cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Does Curvature Enhance Forecasting

In this paper, we analyze the importance of curvature term structure movements on forecasts of interest rates. An extension of the exponential three-factor Diebold and Li (2006) model is proposed, where a fourth factor captures a second type of curvature. The new factor increases model ability to generate volatility and to capture nonlinearities in the yield curve, leading to a significant improvement of forecasting ability. The model is tested against the original Diebold and Li model and some other benchmarks. Based on a forecasting experiment with Brazilian fixed income data, it obtains significantly lower bias and root mean square errors for most examined maturities, and under three different forecasting horizons. Robustness tests based on two sub-sample analyses partially confirm the favorable results.
Bridging the Gap Between Theory and Practice of Transmission Pricing

The developing theory of transmission pricing has been stimulated by the accelerated growth of competitive bulk power markets that began about 20 years ago and the pricing problems these markets are creating. As long as most electric power systems were vertically integrated and self-sufficient, wholesale providers of requirements service, or distributors purchasing their full requirements, competitive bulk power transactions were limited in quantity and were largely short-term and nonfirm in nature. Transmission capacity was added by vertically integrated utilities to meet the owning systems’ needs. Revenue from the sale of transmission service was rarely as much as 5 percent of total transmission cost, or 1 percent of the utility’s total revenue.
Regulation of mitosis by P190RhoGAP and ECT2 RhoGEF through Rho-dependent pathways

Proc Amer Assoc Cancer Res, Volume 47, 2006 4904 P190RhoGAP (P190) is a Rho GTPase activator protein (GAP) that has been shown to regulate actin cytoskeletal dynamics via Rho-dependent signaling pathways. This P190 gene localizes to chromosome 19q13.3, which is often rearranged in glioma, pancreatic, ovarian, and thyroid cancers, suggesting that it plays a role in the genesis of these diseases. In support of this hypothesis, P190 reduces the incidence of PDGF induced-glioma in a mouse model and suppresses v-Ha-Ras induced transformation in NIH3T3 cells. The tumor suppressive effect of P190 is mediated by its GAP activity through negative regulation of Rho. By enhancing the Rho-mediated hydrolysis of RhoGTP to RhoGDP, P190 prevents association of RhoGTP with its downstream effectors. However, which cellular process(es) are affected by P190 has not been fully elucidated. Recently, P190 was shown to localize to the cleavage furrow and contractile ring during cytokinesis. Overexpression of P190 induces multinucleation in breast cancer cells, suggesting that it regulates events in late mitosis. The GAP domain of P190 is required for this abnormal phenotype, indicating that downregulation of Rho activity by P190 leads to multinucleation. In addition, downregulation of Rho and inhibition of its downstream effector, ROCK, are known to induce multinucleated cells. In this study, multinucleation induced by overexpressed P190 could be prevented or rescued by ECT2 RhoGEF (ECT2), a guanine nucleotide exchange factor (GEF) that facilitates conversion of RhoGDP to RhoGTP. Endogenous P190 and ECT2 colocalized at the cleavage furrow during cytokinesis, indicating that each had the ability to associate with and regulate Rho at that site. Cotransfection of wild type ECT2 and P190 resulted in reduced numbers of multinucleated cells as compared to P190-only transfected cells, while cotransfection of constitutively active ECT2 and P190 reduced the number of multinucleated cells to basal levels. Furthermore, a dominant negative ECT2 generated multinucleation. These results indicate that antagonistic regulation of Rho by RhoGEF and RhoGAP during mitosis leads to proper completion of cytokinesis, but deregulation of either can result in improper distribution of genomic DNA to daughter cells and contribute to tumorgenesis.
A Progress Advisor for IT Service Engagements

Monitoring the status of ongoing sales opportunities in IT service engagements is important for sales teams to improve the win rate of deals. Existing approaches aim at predicting the final outcome, i.e., The eventual chance of winning or losing a deal, given a snapshot of the deal data. While this type of prediction indirectly advises on the deal status, it offers limited guidance and insights. During the engagement progress, there occur numerous milestones and key events whose occurrence and status is important in achieving the desired outcome of the deal. These interim milestones and events may happen in different time intervals during the lifecycle of a deal, depending on the deal size and other parameters. In this paper, we describe a novel Bernoulli-Dirichlet predictive model for predicting the occurrence of key events and milestones within a service engagement process to assist in monitoring the progress of ongoing deals. This model enables predicting the timeline and status of the next event(s), given the current history of milestones activity in the engagement lifecycle. Through such a step-by-step guidance, sales teams may have a higher chance of success by knowing of upcoming events, and preparing to counter undesired events. We show the empirical evidences of significance and impact of such an approach in a real-world service provider environment.
VI. THE INTERRELATIONS OF THE DIFFERENT LUNG TESTS

1. The data from a variety of pulmonary function tests on 101 subjects who participated in a longitudinal study were analyzed to determine the interrelations of the tests. The data were first adjusted for body size (height) so that the effects of changing size did not overwhelm the other relations. To 10 variables from these studies were added 3 non-pulmonary ones. The 13 variables are as follows: vital capacity, functional residual capacity, diffusing capacity, peak expiratory flow rate, peak inspiratory flow rate, the E50 flow rate, the 29 N2 clearance, the oxygen equilibration index, the single-breath oxygen test, the AP diameter of the chest, and indices of the intelligence, reading ability, and body strength. 2. The first two of four distinct axes obtained in the factor analysis by the varimax rotation help to gain insight into the correlations found. The first axis suggests that in addition to the variation in lung volume associated with sex and body size (height) there is a lung volume variation which involves both the vital capacity and functional residual capacity and carries with it the diffusing capacity, the thoracic cage size, and to a certain extent the peak inspiratory flow rate. The second axis is closely related to the flow rates and less so to the oxygen equilibration index. The pattern is similar to that seen in obstructive defects. For the other two axes the meanings are less clear, but the patterns are provocative. 3. Other interesting correlations are those of strength (grip quotient) with the 29N2 clearance and with the E50 and that of the intelligence with peak flow rates.
Molecular and Functional Analysis of the Human T Cell Antigen/MHC Receptor

T lymphocytes, unlike B lymphocytes, predominantly recognize antigen when it is associated with membrane-bound products of the major histocompatibility complex (MHC)(1–4). This “dual” recognition is important for activation of both cytotoxic effector T cells and immunoregulatory T cells. T cells act as inducers or suppressors for interactions between T cells, B cells, macrophages and other cells (8–13).
Coherent versus incoherent resonant tunneling in high-T c cuprates

An analysis is performed of the resonant tunneling transport along the c axis in the case where the concentration of localized resonant centers is low and the tunneling via different centers becomes incoherent. In this case the planar component of the quasimomentum is not conserved in the process of interlayer hopping. For the normal conductivity, as function of temperature and frequency, this leads only to a change of a prefactor. However, the supercurrent along the c axis vanishes if the order parameter is of d type and the tunneling is incoherent. An interpolation is proposed, describing a partially coherent case, when the interference terms are suppressed, but still present. A rapid decrease of the critical temperature with concentration of resonant centers and the possibility of a d{r_arrow}s phase transition are predicted. {copyright} {ital 1998} {ital The American Physical Society}
Efficacy of feeding tube placement during pancreaticoduodenectomy for chronic pancreatitis.

Malnutrition, intestinal dysmotility, and gastroparesis are frequent problems in patients with chronic pancreatitis who undergo pancreaticoduodenectomy. This has led to the practice of operative placement of enteral feeding tubes. The purpose of this study is to examine the efficacy of feeding tubes placed during pancreaticoduodenectomy in patients with chronic pancreatitis. The records of 78 consecutive patients who underwent pancreaticoduodenectomy for chronic pancreatitis were retrospectively reviewed and analyzed. Forty-nine patients who received feeding tubes at the time of operation were compared with 29 who did not have feeding tubes placed. Both groups had similar disease progress measured by duration of symptoms and preoperative nutritional status. During the observation period, there was a trend toward not using operative feeding tubes (first 6 years 84 per cent versus last 2 years 33%). The overall complication rate after pancreaticoduodenectomy was 54 per cent. Placement of a feeding tube was associated with an increase in intra-abdominal morbidity from 34 per cent to 57 per cent (P 0.05). Length of hospital stay and hospital readmission during the first postoperative year were not affected by feeding tube placement. In conclusion, simultaneous feeding tube placement along with pancreatic head resection for chronic pancreatitis can be performed safely. The majority of the feeding tubes are used in postoperative care, but they do not prevent the need for total parenteral nutrition and do not shorten length of hospital stay.
The Future of Microbial Source Tracking Studies

This chapter summarizes some of the challenges that people interested in source identification are currently facing, provides information on the microbial ecology of the gut and potential microorganisms to use in source-tracking studies, discusses research tools that will likely improve marker discovery, and offers some suggestions on the future needs for determining sources of microorganisms impacting waterways. There is considerable debate as to the choice of organism(s) to be used as an indicator of fecal contamination of waterways and for microbial source tracking (MST) studies. There are four basic types of digestive systems in animals: simple stomach or monogastric (man, pig), equine-modified simple stomach (horse), ruminant or polygastric (sheep, cow, goat, deer), and avian (chicken, turkey). Genome sequence analyses, as well as the emergence of other ‘’omic ‘’ based technologies including metagenomics, proteomics, and transcriptomics, will enhance one’s understanding of the molecular and biochemical diversity of the animal GI tract. While genome sequence information for protozoa is not as wide ranging as that for bacteria and viruses, sequence analyses have shown strong host dependence due to the lack of biosynthetic pathways. The study of the gut metagenome has clear implications to human health. In this study, sequencing analysis of cloned transcripts showed the presence of transcripts linked to sulfur, carbon, and nitrogen biogeochemical processes. Results from the microbial characterization of animal intestinal tracts have suggested that anatomical and physiological differences found in different digestive systems may lead to conditions that affect the structure of gut microbial communities.
Relative numbers of selected bacterial forms in different regions of the cockroach hindgut

The relative numbers of fourteen microbial morphotypes in transmission electron micrographs of the hindgut of a cockroach, Eublaberus posticus, were counted and their distribution was analyzed statistically. The microbiota of three wall-associated regions (the anterior paunch, the posterior paunch, and the black band region) was clearly different from that of the gut lumen. The three wall fractions were also significantly different from each other. Only one of the fourteen types, prosthecate bacteria, appeared to be distributed randomly in the four fractions. The five main wall-associated morphotypes individually constituted up to 41% of the microbes in some micrographs. They included one type with the characteristic morphology of Methanospirillum. Six morphotypes rarely made up over 2% of the population, but were consistently present. The numbers of the remaining three morphotypes were quite variable between micrographs and between individual insects, but when present often made up 5–10% of the population.
Ocular injuries in all-terrain-vehicle accidents

Abstract Objective To examine the occurence and extent of ocular injuries in ATV accidents in southwestern Pennsylvania. Methods This was a retrospective chart review of 37 adults and 43 children at UPMC Mercy Hospital, UMPC Presbyterian Hospital, and Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh Trauma Registry. The Trauma Registry was searched for patients sustaining ocular injuries related to an ATV accident. Records were de-identified by an honest broker and analysed in this study. Results Eighty percent (80%) of patients suffered orbital fracture; 40% had periorbital ecchymoses, and 25% had lid lacerations. Injuries ranged in severity from subconjunctival haemorrhages to traumatic avulsion of the optic nerves. Conclusions Ocular trauma frequently accompanies ATV accidents and can have a significant impact on patient outcomes. An educational programme (except ‘program’ in computers) promoting eye protection could reduce the number of eye injuries associated with these recreational vehicles.
Carcinoma in situ of the breast.

100 women underwent wide resection for palpable or mammographically detected breast lesions (1 woman had bilateral lesions). Histology excluded invasive cancer, but one or more foci of lobular carcinoma in situ (LCIS) were observed. There have been no recurrences in the 20 women who underwent total mastectomy. In the 12 patients who had a subsequent wide excision and the 68 who received no other treatment 5 presented with an invasive cancer in the same breast at some distance from the LCIS site (median follow-up 58 months). The (observed/expected) rate per 1000 per year is 10.3 for an untreated LCIS. LCIS is therefore a risk factor for invasive carcinoma. Nevertheless this risk does not indicate the use of mutilating procedures and a wait-and-see policy is appropriate.
Theory of silicon nanostructures

Abstract Empirical pseudopotential plane wave theory is used to study the electronic and optical properties of thousand atom hydrogen passivated Si quantum dots, wires and films. The properties studied include: (1) band gap vs. size; (2) band gap vs. shape; (3) total electronic density of state and optical absorption spectra; (4) dielectric constant vs. size. The results are compared with tight binding and other model calculations. Comparison with recent experimental data is discussed.
Adaptive unstructured volume remeshing - II: Application to two- and three-dimensional level-set simulations of multiphase flow

In Part I [Adaptive unstructured volume remeshing - I: The method, J. Comput. Phys., in press], we presented an adaptive remeshing algorithm that automatically adjusts the size of the elements of meshes of unstructured triangles (2D) and unstructured tetrahedra (3D) with time and position in the computational domain in order to efficiently resolve the relevant physical scales. Here, we illustrate the performance of an implementation of the algorithm in finite-element/level-set simulations of deformable droplet and fluid-fluid interface interactions, breakup and coalescence in multiphase flows. The wide range of length scales characterizing the dynamics are accurately resolved as demonstrated by comparison to experiments and to theoretical and sharp-interface (boundary-integral) numerical results. The computational cost is found to be competitive even with respect to boundary-integral methods. For the first time using an interface-capturing (level-set) method we successfully simulate the inertia driven impact and rebound of a liquid droplet from a liquid interface and find agreement with recent experimental results.
Early Speech and Language Problems

In a mysterious manner children learn to understand and speak the language they hear around them. This process still defies our comprehension, despite extensive and intensive studies of language acquisition. While we cannot explain how the child masters language during his first five years of life, it is obvious that 90-95 percent of children do attain this goal, most of them receiving little or no direct teaching, some helped by very good teaching, and some triumphing over the interference of very poor teaching or of more serious handicaps. Normally language develops as the result of the interaction between a well-integrated organism and a supportive, appropriately stimulating environ ment. The child needs intact peripheral organs for receiving auditory, visual, and tactile stimuli, and an intact central nervous system to react to those stimuli by interpretation, association, and response. Some degree of intellec tual development is also necessary for language acquisition, which in turn promotes further intellectual development. Concomitantly the child's body concept, spatial orientation, visuo-motor skills, and figure-ground discrimina tion develop as a basis for language, as well as a reflection of the language the child has mastered. For the optimum development and interaction of the organs and functions involved in language acquisition, the child needs an environment which promotes his emotional stability, giving him the security to explore his surroundings and to form interpersonal relationships. Fortunately even a somewhat impaired organism in a less than ideal environment can develop adequate language, and we find that a five-year old child's typical verbal output is 10,000-15,000 words per day of gram matically correct, meaningful communication, drawing on a vocabulary of about 5,000 words. His comprehension of spoken language may encompass a
Recent innovations in UHPLC columns and instrumentation

Abstract Ten years after the introduction of the first commercial ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography (UHPLC) system, the pace of progress has not slowed. We describe recent innovations in UHPLC columns and instruments, focusing on those intended primarily for reversed-phase separations of analytes with molecular weights less than about 5000 Daltons, using columns with internal diameters of 2.1 mm. New columns packed with sub-2-µm solid-core particles have produced efficiencies greater than 400,000 plates/m, more than 40% higher than those of columns packed with sub-2-µm fully porous particles. In addition, columns containing charged surface particles give higher peak capacities for separations of positively charged analytes when using the low ionic strength, acidic mobile phases preferred for electrospray mass spectrometric detection. The narrow peaks produced by these columns require instruments having extremely low dispersion. We review recent progress in measuring and reducing system dispersion.
Adenomyoepithelioma of the breast: Report of a case initially examined by fine-needle aspiration

This report describes the morphologic features of an adenomyoepithelioma of the breast that was first examined by fine-needle aspiration. On retrospective review of the cytology, the stromal elements of this adenomyoepithelioma showed extensive metachromasia on Diff-Quik stain, had elongated nuclei, and on Papanicolaou stain showed elongated, pale, wispy cytoplasm. Clusters of stromal cells were usually intimately associated with epithelial elements. While the main differential consideration, cystosarcoma phylloides, can show similar features, it may be possible to distinguish the two lesions in some instances.
Adiposity indices in the prediction of metabolic abnormalities associated with cardiovascular disease in non-diabetic adults

Abstract Background and Aims The prevalence of insulin resistance and cardiovascular disease (CVD) increases with degree of obesity. Whether measurements of generalized and abdominal obesity differ in the ability to predict changes associated with increased CVD risk is widely debated. We compared the prevalence of metabolic abnormalities in 275 women and 204 men stratified by categories of body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference (WC), and assessed the ability of these adiposity indices in combination with metabolic risk variables to predict insulin resistance. Methods and Results Healthy, non-diabetic volunteers underwent measurements of BMI, WC, blood pressure, fasting plasma glucose (FPG), lipoprotein concentrations, and direct quantification of insulin-mediated glucose uptake. Insulin resistance was defined as the top tertile of steady-state plasma glucose (SSPG) concentrations. BMI and WC were highly correlated ( P Conclusion BMI is at least comparable to WC in stratifying individuals for prevalence of metabolic abnormalities associated with increased CVD risk and predicting insulin resistance.
Examination of the various crystal field theories of d3 ions in trigonal fields

Abstract Zero-field splitting and g-anisotropy of the ground multiplet of HfS2(V2+) have been measured by electron paramagnetic resonance. The unusually large g-anisotropy and its relationship to the zero-field splitting alow a comparison between various crystal field theories. We find that the experimental results are in disagreement with the simple crystal field theory of Van Vleck for the ground multiplet of d3 ions in trigonally distroted octahedral environments, but in reasonable agreement with the more elaborate but straightforward crystal field theory of Macfarlane. We thus conclude that it is unnecessary to resort to an anisotropic spin-orbit coupling as suggested by Sugano and Tanabe or to odd-parity crystal field terms as suggested by Artman and Murphy.
Age, gender, and racial differences in incidence and survival in primary CNS lymphoma

Primary central nervous system lymphoma (PCNSL) is a rare subtype of extranodal non-Hodgkin lymphoma that accounts for ∼4% of newly diagnosed central nervous system (CNS) tumours. The objective of this study was to analyse the epidemiology, incidence, and outcome of these rare tumours. Primary brain and CNS lymphoma cases were identified from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) research data sets for the years 1980–2008 for analysis of trends in incidence and survival. SEER*Stat v. 7.0.4 software was used to analyse the data. The overall incidence rate of PCNSL was 0.47 per 100 000 person-years. The incidence was significantly higher in males compared with females, blacks aged 0–49 years at diagnosis compared with whites, and whites aged 50 years and older at diagnosis compared with blacks. After a significant decline in incidence between 1995 and 1999, incidence rates rose slightly; those aged 75+ years at diagnosis had the most dramatic increase in incidence rates over time. Five-year survival rates were significantly higher in whites compared with blacks aged 0–49 years at diagnosis, but was primarily driven by white women aged 0–49 years. There is an increase in incidence of PCNSL in the elderly, and elderly blacks have lower incidence compared with white population. Survival remains poor and is negatively dominated by factors associated with HIV infection and advanced age.
The global distribution of methane in the troposphere

Methane has been measured in air samples collected at approximately weekly intervals at 23 globally distributed sites in the NOAA/GMCC cooperative flask sampling network. Sites range in latitude from 90° S to 76° N, and at most of these we report 2 years of data beginning in early 1983. All measurements have been made by gas chromatography with a flame ionization detector at the NOAA/GMCC laboratory in Boulder, Colorado. All air samples have been referenced to a single secondary standard of methane-in-air, ensuring a high degree of internal consistency in the data. The precision of measurements is estimated from replicate determinations on each sample as 0.2%. The latitudinal distribution of methane and the seasonal variation of this distribution in the marine boundary layer has been defined in great detail, including a remarkable uniformity in background levels of methane in the Southern Hemisphere. We report for the first time the observation of a complete seasonal cycle of methane at the South Pole. A significant vertical gradient is observed between a sea level and a high altitude site in Hawaii. Globally averaged background concentrations in the marine boundary layer have been calculated for the 2 year-period May 1983-April 1985 inclusive, from which we find an average increase of 12.8 ppb per year, or 0.78% per year when referenced to the globally averaged concentration (1625 ppb) at the mid-point of this period. We present evidence that there has been a slowing down in the methane growth rate.
Comparison of bootstrap and generalized bootstrap methods for estimating high quantiles

The generalized bootstrap is a parametric bootstrap method in which the underlying distribution function is estimated by fitting a generalized lambda distribution to the observed data. In this study, the generalized bootstrap is compared with the traditional parametric and non-parametric bootstrap methods in estimating the quantiles at different levels, especially for high quantiles. The performances of the three methods are evaluated in terms of cover rate, average interval width and standard deviation of width of the 95% bootstrap confidence intervals. Simulation results showed that the generalized bootstrap has overall better performance than the non-parametric bootstrap in high quantile estimation.
Behavioral model of itch, alloknesis, pain and allodynia in the lower hindlimb and correlative responses of lumbar dorsal horn neurons in the mouse

We have further developed a behavioral model of itch and pain in the lower hindlimb (calf) originally reported by LaMotte et al. (2011) that allows comparisons with responses of lumbar dorsal horn neurons to pruritic and noxious stimuli. Intradermal (id) microinjection of the pruritogens histamine, SLIGRL-NH2 (agonist of PAR-2 and MrgprC11) and chloroquine (agonist of MrgprA3) into the calf of the lower limb elicited significant biting and a small amount of licking directed to the injection site, over a 30-min time course. Following id injection of histamine, low-threshold mechanical stimuli reliably elicited discrete episodes of biting (alloknesis) over a longer time course; significantly less alloknesis was observed following id injection of SLIGRL-NH2. Capsaicin injections elicited licking but little biting. Following id injection of capsaicin, low-threshold mechanical stimuli elicited discrete hindlimb flinches (allodynia) over a prolonged (>2h) time course. In single-unit recordings from superficial lumbar dorsal horn neurons, low-threshold mechanically evoked responses were significantly enhanced, accompanied by receptive field expansion, following id injection of histamine in histamine-responsive neurons. This was not observed in histamine-insensitive neurons, or following id injection of saline or SLIGRL-NH2, regardless of whether the latter activated the neuron or not. These results suggest that itch-responsive neurons are selectively sensitized by histamine but not SLIGRL-NH2 to account for alloknesis. The presently described "calf" model appears to distinguish between itch- and pain-related behavioral responses, and provides a basis to investigate lumbar spinal neural mechanisms underlying itch, alloknesis, pain and allodynia.
Novel Role of Brain Stem Pedunculopontine Tegmental Adenylyl Cyclase in the Regulation of Spontaneous REM Sleep in the Freely Moving Rat

Physiological activation of kainate receptors and GABAB receptors within the pedunculopontine tegmentum (PPT) is involved in regulation of rapid-eye-movement (REM) sleep. Because these two types of...
Long-term follow-up of children born to women immunized with tetanus toxoid during pregnancy.

: Ten years after transplacental immunization with tetanus toxoid, the antibody responses of the immunized children to a booster immunization with 5 Lf tetanus toxoid did not differ from those of the control children. The tetanus toxoid-stimulated lymphocyte proliferative responses showed that there was no tolerance to tetanus toxoid induced by transplacental immunization, and the stimulation indices suggested that there may be some long-term memory for tetanus toxoid among the T lymphocytes in children who had been transplacentally immunized by maternal immunization with a standard dose of tetanus toxoid.
Hemodynamic Waveform Detection from Pulmonary Artery Catheters in the ICU

We systematically evaluated whether routine pulmonary artery catheterization and the standard recording systems used in the ICU allowed physicians to detect right atrial pressure (RAP) and pulmonary artery wedge pressure (PAWP) waveform components. Fifty-seven patients requiring pulmonary artery catheterization were studied. Standard 7.5 French (Fr), VIP™ (venous infusion port) Swan-Ganz® pulmonary artery catheters (PAC) were used in all patients along with standard pressure tubing, transducers, and either of two types of Hewlett-Packard strip-chart recording systems for simultaneous ECG and PAC waveform recording. The waveforms were later analyzed by four investigators, blinded to diagnosis, who formed a consensus. In the RAP waveform recording, a, c, and v waves were detected in 80%, 28%, and 50% of the patients, respectively. In the PAWP waveform recording, a and v waves were detected in 44% and 28% of the patients, respectively. The data were analyzed to determine whether the ability to detect waveform components was associated with cardiac history, hemodynamic variables, or the sensitivity of the waveform strip-chart recorder. Only the sensitivity of the waveform recorder was significantly associated with the ability to detect waveforms. Hemodynamic waveforms cannot be distinguished in a significant number of patients by physicians using the standard PAC and recording systems used in the ICU setting. Increased recorder sensitivity will enhance the detection of waveform components.
Variability among brain regions in the specificity of 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA)-induced lesions.

6-Hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA; 200 μg, 150 μg or 110 μg) or vehicle was infused stereotaxically into the lateral ventricles of rats, usually following pretreatment with desmethylimipramine (DMI). Various brain regions were then assayed for dopamine (DA), serotonin (5-HT) and norepinephrine (NE). As expected, 6-OHDA depleted DA in all brain regions examined. Unexpectedly, however, the two highest doses of 6-OHDA significantly decreased 5-HT levels in the hippocampus and increased 5-HT levels in the striatum. In addition, despite pretreatment with doses of DMI commonly considered adequate to block 6-OHDA-induced depletion of NE, all doses of 6-OHDA tested significantly reduced NE levels in the hippocampus, hypothalamus and septum. We interpret our data as suggesting that some brain regions are susceptible to nonspecific toxic effects of 6-OHDA at doses commonly employed. Furthermore, these nonspecific effects may or may not occur, depending on seemingly minor variations in experimental technique.
Chromosomal aberrations in embryos from overripe eggs.

Abstract Overripeness in eggs of Rana pipiens was obtained by keeping postovulatory females at room temperature and delaying fertilization 3–5 days. In Xenopus laevis similar results were attained by delaying ovulation. About 80 crippled embryos, issued from overripe eggs that were used for chromosomal studies, had reached prefeeding stages ranging from 20 to 24. By this time the most severely abnormal individuals had already died, but also the majority of those studied would probably not have been able to survive until metamorphosis. Some malformed embryos still have normal chromosome complements, but the majority show deviations which are classified as meiotic, ploidic, and cleavage types. It is concluded that overripeness of the egg is an important cause of chromosomal nondisjunction in meiotic and in mitotic divisions. No definite relationship between the type of chromosomal deviation and the morphologic character of malformations has been established, so far.
Effects of synthesis conditions on MFI zeolite membrane quality and catalytic cracking deposition modification results

Abstract MFI zeolite membranes were synthesized by the templated in-situ synthesis method on α-alumina porous supports under various conditions and subsequently modified by catalytic cracking deposition (CCD) of methyldiethoxysilane (MDES) to improve high temperature H 2 /CO 2 separation performance. The quality of the zeolite membranes was examined by helium permeation (before template removal) and room temperature H 2 /CO 2 separation (after template removal). For membranes prepared through single hydrothermal synthesis, the helium permeance decreases and the room temperature H 2 /CO 2 separation factor increases with increasing synthesis time (or membrane thickness). Helium flows through the defects of the as-prepared membranes before template removal decreases as membrane thickness increases, but the thicker membranes contain more defects formed during the template removal step. Twice-hydrothermal treatment with calcination in between is effective to improve the quality of MFI zeolite membranes. However, a minimal synthesis time for each hydrothermal cycle is needed to eliminate the intercrystalline defects. Catalytic cracking deposition of MDES improves the high temperature H 2 /CO 2 separation performance of the MFI zeolite membranes and the extent of the improvements is directly correlated with the membrane synthesis conditions. After CCD modification, the H 2 /CO 2 separation factor of the membrane synthesized twice with 4 h for each hydrothermal cycle was improved from 4.2 to 8.6 with around 40% reduction in H 2 permeance.
Predicting Avoidance of Skin Damage Feedback Among College Students.

Background Showing people a personal ultraviolet (UV) photograph depicting skin damage can be an effective method for changing sun protection cognitions and behaviors.
Electron Microprobe Analysis of Lunar Samples

Plagioclase feldspar, clinopyroxene, and ilmenite in a polished thin section of a type A crystalline rock were analyzed. The clinopyroxene grains are compositionally variable, and both high Ca and low Ca phases are present. The plagioclase is compositionally homogeneous. The ilmenite is chemically homogeneous except for occasional, small areas of high local chromium concentration. Accessory minerals are: apatite (containing Cl, F, Y, and Ce), troilite, and metallic iron. Glassy spherules from the lunar soil are for the most part similar in composition to the crystalline rocks; however, some appear to have been monomineralic. The crystalline rock has apparently formed by relatively rapid cooling of a silicate melt under conditions of low oxygen partial pressure. Many components of the soil appear to have formed by meteoritic impact.
Industrial dynamics and managerial networking in an emerging market: the case of China

This study examines how industrial conditions influence the level of executives' managerial networking with decision-makers in other entities such as buyers, suppliers, competitors, distributors, and regulators in an emerging market. Corroborating a view that social capital holds contingent value, we theorize that executives facing different industrial conditions have different levels of commitment to exploiting interpersonal ties for fulfilling organizational needs. We propose that managerial networking is influenced by exogenous industrial attributes such as structural uncertainty, sales growth, regulatory stringency, competitive pressure, and production capacity utilization. Our analysis of executives in 364 firms in China demonstrates that the level of managerial networking increases when uncertainty, regulation, and competition increase and production capacity utilization decreases. For a specific firm, the link between industrial dynamics and managerial networking is moderated by its strategic proactiveness. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
On simulating steel-concrete interaction in reinforced concrete part II: Validation studies

Abstract The simulation capability of the mixture model developed in a companion paper (Murakami and Hegemier, 1986), has been examined for the special case of ‘steel-concrete bond action’. Validation studies were conducted for monotonic pull-out and tension tests and cyclic tests of full-scale reinforced concrete panels. It has been observed that using the elementary mixture relations together with simplified bond-slip and crack opening, closing and reopening algorithms, one can achieve excellent agreement with experimental data.
Violent Behavior in Interpersonal Relationships

Like all interpersonal behavior, violent behavior is constructed within a situation by its participants. Structural determinants have insufficient explanatory power precisely because they do not ac...
Psoriatic arthritis: Current concepts on pathogenesis‐oriented therapeutic options

Psoriatic arthritis (PsA) is a chronic inflammatory arthropathy of the peripheral joints, spine, and entheses, associated with psoriasis and characterized by diverse phenotypic subtypes and a variable clinical course. Much progress has been made in identifying the distinctive characteristics of this disease since Alibert first described the association between psoriasis and arthritis in 1818 in “Lepre squammeuse,” his discourse on skin diseases (1). Recent insights into the immunopathogenic mechanisms of PsA have revealed disease characteristics in the synovium, vascular structures, entheses, and bone of PsA patients that are similar to, and distinct from, those of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) as well as other forms of spondylarthritis (SpA), including ankylosing spondylitis (AS), reactive arthritis, and enteropathic arthritis. Such investigations, along with advances in biotechnology and the development of a number of targeted biologic response modifiers (BRMs) with demonstrated effectiveness for both skin and joint manifestations, have led to substantial progress in the treatment of PsA and a renewed interest in the mechanistic processes behind this complex disease. As with RA and SpA, a subset of patients with PsA fail to respond to conventional therapies and to anti–tumor necrosis factor (anti-TNF) agents that are currently approved for the treatment of PsA. A number of novel agents beyond TNF blockade are under investigation for PsA, underscoring the diverse mechanisms likely to be at play in these heterogeneous phenotypic subtypes of PsA.
A PC-based graphical simulator for physiological pharmacokinetic models

Since many intravenous anesthetic drugs alter blood flows, physiologically-based pharmacokinetic models describing drug disposition may be time-varying. Using the commercially available programming software MATLAB, a platform to simulate time-varying physiological pharmacokinetic models was developed. The platform is based upon a library of pharmacokinetic blocks which mimic physiological structure. The blocks can be linked together flexibly to form models for different drugs. Because of MATLAB's additional numerical capabilities (e.g. non-linear optimization), the platform provides a complete graphical microcomputer-based tool for physiologic pharmacokinetic modeling.
Thermomechanical modeling of 3D electronic packages

Development of complex electronic packages requires a judicious combination of experimentation and modeling. Fabrication costs of electronic packaging prototypes can be prohibitive; therefore, the building of effective virtual prototypes provides an important challenge for the modeling community. Fortunately, finite-element modeling (FEM) has become sufficiently mature to allow technologists to develop reliable insights into the thermal and mechanical integrity of proposed structures. For modeling to be leveraged as an effective means of avoiding thermally related mechanical problems, the diversity in size scale found in three-dimensional electronic packages must be carefully considered and addressed. Employing three distinct examples, we summarize our experience and insights in applying FEM in order to make informed decisions in the early stages of product package research and development.
The role of nanocomposites in bone regeneration

Tissue engineering utilizes the expertise within the fields of materials science, biology, chemistry, transplantation medicine, and engineering to design materials that can temporarily serve in a structural and/or functional capacity while a defect is regenerated. Of prominence in the realm of regenerative medicine is the issue of bone disease and degeneration, particularly among an increasingly aging population. Traditional methods for bone and joint replacement enjoy increasing success, but restoration of native tissue architecture remains the ideal. Toward this goal, the design of a tissue equivalent that can integrate with native bone must take into account the characteristics of this unique tissue. Firstly, the extracellular matrix of bone is a hierarchical, heterogeneous material that has features with sizes that range from the nanoscale to the macroscale. Secondly, there is synergy between these features that gives rise to a composite material with defined nano-, micro-, and macrophases. Understanding the role of these phases should lead to improved materials to aid bone regeneration. Emulating the structure of bone is difficult; nevertheless, researchers are developing nanocomposite materials that take us one step closer to attaining the mechanical and biological properties of bone. This article discusses the role of nanoscale parameters and interactions in bone and presents a few examples of how engineered nanocomposites attempt to mimic the hierarchical structure of bone in order to achieve tissue regeneration rather than repair.
Rubio cubics and generalized Cundy–Parry mappings

Rubio’s mappings between the Thomson and Darboux cubics are generalized for pairs of cubics of the form pα(β2−γ2)+ qβ(γ2−α2)+ rγ(α2 − β2) = 0, where p, r, q, α, β, γ are functions of a triple (a, b, c) of variables or indeterminates. Methods include symbolic substitutions, such as (a, b, c) → (bc, ca, ab). Connections between the generalized Rubio mappings with generalized Cundy–Parry mappings are described.
Shelf flushing rates based on the distribution of salinity and freshwater in the Georgia Bight

Abstract Freshwater off the Georgia, South Carolina and northeast Florida coast varies from 5 to 12 km 3 depending on the local runoff. The flushing rate calculated from the freshwater volume and river runoff rate is relatively invariant at 2.7 months. This invariance is thought to imply a constant flushing process and it is postulated that Gulf Stream meanders and eddies are important in that process. A simplified calculation involving Gulf Stream meander frequency and typical entrainment dimensions also produces a flushing rate of 2–3 months.
Studies on DNA cleaving agents : synthesis and chemically induced cycloaromatization of a monocyclic neocarzinostatin chromophore analogue

Abstract The synthesis of an acyclic analogue of neocarzinostatin chromophore is described. This analogue is found to undergo cycloaromatization in the presence of thiols; the process involves a previously undetected internal hydrogen abstraction reaction.
Effect of Having Two Identical Channels Per Tip-Link in Hair Bundles

Gating of mechanoelectrical transducer (MET) channels in hair bundles of hair cells is the key step of mechanosensitivity, including sensing sound and balance. Transducer current, gating compliance, which can lead to negative stiffness of the hair bundle, and adaptation have been successfully described by theoretical models that assume that a single MET channel is connected to each tip-link.However, recent experimental reports have demonstrated that each tip-link is associated with more than one channel. This discrepancy begs an answer to the question: What are the consequences of two MET channels being associated with a single tip-link?To address this question, we assume that two channels associated with each tip-link are identical and examine the effect of two basic connectivities, series and parallel, of the channels on their gating. We found that the connectivity has much larger effect on gating compliance than on transducer current. With series connection, gating compliance has a single maximum only if it is below a critical value. Further increase of gating compliance splits its maximum into two. Thus negative stiffness, the result of a further increase in gating compliance, appears in two regions on the displacement axis. In contrast, parallel connection leads to gating compliance similar to that predicted by the previous model that assumes a single channel is associated with each tip-link. Although some cooperative effect of the two channels is present, it cannot be significant for sensitive hair bundles. For those reasons, parallel connection of two identical channels is consistent with experimental observations.
Distinct energy requirements for human memory CD4 T-cell homeostatic functions

Differentiation and activation of CD4 memory T cells (T(mem) cells) require energy from different sources, but little is known about energy sources for maintenance and surveillance activities of unactivated T(mem) cells. Mitochondrial fatty acid oxidation (FAO) in human unactivated CD4 T(mem) cells was significantly enhanced by inhibition of glycolysis, with respective means of 1.7- and 4.5-fold for subjects 65 yr, and by stimulation of AMP-activated protein kinase, with respective means of 1.3- and 5.2-fold. However, CCL19 and sphingosine 1-phosphate (S1P), which control homeostatic lymphoid trafficking of unactivated T(mem) cells, altered FAO and glycolysis only minimally or not at all. Inhibition of CD4 T(mem)-cell basal FAO, but not basal glycolysis, significantly suppressed CCL19- and S1P-mediated adherence to collagen by >50 and 20%, respectively, and chemotaxis by >20 and 50%. Apoptosis of unactivated T(mem) cells induced by IL-2 deprivation or CCL19 was increased significantly by >150 and 70%, respectively, with inhibition of FAO and by >110 and 30% with inhibition of glycolysis. Anti-TCR antibody activation of T(mem) cells increased their chemotaxis to CCL5, which was dependent predominantly on glycolysis rather than FAO. The sources supplying energy for diverse functions of unactivated T(mem) cells differ from that required for function after immune activation.
Linear Dynamic Viscoelastic Properties of Functionalized Block Copolymer/Organoclay Nanocomposites

Linear dynamic viscoelastic properties of functionalized block copolymer/organoclay nanocomposites were investigated. The organoclay employed (Cloisite 30B, Southern Clay Products) is natural clay ...