cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
CONSUMER PERCEPTION OF WHEY AND SOY PROTEIN IN MEAL REPLACEMENT PRODUCTS

ABSTRACT Meal replacement products including protein bars, shakes and powdered drinks have increased in demand and sales. The objective of this study was to assess the consumer perception of protein content and type and product claims for meal replacement beverages and bars. The impact of exercise frequency on product perception was also investigated. Focus groups were conducted with exercisers and nonexercisers. An adaptive conjoint analysis survey was subsequently developed and conducted (n = 138 consumers, ages 18–35 years). Relative importance of product attributes was determined through a realistic trade-off scenario. Utility scores were extracted and rescaled by the zero-centered differences method, and two-way analysis of variance was conducted to identify the differences between exercise frequency and product attributes. Both groups preferred bars to beverages, and no clear preferences were observed for protein type, which was consistent with focus group results of low knowledge/understanding of specific proteins. All respondents valued the products with low-fat/fat-free, calcium, all-natural, protein, vitamin/mineral, heart health and muscle-building claims. Exercisers viewed muscle-building claims as more important than nonexercisers. Nonexercisers viewed heart health, calcium and vitamin/mineral claims as more important than exercisers. Three distinct consumer clusters were identified, and both exercise groups were found in all three clusters, although exercise frequency influenced membership in two of the three clusters (P < 0.05). These findings can be used to develop and market meal replacement products to specific consumer groups while leveraging their specific and unique needs. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS Conjoint analysis provides a useful model of how consumers think during the purchase process and an understanding of the motivation for purchase through the testing of possible claims or product attributes. By applying this method to the purchase process of meal replacement bars and beverages, those in the field of development of these products can benefit from this information by being able to understand the motivation for purchase by the targeted consumer.
Image-guided streamline placement

Accurate control of streamline density is key to producing several effective forms of visualization of two-dimensional vector fields. We introduce a technique that uses an energy function to guide the placement of streamlines at a specified density. This energy function uses a low-pass filtered version of the image to measure the difference between the current image and the desired visual density. We reduce the energy (and thereby improve the placement of streamlines) by (1) changing the positions and lengths of streamlines, (2) joining streamlines that nearly abut, and (3) creating new streamlines to fill sufficiently large gaps. The entire process is iterated to produce streamlines that are neither too crowded nor too sparse. The resulting streamlines manifest a more hand-placed appearance than do regularlyor randomly-placed streamlines. Arrows can be added to the streamlines to disambiguate flow direction, and flow magnitude can be represented by the thickness, density, or intensity of the lines. CR Categories: I.3.3 [Computer Graphics]: Picture/Image generation; I.4.3 [Image Processing]: Enhancement. Additional
SOCIOCULTURAL EVOLUTION IN THE COMMUNICATION INDUSTRIES

The article suggests that sociocultural evolution and the processes of variation and selective retention provide a theoretical perspective for understanding past and future changes in communication industries resulting from intrapopulation competition. Data from the history of communication industries are used to illustrate the processes of variation and selective retention. The operation of r-K (rate-capacity) selection is illustrated in motion picture theaters and the daily newspaper industry. The final section of the article offers speculation on future selection patterns based on contemporary trends in communication industries.
A Novel Small-Ratio Relative-Rate Technique for Measuring OH Formation Yields from the Reactions of O3 with Alkenes in the Gas Phase, and Its Application to the Reactions of Ethene and Propene

A small-ratio relative-rate technique to derive OH yields from O3 reactions with alkenes is described. OH tracer compoundsaromatic and aliphatic hydrocarbonsare added to O3−alkene mixtures in small quantities. Under these conditions, a large fraction of the tracer is consumed, resulting in a large signal that allows accurate determination of OH formation yields. Analytical approximations, numerical analysis, and sources of random and systematic uncertainties are discussed. This method is applied to measuring the OH formation yield from the O3 reaction with propene and ethene, finding 0.35 ± 0.07 and 0.18 ± 0.06, respectively.
Pharmacologic blockade of the effect of histamine on lung cyclic AMP levels in normal and pertussis-vaccinated mice.

Abstract The pertussis-mediated increase in the ability of histamine to stimulate murine pulmonary cAMP accumulation was shown to appear as early as 1 day, peak by 4 days, and return to control values by 10 days after vaccination. This effect was inhibited by tripelennamine, propranolol and high doses of atropine, but not by prednisone, indomethacin, metiamide or guanethidine. Pulmonary cAMP accumulation after exogenous epinephrine administration was marked and equivalent between control and vaccinated mice. Histologic examination showed a marked polymorphonuclear leucocyte accumulation in the lungs of pertussis-vaccinated mice that followed a temporal course of development comparable to the cAMP abnormality. These data are interpreted to mean that the increase in cAMP after histamine challenge is not responsible for death and may in fact represent a compensatory effort to prevent death. Further, this phenomenon is likely to be related to the accumulating leucocytes.
Thyroid Hemiagenesis: A Sonographic Diagnosis

A 25-year-old African-American woman presented to a chiropractic teaching clinic for a sonographic carotid screening examination with a GE LOGIQ e ultrasound scanner (GE Healthcare, Milwaukee, WI, USA) using a 8–13 MHz linear array transducer. During the otherwise normal carotid examination, an asymmetrical appearance of the thyroid gland was noted. Thyroid abnormalities are commonly identified during sonographic carotid duplex screening examinations. The majority of the abnormalities are considered incidental. Herein, we present a case of thyroid hemiagenesis, a rare diagnosis, discovered during a sonographic examination of the extracranial vasculature. We also discuss the thyroid pathologies associated with thyroid hemiagenesis.
Secular Changes in Great Lakes Water Level Seasonal Cycles

Abstract The three primary scales of Great Lakes water level fluctuations are interannual, seasonal, and episodic. Of these three, the seasonal water level fluctuations have received relatively little attention. The Great Lakes water levels have a well defined seasonal cycle driven primarily by snowmelt in the spring and summer and lake evaporation in the fall and winter. The present average seasonal cycle ranges from 26 cm on Lake Superior to 38 cm on Lake Ontario. Great Lakes monthly water levels from 1860 to 2000 were used to assess changes in the seasonal cycle of each of the Great Lakes and Lake St. Clair over the past 140 years. Changes are found on all of the lakes during the period of record. They usually resulted in a decrease in seasonal range and a time shift in the months of seasonal maximum and minimum. The effects of lake regulation were found to be negligible in the case of Lake Superior and significant for Lake Ontario. The major changes on Lakes St. Clair and Erie are likely a result of changes in the connecting channels ice retardation rather than changes in seasonal hydrometeorology. Seasonal cycle regimes are delineated for each of the lakes and possible rationale for the changes discussed.
Mid-IR hyperspectral imaging of laminar flames for 2-D scalar values.

This work presents a new emission-based measurement which permits quantification of two-dimensional scalar distributions in laminar flames. A Michelson-based Fourier-transform spectrometer coupled to a mid-infrared camera (1.5 μm to 5.5 μm) obtained 256 × 128pixel hyperspectral flame images at high spectral (δν = 0.75cm−1) and spatial (0.52 mm) resolutions. The measurements revealed line and band emission from H2O, CO2, and CO. Measurements were collected from a well-characterized partially-premixed ethylene (C2H4) flame produced on a Hencken burner at equivalence ratios, Φ, of 0.8, 0.9, 1.1, and 1.3. After describing the instrument and novel calibration methodology, analysis of the flames is presented. A single-layer, line-by-line radiative transfer model is used to retrieve path-averaged temperature, H2O, CO2 and CO column densities from emission spectra between 2.3 μm to 5.1 μm. The radiative transfer model uses line intensities from the latest HITEMP and CDSD-4000 spectroscopic databases. For the Φ = 1.1 flame, the spectrally estimated temperature for a single pixel 10 mm above burner center was T = (2318 ± 19)K, and agrees favorably with recently reported laser absorption measurements, T = (2348 ± 115)K, and a NASA CEA equilibrium calculation, T = 2389K. Near the base of the flame, absolute concentrations can be estimated, and H2O, CO2, and CO concentrations of (12.5 ± 1.7) %, (10.1 ± 1.0) %, and (3.8 ± 0.3) %, respectively, compared favorably with the corresponding CEA values of 12.8%, 9.9% and 4.1%. Spectrally-estimated temperatures and concentrations at the other equivalence ratios were in similar agreement with measurements and equilibrium calculations. 2-D temperature and species column density maps underscore the Φ-dependent chemical composition of the flames. The reported uncertainties are 95% confidence intervals and include both statistical fit errors and the propagation of systematic calibration errors using a Monte Carlo approach. Systematic errors could warrant a factor of two increase in reported uncertainties. This work helps to establish IFTS as a valuable combustion diagnostic tool.
The beta- and gamma-CH2 of B27-WT's Leu11 and Ile18 side chains play a direct role in calpain inhibition.

Uncontrolled activation of calpain has been linked to tissue damage after neuronal and cardiac ischemias, traumatic spine and brain injuries, and multiple sclerosis and Alzheimer's disease. In vivo, the activity of calpain is regulated by its endogenous inhibitor calpastatin. The pathological role of calpain has been attributed to an imbalance between the activities of the protease and its inhibitor. Thus, it is possible that by reimposing functional control on the protease, the progression of calpain-mediated diseases could be slowed or eliminated. B27-WT is a 27-residue peptide (DPMSSTYIEELGKREVTIPPKYRELLA) derived from calpastatin that was previously shown to be a potent inhibitor of μ- and m-calpain. Recently, we identified two hot spots (Leu 1 1 -Gly 1 2 and Thr 1 7 -Ile 1 8 -Pro 1 9 ) within which the amino acid residues that are key to B27-WT's bioactivity are clustered. In the work described here, the most critical residues of B27-WT, Leu 1 1 and Ile 1 8 , were further probed to determine the nature of their interaction with calpain. Our results demonstrate that the side chains of both residues interact with hydrophobic pockets in calpain and that each of these interactions is indispensable for effective inhibition of calpain. Direct interactions involving the β- and γ-CH 2 - of the Leu 1 1 and Ile 1 8 side chains, respectively, rather than the degree of side chain branching or hydrophobicity, seemed to play a significant role in the peptide's ability to inhibit calpain. Furthermore, the minimum peptide sequence that still retained the calpain-inhibitory potency of B27-WT was found to be MSSTYIEELGKREVTIPPKYRELL.
Bearing Dynamic Coefficients of Flexible-Pad Journal Bearings

The application of flexible-pad journal bearings for high-speed rotating machinery has recently gained attention from equipment manufacturers for its simplicity of one-piece design which can eliminate the manufacturing tolerance stack-up and possible lower functional power loss. This paper presents a general method for the calculation of bearing dynamic coefficients of flexible-pad journal bearings. These coefficients are critical to the rotor dynamics study. The flexibility of the support web and mass/inertia effects are included in this approach. The bearing coefficients of a conventional tilting-pad journal bearing can also be obtained from this method by adjusting the reduced pad dynamic flexibility matrix. The numerical results are in good correlation with the laboratory experiments. Presented as a Society of Tribologists and Lubrication Engineers paper at the ASME/STLE Tribology Conference in Lahaina, Hawaii, October 16–20, 1994
Mars: Age of Its Craters

If the craters on Mars were formed by asteroidal particles having spatial distributions independent of asteroid size, and if both spatial distributions and total numbers are independent of time, the average age of the craters may be less than 300 million years.
Pneumatosis cystoides intestinalis in children beyond the first year of life: Manifestations and management

Beyond infancy, pneumatosis cystoides intestinalis (PCI) is rare. Data concerning pathogenesis and treatment are limited. Our experience with 12 children was examined to define predisposing factors, presentation, treatment, and outcome. Nine children were immunosuppressed, thus identifying an important etiologic subgroup. Presentation was variable but included abdominal pain, distention, diarrhea and hematochezia. Clostridium difficile was found in 3 patients and cytomegalovirus in 1. Radiographs showed free air in 3. Nine were treated with antibiotics and bowel rest, 1 with bowel rest alone, 1 with oral metronidazole, and 1 with observation. PCI resolved in 7 of 9 treated with antibiotics, although 1 child with leukemia had severe hematochezia secondary to colonic ulceration and required hemicolectomy. No other patient required laparotomy. The free air resolved in 2 of 3. There were 2 deaths, both from sepsis. One had free air on admission but no perforation was found at autopsy. Treatment recommendations remain unclear; however, C difficile and cytomegalovirus are important pathogens that should be identified and treated promptly. In symptomatic patients, bowel rest and antibiotics seem beneficial. Operative intervention should be reserved for patients with peritoneal signs, progressive deterioration, obstruction, or persistent, severe bleeding. Free air alone is not an indication for operative management in children with PCI.
ESTIMATING PRECENSUS POPULATIONS: A METHOD SUGGESTED AND APPLIED TO THE TOWNS OF RHODE ISLAND AND PLYMOUTH COLONIES IN 16891

Estimates of both Colonial Period population sizes and densities as of about 1689 for areas of eight to eighty square miles in Plymouth and Rhode Island colonies are possible by coordinating local records and by recognizing that the Bristol County towns of similar ages had very similar ratios of families to adult men. The estimates suggest 1) smaller populations for Rhode Island and especially its chief Colonial center, Newport, than have been assumed, and 2) a kind of mathematical ordering of population densities in the region as a whole. Should the ratios prove to be applicable outside the Narragansett region, it may be possible to estimate populations of the many other places whose size of militia and date of settlement are known.
Continuous wave Doppler ultrasonographic quantitation of patent ductus arteriosus flow

DESCENDING AORTIC BLOOD FLOW PROFILES in patients with a patent ductus arteriosus show abnormal diastolic retrograde flow. Invasive studies t'2 have documented that the blood shunted left-to-right across the PDA originates from the descending aorta and occurs predominantly during ventricular diastole. Continuous wave Doppler ultrasonography is capable of noninvasively detecting this retrograde flow? Patients with a PDA were shown to have a marked increase in the degree of retro9 grade descending aortic flow characterized by an increase in the ratio of the area delineated by the retrograde flow portion of the Doppler velocity time tracing to that.of the forward flow portion? This current study was designed to investigate whether the R /F could be used not 0nly to identify the presence of a PDA but also to quantify the left-to-right ductal flow. If such were possible, serial studies would aid the clinician in the management of such children.
Clonidine suppresses methylxanthine induced quasi-morphine withdrawal syndrome.

Abstract The effects of the alpha-2 adrenergic agonist, clonidine, on the “quasi-morphine withdrawal syndrome” (QMWS) were examined in drug naive rats. The QMWS was induced by combined systemic administration of iso-butyl-methylxanthine (IBMX: 15 mg/kg, IP) and naloxone (1 mg/kg, IP). Pretreatment with clonidine (50 μg/kg, IP) significantly decreased the incidence of 11 out of 16 withdrawal signs. Since clonidine suppresses signs and symptoms of true morphine withdrawal, the suppression of methylxanthine effects demonstrates an additional similarity of the QMWS to true morphine withdrawal. These ressults suggest that a significant common neural mechanism of both the QMWS and true morphine withdrawal is affected by clonidine.
Effect of serotonin on LH secretory patterns in ovariectomized cows

Abstract The effect of serotonin (5-HT) infusion at concentrations of 0.00, 0.07, 0.79 and 7.55 μg/kg/min upon mean concentration, episodic release pattern and the gonadotropin releasing hormone (GnRH)-induced release of luteinizing hormone (LH) was investigated. Four Guernsey cows were ovariectomized at least 30 days prior to the initiation of the experiment. Treatments were given on alternate days until each cow had received the four concentrations of 5-HT, completing a Latin Square Design. Treatment days were composed of 3 consecutive 4 hr periods (Period I, II, III) with blood for plasma LH determination collected via jugular cannula every 15 min during each 12 hr treatment day. Period I was to verify that no carryover of previous treatment had occurred. Infusion of saline or 5-HT, via carotid cannula, was initiated at the start of Period II and continued throughout Period III. The effect of 5-HT on the episodic release of LH was assessed during Period II. At the beginning of Period III 50 μg of GnRH was injected (im) to compare the GnRH-induced LH release among treatments. Mean concentrations of LH did not vary among treatments (× = 2.9 ng/ml) either prior to or during 5-HT infusion for the 4 hr period. Pulse frequency, amplitude and duration did not differ among any groups prior to infusion of 5-HT. However, pulse frequency decreased (P In conclusion, 5-HT infusion at a level of .07 and 0.79 μg/kg/min did not alter plasma LH secretion. However, 5-HT infused at 7.55 μg/min/kg bodyweight decreased the mean level and pulse frequency of LH release but not the pulse amplitude or duration. This effect was observed 2–4 hr following initiation of 5-HT. None of the 5-HT doses used decreased the GnRH-induced LH release.
Covariation among measures of cognitive ability and academic achievement in the Colorado Adoption Project: Sibling analysis

Abstract Although correlations among measures of cognitive ability and academic achievement are substantial, relatively little is known about the etiology of their interrelationships. The purpose of the current study was to assess the etiology of these relationships by applying the methods of multivariate behavioral genetic analysis to sibling data from the Colorado Adoption Project. The current study analyzed data from 100 pairs of related siblings and 90 pairs of unrelated siblings tested at age 7 on two measures of cognitive ability (verbal comprehension and perceptual organization) and two measures of academic achievement (reading recognition and mathematics achievement). Phenotypic correlations among the cognitive and achievement measures averaged about 0.30. Although a substantial proportion of the covariation among the measures was due to influences shared with verbal ability, results of fitting a Cholesky factor model to the data provided evidence for significant covariation between the achievement measures that was independent of cognitive ability. Results of the genetic analysis confirmed previous findings of substantial genetic influence, with heritabilities ranging from 0.21 for mathematics achievement to 0.60 for perceptual organization. The environmental variance was primarily due to nonshared influences specific to each of the measures, with shared environmental influences being nonsignificant. In addition, genetic influences accounted for most of the phenotypic covariance among the variables, with much of the genetic covariation being due to influences shared with verbal ability.
Procalcitonin: a marker for the diagnosis and follow-up of patients with medullary thyroid carcinoma.

Context: Calcitonin (CT) is the main medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC) tumor marker. However, it has several limitations, including a concentration-dependent biphasic half-life, sensitivity to rapid in vitro degradation, and the presence of different isoforms/fragments. Procalcitonin (PCT), the prohormone of calcitonin, is free of these limitations but is currently used only as a sepsis marker. Objectives: The objective of the study was to determine whether PCT is suited as a MTC tumor marker by comparing the diagnostic performance of PCT with that of CT in MTC. Design: PCT and CT were measured in a total of 835 subjects, including normal volunteers (n = 197) and patients with active-MTC (n = 91), cured-MTC (n = 42), neuroendocrine tumors (n = 225), mastocytosis (n = 48), follicular cell-derived thyroid carcinoma (cured = 120, persistent/recurrent = 55), and benign thyroid disease (n = 57). Results: PCT levels were significantly higher in the active-MTC patients (mean 126.4 ng/ml) than the cured-MTC patie...
Estimating query performance using class predictions

We investigate using topic prediction data, as a summary of document content, to compute measures of search result quality. Unlike existing quality measures such as query clarity that require the entire content of the top-ranked results, class-based statistics can be computed efficiently online, because class information is compact enough to precompute and store in the index. In an empirical study we compare the performance of class-based statistics to their language-model counterparts for predicting two measures: query difficulty and expansion risk. Our findings suggest that using class predictions can offer comparable performance to full language models while reducing computation overhead.
Selective stimulation of parasympathetic nerve fibers to the human sinoatrial node.

BACKGROUNDIn animals, parasympathetic nerve fibers that innervate the sinoatrial node can be selectively stimulated to increase atrial cycle length. These nerve fibers course through an epicardial fat pad at the margin of the right superior pulmonary vein, the superior vena cava, and the right atrium. We hypothesized that similar nerves exist and can be selectively stimulated in humans.METHODS AND RESULTSMicroscopic examination of fat pads excised from the margin of the right superior pulmonary vein, the superior vena cava, and the right atrium during two human autopsies revealed the presence of nerve fibers and ganglia. We electrically stimulated this epicardial fat pad in 16 patients during cardiac surgery. The fat pads were stimulated with continuous-pulse trains for 15 seconds via a hand-held bipolar electrode using constant current (10-15 mA), constant pulse width (0.02-0.05 msec), and at 6.6, 10, 20, 25, and 30 Hz. The mean atrial cycle length +/- 1 SEM increased from 734 +/- 34 msec at baseline to ...
Oligodendroglioma in a dog.

Oligodendroglioma of the left thalamic region of the brain of a dog is described. Over a period of approximately 6 months the tumour caused progressive posterior ataxia, listlessness, tilting of the head and circling to the right, nystagmus, blindness of the right eye and atrophy of the temporal muscle. The histological features on which the diagnosis was based were the presence of characteristically-shaped basophilic neoplastic cells with a clear space or ‘halo’ around them, scanty cytoplasm, small, stubby processes seen in silver-stained sections, and vascular proliferation. Resume. On decrit un oligodendrogliome dans la partie gauche du thalamus du cerveau d'un chien. Apres une periode d'environ six mois, la tumeur avail cause une ataxie posterieure progressive, de l'apathie, un penchement de la těte avec oscillation a droite, un nystagme, une cecite de l'oeil droit et une atrophie du muscle temporal. Les particularites histologiques sur lesquelles on s'est fonde pour le diagnostic comprenaient la presence de cellules neoplastes basophiles d'une forme caracteristique, entourees d'un cercle clair ou ‘halo’, un cytoplasme insuffisant, des fromations petites et trapues observees dans les sections teintees d'argent et une proligeration vasculaire. Zusammenfassung. Ein Fall von Oligodendrogliom der linken Thalamusregion des Gehirns eines Hundes wird beschrieben. Uber eine Periode von annahernd 6 Monaten verursachte der Tumor progressive posteriore Ataxie, Teilnahmslosigkeit, Schiefhaltung des Kopfes und Kreisbewegung nach rechts, Nystagmus, Blindheit des rechten Auges und Atrophie des Musculus temporalis. Die histologischen Merkmale, auf denen die Diagnose beruhte, waren die Anwesenheit charakteristisch geformter basophiler neoplastischer Zellen, die von einem freien Raum oder “Lichthof” umgeben waren, sparliche Cytoplasmen, kleine, knollige Wucherungen, die in silbergefarbten Schnitten beobachtet wurden, und vasculare Proliferation.
Do small fullerenes exist only on the computer? Experimental results on C=/−20 and C+/−24

Abstract Experimental results on the structure of carbon cluster anions and cations with 20 and 24 atoms are presented. Recent quantum chemical calculations predict either cage or graphitic structures to be lowest in energy for C20 and C24. However experimentally we find C+20 and C−20 are dominated by monocyclic ring structures, with C−20 exhibiting minor amounts of planar bicyclic structures and a linear structure. For C+24 and C−24 both monocyclic rings and planar bicycle rings are observed. No fullerene or “graphitic” structures are observed for these clusters. A number of possible bicyclic structures for C24 are discussed.
Novel SNP at the common primer site of exon IIIa of FGFR2 gene causes error in molecular diagnosis of craniosynostosis syndrome

Most mutations in Crouzon, Pfeiffer, and Apert syndromes are in the extracellular, third immunoglobulin-like domain and adjacent linker regions (exons IIIa and IIIc) of the fibroblast growth factor receptor 2 (FGFR2) gene. Using the published primers for PCR, a patient with Crouzon syndrome was found to be homozygous for a mutation that results in a Q289P amino acid substitution in FGFR2. Two additional patients; one with Apert syndrome and P253R mutation, the other with Pfeiffer syndrome and S267P mutation, also appeared to be homozygous. Using a new primer located 146 bp 5′ of exon IIIa for PCR followed by sequencing revealed an A to G polymorphism at −61 position of exon IIIa. All three patients were heterozygous for both the mutation and the polymorphism. These results indicate that the polymorphism and the mutation are not on the same chromosome. The single nucleotide polymorphism is located at the second to the last base of the 3′ end of the published primer. This primer mismatch caused the failure of amplification of the normal chromosome and thus, the apparent homozygosity. The frequency of this novel polymorphism was determined to be 0.03 by studying 326 chromosomes from the general population. We propose that a new primer should be used for mutational analysis of exon IIIa of FGFR2 to avoid misdiagnosis caused by primer mismatch. © 2001 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Attention and weight in person perception: The impact of negative and extreme behavior.

Social perceivers process selected aspects of the stimulus array presented by another person. This article argues that such selectivity is based on the informativeness of person attributes. Properties of the attribute itself—its evaluative extremity (distance from the scale midpoint) and its evaluative valence (positive or negative)—can make it informative. Informative attributes attract selective attention at input and also carry extra weight in the final impression. In the present research, negativity and extremity were manipulated across two separate behavioral dimensions, sociability and civic activism, and over 16 stimulus persons. Perceivers saw two prescaled behavior photographs for each stimulus person and controlled a slide changer switch—this provided a measure of attention as looking time. Perceivers also rated each stimulus person's likability, providing a measure of relative weight for each slide. Weights were derived from Anderson's information integration model. Perceivers preferentially weighted behaviors that were extreme or negative, and the behavioral measure of attention (looking time) replicated the predicted pattern. The results are discussed in light of controversies over the rationality of social information processing.
The Hop2 protein has a direct role in promoting interhomolog interactions during mouse meiosis

The S. cerevisiae Hop2 protein and its fission yeast homolog Meu13 are required for proper homologous chromosome pairing and recombination during meiosis. The mechanism of this requirement is, however, not understood. The previous studies in Saccharomyces suggested that Hop2 is a guardian of meiotic chromosome synapsis with the ability to prevent or resolve deleterious associations between nonhomologous chromosomes. We have generated a Hop2 knockout mouse that shows profound meiotic defects with a distinct and novel phenotype. Hop2(-/-) spermatocytes arrest at the stage of pachytene-like chromosome condensation. Axial elements are fully developed, but synapsis of any kind is very limited. Immunofluorescence analysis of meiotic chromosome spreads indicates that while meiotic double-stranded breaks are formed and processed in the Hop2 knockout, they fail to be repaired. In aggregate, the Hop2 phenotype is consistent with a direct role for the mouse Hop2 protein in promoting homologous chromosome synapsis.
Sage: recommender engine as a cloud service

Project Sage is Microsoft's all-purpose recommender system, designed and deployed as an ultra-high scale cloud service. Sage focuses on both state of the art research and high scale robust implementation. In the research front, we demonstrate new pre-processing and cleaning techniques, a novel probabilistic matrix factorization model for implicit one-class data, and a relatively new evaluation framework. In the engineering front, we present a working service deployed on the Microsoft Azure cloud, which provides easy-to-use interfaces to integrate a recommendation service into any website.
Recombination luminescence in alkali halides doped with divalent cations: (Vk + e)z‐type emission

Two types of emission bands are observed in alkali halides doped with monovalent cation impurities during X-irradiation; Em-I which is observed at low temperature where the self-trapped hole, X is immobile and Em-II, which is observed above the temperature where X becomes mobile. Em-I is ascribed to(X + e) recombination perturbed by a monovalent cation. Em-II is associated with ([X]A + e) recombination in which , is trapped by a monovalent cation. Es werden zwei verschiedene Emissionsbanden wahrend Rontgenbestrahlung in init einwertigen Kationenstorstellen dotierten Alkalihalogeniden beobachtet. Em-I, die bei niedrigen Temperaturen beobachtet wird, wo das selbstangehaftete Loch X immobil ist, und Em-II, die oberhalb der Temperatur, wo X beweglich ist, beobachtet wird. Em-I wird der (X + e)-Rekombination zugeschrieben, die durch ein einwertiges Kation gestort ist. Em-II ist mit der ([X] + e)-Rekombination verbundcn, in der X, an einem einwcrtigen Kation angehaftet ist.
Receptor binding sites for cholecystokinin, galanin, somatostatin, substance P and vasoactive intestinal polypeptide in sympathetic ganglia.

Abstract Sympathetic ganglia are innervated by neuropeptide-containing fibers originating from pre- and postganglionic sympathetic neurons, dorsal root ganglion neurons, and in some cases, myenteric neurons. In the present report receptor autoradiography was used to determine whether sympathetic ganglia express receptor binding sites for several of these neuropeptides including bombesin, calcitonin gene-related peptide-α, cholecystokinin, galanin, neurokinin A, somatostatin, substance P, and vasoactive intestinal polypeptide. The sympathetic ganglia examined included the rat and rabbit superior cervical ganglia and the rabbit superior mesenteric ganglion. High levels of receptor binding sites for cholecystokinin, galanin, somatostatin, substance P, and vasoactive intestinal polypeptide were observed in all sympathetic ganglia examined, although only discrete neuronal populations within each ganglion appeared to express receptor binding sites for any particular neuropeptide. These data suggest that discrete populations of postganglionic sympathetic neurons may be regulated by neuropeptides released from pre- and postganglionic sympathetic neurons, dorsal root ganglion neurons, and myenteric neurons.
An energy-efficient data processing scheme for wireless sensor networks

Efficiently utilizing the power available to increase service life of sensors is one of the key challenges in the design and operation of a wireless sensor network for system health monitoring. This paper addresses energy-efficient computation on the sensor node level by presenting an in-network data processing scheme. The scheme is motivated by the concept of Dynamic Voltage Scheduling (DVS), which minimizes energy consumption through dynamically adjusting the voltage supply and clock frequency of the individual sensors. Unlike the traditional approach where a uniform data processing speed is employed for all the sensors, the proposed scheme adjusts the speed of each sensor individually to utilize the processor idle time for prolonged computation latency. The advantage of such a scheme becomes increasingly evident when a large amount of raw data needs to be processed locally at each sensor to reduce the amount of overall data communication. An application model using vibration-base sensory nodes for machine health monitoring was constructed to test the new data processing scheme. Simulation has shown that energy saving of up to 29% could be achieved.
Effects on general acid catalysis from mutations of the invariant tryptophan and arginine residues in the protein tyrosine phosphatase from Yersinia.

General acid catalysis in protein tyrosine phosphatases (PTPases) is accomplished by a conserved Asp residue, which is brought into position for catalysis by movement of a flexible loop that occurs upon binding of substrate. With the PTPase from Yersinia, we have examined the effect on general acid catalysis caused by mutations to two conserved residues that are integral to this conformation change. Residue Trp354 is at a hinge of the loop, and Arg409 forms hydrogen bonding and ionic interactions with the phosphoryl group of substrates. Trp354 was mutated to Phe and to Ala, and residue Arg409 was mutated to Lys and to Ala. The four mutant enzymes were studied using steady state kinetics and heavy-atom isotope effects with the substrate p-nitrophenyl phosphate. The data indicate that mutation of the hinge residue Trp354 to Ala completely disables general acid catalysis. In the Phe mutant, general acid catalysis is partially effective, but the proton is only partially transferred in the transition state, in...
Dynamic analysis of heterogeneous azeotropic distillation

A model and algorithm are presented for the separation of mixtures where the phase distribution on the trays is extremely uncertain, as it occurs when the mixtures have two partially-miscible binary pairs and a minimum-boiling ternary azeotrope. Included are an algorithm for the consistent initialization of index-I differential/algebric equations, a novel algorithm for branch switching when the phase distribution changes at a real bifurcation point, and a reliable algorithm for phase stability analysis. Open-loop responses are presented for the dehydration of secbutanol with disecbutylether in single-stage, 12-tray, and 33-tray separators. These simulation results for the 33-tray tower are in qualitative agreement with experimental measurements for the ARCO SBA-II tower.
The effect of physical and chemical modifications on antigen in the secondary response in vitro

Abstract The antigen specific stimulation of DNA synthesis in spleen cell suspensions from immunized rabbits was used as a measure of antigen activity. The effect of modification of antigen on antigenic activity was studied. Bovine serum albumin was tested following dinitrophenylation, disruption of disulphide bonds and acylation with a variety of reagents. In general, most chemical procedures apparently did not abolish immunogenicity. Results with dinitrophenylated derivatives, however, demonstrated that the immunogenic activity of a chemically modified protein is determined by both its physical and chemical parameters. The importance of the physical nature of the molecule was also demonstrated in experiments where grossly denatured preparations were tested in the in vitro system; highly aggregated preparations were the most active.
Viability Studies with Mycoplasma Gallisepticum Under Different Environmental Conditions

Abstract INTRODUCTION IT HAS been generally recognized that Mycoplasma gallisepticum, a pleuropneumonia-like organism (PPLO), is the primary cause of chronic respiratory disease (CRD) in chickens and turkeys, although some other bacterial and viral agents may aid to precipitate or complicate the CRD complex (Van Roekel and Olesiuk, 1953; Gross, 1956; Van Roekel et al., 1957; Adler et al., 1958; Jungherr, 1958; Lancaster et al., 1960; Olesiuk and Van Roekel, 1960; Ose et al., 1960; Fabricant and Levine, 1962; Gross, 1962; Yoder and Hofstad, 1964; and Yoder, 1965). This disease is widespread and of economic significance wherever domestic poultry is being produced (Yoder, 1965). Considerable attention has been focused on the problem of eradication and control of this disease because of the significant losses it has inflicted upon the poultry industry (Anonymous, 1962). While much knowledge concerning the various aspects of this disease has been gained during the past decade, little or …
A human capital approach to American Indian earnings: the effects of place of residence and migration

Abstract This study utilizes a human capital approach to examine the earning differentials between different groups of American Indian couples residing on reservations and urban areas. Specifically, the focus of this paper is the determination of whether human capital effects on earnings are stronger in urban areas relative to reservation areas, and whether or not reservation-to-urban migrants receive higher returns to their human capital endowments than the reservation non-movers. Earnings decompositions are employed to examine whether differences in human capital endowments or differences in the returns to human capital are the most important factor in explaining differences in earnings of AI couples living in these two different areas. Results indicate the American Indian couples living in urban areas do enjoy a greater return for their educational attainment. Forty-eight percent of the $11,261 household earnings gap between reservation couples and urban couples is explained by labor market differences, and 31% is explained by differences in human capital. Although living on a reservation makes it more likely an American Indian couple will change their place of residence, this study finds couples that migrate from the reservation to the urban area do not receive greater returns to their investments in human capital. Couples that migrate from the reservations to urban areas make more income than the reservation stayers primarily because of greater levels of education, work experience and other investments in human capital.
Characterization of the AMPA‐Activated Receptors Present on Motoneurons

Motoneurons have been shown to be particularly sensitive to Ca 2+ -dependent glutamate excitotoxicity, mediated via AMPA receptors (AMPARs). To determine the molecular basis for this susceptibility we have used immunocytochemistry, RT-PCR, and electrophysiology to profile AMPARs on embryonic day 14.5 rat motoneurons. Motoneurons show detectable AMPAR-mediated calcium permeability in vitro and in vivo as determined by cobalt uptake and electrophysiology. Motoneurons express all four AM-PAR subunit mRNAs, with glutamate receptor (GluR) 2 being the most abundant (63.9 ± 4.8%). GluR2 is present almost exclusively in the edited form, and electrophysiology confirms that most AMPARs present are calcium-impermeant. However, the kainate current in motoneurons was blocked an average of 32.0% by Joro spider toxin, indicating that a subset of the AM PARs is Ca 2+ -permeable. Therefore, heterogeneity of AMPARs, rather than the absence of GluR2 or the presence of unedited GluR2, explains AMPAR-mediated Ca 2+ permeability. The relative levels of flip/flop isoforms of each subunit were also examined by semiquantitative PCR. Both isoforms were present, but the relative proportion varied for each subunit, and the flip isoform predominated. Thus, our data show that despite high levels of edited GluR2 mRNA, some AMPARs are Ca 2+ -permeable, and this subset of AMPARs can account for the AMPAR-mediated Ca 2+ inflow inferred from cobalt uptake and electrophysiology studies.
Type I interferons: crucial participants in disease amplification in autoimmunity

A significant body of data implicates the type I interferon (IFN) pathway in the pathogenesis of autoimmune rheumatic diseases. In these disorders, a reinforcing cycle of IFN production can contribute to immunopathology through multiple mechanisms. The type I IFN cytokines are pleiotropic in their effects, mediating anti-viral and anti-tumor activities, and possessing numerous immunomodulatory functions for both the innate and adaptive immune responses. A key principle of the type I IFN system is rapid induction and amplification of the signaling pathway, which generates a feed-forward loop of IFN production, ensuring that a vigorous anti-viral immune response is mounted. While such feed-forward pathways are highly adaptive when it comes to rapid and effective virus eradication, this amplification can be maladaptive in immune responses directed against host tissues. Such feed-forward loops, however, create special opportunities for therapy.
Quantification and characterization of regional seismic signals from cast blasting in mines: a linear elastic model

SUMMARY Cast blasts in coal mines, designed to move large volumes of overburden, are a source of large (1-5 kt), frequent explosions in parts of the world with near-surface coal resources. Mining events of this source type are triggering the prototype International Monitoring System for the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty being tested under the Group of Scientific Experts Technical Test 3 (GSETT-3). We wish to develop techniques to distinguish between the seismic signals produced by these explosions and equivalent size single (or point) sources. To that end, we have developed a linear elastic model to simulate regional-distance seismograms from mining cast blasts. Cast blasting involves a shot-array with delayed detonations casting rock horizontally into a pit. We model the effects of the millisecond-delay-firing pattern, the depth of the pit and the cast of material into the pit. We attempt to separate the effects due to the explosion, the vertical movement of mass and the horizontal movement of mass in order to produce a physical understanding of the resulting waveforms, which can be used to assess potential discriminants for these types of explosions. These physical models of source processes are constrained by near-surface measurements of cast blasts in NE Wyoming that are triggering GSETT-3. Two observational results at regional distances that are replicated by these models are the excitation of 8-12s surface waves by the cast blasts and the insensitivity of peak amplitude to total explosive size for normal blasting practices. The insensitivity of peak amplitudes from the cast blast to total source size is a consequence of the delay-firing practice under normal procedures. This practice was initiated to reduce ground motions in the near-source region around the mine and it appears that it is also successful in controlling peak amplitudes at regional distances. The mass transfer into the pit has both a vertical and a horizontal force component, each of which contribute to the final seismogram, the latter being azimuthally dependent. Assuming maximum coupling, the contribution to the seismogram due to the vertical force component is approximately equal to the explosion contribution for pit depths of about 10 m, but dominates for pit depths of 20 m or greater. The contribution due to the horizontal force component is mainly in the enhanced Rayleigh waves. Comparison of high-frequency seismic radiation from the single shot and cast blast shows little qualitative difference in the regional waveforms.
The mechanisms of rectification in Au|molecule|Au devices based on Langmuir-Blodgett monolayers of iron(III) and copper(II) surfactants.

Langmuir–Blodgett films of metallosurfactants were used in Au|molecule|Au devices to investigate the mechanisms of current rectification.
Exact probability of error analysis for FHSS/CDMA communications in the presence of single term Rician fading

An exact expression is found for the probability of bit error of an FHSS-BFSK (frequency-hopping spread-spectrum/binary-frequency-shift-keying) multiple-access system in the presence of slow, nonselective, 'single-term' Rician fading. The effects of multiple-access interference and/or continuous tone jamming are considered. Comparisons are made between the error expressions developed here and previously published upper bounds. It is found that under certain channel conditions the upper bounds on the probability of bit error may exceed the actual probability of error by an order of magnitude. >
Perceptions of stakeholders about nontraditional cookstoves in Honduras

We used SWOT-AHP (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats–analytical hierarchy process) technique to measure perceptions of four stakeholder groups: employees, local promoters, community leaders and end-users, about a nontraditional cookstove (NTCS) in Honduras. These stakeholder groups are part of an ongoing NTCS dissemination project led by Proyecto Mirador. We found that all stakeholder groups have a positive perception about the existing NTCS. Employees and local promoters stakeholder groups share similar perceptions. Smokeless cooking was selected as a prime strength, closely followed by reduction in forest logging and greenhouse gas emissions by all stakeholder groups. Availability of financial resources and responsible management were identified as crucial opportunities. Time spent in wood preparation and NTCS maintenance were identified as principal weaknesses. A long waiting time between a request and installation of NTCS and the risk of losing existing financial resources were acknowledged as major threats. Design improvements that can reduce maintenance and wood preparation time, a secure long-term source of funding through a market mechanism or direct/indirect government involvement, and early execution of pending orders will help in increasing adoption of NTCSs in rural Honduras.