cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Improved biochemical assay for terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase in human blood cells: Results in 89 adult patients with lymphoid leukemias and malignant lymphomas in leukemic phase

Abstract Ion filtration chromatography of crude cell homogenates on DEAE-Sephadex allows determination of terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase (TdT) activity in 106 blast cells from acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) and in 2 × 107 normal bone marrow (BM) cells. Ninety-seven determinations of TdT in 40 patients with ALL during various stages of their disease revealed high levels of activity in BM and peripheral blood samples from all patients studied at diagnosis and in relapse. In 10 34 BM samples from patients with ALL in remission, levels of TdT activity were found to be significantly elevated as compared to normal controls. The remaining cases exhibited TdT activities within the normal range. In 20 patients with non-Hodgkin's lymphomas of null and T cell type in leukemic phase, TdT activities were within the same range as observed in active ALL. Eighteen of these had a histological diagnosis of diffuse poorly differentiated lymphoma of lymphoblastic type, one of giant follicular lymphoma and one of diffuse histiocytic lymphoma. In two patients with unclassifiable lymphoproliferative diseases of T cell type, no TdT activity was found, possibly indicating a disease of mature T cells. All 27 patients with lymphoid neoplasias of B cell type were found to exhibit no TdT activity in involved tissues. Determination of TdT activity appears to be a sensitive assay for detection of subclinical bone marrow involvement in TdT positive lymphoproliferative diseases. The clinical and theoretical significance of these observations is discussed.
An Exploratory Investigation into the Question of Direct Selling via the Internet in Industrial Equipment Markets

ABSTRACT This study seeks to provide exploratory insight into considerations of Internet-based direct marketing strategies aimed at industrial consumers. Our first inquiry concerns operationalizing the ability of industrial consumers to use the Internet for purchasing and/or consumption of electronic marketing communications. We specifically focus on ascertaining the generalizability of Parasuraman's (2000) Technology Readiness Index (TRI), developed in a general consumer setting, to industrial markets. Our results suggest that the TRI demonstrates promise in terms of generalizability to industrial settings. Our second inquiry builds upon our initial findings and the concept of information overload to investigate the additive contribution of a willingness to use the Internet for these purposes. In the second stage of the research we focus on the relative contributions of satisfaction with, trust in, and value perceived from using the Internet as a business tool. The results of this second inquiry suggest ...
Addendum: On the inverse problem of transport theory with azimuthal dependence [J. Math. Phys. 19, 994(1978)]

A simplified expression is given for the moments over all space and angle of the intensity arising from an azimuthally‐dependent plane source in an infinite medium. This provides a convenient equation for evaluating the mean of even powers of distance of travel of particles.
Effects of acclimation temperature and cadmium exposure on mitochondrial aconitase and LON protease from a model marine ectotherm, Crassostrea virginica

Abstract Temperature and heavy metals such as cadmium (Cd) are important stressors which can strongly affect physiology of marine ectotherms in polluted estuaries. Mitochondria are among the key intracellular targets for these stressors, but the mechanisms of Cd-induced mitochondrial damage are not fully understood. In this study we determined the effects of acclimation temperature (12, 20 and 28 °C) and Cd exposure (0 or 50 μg L− 1 Cd) in vivo on activity and mRNA expression of a key mitochondrial enzyme, aconitase, which is known as a sensitive marker of oxidative stress, and on mRNA expression of LON protease involved in the degradation of oxidatively damaged mitochondrial proteins, in eastern oysters Crassostrea virginica. Sensitivity of mitochondrial aconitase to exposure to Cd in vitro (0 or 50 μM) was also determined in oysters acclimated to different temperatures and Cd levels. Acclimation at 28 °C resulted in a strong decrease in activity of mitochondrial aconitase as well as mRNA expression of aconitase and LON protease suggesting mitochondrial dysfunction at elevated temperatures. Exposure of isolated mitochondria to 50 μM Cd in vitro resulted in a 20–25% inhibition of mitochondrial aconitase reflecting oxidative damage of this enzyme. However, long-term (3–6 weeks) exposure of whole oysters to Cd had no effect on mitochondrial aconitase activity suggesting that this enzyme is well protected against Cd-induced oxidative stress in vivo. Aconitase mRNA expression was positively correlated with the enzyme activity within control and Cd-exposed groups; however, this correlation was strikingly different when compared between control and Cd-exposed oysters. The level of aconitase transcript was considerably lower (3–13-fold) in Cd-exposed oysters while the specific aconitase activities were similar in control and Cd-exposed oysters indicating regulation at the post-transcriptional level. LON protease expression was upregulated by 2–4-fold in Cd-exposed oysters suggesting an increase in mitochondrial protein degradation as a novel protective mechanism against Cd-induced mitochondrial stress. Our data indicate that mitochondrial aconitase is not a good biomarker for Cd-induced oxidative stress in oysters in vivo, because of its complex regulation at transcriptional and post-transcriptional levels, low sensitivity to Cd effects in vivo but high sensitivity to acclimation temperature that can potentially mask effects of other stressors under the field conditions.
Residual stress and strain in aortic segments

Abstract In the study of stresses and strains in vascular segments, it is generally assumed that the traction-free configuration assumed by a segment when there is no axial force and there are no intravascular and extravascular pressures is stress-free. To investigate the degree of validity of this assumption, 286 oval shaped rings were excised from three bovine and six porcine aortas and photographed. Radial cuts were made in these rings which opened up into horseshoe shapes and were also photographed. Smoothed boundary lengths at intimal and adventitial levels in the rings and their cut open configurations were measured from the photographs and the residual strains in the annular configuration relative to the open configuration were computed. It was found that: (1) the average maximum residual intimal engineering strain in the uncut configuration was −0.082 for all nine aortas and −0.096 and −0.077 for the bovine and porcine aortas alone. respectively; (2) the average maximum residual adventitial strain was 0.085 for all aortas, and 0.102 and 0.078 for the bovine and porcine aortas alone, respectively; (3) an estimated average beneficial compressive stress of −0.188 × 10 5 Pa (corresponding to a strain level of −0.082) is available at the intimal level to counteract the in vivo tensile stress due to the intravascular pressure; (4) an estimated average initial tensile stress of 0.195 × 10 5 Pa (corresponding to a strain level of 0.085) exists at the adventitial level which adds to the in vivo tensile stress due to the intravascular pressure. Although these stress levels are not large in comparison with the in vivo stress in the arterial wall, a detailed stress analysis must take into account these initial stresses.
Comparison of mid-IR, near-IR, and NIR FT-Raman for fiber-optic remote sensing of solids

Comparative measurements have been made using mid-infrared reflection, near-infrared reflection, and NIR FT-Raman of different approaches for coupling a vibrational spectrometer to fiber-optic probes. The sensitivity and information content of the spectra obtained are assessed.
Experimental study of strain-rate-dependent behavior of carbon/epoxy composite

The strain rate dependent behavior of IM7/977-2 carbon/epoxy matrix composite in tension is studied by testing the resin and various laminate configurations at different strain rates. Tensile tests have been conducted with a hydraulic machine at quasi-static strain rates of approximately 10 � 5 s � 1 and intermediate strain rates of about 1 s � 1 . Tensile high strain rate tests have been conducted with the tensile split Hopkinson bar technique at strain rates of approximately 400–600 s � 1 . Specimens with identical geometry are used in all the tests. The standard split Hopkinson bar technique is modified to measure strain directly on the specimen. The results show that strain rate has a significant effect on the material response. # 2002 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.
Vitamin B1 Content in Potato: Effect of Genotype, Tuber Enlargement, and Storage, and Estimation of Stability and Broad-Sense Heritability

Thiamine pyrophosphate (vitamin B1) is an essential nutrient in the human diet, and is often referred as the energy vitamin. Potato contains modest amounts of thiamine. However, the genetic variation of thiamine concentrations in potato has never been investigated. In this study, we determined thiamine concentrations in freshly-harvested unpeeled tubers of 54 potato clones, the majority of them originating from the Pacific Northwest Potato Development Program. Tubers from 39 clones were collected from four different environmental conditions. Thiamine concentrations ranged from 292 to 1,317 ng g−1 fresh weight, which gives a good estimate of the genetic variation available in Solanum tuberosum ssp. tuberosum. Thirteen clones/varieties contained >685 ng g−1 fresh weight and four had >800 ng g−1 fresh weight over multiple harvests, indicating that these genotypes would contribute a significant amount of thiamine in the diet (>10% of the Recommended Daily Allowance based on a 175- or 150-g serving, respectively). Broad-sense heritability for thiamine content was calculated as 0.49 with a 95% confidence interval of 0.21–0.72, suggesting that genetic variation accounted for about 50% of the observed variation. There were significant clone and clone x environment effects. After accounting for environmental variation, 25 clones were unstable across environments. Tubers harvested at a mature stage late in the growing season had higher amounts of thiamine than tubers harvested at a young stage early in the season. Storage at cold temperature did not lead to significant thiamine loss; instead, thiamine concentrations slightly increased during storage in some genotypes. These results suggest that increasing the concentration of thiamine in potato is feasible and that all potato varieties may one day be a significant source of thiamine in the human diet.
Towards publishing recommendation data with predictive anonymization

Recommender systems are used to predict user preferences for products or services. In order to seek better prediction techniques, data owners of recommender systems such as Netflix sometimes make their customers' reviews available to the public, which raises serious privacy concerns. With only a small amount of knowledge about individuals and their ratings to some items in a recommender system, an adversary may easily identify the users and breach their privacy. Unfortunately, most of the existing privacy models (e.g., k-anonymity) cannot be directly applied to recommender systems.In this paper, we study the problem of privacy-preserving publishing of recommendation datasets. We represent recommendation data as a bipartite graph, and identify several attacks that can re-identify users and determine their item ratings. To deal with these attacks, we first give formal privacy definitions for recommendation data, and then develop a robust and efficient anonymization algorithm, Predictive Anonymization, to achieve our privacy goals. Our experimental results show that Predictive Anonymization can prevent the attacks with very little impact to prediction accuracy.
Delayed clinical evidence of coronary arterial disruption after presumably successful percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty for angina pectoris.

1. Griintzig A, Riedhammer HH, Turina M, Rutishauser W. Eine neue Methode zur perkm42:282-285. 2. Griintzig A, Myler R, Hanna LE, Turina M. Transfuminol ongiopfasty of coronary artery stenosis. CircuJation 1977;84:suppJ ll:II-55-11-56. 3. Simpson JB, Bairn DS, Robert EW, Harrison DC. A new catheter system for coronary angiopfasty. Am 1 Cardiol 1982;49:1216-1222. 4. Kaltenbach M. The long wire technique-a new technique for steerable balloon catheter dilatation of coronary artery stenosis. Eur Heart [ 1384; 5:1004-1009. 5. Meier B, Grhntzig AR, King SB III, Douglas JS, Hollman J, Ischinger T, Aueron F, Galan K. Risk of side branch occlusion during coronary angioplasty. Am J Cardiol 1984;53:10-14. 6. Vetrovec GW. Cowlev Ml. Wolfeane TC. Ducev KF. Effects of PTCA on Jesion associate2 brane10:433-443: 8. McAulev Bl. Sheehan DI. Simuson TB. Coronarv annionlastv of stenoses at major bifa7O:suppJ IJ:IJ-108.
Risk Factors and Life Processes Associated with Teenage Pregnancy: Results of a Prospective Study From Birth to 20 Years

Data gathered over the course of a 20-year longitudinal study of 533 New Zealand women were used to (a) describe the extent and timing of pregnancies within the cohort up to age 20, and (b) examine the extent to which the risk of an early pregnancy was related to a range of social background, family, individual, and peer relationship factors measured over the course of childhood and adolescence. Results showed that by age 20, nearly a quarter of the sample had been pregnant at least once, with the majority of first pregnancies occurring between the ages of 17 and 20 years. The profile of those at greatest risk of a teenage pregnancy (<20 years) was that of an early-maturing girl with conduct problems who had been reared in a family environment characterized by parental instability and maternal role models of young single motherhood. As young adolescents, these girls were characterized by high rates of sexual risk-taking and deviant peer involvement. Exposure to social and individual adversity during both childhood and adolescence made independent contributions to an individual's risk of an early pregnancy. These findings were most consistent with a life course developmental model of the etiology of teenage pregnancy. Implications for teenage pregnancy prevention are discussed.
Niche Conservatism and Disjunct Populations: A Case Study with Painted Buntings (Passerina ciris)

ABSTRACT. Painted Buntings (Passerina ciris) breed in a variety of habitat s across the southern United States; however, a 500-km gap divides the species into eastern and western populations with dramatically different molting schedules. By contrast, the closely related Indigo Bunting (P. cyanea) is syntopic with Painted Buntings, but its range includes the 500-km gap. To date, no well-supported hypothesis explains the gap in the range of Painted Buntings. We used MaxEnt to describe ecological niches of both species and performed comparative analyses of model results to evaluate niche similarity between the two Painted Bunting breeding populations and the range gap. All present-day niche models for both species predicted a single contiguous breeding range, which suggests that the gap in the Painted Bunting range is not bioclimatic in origin. Comparative analyses of the three different environments suggest little bioclimatic divergence. Distribution models during the Last Glacial Maximum suggest that Paint...
A note on dream changes following desensitization

A college student undergoing desensitization geared towards his neurotic reactions to situations calling for self-assertion reported a startling shift in the nature of his dreams. Although never discussed during the therapy sessions, it was noted that the course of change in the dreams closely paralleled the decline in anxiety reported to hierarchy items designed to highlight his authority conflicts While psychodynamic explanations of this phenomenon are possible, a more parsimonious rationale can be offered in terms of desensitization and a broad based learning process. Further research is indicated.
Flag algebras of a symmetric design

Abstract A symmetric ( v , k , λ ) design has a natural six-dimensional algebra on the flags. It is easy to show that this “flag algebra” (or “Hecke algebra”) is the algebra of an association scheme if and only if the design is a projective plane. However, if the symmetric design is either the point-hyperplane design of a projective space (of dimension at least three) or the complement of a projective space over a field of order two, then the flag algebra has a natural extension to a seven-dimensional algebra of an association scheme. It is conjectured that these are the only cases where this natural extension has dimension seven. Several weak forms of the conjecture are proved: In Theorem 5.2 it is assumed that λ divides k − 1; the added hypothesis is “ k = 2 λ ” in Theorem 5.4.
A water-soluble benzophenone in reverse micelles: kinetics and spectroscopy

Abstract A water-soluble benzophenone, 4-sulphomethylbenzophenone (SMBP), was studied in reverse micelles of Aerosol OT and in the parent microemulsions obtained on cyclohexanol addition. The rate constants corresponding to the interaction of SMBP with the different components of the microemulsion were measured and compared with the available data in pure water and direct micelles. The situation where a monomer is incorporated in the microheterogeneous assembly is also considered. An important reduction in the efficiency of the interaction taking place between the carbonyl triplet and the monomer is observed in this system which could therefore prove of particular interest in photopolymerization experiments.
HCO(3)(-)-dependent soluble adenylyl cyclase activates cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator in corneal endothelium.

cAMP-dependent activation of the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) regulates fluid transport in many tissues. Secretion by the corneal endothelium is stimulated by cAMP and...
Manganese and iron in hydrothermal plumes resulting from the 1996 Gorda Ridge Event

Abstract We sampled hydrothermal plumes over the N. Gorda Ridge four times between March and August 1996 to document Mn and Fe discharge resulting from a magmatic intrusion/seafloor eruption. Two separate event plumes, EP96A and B, and chronic hydrothermal emissions lasting ∼6 months were characterized. Shipboard time-series measurements of an event plume sample were used to calibrate an Fe phase clock useful for estimating sample age up to ∼6 days after fluid discharge. Samples collected from EP96A and B had Mn/heat ( 2 mol mol-1) ratios similar to historical event plume observations. We suggest these “signature” ratio values are generally characteristic of event plumes and hypothesize that Mn and Fe may be supplied to event plumes by different processes: Mn by entrainment of fluids from an extant shallow subseafloor reservoir, and Fe by short-lived, high-temperature water-rock reaction coincident with dike emplacement. Calculations based on the Fe phase clock indicate that the two event plumes were released more than a month apart. The largest event plume, EP96A (∼2.3×106 M Mn and 13×106 M Fe), formed ∼7 March soon after seismic activity began. The smaller EP96B (∼0.49×106 M Mn and 3.5×106 M Fe) was not discharged until ∼11 April, 3 weeks after the cessation of seismic activity detectable by SOSUS T-phase monitoring. We hypothesize that the subseafloor disturbance that triggered EP96B also resulted in the episodic flushing of a reservoir of chronic-plume-like fluids. Total event plume inventories of Mn and Fe at N. Gorda Ridge are much smaller than those associated with the 1986 event at N. Cleft segment of the Juan de Fuca Ridge, but comparable to event plume inventories at N. Cleft segment in 1987 and CoAxial segment in 1993. Mn/heat values for chronic plumes over the eruption site underlying EP96A evolved from moderate (∼0.25 oonmol J-1, reflecting probable admixture with event plume formation fluids) to high (∼0.7 nmol J-1, typical of chronic plumes) to low (∼0.1 nmol J-1, similar to diffuse vent fluid values), marking a complete episode of intrusion/eruption-induced hydrothermal discharge.
Own N-layered Integrated Molecular Orbital and Molecular Mechanics Study of the Reaction of OH– with Polychlorinated Hydrocarbons CH(4–n)Cln (n=2–4)

The reliability of the two-layer own N-layered integrated molecular orbital and molecular mechanics (ONIOM) method was examined for the SN2 reaction CH(4−n)Cln+OH−. In the ONIOM calculation, only the methyl chloride and OH−were treated at a high level and the effect of polychlorination was taken into account only at a low level. The ONIOM results were compared with the “target” CCSD(T)/aug-cc-pVDZ//MP2/aug-cc-pVDZ results obtained by Borisov etal. [(2001) J. Phys. Chem. A 105:7724]. The ONIOM[MP2/aug-cc-pVDZ:B3LYP/6-31+G(d)] was found to reproduce well the target geometry and energy at the MP2/aug-cc-pVDZ level. The single-point improved energetics at the ONIOM[CCSD(T)/aug-cc-pVDZ:MP2/6-31+G(d)] is found to give results nearly as accurate as the target CCSD(T)/aug-cc-pVDZ//MP2/aug-cc-pVDZ results. The substantially reduced cost, 20% for optimization and 5% for single-point improved energy of the target cost for n=4, as well as small errors suggest that ONIOM is a powerful tool for accurate potential-energy surfaces of the reaction of large polyhalohydrocarbons.
Evaluation of Orntide microspheres in a rat animal model and correlation to in vitro release profiles.

Orntide acetate, a novel luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone (LHRH) antagonist, was prepared and evaluated in vivo in 30-day and 120-day sustained delivery formulations using a rat animal model. Orntide poly(d,l- lactide-co-glycolide) (PLGA) and poly(d,l- lactide) (PLA) microspheres were prepared by a dispersion method and administered subcutaneously in a liquid vehicle to rats at 2.2 mg Orntide/kg of body weight (30-day forms) or 8.8 mg Orntide/kg (120-day forms). Serum levels of Orntide and testosterone were monitored by radioimmunoassays, and a dose-response study at 4 closes (3, 2.25, 1.5, and 1.75 mg Orntide/kg) was conducted to determine the effective dose of Orntide. Microspheres with diameters between 3.9 and 14 μ were prepared. The onset and duration of testosterone suppression varied for different microsphere formulations and were influenced both by polymer properties and by microsphere characteristics. Microspheres prepared with 50∶50 and 75∶25 copolymers effectively sustained peptide release for 14 to 28 days, whereas an 85∶15 copolymer and the PLA microspheres extended the pharmacological response for more than 120 days. Increase in drug load generally accelerated peptide release from the microspheres, resulting in higher initial serum levels of Orntide and shorter duration of the release: In general, apparent release was faster in vivo than under in vitro conditions. Orntide microspheres effectively suppressed testosterone in rats, providing rapid onset of release and extended periods of chemical castration. Testosterone suppression occurred immediately after microsphere administration without the initial elevation seen with LHRH superagonists.
The crystallization and properties of glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase isolated from rabbit muscle by a simplified procedure

1. 1. A simplified procedure for the crystallization of glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (dglyceraldehyde-3-phosphate:DPN+ oxidoreductase (phosphorylating), EC 1.2.1.12) from rabbit muscle is described. 2. 2. The inactivation of this enzyme by reduced diphosphopyridine nucleotide has been studied with this preparation.
Degradation of porous poly(anhydride-co-imide) microspheres and implications for controlled macromolecule delivery.

The degradation properties of porous microspheres made using a new family of polyanhydride copolymers, the poly(anhydride-co-imides), were studied. Poly[trimellitylimido-l-tyrosine-co-sebacic acid-co-1,3-bis(carboxyphenoxy)propane] microspheres, with and without entrapped bovine serum albumin (BSA) as a model protein, were made using the double emulsion solvent evaporation process. Water penetration and anhydride bond cleavage (polymer degradation) occurred rapidly (<5 days) compared to the time scale of overall microsphere erosion (weeks to months) with most polymer compositions. Subsequent to bond cleavage, the ultimate erosion of the microsphere and release of entrapped BSA was due mainly to the slow dissolution of the individual hydrophobic monomers (TMA-Tyr, SA and CPP) from the microsphere surface. BSA was released at approximately the same rate as the polymer eroded. Due to the fast degradation of anhydride bonds relative to microsphere erosion, initial polymer molecular weight did not have a significant effect on macromolecule release rates. Instead, monomer solubility correlated well with polymer erosion and BSA release rates. This erosion mechanism leads to predictable drug release rates which may be appropriate for the delivery of many protein therapeutics, including vaccine antigens. The anhydride–imide copolymers were well tolerated in acute toxicity studies in rats and therefore show promise as biomaterials.
Micro- and Macroanalyses of Patterns Within a Meal in Anorexia and Bulimia Nervosa ☆ ☆☆ ★ ★★

Abstract Hospitalized women with anorexia nervosa and/or bulimia nervosa and dietarily restrained and unrestrained, clinically normal women were provided with a multi-item breakfast meal. Eating patterns and hunger and satiety ratings were assessed. Subjects were offered three foods which varied in fat and carbohydrate contents. Anorectic-restrictors differed most from the control subjects: they had a longer meal duration, a slower overall rate of eating, more frequent pauses during the meal, and more short bouts of eating. They also displayed abnormal ratings of hunger and satiety: they were generally less hungry, had less urge to eat, and were more full than controls or bulimics. Both anorectic and bulimic patients showed more variability in total energy intake than did the controls. Patients usually displayed one of two patterns—either severe restriction or overeating. Abnormal hunger and satiety patterns indicating confusion typified the responses of bulimics; additionally, they showed more urge to eat in the post-meal period than did the controls. A higher proportion of fat in the initial part of the breakfast was related to a larger meal size for the bulimics. It is suggested that these techniques may be useful in evaluating the outcome of treatment for eating disorder patients.
Effect of H+ on the kinetics of Na+‐dependent amino acid transport in ehrlich ascites tumor cells: Evidence for H+ as an alternative substrate

The effects of H+ on the kinetics of alpha-aminoisobutyric acid (AIB) influx in Ehrlich ascites tumor cells have been investigated at different external Na+ concentrations. Elevation of [H+] in the presence of both high (154 mEq/l) and low (10 mEq/l) external Na+ leads to decreases in the maximum influx (Jmax) and increases in the apparent Michaelis-Menten constant (Km) for influx of AIB. In the virtual absence of external Na+ (0.96 +/- 0.04 mEq/l), alterations in [H+] are without measurable effect on AIB flux. Furthermore, addition of AIB (10 mM) to cell suspensions (pH 5.90) stimulates H+ uptake by the cells in either the presence or absence of Na+. The data are consistent with two kinetic models for Na+-dependent amino acid transport: an order bireactant (Na+-binding necessary before AIB binding) system or a random bireactant system. Both models require that H+ serve as an alternative substrate for Na+. The consistency of the models was tested by fit to data from the present study (not used to evaluate the kinetic parameters) and by prediction of the pH dependence of Na+-dependent amino acid transport compared to earlier studies.
The Efficacy of Reasons: a Reply to Hendrickson

Refutation de la theorie liberale de l'action defendue par T. O'Connor a partir de la causation de l'agent. Dans sa reponse a l'A., celui-ci precise sa distinction entre causation de l'agent et causation de l'evenement.
Comparing market and token-based coordination

Many coordination algorithms claim to be general, implying that they can be used to coordinate agents in a variety of domains. However, little work has been done to quantitatively compare distinctly different approaches to coordination across a range of domains. In this paper, we present a detailed comparison of two published coordination algorithms, performed in an abstract coordination simulation environment that allows extensive, quantitative experimentation. The simulator is to used to compare two distinct approaches to coordination, token-based coordination and market based coordination. The results largely show the generality of different approaches, but performance and performance tradeoffs varies greatly across domains.
Comparison of pro-inflammatory cytokines and bone metabolism mediators around titanium and zirconia dental implant abutments following a minimum of 6 months of clinical function.

Objectives Dental implant abutments are fundamental prosthetic components within dentistry that require optimal biocompatibility. The primary aim of this cross-sectional study was to preliminarily assess differences in the pro-inflammatory cytokine and bone metabolism mediator protein expression in the peri-implant crevicular fluid adjacent to transmucosal abutments.
Use of the energy box acting as an ancillary service

The ancillary services are a group of power markets with the objective to support the basic services of generating capacity, energy supply and power deliver. The identification of the ancillary services depends on the grid itself and the regulation of the energy market. The possibility of the use of an Energy Box (EB) to work as an ancillary service to place bids on the Portuguese tertiary market is suggested in this work. In Portugal, among other ancillary services, it is chosen to analyze the possibility of the EB to supply power to the "tertiary reserve" (reserva terciaria). This reserve is used to replace the secondary reserve allowing it to maintain the level established by the system. It is important to notice that the secondary reserve is negotiated in the previous day according to forecasts of the demand and the probability of generators failure. The tertiary reserve is negotiated posterior so it has a higher cost and requires a fast response time, characteristics that can be matched by the EB. In our paradigm the grid operator would negotiate directly with the aggregator (similar to what happens nowadays with the regular market agents), which would have centralized the biding of all the EB's inside the microgrid and compute the aggregator's bid.
A suboptimal control algorithm for constrained problems using cubic splines

A suboptimal control algorithm for linear-quadratic regulator problems with state variable inequality constraints (SVIC) is developed. The state and control variables are approximated by cubic splines on an uniform mesh. Through collocation at the knots, the dynamic equations and SVIC are reduced to a set of linear algebraic equations and the suboptimal control is constructed from the solution of a quadratic programming problem with sparse matrices. The number of non-zero storage elements required for these matrices varies linearly with the number of mesh points. Computational experience for specific examples is presented and compared with other approaches described in the literature. Good to excellent accuracy is obtained with modest computational requirements. Memory considerations and on-line implementation are discussed. From both the computational and storage aspects, the approach offers an effective alternative for SVIC problems. Extensions of the algorithm to more general control problems are suggested.
Mistrust of health care organizations is associated with underutilization of health services.

PURPOSE: We report the validation of an instrument to measure mistrust of health care organizations and examine the relationship between mistrust and health care service underutilization. METHODS: We conducted a telephone survey of a random sample of households in Baltimore City, MD. We surveyed 401 persons and followed up with 327 persons (81.5 percent) 3 weeks after the baseline interview. We conducted tests of the validity and reliability of the Medical Mistrust Index (MMI) and then conducted multivariate modeling to examine the relationship between mistrust and five measures of underutilization of health services. RESULTS: Using principle components analysis, we reduced the 17-item MMI to 7 items with a single dimension. Test-retest reliability was moderately strong, ranging from Pearson correlation of 0.346-0.697. In multivariate modeling, the MMI was predictive of four of five measures of underutilization of health services: failure to take medical advice (b=1.56, p<.01), failure to keep a follow-up appointment (b=1.11, p=.01), postponing receiving needed care (b=0.939, p=.01), and failure to fill a prescription (b=1.48, p=.002). MMI was not significantly associated with failure to get needed medical care (b=0.815, p=.06). CONCLUSIONS: The MMI is a robust predictor of underutilization of health services. Greater attention should be devoted to building greater trust among patients.
The significance of unasked questions in the study of conflict

It is imperative that creative techniques be designed for the conduct of active conflict. The failure to explore alternatives to violent force is fostered by an inbred literature which is preoccupied with descriptive analyses of small group conflict or with policy and the implications of nuclear warfare. An entirely new concept is required based upon the union of technique with theory. Psychoanalytic experience with intrapsychic conflict should be brought to bear upon problems of large‐scale conflict in a manner not yet attempted. The central questions and their answers may require the fielding of an experimental corps to refine constructive techniques for engaging in conflict.
Counter circuits for anemometers

Applications of electric counters to anemometer circuits, to make frequent ascents of the instrument tower unnecessary, and to give indications in convenient form, suitable for recording or reporting with a minimum of preparatory computation, are here outlined.
Leucine uptake by tomato leaf tissue under low temperature: Preincubation dependence of uptake reduction

The uptake of 3H-leucine by leaf fragments of Lycopersicon esculentum Mill. cv. Rutgers and L. hirsutum Humb. & Bonpl., a wild tomato, was studied. Two altitudinal races of L. hirsutum were used which differed in chilling tolerance. The temperature dependence of uptake was initially similar for all plant varieties. However, at temperatures below about 11°C, uptake progressively decreased in the more chilling-sensitive varieties (L. esculentum, Low-altitude L. hirsutum), but not in the more chilling-tolerant (high-altitude L. hirsutum) with increasing preincubation time. More than 60 min preincubation was required for this effect, and it was greatest at the lower temperatures. When leaf fragments, chilled for short periods of time (>22 h), were returned to 22°C, initial rates of uptake were recovered within 2 h. The relationship between membrane lipid changes and membrane protein activity under chill stress is discussed.
Sociometrics of Macaca Mulatta III: n-path centrality in grooming networks

Abstract An individual's “status” is the position in a social network, which is usefuly modeled by the mathematical properties of directed graphs. Katz (1953) argued that an index of status based on “who chooses whom” should also include information on the status of the choosers. This recursive concept os status was adapted by Sade (1972), who used the sum of inward directed paths as a measure of centrality to distinguish the position of individual monkeys in a grooming network. Sade et al. (1988) used the same measure to describe the progression through time of the statuses of a set of male monkeys. These studies were limited by the perceived computational difficulties in finding paths longer than 3-paths. Although ad hoc formulae for up to 6-paths were available from Ross and Harary (1952) and a general algorithm was known from Parthasarathy (1964) the methods were cumbersome and impractical to apply to large networks. The present paper makes use of a simple counting algorithm to find the n-paths in a binary matrix. The characteristics of centrality statuses in the grooming network are then describing using paths of up to maximum length, thus avoiding the limitations of the earlier studies.
Rotational Motion of Cytochrome c Derivatives Bound to Membranes Measured by Fluorescence and Phosphorescence Anisotropy

Molecular motion of metal-free and metal-substituted cytochrome c derivatives was examined using the anisotropy of emissions from the singlet and the triplet states. The anisotropy of fluorescence provides a means to study the motion of cytochrome c in the nanosecond time scale, since the fluorescence lifetime of metal-free cytochrome c is around 10 ns. We find that the anisotropy of fluorescence of metal-free cytochrome c when bound to mitochondria does not decay, but when bound to phospholipids has a small component which decays independently of the rotation of the whole molecule. The use of phosphorescence extends the time scale for study into the millisecond regime, since the lifetime of the excited triplet state of zinc cytochrome c, as measured by triplet-triplet absorption and phosphorescence emission is ∼ 9 ms for free zinc cytochrome c and 7 ms for mitochondrial membrane-bound zinc cytochrome c at room temperature. The decay of anisotropy of phosphorescence emission of mitochondrial membrane-bound zinc cytochrome c is clearly biphasic; the fast component corresponds to a rotational relaxation time of 300 μs and the slow component with relaxation time of ∼ 6 ms. The slow component appears to be due to the rotation of the entire mitochondrion, whereas the fast component was interpreted to be due to the rotation of cytochrome c in a cone about single axis perpendicular to the plane of the membrane surface.
Derivation and tests of a constant Newtonian pressure gradient body.

Blunt body with constant surface pressure gradient for boundary layer transition studies, deriving body shape with Newtonian theory for local pressures
Differential labeling of sensory cell and neural populations in the organ of Corti following amino acid incubations

Label localization was compared by light and electron microscopic autoradiography in the organ of Corti of the gerbil, following in vivo incubation with one of eight 3H-labeled amino acids. Following incubation with GABA, efferent endings underneath the outer hair cells were heavily labeled, as were all tunnel crossing fibers, many small fibers in the inner spiral bundle and some efferents beneath the inner hair cells. This pattern was absent following incubations with the GABA analog muscimol. Following L- and especially D-aspartic acid incubations, efferent endings under the inner hair cells and small fibers of the inner spiral bundle were preferentially labeled. It is concluded that these differential labeling patterns after GABA and aspartic acid incubations reflect two populations of efferent fibers in the organ of Corti: one terminating primarily upon the outer hair cells and one underneath the inner hair cells. Cochlear hair cells showed the highest level of labeling following incubation with alanine. Inner hair cells were more heavily labeled than outer hair cells following incubations with alanine and glycine. Hair cell labeling was comparable to that of supporting cells for most amino acids. However, for alanine and glycine the labeling of inner hair cells, and for L-aspartic and glutamic acid the labeling of all hair cells, was higher than that of structural cells. Labeling of hair cells was substantially lower than that of structural cells following taurine incubations.
Vitamin D and Ultraviolet B Radiation Considerations for Exotic Pets

Abstract Vitamin D is an essential hormone that regulates many different functions in vertebrates and can have a protective effect against various disease conditions. Providing exotic pets appropriate access to vitamin D, through the diet, ultraviolet B (UVB) exposure, or a combination of both, is important for veterinarians and exotic pet owners to consider. Although it is commonly thought that most animals derive the vitamin D they need through their diet, there are a number of species that appear to benefit more from UVB exposure. In addition, there has been minimal study to investigate appropriate dietary levels of vitamin D for many of our exotic pets. Although the recommendation of providing UVB lighting has been primarily limited to captive reptiles, research with other species (e.g., birds and small mammals) suggests that these animals may also benefit from this type of lighting. However, the provision of UVB is not without its potential side effects. The purpose of this article is to review the important roles of vitamin D in animals, the different methods animals use to acquire this hormone, the potential clinical signs associated with hypovitaminosis or hypervitaminosis D, the role of artificial UVB lighting in the synthesis of vitamin D, and the potential side effects associated with UVB radiation.
Current controversies in the management of aortoiliac occlusive disease

The numerous options currently available for treatment of aortoiliac occlusive disease have led to considerable controversy in regard to the optimal method of revascularization in such patients. Differences of opinion exist not only with respect to certain technical aspects of direct anatomic aortic reconstruction, which has traditionally been regarded as the "gold standard" treatment, but even more importantly as to whether alternative methods including a variety of catheter-based endoluminal therapies and extraanatomic grafts may offer nearly equivalent results with less risk and possible cost advantages. Although little truly definitive data is available, a review of published information can help clarify many of these management dilemmas. In the final analysis, the various methods may not be as competitive with one another as first seems apparent. Each has its own specific advantages and disadvantages and when used, in appropriate circumstances can provide excellent results. Indeed, it is this broad spectrum of options that can be matched to each patient's own unique anatomic and risk characteristics that make treatment of aortoiliac disease one of the most successful areas of contemporary vascular surgery practice.
Localization of sodium ions in dog submandibular gland tissue by the use of potassium pyroantimonate

Des glandes sousmaxillaires de chiens ont ete coupees en morceaux et mises dans un fixatif compose de 2% KSB(OH)6 et soit de 6.25% d'aldehyde glutarique, soit de 2% d'osmium et preparees pour l'examen au microscope electronique. Quand les tissus sont fixes a l'aldehyde glutarique, le precipite est principalement extracellulaire. Par contre, avec le fixatif a l'osmium, le precipite est plus diffus et se trouve partout dans la cellule. Cependant, on ne peut pas se fier a cette methode pour localiser des ions de sodium in vivo.
Design and Implementation of Broadband MEMS RHCP/LHCP Reconfigurable Arrays Using Rotated E-Shaped Patch Elements

A novel broadband RHCP/LHCP reconfigurable patch antenna array using an E-shaped patch antenna element is investigated. By applying particle swarm optimization (PSO), a challenging, combined $\mathbf{S}_{11}$ -AR bandwidth of 17% was achieved and verified through measurement for the isolated element using MEMS switches at an overall substrate thickness of $0.092 \boldsymbol{\lambda}_0$ . The achieved bandwidth is significantly higher than the current state-of-the-art in single-layer, single-feed circularly polarized (CP) patch element designs with similar substrate thickness. A small percentage of the upper frequency band experiences a pronounced beam squint similar to other thick substrate CP patch antennas. To overcome the beam squint, a novel rotated-element configuration is implemented to force pattern symmetry. Derivations of pattern symmetry and network effects are also shown. The final design prototype using rotated elements provides a measured 20% $\mathbf{S}_{11}$ -AR bandwidth with good radiation pattern stability.
Scaling of sea ice fracture-Part II: Horizontal load from moving ice

Continuing the analysis of fracture size effect in Part I, which was focused on the maximum force in vertical penetration of ice, Part II tackles the problem maximum force that can be applied by a moving ice plate on an obstacle presented by a fixed structure. Based on an asymptotic approach, approximate solutions for are obtained for the size effects of ice thickness, effective structure diameter and, in the case of a finite ice floe, the size of the floe. ©2002 ASME
Experimental tests for the quantum behavior of a macroscopic degree of freedom: The phase difference across a Josephson junction

Experiments are described that demonstrate the quantum behavior of a macroscopic degree of freedom, namely the phase difference \ensuremath{\delta} across a current-biased Josephson tunnel junction. The behavior of \ensuremath{\delta} was deduced from measurements of the escape rate \ensuremath{\Gamma} of the junction from its zero-voltage state. The relevant parameters of the junction, that is, its critical current and shunting admittance, were determined in situ in the thermal regime from the dependence of \ensuremath{\Gamma} on bias current and from resonant activation in the presence of microwaves. It was found that the shunting capacitance was dominated by the self-capacitance of the junction while the shunting conductance was dominated by the bias circuitry. For an underdamped junction in the quantum regime, \ensuremath{\Gamma} became independent of temperature at low temperatures with a value that, with no adjustable parameters, was in excellent agreement with predictions for macroscopic quantum tunneling at T=0. When the critical current was reduced with a magnetic field so that the junction remained in the thermal regime at low temperatures, \ensuremath{\Gamma} followed the predictions of the thermal model, thereby showing the influence of extraneous noise to be negligible. In a further series of experiments, the existence of quantized energy levels in the potential well of the junction was demonstrated spectroscopically. The positions of the energy levels agreed quantitatively with quantum-mechanical predictions involving junction parameters measured in the thermal regime. The relative heights and widths of the resonances are in reasonable agreement with the predictions of a simple model.
Rapid radical formation by DNA charge transport through sequences lacking intervening guanines.

Using the flash-quench technique to probe DNA charge transport in assemblies containing a tethered ruthenium intercalator, the kinetics and yield of methylindole radical formation as a function of DNA sequence were studied by laser spectroscopy and biochemical methods. In these assemblies, the methylindole moiety serves as an artificial base of low oxidation potential. Hole injection and subsequent formation of the methylindole radical cation were observed at a distance of over 30 A at rates ≥10^7 s^(-1) in assemblies containing no guanine bases intervening the ruthenium intercalator and GMG oxidation site. Radical yield was, however, strikingly sensitive to an intervening base mismatch; no significant methylindole radical formation was evident with an intervening AA mismatch. Also critical is the sequence at the injection site; this sequence determines initial hole localization and hence the probability of hole propagation. With guanine rather than inosine near the site of hole injection, decreased yields of radicals and long-range oxidative damage are observed. The presence of the low-energy guanine site in this case serves to localize the hole and therefore diminish charge transport through the base pair stack.