cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A Neural Network Approach to Discrete Choice Modeling

Conventional disaggregate choice models consider choice to be an outcome of individual preferences. A variety of estimating procedures have been developed to calibrate these models and can be considered omapping mechanismso which link a dependent variable (e.g., choice of destination) with independent variables (e.g., individual characteristics such as age, gender and income and destination-related attributes including attractiveness and cost). A new approach has been developed to achieve this omappingo and is generally referred to as oartificial neural networkso (ANNs). The goal of this study was to evaluate the usefulness of artificial neural networks for modeling individual choice behavior. The two specific objectives of this study were to compare the accuracy in prediction of a conventional conjoint model and an ANN model and to compare part-worth utilities or preference structure of the respective models. Comparison between a conventional disaggregate choice model (e.g., the conjoint model) and a bac...
Imaging the Nanometer-Scale Architecture of Microvesicle Release and Recapture

After exocytosis, vesicle components that are lost into the plasma membrane must be retrieved into the cell. Models of endocytosis propose that endocytic proteins sequentially assemble onto vesicle proteins destined for recapture. We are monitoring the post-fusion behavior of microvesicle proteins in living neuroendocrine cells with three forms of microscopy: multi-color total-internal reflection fluorescence (TIRF) microscopy, interferometric photo-activation localization microscopy (iPALM), and electron microscopy. With these methods, we are tracking the nanometer-scale molecular architecture of microvesicle release and recapture during calcium-triggered membrane fusion. Our results provide a topographic map for the molecular components that corral, capture, and recycle exocytic material from the cell surface in excitable cells.
GABAA receptor stimulation blocks NMDA-induced bursting of dopaminergic neurons in vitro by decreasing input resistance

Abstract The effects of the GABA A agonist, isoguvacine, on NMDA-induced burst firing of substantia nigra dopaminergic neurons were studied with intracellular and whole cell recordings in vitro. NMDA application caused the neurons to fire in rhythmic bursts. Although the NMDA-induced bursty firing pattern was insensitive to hyperpolarization by current injection, it was reversibly abolished by the selective GABA A agonist, isoguvacine. The block of the rhythmic burst pattern by isoguvacine application occurred regardless of whether the chloride reversal potential was hyperpolarizing ( E Cl − =−70 mV) or depolarizing ( E Cl − =−40 mV). In either case, the input resistance of the dopaminergic neurons was dramatically decreased by application of isoguvacine. It is concluded that GABA A receptor activation by isoguvacine disrupts NMDA receptor-mediated burst firing by increasing the input conductance and thereby shunting the effects of NMDA acting at a distally located generator of rhythmic burst firing.
Strategic sharing in regulatory regimes

Abstract A firm subject to price cap regulation (PCR) disciplines the regulator’s choice of entry-accommodation rule through a convex combination of earnings and effort sharing. The first-best level of cost-reducing effort is not achieved in this model even under pure PCR.
Bien Educado: Measuring the social behaviors of Mexican American children

Abstract Young children's expected social behaviors develop within particular cultural contexts and contribute to their academic experience in large part through their relationships with their teachers. Commonly used measures focus on children's problem behaviors, developed from psychopathology traditions, and rarely situate normative and positive behaviors in context. Building from the literature on parenting goals and socialization expectations in Latino families and a preliminary ethnographic study ( Proyecto Educando Ninos ), we constructed a survey in English and Spanish that measures the expected social behaviors of Mexican-heritage children, ages 3–6 years, using parent and teacher reports. Use of the BEAR Assessment System facilitated the refinement of this instrument to assess the socialization of young, Mexican American children. We report on the psychometric properties of the Mexican American Socialization (MAS) Scale, utilizing item-response theory. Analyses indicate the MAS Scale is reliable and an ecologically valid indicator of multiple constructs of the expected social behaviors of young Mexican American children. In particular, the 41-item Bien Educado subscale showed good reliability and is consistent with socialization constructs described in the literature. Implications for research and practice are discussed.
Potential Flow Solutions with Wakes over an Ogive Cylinder

An incompressible panel code is employed to compute the  ow over an ogive cylinder bodywith an overall length of 7.5 diameter. Flow separation is modeled by vortex wakes attached to the base region and the leeward sides of the cylinder body. The computed surface pressures and integrated normal force and pitching-moment coef cients are found to be in good agreement with the experimental data up to 20-deg incidence. This favorable agreement suggests that the panel codes may be a computationally ef cient tool in the aerodynamicmissile design process at low incidences.
Nonlinear mixing of transverse-optical phonon frequencies through strong anharmonicity of LiTaO 3 : Enhancing THz generation

A phonon peak at 127 cm−1 due to nonlinear mixing of two transverse-optical phonon frequencies through anharmonicity of LiTaO 3 is used to explain enhancements of effective second-order nonlinear coefficients by factors of up to 3.7.
Oral and booklet presentation of MMPI-2.

The MMPI-2 was administered twice to college students under two formats: standard booklet administration and oral presentation, with the examiner reading the items to the students and recording their answers. The two types of administration were compared in a series of mixed-factor analyses of variance. No significant differences were found when comparing oral and booklet presentation for either men or women. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Clin Psychol 54: 593–596, 1998.
Curvature driven flow of bi-layer interfaces

Abstract We introduce the Functionalized Cahn–Hilliard (FCH) energy, a negative multiple of the Cahn–Hilliard energy balanced against the square of its own variational derivative, as a finite width regularization of the sharp-interface Canham–Helfrich energy. Mass-preserving gradient flows associated to the FCH energy are higher-order phase field models which develop not only single-layer, or front-type interfaces, but also bi-layer, or homoclinic interfaces with associated endcap and multi-junction structures. The single-layer interfaces manifest a fingering instability which grows into endcapped bi-layers. The meandering growth of the bi-layer interfaces and the subsequent merging lead to a multi-junction dominated network that bears a striking similarity to the phase separated domains of both perfluorosulfonic membranes and amphiphilic di-block co-polymer solutions. The bi-layers generated by the gradient flows of the FCH energy have an interfacial width which scales with e ≪ 1 , however for fixed e , there is a class of bi-layers parameterized by width and background state. Our primary result is the asymptotic derivation of the normal velocity of a closed bi-layer hypersurface in R d ( d ≥ 2 ) coupled to the evolution for the surface width, curvature, and background state. We also show the convergence of the FCH energy to a scaled Canham–Helfrich type energy for both single and bi-layer interfaces, with the surface area coefficient of the limiting Canham–Helfrich energy coupling to the bi-layer width. Thus the bi-layer networks grow to maximize surface area while minimizing the square of curvature, up to the point that the increase in surface area stretches the bi-layers too thin.
Studies of luminol-dependent whole-blood chemiluminescence induced by platelet-activating factor (PAF)

Abstract A whole-blood luminol-dependent chemiluminescence (CL) assay stimulated by platelet-activating factor (PAF) is reported. Factors investigated using this assay were dilution of blood, dose responsiveness of PAF, and inactivation of PAF. The final conditions chosen for the assay were a 1:10 dilution of whole blood and 2 × 10−4 M luminol. Nordihydroguaiaretic acid (NDGA) and indomethacin (INDO), which inhibit lipoxygenase and cyclooxygenase, decreased luminol-dependent whole-blood chemiluminescence by 59 and 17%, respectively. Superoxide dismutase and catalase were relatively ineffective inhibitors of CL (28 and 22%, respectively) while sodium azide was most inhibitory (84%). Although these studies were not entirely conclusive, lipoxygenase and myeloperoxidase appear to be important in CL elicited by PAF in this whole-blood CL assay. This system may serve as a useful screening system for measuring the effect of PAF in the blood of different individuals without extensive separation of cell types. It has the distinct advantage of being closer to in situ Conditions.
Absent from the Research, Present in Our Classrooms: Preparing Culturally Responsive Chinese American Teachers

This article documents the paucity of research on Chinese American teachers and discusses how this dearth contributes to the “invisibility” of Asian Americans as frontline participants in the shaping of children, educators, and educational policy. It explores bilingual Chinese American teachers’perceptions of the multicultural course requirement in their teacher preparation program and examines the content and context in which this course is experienced. The following were found to be significant: understanding the reality and complexity of the implementation of multicultural education, questioning personal K-12 experiences, identifying White teacher resistance as the major barrier to implementation of multicultural education, and recognizing the psychological and academic benefits of ethnic studies. Teachers explained that cultural knowledge gained by personal experience and in ethnic studies may be the “content” they perceived to be needed in, yet missing from, multicultural education coursework. They a...
Intestinal absorption of aspartame decomposition products in adult rats.

The dipeptide sweetener aspartame (N-l-α-aspartyl-l-phenylalanine, 1-methyl ester; α-APM) is relatively stable in dry powder form. However, when exposed to elevated temperature, extremes of pH, and/or moisture, α-APM is converted into a variety of products. In aqueous solution α-APM decomposes to yield methanol, two isomeric forms of l-aspartyl-l-phenylalanine (Asp-Phe) [α-Asp-Phe and β-Asp-Phe], and APM's diketopiperazine cyclo-Asp-Phe. Depending on beverage storage conditions, individuals drinking α-APM-sweetened beverages may consume small quantities of these three compounds. Relatively little has been published about the metabolism of β-Asp-Phe and cyclo-Asp-Phe. We compared the absorption and metabolism of α-Asp-Phe, β-Asp-Phe, and cyclo-Asp-Phe with that of l-phenylalanine (Phe) in adult rats. Steady-state perfusion studies of rat jejunum indicated rapid carrier-assisted uptake of Phe and α-Asp-Phe, but only slow passive diffusion of β-Asp-Phe and cyclo-Asp-Phe from the lumen. Homogenates of rat intestinal mucosa, liver, and cecal contents, as well as homogenates of pure cultures of Escherichia coli B, catalyzed the hydrolysis of α-Asp-Phe, but not cyclo-Asp-Phe. Homogenates of E coli and rat cecal contents, but not homogenates of rat liver or intestinal mucosa catalyzed the hydrolysis of β-Asp-Phe.
Biotransformation of phencyclidine

(1985). Biotransformation of Phencyclidine. Drug Metabolism Reviews: Vol. 16, No. 3, pp. 285-320.
Adaptation with constant and variable delay in auditory feedback

The effects of an irregularly varying delay in auditory feedback (VDAF) were compared with those of a constant delay in feedback (DAF) with regard to: (a) impairment in level of performance, (b) adaptation in performance, and (c) possible differences in rate of adaptation. Performance in a reading task was compared using a DAF interval, of .20 sec. and a VDAF interval varying irregularly from .10 to .28 sec. No difference was found between conditions in amount of impairment in performance. There was a significant improvement upon continued reading in both conditions, and there was no difference between conditions in the rate of improvement.
Two Two-Gene Macronuclear Chromosomes of the Hypotrichous Ciliates Oxytricha fallax and O. trifallax Generated by Alternative Processing of the 81 Locus

We describe the first know macronuclear chromosomes that carry more than one gene in hypotrichous ciliated protozoa. These 4.9- and 2.8-kbp chromosomes each consist almost exclusively of two protein-coding genes, which are conserved and transcribed. The two chromosomes share a common region that consists of a gene that is a member of the family of mitochondrial solute carrier genes (CR-MSC; [Williams and Herrick (1991): Nucleic Acids Res 19:4717-4724]. Each chromosome also carries another gene appended to its common region: The 4.9-kbp chromosome also carries a gene that encodes a protein that is rich in glutamine and charged amino acids and bears regions of heptad repeats characteristic of coiled-coils. Its function is unknown. The second gene of the 2.8 kbp chromosome is a mitochondrial solute carrier gene (LA-MSC); thus, the 2.8-kbp chromosomes consists of two mitochondrial solute carrier paralogs. Phylogenetic analysis indicates that the two genes were duplicated before ciliates diverged from the main eukaryotic lineage and were subsequently juxtaposed. The CR- and LA-MSC genes are each interrupted by three introns. The introns are not in homologous positions, suggesting that they may have originated from multiple group II intron transpositions. These chromosomes and their genes are encoded in the Oxytricha germline by the 81 locus. This locus is alternatively processed to generate a nested set of three macronuclear chromosomes, the 4.9- and 2.8-kbp chromosomes and a third (1.6 kbp) which consists almost exclusively of the shared common gene, CR-MSC. Such alternative processing is common in macronuclear development of O. fallax [Cartinhour and Herrick (1984): Mol Cell Biol 4:931-938]. Possible functions for alternative processing are considered; e.g., it may serve to physically link genes to allow co-regulation or co-replication by a common cis-acting sequence.
Effect of Hemoglobin Polymerization on Oxygen Transport in Hemoglobin Solutions

The effect of hemoglobin (Hb) polymerization on facilitated transport of oxygen in a bovine hemoglobin-based oxygen carrier was studied using a diffusion cell. In high oxygen tension gradient experiments (HOTG) at 37°C the diffusion of dissolved oxygen in polymerized Hb samples was similar to that in unpolymerized Hb solutions during oxygen uptake. However, in the oxygen release experiments, the transport by diffusion of dissolved oxygen was augmented by diffusion of oxyhemoglobin over a range of oxygen saturations. The augmentation was up to 30% in the case of polymerized Hb and up to 100% in the case of unpolymerized Hb solution. In experiments performed at constant, low oxygen tension gradients in the range of physiological significance, the augmentation effect was less than that in the HOTG experiments. Oxygen transport in polymerized Hb samples was approximately the same as that in unpolymerized samples over a wide range of oxygen tensions. However, at oxygen tensions lower than 30 mm Hg, there were more significant augmentation effects in unpolymerized bovine Hb samples than in polymerized Hb. The results presented here are the first accurate, quantitative measurements of effective diffusion coefficients for oxygen transport in hemoglobin-based oxygen carriers of the type being evaluated to replace red cells in transfusions. In all cases the oxygen carrier was found to have higher effective oxygen diffusion coefficients than blood.
Development of Gene Therapy for Osteogenesis Imperfecta Using Hammerhead Ribozymes and a Knock-In Mouse Model of OI

Development of Gene Therapy for Osteogenesis Imperfecta Using Hammerhead Ribozymes and a Knock-In Mouse Model of OI
Chromosome Breakage in Vicia faba by Monochloramine

THE investigations reported here were prompted by the finding that our distilled water was producing chromosome breakage when used for soaking Vicia faba seeds . Monochloramine is used in the disinfection of the Atlanta, Georgia, water system and distils over quite readily. The activity of monochloramine as a bactericidal and vimcidal agent has been examined by others1, but the specific cytological effects apparently have not, and it is not included in lists of the chloramines2 which have been tested by various screening agencies. Organic chloramines, which include the nitrogen mustard group, have found extensive application where the use of cytotoxic agents are required.
From UML to Java, building a 3-tier architecture: case study

The successful use of object technology requires far more than simply the adoption of a modern software technology or notation such as UML, Java, CORBA or COM. What is crucial, is knowing how to use these technologies to build commercially robust software systems. In this session the speaker draws on his experience at NASA, AT&T, IBM, NOVA GASS, and other leading companies to illustrate the pitfalls and best practices of component based software development.
Reduced Nitric Oxide Production and Altered Myocardial Metabolism During the Decompensation of Pacing-Induced Heart Failure in the Conscious Dog

The aim of the present study was to determine whether cardiac nitric oxide (NO) production changes during the progression of pacing-induced heart failure and whether this occurs in association with alterations in myocardial metabolism. Dogs (n=8) were instrumented and the heart paced until left ventricular end-diastolic pressure reached 25 mm Hg and clinical signs of severe failure were evident. Every week, hemodynamic measurements were recorded and blood samples were withdrawn from the aorta and the coronary sinus for measurement of NO metabolites, O2 content, free fatty acids (FFAs), and lactate and glucose concentrations. Cardiac production of NO metabolites or consumption of O2 or utilization of substrates was calculated as coronary sinus-arterial difference times coronary flow. In end-stage failure, occurring at 29+/-1.6 days, left ventricular end-diastolic pressure was 25+/-1 mm Hg, left ventricular systolic pressure was 92+/-3 mm Hg, mean arterial pressure was 75+/-2.5 mm Hg, and dP/dtmax was 1219+/-73 mm Hg/s (all P<0.05). These changes in hemodynamics were associated with a fall of cardiac NO metabolite production from 0.37+/-0.16 to -0.28+/-0.13 nmol/beat (P<0.05). O2 consumption and lactate uptake did not change significantly from control, while FFA uptake decreased from 0.16+/-0.03 to 0.05+/-0.01 microEq/beat and glucose uptake increased from -2.3+/-7.0 to 41+/-10 microgram/beat (P<0.05). The cardiac respiratory quotient also increased significantly by 28%. In 14 normal dogs the same measurements were performed at control and 1 hour after we injected 30 mg/kg of nitro-L-arginine, a competitive inhibitor of NO synthase .O2 consumption increased from 0.05+/-0.002 mL/beat at control to 0.071+/-0.003 mL/beat after nitro-L-arginine, while FFA uptake decreased from 0.1+/-0.01 to 0.06+/-0.01 microEq/beat, lactate uptake increased from 0.15+/-0.04 to 0.31+/-0.03 micromol/beat, glucose uptake increased from 8.2+/-5.0 to 35.4+/-9.5 microgram/beat, and RQ increased by 23% (all P<0.05). Our results indicate that basal cardiac production of NO falls below normal levels during cardiac decompensation and that there are shifts in substrate utilization. This switch in myocardial substrate utilization also occurs after acute pharmacological blockade of NO production in normal dogs.
Decision tree classification of land cover from remotely sensed data

Decision tree classification algorithms have significant potential for land cover mapping problems and have not been tested in detail by the remote sensing community relative to more conventional pattern recognition techniques such as maximum likelihood classification. In this paper, we present several types of decision tree classification algorithms arid evaluate them on three different remote sensing data sets. The decision tree classification algorithms tested include an univariate decision tree, a multivariate decision tree, and a hybrid decision tree capable of including several different types of classification algorithms within a single decision tree structure. Classification accuracies produced by each of these decision tree algorithms are compared with both maximum likelihood and linear discriminant function classifiers. Results from this analysis show that the decision tree algorithms consistently outperform the maximum likelihood and linear discriminant function classifiers in regard to classf — cation accuracy. In particular, the hybrid tree consistently produced the highest classification accuracies for the data sets tested. More generally, the results from this work show that decision trees have several advantages for remote sensing applications by virtue of their relatively simple, explicit, and intuitive classification structure. Further, decision tree algorithms are strictly nonparametric and, therefore, make no assumptions regarding the distribution of input data, and are flexible and robust with respect to nonlinear and noisy relations among input features and class labels.
Aggregate male and female labor force participation functions: An analysis of structural differences, 1947–1977

Abstract The hypothesis that the structure of the forces that affect male and female labor force participation rates are distinct has been corroborated in numerous studies using microdata. This paper examines the validity of this structural distinctiveness hypothesis in the context of aggregate, time series data on male and female labor force participation in the post-World War II United States. Standard economic and sociological theories are used to specify sex-specific participation functions that contain indexes of the sex-specific general opportunity for employment, the sex-specific rates of participation in the armed forces and in postsecondary schooling institutions, the average real wage rate, the average number of hours worked, and the fertility rate. It is found that the female rate is more responsive than the male rate to the general employment opportunities and average hours indexes, but less responsive to the wage rate. Also, the female rate responds positively to the armed forces participation and college enrollment rates, whereas the male rate is negatively related to these indexes. However, no evidence is found for another component of the structural distinctiveness hypothesis, namely, that the fertility rate bears a consistent negative relationship to the female participation rate. While this relationship may have held during the early postwar years, it seems to have been substantially attentuated since the early 1960s. Prospects for convergence of the male and female participation functions are evaluated. Although current social trends suggest that the female function eventually will resemble more closely the male funtion, it is concluded that substantial sex differences are likely to persist for at least another decade. Implications of this for the structure of the labor force participation functions used in macroeconometric forecasting models are discussed.
Effect of Altering Dietary Mineral Balance on Growth, Leg Abnormalities, and Blood Base Excess in Broiler Chicks

Broiler cockerels were used in four trials of 3-wk duration to investigate the effects of altering dietary cation:anion ratios on chick growth, leg abnormalities, bone, and blood parameters. Dietary cation content was changed using Ca and Mg, whereas the anions P, Cl, and S were included at various levels, giving several total cation:anion ratios with several levels of ions. Narrowing the cation:anion ratios increased 3-wk body weights and the incidence of both dyschondroplasia and varus deformation. Further increases in dietary anion concentration generally caused a slight depression of body weights. Supplementation of Ca or Mg to diets containing high levels of anion relative to cation decreased the incidence of leg problems and lowered 3-wk body weights. Blood pH was not significantly affected by dietary mineral alterations, although pH tended to decrease as anion content was increased. Addition of P significantly reduced blood HCO3 and base excess (meq/L). Base excess was negatively correlated (P less than .05) with the incidence of TD and 3-wk body weights. Two strain-crosses of broiler cockerels, fed diets which had previously increased the incidence of leg abnormalities, exhibited no significant differences in the incidence of varus deformation or dyschondroplasia. The strain-cross of chicks having the lowest base excess had higher incidences of both leg disorders, although body weights were identical.
Is Labor Dead

The Labor Movement has entered a crisis. Declining support for unions and for socialist political movements reflects the exhaustion of a reformist growth strategy where capitalists and state officials accepted unions in exchange for labor peace. While winning real gains for workers, this strategy undermined labor and its broader democratic aspirations by establishing unions and union and party leaders as authorities over the workers themselves. In the upheavals of the late-1960s and the 1970s, dissident movements, directed as much against reformist leaders as against employers and state officials, pushed protest beyond traditional limits toward demands for popular empowerment and democracy. Union decline began then, not because workers had lost interest in collective action but because employers and state officials abandoned collective bargaining to find alternative means of controlling unrest. Capitalism entered a new post-union era, when national leaders like Margaret Thatcher and Ronald Reagan used policies of open trade and capital flows and high unemployment to discipline labor. Abandoned by their capitalist bargaining partners, reformist unions and political parties have withered. Now, without social space for reformist movements, the labor movement can only advance by openly avowing its original goals of popular empowerment and the establishment of economic democracy.
Integrated olfactory receptor and microarray gene expression databases

Gene expression patterns of olfactory receptors (ORs) are an important component of the signal encoding mechanism in the olfactory system since they determine the interactions between odorant ligands and sensory neurons. We have developed the Olfactory Receptor Microarray Database (ORMD) to house OR gene expression data. ORMD is integrated with the Olfactory Receptor Database (ORDB), which is a key repository of OR gene information. Both databases aim to aid experimental research related to olfaction. ORMD is a Web-accessible database that provides a secure data repository for OR microarray experiments. It contains both publicly available and private data; accessing the latter requires authenticated login. The ORMD is designed to allow users to not only deposit gene expression data but also manage their projects/experiments. For example, contributors can choose whether to make their datasets public. For each experiment, users can download the raw data files and view and export the gene expression data. For each OR gene being probed in a microarray experiment, a hyperlink to that gene in ORDB provides access to genomic and proteomic information related to the corresponding olfactory receptor. Individual ORs archived in ORDB are also linked to ORMD, allowing users access to the related microarray gene expression data. ORMD serves as a data repository and project management system. It facilitates the study of microarray experiments of gene expression in the olfactory system. In conjunction with ORDB, ORMD integrates gene expression data with the genomic and functional data of ORs, and is thus a useful resource for both olfactory researchers and the public.
Opening Jars: An Anthropometric Study of the Wrist-Twisting Strength of the Elderly:

The purpose of this study was to measure the wrist-twisting strength among the elderly. The subjects were 100 men and 100 women whose ages ranged from 62 to 92 years. To measure their wrist-twisting strength a device was developed that consisted of a modified torque-wrench which would accept 8 different container lids whose diameters ranged from 27 mm to 123 mm. Each subject performed the wrist-twisting task on each lid 4 times – twice clockwise and twice counter-clockwise. The results showed that men were stronger than the women, that there was no difference in the torque from a clockwise or a counter-clockwise twist, and that a greater amount of torque could be applied to large diameter lids than to smaller diameter lids. When age, body weight, height, grasp, lateral prehension, and hand length, breadth, and spread were correlated with the wrist-twisting strength it was found that for the men, age, grasp and hand length contributed to torque and for the women, body weight, grasp, and lateral prehension ...
Photosensitive Capacitance Effect In High-purity Semi-insulating 4H-SiC

We demonstrate a novel optically tunable photosensitive capacitor (PSC) made from high-purity semi-insulating 4H-SiC. Photosensitive capacitors can provide continuously variable reactive tuning in RF circuitry or enable capacitive-optical sensing applications. Unlike varactors, PSCs often do not require a DC bias voltage to operate. To demonstrate the effect, we fabricated several 1cm x 1cm square photocapacitor devices from bulk material using metal-evaporated Ti/Au contacts using a simple planar parallel-gap geometry. IV curves were taken of the devices using an HP-4145B semiconductor parameter analyzer to verify Schottky behavior as a function of DC bias. The samples were then illuminated with pulsed below-bandgap 470 nm and 590 nm high intensity LED light sources. The resulting data demonstrated an increase in capacitance, Cs, and a drop in resistance, Rs, with increasing optical intensity incident on the device. The observed shifts in both Cs and Rs were repeatable. At a measurement frequency of 33 kHz. Cs increased from its nominal value of 186.7 pF to 575.6 pF while Rs dropped from 150.0 kΩ to 22.4 kΩ. This demonstrates the existence of the photocapacitance effect in high-purity semi-insulating 4H-SiC and thus warrants further investigation. The underlying phenomenon of the effect is suspected to be light interaction with the dominant deep level traps through the Shockley–Read–Hall (SRH) recombination mechanism.
Industry performance gradient indexes and market entrance: an empirical tool for market researchers

This paper examines the Industry Performance Gradient Index as an analytical tool for market researchers, specifically for screening markets for potential entrance. The identification of the Industry Performance Gradient Index as a market entrance tool is examined empirically in the Tennessee banking industry. This highlights the potential benefits of using the Index to identify potential profits from easily obtained data including: incumbent profits, market structure and output sensitivity to price changes in the market. An outline for employing this Index and additional uses for incumbent firms are also suggested.
Cellular and molecular mechanism of interleukin-1β modulation of Caco-2 intestinal epithelial tight junction barrier.

Interleukin-1β (IL-1β) is a prototypical multifunctional cytokine that plays an important role in intestinal inflammation of Crohn’s disease and other inflammatory conditions of the gut. Previous studies have shown that IL-1β causes an increase in intestinal epithelial tight junction (TJ) permeability both in in vivo animal and in vitro cell culture model systems. The IL-1β-induced increase in intestinal epithelial TJ permeability has been postulated to be an important pathogenic mechanism contributing to intestinal inflammation. However, the signalling pathways and the molecular processes that mediate the IL-1β modulation of intestinal epithelial TJ barrier remain unclear. Here, we show that the IL-1β-induced increase in Caco-2 monolayer TJ permeability was mediated by activation of extracellular signal-regulated kinases 1/2 (ERK1/2) signalling pathway and that inhibition of ERK1/2 activity inhibits the IL-1β-induced increase in Caco-2 TJ permeability. The activation of ERK1/2 pathway caused a downstream activation of nuclear transcription factor Elk-1. The activated Elk-1 translocated to the nucleus and binds to the cis-binding motif on myosin light chain kinase (MLCK) promoter region, triggering MLCK gene activation, MLCK mRNA transcription and MLCK protein synthesis and MLCK catalysed opening of the intestinal epithelial TJ barrier. These studies provide novel insight into the cellular and molecular processes that mediate the IL-1β-induced increase in intestinal epithelial TJ permeability.
'Fiber 7' supplement as an alternative to laxatives in a nursing home.

Background: Chronic constipation is a common and bothersome problem in elderly nursing home patients. Although fibre has a known role in the treatment of constipation, laxatives are still widely used in nursing home patients. Objective: To determine whether the addition of a fibre supplement to oral diet can reduce the use of laxatives in a long-term care facility. Participants and methods: Oral diet of 92 nursing home residents (all older than 65) on chronic laxatives (docusate, milk of magnesia with Cascara, psyllium) was supplemented with ‘Fiber 7’, a natural powder fibre (7 g per meal twice a day). During the next 2.5 years discontinuation of laxatives was attempted. Results: Laxatives were successfully discontinued in 63 of the 92 patients (68.5%, 95% confidence interval 59–78%). The fibre supplement was well tolerated. The cost of care was decreased by $3.5 per patient every month or by $220/month for the 63 patients. Conclusions: Use of ‘Fiber 7’ allowed discontinuation of laxatives in 63 of 92 nursing home residents. The fibre supplement was a safe and convenient alternative to laxatives and decreased the cost of medical care.
Genetic relatedness of clinical and environmental isolates of lactose-positiveVibrio vulnificus

Environmental isolates of lactose-positiveVibrio vulnificus from different geographic areas were compared with clinical strains ofV. vulnificus on the basis of their phenotypic traits, virulence, DNA base composition, and DNA-DNA reasociation. EnvironmentalV. vulnificus strains were phenotypically indistinguishable from clinical isolates. These strains had a DNA base composition of 47–48 mol% guanine + cytosine and ≥85% reassociation at stringent temperature with DNA from clinicalV. vulnificus strains. These result indicateV. vulnificus strains from widely separated regions of the marine environment are indistinguishable from strains that have been agents of septicemia associated with shellfish consumption and of wound infections associated with seawater exposure.
“Hot Spots” Associated with the Photoinduced Binding of cis-Dichloro bis(1,10 phenanthroline)rhodium(III) Chloride to HIV-1 and c-raf DNA¶

Abstract The octahedral rhodium complex, cis-dichloro bis(1,10 phenanthroline)rhodium(III) chloride (BISPHEN), is known to form covalent linkages with DNA involving the attachment of the metal to a base. In order to determine the sequence selectivity of this chemistry, solutions of the complex containing one of the double-stranded DNA plasmids, pBSSK.c-raf (eco) or pBSKS+.XE.LTR-F (a construct that contains sequences derived from the long terminal repeat [LTR] region of the human immunodeficiency virus) have been irradiated using UVA light. The DNA samples were denatured after irradiation, a primer was annealed to one of the strands, and a complementary strand was constructed using a polymerase enzyme. Polyacrylamide gel sequencing analysis was used to reveal stops created in the complementary strand caused by the polymerase encountering a metal-bound base. The data indicate that “hot spots” primarily occur at, or adjacent to, guanines (G), with a particularly strong preference for strings of G. In the la...
RADIOTHERAPY OF FELINE NASAL TUMORS A Retrospective Study of Nine Cases

Between 1978 and 1986, nine cats with nasal tumors were treated with radiation therapy. Rhinotomy was performed in six cats and diagnostic biopsy procedures were performed in three cats. For four of the specimens, a histologic review was significantly different from the initial diagnosis. At the time of analysis, one cat was alive and disease free 26.3 months after the first radiation therapy treatment; two of the cats were dead as a result of local recurrence, four were dead because of unrelated causes, and two were dead of unknown causes. The mean and median survival of cats in this study were 27.9 and 20.8 months, respectively, following the first radiation therapy. There was a 66.7% one-year, 44% two-year, and 33% three-year survival rate. Complications of the surgery and radiation therapy were minimal. In conclusion, the histologic evaluation of nasal neoplasms in cats is not straightforward and may require specialized histologic technics for accurate diagnosis. Radiation appears to be safe and may be efficacious in local control of feline nasal tumors.
Analysis of transcapillary exchange and intraluminal transport in the microocclusion of single capillaries

A theoretical model, appropriate for data interpretation, is presented for the transcapillary fluid exchange and associated intraluminal hydrodynamic and solute transport occurring in the microocclusion of single capillaries. This analysis describes the spatial and temporal behavior of the intraluminal flow. A comparison of the theory with in vivo data suggests good qualitative agreement with that data and, further, the specification of filtration parameters in the model leads to good quantitative agreement regarding the displacement histories of erythrocytes. The model includes both natural and tagged colloidal osmotic influences and can, therefore, be used to represent experiments wherein the concentration of a dyed colloid is measured and related to fluid filtration. The relative merits of measuring colloidal concentration or erythrocyte displacement are discussed within the context of the model.
Marine Wastewater Discharges from Multiport Diffusers. IV: Stratified Flowing Water

Experiments on the near-field mixing of wastewater discharged from multiport diffusers into stratified flowing waters are reported for conditions typical of actual ocean sewage outfalls. Dilutions were measured by a newly developed three-dimensional laser-induced fluorescence system combined with refractive-index matching and by a microconductivity probe. The plume dynamics are complex. Depending on port spacing, plumes discharged from the upstream diffuser side may merge first with themselves, and then with the plumes discharged from the downstream side. Or the plumes that are horizontally opposed may first merge, followed by lateral merging. In all cases, however, the wastefield eventually becomes laterally homogeneous. The results are analyzed in terms of line or point-source parameters and it is found that they can be predicted by assuming the discharge to be a line plume when s∕ lb <1.0 and as point plumes for s∕ lb ⩾6.0 . Semiempirical equations to predict the near-field dilution, near-field length,...
Treatment of Psychiatric Disorders in Children and Adolescents with HIV/AIDS

We could not have predicted that HIV/AIDS would become one of our greatest public health challenges worldwide when the first cases were identified in the 1980s. More than 22 million people have died from the disease, and HIV is now the seventh-leading cause of death in the United States among 15- to 24-year-olds. At the beginning of this pandemic, most HIV infections of youth were acquired congenitally. Prenatal screening of pregnant women, early detection, and antiretroviral therapies have reduced mother-to-child transmission. Children born with HIV infections are now young adults living with HIV, while other adolescents are acquiring HIV primarily through high-risk behaviors. Associations between psychiatric symptoms and poor health outcomes have been recognized among adults. Few studies have examined these factors among youth. We review what is known about psychiatric syndromes among HIV-positive youth, and their treatments.
The role of tumor necrosis factor-α in the pathogenesis of aspiration pneumonitis in rats

Background Aspiration pneumonitis is characterized by proteinaceous pulmonary edema and acute infiltration of neutrophils into the alveolar space. This study examined the role of the proinflammatory cytokine, tumor necrosis factor-[Greek small letter alpha] (TNF-[Greek small letter alpha]), on the pathogenesis of the injury produced by the different components that may be present in the aspirate, acid, or gastric particles. Methods Rats were injured by intratracheal instillation of a vehicle containing acid or gastric particles. TNF-[Greek small letter alpha] concentration of bronchoalveolar lavage fluid was determined using a bioassay. upregulation of lung TNF-[Greek small letter alpha] mRNA was also measured. The effect of intratracheal anti-rat TNF-[Greek small letter alpha] treatment was assessed by lung protein permeability, blood gases, and lung myeloperoxidase activity. Results Injury vehicle alone and acid injury resulted in a small TNF-[Greek small letter alpha] peak 1–2 h after injury in the lavage fluid. Both particulate and acidic particulate groups produced a much more robust TNF-[Greek small letter alpha] signal that reached a plateau at 2–4 h after injury and declined at 8 h. Upregulation of TNF-[Greek small letter alpha] mRNA was only detected in the particulate-containing groups. Acidic particulate exposure yielded a synergistic increase in protein permeability and decrease in blood oxygenation. Anti-TNF-[Greek small letter alpha] treatment reduced protein permeability and myeloperoxidase activity and increased blood oxygenation in the groups exposed to only acid. Such treatment had no effect on either of the particulate containing injuries. Conclusions TNF-[Greek small letter alpha] is differentially manifested according to the components that make up the aspirate but the levels of TNF-[Greek small letter alpha] expression do not correlate with the severity of the resultant injury. However, the reduction in acid-induced lung injury by anti-TNF-[Greek small letter alpha] treatment indicates that TNF-[Greek small letter alpha] plays a role in the pathogenesis of aspiration pneumonitis.
Learning From State Surveillance Of Childhood Obesity

Data on childhood obesity collected by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention helped reveal the nation’s epidemic of overweight and obese children. But more information is needed. Collecting body mass index (BMI)—the widely accepted measurement of childhood weight status—at the state and local levels can be instrumental in identifying and tracking obesity trends, designing interventions to help overweight children, and guiding broader policy solutions. Approximately thirty states have enacted or proposed BMI surveillance laws and regulations. Arkansas stands out as the state with the highest-quality surveillance data. Innovative strategies being pursued in a number of other states should be explored for broader dissemination.
Effects of septal lesions on behavior generated by positive reinforcement.

Abstract This research was prompted by conflicting data in earlier studies of the role of the septum in affective behavior wherein a noxious stimulus was used as behavioral reinforcement. Water-deprived rats were trained to bar-press for water delivered on two alternating intermittent reinforcement schedules. On one, reinforcement was delivered after a fixed number of bar-presses had been emitted fixed ratio) while on the other, a reinforcement was delivered after a 2-min period had elapsed since the previous reinforcement (fixed interval). Septal lesions were placed either prior or subsequent to training on this schedule, permitting evaluation of lesion effects on acquisition or retention of behavior. Controls consisted of animals with gyrus-cinguli lesions, caudate lesions, and nonoperated animals. During acquisition, animals with septal lesions learned the behavior pattern as readily as did nonoperated animals; however, during the fixed interval component, animals with septal lesions had a significantly higher behavioral output than the controls. On the retention testing, the animals with septal lesions showed a loss of their preoperative behavior pattern, and upon recovery manifested the behavior characteristic of such animals during initial acquisition. However, controls showed none or only transitory changes and quickly returned to the preoperative behavior patterns. The results suggest that the hyperexcitability displayed by animals with septal lesions depends not only on the presence of the lesion but also on the occurrence or presence of stimuli the significance of which has been established by particular reinforcement programming.
Non-contrast MR imaging of the glenohumeral joint. Part I. Normal anatomy

MR imaging of the shoulder without contrast is frequently used for evaluation of glenohumeral instability in spite of the popularity of MR arthrography. With proper imaging technique, familiarity with normal anatomy and variants as well as knowledge of the expected pathologic findings high diagnostic accuracy may be achieved.
A characterization of constant-time cellular automata computation

Abstract This paper investigates three different classes of one-dimensional CA languages that can be accepted in constant time. For each class of the languages, two characterizations are given, one in terms of finite sets and the other in terms of a subclass of deterministic finite automata. It is also shown that the constant-time CA languages have very restricted closure properties.
Lipoatrophic diabetes: an improved procedure for the isolation and purification of a diabetogenic polypeptide from urine.

N A PREVIOUS communication we described a method for isolating a diabetogenic polypeptide from the urine of patients with lipoatrophic diabetes.l This substance, designated as fraction 1, was shown to provoke insulin antagonism and loss of glucose tolerance when administered to dogs and men. Isolation of the compound and demonstration of its diabetogenic activities have now been confirmed.* However, interpretation of the results was somewhat clouded by the occurrance in man of mild toxic effects which included myalgia, cephalalgia and pyrexia. Further purification of the material was initially achieved by somewhat drastic treatment of the material with O.lN hydrochloric acid at a temperature of 100” C. From this solution an