cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Three ∑P2-complete problems in computational learning theory

The consistency problem associated with a concept classC is to determine, given two setsA andB of examples, whether there exists a conceptc inC such that eachx inA is a positive example ofc and eachy inB is a negative example ofc. We explore in this paper the following intuition: for a concept classC, if the membership problem of determining whether a given example is positive for a concept isNP-complete, then the corresponding consistency problem is likely to be ∑ P 2 -complete. To support this intuition, we prove that the following three consistency problems for concept classes of patterns, graphs and generalized Boolean formulas, whose membership problems are known to beNP-complete, are ∑ P 2 -complete: (a) given two setsA andB of strings, determine whether there exists a patternp such that every string inA is in the languageL(p) and every string inB is not in the languageL(p); (b) given two setsA andB of graphs, determine whether there exists a graphG such that every graph inA is isomorphic to a subgraph ofG and every graph inB is not isomorphic to any subgraph ofG; and (c) given two setsA andB of Boolean formulas, determine whether there exists a 3-CNF Boolean formula θ such that for every ϕ ∈A, θ ∧ ϕ is satisfiable and for every Ψ ∈B, θ ∧ Ψ is not satisfiable. These results suggest that consistendy problems in machine learning are natural candidates for ∑ P 2 -complete problems if the corresponding membership problems are known to beNP-complete.
Generalized Point Estimation with Application to Small Response Estimation

Motivated by a number of drawbacks of classical methods of point estimation, we generalize the definitions of point estimation, and address such notions as unbiasedness and estimation under constraints. The utility of the extension is shown by deriving more reliable estimates for small coefficients of regression models, and for variance components and random effects of mixed models. The extension is in the spirit of generalized confidence intervals introduced by Weerahandi (1993) and should encourage much needed further research in point estimation in unbalanced models, multi-variate models, non normal models, and nonlinear models.
Prevalence of CMV infection among sexually active adolescents: a matched case-control study

Background: We observed previously that African American adolescents in Richmond reporting infrequent sexual activity had cytomegalovirus (CMV) seroprevalence rates one half that of their adult mothers and caregivers. We therefore sought to determine if sexually active African American adolescents have higher rates of CMV infection than sexually inactive African American adolescents. Methods: Cases (aged 13–18 years) sought care for a sexually transmitted infection (STI) or pregnancy. Controls were sexually inactive and matched to cases for age, race, and gender and enrolled at the same clinic as cases and sought medical treatment unrelated to an STI. Subjects completed a questionnaire, provided saliva for antibody testing, and were interviewed for determination of sexual activity. Results: Two groups of sexually active cases were enrolled. The first group had a diagnosis of an STI. In this group, both cases and matched controls were seropositive at a rate of 32% (7/22 for cases and 7/22 for controls). In the second group, cases self-reported an STI but objective evidence was lacking. In this group, cases were seropositive at a rate of 38% (six of 16) compared with matched controls among whom 6.3% were seropositive (one in 16). The overall rate of seropositivity in all 38 cases was 34% compared with a rate of 21% for all controls (P=0.3, odds ratio 2.0, 95% confidence interval 0.6–7.5). Conclusion: Our results confirm lower rates of CMV infection among the current generation of African American adolescents compared with African American adults in Richmond, and suggest that this is not associated with sexual activity.
Methods for the isolation and characterization of constituents of natural products XIX. Use of a Celite-sodium borohydride column for reduction of carbonyl compounds at the micro level

Abstract A Celite-sodium borohyride column has been used to reduce micromole amounts of a variety of simple carbonyl compounds to the corresponding alcohol in fair to excellent yields. The procedure is relatively rapid and easy involving only the application of a hexane solution of the carbonyl compound to the column and collection of the effluent containing the alcohol. A column constructed in a melting point capillary suitable for the reduction of microgram amounts of carbonyls is also described.
Prediction of the Wais scores from the 1973 Henmon-Nelson revision

Administered the 1973 revision of the Henmon-Nelson and the WAIS to 100 psychiatric patients. The correlation of Henmon-Nelson raw scores with WAIS Full Scale scaled score was .83, which compared favorably with correlations run between several other short IQ tests and the WAIS in similar samples drawn from the same setting in earlier studies. However, the Henmon-Nelson did not appear able to estimate the WAIS IQs of low-intelligence Ss or aged persons with consistent accuracy. The validities of short IQ tests and current practices in the selection of WAIS surrogates were discussed.
Trial of labor in women with transverse vaginal septa

Abstract Background Transverse vaginal septa are rare anomalies that may be first diagnosed during pregnancy. Management options including elective cesarean delivery, incision before labor, and a trial of labor have been proposed. Cases Two patients with transverse vaginal septa were allowed a trial of labor. The septa were incised in active labor, resulting in vaginal delivery with no related complications. Conclusion Allowing a trial of labor despite a transverse vaginal septum is a reasonable management option in selected cases.
Enhancement of the metabolism and hepatotoxicity of trichloroethylene and perchloroethylene.

Abstract Trichloroethylene anesthesia (1% for 2 hr) caused acute hepatic injury in rats pretreated with five different inducers of the hepatic mixed function oxidase system, phenobarbital, Aroclor 1254, hexachlorobenzene, 3-methylcholanthrene and pregnenolone-16-α-carbonitrile. Injury did not occur after trichloroethylene in rats pretreated with spironalactone or controls given vehicle alone. Morphologic liver injury was most severe in the phenobarbital- and Aroclor 1254-pretreated animals and was accompanied by marked perturbations in liver electrolyte content and more than 20-fold elevations in serum transaminase. Extent of serum transaminase elevation appears to relate directly to prolongation of anesthesia recovery time and the enhanced urinary excretion of trichlorinated metabolites. Metabolism of perchloroethylene (7.5 m-moles/kg, p.o.) was increased 5- and 7-fold, respectively, in phenobarbital- and Aroclor 1254-pretreated animals, but liver injury after perchloroethylene appeared only in Aroclor 1254 animals. Differential induction of various components of the microsomal mixed function oxidase system was quantified in parallel experiments using animals similarly pretreated with isomolar doses of the six inducers and the vehicle control and sacrificed at times corresponding to onset of chloroethylene exposure. Magnitude of induction of cytochrome P-450 among these seven groups of animals correlates with the mean extent of trichloroethylene-induced liver injury as quantitated by serum transaminases level ( r = 0.95), with prolongation of anesthesia recovery time ( r = 0.95 Z ) and with enhanced urinary excretion of trichlorinated metabolites ( r = 0.88).
A cosmic-ray telescope employing detectors in the shape of a spherical segment

Abstract This paper describes a particle detector in the shape of a segment of a spherical shell. When used as a detector element in a charged particle telescope and with an isotropic source of particles (as in interplanetary space) the geometrical factor of the telescope may be two to four times that obtained from a telescope using the same diameter plane circular detectors. In addition, improved resolution over the plane circular detector results because of less variation in relative path lenght for particles of various angles of incidence traversing the detector. Li-drifted silicon detectors of this shape have been fabricated with electrical and particle characteristics identical to flat wafer detectors.
Optimal Regulation of Rural Ecosystem Pollution

A methodology is described which can aid in the planning of pollution abatement schedules. The methodology consists of a system dynamics computer-simulation model of the polluted ecosystem, and a powerful dynamic programming optimization procedure which causes the pollution level in the model to be reduced in some optimal manner. An application of the methodology is shown to a situation of heavy metal pollution in northwest Indiana.
Comment on “Improper use of endogenous formative variables”

Abstract Cadogan and Lee's point can be made simpler by referring to the basic math underlying these relationships. The larger problem with this paper, as with the bulk of the formative measurement literature, is a failure of imagination, which is holding back progress in a variety of fields.
Monitoring the expanding distribution of nonindigenous dwarf eelgrass zostera japonica in a pacific northwest USA estuary using high resolution digital aerial orthophotography

The paper describes a method of mapping the intertidal distribution of the nonindigenous seagrass Zostera japonica in a Pacific Northwest (PNW) USA estuary from color infrared aerial orthophotography using a hybrid digital classification technique. A random ground survey indicated an overall accuracy exceeding 80 percent for this procedure in the lower estuary, where this invasive species may interfere with mudflat foraging of the commercially important Dungeness crab. Knowledge of the areal distribution of Z. japonica from this digital classification will aid in planning studies to evaluate impacts of expansion of the nonindigenous seagrass in PNW estuaries.
Media-Aware Retransmission Timeout Estimation

Developing error-control and error-resiliency methods for transmitting delay-sensitive media content over the best-effort networks poses several challenges. Due to the lack of QoS guarantees in the conventional Internet as well as in emerging wireless networks, these methods must continuously monitor the characteristics of the underlying network and try to infer the incipient network conditions so that they can take the necessary actions on time. This is utmost important for enhancing the end-user quality, particularly in low-delay multimedia applications. In this study, we tackle this problem from an error-control method perspective and develop an innovative framework that optimizes the retransmission decisions based on the urgency and importance of the media packets.
A Formula for the Reactance of the Interleaved Component of Transformers

Discussion and authors' closures of a paper by H. B. Dwight and L. S. Dzung published on pages 1368–71 of volume 56, 1937, AIEE TRANSACTIONS (November 1937 issue of ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING) and presented for oral discussion at the electrical machinery session of the winter convention, New York, N. Y., January 27, 1938.
Physician visits, patient comorbidities, and mammography use among elderly colorectal cancer survivors

Over a million Americans have survived colorectal cancer. This study examined physician visit patterns, patient comorbidities, and mammography use among colorectal cancer survivors based on the competing demands model. Using Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER)–Medicare linked data (2003 merge), study cohorts included female colorectal cancer patients who were diagnosed from 1973 through 1994 and had survived five or more years after the cancer diagnosis (n = 12,681), and a non-cancer comparison population who had no history of cancer and resided in the SEER areas during the study period. Cancer survivors had a significant 6% higher mammography rate during 2000 to 2001 than matched women with no history of cancer (50 vs 47 per 100 persons, respectively). Among cancer survivors, there was a significant and positive association between the number of physician visits for evaluation and management (EM 95% CI, 1.38–1.53). Elderly female colorectal cancer survivors were more likely to receive mammograms than matched women with no history of cancer. Patients with multiple comorbidities might receive more mammograms by increasing the number of office visits for E&M and by visiting gynecologists. Primary care physicians should increase the priority for recommending mammograms among cancer survivors.
Inhibiting effects of recall.

Evidence is reviewed indicating that output interference—the deleterious effects of recall of some information on information recalled later—occurs both in primary and secondary memory. It appears that output interference provides at least a partial account for the disparity between information available in memory and its accessibility at recall. It is argued that consideration of output interference may provide a helpful perspective in resolving problems in the study of episodic and semantic memory, including the negative effects of part-list cueing and the tip-of-the-tongue phenomenon.
Core of projective dimension one modules

The core of a projective dimension one module is computed explicitly in terms of Fitting ideals. In particular, our formula recovers previous work by R. Mohan on integrally closed torsionfree modules over a two-dimensional regular local ring.
A Universal Algorithm for Identifying Causes

Summaty.-A general causal-search canon is presented which, applied to dichotomous data, identifies causes composed of single or multiple factors, extracts maximal information from positive and negative cases, provides refined estimates as cases and variables are processed, and indicates omitted factors. Applications range from clarifying the logic of causality and causal searches in instructional settings to the analysis of research data. No intellectual skill appears more useful to scientists, including those in the behavioral and social sciences, than the abllity to discover what "causes" something to happen. Although not essential for the statement of scientific theories (Russell, 1713), in practice the Kantian view of "causahty" as a fundamental category of the structure of the human mind imposed upon experiences and observations is effectively adopted. Despite almost universal service as a central research concept, however, there remains a "lack of both formal definition and agreement as to what does or does not constitute a cause" (Einhorn & Hogarth, 1786, p. 3). Mill (1852) established logical foundations for both defining and searching out causal factors in the nineteenth century, but his theoretically-valid "canons of discovery" had severe practical limitations (Muir, 1767). Criteria for effective searches were developed (Muir, 1772), and these have been systematically incorporated into the single canon presented below.
The atmosphere of Saturn - an analysis of the Voyager radio occultation measurements

The Voyager 1 and 2 probes' radio links were used to study both the northern and southern latitudes of Saturn during occultation by that planet, yielding electron number density profiles for the ionosphere, and gas refractivity, number density, pressure, temperature, and ammonia abundance data for the troposphere and stratosphere. From the vertical pressure profiles obtained at different latitudes, it is possible to determine the size and shape of Saturn's isobaric surfaces.
Brain dendritic cells in ischemic stroke: Time course, activation state, and origin

The immune response to stroke is comprised of inflammatory and regulatory processes. One cell type involved in both innate and adaptive immunity is the dendritic cell (DC). A DC population residing in the healthy brain (bDC) was identified using a transgenic mouse expressing enhanced yellow fluorescent protein (EYFP) under the promoter for the DC marker, CD11c (CD11c/EYFP Tg). To determine if bDC are involved in the immune response to cerebral ischemia, transient (40 min) middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) followed by 6, 24, or 72 h reperfusion was conducted in CD11c/EYFP Tg mice. Our results demonstrated that DC accumulated in the ischemic hemisphere at 24 h post-MCAO-reperfusion, particularly in the border region of the infarct where T lymphocytes accrued. To distinguish resident bDC from the infiltrating peripheral DC, radiation chimeras [1. wild type (WT) hosts restored with CD11c/EYFP Tg bone marrow (BM) or 2. CD11c/EYFP Tg hosts restored with WT BM] were generated and examined by immunocytochemistry. These data confirmed that DC populating the core of the infarct at 72 h were of peripheral origin, whereas those in the border region were comprised primarily of resident bDC. The brain resident (CD45 intermediate) cells of CD11c/EYFP Tg mice were analyzed by flow cytometry. Compared to microglia, bDC displayed increased major histocompatibility class II (MHC II) and co-stimulatory molecules following MCAO-reperfusion. High levels of MHC II and the co-stimulatory molecule CD80 on bDC at 72 h corresponded to peak lymphocyte infiltration, and suggested a functional interaction between these two immune cell populations.
Electric Power Generation from Municipal, Food, and Animal Wastewaters Using Microbial Fuel Cells

Here, we explore if microbial fuel cell (MFC) technology can replace activated sludge processes for secondary wastewater treatment. We will discuss the present limitations and problems of electric current generation when a complex wastewater is treated with a diverse and undefined community of microbes in large-scale systems. These challenges include low coulombic efficiencies, slow kinetic rates, and nonlinear power density increases during scale-up efforts. Finally, we developed a prediction of the main economic gain from treating wastewater with microbial fuel cells. We conclude that electricity generation will not justify MFC operation, but that BOD removal with this more sustainable technology is attractive.
Enthalpy of 1-methylnaphthalene between 291 and 669 K at pressures to 3240 kPa

Abstract Experimental enthalpy measurements were made on 1-methylnaphthalene along four isobars from 207 to 3240 kPa and in the temperature range 291 to 669 K, using a reference-fluid boil-off calorimeter. In addition to the direct calorimetric results, equations for the liquid and vapor enthalpies as well as estimated values of vapor pressures, ideal-gas enthalpies, and enthalpies of vaporization are also reported.
Command use in a relational database system

A study of commands in a relational database system was undertaken to provide a basis for improving future implementations of relational techniques. The use of Regis (Relational General Information System), an interactive relational database system developed at General Motors Research Laboratories, was monitored to accumulate a large amount of data about distribution of command uses across a variety of applications developed by users with a diverse set of capabilities. Of the basic relational commands, it is important that searching, PROJECTION, and JOIN operations be efficient. However, optimizing INTERSECTION and "exclusive or" may not warrant the time and effort it would require. Although proportions of use varied, the rankings of use of relational operations were reasonably independent of applications and the programming expertise level of the users.
Intracoronary ultrasound assessment of morphological and functional abnormalities associated with cardiac allograft vasculopathy.

BACKGROUND The diffuse nature of cardiac allograft vasculopathy makes early detection of the disease by traditional noninvasive methods or coronary angiography difficult. The aim of this study was to determine if there is a relation between abnormalities in vessel wall morphology, as assessed by intracoronary ultrasound, and a decreased vasodilatory response to the endothelium-dependent vasodilator papaverine hydrochloride and if cardiac allograft vasculopathy detected by coronary angiography is associated with specific intracoronary ultrasound findings. METHODS AND RESULTS Twenty-three heart transplant recipients underwent 25 intracoronary ultrasound studies and 24 studies of coronary vasomotor tone 10 days to 8.3 years after surgery using a 20-mHz intracoronary ultrasound catheter. The studies were divided in two groups according to the presence (n = 7, group 1) or absence (n = 18, group 2) of angiographically evident cardiac allograft vasculopathy. Qualitative assessment of vessel wall morphology and quantitative analysis of the vasodilator response to the injection of papaverine hydrochloride into the coronary artery distal to the imaging site were performed off-line, and results for the two study groups were compared. A significantly higher percentage of patients with than without angiographic evidence of cardiac allograft vasculopathy had a three-interface vessel wall morphology by intracoronary ultrasound (100% versus 11%, P CONCLUSIONS Intracoronary ultrasound assessment of vessel wall morphology and evaluation of vascular response to endothelium-dependent vasodilators are useful techniques for detecting cardiac allograft vasculopathy.
Scheduling with parallel processors and linear delay costs

This paper deals with the sequencing problem of minimizing linear delay costs with parallel identical processors. The theoretical properties of this m-machine problem are explored, and the problem of determining an optimum scheduling procedure is examined. Properties of the optimum schedule are given as well as the corresponding reductions in the number of schedules that must be evaluated in the search for an optimum. An experimental comparison of scheduling rules is reported; this indicates that although a class of effective heuristics can be identified, their relative behavior is difficult to characterize.
Socio-technical perspective on manufacturing system synergies

A micro-level perspective using socio-technical theory is used to examine synergies in advanced manufacturing systems (AMS) and their impact on manufacturing performance. It is proposed that the system-level interactions predicated by socio-technical theory extend to the subsystem-level. AMS are classified into three constituent subsystems – technological, manufacturing methods and high-involvement work practices – and hypothesize various ‘microsystems’ formed by combinations of the components of these subsystems. Each ‘microsystem’ is hypothesized to have an impact on particular dimensions of performance. The hypothesis is tested by employing regression analysis. The findings isolate synergistic influences among the components of AMSs on performance. The implications of these findings are discussed in the light of theory and practice.
Induction of mutations in Saccharomyces cerevisiae by ultraviolet light

Abstract Mutation induction by ultraviolet light was examined in a UV-sensitive (uvs 9-3) and a wild-type (UVS) strain. Induced reversion to prototrophy in both strains occurred regardless of whether the original auxotrophic mutation arose by a base-pair substitution (missense or nonsense category) or by an addition-deletion event. In the UVS strain a significant amount of the UV-induced reversional lesions were due to pyrimidine dimers while in the sensitive strain pyrimidine dimer damage was only detected when reversion occurred by addition-deletion events. At equal doses, UV-induced reversion frequencies in the UVS strain were always less than in the uvs 9-3 strain. A comparison of dark repair and photoreaction of lethal and mutational damage indicated that lethal lesions are generally repaired more readily than mutational lesions by dark repair. Similarly, photoreactivation removes lethal damage in the uvs strain mor efficiently than mutational damage; however, in the wild-type strain both types of damage are removed with equal efficiency. Forward mutations induced at the tr 5 locus were classified according to ability to complement, suppressibility and osmotic remediability. A mutant exhibiting any one of these characteristics was considered to have arisen by a base-pair substitution event. After UV 16 tr 5 mutants (among 42233 colonies) were isolated in the uvs strain without photoreactivation, while none were isolated after photoreactivation (0/23541 colonies). Twelve of the mutants were attributed to base-pair substitution events; thus, pyrimidine dimers were concluded to cause primarily base-pair susbstitution mutations at this locus. Since the mutation frequency at the tr 5 locus in the UVS strain was the same before and after photoreactivation, the lesions causing the mutations were considered to be those other than pyrimidine dimers. However, this damage also produced mainly base-pair substitution mutations ( 16 19 ). The production of whole colony and sectored mutants for several loci was also examined in the uvs 9-3 and the UVS strains. It is proposed that whole colony mutants arise by dark repair acting in some way on the DNA strand opposite the mutational lesion.
Experimental Models of Acute Pancreatitis and their Relevance to Human Disease

There are no experimental models which mimic the most common causes of human acute pancreatitis, i.e. gallstones and alcohol abuse. However, existing models can reproduce the morphology and physiological derangements of certain phases of the illness. Current models have been useful in elucidating the earliest events involved in the initiation and progression of pancreatitis. However, very few animal studies demonstrate effective therapeutic intervention when treatment is given after the induction of experimental pancreatitis. Since immediate intervention is unachievable in human disease, most experimental therapies have not been successfully applied to clinical disease.
Regulation of phospholipase D by tyrosine kinases.

Abstract Activation of phospholipase D (PLD) represents part of an important signalling pathway in mammalian cells, Phospholipase D catalyzed hydrolysis of phospholipids generates phosphatidic acid (PA) which is subsequently metabolized to lyso-PA (LPA) or diacylglycerol (DAG). While DAG is an endogenous activator of protein kinase C (PKC), PA and LPA have been recognized as second messengers as well, Activation of PLD in response to an external stimulus may involve PKC, Ca 2+ , G-proteins and/or tyrosine kinases. In this review, we will address the role of protein tyrosine phosphorylation in growth factor-, agonist- and oxidant-mediated activation of PLD. Furthermore, a possible link between PKC, Ca 2+ , G-proteins and tyrosine kinases is discussed to indicate the complexity involved in the regulation of PLD in mammalian cells.
An alternative model for the formation of the asteroids

The growth and orbital evolution of a swarm of ∼1026-g “planetary embryos,” originally distributed throughout both the terrestrial planet and the asteroidal regions has been simulated using a Monte Carlo technique previously used by the author to study the formation of the terrestrial planets alone. The effects of the giant planets, primarily Jupiter, are simply assumed to be those operative at present: chaotic acceleration in resonance regions and gravitational ejection of objects by encounters with Jupiter at aphelia ≳4.75 AU. It is found that the asteroidal embryos are very effective in scattering one another into resonance regions. The resulting orbital evolution clears the asteroid belt of embryos in about half of the simulations. Embryos accumulate in the terrestrial planet region to form a stochastically determined variety of planetary configurations that are similar in total mass, specific energy, specific angular momentum, planetary size, and orbital elements to our Solar System. The small quantity of material remaining in the asteroid region has a velocity distribution very much like that of the observed asteroids. It is concluded that this model, although certainly imperfect, represents a viable alternative to models in which the initial asteroidal population is limited to bodies the size of the present asteroids.
Association between Whirling Responses on Psychological Tests and Suicidal Preoccupation

Using a different test (number of spinning phrases chosen and the Beck Depression Inventory) and sample (201 undergraduates), data confirmed an observation by Thomas and Duzynski, as chosen spinning phrases were correlated with prior suicidal ideation. However, the numbers of phrases were not correlated with depression scores.
Father loss and father absence in preschool children

The role of the father in child development is discussed. Children's reactions to the death, separation, or divorce of their fathers are explored. Implications for diagnosis are stated along with specific recommendations for treatment. Crucial factors in diabnosis and treatment were concluded to be: the developmental stage of the child at the time of the loss, the reason for the father's absence, the state of the relationship with the father prior to the loss, the mother's reaction to the loss of her husband, and the environment provided for the child subsequent to the loss.
Pre‐race testing and its role in equine medication control

Summary In general, blood is the only material on which a practical pre-race testing scheme can be based. Blood testing is not as sensitive as urine testing and detects only about 66 per cent of the drugs detectable in urine. Therefore, pre-race blood testing is always performed in conjunction with post race urine testing. Because blood is easily and rapidly drawn, the use of blood samples in all post race testing schemes is recommended. Pre-race testing is also a relatively expensive proposition, but it is the only method which actually prevents the running of an illegally medicated horse. Resume Le sang est le seul materiel sur lequel on peut fonder un plan de detection du dopage anterieur a la course. Son examen n'est pas aussi sensible que celui de l'urine et ne permet de deceler que 66% environ des substances identifiables dans celle-ci. En consequence, l'examen du sang avant la course est toujours effectue en conjonction avec une analyse d'urine recueillie apres la course. Parce que le sang peut etre facilement et rapidement preleve, il est souhaitable d'inclure son etude dans toutes les methodes d'examen posterieures a la course. L'examen du sang avant la course est une methode onereuse, mais semble etre le seul moyen de pouvoir exclure de la competition un cheval drogue. Zusammenfassung In der Regel ist Blut das einzige Material, das eine praktikable Durchfuhrung von Dopingkontrollen vor den Rennen (= pre-race testing) erlaubt. Die Blutanalysen erweisen sich als weniger ergiebig als Harnanalysen. Es wird damit gerechnet, dass im Blut nur etwa 66% der Substanzen nachgewiesen werden konnen, die man im Harn findet. Deshalb wird die Blutkontrolle vor dem Rennen immer zussammen mit einer Urinanalyse nach dem Rennen vorgenommen. Weil sich Blut leicht und rasch entnehmen lasst, wird der Gebrauch von Blutproben fur alle Testprogramme empfohlen, die die Kontrolle der pferde vor den Rennen vorsehen. Obwohl derartige Kontrollen verhaltnismassig teuer zu stehen kommen, sind sie doch das einzige Mittel, den Einsatz illegal behandelter Pferde im Rennen zu verhindern.
Simulation of hindered-settling column separations for soil remediation.

Abstract A phenomenological model was developed to describe the operation of a hindered-settling column. The model is based on the convection-diffusion equation as applied to hindered-settling conditions. Simulation results for the size classification of soil were compared with experimental results to validate the model. Subsequent simulations were carried out to evaluate column performance for separating heavy metal or organic contaminants from soil. The simulation results are presented in terms of fractional recovery (partition) curves, which give the probability that feed particles of a given size and density will be recovered in the column underflow stream. The results indicate that good separations are possible down to approximately 75 µm in some cases. The effective size range of separation depends on the design and operating conditions of the hindered-settling column and on the material being processed.
Effects of tamoxifen on telomerase activity in breast carcinoma cell lines.

BACKGROUND The authors tested the effects of the antiestrogenic agent tamoxifen on telomerase activity and cell proliferation in MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 breast carcinoma cell lines. MCF-7 cells belong to a known estrogen receptor positive cell line, whereas MDA-MB-231 cells, previously thought to be estrogen receptor negative, are now shown to contain estrogen receptor-β. METHODS Both cell lines were grown in the presence of tamoxifen 10−6, 10−7, 10−8, and 10−9 M for 10 days. Cells in separate flasks were harvested daily for determination of total cell number, protein was extracted for determination of telomerase activity, and RNA was extracted for reverse transcriptase–polymerase chain reaction analysis to measure expression levels of the telomerase components (the RNA component and the catalytic subunit) and estrogen receptors. RESULTS Total cell counts and telomerase activity levels of both cell lines with 10−8 M tamoxifen treatment were lower than control cells and other tamoxifen treatments. Changes in the expression of individual telomerase components correlated with telomerase activity. Estrogen receptor status did not correlate with telomerase activity. CONCLUSIONS Tamoxifen strongly affected both cell count and telomerase activity within the 10−8 M concentration of both cell lines. Cells were able to overcome drug inhibition at all other doses after 4 days. Telomerase activity and cell proliferation were correlated in both cell lines and depended on drug concentration. Tamoxifen showed long term effects on cell proliferation of the MCF-7 cells. Cancer 1999;85:1523–9. © 1999 American Cancer Society.
Effects of Short-Term Exposure to 2,3,7,8-Tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin on MicroRNA Expression in Zebrafish Embryos

Although many drugs and environmental chemicals are teratogenic, the mechanisms by which most toxicants disrupt embryonic development are not well understood. MicroRNAs, single-stranded RNA molecules of ~22 nt that regulate protein expression by inhibiting mRNA translation and promoting mRNA sequestration or degradation, are important regulators of a variety of cellular processes including embryonic development and cellular differentiation. Recent studies have demonstrated that exposure to xenobiotics can alter microRNA expression and contribute to the mechanisms by which environmental chemicals disrupt embryonic development. In this study we tested the hypothesis that developmental exposure to 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD), a well-known teratogen, alters microRNA expression during zebrafish development. We exposed zebrafish embryos to DMSO (0.1%) or TCDD (5nM) for 1h at 30hours post fertilization (hpf) and measured microRNA expression using several methods at 36 and 60hpf. TCDD caused strong induction of CYP1A at 36hpf (62-fold) and 60hpf (135-fold) as determined by real-time RT-PCR, verifying the effectiveness of the exposure. MicroRNA expression profiles were determined using microarrays (Agilent and Exiqon), next-generation sequencing (SOLiD), and real-time RT-PCR. The two microarray platforms yielded results that were similar but not identical; both showed significant changes in expression of miR-451, 23a, 23b, 24 and 27e at 60hpf. Multiple analyses were performed on the SOLiD sequences yielding a total of 16 microRNAs as differentially expressed by TCDD in zebrafish embryos. However, miR-27e was the only microRNA to be identified as differentially expressed by all three methods (both microarrays, SOLiD sequencing, and real-time RT-PCR). These results suggest that TCDD exposure causes modest changes in expression of microRNAs, including some (miR-451, 23a, 23b, 24 and 27e) that are critical for hematopoiesis and cardiovascular development.
Recent advances in the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma

Purpose of review Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the fifth most common tumor worldwide and continues to have a poor prognosis. Despite surveillance efforts, most tumors are diagnosed at late stages. Surgical resection, liver transplantation, and local ablative therapies such as radio frequency ablation offer the chance of a cure for tumors detected at an early stage in well selected patients. Recent findings The role of adjuvant or neoadjuvant therapy is being investigated, but there is no clear evidence supporting its routine use at this time. Some have proposed expanding size criteria for transplantation or downstaging tumors detected beyond an early stage, although any benefits must be weighed against the harms to others on the waiting list. For intermediate-stage HCC, transarterial chemoembolization is the mainstay of treatment but is only possible in a minority of patients. The role of radiation therapy for these patients continues to be refined with recent advances in technology minimizing its toxicity to surrounding nonmalignant liver. For patients with advanced HCC, sorafenib is the first systemic therapy to significantly prolong survival and is now considered standard of care for patients with Child A cirrhosis and good performance status. Summary Ongoing trials are evaluating the role of other targeted therapies in patients with advanced HCC.
Impact of three or more sirolimus-eluting stents versus paclitaxel-eluting stents on clinical outcomes in patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention.

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to examine the clinical outcomes of patients who underwent stenting with ≥3 sirolimus-eluting stents (SES) when compared with those treated with ≥3 paclitaxel-eluting stents (PES). Background: Drug-eluting stent (DES) implantation for single coronary lesions is proven to be effective and durable. Methods: A total of 126 patients who received DES were identified, of which 66 patients received ≥3 SES (SES group) and 60 patients received ≥3 PES (PES group). Results: The baseline clinical and angiographic characteristics were compatible between the two study groups. During the index hospitalization, all clinical outcomes were similar between the two groups. There were no deaths or Q-wave myocardial infarctions (MIs) in either group. At 30 days' and 6 months' follow-up, all clinical outcomes, including death, Q-wave MI, non–Q-wave MI, target lesion revascularization, target vascular revascularization, and major adverse cardiac events, were compatible between both groups. There were 2 patients (3.0%) with subacute thrombosis in the SES group and 1 patient (1.7%) in the PES group, but there was no statistical significance. There was no late thrombosis from either group. In addition, patients in the SES group had similar event-free survival rates as compared with those in the PES group (P = 0.56). Conclusions: Patients who require ≥3 DES implantations experienced increased adverse clinical events as compared with historical single stent implantation. However, there were no differences in safety and efficacy among the patients treated with SES as compared with those treated with PES. © 2006 Wiley-Liss., Inc.
Further gossip problems

n people have distinct bits of information. They can communicate via k-party conference calls. How many such calls are needed to inform everyone of everyone else's information? Let f(n,k) be this minimum number. Then we give a simple proof that f(n,k)= [(n-k)(k-1)]+[nk] for 1=k^2. In the 2-party case we consider the case in which certain of the calls may permit information flow in only one direction. We show that any 2n-4 call scheme that conveys everone's information to all must contain a 4-cycle, each of whose calls is ''two way'', along with some other results. The method follows that of Bumby who first proved the 4-cycle conjecture.
Scaled Predictor Envelopes and Partial Least-Squares Regression

Partial least squares (PLS) is a widely used method for prediction in applied statistics, especially in chemometrics applications. However, PLS is not invariant or equivariant under scale transformations of the predictors, which tends to limit its scope to regressions in which the predictors are measured in the same or similar units. Cook, Helland, and Su (2013) built a connection between nascent envelope methodology and PLS, allowing PLS to be addressed in a traditional likelihood-based framework. In this article, we use the connection between PLS and envelopes to develop a new method—scaled predictor envelopes (SPE)—that incorporates predictor scaling into PLS-type applications. By estimating the appropriate scales, the SPE estimators can offer efficiency gains beyond those given by PLS, and further reduce prediction errors. Simulations and an example are given to support the theoretical claims.
Polarized diffractive optical element design for a multibeam optical pickup head

This paper addresses the design and construction of an interesting polarization-switched diffractive optical element (DOE) that generates multiple beams incident on the disk and acts as a beamsplitter and servo-generating element for light returning from the disk. In this way, data speed is increased proportional to the number of beams on the disk, and, by combining three functions into a single optical element, allows a more compact and lightweight pickup to be realized. The polarization-switched DOE is constructed as a sandwich of two pieces of some birefringent material, with one rotated by 90 degrees relative to the other so that the ordinary and extraordinary axes are interchanged, and with a common index-match layer between them. A diffractive pattern is etched into each of the two birefringent pieces. Linearly polarized light traveling from the laser towards the disk is diffracted into multiple beams by one of the diffractive patterns while experiencing no diffraction from the other. Travelling the roundtrip from the DOE to the disk and back to the DOE, the light traverses a quarter-wave retarder two times thereby rotating its polarization direction by 90 degrees. It now experiences no diffraction from the multiple beam diffraction layer, but is diffracted by the second diffraction layer, which steers it onto the photodetectors and alters the beam to create useful focus and tracking error signals. This design is important in that it provides a way for two diffractive surfaces, each acting independently with high efficiency on orthogonal polarizations of light, to be combined into a single element. Implementation and application to a multiple-beam holographic pickup head module are presented.
Birth Order, Sibship Size and Social Class as Antecedents of Adolescents' Acceptance of Parents' Authority

On the basis of past theory and research concerning social-structural differences in acceptance of parents' wishes, it is hypothesized that the legitimacy of parents' authority will be more fully accepted by firstborn middle-class adolescents from small families than *by later-born working-class adolescents from large families, and alternative theoretical interpretations of the predicted differences are developed. Questionnaire data from 1,415 tenth grade public school students and university freshmen indicate that: (a) parents' educational authority is accepted more fully in the middle than in the working class, (b) male adolescents from small families accept the father's educational and heterosexual authority more fully than male adolescents from large families, and (c) the authority of parents is accepted more fully by first-born than by later-born male adolescents. The alternative interpretations of the findings are assessed. In the nuclear family, the parent occupies a position of authority over dependent offspring; but the parent's authority-especially over adolescents-rests, in large part, upon offsprings' acceptance of the legitimacy of parental control. Two studies by the author (Smith, 1970a; 1970b) have indicated that a substantial proportion of the variance in parental influence upon adolescents may be accounted for by variability in adolescents' acceptance of the legitimacy of parental authority. At this point, an effort to identify some of the antecedents which might determine adolescents' acceptance of parents' authority would seem to be in order. Past theory and research relevant to differences in the extents to which children and adolescents follow parents' wishes suggest that birth order, sibship size, and social class might appropriately be investigated as possible antecedents of adolescent acceptance of parental authority. BIRTH ORDER, SIBSHIP SIZE, AND SOCIAL-CLASS DIFFERENCES IN ACCEPTANCE OF PARENTS
Dynamics of Loading the β Sliding Clamp of DNA Polymerase III onto DNA

Abstract A “minimal” DNA primer-template system, consisting of an 80-mer template and 30-mer primer, supports processive DNA synthesis by DNA polymerase III core in the presence of the β sliding clamp, γ complex clamp loader, and single-stranded binding protein from Escherichia coli. This primer-template system was used to measure the loading of the β sliding clamp by the γ complex in an ATP-dependent reaction. Bound protein-DNA complexes were detected by monitoring fluorescence depolarization of DNA. Steady state and time-resolved anisotropies were measured, and stopped-flow pre-steady state fluorescence measurements allowed visualization of the loading reactions in real time. The rate of loading β onto DNA was 12 s−1, demonstrating that clamp assembly is rapid on the time scale required for lagging strand Okazaki fragment synthesis. The association rate appears to be limited by an intramolecular step occurring prior to the clamp-loading reaction, possibly the opening of the toroidal β dimer.
Routine Histopathologic Characteristics Can Predict Oncotype DXTM Recurrence Score in Subsets of Breast Cancer Patients

This study assessed whether routine pathologic parameters could predict Oncotype DXTM recurrence score (RS) in 72 breast cancers diagnosed from 2008–2012. Comparing patients with low RS (0–17) vs. intermediate RS (18–30) vs. high RS (>30), the mean Nottingham score increased (5.5 vs. 6.3 vs. 7.2, respectively, p = .001) and the mean PR Allred score decreased (6.7 vs. 4.9 vs. 3.3, respectively, p = .001). A high RS was least likely for low-grade tumors (0% had high RS, p = .005), and strong PR positivity (9% had high RS, p = .017). A low RS was least likely for cancers that were both high grade and PR weak/negative.
Pericardial fat is associated with carotid stiffness in the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis.

Abstract Background and aims Arterial stiffness is a prominent feature of vascular aging and a risk factor for cardiovascular disease (CVD). Fat around the heart and blood vessels (i.e. pericardial fat, Pfat) may contribute to arterial stiffness via a local paracrine effect of adipose tissue on the surrounding vasculature. Thus, we determined the association between Pfat and carotid stiffness in 5770 participants (mean age 62years, 53% female, 25% African American, 24% Hispanic, and 13% Chinese) from the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis. Methods and results Pfat was measured by computed tomography, and ultrasonography of the common carotid artery was used to calculate the distensibility coefficient (DC) and Young's modulus (YM). Lower DC and higher YM values indicate stiffer arteries. Pfat quartile was highly associated with demographic, behavioral, anthropometric, hemodynamic, metabolic, and disease variables in both men and women. After adjusting for height, clinical site, CVD risk factors, and medications, a 1 standard deviation (41.91cm 3 ) increment in Pfat was associated with a 0.00007±0.00002 1/mmHg lower DC ( p =0.0002) in men and a 48.1±15.1mmHg/mm higher YM in women ( p =0.002). Additional adjustment for C-reactive protein, coronary artery calcification, and carotid intima-media thickness had only modest effects. More importantly, adjusting for body mass index and waist circumference did not significantly change the overall results. Conclusion Higher Pfat is associated with higher carotid stiffness, independent of traditional CVD risk factors and obesity.