cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The effect of gain and absorption on surface plasmons in metal nanoparticles

The compensation of loss in metal by gain in interfacing dielectric has been demonstrated in a mixture of aggregated silver nanoparticles and rhodamine 6G dye. An increase of the quality factor of surface plasmon (SP) resonance was evidenced by the sixfold enhancement of Rayleigh scattering. The compensation of plasmonic losses with gain enables a host of new applications for metallic nanostructures, including low- or no-loss negative-index metamaterials. We have also predicted and experimentally observed a suppression of SP resonance in metallic nanoparticles embedded in dielectric host with absorption.
Using and Teaching Evidence-Based Medicine: The Duke University Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Model

Evidence-based medicine (EBM) is defined as a set of processes that facilitate the conscientious, explicit, and judicious integration of individual clinical expertise with the best available external clinical evidence from systematic research in making decisions about the care of individual patients. EBM focuses not only on grading the strength of the evidence but also on the processes and tools that are necessary for clinicians to continually upgrade their knowledge and skills for those problems encountered in daily practice. This article, authored by members of the Duke Pediatric Psychiatry EBM Seminar Team, (1) describes EBM as applied to the training of child and adolescent psychiatrists in the Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry at Duke University Medical Center; (2) presents a simplified discussion of EBM as a technology for training and patient care; (3) discusses the basic principles and procedures for teaching EBM in the setting of a multidisciplinary training program; and (4) briefly mentions two training and research initiatives that are furthered by incorporating EBM.
The Effect of the Hydrogen Ion Concentration on the Churning Time of Cream

Summary The effect of pH on churning time was investigated using cream, washed cream, and cream to which sodium and calcium chloride were added. The results obtained together with the effect of other means of increasing or decreasing the degree of dispersion or hydration of the casein, indicated that hydration or dispersion of the casein was associated with a lengthening of the churning time and that dehydration or precipitation was associated with a shortening of the churning time.
Explicit momentum conserving algorithms for rigid body dynamics

Abstract Two new explicit time integration algorithms are presented for solving the equations of motion of rigid body dynamics that identically preserve angular momentum in the absence of applied torques. This is achieved by expressing the equations of motion in conservation form. Both algorithms also eliminate the need for computing the angular acceleration. The first algorithm employs a one-pass predictor-corrector scheme while the second algorithm is based upon the staggered time integration approach of Park. Numerical results are presented comparing the new algorithms to the algorithms of Simo and Wong and Park et al. The predictor-corrector algorithm is shown to suffer weak instabilities while the staggered conserving algorithm exhibits improved performance compared to the staggered algorithm of Park et al.
Computer Based Plutonium Wound Monitor

A new plutonium wound monitor has been developed at Los Alamos to upgrade a system which has been in use for about five years.1 The instrument, called a Computerized Wound Screening System, is designed around a readily available personal computer. It includes a full-function 256-channel pulse height analyzer and software necessary to calculate plutonium and americium activity from a spectrum. This new system provides medical and health physics personnel with considerable flexibilty in recognizing and recording situations where a wound incurred in a plutonium processing facility might be contaminated. This flexibility includes fast, accurate determination of contaminants in a wound, hard copy printout of results, and full patient logging capabilities via flexible disk storage. Use of a low cost computer greatly simplifies hardware and software design, and makes duplication of the instrument very simple and inexpensive.
Unsymmetrical diisocyanates. II

It has long been known that certain aromatic diisocyanates exhibit unequal reactivities of the two isocyanate groups. However, the degree of unsymmetry of reactivity in the previously known diisocyanates is limited. In this research, a number of structurally unsymmetrical diisocyanates were screened for unsymmetry of reactivity by reacting the diisocyanate with excess isoamyl alcohol in chlorobenzene solvent. The reaction was followed by observing the decrease of infrared absorption of the solution at 4.5 μ. A number of diisocyanates were found to have desirably high degrees of unsymmetry in reactivity. These diisocyanates, and the ratio of apparent half-lives of reaction for the two isocyanate groups are: 2,6-diethyl-p-phenylenediisocyanate, 100; 2,6-dimethyl-p-phenylenediisocyanate, 80; 2-bromo, 6-methyl-p-phenylenediisocyanate, 50; 2,6-dichloro-p-phenylenediisocyanate, 30; and 3,5-diethyl-4-4′-diisocyanato-diphenylmethane (DEMDI), 49.
An extension of Adair's analysis: A method for determining spins and parities of excited baryons

A method was outlined for determining the spin and parity of any excited baryon that decays strongly into a spin zero meson and a spin one-half baryon. This method was applicable to photon-nucleon reactions in which there was produced a single spin zero meson and any one of the family of excited baryon states which subsequently decays strongly. (C.E.S.)
Role of direct interaction in BRCA1 inhibition of estrogen receptor activity.

The BRCA1 gene was previously found to inhibit the transcriptional activity of the estrogen receptor [ER-α] in human breast and prostate cancer cell lines. In this study, we found that breast cancer-associated mutations of BRCA1 abolish or reduce its ability to inhibit ER-α activity and that domains within the amino- and carboxyl-termini of the BRCA1 protein are required for the inhibition. BRCA1 inhibition of ER-α activity was demonstrated under conditions in which a BRCA1 transgene was transiently or stably over-expressed in cell lines with endogenous wild-type BRCA1 and in a breast cancer cell line that lacks endogenous functional BRCA1 (HCC1937). In addition, BRCA1 blocked the expression of two endogenous estrogen-regulated gene products in human breast cancer cells: pS2 and cathepsin D. The BRCA1 protein was found to associate with ER-α in vivo and to bind to ER-α in vitro, by an estrogen-independent interaction that mapped to the amino-terminal region of BRCA1 (ca. amino acid 1-300) and the conserved carboxyl-terminal activation function [AF-2] domain of ER-α. Furthermore, several truncated BRCA1 proteins containing the amino-terminal ER-α binding region blocked the ability of the full-length BRCA1 protein to inhibit ER-α activity. Our findings suggest that the amino-terminus of BRCA1 interacts with ER-α, while the carboxyl-terminus of BRCA1 may function as a transcriptional repression domain.
If you don't know where you are going, you might wind up someplace else: incidental findings in recreational personal genomics.

Clayton and colleagues (2014) discuss important issues with regard to incidental findings in genomic screens of children. But while the authors seem to limit their analysis to findings that arise a...
Infrared Vibrational Spectroscopy of Isotopically Labeled Ethyl-Terminated Si(111) Surfaces Prepared Using a Two-Step Chlorination/Alkylation Procedure

Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy was used to investigate C2H5−Si(111) surfaces prepared using a chlorination/alkylation method. After alkylation, in addition to ethyl groups, such surfaces showed the presence of hydrogen bonded to atop silicon surface atoms. Systematic isotopic substitution of protic solvents and reagents with their fully or partially deuterated counterparts revealed the origin of the surface-bound hydrogen on the C2H5−Si(111) surfaces. The presence or absence of the Si−H stretch at 2080 cm−1 and the Si−D stretch at ∼1510 cm−1, respectively, indicated that the hydrogen originated from the methyl group of the ethyl Grignard reagent.
Associations of testosterone and sex hormone binding globulin with adipose tissue hormones in midlife women

Objective: Regulators of adipose tissue hormones remain incompletely understood, but may include sex hormones. As adipose tissue hormones have been shown to contribute to numerous metabolic and cardiovascular disorders, understanding their regulation in midlife women is of clinical importance. Therefore, we assessed the associations between testosterone (T) and sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG) with leptin, high molecular weight (HMW) adiponectin, and the soluble form of the leptin receptor (sOB-R) in healthy midlife women. Design and Methods: Cross-sectional analyses were performed using data from 1,881 midlife women (average age 52.6 (±2.7) years) attending the sixth Annual follow-up visit of the multiethnic Study of Women's Health Across the Nation. Results: T was weakly negatively associated with both HMW adiponectin and sOB-R (r = −0.12 and r = −0.10, respectively; P < 0.001 for both), and positively associated with leptin (r = 0.17; P < 0.001). SHBG was more strongly and positively associated with both HMW adiponectin and sOB-R (r = 0.29 and r = 0.24, respectively; P < 0.001 for both), and more strongly and negatively associated with leptin (r = −0.27; P < 0.001). Adjustment for fat mass, insulin resistance, or waist circumference only partially diminished associations with HMW adiponectin and sOB-R, but attenuated associations with leptin. In conclusion, in these midlife women, lower SHBG values, and to a lesser extent, higher T levels, were associated with lower, or less favorable, levels of adiponectin and sOB-R, independent of fat mass. Conclusions: These data suggest that variation in these adipose hormones resulting from lower SHBG levels, and possibly, though less likely, greater androgenicity, may contribute to susceptibility for metabolic and cardiovascular outcomes during midlife in women.
A High-Throughput Fluorescent Polarization Assay for Nuclear Receptor Binding Utilizing Crude Receptor Extract

A homogenous high-throughput assay has been developed to measure the binding between nuclear receptors and test compounds. This assay applies a fluorescence polarization (FP) detection method using human glucocorticoid receptor (GR) as a model system. Crude receptor extract, which requires no additional purification, is used in the assay. The binding conditions (i.e., DMSO tolerance, temperature, stability, and variability) have been investigated and validated. At the optimized conditions, a signal-to-background ratio of 2:1 and a Z'-factor of 0.7 was achieved in a 384-well format. Several known strong and weak GR ligands have been evaluated in this system. Possible interference of fluorescent compounds and methods to identify false positives are also discussed. This FP-based assay system can potentially be used for many soluble nuclear receptors in high-throughput binding assays.
Caffeine and nicotine: A review of their joint use and possible interactive effects in tobacco withdrawal

There is a strong, significant relationship between coffee consumption and smoking. In six epidemiological studies reviewed and analyzed here, 86.4% of smokers consumed coffee versus 77.2% of nonsmokers. Exsmokers use more coffee than nonsmokers but somewhat less than smokers. Seventeen experimental studies suggest that the pharmacologic effect of caffeine in coffee may be partially but not totally responsible for the relationship. Conditioning, a reciprocal interaction (caffeine intake increases anxiety/arousal--nicotine decreases it), or joint effect of a third variable (e.g., stress, alcohol) may account for the relationship. In abstinent smokers, blood caffeine levels increase and remain elevated for as long as 6 months. These higher caffeine plasma levels may be sufficient to produce caffeine toxicity syndrome. A review of 86 studies of nicotine withdrawal, caffeine withdrawal, and caffeine toxicity suggests that the symptoms are similar enough to be confused, and that reported nicotine withdrawal symptoms may be a mixture of nicotine withdrawal and caffeine toxicity.
P-varieties - a signature independent characterization of varieties of ordered algebras

Abstract This paper is concerned mainly with classes (categories) of ordered algebras which in some signature are axiomatizable by a set of inequations between terms (‘varieties’ of ordered algebras) and also classes which are axiomatizable by implications between inequations (‘quasi varieties’ of ordered algebras). For example, if the signature contains a binary operation symbol (for the monoid operation) and a constant symbol (for the identity) the class of ordered monoids M can be axiomatized by a set of inequations (i.e. expressions of the form t ≤ t' . However, if the signature contains only the binary operation symbol, the same class M cannot be so axiomatized (since it is not now closed under subalgebras). Thus, there is a need to find structural, signature independent conditions on a class of ordered algebras which are necessary and sufficient to guarantee the existence of a signature in which the class is axiomatizable by a set of inequations (between terms in this signature). In this paper such conditions are found by utilizing the notion of ‘P-categories’. A P-category C is a category such that each ‘Hom-set’ C ( a,b ) is equipped with a distiguished partial order which is preserved by composition. Aside from proving the characterization theorem, it is also the purpose of the paper to begin the investigation of P-categories.
MSH/ACTH 4-10 in men and women: effects upon performance of an attention and memory task.

Abstract During two test sessions, twelve males and twelve females were subcutaneously administered 30 mg doses of MSH/ACTH4–10 or the diluent control solution in a double-blind, randomized, completely crossed design. The results indicated that in comparison to the control session, reaction time scores for the Sternberg item recognition task were significantly decreased after MSH/ACTH 4–10 administration. The reaction time scores were reduced by a nearly equal amount at each of four memory set sizes; this pattern of results suggests that the peptide exerts its effects on attention as opposed to memory. The decreased reaction times after peptide treatment occurred without a concomitant change in error rate. In addition, the order of treatment interacted significantly with the peptide treatment so that performance was apparently facilitated whether MSH/ACTH 4–10 administration preceded testing by an hour or by several days. Self-reported anxiety levels were not significantly affected by the peptide treatment. Males and females did not significantly differ on reaction time scores, error scores, or anxiety levels in the present study.
The thyrotropin-releasing hormone gene: differential regulation, expression, and function in hypothalamus and two unexpected extrahypothalamic loci, the heart and testis.

Abstract Thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH) is the key regulator of the synthesis and secretion of TSH in animals and humans (Wilber and Yamada 1990). The biological implications of this peptide, the first releasing hormone to be characterized, has generated a large literature regarding both pituitary TSH and extrapituitary roles of TRH as a neurotransmitter and/or neuro-modulator in the central nervous system (O'Leary and O'Connor 1995, Morley 1981). In this review, new areas of TRH biology are explored, focused on the differential regulation of the TRH gene by triiodothyronine (T 3 ) and other substances in the hypothalamus and two unexpected extrahypothalamic loci, the heart and testis. These new directions should enlarge our understanding concerning how hormones like T 3 regulate genes negatively and selectively with the identical receptors and DNA elements required for positive gene stimulation. In addition, regulatory studies of the TRH gene by T 3 should be relevant to other hormone receptor interactions with DNA sequences in general, as glucocorticoids, mineral-ocorticoids, sex steroids, vitamin D, and retinoic acid are ligands for homologous receptor proteins in the nuclear receptor superfamily.
Autoregulation of rhodopsin synthesis in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii.

Abstract A sensitive assay for the induction of carotenoid and rhodopsin synthesis, based on the phototactic response, has been developed in a mutant of the unicellular alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii. In the dark, the mutant fails to synthesize carotene and retinal, but it contains the apoprotein opsin. When retinal synthesis is induced by light treatment, the retinal combines with opsin to form rhodopsin, and the cells swim away from a source of light. Since the amount of light required to trigger a phototactic response is inversely proportional to the concentration of rhodopsin, the decrease in amount of light necessary to generate that response can serve as a measure of the amount of retinal synthesized in cells after induction. Using this assay, we found that (i) light induction of retinal depends linearly on light exposure and rhodopsin concentration during the exposure; (ii) the action spectrum of light induction is identical with that for phototaxis for which the receptor pigment is rhodopsin; and (iii) incubation with all-trans-7,8-dihydroretinal before light exposure shifts the action-spectrum peak for light induction 0.41 eV (-71 nm). We conclude that the photopigment for induction of retinal synthesis is a rhodopsin. The time lag required for induction of retinal synthesis and preliminary experiments with transcription or translation inhibitors suggest that alterations in gene expression could be involved in the induction process. Its control could be similar to other processes in which membrane receptors for hormones, neurotransmitters, or growth factors regulate gene expression.
Packet-by-Packet Adaptive Scheme for Video Coding and Transmission Over Wireless IP Networks Using Rate-Compatible Punctured Turbo (RCPT) Codes

In this paper, we consider real-time video coding and transmission over packet-switched wireless IP networks, such as WLAN, using RCPT codes and joint source-channel coding (JSCC) with concentration on a packet-by-packet adaptive scheme. We present a systematic design methodology to enable the applicability of JSCC techniques. The performance of H.263+ video coding and transmission over wireless channel modeled as slow Rician fading channels using this approach is studied. Results indicate that a packet-by-packet adaptive RCPT-JSCC approach is of significant advantage for real-time video applications and leads to more acceptable video delivery quality over interference-limited and time-varying wireless networks.
Inhibition of NMDA-evoked electrophysiological activity by ethanol in selected brain regions: evidence for ethanol-sensitive and ethanol-insensitive NMDA-evoked responses

Our laboratory has previously shown that systemically administered ethanol inhibits NMDA-evoked electrophysiological activity in some, but not all, neurons in the medial septum. In the present report, it was found that ethanol, when applied locally via electro-osmosis, potently inhibited NMDA-evoked neuronal activity in a current-dependent manner in the inferior colliculus and hippocampus. In contrast, locally applied ethanol failed to inhibit NMDA-evoked activity in the lateral septum. The inhibition by ethanol of NMDA-evoked activity in the inferior colliculus was specific, in that ethanol failed to inhibit neuronal activity of the inferior colliculus evoked by the excitatory neurotransmitter glutamate. These findings indicate that ethanol can specifically inhibit NMDA-evoked activity in vivo via a local action, and that the ability of ethanol to inhibit NMDA-evoked activity varies regionally in brain. The possibility that these results are explained by the existence of two types of NMDA receptors, one sensitive to ethanol, the other insensitive to ethanol, is discussed.
The Use of the I131-Hippuran Renogram in the Detection of Disparate Kidney Function in Hypertensive Patients

The reliability of the radioisotope renogram in detecting functional disparity in the separate kidneys of hypertensive patients with unilateral renal disease was investigated. Renograms recorded in 33 hypertensive patients without unilateral renal disease were employed for establishing control criteria. The physiologic basis for the three types of positive renograms found in the presence of unilateral renal dysfunction has been discussed. The renogram appears to be a valuable method for demonstrating significant disparity in separate kidney function while avoiding the hazards and technical difficulties of bilateral ureteral catheterization.
Some remarks on noninformative priors

Abstract This article focuses primarily on a comparison between the reference priors of Berger and Bernardo and the reverse reference priors suggested by J. K. Ghosh. Sufficient conditions are given that provide agreement between the two classes of priors. Several examples are given showing the agreement or disagreement between the two. In addition, these priors are compared under a criterion that requires the frequentist coverage probability of the posterior region of a real-valued parametric function to match a nominal level with a remainder of O(n −1), where n denotes the sample size. The latter priors, first introduced by Welch and Peers, are obtained by solving a differential equation due to Peers. Finally, in the presence of several parameters of interest, a general class of priors that satisfies the matching criterion separately for each parameter is constructed, and examples are given to illustrate how reference or reverse reference priors fit within this class of priors.
Fatigue thresholds of cracks resulting from impact damage to γ-TiAl

Significant research has been conducted in recent years on the �-based titanium aluminide alloys. The low density of �-TiAl relative to current nickel-based superalloys, has made it an attractive candidate for use in the low-pressure turbine blades of gas turbine engines [1]. In addition to weight savings, the lower density leads to higher specific stiffness and good high temperature strength retention [1,2,3]. However, the ordered crystal structure, typical of intermetallics, leads to inherently low room temper­ ature ductility and fracture toughness. This raises serious concerns about the ability of this material to resist the formation of cracks at impact damage sites, cracks that could subsequently grow in fatigue and lead to failure of the turbine blade. Of particular concern are cracks, which are perhaps too small to be detected, but may still grow under high cycle fatigue conditions. For large cracks, a long-crack fatigue crack growth threshold (�KTH) is an appropriate design criterion to ensure infinite fatigue life. However, in the case of very small damage levels on the order of a few equiaxed gamma grains or less, �KTH fails to accurately portray the threshold for crack propagation [4,5,6]. For a fine grained duplex microstructure, the sub-threshold growth of small cracks can be collapsed with long-crack data by using the closure corrected �Keff stress intensity to define the crack tip driving force. Small cracks are generally dormant at stress intensities below �Keff,TH. However, experiments on a coarse lamellar microstructure suggested that scatter in the small crack threshold was still observed despite correction for closure due to statistical sampling of the larger lamellar colonies [7]. Consequently, the relative size of the dominant microstructural feature can be crucially important in determining the relevant fatigue threshold stress intensity range. The present study investigates the change in fatigue crack threshold with the size of cracks resulting from simulated impact damage in a duplex �-TiAl alloy tested at 600°C. This work is part of a larger effort to support the transition of �-TiAl to industrially relevant gas turbine engine applications.
Tolerance and safety of pharmacologic coronary vasodilation with adenosine in association with thallium-201 scintigraphy in patients with suspected coronary artery disease

Abstract Adenosine thallium-201 myocardial scintigraphy is a promising test for coronary artery disease detection, but its safety has not been reported in large patient cohorts. Accordingly, the tolerance and safety profile of adenosine infusion were analyzed in 607 patients (351 men, 256 women, mean age 63 ± 11 years) undergoing this test either because of suspected coronary artery disease (Group I, n = 482) or for risk stratification early (5.2 ± 2.8 days) after myocardial infarction (Group II, n = 125). Adenosine increased the heart rate from 74.5 ± 14.0 to 91.8 ± 15.9 beats/mill (p Most side effects ceased rapidly after stopping the adenosine infusion. The side effects were severe in only 1.6% of patients and in only six patients (1%) was it necessary to discontinue the infusion. No serious adverse reactions such as acute myocardial infarction or death occurred. These data attest to the excellent safety of adenosine infusion as an adjunct to thallium-201 scintigraphy in humans even within a few days of acute myocardial infarction.
Alteration of genic 5-hydroxymethylcytosine patterning in olfactory neurons correlates with changes in gene expression and cell identity

The modified DNA base 5-hydroxymethylcytosine (5hmC) is enriched in neurons where it may contribute to gene regulation and cellular identity. To determine how 5hmC influences gene expression in an in vivo neuronal population, we assessed the patterning and function of the base along the developmental lineage of the main olfactory epithelium—from multipotent stem cells through neuronal progenitors to mature olfactory sensory neurons (mOSNs). We find that 5hmC increases over gene bodies during mOSN development with substantial patterning occuring between the progenitor and mOSN stages. Although gene-body 5hmC levels correlate with gene expression in all three developmental cell types, this association is particularly pronounced within mOSNs. Overexpression of Tet3 in mOSNs markedly alters gene-body 5hmC levels and gene expression in a manner consistent with a positive role for 5hmC in transcription. Moreover, Tet3 overexpression disrupts olfactory receptor expression and the targeting of axons to the olfactory bulb, key molecular and anatomical features of the olfactory system. Our results suggest a physiologically significant role for gene-body 5hmC in transcriptional facilitation and the maintenance of cellular identity independent of its function as an intermediate to demethylation.
Sustained Akt/PKB activation and transient attenuation of c-jun N-Terminal kinase in the inhibition of apoptosis by IGF-1 in vascular smooth muscle cells

Characteristics of hVSMC apoptosis and its inhibition by insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) remain unclear. Also unclear is whether a balance in hVSMCs exists whereby c-Jun N-terminal stress kinases (JNK) promote apoptosis while extracellular signal-regulated (ERK1/2) MAP kinases inhibit cell death. In this study, we examined the involvement of Akt/PKB and its upstream kinase, PDK1 and whether JNK activation correlated with human and rat VSMC apoptosis induced by staurosporine and by c-myc, respectively. We observed a strong, sustained JNK activation (and c-Jun phosphorylation), which correlated with VSMC apoptosis. IGF-1 (13.3 nM), during apoptosis inhibition, transiently inhibited JNK activity at 1 h in a phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3-K)- and MEK-ERK-dependent manner, as wortmannin (100 nM) or PD98059 (30 muM) partially attenuated the IGF-1 effect. PKC down-regulation had no effect on JNK inhibition by IGF-1. While IGF-1 alone produced a strong phosphorylation of Akt/PKB in hVSMCs up to 6 h, it was notably stronger and more sustained during ratmyc and hVSMCs apoptosis inhibition. Further, whereas transient expression of phosphorylated Akt protected VSMCs from apoptosis by nearly 50%, expression of dominant interfering alleles of Akt or PDK1 strongly inhibited IGF-1-mediated VSMC survival. These results demonstrate for the first time that transient inhibition of a pro-apoptotic stimulus in VSMCs may be sufficient to inhibit a programmed cell death and that sustained anti-apoptotic signals (Akt) elicited by IGF-1 are augmented during a death stimulus. Furthermore, PI3-K and ERK-MAPK pathways may cooperate to protect VSMCs from cell death.
Optimal power sharing strategies in NAF multiple-relay networks with CSI

This paper addresses the problem of optimal power allocation among relaying nodes for a non-orthogonal amplify-and-forward (NAF) half-duplex relay network where multiple relays exploit channel state information (CSI) to cooperate with a pair of source and destination to maximize the source-destination mutual information (MI). In particular, assuming that the relays have complete CSI of all source-relay, source-destination, and relay-destination links, we investigate an optimal power sharing scheme via optimal power amplification coefficients at the relays. Given the nature of broadcasting and receiving collisions in NAF, the considered problem is non-convex. To overcome this drawback, we propose a novel method by evaluating the MI in different sub-domains of the vector channels. It is then demonstrated that the globally optimal solution can be obtained. In particular, the optimal solutions are derived in closed-form for the system under the total average power constraint (TAPC) and for the system under both TAPC and individual average power constraint (IAPC) at each relay. Numerical results are provided to quantify the significant gains offered by the proposed power sharing schemes over conventional schemes using either channel distribution information (CDI) or channel inversion (CI).
Passed over for promotion because of age: An empirical analysis of the consequences

I test whether older individuals who report that their firms favor younger workers in promotion decisions are harmed by this oftencited discriminatory practice. Using the Health and Retirement Study, I determine whether such workers are more likely to experience lower wage growth, to separate from their employer, or to retire early, in comparison with workers with similar demographic and job characteristics. The evidence is consistent with lower wage growth and a greater likelihood of early retirement. Much of the effect, however, is likely to stem from a high correlation between delayedpayment contracts and promotion practices.
Effects of smoking abstinence on mood and craving in men: influences of negative-affect-related personality traits, habitual nicotine intake and repeated measurements

Abstract A two-factor model of individual differences in smoking abstinence response was assessed. The two factors were nicotine bioadaptation (nicotine exposure and self-reported tolerance/dependence) and self-medication for negative affect/psychopathology. Bioadaptation was expected to promote transient increases in smoking abstinence-related negative affect, while self-medication was expected to be related to relatively permanent increases in negative affect. Of 56 male smokers starting, 50 completed the study, 30 of whom were randomly assigned to an immediate cessation group and 20 to a continuing-to-smoke control group. Mood and craving were repeatedly measured with the Profile of Mood States (POMS) and the Shiffman Withdrawal Questionnaire, administered twice per week during a three-week pre-quit baseline period and every 48 h during the 30-day abstinence phase. POMS negative moods decreased significantly across the six pre-quit baseline days even though there was no smoking cessation-related intervention during this time, a finding with implications for the question of whether quitters return to pre-quit levels of negative affect. Support for the two-factor model was provided by three of our findings. First, POMS Depression, Tension and Anger increased in the quit group after quitting and never returned to levels corresponding to the continuingto-smoke controls even after 30 days of abstinence. Second, trait depression assessed prior to smoking abstinence correlated with abstinence-related increases in POMS state depressive affect score shortly after quitting and during the last eight days of the study. Third, pre-quit cotinine concentration correlated with increases in negative affect during the first 48 h of abstinence. The findings suggest that previous studies should be interpreted with caution because of their failure to take into account the repeated-measures effect and selective attrition.
Recent developments in Swiss direct democracy

Abstract This paper identifies and explains a number of significant developments in the use of referendums in Switzerland. In doing so, it illustrates how the device has evolved in response to a changing political environment and how the Swiss polity has in turn been shaped by the institution of direct democracy. Initially, trends in voting outcomes and participation levels are explored. The paper then addresses a serious problem which has emerged with low turnout in recent decades—the exploitation of apathy and the attendant potential for false majorities. The increasing popularity of the initiative as a political weapon is assessed, as is the behaviour of groups employing the device. Finally, the impact of direct democracy upon representative institutions is analysed, with emphasis on the role of referendums in the shifting context of Swiss consociational democracy.
Primary Pulmonary Carcinoma in Patients With Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis

Objective To identify distinguishing characteristics between patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) and primary lung carcinoma and patients with either IPF or carcinoma alone. Patients and Methods The study group consisted of 24 patients with histologically proven usual interstitial pneumonia and lung carcinoma identified through a search of the Rochester Mayo Clinic database for 1990 to 1998. Medical records, radiographs, and histological slides were reviewed. Several variables including survival were compared in 2 control groups, IPF only and carcinoma only, by using various statistical methods. Results Our study group included 21 men and 3 women (mean age, 72.3 years). Twenty-two were past or current smokers. Approximately half of the lung carcinomas were incidental findings. Of the 14 patients with preoperative computed tomographic scans, 12 had peripheral tumors situated in areas of fibrosis. Squamous cell carcinoma was the most common histological type, accounting for 16 cases. Almost all patients underwent surgical treatment; nearly 40% developed postoperative complications, and 3 died within 30 days of surgery. The ratio of men to women in patients with IPF and carcinoma was 7:1 compared with 1:1 in patients with IPF only ( P =.003). Patients with IPF and carcinoma were also older, with a mean age of 72.3 years compared with 64.4 years ( P =.001), and were more often smokers ( P =.002). Carcinomas involved the lower lobes in 42% of patients with IPF and carcinoma compared with 29% of patients with carcinoma only ( P =.004) and were mainly composed of squamous cell carcinoma ( P =.004). Mean survival in patients with IPF and lung carcinoma was 2.3 years after the diagnosis of IPF and 1.6 years after that of carcinoma. This finding did not differ significantly from survival of patients with either IPF or carcinoma alone. However, statistical power was limited. Conclusion Carcinoma in patients with IPF arises in older male smokers and usually presents as peripheral squamous cell carcinoma. The prognosis is poor.
Assessment of the role of non-ADH ethanol oxidation in vivo and in hepatocytes from deermice

Deermice genetically lacking alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH-) were used to quantitate the effect of 4-methylpyrazole (4-MP) on non-ADH pathways in hepatocytes and in vivo. Although primarily an inhibitor of ADH, 4-methylpyrazole was also found to inhibit competitively the activity of the microsomal ethanol-oxidizing system (MEOS) in deermouse liver microsomes. The degree of 4-MP inhibition in ADH- deermice then served to correct for the effect of 4-MP on non-ADH pathways in deermice having ADH (ADH+). In ADH+ hepatocytes, the percent contributions of non-ADH pathways were calculated to be 28% at 10 mM and 52% at 50 mM ethanol. When a similar correction was applied to in vivo ethanol clearance rates in ADH+ deermice, non-ADH pathways were found to contribute 42% below 10 mM and 63% at 40-70 mM blood ethanol. The catalase inhibitor 3-amino-1,2,4-triazole, while reducing catalase-mediated peroxidation of ethanol by 83-94%, had only a slight effect on blood ethanol clearance at ethanol concentrations below 10 mM, and no effect at all at 40-70 mM ethanol. These results indicate that non-ADH pathways (primarily MEOS) play a significant role in ethanol oxidation in vivo and in hepatocytes in vitro.
Smokers’ Perceptions about Genetic Contributions to Smoking

Identification of genes affecting smoking will likely lead to individualized treatment based on genotype. Use of genotypes will necessitate that smokers give informed consent, which requires an understanding of genetic contributions to smoking. Little is known about the effects of genetic information about smoking on smokers’ thoughts, emotions, and behaviors. The purpose of this qualitative study was to describe smokers’ (N = 8) perceptions of genetic contributions to smoking after participating in an education session about genes affecting dopamine transmission and nicotine metabolism. The session was part of a pilot study about the effects of genetic education on smoking behaviors. Data were obtained in audio-taped interviews and analyzed with content analysis. Participants’ viewed genetics as a cause of smoking maintenance, but not initiation. They had greater interest in genotyping if they perceived they were genetically predisposed to smoking. Participants saw few drawbacks with genotyping, with privacy and confidentiality violations of most concern. When discussing genetic predisposition to lung cancer, participants indicated they would want to know their risk and minimized the potential for psychological distress. When compared to genetic information presented, they underestimated genetic contributions to smoking. All participants had a multifactorial perception of smoking that included personal, environmental, and genetic factors.
Cocaine and cocaethylene binding to normal human brain and Alzheimer disease brain.

The binding of cocaine and cocaethylene to homogenates of both normal whole brain and whole brain with Alzheimer disease patients (Alzheimer brain) was investigated in vitro using equilibrium dialysis of the unlabelled drugs at 4°C. Two binders of cocaine were characterized in normal brain (binder 1: K a , 5.73 x 10 3 L/mol; B o , 7.44 x 10 -5 mol/L) (binder 2: K a , 1.54 x 10 3 L/mol; B o , 2.50 x 10 -4 mol/L) and in Alzheimer brain (binder 1: K a , 3.08 x 10 2 L/mol; B o , 6.66 x 10 -4 mol/L) (binder 2: K a , 8.74 x 10 1 L/mol; B o , 4.30 x 10 -3 mol/L). For cocaethylene three binders were noted in normal brain (binder 1: K a , 3.23 x 10 3 L/mol; B o , 1.22 x 10 -4 mol/L) (binder 2: K a , 3.10 x 10 3 L/mol; B o , 2.01 x 10 -4 mol/L) (binder 3: K a , 1.63 x 10 3 L/mol; B o , 3.59 x 10 -4 mol/L) and two binders in Alzheimer brain (binder 1: K a , 5.18 x 10 3 L/mol; B o , 3.06 × 10 -5 mol/L) (binder 2: K a , 3.36 × 10 3 L/mol; B o , 7.75 × 10 -5 mol/L). The binding of cocaine to normal brain was much stronger than to Alzheimer brain (ten- to 100-fold), whereas the binding of cocaethylene was similar in normal and Alzheimer brain. Cocaine and cocaethylene binding to human brain was compared with cocaine and cocaethylene binding to other human tissues previously studied by this laboratory.
Update on Eosinophilic Lung Diseases

The eosinophilic lung diseases are a group of pulmonary disorders characterized by an increase in blood and/or lung eosinophils. These disorders can be primary pulmonary disorders or the secondary manifestation of other systemic or pulmonary conditions, infection, drug reaction, or malignancy. The approach to a patient with eosinophilic lung disease involves a thorough history and physical examination, review of exposures and appropriate testing, often including bronchoscopy or lung biopsy, to establish a specific etiology and determine therapy. Eosinophilic lung disease can be suspected based on either the finding of pulmonary disease with blood eosinophilia, pulmonary disease with bronchoalveolar lavage eosinophilia, or pulmonary disease with lung tissue eosinophilia on lung biopsy.
The determination of specific radioactivity of proteins eluted intact from polyacrylamide gels, utilizing a fluorescamine assay

The methodology described permits the measurement of the specific radioactivity of diverse proteins resolvable by separatory techniques using cylindrical polyacrylamide gels. Following separation, the proteins are electroeluted; eluted protein is quantitated in the microgram range using a fluorescamine assay, while the major portion of the recovered sample is used for radioactivity measurement. These procedures have been adapted for use in tracer studies of protein metabolism. Their utility in kinetic investigations is demonstrated with data on the time course of changing specific radioactivities of human plasma albumin and apolipoprotein B labeled in vivo with a [3H]leucine tracer.
Expression of Calcium Binding Proteins in the Auditory Brainstem Pathway of the Jaundiced Gunn Rat |[dagger]| 829

Sensorineural hearing loss is one of the major sequelae of neonatal hyperbilirubinemia. Retrocochlear sites of lesions due to kernicterus are related to significant abnormalities in the wave latencies, interwave intervals, and amplitudes of the auditory brainstem response. In the present study, changes in the expression of the calcium binding proteins (CBP) parvalbumin and calbindin-D28k have been examined in the homozygous recessive jaundiced (jj) Gunn rat by light microscopic immunohistochemistry at 15-18 days postnatally. The density of immunoreactive staining for both CBPs was reduced in the cochlear nuclei and the superior olivary complex, particularly the superior paraolivary and medial superior olivary nuclei, in comparison to age-matched heterozygous (Nj) control rats. At both sites, the extent of the reduction in immunoreactivity was related to the severity of the clinical symptoms. By contrast, immunoreactive staining in other brainstem auditory(e.g., dorsal and ventral nuclei of the lateral lemniscus, inferior colliculus, medial geniculate body) and neighboring non-auditory structures was similar in jaundiced and control rats. The developmental retardation of CBPs coincides with the period of synaptic refinement in the auditory brainstem, and the inability to buffer intracellular calcium effectively may lead to bilirubin-induced neuronal cell death, possibly by inhibition of Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent kinase II activity.
Existence results for singular three point boundary value problems on time scales

Abstract We prove the existence of a positive solution for the three point boundary value problem on time scale T given by y ΔΔ +f(x,y)=0, x∈(0,1]∩ T , y(0)=0, y(p)=y σ 2 (1) , where p∈(0,1)∩ T is fixed and f(x,y) is singular at y=0 and possibly at x=0, y=∞. We do so by applying a fixed point theorem due to Gatica, Oliker, and Waltman [J. Differential Equations 79 (1989) 62] for mappings that are decreasing with respect to a cone. We also prove the analogous existence results for the related dynamic equations y∇∇+f(x,y)=0, yΔ∇+f(x,y)=0, and y∇Δ+f(x,y)=0 satisfying similar three point boundary conditions.
Zero-point phonon contribution to the hyperfine coupling of S-state ions

The temperature-independent phonon zero-point motion is shown to decrease the hyperfine coupling constant $A$ for ${\mathrm{Mn}}^{2+}$ ions in a cubic environment. A spherical approximation is made for the phonon vibrational modes appropriate to a rocksalt structure, enabling the inclusion of contributions from both the acoustic and optical branches. Numerical calculations are performed for vibrational parameters appropriate to both MgO and SrO. The temperature-dependent part of the decrease in $A$ due to thermal phonon excitation is also evaluated for both hosts. Comparing the two calculations, the temperature can be determined at which the decrease in $A$ due to thermal excitations equals the decrease due to zero-point excitations. These temperatures are 383\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}K for MgO and 133\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}K for SrO. Use is then made of the observed decrease in $A$ with temperature to find the magnitude of the zero-point reduction in both hosts. We find $\ensuremath{\Delta}{A}_{\mathrm{Z}.\mathrm{P}.}$ (MgO: ${\mathrm{Mn}}^{2+}$) \ensuremath{\cong}-0.8\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}${10}^{\ensuremath{-}4}$ ${\mathrm{cm}}^{\ensuremath{-}1}$ and $\ensuremath{\Delta}{A}_{\mathrm{Z}.\mathrm{P}.}$ $(\mathrm{SrO}:{\mathrm{Mn}}^{2+})\ensuremath{\cong}\ensuremath{-}1.4\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{10}^{\ensuremath{-}4}$ ${\mathrm{cm}}^{\ensuremath{-}1}$. The change in $A$, $\frac{\ensuremath{\Delta}{A}_{\mathrm{Z}.\mathrm{P}.}}{[\ensuremath{\Delta}A(T=0)+\ensuremath{\Delta}{A}_{\mathrm{Z}.\mathrm{P}.}]}$, due to phonon zero-point motion is therefore 0.97% for MgO:${\mathrm{Mn}}^{2+}$ and 1.70% for SrO: ${\mathrm{Mn}}^{2+}$, and the $T=0$ "rigid-lattice" values are estimated to be -82.3\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}${10}^{\ensuremath{-}4}$ ${\mathrm{cm}}^{\ensuremath{-}1}$ for both hosts.
Observation of magnetoplasmons and a new resonant absorption mode when a magnetic field is applied to a two-dimensional sheet of electrons on liquid helium

Abstract The two-dimensional magnetoplasmon has been observed in a classical Coulomb gas of electrons in surface states of liquid helium. In addition, a new and unpredicted resonant mode has been discovered in the same 2D system. This new mode is only observed in non-zero magnetic fields, and has properties that are strikingly different from the normal magnetoplasmons.
Technology Transfer in the Transit Industry

The unprecedented advances taking place in the technology industries (computer, electronics, telecommunications) can benefit the transit industry by enabling safer, cleaner, and more reliable transit vehicles; easier maintenance; better customer service; and faster and more efficient scheduling and operations. Without an effective technology transfer process, however, the technologies may not reach the proper audience in the transit organization, or they may fail to elicit the appropriate response from transit staff. The two key elements of successful technology transfer in the transit industry are discussed—effective technology transfer infrastructure and technology transfer (T2) agents. Effective technology transfer infrastructure consists of an organizational culture that is open and flexible, a comprehensive evaluation mechanism, an efficient transfer design, and an effective training program. T2 agents are individuals or organizations that bring new technologies and information to agencies, which the...
Psychology of the Scientist: LI. Noncompliance with Reprint Requests among Behavioral Scientists

A questionnaire was mailed to 157 behavioral scientists who failed to comply with requests for reprints. For the 75 respondents to the survey, the reasons for noncompliance fell into two categories; 58% reportedly failed to comply because there were “problems in communication” (e.g., not receiving the request) and 42% specifically chose not to comply (called refusers). The two groups indicated that they were equally prolific in publishing, but refusers reported receiving more than twice as many requests for reprints in the past 12 months as those who failed to comply because there were “problems in communication.” While neither group was prone to request reprints from other scientists to the extent that they were receiving requests, refusers were especially unlikely to ask others for reprints.