline, had fatal or near-fatal reactions to the intravenous antigen (Experiment VI). Specific passive desensitization with anti-CEA rabbit serum protected ten actively sensitized pigs against the intravenous doses of CEA which produced severe anaphylactic reactions in the ten control pigs which had been given normal rabbit serum (Experiment VII). In neither experiment, however, did specific passive desensitization prevent reactions to aerosols of antigen. All of the sensitized and "desensitized" control guinea pigs reacted to the aerosols. The fact that specific passive desensitization is systemic but not local 3 is reconfirmed by these experiments. Also, this study increases the necessity to confirm the reports of successful clinical passive desensitization with human blocking antibody. 4
Positive regulation of integrative recombination by the cII and cIII genes of bacteriophage λ

Abstract We have studied the influence of the c II and c III regulatory genes of bacteriophage λ on the site-specific recombination responsible for integration and excision of the viral DNA. We find that c II/ c III exert positive regulation on integrative but not excisive recombination, and that this regulatory function involves a separate site from that used by c II/ c III to regulate the establishment of repression. Thus the two events responsible for the formation of stable lysogeny, repression and integration, are subject to coordinate positive regulation. From our experiments and those of others, we suggest that the c II/ c III proteins stimulate integrative recombination by promoting transcription of the int but not xis genes.
The rates of photodestruction of tryptophan residues in human and bovine ocular lens proteins.

Abstract The relative rates of photodestruction of tryptophan residues in α-, β-, and γ-crystallin fractions from both human and bovine lenses have been measured. The destruction of tryptophan was monitored by observing loss of tryptophan fluorescence, changes in the UV absorption spectra, and changes in the near-UV CD spectra. Photolysis experiments using monochromatic 290 nm radiation were performed on air-equilibrated and vacuum-degassed 1·0 mg/ml protein solutions at 25°C. Both neutral aqueous buffer solutions and the denaturing solvents 8 m -urea and 5 m -guanidine hydrochloride were used in the photolysis studies. The observed rates of destruction of tryptophan residues in all three human crystallins were the same. Denaturing the human crystallin fractions with urea or guanidine hydrochloride did not significantly alter the photolysis rates. The same photolysis rates, and the same lack of effect of denaturation, were also observed for the bovine proteins. Vacuum degassing the lens protein solutions, prior to UV irradiation, resulted in reduction in the photolysis rates by a factor of about one-half.
ELDERLY ASSETS, MEDICAID POLICY, AND SPEND‐DOWN IN NURSING HOMES

Recent economic research has suggested that Medicaid long-term insurance may reduce the personal savings levels of elderly citizens. This analysis shows that the opposite behavior, due to welfare aversion, actually happens. Barring any behavioral effects, personal wealth and income alone should determine the length of time an individual must stay in a nursing home until spend-down occurs. Wealth and income data from two different samples of the elderly are used to predict the distribution of time until spend-down, which is then compared with the actual distribution of the time until spend-down among residents of nursing homes. Contrary to expectations, it appears that the elderly receive transfers to avoid Medicaid eligibility. This result cannot be explained away by sample selection, demographics, or uncertainty about prices. One implication of this result is that Medicaid could expand eligibility by raising the asset limit without dramatically increasing expenditures or the number of residents who spend-down.
Sovereignty beyond the West: The End of Classical International Law

The historical processes through which international law became, conceptually, a universal legal order and, geographically, an order with a global scope of validity, are long and complex. These transformations, which began to appear during the second half of the nineteenth century, did not end until post-War-World-II decolonization. This article examines one particular aspect of these transformations: once non-Western states were admitted and begun to participate in the international community, did the rules of international law governing the interaction between Western and non-Western States change? What did it mean for semi-peripheral states to acquire sovereignty? The article argues that during the first decades of the twentieth century, semi-peripheral lawyers realized that sovereignty, so longed-for during the nineteenth century, conferred, under classical international law, much less autonomy and equality than they had anticipated. Moreover, at the turn of the century, the specific challenges faced by semi-peripheral states in their interaction with Western powers shifted, so that classical international law exhausted its power and stopped being useful. The article thus offers, from the perspective of the semi-periphery, an explanation of the shift from classical to modern international law.
Resource abundance, growth and welfare: A Schumpeterian perspective

Abstract This paper takes a new look at the long-run implications of resource abundance. It develops a Schumpeterian model of endogenous growth that incorporates an upstream resource-intensive sector and yields an analytical solution for the transition path. It then derives conditions under which, as the economy's endowment of a natural resource rises, (i) growth accelerates and welfare rises, (ii) growth decelerates but welfare rises nevertheless, and (iii) growth decelerates and welfare falls. Which of these scenarios prevails depends on the response of the natural resource price to an increase in the resource endowment. The price response determines the change in income earned by the owners of the resource (the households) and thereby the change in their expenditure on manufacturing goods. Since manufacturing is the economy's innovative sector, this income-to-expenditure effect links resource abundance to the size of the market for manufacturing goods and drives how re-source abundance affects incentives to undertake innovative activity.
Understanding Variation in Autumn Migration of Northern White-Tailed Deer by Long-Term Study

Much of our present knowledge of mixed migration strategies of northern populations of white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) comes from short-term studies, which limits the observed variation of winter severity and thus our understanding of its potential influence on the migration behavior of study cohorts. From 1991 to 2006, we assessed the incidence of autumn migratory versus nonmigratory behavior of 335 adult (.1.0 year old) females, what proportion were conditional versus obligate migrators, the importance of winter severity as a factor affecting the migratory response, and the effect of winter severity and study length on the classification of deer as conditional or obligate migrators and composition of study populations. Annual winter conditions ranged from historically mild to severe. The annual estimated proportion of deer migrating from spring‐summer‐autumn range to winter range was positively related to winter severity, and the cumulative probability of deer migrating tracked accumulating snow depths as winters progressed. However, the relationship was highly variable, largely attributable to the annual variation in migratory behavior of individuals radiomonitored for 2‐7 years. Importantly, because of the variability of autumn‐winter weather conditions, we noted that the proportion of deer we classified as obligate migrators was inversely related to the number of years individuals were monitored. Further, the composition (nonmigratory, conditional, and obligate migrators) of the study cohort was strongly influenced by the severity of winter conditions in the year of capture, as well as in subsequent winters of monitoring.
Optimality conditions and strong duality in abstract and continuous-time linear programming

In this work, optimality conditions for infinite-dimensional linear programs are considered. Strong duality as an optimality condition is investigated. A new approach to duality in the form of positive extendability of linear functionals is proposed. A necessary and sufficient condition for duality in the form of a boundedness test of a related linear program is developed. Elaborating on the continuous time framework, counter cases where duality is not valid are given. In lieu of duality, other generalized duality conditions are proposed for the purpose of testing the optimality of a solution.
eIF4E-Overexpression imparts perillyl alcohol and rapamycin-mediated regulation of telomerase reverse transcriptase

Translation is mediated partly by regulation of free eukaryotic initiation factor 4E (eIF4E) levels through PI3K-Akt-mTOR signaling. Cancer cells treated with the plant-derived perillyl alcohol (POH) or the mechanistic target of rapamycin (mTOR) inhibitor rapamycin dephosphorylate eIF4E-binding protein (4E-BP1) and attenuate cap-dependent translation. We previously showed in cancer cell lines with elevated eIF4E that POH and rapamycin regulate telomerase activity through this pathway. Here, immortalized Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) control cells and CHO cells with forced eIF4E expression (rb4E) were used to elucidate eIF4E's role in telomerase regulation by POH and rapamycin. Despite 5-fold higher eIF4E amounts in rb4E, telomerase activity, telomerase reverse transcriptase (TERT) mRNA, and TERT protein were nearly equivalent in control and rb4E cells. In control cells, telomerase activity, TERT mRNA and protein levels were unaffected by either compound. In contrast, telomerase activity and TERT protein were both attenuated by either agent in rb4E cells, but without corresponding TERT mRNA decreases indicating a translational/post-translational process. S6K, Akt, and 4E-BP1 were modulated by mTOR mediators only in the presence of increased eIF4E. Thus, eIF4E-overexpression in rb4E cells enables inhibitory effects of POH and rapamycin on telomerase and TERT protein. Importantly, eIF4E-overexpression modifies cellular protein synthetic processes and gene regulation.
A theory of the Jovian hydrogen torus

Abstract The Jovian hydrogen torus associated with Io, that was observed by Judge and Carlson, has been found by them to be a third of a torus rather than a complete torus. It is shown that the energetic particles observed by Pioneer 10 do not ionize atomic hydrogen sufficiently fast to erode the torus as observed. It is proposed that the reason an incomplete torus exists is the presence of a corotating cold magnetospheric plasma. If this explanation is correct, the angular extent of the fractional torus is a measure of the density of the magnetospheric plasma near Io's orbit, which is found to be ∼10 2 cm −3 . It is shown that such a plasma may provide an adequate input to Io, where it can recombine and escape, to form enough hydrogen atoms to explain the number of observed torus atoms. Thus the magnetospheric plasma may serve as both the source and the sink of the torus. However, while it is not difficult to make the plasma be the sink of the toroidal hydrogen, it is difficult (although perhaps possible) to self-consistently make it the source. It may be necessary to invoke some other mechanism to generate the hydrogen.
Silicon oxycarbide glasses: Part I. Preparation and chemistry

Silicone polymers were pyrolyzed to form silicon oxycarbides that contained only silicon, oxygen, and carbon. The starting polymers were mainly methyl trichlorosilane with a small amount of dimethyl dichlorosilane. NMR showed that the polymers had a silicon-oxygen backbone with branching and ring units. When the polymer was heated in hydrogen, toluene and isopropyl alcohol, used in production of the polymer, were given off in the temperature range 150 °C to 500 °C. Substantial decomposition of the polymer itself began only above about 700°by evolution of methane. The network of silicon-oxygen bonds and silicon-carbon bonds did not react and was preserved; the silicon-carbon bonds were linked into the silicon-oxygen network. The silicon oxycarbide was stable above 1000 °C, showing no dimensional changes above this temperature. The interior of the silicon oxycarbide was at very low effective oxygen pressure because oxygen diffused slowly in it. There was also a protective layer of silicon dioxide on the surface of the silicon oxycarbide.
Surface-controlled oxidation-reduction of UO2

Abstract The oxidation and reduction rates of UO 2 in CO 2 -CO mixtures were measured between 900 and 1400 °C and O/U ratios of 2.01 and 2.14. A statistically significant stoichiometry gradient within the UO 2 was never found on sectioning mercury quenched specimens. The oxidation rates were proportional to the surface: volume ratio of the specimens and to the (CO 2 + CO) partial pressure in a (CO 2 + CO + inert gas) atmosphere. In CO 2 -CO the oxidation within the single phase field is, therefore, controlled by the solid-gas interface reaction. The reduction kinetics could not be so interpreted. An O/U gradient was never found, but the reduction rates with increasing inert gas concentrations and increasing sample sizes were too rapid to be surface-controlled. From sectioning experiments a lower limit was determined for the chemical oxygen diffusion coefficient which was in agreement with that calculated from the oxygen self-diffusion coefficient.
Visual Recovery in Two Patients after Intravenous Methylprednisolone Treatment of Central Retinal Artery Occlusion Secondary to Giant-cell Arteries

Two patients with central retinal artery occlusions secondary to biopsy-proven giantcell arteritis lost visual acuity to no light perception but recovered to baseline acuity after treatment with intravenous methylprednisolone at a dose of 15 to 30 mg/kg/day. The potential advantages and theoretical basis of early and aggressive treatment with large-dose intravenous corticosteroids in arteritic central retinal artery occlusion are discussed.
In vitro metabolism of etrimfos by house flies

Abstract The metabolism of etrimfos, O,O -dimethyl- O -(6-ethoxy-2-ethyl-4-pyrimidinyl) phosphorothioate was studied in vitro in a diazinon-resistant (Rutgers) and a susceptible (CSMA) strain of house flies. Practically no metabolism of etrimfos occurred without the addition of cofactors. However, the addition of the cofactor, reduced glutathione, resulted in a substantial amount of metabolism in both strains, the metabolism being higher in the resistant strain. The major route of metabolism was via the glutathione transferase system and the predominant metabolite was desmethyl etrimfos. Although the oxygen analog could not be isolated, microsomal oxidation of etrimfos resulted in the inhibition of acetylcholinesterase, suggesting the formation of the oxygen analog. Bovine serum albumin also degraded etrimfos yielding desmethyl etrimfos and 6-ethoxy-2-ethyl-4-hydroxypyrimidine.
Cryopreservation of Equine Sperm: Optimal Cooling Rates in the Presence and Absence of Cryoprotective Agents Determined Using Differential Scanning Calorimetry

Abstract Optimization of equine sperm cryopreservation protocols requires an understanding of the water permeability characteristics and volumetric shrinkage response during freezing. A cell-shape-independent differential scanning calorimeter (DSC) technique was used to measure the volumetric shrinkage during freezing of equine sperm suspensions at cooling rates of 5°C/min and 20°C/min in the presence and absence of cryoprotective agents (CPAs), i.e., in the Kenney extender and in the lactose-EDTA extender, respectively. The equine sperm was modeled as a cylinder of length 36.5 μm and a radius of 0.66 μm with an osmotically inactive cell volume (Vb) of 0.6Vo, where Vo is the isotonic cell volume. Sperm samples were collected using water-insoluble Vaseline in the artificial vagina and slow cooled at ≤0.3°C/min in an Equitainer-I from 37°C to 4°C. By fitting a model of water transport to the experimentally obtained DSC volumetric shrinkage data, the best-fit membrane permeability parameters (Lpg and ELp) we...
Free, Stable Continental Shelf Waves in a Sheared, Barotropic Boundary Current

Abstract The dispersion characteristics of stable, discrete, barotropic, continental shelf wave (CSW) modes propagating in a barotropic boundary current are strongly modified by the dynamical effects of nonuniform horizontal shear. For example, the CSW's propagate cum sole with no mean current, but their direction of propagation can be reversed by an opposing uniform mean current. In contrast, an opposing sheared mean current increases the tendency for cum sole propagation relative to an opposing uniform mean current, and produces a high-wavenumber cutoff, at least for modes higher than the first. If the sheared mean flow vanishes somewhere, the discrete CSW modes all propagate cum sole once again. For the mean current profiles considered, the high-frequency cutoff is lowered in the nonuniform shear case compared to the zero current case. In a simple geometry motivated by the Florida Current and Florida Straits, southward CSW propagation can occur, in opposition to the Current, primarily because the cyclo...
Does crime drive housing sales? Evidence from Los Angeles

Crime presents a threat to the residential stability of neighborhoods, and researchers often attempt to measure this indirect cost of crime in terms of the impact on housing values. Some studies have found that violent crime leads to lower home prices, but the associations found between property crime and home values have been more ambiguous. This paper hypothesizes that price-based models likely underestimate the true costs of crime because such models rely on transactions to estimate prices. However, if crime inhibits sales, price indices relying on sales may provide inaccurate measures of changes in housing demand in markets characterized by very low rates of home sales. Similarly, price may be a poor indicator of crime-induced shifts in demand in markets characterized by elastic supply. To address this, we measure the impact of violent, property, and overall crime and changes in crime on the rate of housing transactions across Los Angeles neighborhoods between 1993 and 1997.The results indicate both h...
Nonlinear transport and 1/f α noise in insulators

We introduce and analyze a class of nonlinear Langevin equations that describe electrical transport in systems with electric-field thresholds, such as charge-density-wave systems biased just above threshold. For sufficiently large nonlinearities, the models are argued to exhibit scale-invaraint phases wherein spatial and temporal correlations decay algebraically; in particular, current and voltage fluctuations show 1/${\mathit{f}}^{\mathrm{\ensuremath{\alpha}}}$ noise with universal exponents \ensuremath{\alpha}. The values of physical parameters required for the experimental observation of these phases are estimated.
The Watermark Evaluation Testbed (WET)

While digital watermarking has received much attention within the academic community and private sector in recent years, it is still a relatively young technology. As such there are few widely accepted benchmarks that can be used to validate the performance claims asserted by members of the research community. This lack of a universally adopted benchmark has hindered research and created confusion within the general public. To facilitate the development of a universally adopted benchmark, we are developing at Purdue University a web-based system that will allow users to evaluate the performance of watermarking techniques. This system consists of reference software that includes both watermark embedders and watermark detectors, attack scenarios, evaluation modules and a large image database. The ultimate goal of the current work is to develop a platform that one can use to test the performance of watermarking methods and obtain fair, reproducible comparisons of the results. We feel that this work will greatly stimulate new research in watermarking and data hiding by allowing one to demonstrate how new techniques are moving forward the state of the art. We will refer to this system as the Watermark Evaluation Testbed or WET.
Selenium in human nutrition: Dietary intakes and effects of supplementation

Abstract The dietary selenium intakes of a young couple residing in Southern California were determined to be 107 and 99 μgrams/day for the husband and the wife, respectively, on the basis of a 30 day study. For other young adult Californians, the selenium intakes were estimated from 90 to 168 μgrams/day. The highest intakes were observed in individuals subsisting on diets rich in whole wheat grain cereal products and seafoods. The selenium concentrations in whole blood of the subjects under study correlated with the dietary selenium intakes directly (P
Approaches to cost containment: The medicaid hospital reimbursement program in Colorado

Abstract During times of fiscal concerns, it would seem appropriate to focus attention on items of expenditure far out of proportion to other items. On the state level, Medicaid is one such item. One might assume, based on the above, that rational cost containment mechanisms would be applied to slow the growth rate of expenditure. The policy process, however is more geared to reacting to crisis situations. Such was the case in Colorado, where cost containments were legislated for the in-patient portion of the state Medicaid, but only following a Colorado Hospital Association Lawsuit on the matter. The mechanisms seem to have worked successfully, but the unintended consequence may have been the creation of a tracking system for the poor.
Physicians should "assist in suicide" when it is appropriate.

Palliative care and hospice should be the standards of care for all terminally ill patients. The first place for clinicians to go when responding to a request for assisted death is to ensure the adequacy of palliative interventions. Although such interventions are generally effective, a small percentage of patients will suffer intolerably despite receiving state-of-the-art palliative care, and a few of these patients will request a physician-assisted death. Five potential “last resort” interventions are available under these circumstances: (1) accelerating opioids for pain or dyspnea; (2) stopping potentially life-prolonging therapies; (3) voluntarily stopping eating and drinking; (4) palliative sedation (potentially to unconsciousness); and (5) physician-assisted death. Patient, family, and clinicians should search for the least harmful way to respond to intolerable end-of-life suffering in ways that are effective and also respect the values of the major participants. A system that allows an open response to such cases ultimately protects patients by ensuring a full clinical evaluation and search for alternative responses, while reinforcing the need to be responsive and to not abandon.
RISC I: a reduced instruction set VLSI computer

The Reduced Instruction Set Computer (RISC) Project investigates an alternative to the general trend toward computers with increasingly complex instruction sets: With a proper set of instructions and a corresponding architectural design, a machine with a high effective throughput can be achieved. The simplicity of the instruction set and addressing modes allows most instructions to execute in a single machine cycle, and the simplicity of each instruction guarantees a short cycle time. In addition, such a machine should have a much shorter design time.This paper presents the architecture of RISC I and its novel hardware support scheme for procedure call/return. Overlapping sets of register banks that can pass parameters directly to subroutines are largely responsible for the excellent performance of RISC I. Static and dynamic comparisons between this new architecture and more traditional machines are given. Although instructions are simpler, the average length of programs was found not to exceed programs for DEC VAX 11 by more than a factor of 2. Preliminary benchmarks demonstrate the performance advantages of RISC. It appears possible to build a single chip computer faster than VAX 11/780.
American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology Patch Testing and Allergic Dermatologic Disease Survey: use of patch testing and effect of education on confidence, attitude, and usage.

Background: The patch test is an important tool for the diagnosis of contact dermatitis. In the past few years, allergists have shown increased interest in the diagnosis of contact dermatitis and the use of patch testing. Objective: The aim of this study was to determine (1) the frequency of usage of the patch test among allergists, (2) the factors that affect the decision to patch test, and (3) the need for training the allergist to perform patch testing. Method: A single mailing survey was sent to all the members of the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (ACAAI). Results: Fifty-seven percent of responding allergists performed patch testing but did so infrequently. Those who were fellowship trained in patch testing or attended a sponsored workshop performed the test more frequently than those with no training. Those who perceived the patch test as useful also were more likely to perform the test. Fellowship-trained members felt more confident than workshop-trained members in performing the test, and both, in turn, were more confident than members with no training. Trained physicians also were more likely to find the test useful compared with those with no training in patch testing. Conclusions: Education through fellowship training and workshop was associated with greater self-confidence of the allergist in his/her ability to perform patch testing. Education also was associated with increased perception of patch test utility and increased usage of the test.
Cholecystokinin receptors are decreased in basal ganglia and cerebral cortex of Huntington's disease.

Cholecystokinin (CCK) receptors were found to be significantly reduced in basal ganglia and cerebral cortex of post-mortem brains from Huntington's patients as compared with matched controls. The magnitude of the reduction in CCK binding (69% in basal ganglia, 43% in cerebral cortex) is consistent with the degree of neuronal degeneration in basal ganglia, but suggests a possibly selective loss of CCK receptor-containing neurons in cerebral cortex of Huntington's patients.
The theft of host heme by Gram-positive pathogenic bacteria

The element iron is essential for bacteria and plays a key role in the virulence and pathology of bacterial diseases. The largest reservoir of iron within the human body is in protoporphyrin IX, the compound commonly referred to as heme and bound by hemoglobin. For many years, the study of heme uptake in bacteria was restricted to Gram-negative organisms. However, recent studies have shed light on how bacteria containing a thick peptidoglycan, such as Gram-positive bacteria, acquire and transport heme. This review summarizes old and new research covering the acquisition, transport, and utilization of heme in Gram-positive bacterial pathogens.
Exposure to Pornography: An Exploratory Study

The contributions of sociologists to the understanding of pornography have been extremely small. The first major non-empirical statement by a sociologist is by Ned Polsky (1967), and about the only empirical work is contained in the Kinsey volumes on the female (Kinsey, 1953) and sex offenders (Gebhard, 1965). This paper will be concerned with the consumer of pornography. It will attempt to distinguish, by a series of demographic and attitudinal variables, between those who have seen pornography and those who have not.
Intermolecular Dynamics and Structure of Carbon Disulfide in Isoviscous Alkane Solutions: An Optical Kerr Effect Study

Optical Kerr effect spectroscopy has been used to study mixtures of CS2 with 2-methylhexane and with n-hexane, in each case at a temperature at which the two components and all of their mixtures at different volume fractions have the same viscosity. Obtaining data in isoviscous mixtures allows us to make a direct comparison of orientational and intermolecular dynamics as a function of the CS2 volume fraction, as well as to gain insight into the structure of the mixtures. In both cases the inhomogeneity in the intermolecular spectrum is found to stay roughly constant and the intermolecular potential to soften as the CS2 volume fraction is decreased.
A New Look at an Old Reaction: The Potential Energy Surface for the Thermal Carbonylation of Mn(CO)5CH3. The Role of Two Energetically Competitive Intermediates on the Reaction Surface, and Comments on the Photodecarbonylation of Mn(CO)5(COCH3)

A detailed theoretical study of the carbonyl insertion reaction Mn(CO)5CH3 + CO → Mn(CO)5(COCH3) is presented using gradient corrected density functional theory. As has been well-documented experim...
The effects of Target Variables and Settting on Perceptions of Hate Speech1

Traditional leader–member exchange (LMX) research typically measures quality of exchange from the subordinate's or member's perspective—LMX(m). In this research, we propose a new construct, LMX(l), which reflects a supervisor's or leader's perception of the value delivered by his or her subordinate in the exchange relationship. Together, LMX(m) and LMX(l) are expected to provide a more complete picture of dyadic exchange quality. Our results indicate relatively modest convergence between the 2 perspectives on LMX. Both LMX(m) and LMX(l) were found to relate to specific currencies of exchange provided by each dyad partner, and agreement between the 2 was negatively associated with the frequency of supervisor–employee conflict. Implications for LMX theory and future research are discussed.
Latency compensation by horizontal scanline selection for head- mounted displays

A fundamental task of a virtual-environment system is to present images that change appropriately as the user's head moves. Latency produces registration error causing the scene to appear spatially unstable. To improve the spatial stability of the scene, we built a system that, immediately before scanout to a head-mounted raster display, selects a portion of each scanline from an image rendered at a wider display width. The pixel selection corrects for yaw head rotations and effectively reduces latency for yaw to the millisecond range. In informal evaluations, users consistently judged visual scenes more stable and reported no additional visual artifacts with horizontal scanline selection than the same system without. Scanline-selection hardware can be added to existing virtual-reality systems as an external device between the graphics card and the raster display.
Cannabinoid receptor CB2 modulates the CXCL12/CXCR4-mediated chemotaxis of T lymphocytes

Abstract Cannabinoids have been shown to influence the immune system. However, their immunomodulatory effects have not been extensively studied. In this investigation, we have observed that both primary and Jurkat T cells express a functional cannabinoid receptor 2 (CB 2 ). Furthermore, both the synthetic cannabinoids CP55,940 and WIN55,212-2, as well as the CB 2 -selective agonist JWH-015, caused a significant inhibition of the chemokine CXCL12-induced and CXCR4-mediated chemotaxis of Jurkat T cells, as well as their transendothelial migration. Involvement of the CB 2 receptor was further confirmed by partial reversal of the inhibition using the CB 2 -specific antagonist, AM630. Similarly, CP55,940 and JWH-015 inhibited the CXCL12-induced chemotaxis of primary CD4 + and CD8 + T lymphocytes. Further investigation of signaling studies to delineate the mechanism of inhibition revealed that cannabinoids enhance CXCL12-induced p44/42 MAP kinase activity. However, enhanced MAP kinase activity was not responsible for the inhibition of chemotaxis. This suggests that cannabinoids differentially regulate CXCR4-mediated migration and MAP kinase activation in T cells. Cannabinoids were also found to downregulate the PMA-enhanced enzyme activity of matrix metalloproteinase-9, which is known to play an important role in transendothelial migration. This study provides novel information regarding cannabinoid modulation of functional effects in T cells.
A Comparison of Self- and Other-Rated Forms of the Neuropsychology Behavior and Affect Profile in a Traumatic Brain Injury Population

Abstract The current study is the first reported use of both the other-rated and the self-rated forms of the Neuropsychology Behavior and Affect Profile (NBAP; Nelson, Satz, & D'Elia, 1994 ). Twenty-eight adult patients who were 7 to 27 months post predominantly mild closed head injury completed the self-report form of the NBAP, and their identified relatives/close friends completed the other-rated form of the NBAP. Patients and their relatives endorsed more items on the Inappropriateness and Depression scales for “now,” as compared to “before” the injury. Only the patients endorsed more items on the Pragnosia scale for “now” as compared to “before.” Comparisons of the NBAP pairs found no significant differences between the patients' self-reports and those of their significant others for “before” the injury. Patients endorsed more items on the Indifference and Pragnosia scales for “now,” as compared to their relatives.
The effects of synchronized distance education on anxiety, depression, and academic achievement in first year doctor of pharmacy students in an accelerated curriculum

Abstract Objectives To compare depression, anxiety, and academic achievement in a pilot study of two cohorts of first year doctor of pharmacy students in an accelerated curriculum, one receiving the majority of class content via synchronized distance education, the other via traditional delivery (TD). Methods Depression and anxiety were measured using Beck Depression Inventory-II and Brief Symptom Inventory-18 surveys at the beginning and end of students' fall and spring trimesters and at the end of the summer trimester. Academic achievement was measured by final course averages across the curriculum. Results Depression, anxiety, and academic achievement were not significantly different between synchronized distance education and TD cohorts. Depression scores for all students significantly increased during each trimester and over the academic year. Conclusions No significant differences in depression, anxiety, or academic success were found between synchronized distance education and TD students. All students experienced significant increases in depression over time, regardless of mode of instruction.
Evidence for New Unidentified TeV γ-ray Sources from Angularly Correlated Hot Spots Observed by Independent TeV γ-ray Sky Surveys

We have examined the directional cross-correlation of statistical "hot spots" between a northern sky TeV γ-ray survey by the Milagro observatory and a similar survey by the Tibet array. We find that the directions of these hot spots are angularly uncorrelated between the two surveys for large angular separations (Δθ > 4°), but there appears to be a statistically significant correlation between hot spot directions for Δθ < 15. Independent simulations indicate that the chance probability for the occurrence of this correlation is approximately 10-4, implying the existence of one or more previously unobserved TeV γ-ray sources in these directions. The data sets are consistent with both pointlike sources or diffuse sources with an angular extent of 1°-2°.
Aortic dissection with branch vessel occlusion: percutaneous treatment with fenestration and stenting.

Aortic dissection involves a tear in the intimai and medial layers of the aortic wall. Early surgical treatment of this condition can be fraught with complications especially when the procedure to be performed involves treatment of renal and visceral vessels. Additionally, patients with this problem can have severe compromise of the flow to branches or the entire aortic distribution. Methods of endovascular therapy for these problems limit the surgical stress and often can be performed in less time than surgical revascularization might require. The use of endovascular stenting to improve vessel perfusion and fenestration of the dissection membrane to decrease pressure within the false lumen can be performed to relieve ischemic vascular beds and potentially decrease the risk of aneurysmal dilatation of the aorta. The increasing use of these techniques may allow stabilization of these patients before open repair of more proximal aortic dissection or a combination of therapy with endovascular stent grafting techniques.
Compiler-assisted dynamic scheduling for effective parallelization of loop nests on multicore processors

Recent advances in polyhedral compilation technology have made it feasible to automatically transform affine sequential loop nests for tiled parallel execution on multi-core processors. However, for multi-statement input programs with statements of different dimensionalities, such as Cholesky or LU decomposition, the parallel tiled code generated by existing automatic parallelization approaches may suffer from significant load imbalance, resulting in poor scalability on multi-core systems. In this paper, we develop a completely automatic parallelization approach for transforming input affine sequential codes into efficient parallel codes that can be executed on a multi-core system in a load-balanced manner. In our approach, we employ a compile-time technique that enables dynamic extraction of inter-tile dependences at run-time, and dynamic scheduling of the parallel tiles on the processor cores for improved scalable execution. Our approach obviates the need for programmer intervention and re-writing of existing algorithms for efficient parallel execution on multi-cores. We demonstrate the usefulness of our approach through comparisons using linear algebra computations: LU and Cholesky decomposition.
Prevalence of premature urinary luteinizing hormone surges in women with regular menstrual cycles and its effect on implantation of frozen-thawed embryos

Objective To determine the frequency and effect of premature luteinizing hormone (LH) surges on pregnancy rates in women with regular menstrual cycles. Design Retrospective cohort study. Setting Assisted Reproductive Technology Program at private medical college. Patient(s) Regularly menstruating women undergoing frozen embryo transfer (ET). Intervention(s) Detection of urinary LH surges with an RIA kit during natural-cycle frozen-embryos transfer. Main Outcome Measure(s) Incidence of premature LH surges and pregnancy outcomes. Result(s) Eighty-eight (46.8%) of 188 regularly menstruating women had premature LH surges and 33 (37%) of those 88 had multiple premature LH surges. Pregnancy rates per ET are similar between women with and without premature LH surges. Conclusion(s) A high percentage of normally cycling women demonstrate premature urinary LH surges without an effect on outcome of frozen-thawed ETs.
Livelihoods in conflict. The pursuit of livelihoods by refugees and the impact on the human security of host communities.

This paper explores how long–term refugees pursue livelihoods, the impact this pursuit has on the human security of conflict–affected communities, and the ways in which international assistance can help. Refugees’ pursuit of livelihoods can increase human security because economic activities help to recreate social and economic interdependence within and between communities, and can restore social networks based on the exchange of labour, assets and food. When refugees are allowed to gain access to resources and freedom of movement, and can work alongside their hosts to pursue productive lives, they would be less dependent on aid and better able to overcome the sources of tension and conflict in their host communities. The paper identifies how humanitarian programmes working with national governments can increase economic security and shore up the respective rights of both refugees and their host communities. Today, relief interventions are no longer expected solely to save lives in the short term, but also to lay the foundation for future development and to promote conflict resolution.
RFID-empowered monitoring and controlling for advanced manufacturing

'Tracking and tracing' using automated identification (Auto ID) technology has become more and more important in manufacturing and management. Radio frequency identification (RFID), a technology of Auto ID, is powerful in fostering monitoring and controlling for advanced manufacturing. In this paper, the methodology and approaches that support electronics manufacturing, automotive industry and aerospace and aeronautical industries through RFID were studied. RFID can be used in tracking parts with tags, tracking assembled items and work-in-process throughout the manufacturing process and therefore monitoring and controlling the manufacturing process. Challenges and future work about RFID in advanced manufacturing were also discussed.
Stimulus Presentation Rate in Vigilance

Four groups of 12 subjects were run for two sessions to determine the influence of stimulus presentation rate in a monitoring task. Two stimulus rates were used, 12 and 60 per minute. Stimulus rate significantly affected detections on both days, but no transfer effect was found.
Nonlinear distributed tracking with probabilistic data association

A nonlinear distributed tracking technique using probabilistic data association to account for the uncertainty in the origin of the measurement data is presented. In this distributed tracking structure there is a coordinator which contains the model of a nonlinear random process (state of the target in track), and an arbitrary number, N, of spatially distributed sensors taking observations of the target's state. The coordinator must reconstruct the (global) probability density of the target's state conditioned on the observation histories of the sensors. However, the coordinator can only access the N (local) conditional densities produced by local processing of the sensor's returns, not the observation histories themselves. >