cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Deception In The Marketplace: The Psychology of Deceptive Persuasion and Consumer Self-Protection

This is the first scholarly book to fully address the topics of the psychology of deceptive persuasion in the marketplace and consumer self-protection. Deception permeates the American marketplace. Deceptive marketing harms consumers’ health, welfare and financial resources, reduces people’s privacy and self-esteem, and ultimately undermines trust in society. Individual consumers must try to protect themselves from marketers’ misleading communications by acquiring personal marketplace deception-protection skills that go beyond reliance on legal or regulatory protections. Understanding the psychology of deceptive persuasion and consumer self-protection should be a central goal for future consumer behavior research. The authors explore these questions. What makes persuasive communications misleading and deceptive? How do marketing managers decide to prevent or practice deception in planning their campaigns? What skills must consumers acquire to effectively cope with marketers’ deception tactics? What does research tell us about how people detect, neutralize and resist misleading persuasion attempts? What does research suggest about how to teach marketplace deception protection skills to adolescents and adults? Chapters cover theoretical perspectives on deceptive persuasion; different types of deception tactics; how deception-minded marketers think; prior research on how people cope with deceptiveness; the nature of marketplace deception protection skills; how people develop deception protection skills in adolescence and adulthood; prior research on teaching consumers marketplace deception protection skills; and societal issues such as regulatory frontiers, societal trust, and consumer education practices. This unique book is intended for scholars and researchers. It should be essential reading for upper level and graduate courses in consumer behavior, social psychology, communication, and marketing. Marketing practitioners and marketplace regulators will find it stimulating and authoritative, as will social scientists and educators who are concerned with consumer welfare.
Physician involvement in life transition planning: a survey of community-dwelling older adults

With many information sources for healthy aging and life transitions, it is unknown whether community-dwelling older adults desire physician involvement in future planning decisions. The study aimed to examine older adults’ experiences and opinions concerning four future planning domains: advance care planning, driving, finances, and housing. Adults aged ≥55 years living at a large urban, independent living facility were surveyed with an anonymous, voluntary, paper-based, mailed questionnaire. Survey domains were advance care planning, driving, finances, and housing. For each domain, questions assessed confidence, openness to discussions, information sources, and prior and desired future role of the physician in decision-making by domain. Comparisons across and within domains were determined using Chi-square tests. The response rate was 56 % (N = 457; median age: 75 years; 74 % female). Among advance care planning, driving, and finances, respondents were more confident about what it means to have an advance directive (87 %, 95 % CI 84 − 90 %) than alternative transportation options (46 %, 95 % CI 42 − 51 %). Nearly two-thirds of respondents (64 %, 95 % CI 59 − 68 %) were open to discussing driving cessation, though only one-third (32 %, 95 % CI 28 − 37 %) were open to having a family member determine timing of driving cessation. More individuals (44 %, 95 % CI 39 − 49 %) were open to a physician deciding about when to stop driving. Past discussions with family or friends about advance care planning or finances were common, although past discussions about driving were less common. Respondents reported personal experience and family as key information sources, which were significantly more common than healthcare providers. While prior involvement by physicians in decision-making was rare across all domains, some respondents expressed desire for future physician involvement in all domains, with advance care planning (29 %, 95 % CI 25 − 33 %) and driving safety (24 %, 95 % CI 20 − 28 %) having highest levels of support for future physician involvement. Some older adults desired more physician involvement in future planning for life transitions, especially related to advance care planning and driving compared to finances and housing. Clinical implications include increased patient-centered care and anticipatory guidance by physicians for aging-related life transitions.
RAPID QUANTITATIVE METHOD FOR MEASURING THE SENSITIVITY OF BLASTOMYCES DERMATITIDIS TO FUNGISTATIC AGENTS

Guidry, D. J. (Louisiana State University School of Medicine, New Orleans) and Findlay Maier. Rapid quantitative method for measuring the sensitivity of Blastomyces dermatitidis to fungistatic agents. J. Bacteriol. 85:504–508. 1963.—Isolates of Blastomyces dermatitidis (yeast phase) were grown in continuous shake liquid culture. When sufficient cells were added to impart an initial optical density of 0.100 to the inoculated medium, growth was rapid, and the time required to assay fungistatic agents was reduced to 48 hr. Standard curves on light transmittance and direct cell count facilitated preparation of inoculum and measurement of growth. Generation time was determined for various growth phases of B. dermatitidis, and the data were applied to selection of the optimal period of growth for assaying fungistatic agents. Four isolates of B. dermatitidis were tested for their sensitivity to amphotericin and 2-hydroxystilbamidine. An amphotericin B concentration of 1.4 μg/ml was sufficient for maximal inhibition of all isolates tested; there were differences among isolates in sensitivity to lower concentrations of the drug. A 2-hydroxystilbamidine concentration of 62.5 μg/ml was sufficient for maximal inhibition of two isolates; the two remaining isolates required a concentration of 125 μg/ml. A latent period in inhibition of growth occurred when amphotericin B and 2-hydroxystilbamidine were added to cultures of B. dermatitidis. This latent period, together with generation time of the yeast cells, determined the maximal degree of inhibition which could be attained.
THE TENTH ANNUAL MLSP COMPETITION: SCHIZOPHRENIA CLASSIFICATION CHALLENGE

ABSTRACT For the 24th Machine Learning for Signal Processing competition, participants were asked to automatically diagnose schizophrenia using multimodal features derived from MRI scans. The objective of the classification task was to achieve the best possible schizophrenia diagnosis prediction based only on the multimodal features derived from brain MRI scans. A total of 2087 entries from 291 participants with active Kaggle.com accounts were made. Each participant developed a classifier, with optional feature selection, that combined functional and structural magnetic resonance imaging features. Here we review details about the competition setup, the winning strategies, and provide basic analyses of the submitted entries. We conclude with a discussion of the advances made to the neuroimaging and machine learning fields. Index Terms— Competition, MRI, Schizophrenia, FNC, SBM 1. INTRODUCTION Schizophrenia is a severe and disabling mental illness which has no well-established, non-invasive diagnosis biomarker. Currently, due to its symptom overlap with other mental illnesses (like bipolar disorder) it is diagnosed subjectively only, by process of elimination. In order to broadly explore the current limits of automatic diagnosis of schizophrenia, this year’s machine learning competition was entitled The MLSP 2014 Schizophrenia Classification Challenge, which occurred from June 5 through July 20, 2014. For the second consecutive year, the competition was hosted on Kaggle.com. The response from neuroscience and machine learning communities was fantastic, including 291 participants in 245 teams, and an impressive 2087 valid entries. The competition was sponsored by Kaggle.com, who provided their hosting services, and Springer, who provided monetary rewards to the winning participants. In total, 611 entries from 151 participants outperformed the provided competition benchmark in all performance measures considered here. The three winning strategies used, in ranking order, Gaussian process (GP) [1], Gaussian kernel support vector machine (SVM) [2], and distance weighted discrimination (DWD) [3] classifiers, respectively.
Click chemistry to construct fluorescent oligonucleotides for DNA sequencing.

“Click chemistry” 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition between alkynyl 6-carboxyfluorescein (FAM) and azido-labeled single-stranded (ss) DNA was carried out under aqueous conditions to produce FAM-labeled ssDNA in quantitative yield. The FAM-labeled ssDNA was successfully used as a primer to produce DNA sequencing products with single-base resolution in a capillary electrophoresis DNA sequencer with laser-induced fluorescence detection.
Severe recurrent alkalemia in a patient undergoing continuous cyclic peritoneal dialysis

Abstract Chronic renal failure is commonly associated with acid-base disorders that are corrected with the institution of maintenance peritoneal dialysis. Severe shifts in systemic pH that occur in patients undergoing peritoneal dialysis are usually acidemic shifts due to inadequate replacement of the kidney's ability to excrete acid and regenerate bicarbonate. This report describes a severe alkalemic shift in pH in a patient undergoing continuous cyclic peritoneal dialysis due to a failure of dialysis to substitute for the kidney's normal response to simple respiratory alkalosis. This case emphasizes that in patients undergoing peritoneal dialysis, physicians must actively provide the "renal compensation" for an acid-base disorder and change the dialysis prescription.
Diazoxide effects on hypothalamic and extra-hypothalamic NPY content in Zucker rats

To determine if the anorectic effects of the insulin antagonist diazoxide (DZ) are mediated by reduced central neuropeptide Y (NPY), female Zucker rats, given DZ (150 mg/kg/day) or placebo for about four weeks, were sacrificed following overnight fasting or free feeding. Several hypothalamic and extra-hypothalamic nuclei were extracted for NPY content. DZ reduced weight gain in obese rats and lowered glucose of lean and obese rats without affecting insulin. Contrary to the hypothesis, DZ increased NPY in hypothalamic nuclei of free fed lean and obese rats. DZ elevated hypothalamic NPY levels in fasted obese rats and had more diverse effects in extra-hypothalamic nuclei of lean rats.
140 THE TRIAD OF COMPLETE HEART BLOCK, ABSENCE OF THE ATRIAL SEPTUM AND CONGENITAL INTERRUPTION OF THE IN FERIOR VENA CAVA

The association of complete heart block (CHB) and interruption of the inferior vena cava (IIVC) has not been previously emphasized. We analyzed the records of 29 patients (pts), age 1 day to 48 years, with angiographic documentation of IIVC with azygos continuation to a right or left superior vena cava. 28/29 pts had an associated intracardiac malformation, most common was an endocardial cushion defect (ECD). 76% (22/29) had a superiorly oriented P wave vector. CHB on surface ECG, with a QRS duration of <.08 msec, occurred in 24% (7/29 patients). In 4, CHB was congenital, diagnosed in-utero or early after birth, while 3 pts acquired the CHB during the natural progress of their disease. Each of these 7 pts had an ECD with complete absence of the atrial septum. The 4 patients with congenital CHB died hours or days after standard medical or surgical treatment and permanent pacemaker implantation. The 3 with acquired CHB are alive with permanent pacemaker implant, and two have had complete repair of their intracardiac lesion. In conclusion, 1) IIVC should be suspected in pts with superiorly oriented P wave vector on surface ECG; 2) In pts with CHB, IIVC, and abnormal atrial activation, absence of atrial septum should be suspected (100%); 3) the prognosis is poor if congenital CHB is present.
Fracture and toughening mechanisms in an α2 titanium aluminide alloy

The deformation and fracture behaviors of the Ti-24Al-11Nb alloy with an equiaxed α2 + β microstructure have been characterized as a function of temperature by performing uniaxial tension andJIC fracture toughness tests. The micromechanisms of crack initiation and growth have been studied bypost mortem fractographic and metallographic examinations of fractured specimens, as well as byin situ observation of the fracture events in a scanning electron microscope (SEM) equipped with a high-temperature loading stage. The results indicate that quasistatic crack growth in the Ti-24Al-11Nb alloy occurs by nucleation and linkage of the microcracks with the main crack, with the latter frequently bridged by ductile β ligaments. Three microcrack initiation mechanisms have been identified: (1) decohesion of planar slipbands in the α2 matrix, (2) formation of voids and microcracks in β, and (3) cracking at or near the α2 + β interface due to strain incompatibility resulting from impinging planar slip originated in α2. The sources of fracture toughness in the 25 °C to 450 °C range have been attributed to crack tip blunting, crack deflection, and a bridging mechanism provided by the ductile β phase. At 600 °C, a change of toughening mechanisms leads to a lowering of the initiation toughness (theKIC value) but a drastic increase in the crack growth toughness and the tearing modulus.
Neurotrophin expression of laryngeal muscles in response to recurrent laryngeal nerve transection.

Objective/Hypothesis: The recurrent Laryngeal nerve (RLN) commonly regenerates after injury; however, functional motion is rarely recovered. Animal experiments have documented aberrant reinnervation after nerve transection, with motor axons reaching inappropriate muscles. More recently, experimental results suggest that lack of vocal fold motion after RLN injury is due to preferential reinnervation of adductor muscles, with inadequate reinnervation of the posterior cricoarytenoid muscle (PCA), the only abductor muscle of the larynx. Information on factors that could influence the receptiveness of these muscles to reinnervation could be useful in developing new therapeutic strategies. It is hypothesized that the thyroarytenoid muscle (TA) and the PCA differ in expression of neurotrophins in response to denervation. Study Design: Laboratory experiment. Methods: Rats were sacrificed at 3 days, 6 weeks, or 4 months after unilateral RLN injury measure expression of brain-derived nerve growth factor (BDNF), nerve growth factor (NGF), and neurotrophin 4 (NT-4) in the TA and PCA muscles, using immunohistochemistry. We also assessed nerve regeneration. Results: NGF was significantly diminished in the denervated TA muscle at 3 days after injury and increased at 6 weeks. BDNF expression was unchanged in the TA, but was diminished in both PCA muscles at 3 days and 6 weeks, returning to near-normal levels at 4 months after injury. Robust nerve regeneration of distal RLN was present at 4 months. Conclusions: Results suggest that the TA and PCA muscles respond differently to denervation.
She walked from El Salvador: caring for an immigrant nation.

Living in a diverse nation inevitably requires working closely with people from a variety of backgrounds. In medicine it means that physicians must care for patients whose race ethnicity and language are often different from their own. What does this do to the sensitive often complicated interactions that take place between a doctor and a patient? Does the preponderance of nonblack non-Hispanic physicians in a country that is increasingly black and Hispanic explain the poorer health outcomes that are frequently seen in these populations? Glenn Flores a pediatrician from the Medical College of Wisconsin explores the varieties and effects of physicians’ attitudes in a short story about a recent El Salvadoran immigrant and her infant daughter. Attitude matters. Next Alok Khorana wrestles with the “nonconcordance” between doctor and patient most often present in his own practice pointing out that “I am neither black nor white. I am brown but not Hispanic.” Humanism he would seem to conclude is a more important factor than racial/ethnic concordance in the practice of good medicine. (authors)
Fossils and seed plant phylogeny reanalyzed

In a cladistic analysis of Recent seed plants, Loconte and Stevenson (1990) obtained results that conflict with our 1986 analysis of both extant and fossil groups and argued that fossil data had led us to incorrect conclusions. To explore this result and the general influence of fossils on phylogeny reconstruction, we assembled new “Recent” and “Complete” (extant plus fossil) data sets incorporating new data, advances in treatment of characters, and those changes of Loconte and Stevenson that we consider valid. Our Recent analysis yields only one most parsimonious tree, that of Loconte and Stevenson, in which conifers are linked with Gnetales and angiosperms (anthophytes), rather than with Ginkgo, as in our earlier Recent and Complete analyses. However, the shortest trees derived from our Complete analysis show five arrangements of extant groups, including that of Loconte and Stevenson and our previous arrangements, suggesting that the result obtained from extant taxa alone may be misleading. This increased ambiguity occurs because features that appear to unite extant conifers and anthophytes are seen as convergences when fossil taxa are interpolated between them. All trees found in the Complete analysis lead to inferences on character evolution that conflict with those that would be drawn from Recent taxa alone (e.g., origin of anthophytes from plants with a “seed fern” morphology). These results imply that conclusions on many aspects of seed plant phylogeny are premature; new evidence, which is most likely to come from the fossil record, is needed to resolve the uncertainties.
Decohesion with refreezing

Abstract In a previous paper, an elastic-decohesive model was developed for sea ice. Unlike previous models, orientation and displacement discontinuity associated with lead opening are specifically predicted. However, over the course of a season a specific lead may open and close several times with significant implications related to ice production and heat flux. The focus of this paper is to indicate, in a generic manner, how the formation of new ice by freezing within a lead and the recovery of tensile strength by the freezing of ridges can be accommodated easily within the decohesive structure. A sample simulation is provided to show the implications of these additional terms on ice production over several cycles of lead opening and closing.
Promoting cultural understanding through pediatric clinical dyads: an education research project

This project explored the experiences of six undergraduate nursing students, three American nursing students and three nursing students from the Sultan of Oman, who participated in a faculty initiated education research project as part of their pediatric clinical practicum. Students were placed in dyads, with one American-born student and one Omani student in each dyad. Omani students also were paired with American nurse preceptors. A transcript-based content analysis was used to analyze data generated from qualitative focus group student interviews and student journals. The analysis generated three themes that described how myths were dispelled, cultural barriers were broken down and knowledge gained from another cultural perspective. The nurse preceptors were surveyed at the conclusion of the program. The survey findings suggest that preceptors gained a different cultural perspective of nursing care and they were better informed of the Omani students' learning needs. There was, however, an additional investment of preceptor time in meeting the learning needs of international students. Additional faculty time was also required for preparation and time during clinical conferencing to address differences in nursing practice between U.S. and Oman while meeting course learning objectives. Overall, the educational program provided evidence of enhancing American and Omani student cultural competence and Omani student adaptation to the United States. Coupling a domestic student with an international student to form dyads from the beginning of international students' experience could be a significant enhancement to both groups of students' learning experience.
Geographic patterns of prostate cancer mortality. Evidence for a protective effect of ultraviolet radiation.

Background. Prostate cancer is the most prevalent nonskin cancer among men in the United States and is the second leading cause of cancer deaths in men, The cause of prostate cancer remains obscure. Recently it was hypothesized that low levels of vitamin D, a hormone with potent antitumor properties, may increase the risk for clinical prostate cancer. Methods. Because the major source of vitamin D is casual exposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation, the authors examined the geographic distributions of UV radiation and prostate cancer mortality in 3073 counties of the contiguous United States using linear regression and trend surface analyses. Results. The geographic distributions of UV radiation and prostate cancer mortality are correlated inversely (P < 0.0001). Prostate cancer mortality exhibits a significant north-south trend, with lower rates in the South. These geographic patterns are not readily explicable by other known risk factors for prostate cancer. Conclusions. These data lend support to the hypothesis that UV radiation may protect against clinical prostate cancer. Viewed in conjunction with other recent data, including those demonstrating a differentiating effect of vitamin D on human prostate cancer cells, these findings suggest that vitamin D may have an important role in the natural history of prostate cancer.
Model-driven auto-scaling of green cloud computing infrastructure

Cloud computing can reduce power consumption by using virtualized computational resources to provision an application's computational resources on demand. Auto-scaling is an important cloud computing technique that dynamically allocates computational resources to applications to match their current loads precisely, thereby removing resources that would otherwise remain idle and waste power. This paper presents a model-driven engineering approach to optimizing the configuration, energy consumption, and operating cost of cloud auto-scaling infrastructure to create greener computing environments that reduce emissions resulting from superfluous idle resources. The paper provides four contributions to the study of model-driven configuration of cloud auto-scaling infrastructure by (1) explaining how virtual machine configurations can be captured in feature models, (2) describing how these models can be transformed into constraint satisfaction problems (CSPs) for configuration and energy consumption optimization, (3) showing how optimal auto-scaling configurations can be derived from these CSPs with a constraint solver, and (4) presenting a case study showing the energy consumption/cost reduction produced by this model-driven approach.
Vibrational and electronic properties of hydrogenated amorphous silicon with dangling bonds

Abstract The vibrational density of states of several models of hydrogenated amorphous silicon with one or two dangling bonds have been calculated using a modified Keating potential. The corresponding charge densities near the dangling bonds have also been calculated using the self-consistent pseudopotential method. The effect of mutual interaction between dangling bonds on the vibrational density of states and charge densities is also investigated.
Web services container reference architecture (WSCRA)

Today, Web services are pervasive and omnipresent in the Internet and within enterprises. Even though there are massive Web services specifications development underway, early adoption by developers and tool vendors is becoming a need. The potential growth of this technology is highly predictable because of its universal acceptance and use among the developer community. This industry may expect to grow enormously based on the support from various communities that benefit from this technology. Researches are carried out in various standards bodies on various aspects of Web services such as definition, architecture, security, discovery, interoperability, etc. As we are committed to the success of this technology, we need to research on service oriented containers that makes Web services potential more constructive. This paper proposes a container for Web services which can manage and monitor the state and behavior of Web services, which may address the quality of service (QoS) factor for Web services.
Age‐ and sex‐related patterns of serum interferon‐α activity in lupus families

Objective Interferon-α (IFNα) levels are elevated in many patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and may play a primary role in its pathogenesis. The purpose of this study was to determine whether serum IFNα activity in SLE patients and their healthy first-degree relatives is highest in early adulthood, when the incidence of SLE is greatest. Methods Serum samples from 315 SLE patients, 359 healthy first-degree relatives, and 141 healthy unrelated donors were measured for IFNα activity using a functional reporter cell assay. IFNα activity was analyzed in relation to age, and subgroups with high levels of IFNα activity were identified within the large data sets using a Mann-Whitney sliding window segmentation algorithm. The significance of each subgrouping was ranked by Kruskal-Wallis testing. Results Age was inversely correlated with IFNα activity in female SLE patients (r = –0.20, P = 0.001) as well as their healthy female first-degree relatives (r = –0.16, P = 0.02). In male patients and their healthy male first-degree relatives, there was no significant overall correlation between age and serum IFNα activity. The segmentation algorithm revealed significantly increased IFNα activity between the ages of 12 and 22 years in female SLE patients and between the ages of 16 and 29 years in male SLE patients. Both male and female healthy first-degree relatives had significantly decreased IFNα activity after the age of 50 years. Conclusion Serum IFNα activity is higher in younger individuals in the SLE family cohorts, and this tendency is accentuated in affected individuals. This age-related pattern of IFNα activity may contribute to the increased incidence of SLE in early adulthood, and interestingly, males and females had similar age-related patterns of IFNα activity.
Probabilistic interpretation of command and control signals: Bayesian updating of the probability of nuclear attack: A reply

Abstract A warning system such as the Command, Control, Communication, and Intelligence system (C3I) for the United States nuclear forces operates on the basis of various sources of information among which are signals from sensors. A fundamental problem in the use of such signals is that these sensors provide only imperfect information. Bayesian probability, defined as a degree of belief in the possibility of each event, is therefore a key concept in the logical treatment of the signals. However, the base of evidence for estimation of these probabilities may be small and, therefore, the results of the updating (posterior probabilities of attack) may also be uncertain. In this paper, we examine the case where uncertainties hinge upon the existence of several possible underlying hypotheses (or models), and where the decision-maker attributes a different probability of attack to each of these fundamental hypotheses. We present a two-stage Bayesian updating process, first of the probabilities of the fundamental hypotheses, then of the probabilities of attack conditional on each hypothesis, given a positive signal from the C3I. We illustrate the method in the discrete case where there are only two possible fundamental hypotheses, and in the case of a continuous set of hypotheses. We discuss briefly the implications of the results for decision-making. The method can be generalized to other warning systems with imperfect signals, when the prior probability of the event of interest is uncertain.
Rapid Reading Spanish Material.

READING A FOREIGN LANGUAGE has invariably been a slow tedious process for most students. The purpose of this study was to test the feasibility of teaching rapid reading skills in an attempt to improve the rate and efficiency of reading Spanish material. A similar study at this university with advanced undergraduate students studying Portuguese' showed an increase in the rate of reading both narrative and study type Portuguese material.
The double cloak of invisibility: phenotypic plasticity and larval decoration in a geometrid moth, Synchlora frondaria, across three diet treatments

Crypsis is one of the main defences that insects use to avoid predators, and both the juveniles and adults of many geometrid moths are remarkable in their ability to blend into different host backgrounds. The larvae of Synchlora frondaria have two methods to achieve crypsis: phenotypic plasticity in colouration that enable them to hide more effectively on their host plants, and a self-decorating behaviour whereby the larvae camouflage themselves with materials from their host plants. 2. Larvae of Synchlora frondaria reared on three different host plants showed systematic differences in relative growth rate, survivorship and larval colouration. 3. Larval colouration varied across diet treatments in a way that was consistent with diet-induced phenotypic plasticity, and larvae also exhibited characteristic decorating behaviour on all three hosts. 4. Larvae showed highest survivorship on Heterotheca subaxillaris (Asteraceae), and had significantly higher relative growth rates on H. subaxillaris (Asteraceae) and Lantana camara (Verbenaceae) than on Bejaria racemosa (Ericaceae). 5. Synchlora frondaria provides an example of a species where both decorating behaviour and phenotypic plasticity in larval colouration produce a cryptic form that is remarkably responsive to its background.
Predicted Twenty-First-Century Changes in Seasonal Extreme Precipitation Events in the Parallel Climate Model

Twenty-year return value of annual and seasonal maxima of daily precipitation are calculated from a set of transiently forced coupled general circulation model simulations. The magnitude and pattern of return values are found to be highly dependent on the seasonal cycle. A similar dependence is found for projected future changes in return values. The correlation between the spatial pattern of return value changes and mean precipitation changes is found to be low. Hence, the changes in mean precipitation do not provide significant information about changes in precipitation extreme values.
Factors controlling groundwater quality in Eastern United Arab Emirates: a chemical and isotopic approach

Abstract Chlorine-36 along with oxygen and hydrogen isotopes and selected major ions were used to investigate the factors controlling groundwater quality in the eastern part of the United Arab Emirates. Two main aquifers occupy the study area: the Eastern Gravel Plain aquifer that occurs near the coastal area, and the inland Ophiolite aquifer. Previous studies suggest that groundwater, particularly in the Eastern Gravel Plain aquifer, is affected by seawater intrusion and evaporation. Samples of groundwater from the Eastern Gravel Plain aquifer (Cl>1000 mg/l) have R 36 Cl values in the range of 13.3–17.4×10 −15 while those from the Ophiolite aquifer (Cl 36 Cl values in the range of 20–118×10 −15 . These values indicate the presence of bomb-produced 36 Cl and are consistent with recent (post 1950) recharge of most of the samples. δD – δ 18 O relationship plots on a typical evaporation line, which suggests potential evaporation of the recharging waters prior to infiltration. The R 36 Cl values of the coastally bound Eastern Gravel Plain aquifer are lower than the Ophiolite aquifer which suggests an additional input of chloride to this aquifer. Moreover, in most cases the chloride concentration is not balanced by the concentrations of other cations such as sodium, potassium, calcium or magnesium. Seawater intrusion is thus ruled out. Measurements of bromide concentrations support the contention that organically bound Cl is being released into this environment. Agricultural practices, which are extensive in this region, are a possible source. Also, sodium and silica concentrations provide evidence for the release of these elements by the weathering of host rocks.
Characterization of hemolymph juvenile hormone esterase from Lymantria dispar

Abstract A major peak of juvenile hormone esterase (JHE) activity approaching 330 nmol JH III hydrolyzed/min/ml of hemolymph was observed during the last larval growth stage in Lymantria dispar . A smaller peak of JHE occurred 3–5 days after pupation. The gypsy moth JHE was purified from larval hemolymph using a classical approach. A specific activity of 766 units per mg of protein and a K m of 3.6 × 10 −7 M for racemic JH III and the (10R, 11S) enantiomer of JH II was determined for the purified enzyme. The 62 kDa esterase was insensitive to inhibition by O , O -diisopropyl phosphorofluoridate (DFP), or by phenylmethylsulfonyl fluoride (PMSF). Two forms of JHE isolated by RP-HPLC were indistinguishable by HPLC tryptic peptide mapping and share an identical N-terminal amino acid sequence. Polyclonal antisera raised against gypsy moth enzyme cross-reacted with JHE from Trichoplusia ni but not with JHE from Manduca sexta . A weak cross-reactivity was observed with JHE from Heliothis virescens . Forty amino acid residues of the N-terminus were placed in sequence. The N-terminal sequence of JHE from L. dispar showed little homology to the sequence of JHE from H. virescens . The immunological and structural data support the conclusion that markedly different esterases, which catalyze the hydrolysis of juvenile hormone, are present in the hemolymph of different Lepidoptera.
Disulfide Bonds in Recombinant Repeat Units From an Aquatic Insect’s Silk Protein

rCAS is a recombinant Constant And Subrepeat (rCAS) protein modelled after tandem core repeats found in a 1000-kDa silk protein synthesized by larvae of the midge, Chironomus tentans. rCAS is encoded by a synthetic gene (synCAS) which is expressed in bacteria. Purified rCAS has four cysteine residues that participate in formation of two intramolecular disulfide bonds. Here we report the results of amino acid sequencing and electrospray ionization mass spectroscopic analyses of tryptic fragments of native and reduced rCAS which suggest that these disulfide bonds are heterogeneous. To assist in studying the formation of disulfide bonds in reduced and refolded rCAS, a series of synCAS mutants were constructed with cysteine to alanine substitutions. In comparison to wild-type rCAS and a Cys79→Ala mutant, the refolding of Cys9→Ala appears to be partially inhibited.
Vertical dimension and its correlation with lip length and interocclusal distance

A new method has been developed for determining the correct vertical dimen­ sion for edentulous patients. It is based on an observed correlation, normally found in persons with natural teeth, of lip length, vertical position of upper cen­ tral incisors, and interocclusal distance. The method utilizes a plastic labiometer — a device to measure the length of the upper lip— and a reference table relating the length of the upper lip to tooth length and freeway space.
Hepatomegaly and ascites in an elderly woman with polycythemia vera.

L'autopsie revele une thrombose des veines hepatiques et un ulcere perfore du bulbe duodenal
Endocrine responses of fetal lambs to hemorrhage after α1-adrenergic receptor blockade☆

Abstract To determine the importance of α 1 -adrenergic receptors in the endocrine responses of fetal lambs to hemorrhage, eight chronically instrumented fetal lambs were bled of 20% of their measured blood volume after pretreatment with prazosin (24.8 ± 2.1 days' gestation) or inert vehicle (124.2 ± 2.2 days' gestation) according to a randomized, crossover protocol. Cortisol levels increased threefold with prazosin injection and remained elevated after hemorrhage but did not change with hemorrhage after vehicle infusion. Plasma renin activity was unaffected by the injection of prazosin but increased in both groups after hemorrhage. Vasopressin levels were unchanged in the control group throughout the experiment but increased tenfold with hemorrhage after pretreatment with prazosin. α 1 -Adrenergic receptor blockade removes adrenergic inhibition of cortisol secretion and changes the hypotensive threshold for the secretion of vasopressin.
Advanced Raman Amplified Transmission Systems in Long-Haul and High-Capacity Photonic Networks

High-performance Raman-amplified transmission systems in trunk networks, which use a combination of distributed Raman amplification and a lumped inline fiber amplifier, are reviewed in terms of the SNR and gain-bandwidth enhancement of WDM signals.
Airway Management in Cervical Spine Injury

Airway management in patients with cervical spine injury is a difficult and challenging task. Attention to head positioning and stabilization during the initial evaluation and airway management is critical in the care of these patients in order to minimize the risk of secondary neurologic insult. Awareness that these patients are at risk for airway obstruction is critical. A systemic approach and development of an individualized airway plan is necessary for optimal management of patients with cervical spine injury.
Taste cell responses in the polyphagous arctiid, Grammia geneura: towards a general pattern for caterpillars

The caterpillars of Grammia geneura are polyphagous as individuals. Electrophysiological responses of its medial and lateral galeal styloconic sensilla to 21 amino acids, 6 carbohydrates, 10 chemically diverse plant secondary compounds and two inorganic salts were examined. In the medial sensillum, a single cell responded to 8 amino acids, 3 carbohydrates, and the iridoid, catalpol, which is present in a favored hostplant. In the lateral sensillum, one cell responded to amino acids and another to fructose. Two cells in each sensillum responded to secondary compounds and it is suggested that the same cells are stimulated by inorganic salts. There was no evidence of a separate salt-sensitive cell. Phenylalanine stimulated a deterrent cell in the medial sensillum and was behaviorally deterrent. Some essential amino acids did not stimulate any cells and it is suggested that a small number of amino acids (sometimes non-essential) may serve as indicators of nutrient quality. Sugars probably serve as the primary phagostimulants because they are in relatively high concentrations in plants. It is proposed that taste receptor cells should be categorized primarily by their behavioral effects as phagostimulatory or deterrent, rather than their specific ranges of responsiveness. This would emphasize the basic similarities across taxa.
Activity of Sulbactam/Ampicillin in Screening and Discriminative Animal Models of Infection

The efficacy of sulbactam/ampicillin in the treatment of mice with fatal systemic infections produced by ampicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, Haemophilus influenzae, Klebsiella pneumoniae, or Proteus vulgaris strains is well established. In this paper the demonstrations of efficacy for sulbactam/ampicillin have been extended to a number of clinically relevant models, including bacteremia and meningitis produced by H. influenzae in infant rats, experimental staphylococcal endocarditis in rabbits, localized lesions in mice, urinary tract infections in rats, and prophylaxis in a surgical wound model in mice. In these models, in which ampicillin-resistant organisms were used, sulbactam/ampicillin was either more effective than or as effective as appropriate control agents. Neither sulbactam nor ampicillin used separately displayed significant activity. The results of supportive pharmacokinetic studies, in which differential bioassays were used, demonstrated that sulbactam and ampicillin generally were delivered with equal efficiency to plasma and to extravascular fluids obtained by sampling the contents of implanted cylinders.
Some improved transition probabilities for neutral carbon

An earlier paper (Zatsarinny O and Froese Fischer C 2002 J. Phys. B: At. Mol. Opt. Phys. 35 4669) presented oscillator strengths for transitions from the 2p2 3P term to high-lying excited states of carbon. The emphasis was on the accurate prediction of energy levels relative to the ionization limit and allowed transition data from the ground state. The present paper reports some refined transition probability calculations for transitions from , and to all odd levels up to . Particular attention is given to intercombination lines where relativistic effects are most important.
Factors Affecting Activity and Heat Resistance of Swiss Cheese Starter Cultures. II. Influence of Culture Medium

Summary 1.L. helveticus, L. lactis and Lactobacillus sp. all developed more actively in freshly prepared than in old, sterile reconstituted skim milk. The age of the sterile reconstituted skim milk used as culture medium had no significant influence on growth of Str. thermophilus, Str. lactis and E. coli. 2.Substances such as peptone, tomato juice, yeast water and lactic filtrate stimulated growth, of L. helveticus in both old and freshly prepared sterile reconstituted skim milk. 3.The oxidation-reduction potential of steamed, freshly prepared, sterile reconstituted skim milk was significantly lower than that of steamed, old sterile reconstituted skim milk. Addition of a reducing substance, neutralized thioglycollic acid, to old sterile reconstituted skim milk stimulated development of certain lactobacilli but did not significantly stimulate development of Str. lactis, Str. thermophilus and E. coli. 4.A succession of transfers of L. helveticus in old sterile reconstituted skim milk resulted in a gradual decrease, while a succession of transfers in a milk more favorable for growth resulted in an increase in their activity and in their ability to develop at 44° C. following heating. When cultures of L. helveticus were carried at 37° and 40° C., respectively, for numerous successive transfers in a favorable medium, those grown at 37° were more active following heat treatment than were those grown at 40° C. However, when cultures were carried in the same manner in a poor medium, those grown at 40° were more active following heating than were the 37° C. cultures. 5.When stock or starter cultures of lactobacilli similar to those used in these investigations are grown in milk of the type used in these studies, their activity may be insured if they are carried in freshly prepared milk, in milk in which the oxidation-reduction potential has been adjusted to a level favorable for initiation of growth, or in milk to which growth stimulants have been added.
Fractionation of solubilized sarcoplasmic reticulum

Summary A method has been developed which permits the separation of three protein components of the fragmented sarcoplasmic reticular membrane following solubilization with Triton X-100. One fraction contains a 100,000 dalton component and constitutes about 20–30% of the total membrane protein; in this fraction the level of ATPase activity and phosphorylated intermediate formation is about four times higher than the level after activation with Triton. Another fraction (62,000 dalton, 20–25% of the total protein) is precipitated upon addition of 4 mM Ca ++ . The third fraction (125,000–160,000 dalton) constitutes about 50% of the total protein.
Purchasing Under Asymmetric Demand and Cost Information: When Is More Private Information Better?

We study a supply chain consisting of one supplier and one OEM (original equipment manufacturer). The OEM faces stochastic demand for a final product that requires assembly of two major components, one of which is procured exclusively from the supplier. In the absence of competition, the supplier is able to make a take-it-or-leave-it offer to the OEM in the form of a menu of price-quantity contracts. The OEM possesses private information across two dimensions: (1) demand forecasts about the final product, and (2) production cost of the in-house component. Both pieces of information are relevant to the total supply chain profit, thus affecting the supplier's optimal offer. By initially assuming an exogenous information structure, we characterize the supplier's optimal contract menu for a simple case and demonstrate that more dimensions of asymmetric information are not always preferable for the OEM but could be beneficial for the supply chain. We subsequently examine whether this preference for one less dimension of private information implies disclosure of private information to the supplier when the information structure is endogenized. Our results indicate that if OEMs that are indifferent between disclosing and keeping information private choose to disclose it, disclosure of any verifiable information from all OEMs is always an equilibrium, whereas nondisclosure might fail to be an equilibrium. We also consider the possibility of the OEM and the supplier contracting at the ex-ante stage, i.e., before the OEM observes his private information. When both dimensions of the OEM's private information are verifiable and the cost of disclosing information is small enough, an ex-ante agreement on information disclosure is always possible; otherwise its feasibility depends on the problem parameters.
Patterns of intra- and interspecific aggression in labyrinth fish (Belontiidae).

Three experiments examined the occurrence of intra- and interspecific aggression using five species of labyrinth fish and a catfish in open tanks. Experiments I and II provided evidence supporting the rule that intraspecific aggression occurs much more frequently than interspecific aggression for three of the species of labyrinth fish. In expt. II, reducing the amount of available space resulted in an increase in both intra- and interspecific aggression, but intraspecific aggression still occurred more frequently. Experiment III demonstrated that, in Betta splendens , the absence of a conspecific did not result in an increase of interspecific aggression in a situation identical to that used in expt. II.