cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
511 keV excess and primordial black holes

An excess of 511 keV photons has been detected from the central region of the Milky Way. It has been suggested that the positrons responsible for this signal might be produced through the Hawking evaporation of primordial black holes. After evaluating the constraints from INTEGRAL, COMPTEL, and Voyager 1, we find that black holes in mass range of $\ensuremath{\sim}(1\ensuremath{-}4)\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{10}^{16}\text{ }\text{ }\mathrm{g}$ could potentially produce this signal if they make up a small fraction of the total dark matter density. Proposed MeV-scale gamma-ray telescopes such as AMEGO or e-ASTROGAM should be able to test this class of scenarios by measuring the diffuse gamma ray emission from the Milky Way's inner halo.
Directional dependency of electronic stopping in nickel, projectile’s excited charge state and momentum transfer

We studied the directional dependency of electronic stopping power of swift light ions in nickel using real-time time-dependent density functional theory. We report a variation of electronic stopping for moving ions as the projectile probes different electronic densities of the host material. These results show that while the predicted magnitude stays in reasonable agreement with experiment, for $$v > 2$$ . a.u. simulating only low index crystallographic directions is not enough to sample the experimental average values. The ab initio simulations give us access to microscopic quantities, such as non-adiabatic forces, momentum transfer and transient excited state charges of the projectile and host ions, which are not available through other methods. We report these quantities for the first time.
Numerical analysis of a second order ensemble algorithm for numerical approximation of stochastic Stokes-Darcy equations

Abstract Numerical approximation of stochastic Stokes-Darcy equations usually requires repeated sampling of the random hydraulic conductivity tensor and then simulating flow ensembles. In this setting, we propose an efficient, second order, ensemble algorithm for fast computation of the whole set of realizations of the stochastic Stokes-Darcy model corresponding to different random hydraulic conductivity tensor samples. The ensemble algorithm only requires the solution of two linear systems that have the same constant coefficient matrices for all realizations. We give a complete long time stability and convergence analysis for the method. Numerical experiments are presented to support theoretical results and demonstrate the application of the method.
Allosteric Regulation of Human Liver Pyruvate Kinase by Peptides that Mimic the Phosphorylated/Dephosphorylated N-Terminus

An advantage of studying allosteric regulation over covalent modification is that allostery allows the experimentalist to vary the concentration of effector, thereby allowing independent quantification of effector binding and allosteric coupling. In turn, this capacity allows the use of effector analogues to determine which regions of the effector contribute to effector binding and which contribute to allosteric regulation. Like many other proteins, human liver pyruvate kinase (hL-PYK) is regulated by phosphorylation. The phosphorylation of hL-PYK occurs on Ser12 of the N-terminus. Phosphorylation appears to interrupt an interaction (distant from the active site) between the N-terminus and the main body of the protein. Since this interaction increases the affinity of hL-PYK for the substrate (phosphoenolpyruvate, PEP), phosphorylation-dependent interruption of the N-terminus/main-body interaction results in an antagonism of PEP binding. Due to the advantages of studying an allosteric system, we detail a protocol to express and purify N-terminal peptides of hL-PYK using a SUMO-fusion system. We further demonstrate that these peptides act as allosteric regulators that modulate the affinity of hL-PYK for PEP.
Transient state isoelectric focusing. Resolving power and zone resolution.

Abstract A digital on-line data acquisition system has been used in conjunction with a scanning isoelectric focusing assembly for the direct calculation of the resolving power and zone resolution in transient state isoelectric focusing experiments. The application of the method to the evaluation of these two parameters in relation to (a) the applied electric field strength during focusing, and (b) to the diffusion in the absence of current is presented. A linear relationship between 1 σ 2 (where σ is the standard deviation of the concentration distribution of a focused zone) and the applied voltage was demonstrated. The resolving power and resolution were generally improved with increased electric field strength.
Transfer of Active Learning Strategies from the Teacher Education Classroom to PreK-12th Grade Classrooms

In this study, researchers investigated the influence of modeling active learning strategies in an introductory foundations teacher preparation course: 1) on teacher candidates' perceptions of participating in active learning in the college classroom, 2) on participants' acquisition of course content, and 3) on participants’ later use of active learning strategies in their classrooms as practicing teachers. Results revealed there was a significant difference in teacher candidates' acquisition of course content in the course sections that incorporated active learning (AL) and ones that incorporated a traditional lecture format (TL). In addition, on a follow-up survey of participants who are now practicing teachers, there was little difference in the use of the active learning strategies; however, there was a difference in the level of conceptual understanding of the theories of human development and diversity and how that knowledge was utilized by the AL and TL groups in their classrooms.
Overview the Unsettled Conflict: Israel – Palestine

Israel - Palestine conflict is hard shell to break out. The everlasting unsettled conflict that reminds us some tragic moments since last half century. No one exactly knows that what is wrong with the general agreement between these two. Sometimes it looks conflict will be sought out in just few minutes but how- that nobody knows?
Classifying Documents Without Labels.

Automatic classification of documents is an important area of research with many applications in the fields of document searching, forensics and others. Methods to perform classification of text rely on the existence of a sample of documents whose class labels are known. However, in many situations, obtaining this sample may not be an easy (or even possible) task. Consider for instance, a set of documents that is returned as a result of a query. If we want to separate the documents that are truly relevant to the query from those that are not, it is unlikely that we will have at hand labelled documents to train classification models to perform this task. In this paper we focus on the classification of an unlabelled set of documents into two classes: relevant and irrelevant, given a topic of interest. By dividing the set of documents into buckets (for instance, answers returned by different search engines), and using association rule mining to find common sets of words among the buckets, we can efficiently obtain a sample of documents that has a large percentage of relevant ones. (I.e., a high “purity”.) This sample can be used to train models to classify the entire set of documents. We try several methods of classification to separate the documents, including Two-class SVM, for which we develop a heuristic to identify a small sample of negative examples. We prove, via experimentation, that our method is capable of accurately classify a set of documents into relevant and irrelevant classes.
The Effect of Cupric Ions on the Indole Reaction for the Determination of Deoxyribonucleic Acid

Abstract The presence of cupric ions or ferric ions was found to enhance the development of color in the indole reaction for the colorimetric determination of deoxyribonucleic acid. The addition of calcium, cobaltous, magnesium, manganous, nickel, or zinc ions did not produce this effect. In the absence of added cupric ions, the indole reaction gave variable results, and the color developed to less than half of the optimum level. It is recommended that the reaction mixture for this assay include cupric ions at a concentration of 15 µm. Under these conditions, the molar extinction coefficient (based on the molarity of DNA phosphorus) of the colored product at 490 mµ is equal to 15,800 m-1 cm-1. The assay conforms to Beer's law until the concentration of DNA exceeds 25 µg per ml (A1 cm490 mµ = 1.25) in the reaction vessel.
Synthesis of Symmetric and Asymmetric Nanosilica for Materials, Optical and Medical Applications

In this chapter we review the current state of research on symmetric and asymmetric silica nanomaterials, or nanosilica, in terms of their synthesis, characterization and applications. Both, catalytically and noncatalytically grown nanosilica are discussed, and several types of application for these nanomaterials are described. For asymmetric nanosilica, the focus is on helical nanosilica such as silica nanocoils and other helical nanosilica, whereas for symmetric silica nanomaterials the discussion covers more general forms of nanosilica, including nanoparticles, mesoporous nanomaterials and silica nanotubes. Keywords: silica; nanocoils; nanowires; catalysis; nanoparticles
Analytic Review: Thrombolytic Therapy in Acute Myocardial Infarction

The salvage of myocardium in the setting of acute myocardial infarction has long been a goal of physicians involved in the care of patients with coronary artery disease. Understanding the role of thrombosis in the pathogenesis of acute myocardial infarction has led the way to an entirely new approach to the treatment of this entity. Thrombolytic therapy has now become a widely used form of treatment with encouraging results. Both intravenous and intracoronary administration of thrombolytic agents have been shown to promote recanalization of acutely occluded coronary arteries. Results of studies using the clot-specific agent, tissue plasminogen activator, intravenously have been most encouraging; successful reperfusion has been obtained in approximately 70% of patients treated. In addition, a recent large-scale trial has shown a reduction in morbidity and mortality with the early use of thrombolytic agents.Ongoing trials should help delineate the precise role and timing of these agents as the initial form ...
3-D Simulations of Non-Newtonian Fluid Flow in Rectangular Cavity

In this paper we present the results of the 3-D simulations of the power law model fluid flow in rectangular cavity. FLOW-3D commercial, software (Flow-Simulations, Inc.) has been used to predict flow velocity distributions and pressure losses when non-Newtonian fluid flows through the square cavity.Copyright © 2003 by ASME
A hierarchical LSI-11 system for real-time control, interevent time storage, and data analysis

A general-purpose laboratory computer system using two Digital Equipment Corporation LSI-11 s in a master-slave relationship is described. The implementation includes hardware to install an LSI-11 as a slave parallel processor, to provide special-purpose functions such as a real-time clock and a 4K FIFO interprocessor buffer, and to establish a bus that permits the use of inexpensive interfaces to experimental equipment. The slave processor generates a complete log of each input or output event. Data in the form of the time of each event are continuously passed through the FIFO to a foreground task in the main LSI-11, which in turn stores the raw data on a hard disk. A macro library allows the easy development of experimentcontrol programs. A library of FORTRAN routines provides a pointer-based conditional and iterative search facility that can sift out any specifiable event or set of events from the data records for subsequent analysis. This computer system provides the user with an inexpensive facility to run up to 32 simultaneous experiments with complete data logging in foreground while program development, analysis, and word processing are concurrently being done in background.
Determining and calculating spectroscopic factors from stable nuclei to the drip lines

A survey of our present understanding of absolute spectroscopic factors near stable closed-shell nuclei is given based on our current interpretation of the (e, e'p) reaction. Uncertainties associated with the imprecise knowledge of the degree of nonlocality of the optical potential of the knocked out proton are identified. Theoretical expectations for the dependence of spectroscopic factors on the nucleon asymmetry are outlined. Conflicting results obtained from various reactions concerning the asymmetry dependence of spectroscopic factors are surveyed. The possibility of obtaining reliable absolute spectroscopic factors with reactions initiated by hadrons is discussed with special emphasis on present and future radioactive beam experiments. The combined and integrated analysis of such reactions using a Green's function framework in the form of an extended dispersive optical model may provide a useful approach to resolve this theoretical open problem.
A management framework for preventing the secondary spread of aquatic invasive species

Biological invasions continue to accelerate, and there is a need for closer integration between invasive species research and on-the-ground management. In many regions, aquatic invasive species hav...
From Private to Public: Reexamining the Technological Basis for Copyright

This article calls into question the technologically determinist view that the invention of the printing press inevitably led to the development of copyright. The rise of the merchant class and the Reformation created a political environment favorable to protectionist trade measures such as the early printing privileges. Later, as public sentiment turned against the printing monopolies created by these privileges, the first copyright law was passed to limit the power of publishers and eliminate the private administration of copyright. Policy makers need to understand the historical circumstances surrounding the origins of copyright rather than be swayed by the technologically determinist rhetoric that frames the current debate. Copyright owners are now using technology and changes in the law to expand their control over content and privatize copyright once more.
Recent advances in primary care behavioral health

Behavioral healthcare is being increasingly integrated into primary care settings. The primary care behavioral health (PCBH) model is one of the most common approaches to integrated care, but limited guidance exists to guide behavioral health providers (BHPs) in their everyday clinical practice. The purpose of this review is to summarize evidence-based assessment and intervention practices for PCBH providers and identify gaps for future research. Recent advances that can help support evidence-based practice among these providers include a measure of integrated behavioral health providers’ fidelity to the PCBH model, brief behavioral health assessment and outcome measures, and brief interventions.
2D steady wake predictions for airfoil cascades with beveled trailing edges

The use of Reynolds-Averaged Navier-Stokes (RANS) codes to predict the statistics of turbulent flow fields is an important component of contemporary engineering design. Reliable predictions can be obtained once modeling constants are calibrated for particular flow types. In this work, we consider flow through airfoil cascades with beveled trailing edges, flows common in turbomachinery applications. They are characterized by separation along the trailing edge bevel which alters the effective camber of the airfoil and may destabilize to give time-dependent vortex shedding. As representative geometries, a 2D airfoil cascade and the Darpa-HIREP rotor at 76.2% span are considered, since experimental data for both are available. Time-asymptotic, 2D RANS solutions are computed using a two-equation q-w turbulence model with Jones-Launder-type and Wilcoxtype turbulence-model constants. Differences in the predicted separation bubble sizes are shown, and the nearwake flow solutions are compared to experimental data. Periodic flow solutions are discussed with attention directed toward stabilization of the flow using a short splitter plate. Our time-asymptotic RANS results could not isolate the "better" coefficients. Bolh sets predicted flows with reasonable agreement to experimental data in the near wake.
Patient navigation moderates emotion and information demands of cancer treatment: a qualitative analysis

Patient navigation is increasingly employed to guide patients through cancer treatment. We assessed the elements of navigation that promoted patients’ involvement in treatment among patients with breast and colorectal cancer that participated in a navigation study. We conducted qualitative analysis of 28 audiotaped and transcribed semi-structured interviews of navigated and unnavigated cancer patients. Themes included feeling emotionally and cognitively overwhelmed and desire for a strong patient-navigator partnership. Both participants who were navigated and those who were not felt that navigation did or could help address their emotional, informational, and communicational needs. The benefits of logistical support were cited less often. Findings underscore the salience of personal relationships between patients and navigators in meeting patients’ emotional and informational needs.
Half-Heusler ternary compounds as new multifunctional experimental platforms for topological quantum phenomena

Topological insulators have been predicted and recently demonstrated experimentally in a series of binary alloys. It is now show theoretically that ternary half-Heusler alloys have electronic properties similar to those of the experimentally verified topological insulators, and represent a platform for observing quantum topological phenomena.
Combination therapy with inhaled nitric oxide and intravenous dobutamine during pulmonary hypertension in the rabbit.

Summary: Combination therapy with an intravenous inovasodilator and inhaled nitric oxide (NO) may be appropriate in patients with pulmonary hypertension and associated right ventricular failure. We examined whether dobutamine and inhaled NO would have additive pulmonary vasodilator effects in experimental pulmonary hypertension. Pulmonary hypertension was produced in anesthetized, mechanically ventilated rabbits by infusion of U46619, a thromboxane analogue. Dobutamine was administered in increasing doses (2.5-20 μg/kg/min) with and without inhaled NO (40 ppm). Dobutamine produced dose-dependent decreases in pulmonary vascular resistance (PVR) and mean arterial pressure (MAP) and increases in cardiac output (CO). Inhaled NO alone decreased pulmonary artery pressure (PAP) and PVR with no effect on MAP or CO. The effects of dobutamine and inhaled NO were additive, so that at each dose of dobutamine, inhaled NO decreased PAP and PVR with no effect on systemic hemodynamics. This study suggests that the combination of dobutamine and inhaled NO should produce additive pulmonary vasodilation in patients with pulmonary hypertension and associated right ventricular dysfunction.
The relation between deactivation of CuZSM-5 in the selective reduction of NO and dealumination of the zeolite

The durability of CuZSM-5 in the selective reduction of NO has received scant attention notwithstanding the prospective use at high temperatures in streams containing high levels of steam, i.e., conditions that cause zeolite dealumination. Dealumination is synonymous with the loss of Bronsted acid sites and with the destruction of the geometric integrity of the exchanged Cu-ion sites. If either of these sites is important in NO reduction, dealumination will result in deactivation. Another issue is the effect of copper exchange on dealumination. We have followed the decrease in the tetrahedrally coordinated27 Al MAS n.m.r. peak at 54 ppm to assess the extent of the dealumination. The treatment of 43%-exchanged CuZSM-5 (SiO2Al2O3 = 30) in a static system at 700°C established that Cu inhibits the dealumination. For a different CuZSM-5 with a high SiO2Al2O3 ratio of 80 and “overexchanged” at 147%, it was observed that the activity decreases rapidly at 410°C if the catalyst is exposed to steam-containing air, whereas it is not affected by dry air. The decrease in activity is accompanied by dealumination. The activity decreased to about half its initial value and remained constant thereafter. The extent of dealumination was somewhat lower, proportionately, than the loss of activity. Some inferences are drawn from the experimental results.
Pre-Conditioning of Smooth Muscle Cells via Induction of the Heat Shock Response Limits Proliferation Following Mechanical Injury

Abstract Arterial smooth muscle cell (SMC) proliferation is a significant component of post-angioplasty restenosis. We evaluated whether pre-conditioning of SMCs, via induction of the heat shock respone prior to actual physical injury, would result in an alteration in cell proliferation following injury. Rat aortic SMCs were pretreated with either chemical or thermal heat shock inducers and then subjected to scrape-wound injury in vitro. Cell proliferation at 24 hrs was measured via 3 H-thymidine (Tdr) incorporation and compared with scrape wounded unstressed controls. A significant decline in cell proliferation post scrape-wound injury was observed for both chemical and thermal heat shock pre-conditioned cultures, compared to untreated controls. Increased expression of heat shock protein 72 was confirmed serially throughout the 24 hr study period for both chemical and thermal inducers. Despite reduced proliferation heat shocked cells remained viable as evidenced by fluorescent cell viability assay and preserved migration. Pre-conditioning of SMCs through induction of the heat shock response prior to physical injury may be a useful approach to limit aggressive proliferation observed with mechanical revascularization injury.
Consumer Readings of Green Appeals in Advertisements

This study evaluates consumers’ interpretation of green advertisements. The overarching theme that surfaced from the findings was that of “convenience.” The themes brought out by respondents of “not compromising your lifestyle,” a “simple-fix,” and a “collective participation/minor changes” all reiterated the theme of convenience. This suggests that the environmental initiatives of many companies/brands are focusing on minor green activities rather than sustainable activities. Additionally, all advertisements alluded to anthropocentric considerations, a human-centered system of values that regards nature as subject to the demands of human-utility, as opposed to ecocentric considerations that provide a non-contingent basis for protecting the natural world.
Simultaneous mixed bacterial meningitis in children

Of 534 infants and children with acute bacterial meningitis, 20 were found to have meningitis resulting from simultaneous infection by 2 distinct bacterial species. Simultaneous mixed bacterial meningitis occurs most frequently in young infants. The mortality rate and incidence of sequelae are relatively high. The importance of accurate diagnosis and broad coverage antibiotic therapy are stressed. A system of nomenclature for simultaneous mixed meningeal infection by two or more species of microorganisms is proposed.
Immunodiffusion reactions between human sera and Mycoplasma pneumoniae.

Summary. M. pneumoniaeantibodies in human sera are detectable by double diffusion gel precipitation. These antibodies correlate with growth inhibiting antibody measured by the tetrazolium reduction inhibition test. All positive sera share a common precipitation band which appears to contain lipid.
Genetic differences in ethanol-induced hyperglycemia and conditioned taste aversion.

Genetic differences in the hyperglycemic response to acute ethanol exposure and ethanol-induced conditioned taste aversion were examined using inbred mice. Adult male C57BL/6J and DBA/2J mice were injected with ethanol (0-6 g/kg, I.P.) and blood glucose levels determined over 4 h. C57 mice demonstrated greater dose-dependent elevations in blood glucose compared to DBA mice. In a conditioned taste aversion procedure, water deprived mice received ethanol injections (1-4 g/kg, I.P.) immediately after access to a NaCl flavored solution. DBA mice developed aversion to the ethanol-paired flavor at a lower dose (2 g/kg) than C57 mice. These results provide further support for a possible inverse genetic relationship between sensitivity to ethanol-induced hyperglycemia and sensitivity to conditioned taste aversion.
The effects of the race of the interviewer on sociolinguistic fieldwork

Les As. cherchent a determiner quelle influence peut avoir la race/ethnie de celui qui mene une enquete sociolinguistique et qui realise les entretiens, sur les donnees qu'il recueille. Cette influence est mesuree en comparant des entretiens realises par des chercheurs americains et noirs-americains avec des locuteurs noirs-americains. L'etude montre que la connaissance actuelle que nous avons de l'anglais vernaculaire afro-americain est essentiellement issue de recherches realisees par des chercheurs de race blanche. Elle montre egalement que les donnees recueillies lors d'entretiens refletent le comportement linguistique typique des chercheurs
A high-performance liquid chromatography assay of brain adenylate cyclase using [3H]ATP as substrate.

A sensitive, reproducible assay for adenylate cyclase is described which separates labeled cyclic AMP from ATP and other nucleotides by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) on reverse-phase columns. The technique utilizes [3H]ATP as substrate, and the principal compound contaminating the [3H]cyclic AMP peak, adenosine, is removed by incubation of assay tubes with small amounts of adenosine deaminase. The HPLC elution utilizes high resolution (3 μm) short (10 cm) C-18 columns for increased resolution and decreased flow rates. Since cyclic AMP elutes at 4 min following injection, this procedure can easily process large numbers of samples per day when combined with automated techniques of sample injection and collection.
A Coordinate Frame Useful for Rigid-Body Displacement Metrics

This paper presents the deﬁnition of a coordinate frame, entitledthe principal frame PF, that is useful for metric calculations onspatial and planar rigid-body displacements. Given a set of dis-placements and using a point mass model for the moving rigid-body, the PF is determined from the associated centroid and prin-cipal axes. It is shown that the PF is invariant with respect to thechoice of ﬁxed coordinate frame as well as the system of unitsused. Hence, the PF is useful for left invariant metric computa-tions. Three examples are presented to demonstrate the utility ofthe PF.
The Role of Surfactant Precipitation and Redissolution in the Adsorption of Sulfonate on Minerals

The presence of maxima and sometimes minima in the adsorption isotherms of surfactant on minerals has been attributed to various mechanisms involving micelle exclusion, impurities, surfactant composition, mineral morphology, etc. This study on the precipitation of sulfonates with various inorganic ions (Na, K, NH/sub 4/, Ca, Mg, and Al) and the subsequent redissolution when the surfactant concentration is increased shows a precipitation maximum to occur in the same surfactant concentration range where an adsorption maximum is obtained. Simultaneous abstraction, precipitation, and adsorption experiments have been conducted using chromatographically purified dodecylbenzenesulfonate and Nakaolinite, and the results show the ''abstraction vs. surfactant concentration'' curves to exhibit a much more pronounced maximum than the real adsorption (abstraction minus precipitation) maximum. We suggest that the total abstraction of surfactant from the solution on contact with mineral phase, usually called ''adsorption'', is a summation of both the ''real'' adsorption and precipitation and that the precipitation/redissolution phenomenon is one of the major reasons for the adsorption maxima. Introduction of oil into the system reduces the precipitation because of partitioning of the sulfonate between the oil and aqueous phases. Precipitation and adsorption data are used to derive possible mechanisms for the precipitation/redissolution phenomena.
Application of a blind channel estimator for source separation in MIMO systems

The performance of a blind channel estimator is evaluated in this work. This channel estimator approximates the channel impulse responses in Multiple-Input Multiple-Output (MIMO) communication links without any prior knowledge of either the transmitting channel or the transmitted signals. It uses the autocorrelation of signals at the receiver end.In this paper as a major application of this channel estimation scheme, it is applied to achieve blind source separation (BSS) in a multiple antenna wireless communication system. The performance of the blind channel estimation scheme is compared using an improved version of the CMA equalizer for QAM signals [5] with the training-based Minimum Mean Squared Error (MMSE) and Maximum Likelihood (ML) channel estimators. The frequency and impulse response of the estimated channels are compared to those of the actual channels, and the channel estimation errors are plotted over a range of Signal to Noise Ratio (SNR) for each of the three channel estimators.
Positioning Impact on the Surgical Patient

The operating room is unknown territory to most health care providers. It frequently brings up thoughts of blood, strange smells, and cold temperatures. Many nursing programs have scheduled little, if any, time in this environment for students. As a result, few nurses who practice outside of this specialized area understand the patient care events that occur in the operating room. Those who have selected the operating room for their work environment know that it is a somewhat isolated period in the perioperative experience. This article provides insight into this area of patient care and a greater understanding of how patients are positioned, the physiologic impact of these positions, and some consequences that may impact the postoperative care of these patients.
Analysis of simultaneous gas absorption and chemical reaction to a thin liquid film over a spinning disk

A theoretical analysis of the process of gas absorption to a thin liquid film on a horizontal rotating disk is presented. The film is formed by the impingement of a confined liquid jet at the center of the disk and subsequent radial spreading of liquid along the surface of the disk. The chemical reaction between the gas and the liquid film is expressed as a zero-order homogeneous reaction. The process is modeled by establishing equations for the conservation of mass, momentum, and species concentration and solving them analytically. The final solution is expressed using confluent hypergeometric functions. Results for gas concentration and Sherwood number are presented using Reynolds number, Ekman number, and chemical reaction rate as parameters.
The Journal of Risk and Insurance: A 75‐Year Historical Perspective

This research provides a comprehensive historical analysis of articles published in The Journal of Risk and Insurance over the 75-year period from 1932 to 2006. Historical statistics are provided including the number of articles, number of authors per article, geographic location of contributors, leading contributors, author affiliation (industry or academic), the proportion of articles that are theoretical and empirical, and topics covered. Statistics relating to the entire 75-year period are provided as well as breakdowns by decade. The results indicate that the contributors to The Journal of Risk and Insurance have become more international over time, average article length and average number of authors per article have increased over time, and empirical articles appear more frequently than theoretical articles.
Machine duplication and part subcontracting in the presence of alternative cell locations in manufacturing cell design

In this paper a model and a solution algorithm are reported to simultaneously deal with the processes of machine duplication and part subcontracting in the presence of two significant design issues in cellular manufacturing systems: (i) alternative cell locations; and (ii) the maximum number of machines assigned to a cell. As the problem, formulated as a polynomial programming model, is shown NP-hard in the strong sense, a higher-level heuristic algorithm based upon a concept known as ‘tabu search’ is presented. An example (small) problem is solved to demonstrate the functionality of the algorithm. Additionally, the small problem is solved for its optimal solution under different scenarios, both with linear single-row and linear double-row layout arrangements, and the solutions obtained are shown to match with those obtained with the heuristic algorithm. A comparison of six different versions of tabu search-based heuristics (TSH 1–TSH 6) is performed to investigate the impact of long-term memory and the use of fixed versus variable tabu-list sizes. A carefully constructed statistical experiment, based on randomised complete-block design, is used to test the performance on three different problem structures, classified as small, medium and large. The results show that TSH 6 with variable tabu-list size and long-term memory based on minimal frequencies is preferred for the single-row layout, while TSH 4 with variable tabu-list size and no long-term memory is preferred for the double-row layout. When subject to budgetary restrictions, the proposed approach can be used by parts manufacturing companies to determine which of the following three actions should be undertaken for each bottleneck part: bottleneck part left as in the initial solution, all the bottleneck machines connected to it are duplicated, or the part subcontracted.
Approaches to the sources on adultery at Rome

There has been a good deal of speculation as to the amount of sexual freedom enjoyed by Roman men and women. This freedom certainly involved many types of liaison: homosexual as well as heterosexual; from casual use of prostitutes to established concubinage. In a society where marriage was common, many of these relationships entailed adultery. The purpose of this study is to present different sorts of evidence on heterosexual extra-marital love affairs, especially evidence which reflects societal attitudes towards such affairs, and to draw attention to problems in the evaluation of this evidence.
Protein-DNA interface: Structural analysis by specific contact mapping

The interaction between protein and nucleic acid are essential for many cell processes that regulate cell cycles and vital functions. Understanding the determinants of protein / DNA recognition would lead to valuable biological, medical, and biotechnological applications. The practical and theoretical importance of the rules that govern the recognition specificity has generated a deep interest and a number of publications have contributed to a better understanding of the specificity and the recognition rules between protein and DNA. In this study, we investigated protein DNA interface using Delaunay Tessellation of protein DNA complexes as specific contact maps. Protein/DNA interface were studied at an atomic level by our novel TOPOFIT method. Majority of studies that were carried out focusing on recognition features occurring between pairs of residues and DNA bases. In the present study, representative Protein-DNA interfaces were split into patches and then into triplets. We first present a statistical analysis about interface patches obtained from 294 protein-DNA complexes that were classified and clustered according to their double DNA pattern, highlighting the important variability among the current representation of recognized DNA patterns. We also report here that there are several classes of triplet interfaces that are groove dependent, and in which the closeness of residues and nucleotides can be estimated through the analysis of the contribution of water, and the number of contacts involving the dual groove atoms. These observation correlates with the function of DNA-protein complexes and is a side effect of the interaction consequences on DNA conformation. More precisely, there are two classes of minor groove triplets distinguishable by the presence/absence of water molecules at the interface and the low/high contribution of DNA dual groove atoms into the specific contact maps. These classes were not observed for major groove triplets showing a more homogenous population.
Isolation of erythroid cells from the mouse embryonic yolk sac by laser capture microdissection and subsequent microarray hybridization

Abstract Erythropoietic tissues are complex, containing both erythroid and other cells. The embryonic yolk sac in particular contains primitive erythroid cells in low abundance. Laser capture microdissection (LCM) was performed to isolate erythroid cells, and epithelial cells, from mouse embryonic day 10 (E10) yolk sac. Quantitative RT-PCR was performed to confirm that enriched cell populations were obtained. ey- and βH1-globin mRNAs were enriched in the erythroid compared to the epithelial fraction, and villin mRNA was enriched in the epithelial compared to the erythroid fraction. RNA isolated from the microdissected erythroid cells was of high quality as indicated by capillary electrophoresis. The RNA from the LCM erythroid fraction was linearly amplified with T7 RNA polymerase and hybridized to a Mouse 430A 2.0 Affymetrix® array. Forty-eight percent of genes were present in the microarray assays, including low abundance transcripts such as erythroid transcription factors and enzymes involved in heme synthesis. With the LCM/microarray strategy, it will be possible to identify genes that are differentially regulated in native primitive and definitive erythroid cells.
Influence of fluid deprivation level on the extinction of conditioned taste aversion induced by amphetamine in female rats

The present experiment examined the influence of differential fluid deprivation (8.5- or 23.5-h) on the extinction of amphetamine (2.0 mg/kg)-induced conditioned taste aversion in female rats. In two-bottle preference tests, rats trained and extinguished under a 23.5-h fluid-deprivation schedule displayed significantly faster extinction of saccharin taste aversion relative to that observed in rats trained and extinguished under an 8.5-h deprivation schedule. The more rapid extinction of amphetamine aversion observed in fluid-deprived rats is comparable to that described previously for conventional emetic punishers such as lithium chloride or cyclophosphamide.
A six-year study of abundance and voltinism of Chironomidae (Diptera) in an Illinois cooling reservoir

The chironomid fauna of Baldwin Lake, an off-stream closed-cycle cooling reservoir for an 1800-megawatt coal-fired power plant, was sampled semi-monthly to monthly at four stations for six years, beginning five months after the reservoir was filled and ending 23 months after the third unit of the power plant went into operation. In the main basin three species dominated: Coelotanypus concinnus (Coquillett), Procladius bellus (Loew), and Tanypus stellatus Coquillett. The last did not become established until the lake was two years old, probably because temperatures were too low the first winter. Populations of all three species were initially large and sharply fluctuating, but later became smaller and less fluctuant in C. concinnus and P. bellus, due, probably, to more intense predation on them. Only in T. stellatus were changes in voltinism clearly evident: it changed from bivoltine to tri- and quatrivoltine as degree-days of heat increased. Photoperiod also affected its life cycle, as evidenced by synchronous development of summer generations each year. Temperature and perhaps food supply affected development time of its overwintering generation. All three species tolerated a temperature of 38 °C; their populations were kept low in the discharge channel by the current, not the temperature. Six species of Chironominae were sporadically abundant in the discharge channel.
Pauses, Transition Relevance, and Speaker Change

The relationship between transition relevance and speaker change, although accepted among conversation analysts, has not to date been the focus of quantitative description. The present researchers cross-tabulated transition relevance and speaker change in the environment of conversational pauses. These procedures produced strong statistical corroboration of the sociological reality of transition relevance. Additionally, analyses of exceptional instances (e.g., speaker change following non-transition-relevant pauses) show that the participants mark these as exceptional.
A population study of bats of the Genus Plecotus

In November 1960, bat colonies were found in the roof of the research station, and an ecological study began of the largest, a Plecotus colony. That colony was at first thought to consist solely of P. auritus but, in 1964, the presence of P. austriacus was confirmed, and several of the latter had been ringed early in 1961. Because of this, it has been necessary to present, here, the combined results for the two species. Population studies revealed that the colony size was constant and consisted of 36 bats of which 23 were females. Overall 38% were males but, of the juveniles, 46% were males. The survival rate for the colony as a whole was 0.750, but the mean life expectation for females was 4.2 years and for males 3.7 years. The life-span was thought to be in excess of 16 years. Initial capture rate of 0.715 remained constant throughout the five-year period, while the recapture rate fell by a factor of 0.30. This was attributed to sampling disturbance and not due to ringing. Mating was found to occur equally in spring and autumn. Males became mature in their first year and females in their second. The mean spring and autumn weights for mature males were generally 1.5g less than the corresponding mature female weights, and juvenilesare approximately 1.0 g less than these. Climatic effects on the bats were demonstrated with particular reference to wind velocity. This work is beingcontinued.
Epoxide hydrolase and CYP2C9 polymorphisms, cigarette smoking, and risk of colorectal carcinoma in the nurses' health study and the physicians' health study

Microsomal epoxide hydrolase (mEH) and cytochrome P450 2C9 (CYP2C9) are involved in the bioactivation and detoxification of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) derived from tobacco smoke. Two coding-region mEH variants (Tyr113His, His139Arg) and CYP2C9 variants (Arg144Cys, Ile359Leu) have been described and affect enzyme specific activity. We investigated these polymorphisms and tested interactions with smoking in relationship to risk of colorectal carcinoma in two case-control studies nested in the Nurses' Health Study (NHS) and Physicians' Health Study (PHS) cohorts. mEH Tyr113His and His139Arg polymorphisms were not associated with the risk of cancer among 197 incident cases and 490 controls from the NHS. Among 273 incident cases and 453 controls from the PHS, carrying one or two copies of the 'rapid' 139Arg allele was associated with a significantly reduced risk of colorectal cancer (OR=0.70, 95% CI 0.49--0.99) when compared with His139 wild-type individuals. Risk of colorectal cancer was significantly reduced among men carrying the CYP2C9 *1/*2 genotype (OR=0.62, 95% CI 0.42--0.92) or at least one CYP2C9 variant allele (OR=0.72, 95% CI 0.52--1.00) when compared with *1/*1 wild-type individuals. For women, carrying at least one variant CYP2C9 allele was inversely associated with the risk of colorectal cancer (OR=0.85, 95% CI, 0.57--1.27) when compared with *1/*1 wild-type individuals. No statistically significant genotype-smoking or gene-gene interactions were found in this study. Our results indicate that individuals exposed to tobacco carcinogens were at increased risk of colorectal cancer and that overall risk is related to mEH and CYP2C9 genotype, although the results were not consistent between men and women.
DOUBLE-BLIND EVALUATION OF GLYCEROL THERAPY IN ACUTE CEREBRAL INFARCTION

Abstract A double-blind evaluation of the effects of glycerol administration intravenously for 4 or 6 days in patients with acute stroke was completed in a stroke centre. Fifty-four patients with acute cerebral infarction and eight patients with spontaneous intracerebral haemorrhage were admitted to the study. The neurological status was evaluated by use of a neurological scoring system. Patients with cerebral infarction treated with glycerol showed significant improvement in neurological status compared to the patients treated with placebo (P
Interpreting Computational Neural Network QSAR Models: A Measure of Descriptor Importance

We present a method to measure the relative importance of the descriptors present in a QSAR model developed with a computational neural network (CNN). The approach is based on a sensitivity analysis of the descriptors. We tested the method on three published data sets for which linear and CNN models were previously built. The original work reported interpretations for the linear models, and we compare the results of the new method to the importance of descriptors in the linear models as described by a PLS technique. The results indicate that the proposed method is able to rank descriptors such that important descriptors in the CNN model correspond to the important descriptors in the linear model.
Age-associated changes in left ventricular diastolic performance during isometric exercise in normal subjects.

Abstract Although systolic left ventricular (LV) function at rest has been shown to be unaffected by advancing age,1,2 numerous investigations have demonstrated an age-associated decline in early diastolic filling rate, initially determined from the mitral valve E F closure slope,1,3 and more recently by Doppler-derived peak Ewave velocity4–6 and radionuclide ventriculographic peak filling rate.7,8 Conversely, by both of these latter techniques older subjects show an augmented atrial contribution to LV filling. As a result, end-diastolic volume at rest is unaffected by age.1,2 In contrast to LV diastolic function at rest, little is known about the effect of age on diastolic function during isometric exercise. Such exercise imposes an afterload stress,9–11 which might have significant effects on diastolic function. The increase in blood pressure during isometric handgrip has been shown to be exaggerated in older persons.12–13 The present study was therefore designed to evaluate the effects of age on LV diastolic response to sustained handgrip in normal subjects.
Balloon Valvuloplasty in Calcified Aortic Stenosis: A Cause for Caution and Alarm

Abstract Balloon dilation by the percutaneous route has recently been recommended as an alternative to surgical intervention in the management of calcified aortic valvular stenosis. To investigate the validity of balloon valvuloplasty, this procedure was carried out in the operating room under direct vision in 30 patients just prior to excision and replacement of the ossified aortic valve. Changes induced by balloon dilation were evaluated by visual inspection as well as by geometric measurements. By visual observation, balloon valvuloplasty did not have a detectable impact on the valvular anatomy in about 19 of the patients and induced enlargement of the functional aortic orifice judged as "minimal" or "moderate" in only 11. In no patient was there a substantial increase in the functional orifice size. These findings were supported by geometrical measurements. Therefore, we believe that the virtues of this procedure have been grossly overstated by its proponents and that it should be offered only to patients who present a truly forbidding risk by standards of modern surgery.