cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Nonstationary Bandits with Habituation and Recovery Dynamics

In many sequential decision-making settings where there is uncertainty about the reward of each action, frequent selection of specific actions may reduce expected reward while choosing less frequen...
Darwin and the Galapagos giant tortoises

Abstract Galapagos giant tortoises have often been credited with catalyzing Darwin’s thinking on evolution. However, while in the Galapagos, Darwin initially failed to perceive the importance of island-to-island differences among the tortoises, and he also believed that the tortoises were not endemic to these islands but rather were introduced by human agency from islands in the Indian Ocean. Without access to museum collections or expert taxonomic advice, Darwin was not in a position during the voyage to adjudicate an evolutionary explanation for his Galapagos evidence. It was only after his return to England that he was convinced by ornithologist John Gould’s astute taxonomic analyses of the Galapagos bird specimens that distinct species of mockingbirds existed on the different islands. Darwin then realized that different Galapagos Islands might contain other representative species, including the tortoises. His post-voyage conversion to evolution, as well as the two decades he subsequently spent researching and writing On the Origin of Species (1859), ultimately reflects an extensive and fruitful collaboration with his contemporaries. Although Galapagos giant tortoises eventually played an important role in his thinking, claims that tortoises initially inspired his theory of natural selection are mistaken.
Investigating the efficacy of machine learning tools in modeling the continuous stabilization and carbonization process and predicting carbon fiber properties

Abstract Carbon fiber reinforced composites are finding increased usage in a wide variety of applications, ranging from aerospace to energy harvesting to sporting goods and more. Carbon fiber manufacturing is an extremely time- and cost-intensive process with more than 70 processing variables. To better understand the processing-structure-property relationships and accelerate the improvement in carbon fiber mechanical properties, the integration of machine learning (ML) and experimental techniques is critical. The goal of this work is to investigate the use of ML models to map precursor information and carbonization process parameters to mechanical properties -- specifically, tensile strength and tensile modulus -- of carbon fibers. The experimental data consisted of 600 distinct points with 31 features. Four ML models were investigated viz. support vector regression (SVR), multi-layered perceptron (MLP) neural network, gradient boosted regression trees (GBRT), and recurrent neural network (RNN). The results indicate that ML can be used to approximate the underlying function describing the effect of the manufacturing process parameters on the carbon fiber tensile properties, with the RNN model outperforming all other models under consideration (R2 scores of 0.85 and 0.67 for tensile strength and tensile modulus, respectively).
Adoption of New and Really New Products: The Effects of Self-Regulation Systems and Risk Salience

This article explores how consumers’ self-regulation affects the likelihood of purchase of new and really new products. A mall-intercept field study shows that consumers with a chronic disposition to be promotion focused own more new high-technology goods and newly launched repeat-purchase items than prevention-focused consumers. There is no difference in ownership of products that have been available for many years. Two laboratory experiments further investigate these findings. In Study 2, the authors manipulate regulatory focus and find that when risks associated with a really new product are not specified to consumers, promotion-focused consumers state higher purchase intentions than prevention-focused consumers. However, when the judgmental context makes the risks salient, prevention- and promotion-focused participants are equally unlikely to purchase the product. Study 3 demonstrates that consumers’ self-regulation is unrelated to purchase intentions for products that are not portrayed as new. Mediation analyses in both laboratory studies show that the effect of regulatory focus on purchase intentions for new products is due to concerns about the performance of the new technology, which are more pronounced among prevention-focused consumers. Finally, the authors discuss managerial implications.
Changes in precipitation patterns in Houston, Texas

Abstract There has been an alarming increase in the frequency of major flooding events along the Gulf Coast over the last three decades, primarily due to events of unprecedented, or extreme, rainfall. Using data from 63 rain gauges maintained by the Harris County Flood Control District's Flood Warning System (HCFCD FWS), this study examines the changes in daily precipitation amounts in the highly urbanized city of Houston, Texas, USA. The potential shift in annual precipitation patterns over a period of three decades (1989-2018) was examined by investigating the numbers of dry and wet days as well as annual precipitation totals over the study period. Wet days were then further scrutinized based on daily rainfall amounts (e.g., R10, R20, R30, R40, R50, R100) to determine if extreme events are beginning to dominate annual rainfall amounts. Trends were analyzed for statistical significance temporally using the Mann-Kendall and Sen's slope methods and for spatial trends using GIS applications. The results indicate a statistically significant increase in extreme rainfall at the expense of light, moderate, and heavy rainfall over time. The only negative relationship is found in dry days. The most statistically significant trends exist in the 99th percentile, maximum, and R100 parameters with p-values of 0.07, 0.08, and 0.11, respectively. There has been rapid growth and intensive development in the Houston area in recent decades that continues to this day, and land cover change has been significant as 12.6% of Harris County changed to one of four National Land Cover Database (NLCD) Urban classes (e.g., developed: barren, low intensity, medium intensity, high intensity). This confirms that urbanization has continued to increase while total vegetative and wetland coverage has decreased. The findings of this study provide essential guidance for city and state planners and engineers.
The Collected Letters of Mary Blachford Tighe and Write My Name: Authorship in the Poetry of Thomas Moore: The Collected Letters of Mary Blachford Tighe, edited by Harriet Kramer Linkin, Bethlehem, PA, Lehigh UP, 2020, xix + 519 pp.

Irish writers of the Romantic-era were confronted with a number of dilemmas when attempting to navigate the literary marketplaces of the British Archipelago. Claire Connolly notes that the extensio...
Extracorporeal photopheresis in varying mycosis fungoides and Sézary syndrome stages: race-based differences in treatment utilization and response

Background: Black patients can face a higher incidence and poorer prognosis from cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (CTCL) compared to their white counterparts yet race is not a known factor in the treatment of CTCL. The significance of race, particularly in the treatment of early-stage CTCL using extracorporeal photopheresis (ECP), is not well understood. Objective: To characterize race-based and stage- based differences in ECP utilization and response among adults with mycosis fungoides and Sezary syndrome. Methods: A 10-year retrospective chart review was performed at a single tertiary referral center institution. Results: Among total 42 qualifying CTCL patients that received, 57.1% were female, 47.6% identified as black, and 54.7% presented with early-stage CTCL (Stage IA–IIA). There were no race-based differences in the number of systemic therapies trialed before ECP (p=0.8), use of ECP as 1st-line treatment (p=0.5), number of ECP treatments (p=0.4965), or use of concomitant medications (e.g. interferon, oral retinoids). White patients began ECP sooner than black patients following CTCL diagnosis (median 16 vs 4 months; p=0.08). Black patients were significantly more likely to face progressive disease following ECP (p=0.04) and had a shorter duration of response (16.1 vs 36.5 months; p=0.0455). Limitations: This was a retrospective study. Conclusion: There are race-based differences in ECP use and disease progression among adults with CTCL. Future research may investigate the source of these disparities, be they attributable to biologic differences in disease or differential treatment prescription.
Access to Counsel: Psychological Science Can Improve the Promise of Civil Rights Enforcement

Employment discrimination claimants in general, and racial minority claimants in particular, disproportionately lack access to legal counsel. When employment discrimination claimants lack counsel, they typically abandon their claims, or if they pursue their claims, they do so pro se (without counsel), a strategy that is seldom successful in court. Access to counsel is, hence, a decisive component in whether employment discrimination victims realize the potential of civil rights enforcement. Psychological science analyzes access to counsel by identifying psychological barriers—such as threatened social identity, mistrust in legal authorities, and fear of repercussions—that prevent employment discrimination victims from pursuing counsel. The analysis also identifies how cultural beliefs and practices concerning justice—such as meritocracy beliefs, perceived post-racialism, and organizational diversity initiatives—shape how judges, jurors, and lay people think about discrimination. Furthermore, counsels’ perceptions of other’s beliefs about discrimination shape their assessed likelihood of prevailing. These psychological barriers intersect with structural barriers to shape counsels’ evaluation of each case’s likely financial viability, which can prevent counsel from accepting cases that they otherwise deem meritorious. Policy can help those who experience employment discrimination obtain legal representation and meaningful redress for civil rights violations.
And now, co-occurrence and functionality of discourse markers on the Oregon Coast

Abstract This paper compares the usage patterns or usage dynamics of discourse markers and their combinations in Alsea and Siuslaw, two dormant languages of the Oregon Coast with a long history of contact and convergence. Like many languages of the Pacific Northwest Coast, Alsea and Siuslaw have a set of clause-initial markers mostly used for adverbial and pragmatic functions. These markers often co-occur, and in both languages clauses in connected discourse have zero to four such markers. Despite the similar potential range for combinations, the patterns by which these markers are used in the two languages differ: discourse markers co-occur much more frequently in Alsea, in more varied combinations, and their relative order tends to be more set. We propose that this is correlated with the coding means used to structure discourse in the two languages, particularly the different functions of individual markers and of their common combinations. We illustrate this by comparing the uses of two discourse markers, Alsea tem and Siuslaw ᵘɬ roughly translatable to English by “and”, and the uses of their combination with Alsea muⁿhū and Siuslaw wan, roughly translatable to English by “now, then”.
Neuropathogenicity and Susceptibility to Immune Response are Interdependent Properties of Lactate Dehydrogenase-Elevating Virus (LDV) and Correlate with the Number of N-Linked Polylactosaminoglycan Chains on the Ectodomain of the Primary Envelope Glycoprotein

We have developed differential RT-PCR methods to distinguish different isolates of LDV and have purified several quasispecies by repeated end point dilution in mice. They fall into two groups, each possessing two or more members. Group A viruses are non-neuropathogenic, highly resistant to in vitro neutralization by antibodies and efficient in establishment of a life-long, persistently viremic infection in mice despite a detectable im-mune response. Group B viruses, on the other hand, are neuropathogenic, much more sen-sitive to antibody neutralization and have an impaired ability to establish a high viremia persistent infection in immune competent mice. These properties seem to be interdepend-ent and correlate with the number of N-glycosylation sites on the short (about 30 amino acid long) ectodomain of the primary envelope glycoprotein, VP-3P, which probably is part of the attachment site for the LDV receptor on permissive cells and harbors an epi-tope(s) reacting with neutralizing antibodies. Group A viruses possess three closely spaced N-linked polylactosaminoglycan chains, whereas group B viruses lack the two N-terminal ones. We postulate that lack of these polylactosaminoglycan chains endows group B vi-ruses with the ability to interact with a receptor on anterior horn neurons resulting in neuropathogenesis. At the same time, it increases an interaction with neutralizing antibody-ies thus impeding the infection of macrophages newly generated during the persistent phase of infection which is essential for the continued rounds of replication of the virus.
Whatever Happened to Dr. Malone

AT LOOSE ENDS, Francis S. takes a job as a hit man for an undercover gov ernment agency. His first assignment is the assassination of an old friend. When you have no money you'll do almost anything for a payday, he writes in his note book, carefully omitting the particulars of his desperate commitment. The nice thing about the job is that it permits him a new identity and gives a justifying framework to his reclusive life. They, the Company, have recruited him for the assignment because Francis is a man without apparent attachments, a piece of information they make no attempt to hide. Their top agents are all anonymous loners, his supervisor tells him on the first day of what is a whirlwind two week train ing program. Men uncorrupted by the disease of society. He comes out of the crash program with the code name "Camera" and with an imperceptible tick in his left eyelid. He graduates second in his class, which leaves him with a sense of failure and a desperate competitive edge. The next day he draws the name of an old friend out of a hat. He tells himself it's only a job, depersonalizes the murder of a friend through concentration on detail. How to do it. Where to do it. When to do it. Six months into the job?he has followed his unlikely assignment from Spain to Italy to France to England to France and back again to England?he has begun to lose heart, has the sense that, despite meticulous preparation, he will not be able to pull the trigger. The more perfect his plans, the harder they are to carry out. Self-con sciousness defeats him, the whining of moral compunction. He has spent most of his ten thousand dollar advance and so expects some difficulty from his employers when he writes them that he is giving up the ghost. A special agent of the Company, code name, "Now Voyager," comes to London to persuade him to reconsider. The agent, as it turns out, is a sister of his estranged wife Nora, though neither of them knows this at the time.
Selection of Pile Type

After the decision to use piles, the next question is which piles to use. There are many types of piles. Timber piles are cheap but difficult to install in hard soil. Steel piles may not be good in marine environments owing to corrosion. The chapter presents two cases to determine which piles to use. Timber piles are not suitable for granular soil with boulders underlain by medium-stiff clay owing to the existence of boulders in upper layers. The obvious choice is to drive piles all the way to the rock. The piles can be designed as end-bearing piles. If the decision is taken to drive piles to the rock for the above configuration, H-piles are ideal. Unlike timber piles or pipe piles, H-piles can go through boulders. Piles cannot be placed in soft clay, but they can be placed in medium-stiff clay. In this situation, piles need to be designed as friction piles. Pile capacity comes mainly from end bearing and skin friction. End-bearing piles, as the name indicates, obtain their capacity mainly from the end bearing, while friction piles obtain their capacity from skin friction.
A Reprogrammable Processor for Fractal Image Compression

Fractal image compression appears to be a good candidate for implementation with a reprogrammable processor. It is computationally intensive, slow on existing technology, and employs a few basic, welldefined functions that are clear candidates for hardware implementation. We discuss our implementation of a reconfigurable processor for fractal image compression, used to evaluate the utility of different compression methods faster than a software-only approach.
Motor proteins of the kinesin superfamily

Publisher Summary This chapter summarizes the current knowledge of the structure and mechanisms of kinesin and selected other members of this superfamily, focusing on the way ATPase action is coupled to the generation of motility in its various forms. The nomenclature of the kinesin family is confusing. The founding member is the most studied and is often referred to as “conventional kinesin” or as “KHC” and “KLC” for the heavy and light chains, respectively. However, it is also known by the names “KIF5” (a, b, or c) for the three isoforms in mouse and as “kinesin-I,” which unfortunately does not correspond to the designation of the corresponding conventional dimeric myosin as myosin II. The nucleus of conventional kinesin is a dimer of heavy or α-chains of ∼ 1000 amino acid residues that form an extended coiled coil over much of their length. The globular motor domains (the heads) are located at the N-terminus. A broad functional distinction can be made among N-terminal motors, such as conventional kinesin with a variety of cargoes including vesicular ones; the C-terminal motors, which are unique in that they are the only ones to move toward the minus end of the microtubule (MT); and M-kinesins, which can depolymerize MTs and may not have motility as their principal role. All kinesin superfamily members share sequence similarity in the motor domain by definition, but the individual families represent the clusters of higher similarity among themselves, including the insertions and deletions in loop regions. Also the similarity within a family often extends to the nonmotor sequences.
Avocado Consumption Increases Neural Lutein and Improves Cognitive Function

Lutein, a dietary carotenoid, is selectively taken up into primate neural tissue such as the macula and brain. Lutein levels in serum, macula (macular pigment, MP) and brain are related to better c...
Ecology and Taxonomy of Water Canyon, Canadian County, Oklahoma, Master's Thesis, University of Oklahoma 1961 [Revised 2013]

Numerous canyons have been cut into the Rush Springs Sandstone of Permian age in West Central Oklahoma and subsequently refilled. Some of these canyons have been partly exposed by erosion of the sediment fill. Fossils collected indicate the canyon fill is sub-Pleistocene to geologically recent. The microclimate of these canyons is more mesic compared to the dryer prairie uplands. Sugar maple ( Acer saccharum ) persists there, far west of its other locations in very eastern Oklahoma. Beginning in 1932 several of these sediment-filled canyons began a process of rapid erosion, exposing the rock walls of the canyons. This study is a comparison of Water Canyon and two of its branches: Water Branch Canyon, a stable canyon wooded with mature vegetation including sugar maple and Activity Branch Canyon, a newly excavated canyon branch that began eroding after excessive rainfall in 1932. This study was completed in 1960. Six transects are used to show the distribution of the 233 plant species found in the Water Canyon complex. Herbaceous species generally were unique to each canyon type.
The effects of fluoride ions (F/sup -/) on the mechanical properties of bovine bone tissue with different ultrastructures

Bovine cortical bone samples were tested in tension after being treated for three days in a 2.0M NaP solution. Randomly selected bone samples were obtained from 18 month old steer, 24 month old cow and 96 month old cow. The elastic modulus (E) and ultimate tensile stress (UTS) were obtained for a control group (0.145M saline) and a fluoride group for each age of bovine. The fluoride ion (F/sup -/) content of the bone was also measured to approximate the amount of absorption of the test conditions (0.952%). The results showed that fluoride ions induced a more pronounced effect on younger bone causing a greater overall decrease in E and UTS. The decrease in mechanical properties occurs because fluoride is thought to influence the interphasic bonding between the carbonated hydroxyapatite mineral and organic phases present in bone along with the bone mineral structure.
Inside This New Skin

My grandma's so old she looks like something chewed up and spat out, the dog-gnawed tongue of an old leather boot. Some days she wears false eyelashes that loosen and flap when she blinks. She lives in a dusty RV parked in the woods and everything in that motor home is really something else altogether. If you give the bathroom sink a yank, it pivots, and tucked behind it you'll find a tiny washer and dryer, just large enough to get a week's worth of undies clean. The kitchen table folds into the wall and out springs the bed I sleep on, complete with sheets and a squashed round pillow. I hiked through the woods for miles to reach this little hideaway. "Come closer," my grandma said to me when I showed up on her doorstep. "I can't see too well; you have to get closer. Closer and closer until I say stop." And she didn't say stop until my cold nose bumped her shriveled one and I could taste her breath in my mouth. It tasted just like a mildewy basement would if you were stupid enough to lick the floor. "Erika! You're too pretty," my grandma said then. "Let me give you some of my ugliness to protect you from all the handsome princes out there." She plucked some warts off her knuckles and threw them at me. I swear it's true.
A Comparison of Tully-Fisher and Fundamental Plane Distances for Nearby Clusters

With the aim at obtaining a quantitative measure of the degree of universality of the Tully-Fisher and Fundamental Plane relations, we are comparing accurate redshift-independent distance estimates of nearby clusters of galaxies derived using both relations. Systematic differences in the two distance scales, once cluster membership and sample bias related issues have been resolved, would indicate a lack of universality in the relations, and seriously question their use in mapping the large-scale peculiar velocity field, and in studying the cosmological evolution of early and late-type galaxies in high redshift clusters. New accurate Fundamental Plane distance estimates for 6 nearby clusters are presented here, and compared with comparable Tully-Fisher distance estimates. The agreement between the two sets of distances provides good support to the universality of the Tully-Fisher and Fundamental Plane relations.
Optimal Duration of Dual Antiplatelet Therapy after Drug‐Eluting Stents: Meta‐Analysis of Randomized Trials

Summary Introduction The optimal duration of dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT) after drug-eluting stent implantation (DES) is not certain. The AHA/ACC guidelines recommend 12 months of DAPT based on observational trials. Recently, several large randomized controlled trials (RCT) suggested a noninferiority of shorter duration of DAPT and other trials showed a benefit from extended duration of DAPT after 12 months of DES implantation. Methods PubMed databases were searched for RCTs comparing the continued use of DAPT to shorter duration of DAPT (aspirin alone) for variable durations beyond 3 months of DES implantation. Our analysis was limited to trials with clinical outcomes. Odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were calculated using fixed and random-effects models. Subgroup analyses were performed for second generation DES and for trials comparing 12 months of DAPT vs. earlier interruption or longer duration of DAPT. Results We identified 10 RCTs including 32,136 subjects randomized to continued use of DAPT vs. aspirin alone for variable durations after 3 months of DES implantation. There was no significant heterogeneity among studies (Q test P > 0.1). Compared to shorter DAPT, longer DAPT resulted in a significant reduction in stent thrombosis (0.3% vs. 0.7%, P < 0.01) and myocardial infarction (1.3% vs. 2%, P < 0.01), and a significant increase in major bleeding (0.8% vs. 0.4%, P < 0.01). There was no difference in cardiac deaths or stroke. All-cause deaths were slightly lower with shorter DAPT compared to longer DAPT (OR 0.8, 95% CI 0.7 to 0.99, P = 0.04). A small number of subjects were included between 3 and 6 months after DES implantation. Conclusion DAPT continued beyond 6 months after second generation DES implantation decreases stent thrombosis and myocardial infarction, but increases major bleeding and all-causes mortality compared to shorter DAPT (aspirin alone). There was no difference in cardiac mortality or stroke.
Competence of pneumococcal isolates and bacterial transformations in man.

Abstract A survey of pneumococci isolated from 19 healthy carriers and from 23 patients with pneumococcal disease showed that, for both groups, 25 to 30% of the isolates were competent for transformation by soluble deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) in vitro. Untransformable type 3 and type 8 pneumococci, whose capsules had been hydrolyzed by the Bacillus palustris enzymes prior to exposure to DNA, remained untransformable. Thus, at least for these isolates, it was not the presence of capsule that prevented transformation. Type 9 pneumococci in a healthy human carrier were transformed by DNA released from living unencapsulated pneumococci sprayed onto the pharynx. The donor bacteria were resistant to 1,000 μg of streptomycin/ml. Two types of streptomycin-resistant bacteria were recovered from the carrier's pharynx: a type 9 pneumococcus and an alpha-hemolytic streptococcus. No streptomycin-resistant, gram-positive cocci were isolated from this individual prior to inoculation of the pharynx with the resistant organisms. It seems possible that transformations can occur in the natural environment of some gram-positive cocci.
Transcortin: a corticosteroid-binding protein of plasma. XI. Effects of estrogens or pregnancy in guinea pigs.

Guinea pig plasma contains an ai-globulin that binds cortisol about one tenth as strongly as does human transcortin. Cortisol binding studies on this corticosteroid binding globulin (or transcortin) were carried out by equilibrium dialysis. Guinea pig transcortin has an intrinsic association constant for cortisol of 74 l/μmole at 5 C and is denatured at 60 C. Progesterone competes with cortisol for binding totranscortin. It is difficult to raise cortisol and transcortin concentrations consistently in guinea pigs with exogenous estrogen, but pregnancy induces a greater increase than has been seen in any other species examined to date. In the later stages of pregnancy (50–60 days), cortisol increases to about 8 times and transcortin to more than 6 times their respective normal concentrations. (Encocrinology 85: 825, 1969)
A robust adaptive control architecture with L ∞ transient and steady-state performance guarantees

In this paper, a new adaptive control architecture for nonlinear uncertain dynamical systems is developed to address the problem of high-gain adaptive control. Specifically, the proposed framework involves a new and novel controller architecture involving a modification term in the update law that minimizes an error criterion involving the distance between the weighted regressor vector and the weighted system error states. This modification term allows for fast adaptation without hindering system robustness. In particular, we show that the governing tracking closed-loop system error equation approximates a Hurwitz linear time-invariant dynamical system with L ∞ input-output signals. This key feature of our framework allows for robust stability analysis of the proposed adaptive control law using L 1 system theory. We further show that by properly choosing the design parameters in the modification term we can guarantee a desired bandwidth of the adaptive controller, guaranteed transient closed-loop performance, and an a priori characterization of the size of the ultimate bound of the closed-loop system trajectories.
Wr,p(R)-splines

Abstract In [3] Golomb describes, for 1 F ∗ of a function ƒ:E → R (i.e., the Hr,p-spline with knots in E) and studies the cone H ∗E r,p of all such splines. We study the problem of determining when F ∗ is in Wr,p ≡ Hr,p ∩ Lp. If F ∗ ϵ W r,p , then F ∗ is called a Wr,p-spline, and we denote by W ∗E r,p the cone of all such splines. If E is quasiuniform, then F ∗ ϵ W r,p if and only if {ƒ(t i )} t i ϵE ϵ l p . The cone W ∗E r,p with E quasiuniform is shown to be homeomorphic to lp. Similarly, H ∗E r,p is homeomorphic to hr,p. Approximation properties of the Wr,p-splines are studied and error bounds in terms of the mesh size ¦ E ¦ are calculated. Restricting ourselves to the case p = 2 and to quasiuniform partitions E, the second integral relation is proved and better error bounds in terms of ¦ E ¦ are derived.
Carbonyl Compounds Produced by the Growth of Lactobacillus bulgaricus

Abstract The carbonyl compounds produced by the growth of Lactobacillus bulgaricus on whey permeate supplemented with amino acids and on a defined medium were identified by reacting the media with 2,4-dinitrophenylhydrazine and separating the 2,4-dinitrophenylhydrazones by thin-layer chromatography. The 2,4-dinitrophenylhydrazones of ketoacids were reduced to the corresponding amino acids and identified by thin-layer chromatography. Compounds identified were ketoacids corresponding to alanine, valine, isoleucine, threonine, and histidine;acetaldehyde, propionaldehyde, butyraldehyde, valeraldehyde, benzaldehyde, phenylacetaldehyde, glyoxal, methylglyoxal, dihydroxyacetone, diacetyl, levulinic acid, and acetonylacetone.
Modulation of the folate receptor type β gene by coordinate actions of retinoic acid receptors at activator Sp1/ets and repressor AP-1 sites

Folate receptor (FR) type beta is a promising target for therapeutic intervention in acute myelogenous leukemia (AML) owing particularly to its specific up-regulation in AML cells by all-trans retinoic acid (ATRA). Here we identify functional elements in the FR-beta gene and examine the molecular mechanism of transcriptional induction of FR-beta by ATRA. The basal promoter activity of FR-beta resulted from synergistic interaction between Sp1 and ets binding sites (EBSs) and repression by upstream AP-1-like elements, whose action required EBSs. A minimal promoter containing the Sp1 and ets elements was ATRA-responsive. The repressor elements bound Fos family proteins; association of the proteins with the repressor elements correlated negatively with FR-beta expression in peripheral blood neutrophils and monocytes and also in KG-1 (AML) cells grown in the absence or in the presence of ATRA. Furthermore, down-regulation of FR-beta in KG-1 cells treated with O-tetradecanoylphorbol 13-acetate (TPA) was accompanied by increased AP-1 binding to the repressor elements. From chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) assays, the nuclear retinoic acid receptor alpha (RARalpha) associated with the Sp1 region, and RARs beta and gamma associated with the AP-1 and Sp1 regions; treatment of KG-1 cells with ATRA did not alter Sp1 binding but increased the association of RARalpha and decreased the association of RARs beta and gamma. ATRA also decreased RAR expression levels. The results suggest that the FR-beta gene is a target for multiple coordinate actions of nuclear receptors for ATRA directly and indirectly acting on a transcriptional complex containing activating Sp1/ets and inhibitory AP-1 proteins. The multiple mechanisms favor the prediction that ATRA will induce FR-beta expression in a broad spectrum of AML cells. Further, optimal FR-beta induction may be expected when all 3 RAR subtypes bind agonist.
Emergent treatment of button batteries in the esophagus: evolution of management and need for close second-look esophagoscopy.

OBJECTIVES: The evolving epidemiology of pediatric button battery ingestion is alarming. Currently, assessment of the degree of damage relies heavily on the initial esophagoscopy in a manner similar to the management of caustic ingestion. We have noted that use of this classic approach may delay the return to normal oral intake. Using several cases treated at our institution, we illustrate the value of "close second-look esophagoscopy" (CSLE) in expediting a return to normal oral intake after button battery ingestion. METHODS: We present a retrospective case series. RESULTS: Five patients (11 to 18 months of age) with button batteries trapped in the cervical esophagus were recently managed at our institution. The batteries were lodged in the esophagus for durations ranging from 6 hours to 4 months. Three cases of initial grade III circumferential necrotic injury were downgraded to grade IIa after a CSLE performed 2 to 4 days after removal, and their management was appropriately changed. CONCLUSIONS: The injury and healing of cases of button batteries in the proximal esophagus appear to be variable; caustic injury, electrical mucosal damage, and direct pressure are thought to be several contributory factors. Performing a CSLE within 2 to 4 days after battery removal may provide more useful prognostic information. In certain cases, downgrading of the injury may facilitate an earlier return to an oral diet, use of fewer diagnostic tests, and a shorter hospital stay. The utility and timing of imaging, management of diet and medications, and acceptable follow-up plans are discussed within the context of guiding future research. Language: en
Temperature dependence of rate constants derived from the power model of organic matter decomposition

Abstract The effect of temperature on decomposition rate parameters derived from the power model has not been addressed in the literature. The value of the first-order rate parameter ( k ) is discussed with respect to how organic matter heterogeneity affects the energetics of decomposition and potential temperature-time interactions, both of which are not included in the model. Calculated rate parameters from variable-temperature environments may not be linear over short time scales. Fitting the (linear) power model to such data would result in autocorrelation of model error terms, a violation of an important statistical assumption. Inclusion of a temperature variable in the model may alleviate this problem. Therefore, the power model in its original form may not be appropriate for describing the decomposition of organic matter in environments subject to temperature fluctuations.
PRICE UNCERTAINTY AND PRODUCTION‐LOCATION DECISIONS UNDER FREE ENTRY OLIGOPOLY*

. This paper departs from earlier work on location theory under uncertainty by considering an oligopoly case where the symmetric Cournot-Nash equilibrium of imperfectly competitive and identical firms are examined. It will be shown that once a Cournot competitive equilibrium is introduced, the demand function plays a central role in the choice of location, and the effects of changes in fixed costs, mean product price and price variability on the firm's optimum location and output are independent of absolute and/or relative risk aversion. These striking results are in sharp contrast with the well-known results obtained in previous contributions to the location literature.
The prophylaxis and treatment of anthrax

Bacillus anthracis infection can occur in three forms: cutaneous, gastrointestinal and inhalation depending on the mode of infection. Anthrax is a zoonotic disease but the inhalation form can also be used as a biological warfare agent. The recent mail spread outbreak of bioterrorism-related infections in the USA prompted the introduction of specific guidelines by the USA Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Postexposure prophylaxis is indicated to prevent inhalational anthrax, and therapy with ciprofloxacin or doxycycline is recommended for adults and children for 60 days. The same agents are also advocated for the treatment of inhalation anthrax. However, therapy with two or more antimicrobial agents that are predicted to be effective are recommended. Other agents with in vitro activity are also suggested for be use in conjunction with ciprofloxacin or doxycycline include rifampciin, vancomycin, imipenem, chloramphenicol, penicillin and ampicillin, clindamycin, and clarithromycin.
THE USE OF THYROID SUBSTANCE IN CERTAIN GASTROINTESTINAL DISTURBANCES

THYROID SUBSTANCE has proved of such benefit in certain gastrointestinal disturbances that it is felt this form of therapy deserves emphasis, particularly in view of the fact that many of these patients have submitted to surgery without benefit. This report is based on a study of 32 patients. The gastrointestinal symptoms complained of were: sour eructations, nausea, belching of gas, and distress in various parts of the abdomen. In addition to the symptoms enumerated, 24, or 75%, complained of periodic headache. The latter symptom was not as a rule accompanied by vomiting, aura, scotomata, or other symptoms found in migraine. That a close relationship existed between the headache and real migraine is shown by the fact that 19, or 59%, had a familial history of migraine. The abdominal distress in some patients simulated peptic ulcer, the pain coming on from ½ to 1 hours after meals. Sour eructations, belching of gas and nausea were also outstanding symptoms. Various forms of diet, including ulcer regimen w...
Variations in the uptake of 3H-norepinephrine during the rat estrous cycle.

Abstract The rates of 3 H-norepinephrine ( 3 H-NE) uptake into isolated nuclei-free homogenates from diencephalon were examined in freely cycling female rats of all phases of the estrous cycle. Four time points were investigated in each phase: 12:00, 14:00, 16:00 and 18:00 h. The proestrus and estrus animals displayed no change in uptake rates across the four time points. However, the metestrus and diestrus groups were found to undergo hour to hour variations in uptake rates. In the diestrus group, a significant rise in uptake of 22% was observed from 12:00 to 16:00 h. This increase was followed by a decrease of 21% by 18:00 h as compared to 16:00 h levels. Similarly, a slight increase in uptake was observed in the metustrus animals from 12:00 to 16:00 h. At 18:00 h a 40% decrease from the 16:00 h value was observed. An average of the mean levels of uptake of all phases was calculated for each time point. At 16:00 h an increase in the mean uptake of about 20% was observed when compared to either the 12:00 or the 18:00 h values. Since transmitter reuotake is the major means of terminating receptor activation or inhibition, it is suggested that the above variations in NE uptake may modulate synaptic activity and play a role in the regulation of behavioral and physiological aspects of the estrous cycle.
Exact and Approximate Algorithms for Scheduling Nonidentical Processors

Exact and approximate algorithms are presented for scheduling independent tasks in a multiprocessor environment in which the processors have different speeds. Dynamic programming type algorithms are presented which minimize finish time and weighted mean flow time on two processors. The generalization to m processors is direct. These algorithms have a worst-case complexity which is exponential in the number of tasks. Therefore approximation algorithms of low polynomial complexity are also obtained for the above problems. These algorithms are guaranteed to obtain solutions that are close to the optimal. For the case of minimizing mean flow time on m-processors an algorithm is given whose complexity is O(n log mn).
Optical scattering and backscattering by organic and inorganic particulates in U.S. coastal waters

We present the results of a study of optical scattering and backscattering of particulates for three coastal sites that represent a wide range of optical properties that are found in U.S. near-shore waters. The 6000 scattering and backscattering spectra collected for this study can be well approximated by a power-law function of wavelength. The power-law exponent for particulate scattering changes dramatically from site to site (and within each site) compared with particulate backscattering where all the spectra, except possibly the very clearest waters, cluster around a single wavelength power-law exponent of -0.94. The particulate backscattering-to-scattering ratio (the backscattering ratio) displays a wide range in wavelength dependence. This result is not consistent with scattering models that describe the bulk composition of water as a uniform mix of homogeneous spherical particles with a Junge-like power-law distribution over all particle sizes. Simultaneous particulate organic matter (POM) and particulate inorganic matter (PIM) measurements are available for some of our optical measurements, and site-averaged POM and PIM mass-specific cross sections for scattering and backscattering can be derived. Cross sections for organic and inorganic material differ at each site, and the relative contribution of organic and inorganic material to scattering and backscattering depends differently at each site on the relative amount of material that is present.
Cadmium isotopic composition in the ocean

Abstract The oceanic cycle of cadmium is still poorly understood, despite its importance for phytoplankton growth and paleoceanographic applications. As for other elements that are biologically recycled, variations in isotopic composition may bring unique insights. This article presents (i) a protocol for the measurement of cadmium isotopic composition (Cd IC) in seawater and in phytoplankton cells; (ii) the first Cd IC data in seawater, from two full depth stations, in the northwest Pacific and the northwest Mediterranean Sea; (iii) the first Cd IC data in phytoplankton cells, cultured in vitro. The Cd IC variation range in seawater found at these stations is not greater than 1.5 eCd/amu units, only slightly larger than the mean uncertainty of measurement (0.8 eCd/amu). Nevertheless, systematic variations of the Cd IC and concentration in the upper 300 m of the northwest Pacific suggest the occurrence of Cd isotopic fractionation by phytoplankton uptake, with a fractionation factor of 1.6 ± 1.4 eCd/amu units. This result is supported by the culture experiment data suggesting that freshwater phytoplankton (Chlamydomonas reinhardtii and Chlorella sp.) preferentially take up light Cd isotopes, with a fractionation factor of 3.4 ± 1.4 eCd/amu units. Systematic variations of the Cd IC and hydrographic data between 300 and 700 m in the northwest Pacific have been tentatively attributed to the mixing of the mesothermal (temperature maximum) water (eCd/amu = −0.9 ± 0.8) with the North Pacific Intermediate Water (eCd/amu = 0.5 ± 0.8). In contrast, no significant Cd IC variation is found in the northwest Mediterranean Sea. This observation was attributed to the small surface Cd depletion by phytoplankton uptake and the similar Cd IC of the different water masses found at this site. Overall, these data suggest that (i) phytoplankton uptake fractionates Cd isotopic composition to a measurable degree (fractionation factors of 1.6 and 3.4 eCd/amu units, for the in situ and culture experiment data, respectively), (ii) an open ocean profile of Cd IC shows upper water column variations consistent with preferential uptake and regeneration of light Cd isotopes, and (iii) different water masses may have different Cd IC. This isotopic system could therefore provide information on phytoplankton Cd uptake and on water mass trajectories and mixing in some areas of the ocean. However, the very small Cd IC variations found in this study indicate that applications of Cd isotopic composition to reveal aspects of the present or past Cd oceanic cycle will be very challenging and may require further analytical improvements. Better precision could possibly be obtained with larger seawater samples, a better chemical separation of tin and a more accurate mass bias correction through the use of the double spiking technique.
In search of pharmacological optimism: Investigating beliefs about effects of drugs: A pilot study

The healthcare (HC) literature suggests that pharmacological optimism (PO) is a risk factor contributing to the initiation of substance use by HC professionals. Expectancies, or beliefs about the effects of alcohol and illicit drugs, have shown consistent relations with self-reported drug use across a number of populations. This preliminary study investigated if the domain of expectancies extends to prescription drugs (i.e. medications) or the misuse of licit drugs. A self-report cross-sectional survey was administered to pharmacy and nursing (healthcare) as well as other college undergraduate and graduate students (nonhealthcare) from third to sixth years (N = 401). Healthcare (HC) and nonhealthcare (NHC) college students completed a questionnaire assessing drug use, the pharmacological optimism (POS) and the willingness to use scales (POS). Using principal components analysis, the POS yielded four identifiable factors. The results of the present pilot study provide limited support for the reliability an...
Using administrative databases to evaluate the quality of medical care: A conceptual framework

Health care is consuming an ever larger share of national resources in the United States. Measures to contain costs and evidence of unexplained variation in patient outcomes have led to concern about inadequacy in the quality of health care. As a measure of quality, the evaluation of hospitals through analysis of their discharge databases has been suggested because of the scope and economy offered by this methodology. However, the value of the information obtained through these analyses has been questioned because of the inadequacy of the clinical data contained in administrative databases and the resultant inability to control accurately for patient variation. We suggest, however, that the major shortcoming of prior attempts to use large databases to perform across-facility evaluation has resulted from the lack of a conceptual framework to guide the analysis. We propose a framework which identifies component areas and clarifies the underlying assumptions of the analytic process. For each area, criteria are identified which will maximize the validity of the results. Hospitals identified as having unexpectedly high unfavorable outcomes when our framework is applied will be those where poor quality will most likely be found by primary review of the process of care.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)