cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Retrospectives: Lionel W. McKenzie and the Proof of the Existence of a Competitive Equilibrium

The theorem proving the existence of general equilibrium in a competitive economy, which necessarily involved specifying the conditions under which such an equilibrium would exist, is an extraordinary achievement of twentieth-century economics. The discovery is commonly attributed to a paper by (eventual) Nobel Prize winners Kenneth Arrow and Gerard Debreau: "Existence of an Equilibrium for a Competitive Economy," published in the July 1954 issue of Econometrica . However it is less well-known that Lionel McKenzie published a paper in the previous issue of Econometrica , "On Equilibrium in Graham's Model of World Trade and Other Competitive Systems," that discussed many of the same themes. Both papers established the existence of a competitive equilibrium for suitable general equilibrium models and employed fixed point theorem arguments. McKenzie had priority in publication in 1954 and received credit for simultaneous discovery in prominent sources around that time. But over the years, McKenzie's role in creating the proof of the existence of a general equilibrium seems to have faded from the collective consciousness of the economics profession. Newly available archival material permits a reexamination of the events surrounding the publication of both Econometrica papers in 1954. The story raises general issues concerning "simultaneous discovery," "priority," and "credit" in economic research and opens a window into some academic practices of that time.
Measurement of compliance

Abstract This report is mainly concerned with the relatively simple methods of measuring patient compliance with medical regimens that are readily available. Studies of these methods have defined their strengths and limitations. Patients' reports are usually correct when they say that they are taking little or no medicine, but are commonly over estimates when they say that they are taking their medicine regularly. Physicians usually overestimate their patients' intake of medicine. Reliability in keeping appointments is not a good indication of compliance with other aspects of a medical regimen. Pill counts provide an indication of medicine intake, but it cannot be presumed that all pills were taken. A medication monitor can indicate when as well as whether medication was removed from a container. Levels of a medication or its metabolites in blood or urine usually provide a reasonably good indication of amount of medicine taken. Clinical responses or side effects can be indications that medicine was taken but can also have other bases. Urine and blood levels are the best available measures of medicine intake. Pill counts are simpler to perform but less reliable.
One-way functions and the isomorphism conjecture

Abstract The isomorphism conjecture is investigated for exponential-time and other complexity classes. If one-way functions exist, then we show that there are one-way functions such that A ≅ p f ( A ), where A is a standard complete set for NP or E or NE. If one-way functions exist, we also show that there are k -completely creative sets in NP with one-way productive functions but which are p -isomorphic to standard complete sets. We then present a type of one-way functions whose existence is equivalent to the failure of the isomorphism conjecture for E. Finally, we show that the isomorphism conjecture holds for E (NE) if and only if it holds for EXP (NEXP).
Predictors of pessimistic breast cancer risk perceptions in a Primary care population

OBJECTIVE: To identify sociodemographic characteristics, numeracy level, and breast cancer risk factors that are independently associated with the accuracy of lifetime and 5-year breast cancer risk perceptions.
Vibrational energy transfer in the two-channel 1,1-cyclopropane-d2 isomerization system. Krypton bath gas

Abstract The study of intermolecular energy transfer in the 1,1-cyclopropane- d 2 system has been repeated for the neat gas at 973 K and has been extended to krypton bath gas at 823 K and 973 K. The method of study is by the competitive collisional activation “spectroscopy” technique for this two-channel competitive isomerization system. Results at 823 K give the relative collisional efficiency of krypton as β ≈ 0.46, at k/k ∞ ≈ 0.02 and yield the average down-jump energy step as 〈Δ E 〉 ≈ 1200 cm −1 on the basis of a stepladder model for the distribution of down-step sizes. At 973 K and k/k ∞ = 0.02, β ≈ 0.07 and 〈Δ E 〉 ≈ 500 cm −8 , for both an exponential and stepladder distribution of down-step sizes. Agreement with related earlier data for other bath gases and for neat cyclopropane is good and verifies again a decrease in energy transfer collisional efficiency, and a decrease in 〈Δ E 〉, with rise of temperature, as previously reported for this system.
The significance of high-level content

There has been much debate about whether visual experiences have high-level contents, such as the content that something is a lemon, or that one event is a cause of another, or that someone is in pain. (For our purposes, I will greatly simplify and say that a high-level content of an experience is any content of an experience that concerns more than color, shape, and location.) If experiences have high-level contents, then there are more ways for them to misrepresent than one might have thought. If someone is merely pretending to be in pain, or the plastic juice container is not a lemon, then your experience of them could be inaccurate even if your experience is entirely accurate with respect to color, shape, and location. Although there is much more to be said to clarify and to adjudicate the debate (see e.g. Siegel (2006), the papers collected in MacPherson and Hawley (2009), and Masrour (2011)), my aim in this paper is to survey its wider significance. As a counterfactual historian might ask, ‘‘what if Germany had won the second world war?’’, I will ask—less momentously—‘‘what if experiences had high-level content?’’ The debate is of great significance concerning the nature of perception. Consider classic sense-data views which accept (The Phenomenal Principle): If it visually appears to you that something is F, then there is something that is F that visually appears to you (Robinson 1994). Sense-data views standardly apply this principle to cases of hallucination, to get the result there are objects of which we are aware in such cases. Their next step is that, since we are not aware of mind-independent objects in cases of hallucination,
Elements of Supervision in Sexual Violence Counselors' Narratives: A Qualitative Analysis

The literature on vicarious traumatization has suggested that traumasensitive supervision may help to minimize the effects of vicarious exposure to trauma; however, nothing from the perspective of trauma counselors was noted. The present qualitative study involved 1 male and 8 female sexual violence counselors who had worked with sexual violence survivors from 1 to 9 years. The use of semistructured interviews and basic interpretive analysis revealed 4 themes: counselor feelings, vicarious traumatization, helpful qualities of supervision, and organizational considerations.
Experimental determination of the compositional limits of immiscibility in the system CaCl2H2OCO2 at high temperatures and pressures using synthetic fluid inclusions

Abstract Using the synthetic fluid-inclusion method, the temperature, pressure, and compositional limits of fluid immiscibility in the binary system CaCl 2 H 2 O have been determined at 600° and 700°C at pressures between 1 and 2 kbar. The limits of the immiscible regions were determined by observation of two different inclusion types in the samples and by measurements of the depression of ice melting temperatures. The region of immiscibility in this system extends to much higher pressures than that of the NaClH 2 O system with similar compositional ranges. A similar study was done on the CaCl 2 H 2 OCO 2 system at 500°, 600° and 700°C at pressures of 1, 1.5, 2 and 3 kbar. In the ternary system, the presence of two different inclusion types and the measurement of clathrate melting temperatures were used to delineate the compositional regions of immiscibility. The presence of CO 2 extends the regions of immiscibility shown in the binary system study to much higher pressures. Tie-lines in the two-phase regions were determined by measuring the homogenization temperatures of CO 2 vapor and liquid phases and the volume ratios of inclusion bubble to total inclusion in vapor-rich type inclusions. The locations of these tie-lines indicate that the CaCl 2 is heavily partitioned towards the more liquid-rich phase. The experimental results show that with even relatively small amounts of a divalent salt such as CaCl 2 , immiscibility can exist to very high temperatures and pressures. From these results immiscibility should be a very common phenomenon in geologic processes ranging from sedimentary to quite high-grade metamorphic environments, and that it should have a very important effect on reactions between hydrothermal fluids and rocks and the resulting mineral assemblages.
Biogenesis of 30 -S subunits during recovery from inhibition of protein synthesis.

Abstract The rate of synthesis of ribosomal proteins was determined early during recovery from (i) puromycin treatment, (ii) chloramphenicol treatment, and (iii) from methionine starvation. Patterns of ribosomal protein synthesis were similar, but not identical during recovery of the cells from the different treatments. Early during recovery production of several proteins is significantly increased while synthesis of another group is significantly reduced. Normal patterns of ribosomal protein synthesis were observed after 60–65 min of recovery from chloramphenicol treatment. At 20–25 min following recovery the proteins whose synthesis were elevated early were decreased; on the other hand, synthesis of those proteins which were depressed early during recovery were elevated. The results are interpreted to suggest that there is unbalanced accumulation of information for synthesis of 30-S ribosomal protein.
Spectroscopic Archives and Transmission Codes for the Atmosphere and Their Application to Laser Sensing

The HITRAN molecular spectroscopic database, and its high-temperature analog, HITEMP, are described. These databases provide the molecular absorption spectroscopic parameters in the gas phase that are required for simulation of high-resolution applications.
Set them free: F-box protein exchange by Cand1

Cand1 (Cullin-associated and neddylation-dissociated protein 1) has long been known as a regulator of SCF ubiquitin ligases, but details remained puzzling due to conflicting results from in vitro and in vivo experiments. Three recent reports, one in Cell and two in Nature Communications, propose Cand1 as a protein exchange factor with interesting mechanism that reconciles Cand1 genetics and biochemistry.
Complementary and alternative medicine interventions for the orthopedic patient: a review of the literature

Abstract New branches of established disciplines are continually being developed to help patients with chronic orthopedic ailments. What is thought to be conventional treatment varies between countries and changes over time. Therefore the boundary between complementary and conventional medicine remains blurred and constantly shifting. This article reviews the most frequently used CAM interventions for the orthopedic population and will include the use of massage, acupuncture, herbal medication, nutrition, chiropractic, osteopathy, Shiatsu, prayer/spirituality, visualization, hypnosis, relaxation, biofeedback, and various forms of exercise (eg, Feldenkrais method, tai chi, and yoga).
Isopiestic Determination of the Osmotic and Activity Coefficients of Aqueous Sodium Trifluoromethanesulfonate at 298.15 K and 323.15 K, and Representation with an Extended Ion-Interaction (Pitzer) Model

Isopiestic vapor-pressure measurements were made for aqueous sodium trifluoromethanesulfonate, NaCF3SO3(aq), using NaCl(aq) as the reference standard. The measurements for NaCF3SO3(aq) cover the molality range from 0.13643 mol·kg-1 to 5.3735 mol·kg-1 at 298.15 K and from 0.14504 mol·kg-1 to 4.3070 mol·kg-1 at 323.15 K. Values of the four parameters of an extended version of Pitzer's model for osmotic and activity coefficients, with an ionic-strength dependent third virial coefficient, were evaluated for NaCF3SO3(aq) at both temperatures, as were those of the usual three-parameter Pitzer model.
Variation in Ancillary Testing among Pediatric Asthma Patients Seen in Emergency Departments

Background:Variation in the management of acute pediatric asthma within emergency departments is largely unexplored. Objectives:To investigate whether ancillary testing for patients with asthma would be associated with patient, physician, and hospital characteristics. Methods:The authors performed an analysis of a subset of patients from an extensive retrospective chart review of randomly selected charts at all 25 member emergency departments of the Pediatric Emergency Care Applied Research Network. Patients with a diagnosis of asthma were selected for supplemental review and included in this study. Ancillary tests analyzed were chest radiographs and selected blood tests. Hierarchical analyses were performed to describe the associations between ancillary testing and the variables of interest. Results:A total of 12,744 chart abstractions were completed, of which 734 (6%) were patients with acute exacerbations of asthma. Overall, 302 patients with asthma (41%) had ancillary testing. Of the 734 patients with asthma, 198 (27%) had chest radiographs and 104 (14%) had blood tests. Chest radiographs were more likely to be ordered in patients with fever. Less blood testing was associated with physician subspecialty training in pediatric emergency medicine, patients treated at children's hospitals, higher patient oxygen saturation, and patient disposition to home. Conclusions:Ancillary testing occurred in more than one third of children with asthma, with chest radiographs ordered most frequently. Efforts to reduce the use of chest radiographs should target the management of febrile patients with asthma, whereas efforts to reduce blood testing should target providers without subspecialty training in pediatric emergency medicine and patients treated in nonchildren's hospitals who are more ill.
Shocks to New and Old Europe: How Symmetric?

Strong symmetry of shocks allows for the formation of a monetary union with low costs due to losing monetary sovereignty. I employ vector autoregression to identify structural shocks and study their symmetry through time. I find that the underlying structural shocks have not changed significantly and remain rather asymmetric, particularly demand shocks.
Impacts of Disrupted Road Networks in Siting Relief Facility Locations: Case Study for Leon County, Florida

AbstractAfter any catastrophic storm, the population of the affected area will need relief services. Government and private agencies commonly set up distribution stations where people can obtain basic goods after such crises. It is important to place these facilities in locations that are easily accessible and able to serve people efficiently. After a major storm, the road network is rarely fully intact. Roadways could be flooded or impassable, making previous relief facility locations no longer optimally placed. This study examines how a disrupted road network might change the best locations of relief centers using real-world spatial data in a case study of the Tallahassee, Florida, area. A series of facility location models is solved under various network disruption scenarios involving road linkages in the 100-year floodplain and along canopy roads. These results are compared against those obtained from normal road conditions and suggests what contingencies could be considered by planners when designing...
Clues to the origin of sulfide minerals in CI chondrites

The dominant sulfide in CI carbonaceous chondrites is an Fe-deficient pyrrhotite containing about 1% Ni, Alais, Ivuna, and Orgueil also contain minor cubanite, CuFe2S3, and Alais minor pentlandite, (Fe,Ni)9S8. All pyrrhotites contain 39.4 + or - 0.1% S; Ni contents range from 0.7 to 1.3%. The phase diagrams reveal no temperature at which the observed pentlandite-pyrrhotite assemblage is at equilibrium. Similarly, the pyrrhotite composition alone are inconsistent with equilibrium formation from a gas of solar composition. In Xe from high-purity submilligram Orgueil pyrrhotite separates, the ratios Xe-129/Xe-132 are not significantly larger than those in trapped meteoritic Xe. The lack of positive evidence for extinct I-129 in pyrrhotite does not permit any inferences regarding cooling rates in the early solar nebula. It is concluded that sulfides in CI chondrites cannot be nebular condensates formed under equilibrium conditions. Argon isotopic abundances reveal the presence of significant spallation and trapped gas components in Orgueil pyrrhotite. The Orgueil exposure age is calculated to be at least about 10 m.y.
Long-pulse stability limits of the ITER baseline scenario

DIII-D has made significant progress in developing the techniques required to operate ITER, and in understanding their impact on performance when integrated into operational scenarios at ITER-relevant parameters. Long duration plasmas, stable to m/n = 2/1 tearing modes, with an ITER-similar shape and Ip/aBT, have been demonstrated in DIII-D, that evolve to stationary conditions. The operating region most likely to reach stable conditions has normalized pressure, βN ≈ 1.9–2.1 (compared to the ITER baseline design of 1.6–1.8), and a Greenwald normalized density fraction, fGW 0.42–0.70 (the ITER design is fGW ≈ 0.8). The evolution of the current profile, using internal inductance (li) as an indicator, is found to produce a smaller fraction of stable pulses when li is increased above ≈1.1 at the beginning of βN flattop. Stable discharges with co-neutral beam injection are generally accompanied with a benign n = 2 magnetohydrodynamic mode. However if this mode exceeds ≈10 G, the onset of a m/n = 2/1 tearing mode occurs with a loss of confinement. In addition, stable operation with low applied external torque, at or below the extrapolated value expected for ITER has also been demonstrated. With electron cyclotron injection, the operating region of stable discharges has been further extended at ITER equivalent levels of torque and to edge-localized mode (ELM) free discharges at higher torque but with the addition of an n = 3 magnetic perturbation from the DIII-D internal coil set. The characterization of the ITER baseline scenario evolution for long pulse duration, extension to more ITER-relevant values of torque and electron heating, and suppression of ELMs have significantly advanced the physics basis of this scenario, although significant effort remains in the simultaneous integration of all these requirements.
Behavioral effects of unilateral dopamine injection into dorsal or ventral striatum

Dopamine or its vehicle saline was injected unilaterally into dorsal striatum, ventral striatum, or sites outside the striatum in adult male rats. Direction, duration and frequencies of ongoing behaviors were measured. Dopamine injected into any site within the striatum immediately elicited more contralaterally directed behavior than the vehicle injected into the same site. The contralaterally directed behaviors were no longer duration when injected into the dorsal than into the ventral striatum, a result which might reflect regional differences in numbers of dopamine receptors or distribution of efferents. At the doses employed (25 and 100 microgram), dopamine injected unilaterally into the striatum did not induce rotation, stereotyped behavior, or even a significant change in the frequencies of ongoing behaviors; rather, all ongoing behaviors were expressed in a contralateral direction. Thus, the behavioral effects of dopamine in the striatum are best understood as a change in sensory-motor responsiveness.
Organization and connections of V1 in Monodelphis domestica.

We examined the internal organization and connections of the primary visual area, V1, in the South American marsupial Monodelphis domestica. Multiunit electrophysiological recording techniques were used to record from neurons at multiple sites. Receptive field location, size, progressions, and reversals were systematically examined to determine the visuotopic organization of V1 and its boundaries with adjacent visual areas. As in other mammals, a virtually complete representation of the visual hemifield was observed in V1, which was coextensive with a region of dense myelination. The vertical meridian was represented at the rostrolateral boundary of the field, the upper visual quadrant was represented caudolaterally, whereas the lower visual quadrant was represented rostromedially. Injections of fluorescent tracers into V1 revealed dense connections with cortex immediately adjacent to the rostrolateral boundary, in peristriate cortex (PS or V2). Connections were also consistently observed with a caudotemporal area (CT), entorhinal cortex (EC), and multimodal cortex (auditory/visual, A/V). These results demonstrate that M. domestica possess a highly differentiated neocortex with clear functional and architectonic cortical field boundaries, as well as discrete patterns of cortical connections. Some connections of V1 are similar to those observed in eutherian mammals, such as connections with V2 and extrastriate areas (e.g., CT), which suggests that there are general features of visual system organization that all mammals possess due to retention from a common ancestor. On the other hand, connections of V1 with EC and multimodal cortex may be a primitive feature of visual cortex that was lost in some lineages, may be a derived feature of marsupial neocortex, or may be a feature particular to mammals with small brains.
Role of Platelet-Activating Factor in Glucose Uptake and Utilization of Different Tissues

The purpose of the present study was to elucidate the role of platelet-activating factor (PAF) in influencing the glucose metabolism of selected rat tissues. The in vivo glucose utilization rate in di
Effects of chronic administration of caffeine on adenosine A1 and A2 receptors in rat brain.

Abstract Chronic administration of caffeine (75 mg/kg/day) to rats for 12 days increased [3H]R-PIA binding in the cerebral cortex and cerebellum and [3H]NECA binding to high affinity receptor sites in the striatum. The results indicate that both adenosine A1 and A2 receptor subtypes possess mechanisms of adaptation to chronic caffeine treatment. In addition, adenosine A1 receptor binding shows heterogenous neuroanatomical pattern indicating that the A, response to caffeine treatment presents regional variation in the rat brain.
Automatic generation of graphs from free-form text using APL

This paper supplements the material of Reference 1. In [1], we describe techniques and algorithms for extracting statistical and numeric data from free-form text files using APL. The files have arbitrary structure. In this paper, we will show sample files, each having its unique structure, and then demonstrate how the APL program generates graphic files in both batch and interactive modes. In the batch mode, the procedure of generating graphic files from free-form text is automated to the extent that minimum human intervention is required. In this mode, hundreds of files with different formats are processed daily. The interactive mode allows the user to modify the data used to drive the graphic part of the program using a full-screen session. The APL program is the 'workhorse' in a VM (virtual Machine) multi-programming environment, where several programs that use different languages interact. For example, in addition to APL2, we use REXX, SCRIPT, GDDM the (Graphical Data Display Manager), FORTRAN, PLI, and XEDIT. The automation is brought about by the use of a network of disconnected virtual machines, also known as service machines, within the IBM network of computers.
Response Rate, Durability of Response, and Survival After Thalidomide Therapy for Relapsed Multiple Myeloma

Objective To assess response rate, duration of response, progression-free survival, and toxicity of thalidomide in patients with relapsed multiple myeloma. Patients and Methods Thirty-two patients with relapsed multiple myeloma were entered into the study between April 29, 1999, and June 20, 2000. They were given oral thalidomide at a dosage of 200 mg/d for 2 weeks, which was then increased as tolerated to a maximum of 800 mg/d. The primary end point of the study was response rate. Results The median age of the patients was 67 years (range, 36-78 years). Prior chemotherapy had failed in all patients, and stem cell transplantation had failed in 5 patients (16%). There were 10 confirmed responses, yielding a response rate of 31%. In addition, there was 1 unconfirmed partial response and 7 minimal responses with no complete responses. The median duration of response was 11.9 months (range, 3.7-20.3 months). Overall, 20 patients have died, and 26 patients have experienced disease progression. The median follow-up of surviving patients was 28.5 months (range, 19.3-34.0 months), with a median progression-free survival of 8.6 months (95% confidence interval [CI], 4.7-16 months). The median progression-free survival among the responding patients was 15.7 months (95% CI, 8.6-25.6 months). The median overall survival for the entire group was 22 months (95% CI, 10.6-35.9 months). The most common treatment-related nonhematologic toxic effects (grade >3) were neuropathy (16%), sedation (13%), febrile neutropenia (6%), and constipation (6%). Conclusions Thalidomide is useful in the treatment of patients with relapsed multiple myeloma and produced durable response in approximately one third of patients, with median response duration of nearly 1 year.
Scripting the macho man: Hypermasculine socialization and enculturation

Tomkins' (1979) script theory offers a coherent, heuristic, and elegant account of the macho personality constellation (Mosher & Sirkin, 1984), consisting of: (a) callous sexual attitudes, (b) violence as manly, and (c) danger as exciting. A script is a set of rules for interpreting, directing, defending, and creating the scenes making up the life of the macho man. The macho script organizes childhood scenes in which so‐called “superior, masculine” affects—like excitement and anger—were socialized to be favored over so‐called “inferior, feminine” affects—like distress and fear. Furthermore, both adolescent rites of passage in male youth social networks and processes of enculturation in the American culture and its mass media continue that hypermasculine socialization. The ideological script of machismo descends from the ideology of the warrior and the stratifications following warfare—victor and vanquished, master and slave, the head of the house and woman as his complement, the patriarch and his children...
Fasting, Feeding and Regulation of the Sympathetic Nervous System

THE importance of catecholamines in the regulation of metabolic processes has been recognized for over 50 years. Catecholamines influence metabolism in two major ways: they increase the rate of cel...
Defunctionalized lobeline analogues: structure-activity of novel ligands for the vesicular monoamine transporter.

(−)-Lobeline (2R,6S,10S; 1a), an antagonist at nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs), inhibits the neurochemical and behavioral effects of methamphetamine and inhibits dopamine transporter (DAT) and vesicular monoamine transporter (VMAT2) function. VMAT2 is a target for the development of treatments for methamphetamine abuse. Structural modification of lobeline affords the defunctionalized analogues meso-transdiene (MTD) and lobelane, which have high potency and selectivity for VMAT2. To establish the structure–activity relationships within this novel class of VMAT2 ligands, specific stereochemical forms of MTD, lobelane, and other structurally related analogues have been synthesized. These compounds have been evaluated for inhibition of [3H]nicotine ([3H]NIC) binding (α4β2* nAChR), [3H]methyllycaconitine ([3H]MLA) binding (α7* nAChR), and [3H]dihydrotetrabenazine ([3H]DTBZ) binding (VMAT2). Generally, all of these analogues had lower affinities at α4β2* and α7* nAChRs compared to lobeline, thereby increasing selectivity for VMAT2. The following structural modifications resulted in only modest changes in affinity for VMAT2, affording analogues that were less potent than the lead compound, lobelane: (1) altering the stereochemistry at the C-2 and C-6 positions of the piperidino ring, (2) varying unsaturation in the piperidino C-2 and C-6 substituents, (3) introducing unsaturation into the piperidine ring, (4) ring-opening or eliminating the piperidine ring, and (5) removing the piperidino N-methyl group. Furthermore, incorporating a quaternary ammonium group into defunctionalized lobeline molecules in the cis-series resulted in significant loss of affinity for VMAT2, whereas only a modest change in affinity was obtained in the trans-series. The most potent (Ki = 630 nM) and VMAT2-selective compound evaluated was the N-methyl-2,6-cis-bis(naphthaleneethyl)piperidine analogue 28b (1-NAP-lobelane), in which the phenyl groups of lobelane were replaced with 1-naphthyl moieties. Thus, initial structure–activity relationship studies reveal that the most promising structural changes to the lobeline molecule that lead to enhancement of VMAT2 affinity and selectivity are defunctionalization, affording lobelane and MTD, and replacement of the phenyl rings of lobelane with other aromatic moieties that have a π-extended structure.
Conformational changes in human Arf1 on nucleotide exchange and deletion of membrane-binding elements.

Conformational changes associated with nucleotide exchange or truncation of the N-terminal α-helix of human Arf1 have been investigated by using forms of easily acquired NMR data, including residual dipolar couplings and amide proton exchange rates. ADP-ribosylation factors (Arfs) are 21-kDa GTPases that regulate aspects of membrane traffic in all eukaryotic cells. An essential component of the biological actions of Arfs is their ability to reversibly bind to membranes, a process that involves exposure of the myristoylated N-terminal amphipathic α-helix upon activation and GTP binding. Deletion of this helix results in a protein, termed Δ17Arf1, that has a reduced affinity for GDP and the ability to bind GTP in the absence of lipids or detergents. Previous studies, comparing crystal structures for Arf1·GDP and Δ17Arf1·GTP, identified several regions of structural variation and suggested that these be associated with nucleotide exchange rather than removal of the N-terminal helix. However, separation of conformational changes because of nucleotide binding and N-terminal truncation cannot be addressed in comparing these structures, because both the bound nucleotide and the N terminus differ. Resolving the two effects is important as any structural changes involving the N terminus may represent membrane-mediated conformational adjustments that precede GTP binding. Results from NMR experiments presented here on Arf1·GDP and Δ17Arf1·GDP in solution reveal substantial structural differences that can only be associated with N-terminal truncation.
Optic disk drusen, peripapillary choroidal neovascularization, and POEMS syndrome.

Abstract PURPOSE: To report the case of a 64-year-old woman with peripheral neuropathy, organomegaly, endocrinopathy, monoclonal gammopathy, and skin changes (POEMS) syndrome, Castleman disease, optic nerve drusen, and peripapillary choroidal neovascularization. METHODS: Interventional case report. Clinical practice. RESULTS: Laser photocoagulation resolved the peripapillary choroidal neovascularization. CONCLUSION: This is the first documented case of optic disk drusen and peripapillary choroidal neovascularization associated with POEMS.
Validity of serial milling-based imaging system for microdamage quantification.

Abstract Understanding the three-dimensional distribution of microdamage within trabecular bone may help provide a better understanding of the mechanisms of bone failure. Toward that end, a novel serial milling-based fluorescent imaging system was developed for quantifying microscopic damage in three dimensions throughout cores of trabecular bone. The overall goal for this study was to compare two-dimensional (2D), surface-based measures of microdamage extracted from this new imaging system against those from more conventional histological section analyses. Human vertebral trabecular cores were isolated, stained en bloc with a series of chelating fluorochromes, monotonically loaded, and underwent microdamage quantification via the two methods. Bone area fraction measured by the new system was significantly correlated to that measured by histological point counting (p
Protamine as an efficient membrane-translocating peptide.

Protamine, a mixture of positively charged proteins from salmon roe used in diverse pharmaceutical applications, was reacted with the N-hydroxysuccinimide ester of tetramethylrhodamine to yield tetramethylrhodamine-labeled protamines (Pro(Rh)) containing one mole of fluorochrome per mole of protein. The internalization of tetramethylrhodamine-labeled protamine (Pro(Rh)) and the fluorescein-labeled tat peptide (Tat(Fl)) showed a similar dependence on time and concentration. Pro(Rh) and Tat(Fl) showed strong nuclear localizations, evident with both live cells and fixed cells costained with DAPI, a nuclear stain. The loss of fluorescence when cells were loaded with Pro(Rh) or Tat(Fl) was similar, further supporting a strong similarity between these two materials. Finally, when Pro(Ph) was covalently attached to the amino-CLIO nanoparticle, the cellular uptake of the nanoparticle was greatly enhanced. All experiments were performed with HeLa and CaCo-2 cells with similar results. These observations imply that...
Research on High Performance of Pantograph Slider Used by High Speed Train

In view of the problems of current pantograph sliders of electric train，a new pantograph slider is developed for high speed train. The new pantograph slider is consisted of copper，carbon fiber, graphite and etc. The results showed the optimal technique of preparing slider : copper content 78％, carbon fiber content 2％, additive content 5％, pressure 200MPa and sintering temperature 880°C. Its resistance is very low. And its performance of friction，abrasion and impact toughness etc. is improved greatly compared with foreign immersed metal carbon slider Rh82Mb with friction coefficient reduced by 20 %，abrasion ratio decreased by 1.3 %，impact toughness increased by 1.7 times and conductance increased by 65 times.
Risk and expectations in a-priori time allocation in multi-agent contracting

In related research we have proposed a market architecture for multi-agent contracting and we have implemented prototypes of both the market architecture and the agents in a system called MAGNET. A customer agent in MAGNET solicits bids for the execution of multi-step plans, in which tasks have precedence and time constraints, by posting a Request for Quotes to the market. The Request for Quotes needs to include for each task its precedence constraints and a time window. In this paper, we study the problem of optimizing the time windows in the Requests for Quotes. Our approach is to use the Expected Utility Theory to reduce the likelihood of receiving unattractive bids, while maximizing the number of bids that are likely to be included in the winning bundle. We describe the model, illustrate its operation and properties, and discuss what assumptions are required for its successful integration into MAGNET or other multi-agent contracting systems.
Convergence of a Single Run Simulation Optimization Algorithm

Conventional methods for simulation optimization may require a large number of simulation runs and are thus computationally expensive. To reduce computational effort, we have previously conducted experimental investigations of single run optimization algorithms which estimate the optimum in a single simulation run. Our earlier studies for queueing systems have focused on empirical results. In this study, we apply a single run optimization algorithm to a simple optimization problem related to an autoregressive process of order one. It is shown that the algorithm converges to the true optimum with probability one. This provides a first step towards analytical understanding of such single run simulation optimization algorithms.
How much of a threat to economic growth is a mature AIDS epidemic

The article models the impact on economic growth of HIV/AIDS when the epidemic is in a mature phase, in contrast with previous studies focused on periods of expansion as it is typically the case in African countries. Simulations for Honduras, the epicentre of the epidemic in Central America, show that AIDS is not likely to threaten economic growth neither through labour nor capital accumulation channels. Impacts are estimated between 0.007 and 0.27% points of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth annually for the period 2001 to 2010. Increasing spending on prevention, higher public treatment subsidies and increasing treatment access will not jeopardize economic growth prospects. Critical factors that slash economic growth in Africa (such as human capital reductions and shifts in relative skills) are not strong in Honduras.
Characterization of a resistance-nodulation-cell division transporter system associated with the syr-syp genomic island of Pseudomonas syringae pv. syringae

A tripartite resistance-nodulation-cell division (RND) transporter system, called the PseABC efflux system, was identified at the left border of the syr-syp genomic island of Pseudomonas syringae pv. syringae strain B301D. The PseABC efflux system was located within a 5.7-kb operon that encodes an outer membrane protein (PseA), a periplasmic membrane fusion protein (PseB), and an RND-type cytoplasmic membrane protein (PseC). The PseABC efflux system exhibited amino acid homology to a putative RND efflux system of Ralstonia solanacearum, with identities of 48% for PseA, 51% for PseB, and 61% for PseC. A nonpolar mutation within the pseC gene was generated by nptII insertional mutagenesis. The resultant mutant strain showed a larger reduction in syringopeptin secretion (67%) than in syringomycin secretion (41%) compared to parental strain B301D (P < 0.05). A beta-glucuronidase assay with a pseA::uidA reporter construct indicated that the GacS/GacA two-component system controls expression of the pseA gene. Quantitative real-time reverse transcription-PCR was used to determine transcript levels of the syringomycin (syrB1) and syringopeptin (sypA) synthetase genes in strain B301D-HK4 (a pseC mutant). The expression of the sypA gene by mutant strain B301D-HK4 corresponded to approximately 13% of that by parental strain B301D, whereas the syrB1 gene expression by mutant strain B301D-HK4 was nearly 61% (P < 0.05). In addition, the virulence of mutant strain B301D-HK4 for immature cherry fruits was reduced by about 58% compared to parental strain B301D (P < 0.05). Although the resistance of mutant strain B301D-HK4 to any antibiotic used in this study was not reduced compared to parental strain B301D, a drug-supersensitive acrB mutant of Escherichia coli showed two- to fourfold-increased resistance to acriflavine, erythromycin, and tetracycline upon heterologous expression of the pseA, pseB, and pseC genes (pseABC efflux genes). The PseABC efflux system is the first RND transporter system described for P. syringae, and it has an important role in secretion of syringomycin and syringopeptin.
Complementary and alternative medicine in breast cancer patients.

Objective Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) is becoming increasingly popular among cancer patients, in particular those with breast cancer. It represents one of the fastest growing treatment modalities in the United States. Therefore, knowledge of CAM therapies is becoming necessary for physicians and other health care providers. CAM encompasses a wide range of modalities including special diet and nutrition, mind-body approaches, and traditional Chinese medicine. Methods We reviewed the biomedical literature on CAM use in breast cancer patients, using Medline search from 1975 until 2002. In addition, consensus reports and books on CAM and breast cancer were included in the review. We evaluated the prevalence of CAM use in breast cancer patients, the reasons cited for its use, the different available modalities, and the reported outcomes. Results Use of CAM in breast cancer patients ranges between 48% and 70% in the United States. The most commonly used CAM modalities include dietary supplements, mind-body approaches, and acupuncture. The reasons cited for using CAM were to boost the immune system, improve the quality of life, prevent recurrence of cancer, provide control over life, and treat breast cancer and the side effects of treatment. Several studies reported favorable results including improved survival, better pain control, reduced anxiety, improvement in coping strategies and significant efficacy in treating nausea and vomiting. Other less well-organized trials have reported either no benefit or negative effect of CAM and potential toxicity of some commercial products. Significance of results CAM is a growing field in health care and particularly among breast cancer patients. Knowledge of CAM by physicians, especially oncologists, is necessary. Oncologists should be willing to discuss the role of CAM with their patients and encourage patients to participate in well-organized research about CAM.
IgG Subclass Composition of Intravenous Immunoglobulin Preparations: Clinical Relevance

Each immunoglobulin G (IgG) subclass has unique physicochemical properties and, probably, unique functions. Each heavy chain is coded by a separate gene on chromosome 14. Deficient synthesis of a subclass may be associated with recurrent or chronic infections, the deficiency not being detected by measurements of levels of total serum IgG. Measurement of levels of IgG subclasses should be part of the work-up of patients who have frequent infections but have normal levels of major immunoglobulin classes. Deficiencies of IgA or IgE frequently coexist with deficiencies of IgG2 or IgG4. Patients with a subclass deficiency often benefit from replacement therapy with intramuscular or intravenous IgG or plasma from a donor free of hepatitis and HTLV-III viruses. It may be critical to provide IgG or plasma that is a good source of the missing immunoglobulin class or subclass. Sometimes it is necessary to administer a product with antibodies to the virus or bacteria responsible for a particular infection.
Queering Queer Eye: The Stability of Gay Identity Confronts the Liminality of Trans Embodiment

An episode of the series Queer Eye for the Straight Guy featuring a bisexual transsexual man brought an embodied vulnerable queerness to a series that had been premised on essentialist binary conceptions of sex, gender, and sexuality. The introduction of a makeover subject whose gender was not consonant with his birth sex forced the series to educate its viewers on subject matter that is culturally misunderstood, and to confront a liminal social identity that was not seamlessly accommodated within the standard Queer Eye format. The unique content of this episode serves to illustrate the educational potential of liminality.
Embedded Enzymatic Biomaterial Degradation

CUNY College ofStatenIsland,2800VictoryBlvd.,StatenIsland,NewYork10314Received July 8, 2009Revised Manuscript Received August 13, 2009Introduction.Conventionalthinkingwhendesigningbior-esorbable materials is to use the intrinsic properties ofsynthesized materials to regulate their degradation rate.For example, considerable effort has been dedicated tointroducing comonomers to manipulate the bioresorptionrate of PCL.
The Motivating Text: Assigning Hannah Arendt's Eichmann in Jerusalem

The story Hannah Arendt refers to in I the above quotation is that of the Danish resistance to Nazi occupation during World War II, but the statement could easily apply to the entirety of her insightful account of political responsibility in the contemporary world, Eichmann in Jerusalem: A Report on the Banality of Evil.' What follows is an effort to explain how such a text can motivate students whose interests span the political science discipline to appreciate the breadth and importance of political questions in the type of scope and methods courses required of undergraduate majors in many American universities. Though my examples focus on this particular course, the motivating strategies discussed below and the specific use of the Arendt text are likely transferable to a number of political science courses. The lessons in the Eichmann
Continuous Quality Measurement: Restructuring Assessment for a New Technological and Organisational Environment.

This paper discusses the notion of continuous quality measurement and describes a technology-based continuous Quality Measurement System (QMS) that has been developed and implemented at the University of Louisville. QMS is an enterprisewide model for addressing the major challenges confronting the outcomes assessment movement in higher education. In the Fall of 1998, the University of Louisville developed a partnership with Dey Systems, a Louisville technology company that specialises in quality and measurement solutions, to create a Quality Measurement System for higher education. QMS is a relational, interactive information system that includes data from 273 students, alumni, faculty, staff and employer satisfaction surveys that are linked to corresponding databases at the university. QMS is an on-line information system, operating in a networked, client-server environment that permits licensed users access to designated components of the system at any time from designated desktops at the university. QM...
Telerehabilitation Research: Emerging Opportunities

The field of clinical rehabilitation is rooted in the premise that carefully planned and delivered therapeutic intervention enhances patient outcomes. Underlying this statement is a deeper scientific reality: The field exists because biosystems (e.g., tissues, cells, organs, persons) are inherently adaptive and can dynamically change as a function of a sequence of inputs (e.g., exercise, pharmaceuticals). The tools of telerehabilitation help minimize the barrier of distance, both of patients to rehabilitative services and of researchers to subject populations. This enhanced access opens up new possibilities for discovering and implementing optimized intervention strategies across the continuum of care. Telecommunications technologies are reviewed from the perspective of systems models of the telerehabilitation process, with a focus on human-technology interface design and a special emphasis on emerging home and mobile technologies. Approaches for providing clinical rehabilitation services through telerehabilitation are addressed, including innovative consumer-centered approaches. Finally, telerehabilitation is proposed as a tool for reinvigorating the rehabilitative bioengineering research enterprise.
Alcohol-mediated effects on the level of cytochrome P-450 and heme biosynthesis in cultured rat hepatocytes

Interaction of alcohol and drugs in the liver appears to involve common microsomal oxidative enzymes which utilize cytochrome P-450. Since alcohol augments the toxicity of a variety of drugs, the regulation of the P-450 hemoprotein, a primary component in hepatic drug metabolizing systems, may play a vital role in this phenomenon. We utilize an adult rat liver culture system as a model to explore the action of levels of alcohol below that which is necessary to produce intoxication in humans. The addition of 16 mM ethanol (70 mg/dl) to these hepatocytes results in a 49.5% decrease in cytochrome P-450 activity after 24 h, and a 3-fold increase in the activity of delta-aminolevulinate synthase, the rate-limiting enzyme in hepatic heme biosynthesis. Furthermore, ethanol treatment also causes a transient decrease in the level of intracellular heme. However, the diminished level of total heme does not appear to act as a repressor for delta-aminolevulinate synthase, since it occurs after the initial stimulation of the enzyme by ethanol.