cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Can Contract Theory Explain Social Preferences

During the last several decades, a growing body of laboratory research has shown that human subjects do not always choose to maximize material payoffs. Economists following the lead of psychologists Daniel Kahneman and Amos Tversky (1979) and Mathew Rabin (1993) have built on such research to suppose that individuals are concerned about the distribution of material rewards between themselves and others as well as with personal payoffs. (Ernst Fehr and Klaus Schmidt (1999)) An alternative approach, suggested by Elizabeth Hoffman, Kevin McCabe and Vernon Smith (1996) argues that subjects in the laboratory perceive the situation as one with the potential for future interaction, and their behavior is motivated by a preference for reciprocity. Both approaches capitalize on the power of psychology to enhance our understanding of economic exchanges between particular people in specific laboratory conditions. Yet the converging interest of psychology and economics in systems of rewards and social preferences has depth and breadth, dating at least as far back as Adam Smith in his The Theory of Moral Sentiments (1759). The convergence today is marked by precise research on the degree of the effectiveness of incentives, but also in quantifying the role of trust, fairness, honesty, and other attributes in helping people in such important goals as curtailing harmful drinking, smoking, and eating habits and learning to interact more rewardingly with partners, friends, and colleagues. Economists have supposed that individuals maximize rewards not because they believe that people do so in every case, but because the maximizing supposition provides a useful unified model of behavior that may guide the design of better economic institutions. The model helps not only in rationalizing the profit motive, but in explaining how even successful institutions may be destabilized
Use and misuse of conventional electrodiagnosis, quantitative sensory testing, thermography, and nerve blocks in the evaluation of painful neuropathic syndromes

A number of laboratory tests are critically important in the quest to diagnose presence or absence of organic neuropathic dysfunction and to establish the relevance of such to the subjective pain complaints. However, none of these tests has absolute diagnostic value and their results must be interpreted in the light of the clinical picture. Conventional electrophysiology evaluates function of large caliber afferent and motor fibers leaving the function of small caliber afferent fibers unexplored, and cannot explore the basis for positive sensory phenomena. The quantitative somatosensory thermotest is the best test available to explore function of small caliber afferents. It allows documentation of positive sensory phenomena in the form of thermal hyperalgesia. Because it is a psychophysical test, it lacks localizing value. Thermography sensitively detects and precisely delineates areas of cutaneous thermal change of neural origin. Three types of diagnostic neurologic blocks are used in the clinic: compression-ischemia, local anesthetic and sympathetic blocks. Although they may provide important information about the pathophysiology of pain and hyperalgesias, adequate placebo control is of the essence because chronic neuropathic pain patients may express a high incidence of placebo response.
Monoaxial distraction of ulna to second metacarpal followed by single bone forearm in massive post infective radial bone loss.

Introduction: Radial bone loss associated with gross manus valgus deformity can be managed by open reduction internal fixation using intervening strut bone graft, callus distraction using ring or monoaxial fixator, and achieving union by distraction histogenesis. These methods are particularly suitable when bone loss is small. Single or staged procedure is described for congenital as well as in acquired extensive bone loss of radius. Distraction through radial proximal to distal segments, to achieve reduction of distal radio-ulnar joint (DRUJ), is also described in acquired cases. In the present series, functional results of distraction through ulna to 2 nd metacarpal is studied alongwith, functional status of hand, stability of wrist, level of patient's satisfaction are also studied. Materials and Methods: 7 unilateral cases of radial loss (M = 5, F = 2) affecting 4 right hands of mean age 17 years (range 9 to 24 years) were included in this study. They were treated by distracting through ulna to 2 nd metacarpal to achieve DRUJ alignment in first stage. Subsequently ulna was osteotomised and translated to distal stump of radius. It was then fixed to the distal radial remnant in 30° pronation in dominant and 30° supination non dominant hands. Results: Union was achieved in all cases associated with beneficial cross union of distal ulna. Hand functions improved near to normal, with fully corrected stable wrist joint, hypertrophied ulna and without recurrence. All of them had practically complete loss of forearm rotations, however patients were fully satisfied. Conclusion: This method is particularly suitable when associated with 6 cm or more radial bone loss. But when loss is small, sacrifice of one bone may not be justifiable.
Thermal energization of ions during impulsive field events

In plasmas rapid thermal energization can result when sharp impulses occur within ambient fields. A familiar example of impulsive fields occurs in the ion pick-up mechanism when newly-ionized particles in the presence of ambient electric and magnetic fields suddenly gain substantial gyrational energy. Motions of ions in the presence of a magnetic field can similarly be disrupted by sudden impulsive changes in local electric fields over timescales shorter than the local ion cyclotron period. Impulsive external forces violate adiabatic invariants of motion, abruptly altering the distribution of kinetic energy and providing a mechanism for the transfer of energy from E × B drift into ion gyrational motion. Orbit integration shows order of magnitude increases in the particle thermal energy when the initial gyration speed is small compared to impulsive changes in the drift speed. On average, small random impulses increase the gyration speed, energizing and broadening ion velocity-space distributions. This process will be shown to have an important influence on the outflux of warm ions from the magnetosphere.
Infectivity, fecundity, and survival of Nematospiroides dubius in gnotobiotic mice.

Nematospiroides dubius infections were produced and studied in germfree, gnotobiotic (monoassociated with a Lactobacillus), and conventional mice in three experiments. These mice were infected with axenic N. dubius larvae and were sacrificed at 2, 4, and 6 weeks after exposure. Observations made included numbers of adult N. dubius and parasitic nodules in the small intestine, and numbers of eggs in uteri in selected female N. dubius and in fecal material. Significantly (P < 0.05) more N. dubius were found in conventional than in germfree or gnotobiotic mice examined 4 and 6 weeks after exposure. Gnotobiotic mice tended to have more N. dubius than germfree mice by 6 weeks after exposure but these differences were not statistically significant in all comparisons. Increasing the time period between monoassociation with Lactobacillus and exposure to N. dubius appeared to favor the development and survival of the parasite. More parasitic nodules were observed in germfree than in conventional hosts in all comparisons. Numbers of nodules in gnotobiotic mice tended to be greater than in conventional, but less than in germfree hosts. Egg production of N. dubius was greater in conventional than germfree mice, while that in gnotobiotic mice occupied an intermediate position.
Trapping of glutamate and glycine during open channel block of rat hippocampal neuron NMDA receptors by 9-aminoacridine

1. N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor responses were recorded from rat hippocampal neurons grown in dissociated culture, using whole-cell, outside-out and nucleated patch recording techniques. Rapid perfusion was used to study voltage-dependent block of NMDA receptors by 9-aminoacridine (9-AA) and by Mg2+. 2. Large amplitude tail currents were evoked on depolarization to +60 mV after application at -100 mV of NMDA and 9-AA but not NMDA and Mg2+. These tail currents were resistant to block by competitive antagonists to the glutamate and glycine binding sites on NMDA receptors and were not evoked when either NMDA or 9-AA were applied alone. 3. The decay kinetics of the tail current were dependent on agonist affinity; the time required for 80% charge transfer was 10-fold briefer for NMDA than for glutamate and 7-fold briefer for L-alanine than for glycine. These results are in accord with a sequential model for block of NMDA receptors by 9-AA, in which neither glutamate nor glycine can dissociate from the open-blocked state of the receptor. 4. Tail current responses had amplitudes 2- to 4-fold larger than responses to maximally effective concentrations of glutamate and glycine, indicating that NMDA receptor channels accumulate in the open-blocked state during co-application of agonist and 9-AA. The rise time and decay kinetics of tail current responses were faster than the response to brief applications of a maximally effective concentration of glutamate. Together, these results suggest that at +60 mV recovery from block by 9-AA occurs faster than the rate of opening of NMDA receptors in response to glutamate. 5. Our experiments suggest that open channel block of NMDA receptors can provide a novel approach for measurement of both open probability and the first latency distribution for ion channel opening in response to the binding of agonists, and provide additional evidence suggesting that the delayed opening of NMDA receptor channels underlies slow activation and deactivation of responses to glutamate.
Curcumin inhibits Homocysteine-induced endothelial dysfunction in porcine coronary arteries

Abstract Background. Curcumin, a yellow polyphenolic compound from the plant Curcuma ionga, has anti-tumor, anti-inflammatory, and anti-oxidant activities. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of curcumin on homocysteine (HCY)-induced endothelial dysfunction and superoxide anion production in a porcine coronary artery model. Methods. Five-millimeter porcine coronary artery rings from 8 hearts were incubated for 24 h as either controls, with HCY (50 μM), curcumin (5 μM), or a combination of curcumin (5 μM) and HCY (50 μM). Following this, vasomotor function was analyzed with a myograph device in response to thromboxane A 2 analogue U466419, bradykinin, and sodium nitroprusside (SNP), respectively. Additionally, superoxide anion production was determined by lucigenin-enhanced chemiluminescence assay. Results. All groups of porcine coronary artery rings showed no difference in maximal contraction in response to U46619. However, endothelium-dependent relaxation (bradykin) was 40% in the HCY-treated group as compared to 73% in controls ( P = 0.03, n = 8). The curcumin plus HCY group showed a significant improvement of endothelium-dependent relaxation as compared to the HCY-treated group ( P = 0.04), but no difference over controls. Curcumin alone showed no difference with controls. All groups showed no difference in endothelium-independent relaxation. Superoxide levels was 13.3 ± 2.1 RLU/s/mm 2 in control vessels, 40.5 ± 8.7 RLU/s/mm 2 in HCY-treated vessels, 20.0 ± 2.2 RLU/s/mm 2 in curcumin treated vessels, and 10.0 ± 1.9 RLU/s/mm 2 in HCY plus curcumin-treated vessels. Conclusion. These results show that curcumin effectively reverses the endothelial dysfunction induced by HCY. Additionally, curcumin also significantly decreases HCY-induced superoxide production. This study may suggest a therapeutic role of dietary curcumin for patients with hyperhomocysteinemia, thereby reducing cardiovascular morbidity and mortality.
Oxidation of hydrogen sulfide by hydrous Fe(III) oxides in seawater

The rate of oxidation of hydrogen sulfide by hydrous Fe(III) oxides has been determined as a function of pH (4.0–8.5), temperature (5–45 °C) and ionic strength (0–4 m) in seawater. The effect of the major ions (Ca2+, Mg2+, SO42−, B(OH)4− and HCO4−), minor solutes (PO43−, Si(OH)4, NH4+ and Mn2+) and some organic ligands (EDTA, Tris, oxalate, humic acid and fulvic acid) on the rates of oxidation was examined. The overall rate constant, k, is first order with respect to both hydrogen sulfide and hydrous Fe(III) oxides: −d[H2S]Tdt = k[H2S]T [Fe(OH)3(s)] The rate constant, k, for seawater (S = 36, pH = 8.0) at 25 °C is 1.48 × 102 M−1 min−1 or 0.0138 m−2 1 min−1 when [Fe(OH)3(s)] is expressed in surface area (m21). The apparent activation energy was found to be 4.5 ± 0.2 kJ mol−1. The oxidation rate is strongly dependent on pH with a maximum near 6.5. The pH dependence of the oxidation rate can be adequately described by the reaction pathways including the formation of surface complexes between sulfide species and surface sites of Fe(OH)3(s), followed by electron transfer. The major divalent ions (SO42−, Mg2+ and Ca2+) decrease the reaction rate with the effect of SO42− being greater than Mg2+ and Ca2+. Phosphate and silicate inhibit the reaction significantly due to the adsorption on the particle surface. The reactivity of Fe(OH)3(s) is highly dependent on the condition of its formation. Some organic ligands such as EDTA and Tris can enhance the Fe(II)–Fe(III) redox cycle. The dominant product from the oxidation of H2S by Fe(OH)3(s) is elemental sulfur (S °).
Neutrophil Rolling on Patches of Selectin

For a neutrophil to reach an infection site, it circulates through the blood, adheres to the blood vessel wall, initially rolling, then adhering firmly; finally, the neutrophil actively passes through the wall. The initial rolling of a neutrophil is primarily mediated by adhesion of receptors on the neutrophil to selectins on the blood vessel wall. A neutrophil has hundreds of surface protrusions called microvilli, "little fingers"; most of the adhesion receptors involved in initial rolling are situated on the tips of microvilli. Here, I present theoretical analysis showing that the dynamics of a rolling neutrophil are qualitatively different depending on whether its microvilli are typically bound with single or multiple receptors. The role of multiple binding on a single microvillus increases with the surface concentration of selectin, up to a limit. P-selectin is ordinarily stored in granules in an endothelial cell, and released in patches on the cell membrane during inflammation. There is some experimental evidence suggesting additionally that patches of P-selectin are concentrated near the boundaries of endothelial cells. Here, a numerical model of neutrophil rolling which accounts for discrete receptor-ligand interactions is used to show how patchy distribution of P-selectin can promote neutrophil arrest and direct neutrophils to boundaries of endothelial cells, facilitating extravasation.
Barrier height diminution in Schottky diodes due to electrostatic screening

Electrostatic screening in the metal contact of a Schottky (metal-semiconductor) diode is shown to influence the calculated electrical characteristics of the diode. A thin space-charge layer is formed at the surface of the metal contact by capacitively induced free charges, This results in a voltage dependent diminution of the barrier height of the diode that increases in magnitude with increasing semiconductor dielectric constant and carrier concentration. Predicted values of the barrier height diminution exceed those attributed to image forces or tunneling effects for materials with dielectric constants greater than about 20. In diodes using semiconducting ferroelectric or piezoelectric materials, an additional diminution of the barrier height results from free charges induced in the metal contact by a remanent polarization field or an externally applied mechanical stress. Current-voltage characteristics of a metal-semiconductor diode are shown to be significantly influenced by the electrostatic screening effect. A soft breakdown current as opposed to saturation current is predicted for reverse biases while an exponential forward current with an η coefficient exceeding unity is predicted for forward biases. Photoemission characteristics are also affected. A voltage-dependent diminution of the threshold energy for photoresponse is predicted. Capacitance-voltage characteristics, on the other hand, differ only slightly from those of an ideal Schottky diode except in the case of a ferroelectric diode where excessively large screening effects are possible.
Nature of Life Events and Difficulties in Depressed Adolescents

ABSTRACT Objective To examine the significance of acute life events and ongoing difficulties in adolescents with a recent major depressive disorder. Method Adolescents (aged 13–18 years) with a recent episode of major depressive disorder based on DSM-III-R(n = 26) and normal controls free of any Axis I lifetime psychiatric disorder ( n = 15) were assessed using the investigator-based Life Events and Difficulties Schedule (LEDS). Results Traditionally defined severe events were more likely to occur in the year prior to onset among depressed adolescents (46%) than in a comparable period among normal controls (20%), but these differences did not reach statistical significance. Expanding the definition of severe events to include those events focused on others important to the adolescent resulted in a significantly higher percentage of depressed adolescents having one or more refined "severe" events in the year prior to onset (62%) compared with normal controls (27%) ( p ± .02). It is interesting that one half of the depressed adolescents had two or more refined severe events occur during the year prior to onset compared with none of the normal controls ( p ± .01). Further analyses showed that depressed adolescents were significantly more likely to have a major difficulty precede the onset of their depression (27%) compared with normal controls (0%) ( p ± .04). Conclusions The results suggest that depressed adolescents are exposed to high levels of stress prior to becoming depressed. Future investigations might benefit from using the LEDS with adolescents to assess acute and ongoing stressors. J. Am. Acad. Child Adolesc. Psychiatry, 1998, 37(10):1049–1057.
New Better than Used and Other Concepts for a Class of Life Distributions

It is well-known that the inequalities used in the definition of the New Better than Used (N. B. U.) and the New Better than Used in Expectation (N.B.U.E.) concepts, see BARLOW and PROSCHAN (1965, 1975) become equalities if, and only if, the life length of an organism follows an exponential distribution. It is proved in the present paper that these inequalities also reduce to equalities for the class of life distributions that have the “setting the clock back to zero” property. Simple examples of these distributions include the exponential, the linear hazard exponential and the Gompertz distributions. The General Krane distributions (Krane 1963) belong to this class, as well as a recent model introduced by CHIANG and CONFORTI (1989) of a survival distribution in which the hazard rate is a function of the accumulated effect of an individual's continuous exposure to the toxic material in the environment and his biological reaction to the toxin absorbed. As a simple application of the result proved in the paper, the life expectancy of an organism at age γ0 involved in the N.B.U.E. concept is evaluated for the Gompertzian growth process and for the Chiang and Conforti model.
Broadband diffuse optical spectroscopy assessment of hemorrhage- and hemoglobin-based blood substitute resuscitation

Hemoglobin-based oxygen carriers HBOCs are solutions of cell-free hemoglobin Hb that have been developed for replace- ment or augmentation of blood transfusion. It is important to monitor in vivo tissue hemoglobin content, total tissue hemoglobin THb, oxy- and deoxy-hemoglobin concentrations OHb, RHb, and tis- sue oxygen saturation StO2=OHb/THb100% to evaluate ef- fectiveness of HBOC transfusion. We designed and constructed a broadband diffuse optical spectroscopy DOS prototype system to measure bulk tissue absorption and scattering spectra between 650 and 1000 nm capable of accurately determining these tissue hemo- globin component concentrations in vivo. Our purpose was to assess the feasibility of using DOS to optically monitor tissue OHb, RHb, StO2, and total tissue hemoglobin concentration THb=OHb +RHb during HBOC infusion using a rabbit hypovolemic shock model. The DOS prototype probe was placed on the shaved inner thigh muscle of the hind leg to assess concentrations of OHb, RHb, THb, as well as StO2. Hemorrhagic shock was induced in intubated New Zealand white rabbits N=6 by withdrawing blood via a femo- ral arterial line to 20% blood loss 10-15 cc/kg. Hemoglobin glutamer-200 Hb-200 1:1 volume resuscitation was administered following the hemorrhage. These values were compared against tra- ditional invasive measurements, serum hemoglobin concentration sHGB, systemic blood pressure, heart rate, and blood gases. DOS revealed increases of THb, OHb, and tissue hemoglobin oxygen saturation after Hb-200 infusion, while blood total hemoglobin values continued did not increase; we speculate, due to hyperosmolality in- duced hemodilution. DOS enables noninvasive in vivo monitoring of tissue hemoglobin and oxygenation parameters during shock and vol- ume expansion with HBOC and potentially enables the assessment of efficacy of resuscitation efforts using artificial blood substitutes. © 2009
Comparison of cardiac displacement and strain imaging using ultrasound radiofrequency and envelope signals

Echocardiographic strain imaging is a promising new method for quantifying and displaying the health of cardiac muscle. Accurate regional myocardial function analysis requires high spatial and temporal resolution in addition to fidelity to the underlying deformation. However, all current clinical approaches use speckle-tracking algorithms applied to B-mode images derived from envelope signals. Such approaches are inherently of lower spatial resolution, since they require larger data blocks for deformation tracking due to the absence of phase information. In this paper, we compare the strain estimation performance using B-mode, envelope and radiofrequency signals, utilizing data acquired from a uniformly elastic tissue mimicking phantom, cardiac simulation, and clinical in vivo data. Signal-to-noise ratio improvements using radiofrequency signals for linear and phased array geometries were 5.80 dB and 9.48 dB over that obtained with envelope signals (at peak strain) in phantom studies, respectively. Cardiac simulation studies demonstrate that when averaged over the two cardiac cycles, the mean standard deviation of estimated strain using envelope signals from two of the six segments for a short-axes view (anterior and anterolateral) were 48% and 44% higher than that obtained using radiofrequency signals. These segments were chosen since one was along while the other was situated lateral to the beam propagation direction. In a similar manner, in vivo analysis on a volunteer also indicate that the standard deviation of the estimated strain using B-mode and envelope signals were 16% and 42% higher than that obtained using radiofrequency signals in the anteroseptal segment, and 45% and 27% in the anterior segment. These results demonstrate the significant reduction in the variability of strain estimated along with improvements in the spatial resolution and signal-to-noise ratios obtained using radiofrequency signals.
Cloning and characterization of the ionotropic GABA receptor subunit ρ1 from pig (Sus scrofa)

Abstract Since human and pig eyes have remarkably anatomical and physiological similitudes swine models have been broadly used for functional studies and therapeutic research. Recently, a GABAρ-mediated relaxation of retinal vascularity suggested that GABAρ signaling may be used to improve retinal blood flow in vascular-driven impaired vision, and a further molecular characterization of GABAρ receptors would be beneficial. However, none of the GABAρ type subunits from pigs has been yet cloned; Among the 19 subunits that compose the family of GABAA receptors, ρ1–3 subunits are capable of forming homomeric channels. These homomeric receptors are particularly interesting because their pharmacological and kinetic properties are notably different from receptors composed by other GABAA subunits. Here we report the cloning of the GABAρ1subunit from the pig and the functional expression of homomeric channels in Xenopus oocytes. The most notable difference found in the pig GABAρ1 receptor was the absence of a stretch of 17 amino acids near the amino terminus (R41–V58) conserved in the rat and the human. This sequence has a higher nucleotidic match with the transcript variant 2 of the human GABAρ1 subunit. Xenopus oocytes injected with cRNA from the receptor generated currents when exposed to GABA that shared all the characteristics of other GABAρ1 subunits in mammals, including its modulation by dopamine. This study will help to increase the knowledge of the genetics of the pig, further the understanding of this important neurotransmitter receptor family and will shed some light in the evolution of these genes among mammals.
Factoring positive operators on reproducing kernel Hilbert spaces

We characterize when positive operators can be factored by “analytic Toeplitz” type operators. As a corollary, we give an operator theory characterization of those invariant subspaces of doubly commuting unilateral shifts, which are generated by a single inner function on the bidisk. The last result extends to shifts of arbitrary (countable) multiplicity.
A Novel Structure and Experimental Procedure for Nanocalorimetry

Calorimetry is the process of quantifying internal energy changes as a result of temperature changes, in which enthalpy is a measure of the internal energy. Differential calorimetry has been around for about half a century and has been primarily adopted to eliminate the unknown sources of heat losses from the “test” structure by introducing a “reference” structure, e.g. [1]. Over the past decade, the need for small-scale measurements have led to the development of MEMS based differential calorimetry techniques, e.g. [2], which is an ideal platform to satisfy the requirements for fabrication of identical “reference” and “test” structures. However, one should be cautious that the “identical” geometry and dimension are only the required but not necessarily the sufficient condition, in this approach. Indeed, the necessary and sufficient condition to achieve the highest resolution and accuracy is for the “test” and “reference” structures to have identical thermal “footprint” and “behavior”.Copyright © 2005 by ASME
Productivity and Pms

Premenstrual syndrome (PMS) influences the productivity of the female worker. The symptoms and effects of PMS are numerous, varying in intensity and differing by individual. This paper presents a brief review of current PMS literature and the results of a written questionnaire. Forty females were surveyed. Sixty-five percent of the respondents reported that their physical performance decreased fifty-four percent of the time due to PMS. In addition, respondents reported that their level of concentration during mental work decreased fifty-four percent of the time because of PMS.
A Practical Power Maximization Design Guide for Piezoelectric Energy Harvesters Inspired by Avian Bio-Loggers

Vibrational energy harvesting has been the subject of significant recent research, and has even begun commercial deployment. Despite the research community’s understanding of the fundamental mechanics of piezoelectric systems under base excitation, proper design methods and guidelines for applied systems are nonexistent. This leaves engineers with the options of either using non-ideal beams, or developing complex heuristic computational design programs. Such options are untenable given the state of research. We seek to answer a relatively simple question: Given mass, frequency, and size requirements, what would be the dimensions of the ideal bimorph harvester? By using approximations for the first natural frequency and mode shape, we are able to determine the unknown beam dimensions and modal parameters in terms of the system requirements and material properties. The result is a power equation that only depends on relative piezoelectric material thickness, and the mechanical damping ratio. With only two dependent variables, the equations can be swept in order to find the ideal beam geometry for any given damping ratio. In addition to presenting this method, two design case studies are provided as examples.Copyright © 2012 by ASME
Portal hypertension in childhood.

SYNOPSIS All cases of portal hypertension seen at the Adelaide Children's Hospital over a 19-year period have been studied. The causes were noted, and the cases placed in one of two groups: pre- or postsinusoidal. The results showed that the two groups differed in their mode of presentation and in the results of investigations. This condition is rare in childhood and the prognosis is poor, but in patients with the presinusoidal type of obstruction in whom a shunt procedure was performed, the prognosis was better when the operation could be delayed unil late childhood or early adolescence.
Analysis and design of diversity schemes for ad hoc wireless networks

Diversity schemes permit efficient communication over fading channels but are often hard to analyze and design in networks with many nodes. For Rayleigh-fading channels, there exists an interesting relationship between resistive circuits and time and path diversity mechanisms in wireless ad hoc networks. A resistor-like network element, the erristor, representing the normalized noise-to-signal ratio, is introduced. Given an end-to-end packet delivery probability, the logarithmic mapping from link reception probabilities to erristor values greatly simplifies the problems of power allocation and the selection of time and path diversity schemes, which is illustrated in a number of examples. We focus on transmission strategies with selection combining and simple noncoherent "decode-and-forward" strategies, which is motivated by their practicality. Thanks to its conceptual simplicity, the formalism that is developed provides valuable insight into the benefits of diversity mechanisms.
Adsorption Equilibrium and Kinetics of Microorganisms on Single-Wall Carbon Nanotubes

Adsorption equilibrium and kinetics of pure and mixed cultures of Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus on single-walled carbon nanotubes (CNT) aggregates were studied in an effort to develop CNT-based biosensors for quick detection of these bacteria in water. Batch experiments were carried out to measure the adsorption kinetics and equilibrium of pure and mixed culture of E. coli and S. aureus on the CNT aggregates at ambient temperature and various culture concentrations. The CNT aggregates can adsorb significant amounts of E. coli and S. aureus bacteria with different size and shape characteristics. The smaller size S. aureus has a five to ten times faster diffusion rate than E. coli and about 100 times higher adsorption affinity with the carbon nanotube aggregates. Freundlich adsorption model correlates well both the pure component and mixture adsorption equilibrium data. It is quite possible the CNT aggregates have separate adsorption sites for both E. coli and S. aureus. The combined high adsorption affinity and fast adsorption kinetics for S. aureus suggest that even unmodified single-wall carbon nanotubes can selectively differentiate S. aureus and E. coli in water. Transmission electron microscopic analysis qualitatively confirmed the adsorption results and provides direct visualization of the adsorbed bacteria on carbon nanotube aggregates. Both bacteria form biofilms on carbon nanotube aggregates and have a strong tendency to connect with each other rather than with the carbon surface.
Apoptosis in erythroid progenitors deprived of erythropoietin occurs during the G1 and S phases of the cell cycle without growth arrest or stabilization of wild-type p53.

Abstract Erythropoietin (Epo) inhibits apoptosis in murine proerythroblasts infected with the anemia-inducing strain of Friend virus (FVA cells). We have shown that the apoptotic process in FVA cell populations deprived of Epo is asynchronous as a result of a heterogeneity in Epo dependence among individual cells. Here we investigated whether apoptosis in FVA cells correlated with cell cycle phase or stabilization of p53 tumor suppressor protein. DNA analysis in nonapoptotic FVA cell subpopulations cultured without Epo demonstrated little change in the percentages of cells in G1,S, and G2/M phases over time. Analysis of the apoptotic subpopulation revealed high percentages of cells in G1 and S, with few cells in G2/M at any time. When cells were sorted from G1 and S phases prior to culture without Epo, apoptotic cells appeared at the same rate in both populations, indicating that no prior commitment step had occurred in either G1 or S phase. Steady-state wild-type p53 protein levels were very low in FVA cells compared with control cell lines and did not accumulate in Epo-deprived cultures; however, p53 protein did accumulate when FVA cells were treated with the DNA-damaging agent actinomycin D. These data indicate that erythroblast apoptosis caused by Epo deprivation (i) occurs throughout G1 and S phases and does not require cell cycle arrest, (ii) does not have a commitment event related to cell cycle phase, and (iii) is not associated with conformational changes or stabilization of wild-type p53 protein.
Bacterial periplasmic permeases belong to a family of transport proteins operating from Escherichia coli to human: Traffic ATPases

Bacterial periplasmic transport systems are complex permeases composed of a soluble substrate-binding receptor and a membrane-bound complex containing 2-4 proteins. Recent developments have clearly demonstrated that these permeases are energized by the hydrolysis of ATP. Several in vitro systems have allowed a detailed study of the essential parameters functioning in these permeases. Several of the component proteins have been shown to interact with each other and the actual substrate for the transport process has been shown to be the liganded soluble receptor. The affinity of this substrate for the membrane complex is approximately 10 microM. The involvement of ATP in energy coupling is mediated by one of the proteins in the membrane complex. For each specific permease, this protein is a member of a family of conserved proteins which bind ATP. The similarity between the members of this family is high and extends itself beyond the consensus motifs for ATP binding. Interestingly, over the last few years, several eukaryotic membrane-bound proteins have been discovered which bear a high level of homology to the family of the conserved components of bacterial periplasmic permeases. Most of these proteins are known to, or can be inferred to participate in a transport process, such as in the case of the multidrug resistance protein (MDR), the STE6 gene product of yeast, and possibly the cystic fibrosis protein. This homology suggests a similarity in the mechanism of action and possibly a common evolutionary origin. This exciting development will stimulate progress in both the prokaryotic and eukaryotic areas of research by the use of overlapping procedures and model building. We propose that this universal class of permeases be called 'Traffic ATPases' to distinguish them from other types of transport systems, and to highlight their involvement in the transport of a vast variety of substrates in either direction relative to the cell interior and their use of ATP as energy source.
Impact of endograft design and product line on the device cost of endovascular aneurysm repair

Objective Device cost is a substantial component of the overall cost of endovascular abdominal aneurysm repair (EVAR), and the four commercially available devices differ significantly in the cost of their basic configuration. This study examined the impact of three different endografts and their product lines on the overall cost of repair. Methods Implant records of 467 EVAR procedures performed during 2000 through 2006 were reviewed. The three devices used were the AneuRx in 178 (38.1%; Medtronic, Santa Rosa, Ca), the Excluder in 123 (26.3%; W. L. Gore & Associates, Flagstaff, Ariz), and the Zenith in 166 (35.5%; the Cook Zenith (Bloomington, Ind). The Powerlink device (Endologix, Irvine, Calif) was not studied. The specific device implanted was determined by its commercial availability at the time of repair, patient anatomy, and surgeon preference. Retail list prices were used for all calculations, and only devices used during the original repair were used for analysis. Results The device cost of the most basic configuration for repair (ie, 2 pieces for AneuRx and Excluder, 3 pieces for Zenith) differed by $3022 between the most expensive (Zenith) to the least expensive (AneuRx). However, the AneuRx system required the most number of extensions (1.90 ± 1.25 per case; range, 0-7), whereas the Zenith required the fewest (0.21 ± 0.51 per case; range, 0-3). When the costs of the extensions were added, the overall mean device costs per case were similar. Conclusion The initial cost advantage of the AneuRx and Excluder endograft systems were offset by the more frequent need for proximal and distal extensions. The minimum device cost of a basic repair should not factor into the decision to select one specific device over another because additional devices may be required depending on the design and construction of the endograft system and the accuracy and reliability of their deployment mechanisms.
Performing Development in Street Markets: Hegemony, Governmentality, and the Qat Industry of Sana’a, Yemen

: A legal drug commonly consumed in Yemen, qat is often a flashpoint over development and business practice. Qat markets are sites for exploring the interaction between cultural economic practices surrounding qat production, urban politics, and broader questions of development in Yemen. Given the weakness of the Yemeni state relative to other institutions, this context is particularly helpful in theorizing localized forms of governance. Using interviews with various members of the qat industry in Sana’a, Yemen's largest city, this paper discusses the spatial and discursive strategies of qat vendors as they seek to produce and regulate their economic spaces. Central to this discussion is an exploration of Laclau's framework of hegemony and Foucault's ideas of governmentality, in the context of struggles for control over economic space playing out on the streets of Sana’a.
Reconciling environment integration and component independence

We present an approach that eases the design and evolution of integrated environments by increasing independence among components. Our approach combines mediators, which localize relationships, and a general event mechanism, which increases the independence of components from relationships in which they participate. To clarify our notion of independence and its relationship to evolution, we analyze four designs for a simple environment. The first three show how common approaches compromise independence in various ways. The fourth design demonstrates how our approach overcomes these problems. Our event mechanism is specially designed to support integration and evolution. We discuss detailed aspects of mediators and events by presenting three environments we have built. Our approach has also given us significant insights into other related systems.
The ovarian dysgenesis normally induced by neonatal thymectomy is prevented by the prior administration of estrogen.

Chapman JC, Griffin WJ, Vassalo MF, Michael SD. The ovarian dysgenesis normally induced by neonatal thymectomy is prevented by the prior administration of estrogen. AJRI 1995 ; 34 :195-199 © Munksgaard, Copenhagen PROBLEM : Neonatal thymectomy (Tx) and estrogen (E 2 ) administration disrupt the reproductive and immune systems of female mice. The current experiment examined the combined effects of the two procedures on ovarian function, performed in sequence, and in reverse sequence. METHOD : Groups of (C57BL/6J x A/J)F 1 (B6A) female mice were given four daily injections of 20 μg estradiol-17β, either from 0 days to 3 days, or from 3 days to 6 days postpartum. In some groups this regimen was combined with thymectomy performed either prior to steroid injection (TX-3), or after steroid treatment (TX-4). Animals were sacrificed between 100 and 110 days of age then ovaries evaluated via light microscopy for dysgenesis and follicular cysts. RESULTS : When E 2 treatment followed Tx, the incidence of ovarian dysgenesis was unchanged (study 1, Tx + E 2 = 60% ovarian dysgenesis ; Tx = 63% ovarian dysgenesis) (study 2, Tx + E 2 = 46% ovarian dysgenesis ; Tx = 45% ovarian dysgenesis). In contrast, when E 2 was given before Tx, ovarian dysgenesis did not occur (study 2, E 2 + Tx = 0% ovarian dysgenesis ; Tx = 46% ovarian dysgenesis). Ovaries from E 2 + Tx animals were characteristic of ovaries from E 2 -injected animals without Tx. CONCLUSION : The results indicate that E 2 injection prevents Tx-induced ovarian dysgenesis, suggesting E 2 -activation of an extrathymic pathway for thymus function.
Effects of Post-Session Administration of Methylene Blue on Fear Extinction and Contextual Memory in Adults With Claustrophobia

Administering methylene blue, a memory-enhancing agent, after successful exposure therapy promoted the retention of fear extinction in claustrophobic patients, but clinicians should carefully consider what level of fear reduction was achieved in session to avoid harmful effects.
Introduction to Part I Modeling: What Is It? Why Do It?

At ICTMA-13, where the chapters in this book were first presented, a variety of views were expressed about an appropriate definition of the term model – and about appropriate ways to think about the nature of modeling activities. So, it is not surprising that some participants would consider this lack of consensus to be a priority problem that should be solved by a research community that claims to be investigating models and modeling
Relation of obesity to cognitive function: importance of central obesity and synergistic influence of concomitant hypertension. The Framingham Heart Study.

Background: Obesity has been related to the incidence of dementia but its impact on cognitive performance in persons without dementia is less clear. We hypothesized that mid-life obesity may modulate the impact of conventional cardiovascular risk factors (CVRF) on cognitive impairment. We tested this hypothesis in the community-based Framingham Offspring Study sample. Methods: At Examination cycle 4 (1988-90) of the Offspring Cohort, indices of obesity (BMI and Waist-Hip Ratio [WHR]) and baseline CVRF levels were ascertained in 1,814 men and women, aged 40-69 years. Obesity and hypertension were related to the score on each of 8 neurocognitive tests measured at Examination 8, 12 years later (1999-2002). Results: Midlife measures of central obesity (WHR in the uppermost quartile- Q4) and of hypertension (BP≥140/≥90 or use of anti-hypertensive medication) were each significantly related to poorer performance on executive function & visuomotor skills (Trails B, Visual Reproductions-Immediate and Delayed Recall). Further, the relation of hypertension to neurocognitive performance was significantly modified by WHR; hypertension was not associated with neurocognitive performance in WHR Q1-Q3, but was associated with a marked adverse performance in Q4 WHR. Neither HTN nor obesity was individually or synergistically related to verbal memory (immediate or delayed recall). Conclusions: Executive function and visuomotor skills were differentially affected by the combined presence of midlife hypertension and Q4 WHR while measures of verbal memory function were not related to these risk factors in our sample, a pattern consistent with vascular cognitive impairment. Control of mid-life elevated blood pressure and central obesity may be strategies to reduce cognitive decline with age.
Draft Genome Sequences of Six Enterohepatic Helicobacter Species Isolated from Humans and One from Rhesus Macaques

Draft genome sequences of seven enterohepatic Helicobacter species, H. bilis, H. canadensis, H. canis, H. cinaedi, H. winghamensis, H. pullorum, and H. macacae, are presented. These isolates were obtained from clinical patients and a nonhuman primate. Due to potential zoonotic risks, we characterized antibiotic resistance markers and Helicobacter virulence factors.
Shame, blame, and contamination: A review of the impact of mental illness stigma on family members

In his classic text, Goffman (1963 ) defined courtesy stigma as the negative impact that results from association with a person who is marked by a stigma. Fa...
Comparison of HIV-1 and avian myeloblastosis virus reverse transcriptase fidelity on RNA and DNA templates.

A comparison of the fidelity of reverse transcriptases (RT) from human immunodeficiency virus (HIV-1) and avian myeloblastosis virus (AMV) is made using RNA and DNA primer-template molecules in vitro. Selected template target sites containing either uracil or thymine are used to measure nucleotide insertion fidelities and to compare the efficiency of extending mismatched nucleotides at primer 3'-termini. HIV-1 reverse transcriptase is observed to incorporate as many as three consecutive mismatches and to continue efficient elongation from mismatched primer 3'-termini without discernible pausing. Nucleotide misinsertion and mispair extension efficiencies are similar for both enzymes on RNA and DNA templates having identical surrounding sequence. HIV-1 and AMV reverse transcriptases form G.T and G.U mismatches most efficiently, between 1.6 x 10(-4) and 7 x 10(-4), and both enzymes extend G.U with exceptionally high efficiencies, 2.7 x 10(-2) for HIV-1 RT and 4.5 x 10(-2) for AMV RT. Extension of the G.T mismatch is similar for AMV RT (5.8 x 10(-2) but 20-fold less efficient for HIV-1 RT. C.U and C.T mismatches are formed by both enzymes in a frequency range of 4.4 x 10(-5)-2.4 x 10(-4). HIV-1 RT extends these mismatches with slightly higher efficiencies (5.5 x 10(-3)-5.9 x 10(-3)) than AMV RT (5.6 x 10(-4)-2.1 x 10(-3)). Insertion of dTMP opposite U and T occur at about 1 x 10(-4)-2 x 10(-4) for HIV-1 RT. For AMV RT, formation of T.U mispairs occurs with an 8-fold lower efficiency, whereas insertion of dTMP opposite T is not detected. This particular DNA template sequence generates a pause site for AMV RT but not HIV-1 RT. HIV-1 RT dissociation rate constants are about 8-fold larger from a DNA primer bound to a DNA template (0.5 s-1), as compared with an RNA template (0.06 s-1) at one site, and are at most 2-fold larger at another site. The equilibrium binding constant for HIV-1 RT bound to DNA primed RNA and DNA templates appears to be similar, KD approximately 2.5 nM. Values of kpol from 0.3 to 1.5 nucleotides/s are obtained for HIV-1 RT at the RNA and DNA template sites used to measure insertion and extension fidelity. The relatively high efficiency of mispair extension catalyzed by reverse transcriptases with both RNA and DNA templates suggests that a significant component of retroviral genetic variability may be related to the ability of reverse transcriptases to continue efficient synthesis of DNA containing mismatches on both RNA and DNA templates.
Application deployment in virtual networks using the X-Bone

This paper describes a framework for application deployment within virtual networks using X-Bone. The framework supports deployment of arbitrary applications and allows users to configure the runtime environment by executing user-provided scripts instead of hard-coding application commands into the system. It also automates the process of constructing virtual networks and deploying applications by using X-Bone.