cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Follicle-Stimulating Hormone Induction of Ovarian Insulin-Like Growth Factor-Binding Protein-3 Transcription Requires a TATA Box-Binding Protein and the Protein Kinase A and Phosphatidylinositol-3 Kinase Pathways

The current study was done to elucidate the mechanism of the FSH stimulation of IGF-binding protein 3 (IGFBP-3) expression and map the FSH response element on the pig IGFBP-3 promoter. Forskolin induced IGFBP-3 reporter activity in transiently transfected granulosa cells. The protein kinase A (PKA) inhibitor [N-[2-(p-bromocinnamyl)amino)ethyl]-5-isoquinolinesulfonamide, 2HCl] (and cotransfection with a PKA inhibitor expression vector), the phosphatidylinositol-3 kinase inhibitor [2-(4-morpholinyl)-8-phenyl-4H-1-benzopyran-4-one], and the ERK inhibitor [1,4-diamino-2,3-dicyano-1,4-bis(2-aminophenylthio)butadiene], all blocked FSH stimulation. Use of serial deletion constructs and site-directed mutagenesis show that a TATA box-binding protein site is required for FSH stimulation and that a specific protein 1 (Sp1) site is required for basal transcription. Gel shift assays of nuclear protein with a −61/−25 probe detected four protein-DNA complexes, with bands I and II having significantly higher intensities ...
Sperm morphology: classification drift over time and clinical implications

Objective To assess sperm morphology with Tygerberg (strict) and World Health Organization (WHO) 3rd criteria for intrauterine inseminations (IUI) between two eras to determine if there was a difference in pregnancy rates. Design Retrospective study. Setting Academic institution. Patient(s) 127 couples with 290 IUI treatments during 1996–97 (era 1) and 133 couples with 317 IUI treatments during 2005–06 (era 2). Intervention(s) None. Main Outcome Measure(s) Pregnancy rates per cycle and couple. Result(s) Average sperm morphology was higher in era 1 than era 2 for both WHO 3rd (37 ± 13% vs. 23 ± 10%) and strict criteria (8.0 ± 5.0% vs. 4.0 ± 3.0%). Pregnancy rates per cycle were 5.9% versus 19.8% in era 1 and 16.7% versus 19.3% in era 2 for couples with WHO 3rd morphology 4%, respectively. Conclusion(s) There was a strong relationship between morphology and IUI outcome in era 1 that was not present in era 2. These results suggest that classification drift increased the percentage of men diagnosed with teratozoospermia and resulted in a loss of predictive value.
Metabolism and elimination of rhodamine 123 in the rat.

Little is known of the pharmacology of rhodamine 123 (RH-123), an agent reported to have carcinoma-selective experimental antitumor activity. Accordingly, using a high-performance liquid chromatographic assay system with fluorescence detection, we examined the plasma decay and the biliary and urinary elimination of parent drug and metabolites in female Sprague-Dawley rats receiving RH-123 at an intravenous dose (5 mg/kg) equivalent to the therapeutic dose used in murine tumor models. Following drug administration to unconscious animals, plasma levels of drug-associated fluorescence fell in a triphasic manner (t1/2α, 15 min; t1/2β, 1 h; t1/2γ, 4.7 h). In plasma, unchanged drug predominated but lower levels of the deacylated metabolite rhodamine 110 (RH-110) and two unknowns were also detectable throughout the study. Drug fluorescence was recovered extensively in both urine and bile. In unconscious animals with ureteral cannulae, urinary excretion (11.4% of the dose in 6 h) occurred predominantly as unchanged RH-123 (97% of the total), with low levels of RH-110 (2.4%) and two unknowns (<0.6% combined) also being present. Similarly dosed conscious animals (without surgical intervention) housed in metabolic cages showed a comparable pattern of urinary excretion, with 11.9% of the drug dose being recovered in 6 h and 21.9%, by 48 h. Biliary drug elimination accounted for 8% of the delivered dose in 6 h in unconscious animals and for 11% by 36 h in conscious animals fitted with biliary cannulae. In contrast to urinary excretion, in which unchanged drug predominated, only 50% of the fluorescence recovered in bile was attributable to RH-123. The remainder was due to a number of products that were detectable throughout the study. Of these, one present at significant levels was identified as a glucuronide conjugate of RH-123, based on the liberation of parent drug when the purified metabolite was incubated with β-glucuronidase or hydrolyzed with 1 N hydrochloric acid. Further studies with a radiolabeled form of RH-123 are necessary to establish the identity of the remaining unknowns disclosed in this work.
Environmental Clamping of Biological Systems: Pupil Servomechanism

A generalization of the “clamping” method is described and its application to the pupil light-reflex servo-mechanism illustrated. The relationship between this environmental clamping and more classical input-output analysis is demonstrated by the accuracy of predictions from the transfer function and is discussed theoretically. Separation of linear and nonlinear factors in system behavior in the oscillatory model has interesting experimental consequence.
A STUDY OF EPIDERMAL FIBRILS

In certain animals, in addition to the protoplasmic fibrils of the stratum filamentosum that are present normally in human epidermis, there are well developed fibrils in the cells of the stratum germinativum. These fibrils are present in the human epidermis only under conditions of increased cell activity. These fibrils, that are prominent in the stratum germinativum of human epidermis under conditions of increased cell activity, seem to increase in direct ratio to rapidity of cell production. The differentiation of these fibrils of the stratum germinativum into the finer fibrils which connect the cells of the stratum filamentosum can be observed under proper conditions of growth and therefore there should be no separation of the fibrils into different groups with various names. This process of fibre production by the cells of the human epidermis is analogous to increased fibre production by various other cells under similar conditions, and may be of importance in identifying or classifying new growths of epithelial origin.
Effects of muscle contraction on the load-strain properties of frog aponeurosis and tendon.

The mechanical properties of the frog semitendinosus (ST) tendon and aponeurosis were measured during passive tensile loading to a force equal to ST maximum tetanic tension and during active isometric
Protein synthesis is required for optimal induction of 25-hydroxyvitamin D3-24-hydroxylase, osteocalcin, and osteopontin mRNA by 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3

The regulation of the 25-hydroxyvitamin D(3)-24-hydroxylase gene by 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D(3) (1,25(OH)(2)D(3)) has been extensively studied. It is well established that two vitamin D response elements in the promoter are responsible for the 1,25(OH)(2)D(3) induction of transcription. Surprisingly, this induction is blocked by the protein synthesis inhibitor, cycloheximide (CHX). In AOK-B50 cells, 1,25(OH)(2)D(3) caused a large induction of 24-hydroxylase mRNA by 7h; however, the addition of CHX simultaneously or 2h after 1,25(OH)(2)D(3) addition caused 76.4+/-13.0 and 37.1+/-18.8% reductions in the mRNA, respectively. Addition of CHX 4h after 1,25(OH)(2)D(3) had the opposite effect, and 21.7+/-17.2% more mRNA was observed after 7h. Similar patterns of mRNA expression were observed in other cell lines. CHX also decreased the induction by 1,25(OH)(2)D(3) of osteocalcin and osteopontin mRNA in ROS17/2.8 cells when added together with 1,25(OH)(2)D(3). The effect of CHX on the expression of a stably transfected luciferase construct under the control of 1400bp of 24-hydroxylase promoter indicates that a 1,25(OH)(2)D(3)-inducible transcription factor(s) that acts in the promoter region may at least in part be responsible for the effect of CHX on mRNA production of target genes.
Redevelopment, San Diego Style: The Limits of Public—Private Partnerships

Fiscally strapped local governments have increasingly turned to public—private partnerships (P3s) for redevelopment assistance, empowering private actors to exercise functions typically performed by the public sector. While P3s can enhance project funding and completion, they create the possibility of agency loss, that is, public means—tax dollars, public powers, and other resources—being diverted toward private purposes. Using a principal— agent approach, the authors examine an ambitious and widely heralded P3 in San Diego to build a downtown ballpark and encourage private investment in surrounding neighborhoods. The authors identify a set of political, institutional, and partnership conditions exacerbating agency loss and thwarting redevelopment’s public mission.
On the derivation of dynamical equations for a system with an interface II. The gas-liquid interface

Abstract Transport equations for the Gibbs superficial densities at the interface between two visco-elastic media are derived using response theory and the surface multipole expansion developed in first two papers of this series. Boundary conditions linking the surface behavior to that in the bulk phases are obtained in an expansion in the interfacial width over a characteristic macrosopic lenght scale. To lowest order, the standard phenomenological boundary conditions are obtained (i.e., no velocity, temperature, heat current or stress jumps), independent of the precise nature of the phases. The next order corrections yield correlation function expressions for slipping lengths, thermal creep coefficients, etc. The nature of the first order boundary conditions linking the dynamics of a fluid to an elastic solid are considered as a specific limit of the theory.
Multiple Determinants of Framing Referents in Tax Reporting and Compliance

Prospect theory's implications for tax reporting have been investigated primarily by examining taxpayers' risk preferences surrounding two potential reference points: their current cash position and their expectations regarding payments and/or refunds due. Evidence has generally supported the role of cash position in framing reporting decisions while failing to support a similar role for expectations. However, most research examining the role of expectations in framing risky choice has experimentally assigned expectations to decision makers. If expectations become meaningful referents via adaptation, the construct validity of experimentally-assigned expectations is suspect. Using participants' own prior tax filings to determine expectations, we find evidence that expectations and cash position jointly frame the filing decision. Further, consistent with adaptation serving as the mechanism through which expectations frame reporting preferences, we find that the severity of the framing effect attributed to expectations was significantly mitigated when time to adapt to variances from those expectations was allowed.
PHARMACOLOGICAL BIOCOMPATIBILITY BETWEEN INTRAVESICAL PREPARATIONS OF BCG AND INTERFERON-ALPHA 2B

AbstractPurpose: To determine if BCG and interferon alpha-2B are mutually compatible as mixed intravesical agents for clinical bladder cancer therapy.Materials and Methods: Mutual compatibility was assessed by measuring IFN-alpha's effect on BCG metabolic activity, growth rate, and clumping tendency and conversely by observing BCG's effect on IFN-alpha's anti-viral activity. Optical density at 600 nm. (OD600) was used to estimate the number of colony forming units of BCG in suspension during 3 hours measurements of clumping and 8 days measurements of BCG proliferation. BCG viability was evaluated using a substrate marker, MTT, which correlates with BCG density and metabolic activity. The anti-viral activity of IFN-alpha was determined in a cytopathic protection bioassay using the encephalomyocarditis virus/FS-4 cell system.Results: Continuous shaking of reconstituted BCG for 3 hours at 37C resulted in a marginal (11.3%) drop in OD600 which was minimally altered by inclusion of IFN-alpha at 2 million units...
Analgesic responses following adrenal demedullation and peripheral catecholamine depletion.

Abstract Adrenalectomy affects analgesic responses differentially, potentiating morphine and cold-water swim analgesia while reducing prolonged, intermittent foot shock analgesia. Adrenocortical influences also exhibit differential effects: dexamethasone pretreatment potentiates morphine analgesia while reducing both forms of stress-induced analgesia. In assessing sympathomedullary influences in analgesic processes, adrenal demedullation reduces prolonged, intermittent foot shock analgesia. The present study examined the effects of adrenal demedullation both with (MADX/6-OHDA) and without (MADX) peripheral 6-hydroxydopamine injections upon the analgesic responses following 2°C and 15°C swims and following 5 mg/kg and 2.5 mg/kg doses of morphine. Significant reductions were observed in adrenal epinephrine levels in all MADX rats and in heart norepinephrine levels in MADX/6-OHDA rats. Despite the adrenal demedullation and sympathetic dennervation, neither the MADX group nor the MADX/6-OHDA group differed significantly from sham control rats in their baseline post-operative or post-injection flinch-jump thresholds, in their analgesic responses following the 2°C and 15°C swims, or in their analgesic responses following the 5 mg/kg and 2.5 mg/kg morphine doses. These data are assessed in terms of divergent adrenal influences upon various analgesic responses.
Brief communication : Arboreal bipedalism in Bwindi chimpanzees

Evidence of the form and function of bipedal behavior in nonhuman primates provides critical evidence to test theories about the origins of hominid bipedalism. Bipedalism has long been considered an evolutionarily interesting but rare behavior in wild chimpanzees. During May 2001, chimpanzees of the Ruhija community in the Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, Uganda, engaged in an exceptional frequency of arboreal bipedalism when feeding in large Ficus trees. Seventy-eight bipedal bouts of at least 5 sec duration were recorded for the entire community (0.49 bouts/hr), with a mean duration of 13.7 sec (+/-1.6 sec). The animals employed many variations on the bipedal postural theme, ranging from erect standing on the largest substrates while grasping overhead limbs for support, to standing on one leg while suspending the other leg in space, to extended-lean standing, in which bipedal standing transitioned into horizontal arm-leg suspension as the animal reached for more distant fruits. Bipedalism was used as part of a behavioral repertoire that integrated brachiation, four-limbed suspension, and forelimb-supported standing for effective small-fruit foraging. These observations suggest that under certain ecological conditions, arboreal bipedalism can be an important posture for wild chimpanzees, and may have been an important behavioral precursor to full terrestrial bipedalism.
Tuberculosis control in New York City hospitals

Objectives: To assess the implementation of tuberculosis (TB) control measures in New York City hospitals in 1992 and determine trends during the subsequent 2 years. Methods: The 22 acute care facilities with the largest number of hospitalized TB patients in 1991 were selected for inclusion in the study. Medical and laboratory records of the 10 most recent acid fast bacilli (AFB) smear-positive patients in each of the selected facilities in 1992, 1993, and 1994 were reviewed by using a standardized questionnaire to determine risk factors for TB, previous history of TB, clinical signs and symptoms, AFB laboratory turnaround times, emergency department contact, timing of isolation, timing of treatment, case reporting, and status on discharge. The patients' rooms were evaluated for TB environmental control measures if the patient was still on respiratory isolation precautions. Results: More than one third of patients were admitted with a previous history of TB, 31% were admitted with a cavitary lesion on chest x-ray examination, and 48% were known to have HIV infection. Eighty-five percent were admitted from the emergency department where they stayed for up to 116 hours (mean stay: 17 hours). The proportion of patients placed in AFB isolation on admission to the floor increased from 75% in 1992 to 84% in 1994. The proportion of patients given a minimum of four anti-TB drugs increased from 88% in 1992 to 94% in 1994. Patients "on isolation" were sharing rooms with up to nine other patients in 1992, whereas no patients were sharing rooms in the 1994 survey. In 1992, 51% of the rooms were under negative air flow with respect to the corridor. During the 1994 survey, 80% of rooms were under negative air flow. Between 1992 and 1994, the proportion of AFB isolation rooms with dust/mist respirators increased from 28% to 76% ( p p =0.03) and the proportion referred for directly observed therapy increased from 15% to 53% ( p =0.00001). Conclusion: TB control efforts in New York City hospitals improved dramatically between 1992 and 1994. The ultimate control of TB will continue to depend on the coordinated efforts within and between health care facilities, providers, and the community.
Birth of new folds and competing attractors in Elmo bumpy torus

Abstract The topology of equilibrium surfaces for the point model equations with neoclassical nonresonant ions in EBT is a complicated nongradient-dynamic version of the canonical cusp catastrophe. New folds emerge from degenerate equilibrium surfaces as the control vector (filling pressure, microwave power, ambipolar potential) is changed. Strong sensitivity to small changes in initial conditions of the state variables (electron/ion temperatures, plasma density) is found which can drastically alter the final equilibrium state when competing point attractors are present.
The calculations of orbital valency force field constants of methane, silane and germane

Abstract The Orbital Valency Force Field treatment of Tyson, Claassen and Kim has been applied to the XY 4 , XY 3 Z, and XY 2 Z 2 isotopes of methane, silane, and germane. Four harmonic force constants of XH 4 species predict the harmonic frequencies of isotopic species within the range of their uncertainties. Four constants determined from the fundamentals of XH 4 species and small anharmonicity corrections in isotopic masses were used to calculate fundamentals of various isotopic species, and they are compared with the observed values. Good agreement obtained between the calculated and observed values, and the facility which their treatment offers for calculations of isotopically substituted species, suggest that their method can be used to predict the as yet unknown frequencies of isotopic species, thereby assisting with spectral assignments.
The Nogo-66 Receptor Homolog NgR2 Is a Sialic Acid-Dependent Receptor Selective for Myelin-Associated Glycoprotein

The Nogo-66 receptor (NgR1) is a promiscuous receptor for the myelin inhibitory proteins Nogo/Nogo-66, myelin-associated glycoprotein (MAG), and oligodendrocyte myelin glycoprotein (OMgp). NgR1, an axonal glycoprotein, is the founding member of a protein family composed of the structurally related molecules NgR1, NgR2, and NgR3. Here we show that NgR2 is a novel receptor for MAG and acts selectively to mediate MAG inhibitory responses. MAG binds NgR2 directly and with greater affinity than NgR1. In neurons NgR1 and NgR2 support MAG binding in a sialic acid-dependent Vibrio cholerae neuraminidase-sensitive manner. Forced expression of NgR2 is sufficient to impart MAG inhibition to neonatal sensory neurons. Soluble NgR2 has MAG antagonistic capacity and promotes neuronal growth on MAG and CNS myelin substrate in vitro . Structural studies have revealed that the NgR2 leucine-rich repeat cluster and the NgR2 “unique” domain are necessary for high-affinity MAG binding. Consistent with its role as a neuronal MAG receptor, NgR2 is an axonassociated glycoprotein. In postnatal brain NgR1 and NgR2 are strongly enriched in Triton X-100-insoluble lipid rafts. Neural expression studies of NgR1 and NgR2 have revealed broad and overlapping, yet distinct, distribution in the mature CNS. Taken together, our studies identify NgRs as a family of receptors (or components of receptors) for myelin inhibitors and provide insights into how interactions between MAG and members of the Nogo receptor family function to coordinate myelin inhibitory responses.
Sulfate composition of glycosaminoglycans determined by infrared spectroscopy.

Anhydrous sodium sulfate (Na2SO4) was analyzed at varying concentrations by infrared (ir) spectroscopy. A standard curve was obtained from a linear plot of sulfate (SO2-(4] concentration vs the weight of the ir band area of S = O stretching. Standard chondroitin 4-sulfate, chondroitin 6-sulfate, heparan sulfate, heparin, keratan sulfates, and various dermatan sulfates isolated from human and rat skins were also studied by ir spectroscopy. The spectrum of every glycosaminoglycan (GAG) displayed an ir band around 1230 cm-1 which originated from S = O stretching of sulfate esters. Therefore, the weight of the latter band was employed to quantify sulfate, by using the standard curve indicated above. Sulfate was also estimated quantitatively by the gelatin/BaCl2 method of K.S. Dodgson and R.G. Price (Biochem. J. 1962, 84, 106-110). The sulfate composition determined by ir spectroscopy ranged from 8.5 to 22.1% (w/w), and agreed closely with the values obtained chemically. In the ir spectroscopy method, sulfate was determined using the polymer forms of the GAGs. After analysis, these heteropolysaccharides were recovered unaffected in a yield greater than 95%. The data show that the infrared spectroscopy technique, in addition to being sensitive and reliable, is much more economical than the chemical procedures currently employed to quantify GAG sulfate.
Benzene disposition in the rat after exposure by inhalation.

Abstract Little information is available on benzene disposition after exposure by inhalation despite the importance of this route in man. Benzene metabolites as a group have been measured in bone marrow, but quantitation of individual metabolites in this target tissue has not been reported. Male Fischer-344 rats were exposed to 500 ppm benzene in air and the uptake and elimination was followed in several tissues. Concentrations of free phenol, catechol, and hydroquinone in blood and bone marrow were also measured. Steady-state concentrations of benzene (11.5, 37.0, and 164.0 μg/g in blood, bone marrow, and fat, respectively) were achieved within 6 hr in all tissues studied. Benzene half-lives during the first 9 hr were similar in all tissues (0.8 hr). A plot of amount of benzene remaining to be excreted in the expired air was biphasic with t 1 2 values for the α and β phases of 0.7 and 13.1 hr, respectively. Phenol was the main metabolite in bone marrow at early times (peak concentration, 19.4 μg/g). Catechol and hydroquinone predominated later (peak concentrations, 13.0 and 70.4 μg/g, respectively). Concentrations of these two metabolites declined very slowly during the first 9 hr. These data indicate that free catechol and hydroquinone persist in bone marrow longer than benzene or free phenol.
Interactions of the 8-kDa Domain of Rat DNA Polymerase β with DNA†

Interactions between the isolated 8-kDa domain of the rat DNA polymerase β and DNA have been studied, using the quantitative fluorescence titration technique. The obtained results show that the number of nucleotide residues occluded in the native 8-kDa domain complex with the ssDNA (the site size) is strongly affected by Mg2+ cations. In the absence of Mg2+, the domain occludes 13 ± 0.7 nucleotide residues, while in the presence of Mg2+ the site size decreases to 9 ± 0.6 nucleotides. The high affinity of the magnesium cation binding, as well as the dramatic changes in the monovalent salt effect on the protein−ssDNA interactions in the presence of Mg2+, indicates that the site size decrease results from the Mg2+ binding to the domain. The site size of the isolated domain−ssDNA complex is significantly larger than the 5 ± 2 site size determined for the (pol β)5 binding mode formed by an intact polymerase, indicating that the intact enzyme, but not the isolated domain, has the ability to use only part of the...
On N-Dimensional Taylor and Lagrange Operators

The coordinate transformations and Jacobians involved in the Lagrange and Taylor theorems are treated, and the theorems and associated operators are described. Relations are established between the Jacobian and the Lagrange and Taylor differential operators. Some applications of the relations are considered. (D.C.W.)
Dihydrofolate influences the activity of Escherichia coli dihydrofolate reductase synthesised de novo.

The folding of proteins into their native structures is known to depend on molecular chaperones. However, other ligands or cofactors which still require characterisation are also likely to influence protein folding. The intention of this study was to reveal how the folding of an enzyme, Escherichia coli dihydrofolate reductase, was affected by a substrate ligand, i.e. dihydrofolate. The enzyme was synthesised by coupled transcription/translation in a bacterial cell-free system. Correct folding of the protein into its native structure was measured by its enzymatic activity. Synthesis of dihydrofolate reductase was found to be inhibited, at the level of translation, by dihydrofolate. The syntheses of other proteins were also inhibited by this compound and the reasons for this inhibition could not be determined. Most notably, the specific activity of the dihydrofolate reductase formed in the presence of the substrate dihydrofolate was increased and this effect was specific for dihydrofolate reductase since it was not observed with other proteins synthesised in the same system. The increase in dihydrofolate reductase specific activity could not be attributed to mere thermal stabilisation of the fully folded enzyme by dihydrofolate. The effects of dihydrofolate on dihydrofolate reductase synthesis and activity were similar to those of the molecular chaperone DnaJ which is known to promote the folding of newly synthesised proteins. It is suggested that dihydrofolate may interact with the newly synthesised dihydrofolate reductase polypeptide chain and promote its productive folding.
Commentary Leptin, Adipose Tissue and Aging—Is There a Role for Testosterone?

T EPTIN is a newly discovered honnone timt is produced by L adipocytes (1). Leptin decreases food intake and increases energymetabolism in rodents. In addition, leptinappears to playa role in the regulation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis (2). In this issue of the Journal 0/ Gerontology: Biological Sciences, Wolden-Hanson and colleagues (3) report on the relationship of leptin to adiposity in aging male BrownNorway rats. Fat mass and leptin increased with age. Testos-terone declined with aging and was associated with a decreased skeletal muscle mass. In another study, Li and colleagues (4) found that in aging male rats there was an increase in leptingene expression timt was greaterthan the increase in adiposity withaging. In micemessenger RNA leptin levels increased with age, but correlated with body mass (5). In thestudy in the Journal, leptinwas associated withsubcutaneous fatand not visceral fat, Barzilai and colleagues (6) haveshownin youngrats thatleptinadministration selectively decreased visceral adiposity. The elevated leptin levels with age givea possible explanation for the decrease in visceral fat in older BrownNorwayrats. Wolden-Hanson and colleagues (3) claimed that the Brown Norway rat is a good model of human aging. In human females, leptin levels increase at middle age and decline in old age in concert with alterations in adipose tissue mass (7). The New Mexico Aging Process Studies of Baumgartner and colleagues (8) found that leptin levels were related to subcutaneous rather than visceral adipose tissue. This is the same as was found in rats. In addition, in older females, but not males, leptin levels correlated with resting metabolie rate (9). Endogenous and exogenous estrogens do not appear to alter leptin levelsin females (10). Leptin levels are lower in males than females even when correctedfor bodyfat.In malesleptinlevels increase withagein both cross-sectional and longitudinal series (11). In these studies besides correlating with fat mass, leptin was also correlated with testosterone. Another cross-sectional study has also implicated testosterone in the alterations of leptin in aging males (12). Both cmss-sectional (13) and longitudinal studies (14) haveshownthat testosterone levels decline withaging. This declinein testosterone has been correlated with the decline of body mass and strength that occur with aging (15-17). Testos-terone replacement in young hypogonadal males and in older males increased strength anddecreased leptinlevels (18-21). Overall thesestudies strangly support the concept that the age-related decline in testosterone is
The price of risk in the United States and Japan

Abstract This study compares the price of risk in the United States and Japan to determine whether differences, if they exist, provide formal support for the widespread perception that capital costs are lower in Japan. The paper compares realized monthly excess returns on value-weighted market portfolios in each country to various measures of risk for each during the period 1982–1986. The data fail to reject the hypothesis that the price of risk is the same in both countries. For most model specifications, the estimated price of risk is (insignificantly) higher for the Japanese market. These and other recent results suggest that realized returns from capital markets cannot document a difference in capital costs during the mid-1980s. Noise and heteroskedasticity in equity returns data for both countries prevent the detection of a significant difference in the price of risk, if one existed.
First 20 precision among World Wide Web search services (search engines)

Five search engines, Alta Vista, Excite, HotBot, Infoseek, and Lycos, are compared for precision on the first 20 results returned for 15 queries, adding weight for ranking effectiveness. All searching was done from January 31 to March 12, 1997. In the study, steps are taken to ensure that bias has not unduly influenced the evaluation. Friedmann’s randomized block design is used to perform multiple comparisons for significance. Analysis shows that Alta Vista, Excite and Infoseek are the top three services, with their relative rank changing depending on how one operationally defines the concept of relevance. Correspondence analysis shows that Lycos performed better on short, unstructured queries, whereas HotBot performed better on structured queries.
Facial expression (mood) recognition from facial images using committee neural networks

Facial expressions are important in facilitating human communication and interactions. Also, they are used as an important tool in behavioural studies and in medical rehabilitation. Facial image based mood detection techniques may provide a fast and practical approach for non-invasive mood detection. The purpose of the present study was to develop an intelligent system for facial image based expression classification using committee neural networks. Several facial parameters were extracted from a facial image and were used to train several generalized and specialized neural networks. Based on initial testing, the best performing generalized and specialized neural networks were recruited into decision making committees which formed an integrated committee neural network system. The integrated committee neural network system was then evaluated using data obtained from subjects not used in training or in initial testing. The system correctly identified the correct facial expression in 255 of the 282 images (90.43% of the cases), from 62 subjects not used in training or in initial testing. Committee neural networks offer a potential tool for image based mood detection.
An intelligent control concept for formation flying satellites

This paper deals with the determination of initial conditions and the design of fuel-balancing orbit control laws for a formation of satellites. Hill's equations describe the linearized dynamics of relative motion between two satellites. They admit bounded relative orbit solutions as special cases. Predictably, these bounded solutions break down in the presence of nonlinearities and perturbations. A method for determining the initial conditions that result in quasi-periodic relative orbits over the short term, in the presence of J2 perturbation, is presented. The control acceleration or equivalently, the fuel required to cancel the perturbation on a satellite depends upon its orbital inclination with respect to that of the reference satellite. An intelligent control concept that exploits the physics of the relative motion dynamics is presented. Analysis shows that this concept minimizes the total fuel consumption of the formation and maintains equal, average fuel consumption for each satellite. The concept is implemented using a novel, disturbance accommodating control design process. Numerical simulations and analytical results are in excellent agreement with each other. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
The evolutionary biology of musical rhythm: was Darwin wrong?

In The Descent of Man, Darwin speculated that our capacity for musical rhythm reflects basic aspects of brain function broadly shared among animals. Although this remains an appealing idea, it is being challenged by modern cross-species research. This research hints that our capacity to synchronize to a beat, i.e., to move in time with a perceived pulse in a manner that is predictive and flexible across a broad range of tempi, may be shared by only a few other species. Is this really the case? If so, it would have important implications for our understanding of the evolution of human musicality.
Primary Care Internal Medicine Training and Women's Health

In this study, directors of primary care residency programs were sent a questionnaire that asked for information about their program and examined their perceptions of program curricula and resident mastery of seven preselected topics in women's health. An elective ambulatory gynecology experience was offered in 52% of programs, and 35% of programs had all residents experience such a rotation. All seven selected topics were felt to be important for residents to master, but the prevalence of structured teaching experiences and resident mastery for each topic varied widely. For the majority of programs, domestic violence was not a curricular component. However, 44% of respondents spontaneously commented that they were expanding their curriculum in the area of women's health.
The role of finite spatial beam profiles on photo-luminescence and laser cooling in GaAs structures

We present a microscopic many-body theory of optical refrigeration of semiconductors with nite spatial beam prole extension. The theory is an extension of our previous theory of optical refrigeration of GaAs, which had been limited to spatially homogeneous systems. In it, optically excited electron-hole pairs can be an unbound pairs, or pairs bound by the attractive Coulomb interaction (excitons). Assuming the electron-hole pairs to be in quasi-thermal equilibrium, our theory calculates its absorption and luminescence spectra within a diagrammatic (real-time) Green's function approach at the self-consistent T-matrix level. The present extension to lateral spatial inhomogeneities due to nite beam spot size utilizes a photon transport equation which is based on a diagrammatic formulation of Maxwell's equations for photon correlation functions. Assuming only radial ux for simplicity, and analytical solution for the pair density and power density rate equations is obtained, and numerical self-consistent solutions are presented. The results show that for typical beam waist parameters, lateral (radial) photon transport does not signicantly impede the theoretically predicted cooling process.
Atmospheric flashover in a symmetric electric field geometry

In an attempt to identify the mechanisms leading to pulsed dielectric surface flashover in atmospheric conditions, surface flashover across a magnesium fluoride (MgF 2 ) window was studied. The electrode configuration and the applied pulsed voltage level were chosen such that the generated electric field was symmetric with respect to the centerline between the electrodes. That is, neither electrode was favored with respect to flashover/breakdown initiation. A semiconductor-switched 32 kV pulse with 140 ns rise time was applied to the 8 mm wide flashover gap in air, nitrogen, and oxygen at atmospheric pressure. Fast voltage and current measurements along with nanosecond imaging revealed four stages of flashover development: (1) Onset of a cathode directed streamer with a charge on the order of 100 pC and traveling with a speed of ∼ 1 mm/ns at a macroscopic field level of ∼ 10 kV/cm associated with a slow current rise (on the order of 10−3 A/ns) temporarily augmented by (2) a 5 ns wide current spike at the moment when the streamer reaches the cathode followed by (3) a cathode directed streamer focused toward the center of the flashover gap with a slow rising current leading to (4) a sharp current rise (on the order of 10 A/ns) reaching roughly a circuit limited 45 A about 20 ns after the return strike meets an anode directed streamer. Although present in all tested gases, the current spike at the end of stage (2) is most different for all three gases and having the greatest impact in air.
Higher initial tidal volumes associated with the subsequent development of acute lung injury in dose-response relationship

Although ventilation with small tidal volumes is recommended in patients with established acute lung injury, most others receive highly variable tidal volume aimed in part at normalizing arterial blood gas values. We tested the hypothesis that acute lung injury, which develops after the initiation of mechanical ventilation, is associated with known risk factors for ventilator-induced lung injury such as ventilation with large tidal volume.
Risk propensity and health risk behaviors in U.S. army soldiers with and without psychological disturbances across the deployment cycle

Anecdotal and preliminary evidence suggests that Soldiers returning from a combat deployment engage in an increased number of health risk behaviors. Three potential factors driving this change were examined in this study; posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), concussion and traumatic brain injury (TBI), and perceived invincibility. We studied members of a combat arms brigade one month prior to a deployment to Iraq and approximately one month after their return (N = 319). Participants anonymously completed surveys characterizing attitudes about risk, risk propensity, invincibility, engagement in health risk behaviors, and personality. Using standardized screening instruments, participants were categorized with respect to PTSD and probable TBI. Results suggest that Soldiers engage in more alcohol use and reckless driving behaviors post-deployment. These changes were exaggerated in those who screened positive for PTSD. Perception of one's invincibility and survival skills increased post-deployment thus suggesting that participants felt less susceptible to adverse consequences and more adept at surviving dangerous situations. This study provides documentation of the pattern of health behavior in Soldiers engaged in the deployment cycle. Our findings suggest increases in the number of risks Soldiers' engage in post-deployment are not limited to those with PTSD symptomtotology. This study has implications for not only adjustment to life post-deployment at the individual level but also operational readiness.
Automated construction and testing of multi-locus gene–gene associations

Summary: It has been argued that the missing heritability in common diseases may be in part due to rare variants and gene–gene effects. Haplotype analyses provide more power for rare variants and joint analyses across genes can address multi-gene effects. Currently, methods are lacking to perform joint multi-locus association analyses across more than one gene/region. Here, we present a haplotype-mining gene–gene analysis method, which considers multi-locus data for two genes/regions simultaneously. This approach extends our single region haplotype-mining algorithm, hapConstructor, to two genes/regions. It allows construction of multi-locus SNP sets at both genes and tests joint gene–gene effects and interactions between single variants or haplotype combinations. A Monte Carlo framework is used to provide statistical significance assessment of the joint and interaction statistics, thus the method can also be used with related individuals. This tool provides a flexible data-mining approach to identifying gene–gene effects that otherwise is currently unavailable. Availability: http://bioinformatics.med.utah.edu/Genie/hapConstructor.html Contact: ryan.abo@hsc.utah.edu
A Comparison of Glycemic Control, Sleep, Fatigue, and Depression in Type 2 Diabetes with and without Restless Legs Syndrome

Objective:The purpose of this pilot study was to determine how sleep quality, glycemic control, sleepiness, fatigue, and depression differ in persons with type 2 diabetes with and without restless ...
Determination and distribution of left ventricular size as measured by noncontrast CT in the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis

Abstract Background Left ventricular (LV) volume and mass have prognostic relevance. Overall size of the left ventricle as it appears in noncontrast CT is a composite of the ventricular volume and myocardial mass. We describe a method to estimate the LV size using a single cross-section in noncontrast CT and determined normal ranges on the basis of a large population cohort. Methods The Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis with 6814 participants from 4 ethnicities who were free of known cardiovascular disease and enrolled between 2000 and 2002 form the basis of our analysis. LV size was calculated from a single cross-sectional slice obtained by either nonenhanced electron beam or multidetector CT. LV size was adjusted to body surface area to obtain the LV size index, which was adjusted for age, sex, race or ethnicity, hypertension, hyperlipidemia, and diabetes. Results There were significant differences in LV size index by race which were further influenced by age and sex. Higher values were noted in men in all ethnic groups across all age groups. Similarly, LV size index uniformly decreased with age across all ethnic and sex categories. Caucasians had the lowest and African Americans had the highest LV size index across all age and sex categories. In multivariate regression analyses adjusted for age, sex, race or ethnicity, hypertension, hyperlipidemia, smoking, and diabetes mellitus, the significant differences were noted between male vs female (median difference, 17.5 cc/m 2 ; P 2 ; African American, 8.3 cc/m 2 ; and Hispanic, 5.6 cc/m 2 ; P 2 ; 65–74 years, −11.4 cc/m 2 ; and 74–84 years, −12.5 cc/m 2 ). Conclusions This study provides normative values for LV size as determined from a single, nonenhanced CT cross-section and indexed to body surface area, and it demonstrates that the LV size index varies by age, sex, and ethnic background.
Use of Phospholipid Fatty Acids and Carbon Source Utilization Patterns To Track Microbial Community Succession in Developing Compost

Carbon source utilization and phospholipid fatty acid analyses were used to track the rapidly changing microbial community in composting dairy waste. Microbial abilities to utilize common plant sugars increased during composting. Community phospholipid profiles changed significantly over time. Phospholipids suggested the presence of more thermophiles and fewer bacteria with continued compost development.
Development of materials for high temperature superconductor Josephson junctions

We have conducted a systematic optimization of deposition parameters for fabrication of multilayered oxide films to be used in the development of high temperature superconducting YBa/sub 2/Cu/sub 3/O/sub 7-x/ Superconducting Normal Superconducting junctions. These films were deposited onto MgO substrates by off-axis sputtering using a custom fabricated multi-gun planar magnetron system. Each layer and the various combinations of materials were optimized for: epitaxial lattice match, crystal quality, film uniformity, electrical properties, and surface microstructure. In addition to the standard procedures commonly used to sputter deposit epitaxial oxide films, a variety of unique insitu and exsitu procedures were used to produce high quality multilayer devices, including: using a film nucleation temperature lower than the final film growth temperature, establishing the optimum substrate to target relationship, and timing of the oxygen anneal. Using a lower nucleation temperature when depositing the YBa/sub 2/Cu/sub 3/O/sub 7-x/ allowed us to dramatically improve the crystallinity and orientation of the superconductor on both unprocessed and ion-milled substrates. Completed multilayer devices consistently exhibited resistively shunted Josephson junction behavior in patterned bridges and SQUIDs. >
Neural network detection and identification of electronic devices based on their unintended emissions

Electromagnetic emissions were measured from several radio receivers to demonstrate the possibility of detecting and identifying these devices based on their unintended emissions. Radiated fields from the different radio receivers have unique characteristics that can be used to identify these devices by analyzing time-frequency plots of measured radiation. A neural network was also developed for automated device detection.
Optimal Security Design

How should new securities be designed? Traditional theories have little to say on this: the literature on capital structure and general equilibrium theories with incomplete markets take the securities firms issue as exogenous. This paper explicitly incorporates the transaction costs of issuing securities and develops a model where the instruments that are traded are chosen optimally and the economy’s market structure is endogenous. Among other things, it is shown that the firm’s income stream should be split so that in every state all payoffs are allocated to the security held by the group that values them most.(This abstract was borrowed from another version of this item.)
Nonequilibrium Theory for Field-Flow Fractionation in Annular Channels

Abstract The principles of field-flow fractionation (FFF) and reasons for extending the FFF methodology from parallel-plate channels to annular channels (ANNCs) are briefly reviewed. A theory for the nonequilibrium plate height H of FFF zones in ANNCs is developed by extending the nonequilibrium theory of FFF to polar coordinates. The principal assumption in the theory is that component zones are localized near the ANNC walls by the general force F = A/rn , where A and n are constants and r is the radial coordinate. Equations for H are developed as functions of n, the inner-to-outer radius ratio of the ANNC, and the fundamental FFF parameter, γ. A closed-form analytical solution to H is obtained when n = 1; the n ≠ 1 solution must generally be expressed as a ratio of the integrals involved. These integrals can be approximated analytically, however, when γ ≪ 1. The functions for H are compared to their parallel-plate counterpart, and differences are rationalized.