cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
An Assessment of United States Ethanol Policy

This Open Access Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the CGU Student Scholarship at Scholarship @ Claremont. It has been accepted for inclusion in CGU Theses & Dissertations by an authorized administrator of Scholarship @ Claremont. For more information, please contact scholarship@cuc.claremont.edu. Recommended Citation Johnson, Mark Chapin, "An Assessment of United States Ethanol Policy" (2012). CGU Theses & Dissertations. Paper 24. http://scholarship.claremont.edu/cgu_etd/24
A Behavioral Model of Multilateral Bargaining and Holdout: Theory with Experimental Evidence

Bilateral monopoly, land assembly, and unanimous-consent Coasian bargaining present interesting strategic questions because they involve division of an economic surplus without competition to temper bargaining demands. We present a behavioral bargaining model in which payoff-maximizing proposers make offers to divide a surplus with one or more responders who are assumed to behave either strategically, or sincerely according to a minimum acceptable offer rule. We characterize equilibrium proposer and responder decisions under various scenarios regarding the number and type of responders, the number of bargaining periods, and the cost of delay. The model predictions are consistent with data from laboratory experiments.
Effects of Thyrotropin on Thyroidal Phospholipid and Adenosine 5'-Triphosphate Metabolism

Thyrotropin stimulates the incorporation of 32P into phospholipids of thyroid slices incubated with 32PO4. To determine whether this effect could be secondary merely to an increase in the specific activity of the terminal (γ) P of ATP, a precursor of phospholipid P, the effect of thyrotropin on calf thyroid slice ATP was measured with an assay which is selective for ATP-γ-32P specific activity. Thyrotropin increases the specific activity of lipid 32P uniformly without altering that of ATP-γ-32P, indicating that it exerts its effect at a step beyond ATP in the sequence of phospholipid biosynthesis. There was no significant effect of thyrotropin on the ATP content of thyroid slices.
A corollary to the silicic acid leakage hypothesis

[1] The silicic acid leakage hypothesis (SALH) attempts to explain part of the large and regular atmospheric CO2 changes over the last glacial-interglacial cycles. It calls for a reduction in the carbonate pump through a growth in diatoms at the expense of coccolithophorids in low-latitude surface waters, driven by a “leakage” of high-Si:N waters from the Southern Ocean. Recent studies that present low opal accumulation rates from the glacial eastern equatorial Pacific have challenged SALH. In a corollary to SALH, we argue that the key to SALH is the dominance of diatoms over coccolithophorids, and this does not depend on the magnitude of diatom production per se. In support of our claim, we show in a numerical model that atmospheric CO2 can be lowered with even a reduced absolute flux of silicic acid leakage, provided that Si:N in the leakage is elevated and that the excess Si can be used by diatoms to shift the floral composition in their favor.
Atmospheres of the Giant Planets

The Giant Planets - Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune - are fluid objects. They have no solid surfaces because the light elements constituting them do not condense at solar-system temperatures. Instead, their deep atmospheres grade downward until the distinction between gas and liquid becomes meaningless. The preceding chapter delved into the hot, dark interiors of the Jovian planets. This one focuses on their atmospheres, especially the observable layers from the base of the clouds to the edge of space. These veneers are only a few hundred kilometers thick, less than one percent of each planet's radius, but they exhibit an incredible variety of dynamic phenomena.
Opioids and the Treatment of Chronic Pain in a Primary Care Sample

Chronic pain is a widespread, difficult problem facing clinicians. This study assessed the current medical management of a general population of patients with chronic pain in 12 family medicine practices located throughout the state of Wisconsin. Medical record audits were conducted on a sample of 209 adults. Sixty-seven percent were female with an average age of 53 years. The most common pain diagnoses included lumbar/low back (44%), joint disease/arthritis (33%), and headache/migraine (28%) pain. The most frequently prescribed opioids were oxycodone/acetaminophen (31%), morphine ERT (19%), Tylenol #3 (15%), and hydrocodone/acetaminophen (14%). Depression/affective disorders were reported in 36% of the patient charts, anxiety/panic disorders (15%), drug abuse (6%), and alcohol abuse (3%). Written drug contracts were utilized by 42% (n = 31) of the practitioners, pain scales 25% (n = 29), and urine toxicology screens 8% (n = 6). This study suggests that primary care practitioners have unique opportunities to identify and successfully treat patients with chronic pain.
A cGMP-applicable expansion method for aggregates of human neural stem and progenitor cells derived from pluripotent stem cells or fetal brain tissue.

A cell expansion technique to amass large numbers of cells from a single specimen for research experiments and clinical trials would greatly benefit the stem cell community. Many current expansion methods are laborious and costly, and those involving complete dissociation may cause several stem and progenitor cell types to undergo differentiation or early senescence. To overcome these problems, we have developed an automated mechanical passaging method referred to as “chopping” that is simple and inexpensive. This technique avoids chemical or enzymatic dissociation into single cells and instead allows for the large-scale expansion of suspended, spheroid cultures that maintain constant cell/cell contact. The chopping method has primarily been used for fetal brain-derived neural progenitor cells or neurospheres, and has recently been published for use with neural stem cells derived from embryonic and induced pluripotent stem cells. The procedure involves seeding neurospheres onto a tissue culture Petri dish and subsequently passing a sharp, sterile blade through the cells effectively automating the tedious process of manually mechanically dissociating each sphere. Suspending cells in culture provides a favorable surface area-to-volume ratio; as over 500,000 cells can be grown within a single neurosphere of less than 0.5 mm in diameter. In one T175 flask, over 50 million cells can grow in suspension cultures compared to only 15 million in adherent cultures. Importantly, the chopping procedure has been used under current good manufacturing practice (cGMP), permitting mass quantity production of clinical-grade cell products.
Detection of HIV-1 proviral DNA in sperm from HIV-1-infected men.

ObjectiveSexual transmission is a major mode of the spread of HIV-1, although the cellular and molecular mechanisms are poorly defined. In this study, we sought to assess the cellular reservoirs of HIV-1 proviral DNA in the semen of HIV-1-infected men.Design and methodsAn in situ polymerase chain re
ELECTRONIC POLARIZABILITIES OF IONS

The dipole polarizability ${\ensuremath{\alpha}}_{d}$ and the quadrupole polarizability ${\ensuremath{\alpha}}_{q}$ have been calculated for several ions by solving the Schr\"odinger equation satisfied by the first-order perturbation of the wave functions of the electrons of the core. The results for ${\ensuremath{\alpha}}_{d}$ of the helium-like ions are in good agreement with those obtained previously by an analytic method. The calculated quadrupole polarizability ${\ensuremath{\alpha}}_{q}$ of the alkali ions increases very rapidly with increasing $Z$, from 0.056 ${\mathrm{A}}^{5}$ for ${\mathrm{Na}}^{+}$ to 7.80 ${\mathrm{A}}^{5}$ for ${\mathrm{Cs}}^{+}$.
A reevaluation of the role of glycerol in carbon translocation in zooxanthellae-coelenterate symbiosis

Glycerol has been traditionally viewed as the main form of carbon translocated from zooxanthellae to the coelenterate host. Most of this glycerol was postulated to be used by the coelenterate host for lipid synthesis. Recent work suggests that large amounts of photosynthetically fixed carbon is synthesized into lipid in the algae, and then translocated as lipid droplets to the host. These two hypotheses of carbon translocation are not mutually exclusive, but to reconcile them the role of glycerol must be reevaluated. In this study the short term metabolic fate of uniformly labelled 14C-glycerol, 14C-bicarbonate, and 14C-acetate was examined in zooxanthellae and coelenterate host tissue isolated from Condylactis gigantea tentacles. When host and algal triglycerides, synthesized during 90-min light and dark incubations in 14C-bicarbonate and 14C-acetate, were deacylated, more than 80% of the activity was found in the fatty acid moiety. In contrast, triglycerides isolated from zooxanthellae and coelenterate host tissue incubated in 14C-glycerol in the dark for 90 min were found to have more than 95% of their radioactivity in the glycerol moiety. During the 90-min 14C-glycerol incubations in the light, the percentage of radioactivity in the fatty acid moiety of zooxanthellae triglycerides increased to 37%. The percentage of radioactivity in the host tissue triglycerides fatty acid moiety stayed below 5% during the 90-min 14C-glycerol incubations in the light. These results show that neither the zooxanthellae nor the host can rapidly convert glycerol to fatty acid. Radioactivity from 14C-glycerol, which does eventually appear in host lipid, may have been respired to 14CO2, then photosynthetically fixed by the zooxanthellae and synthesized into lipid fatty acid.
Vorticity shedding and acoustic resonance in an in-line tube bundle part I: Vorticity shedding

Abstract An in-line tube array with intermediate tube spacings was tested in a wind tunnel and a water channel. Extensive flow visualization and correlation measurements were carried out to reveal the nature of the vorticity-shedding excitation. The instability of the jet issuing between the tubes is found to be the source of the vorticity-shedding excitation. The jet instability occurs at its symmetric mode, whereupon large-scale vortices are formed symmetrically on both sides of each flow lane. Since the jet instability in each flow lane is 180° out of phase with that in the neighbouring lanes, vortices are formed antisymmetrically in the tube wakes.
Importance of heat transfer from fluid film to stator in turbulent flow annular seals

Abstract An approximate analytical method is presented to examine the importance of heat transfer from the fluid film to the stator in turbulent flow annular seals. The seal is assumed to operate at a steady state and centered condition. An adiabatic shaft surface and a radial heat flow to the stator are considered. A global energy balance in the fluid film and the seal stator renders two one-dimensional problems which are solved simultaneously to obtain closed-form solutions. The analysis shows that the effects of heat transfer from the fluid film to the stator are controlled by the adiabatic number. A high value of the adiabatic number (greater than 10) means that the thermal energy flow through the stator is negligible. A numerical example shows that for cryogenic liquid turbulent flow annular seals typical of cryogenic turbopump applications, the heat generated in the fluid is carried away mainly by fluid advection while heat conduction through the stator is relatively small. Therefore, the fluid temperature-rise along the seal can be approximated by an adiabatic flow process assumption. The approximate analytical solution is compared with a full thermohydrodynamic analysis, where the three-dimensional heat conduction problem in the stator is solved by the boundary element method. The difference in results between the two methods is less than 3%.
Necrotizing enterocolitis — bench to bedside: novel and emerging strategies

Necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) is a devastating illness that predominantly affects premature neonates. The mortality associated with this disease has changed very little during the last two decades. Neonates with NEC fall into two categories: those who respond to medical management alone and those who require surgical treatment. The disease distribution may be focal, multifocal, or panintestinal. Surgical treatment should therefore be based on disease presentation. Recent studies have added significant insight into our understanding of the pathogenesis of NEC. Several groups have shown that upregulation of nitric oxide plays an integral role in the development of epithelial injury in NEC. As a result, some treatment strategies have been aimed at abrogating the toxic effects of nitric oxide. In addition, several investigators have reported the cytoprotective effect of epidermal growth factor, which is found in high levels in breast milk, on the intestinal epithelium. Thus, fortification of infant formula with specific growth factors could soon become a preferred strategy to accelerate intestinal maturation in the premature neonate to prevent the development of NEC. One of the most devastating complications of NEC is the development of short bowel syndrome (SBS). The current treatment of SBS involves intestinal lengthening procedures or bowel transplantation. A novel emerging method for treating SBS involves the use of tissue-engineered intestine. In laboratory animals, tissue-engineered small intestine has been shown to be successful in treating intestinal failure. This article examines recent data regarding surgical treatment options for NEC as well as emerging treatment modalities.
Reactions of acetylcholine receptor and esterase studied on the electroplax

Abstract The effects of various compounds acting on the acetylcholine-receptor or on the acetylcholine-esterase, or on both in the synaptic membrane of the monocellular electroplax preparation have been analyzed. Additional evidence has been obtained that the active sites of these two components are different. Physostigmine, 5 × 10 −5 M, potentiates the action of acetylcholine (ACh) to its maximal effect. At higher concentrations of physostigmine the action of ACh is antagonized, thus suggesting that the two compounds compete for the active site of the receptor. In the presence of physostigmine, 5 × 10 −5 M, strong spontaneous depolarizations of the membrane are triggered by indirect stimulation of 10 pulses/sec, due apparently to intramembraneous accumulation of ACh. The depolarizing effects of acetyl-, propionyl-, and butyrylcholine are about equally strong, although butyrylcholine is a much poorer substrate of ACh-esterase than the two other esters. Dimethylcarbamate is a more potent receptor activator than monomethylcarbamate. This is in contrast to their strengths as enzyme inhibitors. The depolarizing action of neostigmine has been compared with that of some of its analogs. The potency of these compounds as receptor activators changes in a direction opposite to their strength as inhibitors of ACh-esterase in solution. The d - and l -isomers of acetyl-β-methylcholine do not depolarize the membrane of the electroplax, but act as weak receptor inhibitors. The l -isomer is about 5 times as potent as the d -isomer. The lowest concentration of the d -isomer at which an inhibition of the response to carbamylcholine is observed is 7·5 × 10 −4 M.
Direct microdetermination of serum calcium.

Abstract A rapid micro method for the direct determination of calcium in serum is described wherein cresolphthalein complexone was employed as the color reagent and dimethyl sulfoxide as the organic solvent responsible for increased solubility of reagents and stabilization of the system. Jaundice, hemolysis and moderate lipemia did not appear to interfere with the determination. Chylous specimens could also be determined when a simple correction for turbidity was applied in a sample blank by chelating calcium with ethylene glycol bis-(2-aminoethyl ether) tetraacetic acid(EGTA). The effect of pH on the reaction in the described system was studied and optimization of the reagents was determined. An alternate procedure utilizing a rapid total destruction of the specimen by heat is also suggested. A good correlation was obtained for serum calcium values when the proposed direct technique was compared to an acid destruction technique and one using dialysis.
On the estimation accuracy of degree distributions from graph sampling

Estimating characteristics of large graphs via sampling is vital in the study of complex networks. In this work, we study the Mean Squared Error (MSE) associated with different sampling methods for the degree distribution. These sampling methods include independent random vertex (RV) and random edge (RE) sampling, and crawling methods such as random walks (RWs) and the widely used Metropolis-Hastings algorithm for uniformly sampling vertices (MHRWu). We see that the RW MSE is upper bounded by a quantity that is proportional to the RE MSE and inversely proportional to the spectral gap of the RW transition probability matrix. We also determine conditions under which RW is preferable to RV. Finally, we present an approximation of the MHRWu MSE. We evaluate the accuracy of our approximations and bounds through simulations on large real world graphs.
Spatial analysis of secular temperature fluctuations

The identification of global trends in secular temperature has resulted in various theories explaining temporal climatic fluctuations. Few investigators have attempted to regionalize these trends as derived from climatic statistics. This study attempts to: (1) review methodological problems inherent in the study of climatic fluctuations; (2) suggest a methodology to overcome some of the difficulties; and (3) develop discrete regions of temperature variation. The results presented in this study significantly complement the information derived by depicting large areal units by climatic summary statistics. Nine discrete regions of temperature trend are developed for the United States, and the contiguity of the resulting regions suggests that climatic fluctuations display distinct spatial patterns.
Racial/Ethnic disparities in depression and its theoretical perspectives.

The purpose of this review is to look at racial/ethnic disparities in the diagnosis of depression and its treatment and to explain the dynamics and causes of these racial/ethnic disparities in depression by looking at several theories, such as perceived racism, cultural competency, and other theories. Perceived racism is that the perceptions of an environmental stimulus as being racist affects the coping responses of ethnic/racial minorities, which alters psychological and physiological stress responses, and finally affects health outcomes negatively. A lower level of cultural competence can lead to health disparities. In addition, lower socioeconomic status and health care providers’ beliefs and behaviors about patients’ race/ethnicity and class can affect depressive symptoms as well as diagnosis and treatment. In order to reduce these racial/ethnic disparities in depression, diverse interventions should be developed to improve depression outcomes for ethnic minority populations based on these theoretical perspectives.
What an ecological approach can teach us

There is something remarkable about having been read with sensitivity and thoughtfulness by a sharp reader. I would like to begin by thanking Nathaniel Barrett for being such a reader.I like this p...
Rediocides B-E, potent insecticides from Trigonostemon reidioides

Four new congeners, rediocides B-E (2-5), of the previously reported rediocide A (1) were isolated from a methanol extract of the roots of the plant Trigonostemon reidioides. The structures of these minor analogues were elucidated by comparison of their NMR and mass spectral data with those of rediocide A and confirmed by extensive 2D NMR spectral analysis. They all possess potent activity against fleas (Ctenocephalides felis) in an artificial membrane feeding system and exhibited LD(90) values ranging from 0.25 to 0.5 ppm.
(1-x)SrBi2Ta2O9-xBi3Ti(TayNb1-y)O9 Layered Structure Solid Solutions for Ferroelectric Random Access Memory Devices

Thin films of layered-structure solid-solution material, (1−x)SrBi2Ta2O9−xBi3Ti(TayNb1−y)O9, have shown much improved ferroelectric properties compared to SrBi2Ta2O9, a leading candidate material for ferroelectric random access memory applications. The higher P r , higher T c , and lower crystallization temperature of the thin films of solid solution material promise to solve many problems with the present materials of interest. The films were fabricated by metalorganic solution deposition technique using room temperature processed alkoxide-carboxylate precursor solution and characterized in terms of structural, dielectric, and ferroelectric properties. It was possible to obtain a pyrochlore free crystalline phase at an annealing temperature of 600 °C. The effects of annealing temperature and excess Bi content on the film microstructure and properties were analyzed. The electrical measurements were conducted on metal-ferroelectric-metal (MFM) capacitors using Pt as the top and bottom electrode. It was possible to obtain good ferroelectric properties on films annealed at 650 °C. For example, thin films with 0.7SrBi2Ta2O9-0.3Bi3TiTaO9 composition, which were annealed at 650 °C, exhibited typical 2P r and E c values of 12.4 μC/cm2 and 80 kV/cm, respectively. The films exhibited low leakage current density, good fatigue characteristics under bipolar stressing at least up to 1010 switching cycles, and good memory retention characteristics after about 106 s of memory retention indicating a favorable behavior for memory applications.
Risk-benefit assessment of anticoagulant therapy.

Thromboembolic disease is a common medical condition which, if untreated, carries a significant risk of morbidity and mortality. Treatment with anticoagulant therapy, while clearly beneficial, may expose patients to potentially serious side effects. A thoughtful risk-benefit assessment is therefore crucial before initiating therapy. Thromboembolic disease involves syndromes of both the venous and arterial circulation, and its pathogenesis is best understood by considering the elements of Virchow’s Triad. This model defines the risk factors for venous thromboembolism and allows us to classify surgical and medical patients into low, moderate and high risk groups. Similar analysis allows risk assessment for patients prone to cardiogenic embolism resulting from nonvalvular atrial fibrillation, ischaemic heart disease, rheumatic heart disease and valvular prostheses. All anticoagulant therapy is prophylactic. Primary prophylaxis involves instituting anticoagulant therapy in patients at risk, before thromboembolism occurs, while secondary prophylaxis involves treating patients with established disease. The 2 major anticoagulants, heparin and warfarin, differ in their mechanism of action, mode of administration and methods of monitoring. Either may be used as primary or secondary prophylaxis. Heparin, because it acts immediately, is the drug of choice for the short term treatment of thromboembolic disease. Warfarin is the drug of choice for long term oral maintenance therapy. The principal complication of heparin therapy is haemorrhage, although thrombocytopenia and osteoporosis may also occur; the complications of warfarin include haemorrhage and skin necrosis. The risks of complications vary with the underlying thromboembolic disease. After the benefits of treatment are weighed against the risks of complications, recommendations for therapy can be established. The use of anticoagulants in pregnancy is especially complex. Here heparin is probably the preferred agent since, unlike warfarin, it does not cross the placenta and is nonteratogenic.
Immunofluorescent and histologic study of cold urticaria.

Biopsies of spontaneous and ice-induced wheals of five patients with cold urticaria showed two types of lesions: one with predominat neutrophils and one with predominant lymphocytes. Immunofluorescent studies of the five cases showed nonspecific finding in two cases and negative finding in three cases.
Dissolution of uric acid calculi with intravenous 1 6 molar lactate

Abstract The use of intravenous 16 molar sodium lactate for dissolution of uric acid calculi is reported in 4 patients. All presented with a urine pH of 5. The calculi were located in the proximal ureter in 2 patients and in the renal pelvis in the other 2 patients. After infusion of 16 molar lactate, rapid alkalinization of the urine to pH 8 was achieved and maintained. The mean time required for dissolution of the calculi was 6.2 days precluding the need for surgical intervention. The mechanism of action of lactate is oxidative conversion to bicarbonate, providing a sustained alkaline urine. While our patients experienced no metabolic complications, one should monitor serum electrolytes, blood pressure, and fluid balance, particularly in cardiac-compromised patients.
Joint approach for reducing eccentricity and spurious gravitational radiation in binary black hole initial data construction

At the beginning of binary black hole simulations, there is a pulse of spurious radiation (or junk radiation) resulting from the initial data not matching astrophysical quasi-equilibrium inspiral exactly. One traditionally waits for the junk radiation to exit the computational domain before taking physical readings, at the expense of throwing away a segment of the evolution, and with the hope that junk radiation exits cleanly. We argue that this hope does not necessarily pan out, as junk radiation could excite long-lived constraint violation. Another complication with the initial data is that they contain orbital eccentricity that needs to be removed, usually by evolving the early part of the inspiral multiple times with gradually improved input parameters. We show that this procedure is also adversely impacted by junk radiation. In this paper, we do not attempt to eliminate junk radiation directly, but instead tackle the much simpler problem of ameliorating its long-lasting effects. We report on the success of a method that achieves this goal by combining the removal of junk radiation and eccentricity into a single procedure. Namely, we periodically stop a low resolution simulation; take the numerically evolved metric data and overlay it with eccentricity adjustments; run it through an initial data solver (i.e. the solver receives as free data the numerical output of the previous iteration); restart the simulation; repeat until eccentricity becomes sufficiently low; and then launch the high resolution “production run” simulation. This approach has the following benefits: (1) We do not have to contend with the influence of junk radiation on eccentricity measurements for later iterations of the eccentricity reduction procedure. (2) We reenforce constraints every time the initial data solver is invoked, removing the constraint violation excited by junk radiation previously. (3) The wasted simulation segment associated with the junk radiation’s evolution is absorbed into the eccentricity reduction iterations. Furthermore, (1) and (2) together allow us to carry out our joint-elimination procedure at low resolution, even when the subsequent “production run” is intended as a high resolution simulation.
Cavity resonances and mutual coupling in concave waveguide arrays

A method is presented for the mutual coupling analysis of concave, circular cylindrical or spherical waveguide arrays. The array is considered as a set of waveguides that are coupled through a prefectly conducting, lossless cavity, which leads to an equivalent multiport network. The corresponding scattering matrix is obtained by matching the cavity and waveguide fields over the guide apertures and solving the resulting equation by Galerkin's method. In particular the complications are discussed, which arise from the possibly large number of degenerate, resonant cavity modes. A result obtained is the general condition that at a resonance the total aperture field (for all waveguide apertures) must be orthogonal to the set of degenerate, resonant cavity modes. This leads, with certain exceptions, to zero coupling between the guides whenever the total number of aperture modes (for all waveguides) is less than or equal to the number of resonant cavity modes.
Characterization of food proteins by capillary electrophoresis

Abstract A simple analytical method for characterization of food proteins by capillary electrophoresis (CE) has been developed. Major proteins in chicken eggs and cow's milk are characterized and can be quantitated by the CE technique. Egg white proteins are well resolved while the yolk shows a substantially more complex protein separation pattern than that in the egg white. Caseins and whey proteins in fresh milk were resolved by CE in a similar buffer system. Separation of both milk and egg proteins was performed reliably and reproducibly in an untreated fused-silica column, 25 cm × 20 μm I.D. Diluted egg or milk samples can be directly loaded on an automated instrument with on-line injection, detection and real-time data analysis in less than 10 min.
A Method of Evaluating Local Anesthetics

A method of evaluating local anesthetics, based on the response of albino rats to heat stimulus applied to the tail, is resented. Four local anesthetics were testel and the duration of anesthesia for a given dose was determined. A linear relationship was shown to exist between concentration and duration of anesthesia with procaine, Metycaine, and Nuercaine, but cocaine did not exhigit this same pattern.
Effect of lysophosphatidylcholine on vasomotor functions of porcine coronary arteries.

Background Lysophosphatidylcholine (LPC) is a product of phosphatidylcholine hydrolysis by phospholipase A2 and a mediator of the lipid-induced atherosclerotic changes. In this study, we determined the effects of LPC on vasomotor functions, oxidative stress, and endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) expression in porcine coronary arteries. Methods Porcine coronary arteries were cut into 5-mm rings and were treated with LPC or antioxidant selenomethionine (SeMet). For the vasomotor studies, we used a myograph tension system. Levels of superoxide anion (O2−) were detected by the lucigenin-enhanced chemiluminescence method. The eNOS protein level was studied by immunohistochemistry with avidin-biotin complex immunoperoxidase procedure. Results Endothelium-dependent relaxation in response to bradykinin was reduced by 36% and 81% for the rings treated with 12.5 and 25 μ m of LPC, respectively, as compared with controls (P m LPC (P m of LPC by 41% as compared with controls (P Conclusions LPC impairs endothelium-dependent and endothelium-independent vasorelaxation. This effect is associated with increased superoxide radical production and decreased eNOS activity and is practically reversed with the use of the antioxidant SeMet.
Progressive Welfare Reform? Ending General Assistance Cash Grants for Homeless People in San Francisco

This article examines Care-Not-Cash, a welfare reform measure that replaced cash General Assistance payments for homeless people in San Francisco with in-kind social services. Unlike most welfare reform measures, Care-Not-Cash was framed by proponents as a progressive policy, aimed at expanding social services and government care for poor people. Drawing on primary and secondary documents, as well as extensive interviews, this article examines the historical and political context leading to the passage of Care-Not-Cash. Care-Not-Cash represents a unique example of the way that the policy program of welfare reform is framed at the local level.
Application of evolutionary techniques to temporal classification of cloud systems using satellite imagery

The objective of this research is to automate the classification of the temporal behavior of storm cloud systems based on measurements derived from consecutive satellite images. The motivation behind this study is to develop improved descriptions of cloud dynamics which can be used in general circulation models for prediction of global climate change. Analysis was applied to the International Satellite Cloud Climatology Project (ISCCP) low resolution cloud top pressure database for the first six days in April 1989. A total of 296 midlatitude storm cloud components were tracked between consecutive 3-hour time frames. For each pair of components, temporal correspondence events were classified as either (1) direct, (2) merge, (3) split, or (4) reject. The reject class, which was used primarily to categorize pairs of unrelated systems, included storm cloud system dissipation and creation as well. Statistical, neural network, and evolutionary techniques were developed for finding solutions to the storm cloud correspondence problem. Evolutionary techniques applied to the problem consisted of (1) a constraint-handling hybrid evolutionary technique and (2) a genetic local search algorithm. The results demonstrate the potential of evolutionary techniques to yield meteorologically feasible solutions, given appropriate constraints, to the two- frame storm tracking problem.
Female infertility due to abnormal autoimmunity: frequently overlooked and greatly underappreciated. Part II

Part II of this article continues the presentation of evidence in support of the major impact of abnormal autoimmune function on human female reproduction. After concentrating on nonorgan-specific autoimmune conditions in Part I of this series, this article addresses organ-specific autoimmune conditions that cause female infertility. Based on literature searches, autoimmunity to endocrine organs appears to represent a significant cause of female infertility. This autoimmunity can be directed at both nonsteroid- and steroid-producing endocrine organs and can present as single-organ disease or in the form of multiple autoimmune endocrinopathies. As with nonorgan-specific autoimmunity, organ-specific autoimmunity demonstrates typical presentations, which include familial occurrence, genetic predisposition, commonality of occurrence with other autoimmune conditions and transition through pre-/subclinical stages on the way to overt clinical expression. In contrast to nonorgan-specific autoimmune conditions, or...
Monitoring Urban Freeway Incidents by Wireless Communications

The efficacy of the driver-initiated incident detection system was assessed by modeling the use of new communications technologies to mitigate problems that beset current cellular call-in programs, problems such as insufficient information on incident location, false reporting, and duplicate calls. An analytical model supported by field data for several important variables was used to determine the system performance measures, that is, the detection rate, mean time to detect, and false alarm rate. The results indicate that with the implementation of new technologies that lead to the automatic geolocation of the driver initiating an incident call, the driver-initiated detection system is effective. The system achieved good detection rates and faster detection times across all simulated incidents occurring under variable traffic flow rates that ranged from light traffic to congested traffic. For instance, even when the proportion of drivers with cellular phones was 1 out of 10, with only 10 percent of them ...
Insurer and employer views on pediatric obesity treatment: a qualitative study

Objective: The effectiveness of group-based comprehensive, multidisciplinary (stage 3) pediatric weight management programs is backed by a growing body of literature, yet insurance coverage of these programs is scarce to nonexistent, limiting their reach and long-term survival. The objective of this study was to better understand the perspectives of insurers and large employers on the issue of group-based treatment coverage. Design and Methods: The authors performed a qualitative study utilizing structured interviews with these stakeholders, following accepted techniques. Results: Six major themes emerged: cost, program effectiveness, corporate social responsibility, secondary parental (employee) benefits, coverage options and new benefit determination. Conclusion: Future efforts to secure payment for group-based pediatric weight management programs should address these key themes.
Pigeons' wait-time responses to transitions in interfood-interval duration: Another look at cyclic schedule performance.

Recent developments reveal that animals can rapidly learn about intervals of time. We studied the nature of this fast-acting process in two experiments. In Experiment 1 pigeons were exposed to a modified fixed-time schedule, in which the time between food rewards (interfood interval) changed at an unpredictable point in each session, either decreasing from 15 to 5 s (step-down) or increasing from 15 to 45 s (step-up). The birds were able to track under both conditions by producing postreinforcement wait times proportional to the preceding interfood-interval duration. However, the time course of responding differed: Tracking was apparently more gradual in the step-up condition. Experiment 2 studied the effect of having both kinds of transitions within the same session by exposing pigeons to a repeating (cyclic) sequence of the interfood-interval values used in Experiment 1. Pigeons detected changes in the input sequence of interfood intervals, but only for a few sessions—discrimination worsened with further training. The dynamic effects we observed do not support a linear waiting process of time discrimination, but instead point to a timing mechanism based on the frequency and recency of prior interfood intervals and not the preceding interfood interval alone.
An Unusual Case of Saline Contrast Injected in the Anterior Cubital Vein Appearing in the Left Heart Prior to the Right Heart

![Figure][1] [![Graphic][3] ][3][![Graphic][4] ][4] A 37-year-old man with a history of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma presented with fatigue, weight loss, and worsening anorexia. Due to a transient ischemic attack an echocardiogram was obtained demonstrating flow convergence across
Theoretical Model for Pyruvoyl-Dependent Enzymatic Decarboxylation of α-Amino Acids

The active site of histidine decarboxylase (HDC) has been modeled with both ab initio (MP2/6-31G(d)) and DFT (BH&HLYP/6-311G(d,p)) calculations. The results clearly point out the role of zwitterionic transition structures and the importance of hydrogen bonding interactions in enzymatic decarboxylation. A comparison between the gas-phase decarboxylation of aminoformylacetic acid (H(CO)CH(NH2)COOH) and the corresponding process in solution according to the supermolecule model approach with six water molecules is provided. This study analyzes the role of the proton distribution in lowering the reaction barrier in an intermediate Schiff base (H2CNCH2COOH) and its transition structure for decarboxylation (ΔE⧧ = 29.8 kcal mol-1 at the MP2/6-31G(d) level of theory). Electronic features displayed by the intermediate imine are analyzed by making use of models of increased complexity. The iminium ion functionality has been established to be the dominant factor in lowering the barrier for the decarboxylation of the ...
Paradoxical interventions in behavioral medicine

Abstract This article discusses the current and potential use of paradoxical interventions in behavioral medicine. Paradoxical interventions are considered to be of two types: intraindividual and interpersonal. Treatment indications differ for the two types of interventions. Intraindividual paradoxical interventions have been successful in the treatment of insomnia, psychogenic urinary retention and constipation. Interpersonal paradoxical interventions have been subjected to less empirical research, but have been useful in the treatment of anorexia nervosa and in family based interventions where medical patients maladaptively cope with their rehabilitation. Paradoxical procedures are also used in the treatment of sexual dysfunction and may be of value in pain management. Further possible applications as well as limitations of paradoxical interventions in behavioral medicine are discussed.
The power of stories over statistics.

Neonatal jaundice and infant safety on aeroplanes provide two lessons on the power of narrative, rather than statistical evidence, in determining practice I've always been more comfortable with numbers than with narrative, demanding data rather than accepting anecdotes. Recently, however, as a result of research in two unrelated areas—neonatal jaundice and infant safety on aeroplanes—I've been increasingly impressed with the power of stories over statistics. So I've decided to branch out from my usual publication format and tell a few stories of my own. The jaundice story is one of me trying to treat jaundice in newborns according to the best evidence. Ironically, the more of an expert on the evidence I have become, the more difficulty I have practising according to that evidence. This is because becoming a “jaundice expert” means becoming familiar with rare but tragic stories of children with kernicterus. These stories are so powerful that it is hard to keep them from trumping other evidence in determining practice. My neonatal jaundice story starts in the early 1980s, when I was a resident in paediatrics at the University of California, San Francisco. At that time, we treated babies with phototherapy when they had bilirubin concentrations above 14 mg/dl (239 μmol/l), and did exchange transfusions for concentrations above 20 mg/dl (342 μmol/l). Unfortunately, the early 1980s was not a good time to be transfusing blood in San Francisco. Although we did not know it then, the blood supply was contaminated with HIV. We also did not know that most of these exchange transfusions were unnecessary. ![][1] There's a story behind the “kinder, gentler” treatment thresholds for jaundice in newborns Credit: JAMES STEVENSON/SPL In 1983, in an article entitled “Bilirubin 20mg/dL = vigintiphobia,” Watchko and Oski questioned the “fear of twenty” that led to exchange transfusions for jaundice in healthy … [1]: /embed/graphic-1.gif
Comparison of the results of trapeziometacarpal arthrodesis and arthroplasty in men with osteoarthritis of the trapeziometacarpal joint

Summary Thirty-five men with disabling osteoarthritis at the base of the thumb had 47 thumb reconstructions, including 16 arthrodeses, 12 cemented metal-plastic implants, 6 Swanson condylar implants, 1 Kessler implant, 5 Swanson trapezium implants, and 7 tendon interposition arthroplasties. The mean age was 55 years, the minimum follow-up was 2 years, and the mean follow-up was 52.6 months. Mean pinch strength improved from 6.5 kg preoperatively to 7.2 kg postoperatively. Two-thirds of the patients were completely satisfied with the results of the operation. Results were poorer in patients who did heavy work. Choice of procedure had little effect on strength and satisfaction.
A nonlinear dynamical theory for heterogeneous, anisotropic, elasticrods

A large deformation, small-strain theory is presented for heterogeneous, transverse isotropic, elastic rods with pre-twist. The theory is applicable to practical problems related to the dynamics of cable systems, helicopter blades, space antennae, and similar structures. Two elementary examples are included: reduction of the general theory to particular differential equations governing the planar, steady-state towing of cables, and the steadystate motion of helicopter rotor blades.
The degree of coverage of silver cathodes with adsorbed atomic hydrogen during hydrogen evolution in alkaline solutions

Abstract A method has been devised whereby fractions of a monolayer of adsorbed H, corresponding to the steady state concentration of H upon Ag electrodes during the evolution upon them of electrolytic H 2 , may be measured to an accuracy of about 25%. It utilizes galvanostatic charging techniques to obtain the total quantities of electricity utilized in dissolving H anodically from the electrode under conditions when oxide is also formed upon it, and a further galvanostatic charging process by which a correction for the oxide formation can be made. Rigorous experimental conditions must be employed. Special techniques have been employed in preparing the surface of Ag electrodes in a reproducible state, in preparing the solution in a state relatively free from depolarizers, and in changing the mode of polarization of the electrode from constant cathodic current to constant anodic current in 2 μsec. The results are strongly dependent upon the current density of the anodic charging process, and reach a constant low value when this is sufficiently high. At an over-potential of −400 mV on Ag in o.r N NaOH, about 10% of the electrode surface is covered with H. The degree of coverage varies logarithmically with the current density of cathodic polarization. The presence of 10 −4 moles/l As 2 O 3 in the solution increases the steady state concentration of H by about 250%. The potential at which H dissolution commences, and the variation of the steady state coverage of the electrode, are consistent only with a rate-determining discharge of protons from water molecules, followed by a recombinative desorption. “Reduced rate constants” for the discharge and combinative desorption are calculated.
Image registration issues in the analysis of multiple injection 15 O H 2 O PET studies: BRAINFIT

Spatial registration of functional and structural data is a vital first step in the regional analysis of images obtained from functional imaging techniques. We present a set of procedures that produce accurate, objective, and robust registrations between PET and MR images that are highly automated and user-friendly. These techniques have been shown to be both reliable and valid. Because the method is automated and therefore efficient, each injection of the PET experiment can be individually fit to overcome errors introduced because of subject movement between PET injections.© (1994) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Qualification & reliability monitoring for small quantity ASIC populations

The authors present a discussion of the issues and an approach for qualification and reliability monitoring for small quantity ASICs used in long lifetime applications. Special attention is given to issues associated with sub-100 nm technologies and the unique challenges posed by new materials and processes.
Shock-wave effect on anterior segment structures following experimental neodymium:YAG laser iridectomy.

Abstract The short-pulse laser may prove superior to the argon laser in producing noninvasive iridectomies. Little is known of the effects of the laser shockwave on anterior segment structures adjacent to the iris. To investigate this question, iridectomies were produced in two owl monkeys using a neodymium (Nd):YAG laser and tissues were evaluated by light microscopy and scanning and transmission electron microscopy. For purposes of comparison, one eye received an iridectomy produced by an argon laser. Results indicate that while clean iris colobomas can be produced with a well-focused Nd:YAG laser, its shock-wave affects tissues in both the trabecular meshwork and corneal endothelium if the iridectomy is located within 0.8 mm of the limbus. No damage to the trabecular meshwork or corneal endothelium was evident after the argon laser iridectomy.
Advanced Ovarian Carcinoma Managed in an HIV-Positive Patient

This is the first report of ovarian cancer developing in a patient with HIV infection. The patient had Stage IIIC, grade 2, serous ovarian carcinoma. Aggressive therapy consisting of primary cytoreduction, high-dose platinum-based chemotherapy, and second-look laparotomy was well tolerated. The patient's CA-125 level quickly normalized but microscopic disease was found at second-look laparotomy. Although ovarian carcinoma has not been reported in the HIV-positive population, the incidence is likely to increase as the HIV-positive patient population ages and the epidemic in women continues. Aggressive primary therapy can result in a significant response; however, further experience and follow-up will be necessary to determine if there is decreased survival in this patient group as has been reported with other HIV-associated malignancies.