cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Oligopsony/oligopoly power and factor market performance

This paper is concerned with the economic performance of factor markets in an oligopsony/ oligopoly setting. Firm arid industry indexes are developed to measure factor market price distortions caused by exerted oligopsony/oligopoly power. These measures indicate that the elasticity of output demand, the elasticity of input supply, and the input and output conjectural elasticities determine the degree of non-competitive performance in factor markets. It is also shown that under special conditions the firm index equals the Lerner index and the industry index equals the Herfindahl-Hirschman index.
Desires and Faculties in Plato and Aristotle

In Goodness and Justice: Plato, Aristotle, and the Moderns, Gerasimos Santas offers a wonderfully comprehensive interpretation of Platonic and Aristotelian theories of the good.1 Central to this interpretation is the distinction between desire satisfaction theories of the good and functional/perfectionist theories of the good. Plato rejects the former and defends the latter; Aristotle subscribes to both. Santas’ emphasis on the difference between the two types of theories of the good and the way these are dealt with in Plato’s and Aristotle’s accounts of the human good has many implications for the interpretation of Platonic and Aristotelian philosophy. In this paper, I shall look at only one of the many subjects Santas addresses—Plato’s and Aristotle’s conception of desire.
The effect of EPA enforcement funding on private-sector pollution-control investment

The paper estimates the effects of the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) enforcement budget upon the demand for pollution-control equipment in the private sector. There are two possible effects. A direct effect occurs when the enforcement budget is used for inspections that result in enforced compliance requiring additional pollution control equipment. A second effect is anticipatory, and arises from the private sector's objective of minimizing expected costs due to fines imposed by the EPA for infractions of pollution-control requirements. This component of demand depends, in part, on the EPA enforcement budget. We find that increases in the EPA budget increase the demand for pollution-abatement equipment. This in turn implies that increases in the EPA enforcement budget have been effective in mitigating pollution.
Tissue-specific versus cell type-specific expression of the glial fibrillary acidic protein.

Abstract Expression of the glial cell-specific gene encoding glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) is regulated in a tissue-specific (neural tissue versus other tissues) as well as a cell type-specific (glial cell versus neuron) manner. Using a family of rat neurotumor RT4 cell lines in which neuronal/glial differentiation occurs in vitro, along with cell lines of different tissue origins, we identified by transient- and permanent-transfection assays two negative regulatory regions, GFAP downstream regulators 1 and 2 (GDR1 and GDR2). Both regions lie 3' of the transcription start site; GDR1 is in a 2.7-kb region extending from the first intron through the fifth exon, and GDR2 is within 1.7 kb 3' of the polyadenylylation site. GDR1 alone is responsible for tissue-specific expression (suppression in nonneural tissues), while both GDR1 and GDR2 are necessary for cell type-specific expression (suppression in neuronal cells).
J‐Curve: Singapore versus her Major Trading Partners

There are limited number of studies which have tried to test the J-Curve phenomenon for Singapore either using aggregate trade data between Singapore and rest of the world or bilateral trade data between Singapore and one or two of her trading partners. These studies have provided mixed results. In this article, we revisit the issue and consider the short-run and long-run effects of real exchange rate depreciation of Singapore dollar on her trade balance with each of her 13 main trading partners. Using quarterly data over the period 1973I–2009IV and bounds testing method to cointegration and error-correction modelling we find support for the J-Curve in four of 13 cases.
Neurobiology and pharmacology of Huntington's disease

Abstract Huntington's disease (HD) is an autosomal dominant, symptomatically complex neurological disorder which, although normally manifested in the adult years, has been reported at all ages (1). Because of the dominant nature of the disorder, offsprings of an effected individual have a 50% probability of developing the disease at some time in their life. At present it is neither possible to accurately predict which at-risk individuals possess the gene for HD nor is it possible to prevent the onset of the disease or arrest its progress. In the past few years research on HD has yielded significant information about the neuroanatomical and neurochemical deficits present in the disorder. As a result of these studies, it is probable that in the near future more specific and effective pharmacological agents will be developed to help ameliorate the symptoms of this disease. In addition, these investigations have also yielded new insights into the interneuronal relationships which exist in the normal human brain and thus the findings are of fundamental importance in neurobiology. This review is intended to briefly summarize the clinical, neuropathological, neurochemical and pharmacological features of HD with special emphasis on more recent findings. Interested readers are urged to consult other sources for more comprehensive discussions of these topics. (1–3,8).
Can we attend to large and small at the same time

Evidence from several sources suggests that visual attention is tuned to stimulus scale. This tuning impairs performance when the observer must attend to more than one scale at a time. In experiments originally designed to measure the bandwidth of attention to stimulus scale, we have found tasks in which observers show no attentional tuning for scale. In separate blocks, observers located or identified targets in arrays of elements, either numbers in arrays of letters or static squares in arrays of flashing squares. Each display contained two arrays, either of the same scale or of different scales. The accuracy of locating the target element was lower in mixed-scale than in single-scale displays, but the accuracy of identifying the target was unaffected by a mixing of scales within the same display. This holds for both high-level discriminations—numbers vs letters—and low-level discriminations—static vs flashing. Thus, at least for identifying, one can attend to large and small at the same time. The difference in bandwidth between “what” and “where” implies that stimulus identification is not dependent on prior localization.
Wnt signaling--20 years and counting.

Abstract The Keystone Symposium on ‘Wnt and β -catenin Signaling in Development and Disease' was held in Taos, New Mexico, USA, from 5 to 10 March 2002.
Reading Hamlet Upside Down: The Shakespeare Criticism of Natsume Sōseki

In 1907 Natsume Sōseki resigned from Tokyo University, where he held a prestigious professorship in English literature. This decision to abandon his career as an Occidentalist scholar and instead write the novels that would make him the greatest author and poster-child of Meiji Japan was, this paper suggests, motivated in part by his frustrations with the English cult of Bardolatry. This paper illustrates that Sōseki's negative opinions of Shakespeare crystalized as a result of his contact with W. J. Craig and Lafcadio Hearn. In particular, Sōseki disputes Hearn's dubious claims that Shakespeare's literary genius is simultaneously universal and the result of inherited racial memory. To undercut this cant, Sōseki audaciously attempts to criticize Shakespeare from a “Japanese point of view”. In doing so, he reveals how Shakespeare's work reflects a European weltanschauung, and that his rhetorically dense verse, larger-than-life protagonists, and supernatural flourishes grate against the contemporary vogue f...
Rapid reduction of Legionella pneumophila on stainless steel with zeolite coatings containing silver and zinc ions.

Aims: To determine the rate of reduction of Legionella pneumophila by stainless steel surfaces with zeolite ceramic coatings containing 2·5% (w/w) silver (Ag) and 14% zinc (Zn) ions. Methods and Results: Stainless steel pans with and without Ag/Zn coatings were inoculated with solutions of Leg. pneumophila ATCC 33155 and incubated at 37 °C. Survival was monitored using the spread-plate technique on selective buffered charcoal yeast extract agar. Significant reductions of Leg. pneumophila were effected by the Ag/Zn zeolite coatings within 2 h of exposure. Conclusions, Significance and Impact of the Study: Zeolite ceramic Ag/Zn coatings impart significant anti-Legionella properties to stainless steel surfaces. Coated stainless steel could be used in the manufacture of air ducts, condensation pans and intake and exhaust vents. These products have the potential to reduce numbers of Legionella in air-handling systems.
Improved implicit integrators for transient impact problems: geometric admissibility within the conserving framework

The value of energy and momentum conserving algorithms has been well established for the analysis of highly non-linear systems, including those characterized by the nonsmooth non-linearities of an impact event. This work proposes an improved integration scheme for frictionless dynamic contact, seeking to preserve the stability properties of exact energy and momentum conservation without the heretofore unavoidable compromise of violating geometric admissibility as established by the contact constraints. The physically motivated introduction of a discrete contact velocity provides an algorithmic framework that ensures exact conservation locally while remaining independent of the choice of constraint treatment, thus making full conservation equally possible in conjunction with a penalty regularization as with an exact Lagrange multiplier enforcement. The discrete velocity effects are incorporated as a post-convergence update to the system velocities, and thus have no direct effect on the non-linear solution of the displacement equilibrium equation. The result is a robust implicit algorithmic treatment of dynamic frictionless impact, appropriate for large deformations and fully conservative for a range of geometric constraints. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
DEVELOPMENT OF SHORT-TERM OPERATIONAL PLANNING MODEL FOR TRANSIT SERVICE ANALYSIS

The subject is an integrated model of transit demand and supply that accounts for the interrelationships between ridership and service. The model consists of a set of equations in which ridership is predicted as a function of service and then service is predicted as a function of demand. In addition, the model accounts for interroute relationships by considering the competing or complementary nature of various routes within a transit system. The model proceeds through a series of iterative demand-and-supply computations to determine the appropriate service parameters and corresponding ridership levels for individual transit routes. The input variables include socioeconomic, demographic, and transit system data. The model has been implemented within a userfriendly, menu-driven software environment and has been applied on a test-case basis in the Volusia County area of Florida. The case-study results are very encouraging—the model predicted ridership on individual routes with an average absolute percent err...
Observation of three electronic transitions in Cd(S,Se) nanocrystals by modulation spectroscopy

Abstract We report absorption and electromodulated transmission spectra for a series of CdS0.44Se0.56 nanoparticle/glass composites in which the average particle radius was varied from less than 2 nm to more than 6 nm by thermal treatment. We observe at least three distinct modulation peaks which shift with particle size. Tow of these peaks have been previously identified but we believe that the third is a new observation in electromodulation spectroscopy. We discuss the size-dependence of the energy, spectral shape, and magnitude of these modulation peaks.
Enhancement of encephalomyeloradiculitis in mice sensitized with spinal cord tissue and infected with lactate dehydrogenase-elevating virus.

Summary C57BR/cdJ mice develop encephalomyeloradiculitis following peripheral inoculation of the C strain of lactate dehydrogenase-elevating virus (LDV-C). We investigated the effect of subcutaneous administration of syngeneic spinal cord homogenate mixed with phosphate buffered saline or emulsified in complete or incomplete Freund's adjuvant 1 week before or after inoculation of LDV-C on the incidence and severity of central nervous system lesions. C57BR/cdJ mice developed an acute histological allergic encephalomyelitis when given 2 weekly sensitizing injections of homogenate in complete Freund's adjuvant. When peripheral inoculation of LDV-C was substituted for one of the two sensitizing injections, a higher percentage of mice developed lesions, and the lesions were more severe and persisted for much longer periods of time. This same lesion-enhancing effect was not observed if the mice were sensitized with homogenate suspended in buffer or emulsified in incomplete Freund's adjuvant. Interestingly, mice sensitized with complete Freund's adjuvant alone before or after infection with LDV-C also developed intense central nervous system lesions, suggesting that the mycobacterial component of the adjuvant was the critical element in enhancing the lesions.
Weak Ties, Information, and Influence: How Workers Find Jobs in a Local Russian Labor Market:

In 1973 Granovetter formulated the strength-of-weak-ties hypothesis (SWT), which became the foundation of a vast sociological literature on social networks in labor markets. Until now, SWT has neve...
An incremental algorithm for irreducible decompositions of monomial ideals (abstract only)

Irreducible decompositions of monomial ideals are of interest in several areas. We present an incremental algorithm, which computes decompositions of ideals by adding one generator at a time. The new algorithm improves the Alexander dual and Scarf complex methods. A novel feature of the algorithm is that the intermediate storage used never exceeds the output size.
A Library Staff Becomes a Team

Abstract The staff of the Management & Economics Library of the Krannert Graduate School of Management at Purdue University used group problem solving techniques developed by The Institute of Cultural Affairs (ICA) to redesign the floor plan of the circulation, periodicals, and reference areas of the library to best utilize the space. The ToPtm (Technology of Participation) planning process utilizes visualizing, brainstorming, and clustering of ideas. Its planning process consists of five workshops: mapping out the practical vision; analyzing the underlying contradictions; setting the strategic directions; designing the systematic action plan; and drawing up the implementation timeline. Each of these workshops is described in part one of this article. Part two describes the implementation of the changes and includes a list of changes, their associated costs, and goals they accomplished. The appendix includes before and after floor plans
Honour among communists: ‘The glorious name of Trotsky's train’

Trotskii's train was a unique institution in the Russian civil war. Archival documents reveal much about the internal organisation of the train and the behaviour of its personnel. An overview of crimes and infractions committed by train personnel leads to insights concerning the moral order of this exemplary Bolshevik institution. The practical limitations of the Utopian values of Trotsky and his followers became clear with the transition to NEP.
Plectin-1 is a biomarker of malignant pancreatic intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasms.

Introduction Pancreatic intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasms (IPMN) are now identified with increasing frequency. The detection of carcinoma in IPMN is difficult and suffers from high false-positive and false-negative rates, often resulting in inappropriate treatment decisions. Improved detection of malignancy using novel biomarkers may therefore improve diagnostic accuracy. One such promising novel biomarker is Plectin-1 (Plec-1).
Simulating belief systems of autonomous agents

Autonomous agents in computer simulations do not have the usual mechanisms to acquire information as do their human counterparts. In many such simulations, it is not desirable that the agent have access to complete and correct information about its environment. We examine how imperfection in available information may be simulated in the case of autonomous agents. We determine probabilistically what the agent may detect, through hypothetical sensors, in a given situation. These detections are combined with the agent's knowledge base to infer observations and beliefs. Inherent in this task is a degree of uncertainty in choosing the most appropriate observation or belief. We describe and compare two approaches - a numerical approach and one based on defeasible logic - for simulating an appropriate belief in light of conflicting detection values at a given point in time. We discuss the application of this technique to autonomous forces in combat simulation systems.
Confinement-induced changes in magnetic behavior of a Ti monolayer on Pt

Abstract Density functional theory is used to examine the magnetic properties of a Ti monolayer over Pt when is brought in contact with a Pt surface, at distances of 4–12 A. The average magnetic moment of the Ti film decreases sharply as the surface–surface separation decreases, coincident with migration of surface electrons towards the gap, surface d-band broadening, and decrease of the density of states at the Fermi level. The phenomenon is analyzed using the Stoner criterion that correlates the ferromagnetic behavior with exchange splitting and density of states at the Fermi level obtained from a paramagnetic calculation.
Effect of latanoprost on the expression of matrix metalloproteinases and their tissue inhibitors in human trabecular meshwork cells.

PURPOSE. To determine the effect of latanoprost on the expression of human matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) and tissue inhibitors of metalloproteinases (TIMPs) in the trabecular meshwork (TM). METHODS. Total RNA was isolated, and qualitative RT-PCR was performed to detect the mRNA of MMPs and TIMPs in human TM tissue and explant cultures of TM endothelial cells. Cultures of TM cells were treated with vehicle control or latanoprost acid for 24 hours. Real-time RT-PCR of cell cultures from five different donors was performed to determine relative changes in expression. GAPDH served as an endogenous control. RESULTS. The mRNA of MMP-1, -2, -3, -11, -12, -14, -15, -16, -17, -19, and -24 and of TIMP-1 to -4 was present in TM tissue and cultures of TM cells. MMP-9 was not found. In control TM endothelial cells, the relative expression of MMP mRNA were MMP-2 and -14 MMP-16, -19, and -24 MMP-15 MMP-11 and -17 MMP-1 and -3 MMP-12. The relative expressions of TIMP mRNA were TIMP-1 TIMP-2 and -3 TIMP-4. Latanoprost increased MMP-1 (in four of five cultures), MMP-3 (in four of five cultures), MMP-17 (in three of five cultures), MMP-24 (in all five cultures), TIMP-2, -3, and -4 expression (in three of five cultures); MMP-11 and -15 were downregulated. CONCLUSIONS. Contrary to the expected result, latanoprost seems to have a significant effect on TM cells. The transcription of the genes for MMP-1, -3, -17, and -24 is increased by latanoprost treatment. TIMP-2, -3, and -4 are also upregulated. The upregulation of these TIMPs may compensate for the increase of those MMPs. The absence of MMP-9 and concurrent upregulation of a greater number of TIMPs may explain the limited
Rapid Genotyping of Common MeCP2 Mutations with an Electronic DNA Microchip Using Serial Differential Hybridization

Rett syndrome is a neurodevelopmental disorder that affects females almost exclusively, and in which eight common point mutations on the X-linked MeCP2 gene are knows to cause over 70% of mutation-positive cases. We explored the use of a novel platform to detect the eight common mutations in Rett syndrome patients to expedite and simplify the process of identification of known genotypes. The Nanogen workstation consists of a two-color assay based on electric hybridization and thermal discrimination, all performed on an electronically active NanoChip. This genotyping platform was tested on 362 samples of a pre-determined genotype, which had been previously identified by a combination of DHPLC (denaturing high performance liquid chromatography) and direct sequencing. This genotyping technique proved to be rapid, facile, and displayed a specificity of 100% with 3% ambiguity. In addition, we present consecutive testing of seven mutations on a single pad of the NanoChip. This was accomplished by tagging down two amplimers together and serially hybridizing for seven different loci, allowing us to genotype samples for seven of the eight common Rett mutations on a single pad. This novel method displayed the same level of specificity and accuracy as the single amplimer reactions, and proved to be faster and more economical.
Control of collisionless and collisional processes by nonresonant laser fields

The presence of coherent radiation fields can modify various atomic, ionic, and molecular processes. Cases were examined where the changes can be effected without actual absorption or emission of photons. The radiation fields cause optical Stark shifts of the energies and dress the nonadiabatic couplings between states. Rates of processes such as dissociation, predissociation, atomic and molecular collisions can be radiatively controlled. Formation of new avoided crossings due to radiative interaction gives rise to new phenomena. B exact numerical results from which the influences of the radiation field on arbitrary configurations can be calculated, and simple but accurate analytic results, from which these effects can be conveniently assessed are given. It is shown that the inelastic transition probability is decreased at a true crossing and is increased at an avoided crossing as a result of the presence of the nonresonant radiation field. Furthermore, for two parallel levels with constant nonadiabatic coupling, it is shown that the amplitudes of the nonadiabatic transition are invariant, but its flopping frequency is reduced by the field. Depending on the kinds of final measurements with the field on or off, general behaviors of the inelastic transition probability as a function of the field parameters andmore » the charge-system parameters are predicted and the possibility of inversion (from a field-free value of less than 1/2 to a value greater than 1/2) is demonstrated. Experimental investigation with iodine molecules is suggested. Comparison of nonperturbative results with those of stationary perturbation theory shows that the latter is inadequate in an important parameter region where the field modification of processes is greater than 1%.« less
On “On Education and Geographers: The Role of Cognitive Developmental Theory in Geographic Education'’by Roger M. Downs, Lynn S. Liben, and Debra G. Daggs

(1990). On “On Education and Geographers: The Role of Cognitive Developmental Theory in Geographic Education'’by Roger M. Downs, Lynn S. Liben, and Debra G. Daggs. Annals of the Association of American Geographers: Vol. 80, No. 1, pp. 123-124.
Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) suppression of glucocorticoid receptor phosphorylation does not account for repression of transactivation

Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV)-induced bronchiolitis in infants, although inflammatory in nature, is not responsive to glucocorticoids. We have recently shown that RSV-infected lung epithelial cells have impaired glucocorticoid receptor (GR)-mediated transactivation. In this study, we show that the N-terminal region of GR is required for RSV repression of GR transactivation and that RSV infection of lung epithelial cells reduces ligand-dependent GR phosphorylation at serine 211 and serine 226. However, we also show that these changes in GR phosphorylation do not account for the RSV repression of GR transactivation suggesting other regions of the GR N-terminus must also be involved.
A robust satisficing feedback strategy for autonomous navigation

The authors present a robust algorithm for dynamic navigation of autonomous mobile robots (AMRs) using local feedback information. The structure of a previously proposed algorithm (see D. Feng and B.H. Krogh, 1989) is reviewed which uses the concept of a satisficing strategy to make steering decisions while the AMR is moving. The original feedback algorithm is modified to guarantee collision avoidance in the presence of limited sensor range, sensor and servo errors, and computational delays for processing online sensor data to update the internal map of the local visible environment. Details of the approach are presented for an omnidirectional AMR and a conventionally steered AMR. Simulation examples demonstrate the robustness of the feedback algorithm for realistic sensor and servo errors and computational delays. >
New pharmacological agents for arrhythmias.

Despite advances in catheter ablation techniques and device-based therapies for cardiac arrhythmias, antiarrhythmic drugs remain essential components of any comprehensive therapeutic strategy. Antiarrhythmic drug therapy, however, has been limited by both incomplete efficacy and a substantial potential for cardiac and extracardiac toxicity. As a result, only a few new antiarrhythmic agents have successfully completed clinical development programs and reached routine clinical usage over the past 20 years. Antiarrhythmic drugs may be indicated for ventricular tachycardia, sudden death prevention, or specific types of supraventricular arrhythmia. Implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) therapy has evolved as the primary treatment for most life-threatening ventricular arrhythmias, and antiarrhythmic drugs for these rhythms are currently mostly used either as acute interventions or as adjuncts to chronic ICD therapy. Although numerous trials have evaluated the effect of antiarrhythmic drugs to decrease ICD shocks or therapies, such data have yet to provide the sole basis for approval for any new agent. At the same time, drug therapy for atrial arrhythmias is often limited by the drug’s simultaneous effects on the ventricles, which has led to efforts to identify ionic channel targets specific to or preferentially located in the atria. The sustained outward K+ current (IKur, encoded by the Kv 1.5 subunit), the acetylcholine-activated outward K+ current (IKAch), and both peak and late atrial Na+ currents have therefore become potential targets for antiarrhythmic drug developers.1–4 Another approach has been to seek agents that synergistically affect multiple channels simultaneously, resulting in a net beneficial effect while minimizing toxicity. Other nontraditional targets for drug therapy that do not directly involve ion channels have also emerged as our understanding of the mechanisms of arrhythmias has improved. As a result, several new compounds are now at or near completion of phase 3 clinical trials, and other promising …
RNA folding and ribosome assembly

Ribosome synthesis is a tightly regulated process that is crucial for cell survival. Chemical footprinting, mass spectrometry, and cryo-electron microscopy are revealing how these complex cellular machines are assembled. Rapid folding of the rRNA provides a platform for protein-induced assembly of the bacterial 30S ribosome. Multiple assembly pathways increase the flexibility of the assembly process, while accessory factors and modification enzymes chaperone the late stages of assembly and control the quality of the mature subunits.
Performance assessment of optimal filtering of the high resolution electrocardiogram

The high resolution electrocardiogram (HRECG) currently requires ensemble averaging of 200-600 beats to produce a high fidelity signal estimate. An optimal filter in the setting of the time-frequency plane has the potential to enhance the signal-to-noise ratio of the ensemble average significantly. Unfortunately, optimal filters often introduce unacceptable signal distortion. The authors report a performance assessment of the time-frequency plane optimal filtering method. The perspective is of improving overall signal fidelity while reducing noise, with intended superior performance compared to ensemble averaging. >
Recent developments in catalytic antibodies.

(1993). Recent Developments in Catalytic Antibodies. International Reviews of Immunology: Vol. 10, No. 2-3, pp. 229-240.
The horseshoe estimator for sparse signals

This paper proposes a new approach to sparsity called the horseshoe estimator. The horseshoe is a close cousin of other widely used Bayes rules arising from, for example, double-exponential and Cauchy priors, in that it is a member of the same family of multivariate scale mixtures of normals. But the horseshoe enjoys a number of advantages over existing approaches, including its robustness, its adaptivity to dierent sparsity patterns, and its analytical tractability. We prove two theorems that formally characterize both the horseshoe’s adeptness at large outlying signals, and its super-ecient rate of convergence to the correct estimate of the sampling density in sparse situations. Finally, using a combination of real and simulated data, we show that the horseshoe estimator corresponds quite closely to the answers one would get by pursuing a full Bayesian model-averaging approach using a discrete mixture prior to model signals and noise.
Magnetic field simulation from a voltage source

A finite-element program has been developed to digitally simulate the dynamic response of solenoids to a specified voltage trace. The evolution of the magnetic field is modeled complete with eddy currents and saturation effects. The motion of the solenoid's plunger in response to mechanical and magnetic forces is incorporated into the solution for the magnetic field. Moreover, these effects are coupled with the electrical driving circuit whose inductance is unknown (and varying).
The transverse nasal line: an embryonic fault line

The transverse nasal line has long been neglected and frequently overlooked. This narrow pink or hyperpigmented line or groove extends transversely between the upper two-thirds and the lower third of the nose. It is often hereditary and may be the locus of comedones and milia. Eighteen examples are reported by us, along with a possible embryological interpretation.
Racial Variation in Prostate Cancer Incidence and in Hormonal System Markers Among Male Health Professionals

Background: Racial variation in prostate cancer incidence in the United States is pronounced, with African-American men having the highest rates. Whether differences in the distribution of known or suspected risk factors among racial groups explain this variation is unknown. Methods: We evaluated prospectively the relation between prostate cancer and race among 45 410 U.S. male health professionals aged 40–75 years in 1986. We used multivariable, pooled logistic regression to adjust the rate ratio (RR) for potential dietary and lifestyle risk factors. We also measured circulating levels of steroid hormones, sex hormone-binding globulin, and vitamin D metabolites and length of the androgen receptor gene CAG repeat in a sample of African-American (n = 43), Asian (n = 52), and white (n = 55) participants and assessed variation by race in these possible prostate epithelial cell growth mediators by use of analysis of variance. Statistical tests were two-sided. Results: The age-adjusted RR for prostate cancer was 1.73 (95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.23– 2.45) for African-American men compared with white men. After multivariate adjustment, the RR increased to 1.81 (95% CI = 1.27–2.58). The rate of prostate cancer did not differ between Asians and whites. Steroid hormone and 1,25dihydroxyvitamin D levels did not vary appreciably by race. However, the mean number of androgen receptor gene CAG repeats was lower among African-Americans (mean ± standard deviation = 20.1 ± 3.5) than among whites (22.1 ± 3.1; P = .007) and Asians (22.1 ± 3.9; P = .009). Conclusions: Our results confirm the elevated incidence of prostate cancer among African Americans and show that it is not explained by differences in the distribution of possible dietary and lifestyle risk factors in this cohort. Racial variation in length of the androgen receptor gene CAG repeat may explain a small part of the excess risk of prostate cancer among African-American men in this cohort. [J Natl Cancer Inst 2000; 92:2009–17] Racial variation in prostate cancer rates in the United States is pronounced, with African-Americans having an incidence rate 1.5 times that of whites and nearly three times that of men of Asian origin (1). The prostate cancer mortality rate for AfricanAmerican men is twice that of white men, and stage-specific survival in African-American men is poorer than in white men
Power-aware test: Challenges and solutions

Power-aware test is increasingly becoming a major manufacturing test consideration due to the problems of increased power dissipation in various test modes as well as test implications that arise due to the usage of various low-power design technologies in devices today. Several challenges emerge for test engineers and test tool developers, including (and not restricted to) understanding of various concerns associated with power-aware test, development of power-aware design-for-test (DFT), automatic test pattern generation (ATPG) techniques, and test power analysis flows, evaluation of their efficacy and ensuring easy/rapid deployment. This paper highlights concerns and challenges in power-aware test, surveys various practices drawn from both academia and industry, and points out critical gaps that need to be addressed in the future.
Pediatric AIDS: Problems within Problems

NOTE FROM DR. MERLE A. SANDE-Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection in children continues to emerge as a major health crisis, presenting practicing clinicians with unique problems, different from those associated with HIV infection in adults. Dr. Philip A. Pizzo, chief of the Pediatric Branch and head of the Infectious Disease Section of the National Cancer Institute, has made major contributions to our understanding of the diagnosis, management, and treatment of pediatric AIDS. We have asked Dr. Pizzo to review this important topic in this AIDS Commentary.
Genetic measurement theory of epistatic effects

Epistasis is defined as the influence of the genotype at one locus on the effect of a mutation at another locus. As such it plays a crucial role in a variety of evolutionary phenomena such as speciation, population bottle necks, and the evolution of genetic architecture (i.e., the evolution of dominance, canalization, and genetic correlations). In mathematical population genetics, however, epistasis is often represented as a mere noise term in an additive model of gene effects. In this paper it is argued that epistasis needs to be scaled in a way that is more directly related to the mechanisms of evolutionary change. A review of general measurement theory shows that the scaling of a quantitative concept has to reflect the empirical relationships among the objects. To apply these ideas to epistatic mutation effects, it is proposed to scale A x A epistatic effects as the change in the magnitude of the additive effect of a mutation at one locus due to a mutation at a second locus. It is shown that the absolute change in the additive effect at locus A due to a substitution at locus B is always identical to the absolute change in B due to the substitution at A. The absolute A x A epistatic effects of A on B and of B on A are identical, even if the relative effects can be different. The proposed scaling of A x A epistasis leads to particularly simple equations for the decomposition of genotypic variance. The Kacser Burns model of metabolic flux is analyzed for the presence of epistatic effects on flux. It is shown that the non-linearity of the Kacser Burns model is not sufficient to cause A x A epistasis among the genes coding for enzymes. It is concluded that non-linearity of the genotype-phenotype map is not sufficient to cause epistasis. Finally, it is shown that there exist correlations among the additive and epistatic effects among pairs of loci, caused by the inherent symmetries of Mendelian genetic systems. For instance, it is shown that a mutation that has a larger than average additive effect will tend to decrease the additive effect of a second mutation, i.e., it will tend to have a negative (canalizing) interaction with a subsequent gene substitution. This is confirmed in a preliminary analysis of QTL-data for adult body weight in mice.
Hyperspace analysis of left ventricular function

The canonical variables required to fully characterize ventricular function are its pressure (P) and volume (V), and their derivatives dP/dt, dV/dt. The 4-dimensional hyperspace spanned by P, V, dP/dt, dV/dt allows analysis of the left ventricular dynamics and has been a source for discovery of novel physiologic relationships. In this study we assess the physiologic information contained in the dP/dt vs. V plane of physiologic hyperspace. Using normal and diabetic murine P-V data, we characterize the maximum dP/dt (dP/dt/sub max/) vs. end-diastolic volume (V/sub ed/) and minimum dP/dt (dP/dt/sub min/) vs. end-systolic volume (V/sub es/) relationship. We observed that both dP/dt/sub max/ and dP/dt/sub min/ are highly linearly correlated with V/sub ed/ and V/sub es/ respectively (r/sup 2/ = 0.94, r/sup 2/ = 0.91). To fully elucidate this relationship an analog kinematic mathematical model was employed. Modeling results indicate that the observed linear dP/dt/sub min/ vs.V/sub es/ relation reflects the maximal rate of stiffness decrease, whereas the observed linear dP/dt/sub min/ vs. V/sub ed/ relation reflects the maximal rate of stiffness increase. We conclude that hyperspace analysis of ventricular hemodynamics facilitates discovery/characterization of novel physiologic relationships.
The Ex-Slave in the Post-Bellum South: A Study of the Economic Impact of Racism in a Market Environment

Immediately after the Civil War, southern landowners attempted to preserve the plantation system by offering to hire the newly freed ex-slaves on an annual contract for wages. However, serious problems soon developed. Foremost among these were difficulties engendered by views of white landlords and white overseers regarding the performance of the free black labor. Because they insisted that blacks were incapable of working productively without strict controls and corporal punishment, the landlords were convinced that only the workgang-overseer organization of the slave regime would be feasible. Many freedmen, quite naturally, were reluctant to work under conditions approximating those of slavery. Perhaps the landlord who would have preferred to hire wage labor might have succeeded had he been willing to offer higher wages. However, his views of black productivity inhibited him from doing so, and this approach was soon abandoned.
Tomato spotted wilt virus Identified in Desert Rose in Florida

Desert rose (Adenium obesum (Forssk.) Roem. & Schult), a member of the family Apocynaceae, is characterized by fleshy stems and leaves and colorful flowers. This exotic ornamental, originally from southeast Africa, is propagated vegetatively and is a perennial in warm climates. Virus-like foliar symptoms, including chlorotic ring and line patterns, were observed in the fall of 2004 on one of five stock plants being maintained in a greenhouse in Fort Pierce, FL. Inclusion body morphology suggested the presence of a Tospovirus in the symptomatic plant, and Tomato spotted wilt virus (TSWV) was specifically identified in this plant using a commercially available double antibody sandwich-enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (DAS-ELISA; Agdia, Elkhart, IN). TSWV was not detected in symptomless desert rose plants nor was Impatiens necrotic spot virus detected in any of the plants using DAS-ELISA. Graft transmission of TSWV to other desert rose plants was successful. Sequence analysis of a nucleocapsid (N) protein gene fragment amplified by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) with primers TSWV723 and TSWV722 (1) from total RNA of the symptomatic plant confirmed the diagnosis. Nucleotide and deduced amino acid sequences of a 579-bp region of the RT-PCR product were 95 to 99% and 95 to 100% identical, respectively, to TSWV N-gene sequences in GenBank. No product was amplified from symptomless plants. Since these 3-year-old plants were grown on-site from seed and only expressed symptoms 2 months following damage to the greenhouse by hurricanes Frances and Jeanne, it is likely that viruliferous thrips were introduced from local vegetable or ornamental production areas during or following the storms. To our knowledge, this is the first report of TSWV infection of desert rose in Florida, although TSWV was observed in this plant in Europe approximately 10 years ago (3,4). Because of the wide distribution of TSWV in the United States, the increasing popularity of desert rose, and the recent identification of Cucumber mosaic virus in this host (2), attention to sanitation and insect vector management is merited during desert rose propagation and production. References: (1) S. Adkins and E. N. Rosskopf. Plant Dis. 86:1310, 2002. (2) C. A. Baker et al. Plant Dis. 87:1007, 2003. (3) J. Mertelik et al. Acta Hortic. 432:368, 1996. (4) J. Th. J. Verhoeven and J. W. Roenhorst. Acta Hortic. 377:175, 1994.
A cost-effective semisupervised classifier approach with kernels

In this paper, we propose a cost-effective iterative semisupervised classifier based on a kernel concept. The proposed technique incorporates unlabeled data into the design of a binary classifier by introducing and optimizing a cost function in a feature space that maximizes the Rayleigh coefficient while minimizing the total cost associated with misclassified labeled samples. The cost assigned to misclassified labeled samples accounts for the number of misclassified labeled samples as well as the amount by which they are on the wrong side of the boundary, and this counterbalances any potential adverse effect of unlabeled data on the classifier performance. Several experiments performed with remotely sensed data demonstrate that using the proposed semisupervised classifier shows considerable improvements over the supervised-only counterpart.
Minilaparotomy vs Laparoscopic Hysterectomy: Comparison of Length of Hospital Stay

Abstract Study Objective To compare length of hospital stay for minilaparotomy vs laparoscopic hysterectomy. Design Retrospective cohort study (Canadian Task Force classification II-2). Setting Kaiser Permanente Northern California, a large integrated health care delivery system. Patients Women >18 years of age undergoing laparoscopic or minilaparotomy hysterectomy because of benign indications from June 2009 through January 2010. Intervention Hysterectomy via minilaparotomy or laparoscopy. Measurements and Main Results Medical records were reviewed for outcomes of interest including length of stay and surgical and demographic data. Parametric and non-parametric analyses were used to compare the 2 groups. The study was powered to detect a difference of 8 hours in length of stay. Two hundred sixty-three cases were identified as hysterectomy via minilaparotomy (n = 100) or laparoscopy (n = 163). The laparoscopy group demonstrated a significantly shorter mean (SD) length of stay (19 [14] hours vs 42 [20] hours; p Conclusion Compared with minilaparotomy, laparoscopic hysterectomy is associated with shorter length of hospital stay, longer operating time, and no increased patient morbidity.
Maturation of the coagulation system during childhood

Abstract Recent advances in tertiary care pediatrics have significantly increased the survival of children with complex pathologic disorders which were previously frequently fatal. Paradoxically, these advances in treatment have led to an increased frequency of acquired haemorrhagic and thrombotic disorder in these children. As the hemostatic system in children is profoundly different from that in adults, knowledge about developmental hemostasis is essential for optimal prevention and treatment of hemostatic disorders in children. The current paper reviews the development of pro- and anticoagulant systems throughout childhood.
Disordered gambling, type of gambling and gambling involvement in the British Gambling Prevalence Survey 2007.

Background: The purpose of this study was to examine the relationships between types of gambling and disordered gambling, with and without controlling for gambling involvement (i.e. the number of types of games with which respondents were involved during the past 12 months). Methods: We completed a secondary data analysis of the 2007 British Gambling Prevalence Survey (BGPS), which collected data in England, Scotland and Wales between September 2006 and March 2007. The sample included 9003 residents, aged 16 or older, recruited from 10 144 randomly selected addresses. 5832 households contributed at least one participant. Post-facto weighting to produce a nationally representative sample yielded 8968 observations. The BGPS included four primary types of measures: participation in gambling (during the past 12 months and during the past 7 days), disordered gambling assessments, attitudes toward gambling and descriptive information. Results: Statistically controlling for gambling involvement substantially reduced or eliminated all statistically significant relationships between types of gambling and disordered gambling. Conclusions: Gambling involvement is an important predictor of disordered gambling status. Our analysis indicates that greater gambling involvement better characterizes disordered gambling than does any specific type of gambling.
Perceived Experiences With Sexism Among Adolescent Girls

This study investigated predictors of adolescent girls’ experiences with sexism and feminism. Girls (N = 600; M = 15.1 years, range = 12–18), of varied socioeconomic and ethnic backgrounds, completed surveys of personal experiences with sexual harassment, academic sexism (regarding science, math, and computer technology), and athletics. Most girls reported sexual harassment (90%), academic sexism (52%), and athletic sexism (76%) at least once, with likelihood increasing with age. Socialization influences and individual factors, however, influenced likelihood of all three forms of sexism. Specifically, learning about feminism and gender-conformity pressures were linked to higher perceptions of sexism. Furthermore, girls’ social gender identity (i.e., perceived gender typicality and gender-role contentedness) and gender-egalitarian attitudes were related to perceived sexism.