cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Causes and Consequences of Rate Regulation in the Auto Insurance Industry

This paper examines various explanations for the increase in the degree of regulation of the auto industry in the last ten years. Using cross section data for the State of California, the paper confirms earlier findings for the State of Massachusetts that the demand for auto insurance is highly price elastic. This implies that regulation induced price rollbacks (such as those mandated by California's popular initiative Proposition 103) have significant welfare effects. We explain the increase in regulation in two ways: a) As an attempt to lower rates to deal with the problem of the uninsured motorist. b) More fundamentally as a response to the perceived lack of fairness of the sharp increase in premiums in the 1980s. This perception of lack of fairness arises because, although auto insurance costs rose sharply in the 1980s, most buyers of auto insurance have no claims in any ten year period. Thus most buyers have only last year's premium as a reference point with which to judge the fairness of this year's premium. The hypothesis that the increase in regulation is driven by a perception of unfairness is tested by analyzing the cross county voting pattern on Proposition 103. Voting in favor of price regulation is positively correlated with the level of insurance premium. This result is consistent both with the view that voting behavior is based on self interest and with the view that the increased demand for regulation is driven by concerns that the large disparity in premiums across counties is unfair.
Effect of Folacin Deficiency on Folacin-binding Proteins in the Rat

The effect of experimental folacin deficiency on the uptake and distribution of radioactive folic acid in the rat was investigated. Less radioactivity was taken up by livers of deficient rats than controls 24 hours after intraperitoneal injection of [3H]-folic acid, although more radioactivity was incorporated by the brain and kidneys of deficient rats. The distribution of radioactivity among the three folacin-binding proteins of rat liver cytosol and the binding protein of mitochondria was also studied. In deficiency, very little radioactivity was incorporated into cytosol binding proteins I and II, while more radioactivity was incorporated into cytosol binding protein II and the mitochondrial binding protein. A decrease in the endogenous folacin associated with all protein-bound and free forms was seen in deficiency with the major decrease coming at the expense of unbound folacin, and cytosol binding protein I. This latter protein may have a primary storage role in the liver.
Earprint Comparison: Admissibility of Evidence in Court

The admissibility of the conclusion an examiner reached comparing anatomical features observed in a crime scene latent earprint of unknown provenance with corresponding features that may exist in the known image of a suspect's ears has long been a contentious issue in courts that operate in an adversarial system of justice based on Common Law. This article explores the two major appellate-level decisions on that issue, both of which concluded that the earprint comparison evidence offered in the cases should not have been admitted as evidence. Some further analysis of legal principles that may come into play in such cases is also presented. Keywords: earprints; ear marks; opinion evidence; admissibility of; scientific conclusions; impression evidence
Parallel algorithms for optimal data allocation in a dynamic CIM network

An efficient, massively parallel optimization technique is developed for solving the dynamic data allocation problem in medium to large scale applications such as computer integrated manufacturing (CIM) systems. This method is based on a significantly reduced feasible state search space. A statistical evaluation framework compares the performance of the proposed technique with other dynamic data allocation strategies. Algorithms are actually implemented for a variety of I/O task activation scenarios, with the number of task activation nodes ranging from 50 to 250. The overall performance of the proposed method has a significant improvement over other optimization strategies, especially as the number of task activation nodes increases. >
A Case Study of Mainstream Protestantism: The Disciple's Relation to American Culture, 1880–1989. Ed. by D. Newell Williams. (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans and St. Louis: Chalice Press, 1991. xii + 578 pp. Paper, $39.95, ISBN 0-8028-0540-X.)

A comprehensive study looks at the Disciples' past, present, and visions for the future, with a wealth of historical, sociological, statistical, and theological information. (pb)
Comparison of realistic and symmetry-determined S and D pairs for 156Gd.

The scalar and quadrupole pairs obtained for the nucleus $^{156}\mathrm{Gd}$ using a realistic interaction are compared with those corresponding to the imposition of various shell-model symmetries, including those of the topical fermion dynamical symmetry model. Evidence is found for the validity of a pseudospin (1/2 decomposition of the single-particle levels, but the other symmetries discussed do not give a good description of the realistic pairs.
Subcultural differences in alcohol use among youth

A specifically designed anonymous questionnaire concerning the use of alcoholic beverages was given to all young people in residence at the San Diego Job Corps Center. Corpsmembers ( n = 335), age 16–22 years (mean 18.7 years) completed the questionnaire. There were 67 Caucasians, 65 Blacks, 111 Hispanics, 69 Indochinese, and 23 others. Eighty-five percent of the corpsmembers reported drinking alcohol 1–5 times weekly during the previous six months, and 14% reported average weekend binges of more than 20 drinks. Sixty percent of the adolescent drinkers reported medical, legal, or vocational problems as a result of their drinking. Some striking differences were noted in the drinking habits of the four major subcultural groups represented: 1) Caucasian males began serious drinking at an earlier age than Black, Hispanic, or Indochinese youth; 2) more Hispanic youth than others used multiple drugs in addition to marijuana, which was commonly used by all adolescent drinkers; and 3) recently immigrated Indochinese youth indicated that they had turned to alcohol as a means of forgetting past experiences.
On the source of Gulf Stream nutrients

[1] Along density surfaces, nutrient concentrations in the Gulf Stream are elevated relative to concentrations to either side of the current. We assess the source of these elevated nutrient concentrations in the western boundary current using historical hydrographic data. The analysis is extended to the separated Gulf Stream with four hydrographic sections recently occupied as part of the Climate Variability and Predictability Program (CLIVAR) Mode Water Dynamics Experiment. The results of this analysis suggest that imported, extrasubtropical waters are the primary source of the elevated nutrient concentrations. Because the high nutrient signature is likely imported, diapycnal mixing need not be invoked to explain the Gulf Stream’s high nutrient concentrations, as had been proposed in the past. Moreover, nutrients do not increase along the length of the stream, further suggesting that the stream’s high nutrient signature is imported rather than manufactured by processes within the current. The imported nutrients are likely advected into the North Atlantic within the low-salinity water masses that contribute to the shallow limb of the meridional overturning circulation. Thus the availability of nutrients in the North Atlantic may be linked to upstream processes in the tropics and possibly the Southern Hemisphere as well as to variability in the volume of imported water and its distribution in density space.
Postoperative Delirium and Functional Decline After Noncardiac Surgery

Objectives: To determine whether delirium after noncardiac surgery is associated with functional decline 3 months postoperatively. Design: Secondary analysis of a prospective study. Setting: Thirteen hospitals in eight countries. Participants: One thousand two hundred eighteen individuals aged 60 and older undergoing noncardiac surgery. Measurements: Participants were interviewed before surgery and 3 months postoperatively using six items pertaining to social and independent function. Functional decline was determined according to a loss in function in at least one item at the 3-month assessment from baseline. Postoperatively, a trained interviewer assessed delirium daily using a standardized battery. The primary outcome of this analysis was an examination of the risk of functional decline with delirium. Results: Of the 948 participants who completed functional assessment at 3 months, 20% (n = 189) had a decline in function. In unadjusted analysis, postoperative delirium increased the odds of functional decline (odds ratio (OR) = 2.4, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.4�4.2). After adjustment for age, sex, education, cognition, and surgery duration, delirium remained associated with functional decline (OR = 2.1, 95% CI = 1.2�3.8). Conclusion: Although considered an acute event, delirium can have lasting functional consequences. Clinicians should give strong consideration to preoperative delirium risk assessment, delirium prevention strategies, and delirium surveillance programs after noncardiac surgery.
Assembly of a dike-fed magma chamber: The Jackass Lakes pluton, central Sierra Nevada, California

The mechanisms of ascent, assembly, and emplacement of granitic magma in the crust are critical to understanding the dynamics of continental margin growth, yet these mechanisms remain controversial and poorly understood. Detailed study of structural and petrologic fabrics in the middle Cretaceous Jackass Lakes pluton-wall-rock system, central Sierra Nevada, California, coupled with U-Pb geochronology, indicates that the pluton formed via sheet-like assembly of a dike-fed magma chamber. Final emplacement of the pluton was facilitated by multiple brittle and ductile mechanisms that were active at different times and places within the system; this supports hybrid viscoelastic emplacement models as realistic alternatives to end-member models (i.e., dike versus diapir). Fracture propagation, which initiated ≈40% of the space required for emplacement, may have been facilitated by a small component of arc-parallel dextral shear that produced north-northwest-striking tension gashes. A combination of ductile wall-rock shortening during lateral expansion of sheets, and return flow of elongate, strongly deformed wall-rock septa, produced an additional ≈25% of the space required. Other mechanisms, including coeval formation of the overlying Minarets caldera and stoping in the subvolcanic part of the magma chamber, must account for the remaining ≈35% space, implying that vertical transfer of material is an important emplacement mechanism at shallow crustal levels.
Enteric MRI contrast agents: Comparative study of five potential agents in humans

Abstract We compared the effectiveness of 1 mM Geritol, 12% corn oil emulsion, Kaolin-pectin, single contrast oral barium sulfate, and effervescent granules as enteric magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) contrast agents. Five volunteers were recruited. Each volunteer ingested for examinations, separated by at least one week, either 500 ml of each of the liquid preparations or two packets of the CO2 granules (producing 400 ml of CO2 per packet). Abdominal MR images were then obtained using a 1.5 T Magnetom imager and SE 550/22, SE 2000/45/90 and FISP 40/18/40° pulse sequences. The oil emulsions were best tolerated. Barium sulfate caused the greatest amount of nausea, followed by Geritol and Kaolin-pectin. With FISP 40/18/40°, 60%–80% of the small bowel was well delineated using oil emulsion, Kaolin-pectin, or barium sulfate. We conclude that oil emulsion was by far the best enteric MR contrast agent in our study. Good delineation of the small bowel and pancreas can be achieved using oil emulsion and gradient echo pulse sequences. The lack of side-effects and the excellent taste make it highly acceptable to human subjects.
State-dependent sensorimotor processing: gaze and posture stability during simulated flight in birds.

Vestibular responses play an important role in maintaining gaze and posture stability during rotational motion. Previous studies suggest that these responses are state dependent, their expression varying with the environmental and locomotor conditions of the animal. In this study, we simulated an ethologically relevant state in the laboratory to study state-dependent vestibular responses in birds. We used frontal airflow to simulate gliding flight and measured pigeons′ eye, head, and tail responses to rotational motion in darkness, under both head-fixed and head-free conditions. We show that both eye and head response gains are significantly higher during flight, thus enhancing gaze and head-in-space stability. We also characterize state-specific tail responses to pitch and roll rotation that would help to maintain body-in-space orientation during flight. These results demonstrate that vestibular sensorimotor processing is not fixed but depends instead on the animal's behavioral state.
Fluid-pressure variations and fault creep in central California☆

Abstract Observations of the change of water level in wells near the San Andreas fault in centra California indicate that there are pore-pressure changes associated with the process of fault creep. The sense of water-level and pore-pressure changes may indicate the direction of creep propagation.
Characterization of nucleic acids in peanut cotyledons.

Methylated albumin column chromatography was used to fractionate nucleic acids from peanut cotyledons. Six nucleic acid fractions were characterized by their 32 P turnover, effect of actinomycin D on synthesis and their association with subcellular fractions.
Optical transitions and nature of Stokes shift in spherical CdS quantum dots

We study the structure of the energy spectra along with the character of the states participating in optical transitions in colloidal CdS quantum dots (QDs) using the ab initio accuracy charge patching method combined with the folded spectrum calculations of electronic structure of thousand-atom nanostructures. In particular, attention is paid to the nature of the large resonant Stokes shift observed in CdS quantum dots. We find that the top of the valence band state is bright, in contrast with the results of numerous k {center_dot} p calculations, and determine the limits of applicability of the k {center_dot} p approach. The calculated electron-hole exchange splitting suggests the spin-forbidden valence state may explain the nature of the ''dark exciton'' in CdS quantum dots.
Semiconducting polymers based on charge-transfer complexes. II. Crystal structure of poly-N-4-[4-(methylthio)phenoxy]butyrylethylenimine

Of the two electron-donor-containing polymers whose synthesis was described in Part I of this series, one was crystalline. This polymer, which contains (methylthio)phenoxy electron-donating groups on the side chains of an N-acyl-substituted polyethylenimine, could be indexed in a triclinic unit cell of dimensions a = 4.35 A, b = 24.0 A, c = 12.7 A, and α = β = γ = 90°. The polymer has the side chains alternating on each side of the polymer backbone. They extend to form at 24.0 A repeat in that direction. The thickness of the ribbonlike molecule is 4.35 A, while the repeat distance along the polymer backbone is 12.7 A, which includes four monomer units.
Doxycycline treatment reduces ischemic brain damage in transient middle cerebral artery occlusion in the rat

Agents that inhibit leukocyte adhesion including intercellular adhesion molecule-1 antibodies (anti-ICAM-1) have shown beneficial effects in experimental central nervous system (CNS) ischemia. Doxycycline inhibits leukocyte function in vitro by binding divalent cations and reduces spinal cord reperfusion injury. The authors used a clinically relevant model of focal CNS reperfusion injury to test whether treatment with doxycycline would reduce cerebral ischemic damage and improve functional outcome. Reversible middle cerebral artery occlusion was produced in adult Sprague-Dawley rats by advancing a filament into the internal carotid artery for 2 h. Animals received either i.p. doxycycline (10 mg/kg) (N = 13) or saline (N = 11) 30 min before ischemia, followed by 10 mg/kg every 8 h x 6. Both functional assessment (5 point neurologic scale) and infarct volume was evaluated at 48 h. Functional efficacy: doxycycline 0.5 +/- 0.2 (mean +/- SE) vs control 1.3 +/- 0.3 (p = 0.03). Infarct volume: doxycycline 56 +/- 18 mm3 vs control 158 +/- 44 mm3 (p = 0.03); This protective effect supports the role of doxycycline in reducing CNS reperfusion injury.
Social systems and social complexity in relation to interdisciplinary policymaking and planning

Jay W. Forrester has shown that computer simulation indicates that the intuitive models usually invoked to deal with planning contingencies lead to basically erroneous results. This is because the real world systems, of which the web of socio-economic-environmental organization (WSEEO) is now, perhaps, of major significance to the future of man, are multi-loop, nonlinear feedback systems whose structures run counter to the intuitive, simplistic models usually invoked for studying and dealing with our global, environmental problems. In addition, planning and policymaking also frequently ignore “system breaks” that have rendered the models invoked obsolescent and non-isomorphic to the segment of the real world with which a planner is concerned. Planning models are needed that will change with time, in recognition of the system breaks that are occurring, sometimes over relatively short periods. These system breaks often lead to unstable parameters in the more simplistic models employed. The important task in planning and policymaking is to capture accurately the structures of the complex systems for which we are trying to plan. In this sense the determination of the particular values of the parameters of our models is less important than the task of developing models that approximate the real-world structure with ever greater, structural precision. In the case of developmental, economic planning, we find that adding more of the existing types of technologies and manufacturing processes to the world's capital stock, through efforts to industrialize underdeveloped economies, increases the pollution and degradation of the world-wide WSEEO. This adds another pitfall to developmental planning which—if it is to escape contributing to pollution and degradation of the WSEEO—must avoid the conventional, currently existing capital-stock framework. Appropriate, developmental planning must try to develop technologies and modes of industrialization that reduce global pollution and ecological degradation and which, at the same time, minimize the amount of unrecycled waste poured into local regions of the planet's environment. In short, models for planning and policy-making must more and more be of the multi-loop, nonlinear type and must incorporate unconventional technologies and industrial processes not of the type that is commonly found in the West. Some of the basic objectives and requirements of such models for the planning and policy sciences are briefly suggested by the author.
Why is diversification an attractive farm adjustment strategy? Insights from Texas farmers and ranchers

Abstract State agencies have been encouraging the development of different enterprises to diversify farm incomes in an effort to retain farmers in business, attract new entrants to agriculture and promote regional development. Entrepreneurship and farming are known to be driven by a complex set of goals including those which are economic and intrinsic in nature. However, little information is available regarding the set of goals that drive agriculture entrepreneurship, preventing state agencies to adequately target potential diversifiers. This paper provides a better understanding of the range of goals, both financial and nonfinancial, that are important in farmers' decisions to diversify their operations. The generation of additional income, the continuance of farming and ranching, and the enhancement of quality of life are among the most important diversification goals in Texas. A principal component factor analysis performed on the importance ratings of diversification goals resulted in six dimensions: (F1) Reduce Uncertainty and Risk; (F2) Grow and Service Markets; (F3) Enhanced Financial Condition; (F4) Individual Aspirations and Pursuits; (F5) Revenues Enhancement; and (F6) Family Connections. The study also examined the relationship between various entrepreneur and farm characteristics and the goal pursuit dimensions. Operator's age, number of generations the farm had been in the family, household income, number of farm employees, and distance to an urbanized area influence types of goals pursued through diversification.
SeaWiFS detector and gain calibrations: four years of on-orbit stability

The SeaWiFS Project uses daily on-orbit detector and gain calibrations to address issues which arise from the bilinear gain in the SeaWiFS radiometric response function. The bilinear gains provide high sensitivity over the ocean while preventing saturation over clouds or land. The bilinear gains are implemented by averaging the output from three high-sensitivity ocean detectors and one low-sensitivity cloud detector for each band. The calibration issues are: 1) the applicability of time corrections computed from lunar data obtained at one set of instrument gains to ocean data obtained at a different set of gains; and 2) the applicability of time corrections computed from data obtained with all four detectors in each band to the cloud detector alone. The Project uses the gain calibration to monitor the SeaWiFS gain ratios over time. The gain ratios for each detector are computed from measurements at each gain of a constant voltage injected into the post-detector electronics. The gain ratios are stable to within 0.1% over the course of the mission. The Project uses the detector calibrations to compare the response of individual detectors within each band to the response of the four detectors in that band. The detector response is monitored during a modified solar calibration where measurements are obtained from each detector. The departure of the cloud detectors from the four detectors is less than 0.5% for all eight bands. These analyses show that, for SeaWiFS, the time corrections derived from lunar calibrations are applicable to both ocean and land data.
Does a nonresident parent have the right to make decisions for his nonmarital children?: Trends in legal custody among paternity cases

Abstract Using the Wisconsin Court Record Data, I show that among nonmarital cases joint legal custody increased from 2% in 1988–93 to 20% in the late 90s, jumping further in 2000 and staying relatively high at around 70% in the 2000s. I hypothesize that an increasing preference for joint legal custody, a policy change that made joint legal custody presumptive, a change in the demographic composition of never-married parents, or a combination of these influences explains this trend. Logit models and Blinder–Oaxaca decomposition analyses both suggest that the difference in joint legal custody is mostly explained by the process (the coefficients) rather than the changes in parental characteristics (the independent variables). The patterns of the data suggest that an increasing parental or societal preference for joint legal custody, encouraged by the policy change, is the primary drive for the recent rise in joint legal custody among nonmarital cases.
Combined diffusion tensor imaging and transverse relaxometry in early-onset bipolar disorder.

Objective Transverse relaxation time (T2) imaging provides the opportunity to examine membrane fluidity, which can affect a number of cellular functions. The objective of the present work was to examine T2 abnormalities in children with unmodified DSM-IV-TR bipolar disorder (BD) in bilateral cingulate–paracingulate (CPC) white matter. Method A total of 21 children and adolescents with BD and 16 healthy control subjects underwent magnetic resonance imaging at 1.5 Tesla and were compared using a region-of-interest analysis. A post hoc diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) analysis was also performed on selected subjects. Results The T2 values were significantly decreased on the right-side of the subjects with BD compared with that of the control subjects. Hemispheric difference was also observed in the BD group, with decreased T2 on the right side compared with the left side. No significant difference was observed between left and right CPC T2 in control subjects. For participants who had both T2 and DTI measurements, significant DTI differences were observed: On the left side, fractional anisotropy was reduced and trace and radial diffusivity were increased, whereas on the right side, trace was increased and T2 was decreased in subjects with BD compared with control subjects. Conclusions Our findings suggest that the observed T2 difference is a reflection of cerebral blood flow rather than an alteration of the fluidity of cell membranes. It is possible that myelin damage occurs on the left side in early-onset BD, in addition to changes in the blood flow. Prospective studies with larger numbers of subjects are warranted to further explore the relevance of the presented results.
Scaffolding by A-Kinase Anchoring Protein Enhances Functional Coupling between Adenylyl Cyclase and TRPV1 Channel

Scaffolding proteins often bring kinases together with their substrates to facilitate cell signaling. This arrangement is critical for the phosphorylation and regulation of the transient receptor potential vanilloid 1 (TRPV1) channel, a key target of inflammatory mediators such as prostaglandins. The protein kinase A anchoring protein AKAP79/150 organizes a multiprotein complex to position protein kinase A (PKA) and protein kinase C (PKC) in the immediate proximity of TRPV1 channels to enhance phosphorylation efficiency. This arrangement suggests that regulators upstream of the kinases must also be present in the signalosome. Here, we show that AKAP79/150 facilitates a complex containing TPRV1 and adenylyl cyclase (AC). The anchoring of AC to this complex generates local pools of cAMP, shifting the concentration of forskolin required to attenuate capsaicin-dependent TRPV1 desensitization by ∼100-fold. Anchoring of AC to the complex also sensitizes the channel to activation by β-adrenergic receptor agonists. Significant AC activity is found associated with TRPV1 in dorsal root ganglia. The dissociation of AC from an AKAP150-TRPV1 complex in dorsal root ganglia neurons abolishes sensitization of TRPV1 induced by forskolin and prostaglandin E2. Thus, the direct anchoring of both PKA and AC to TRPV1 by AKAP79/150 facilitates the response to inflammatory mediators and may be critical in the pathogenesis of thermal hyperalgesia. Background: AKAP79 scaffolds TRPV1 channel and PKA to block channel desensitization. Results: Adenylyl cyclase (AC) anchoring to TRPV1-AKAP79-PKA complex sensitizes the channel to forskolin and is required for PGE2 sensitization of TRPV1 in dorsal root ganglia (DRG). Conclusion: AC scaffolding enhances functional coupling between Gs-coupled agonist and effector. Significance: AKAP complexes containing AC and PKA facilitate responses to inflammatory mediators.
Factors affecting in vitro maturation of alpaca (Lama paco) oocytes.

The present study utilized a 2×2×2 factorial design examining age (old vs. young), follicle size (≥2mm vs. 11 years old). Oocytes were classified as morphologically normal oocytes (MNO) and deemed suitable for incubation if ≥3 compact layers of cumulus cells and a homogeneous, evenly granulated cytoplasm were observed. Oocytes from each group of follicle sizes were incubated separately and halves of each group were randomly divided and incubated 24h in chemically defined maturation media with or without 10% FBS. Maturation was defined as the visualization of a polar body at the end of the incubation period. Overall, a greater proportion of MNO were collected from follicles ≥2mm than that obtained from smaller follicles, 55% (136/247) vs. 29.6% (162/547), respectively (P<0.05). A greater proportion of oocytes reached maturation when collected from ≥2mm follicles 36% (49/136) than from <2mm follicles 8% (13/162) (P<0.05). For oocytes obtained from ≥2mm follicles of old alpacas, a greater proportion reached maturation when incubated in media supplemented with FBS than when incubated without FBS; 57.6% (19/33) vs. 18.2% (6/33), respectively (P<0.05).
Polyimide−Ceramic Hybrid Composites by the Sol−Gel Route

A number of polyimides have gained considerable importance as high-performance polymers during the last 2 decades primarily because of their excellent thermal stability and toughness. Some applications, however, require property enhancements and the desired improvements can often be obtained through incorporation of ceramic-like particles such as silica. Such hybrid inorganic−organic composites are frequently obtained using the in situ generation of the dispersed inorganic phase by the sol−gel technique. A number of studies have now been carried out on the preparation and characterization of such hybrid polyimide composites, and the purpose of this review is to give a brief account of the strategies used for this purpose and to describe some of the properties of the resulting composites.
The pharmacodynamics of rocuronium in pediatric patients anesthetized with halothane

The aim of this study was to determine the neuromuscular blocking potency of rocuronium (ORG 9426) in 4-to 14-year old children anesthetized with halothane. After induction of anesthesia, the ulnar nerve was stimulated with electrical impulses of 0.2 ms duration every 12 s and the force of contraction of the thumb (P) was continuously recorded. Doses of 0.12, 0.16, 0.20, and 0.24 mg·kg−1 rocuronium were administered, in a randomized fashion, to 4 groups of 12 patients each. The ED50, ED90, and ED95 of rocuronium determined from the log dose-probit regression lines were 0.18, 0.34, and 0.40 mg·kg−1, respectively. To facilitate tracheal intubation, after the development of the maximal effect of the first dose, a variable second dose of rocuronium was administered to increase the total dose to 0.3 mg·kg−1. If after the second dose P was greater than 10% of control, additional 0.025–0.1 mg·kg−1 increments of rocuronium were administered until P became less than 10% of control. At this time the trachea was intubated. Muscular relaxation was maintained with 0.075, 0.1, or 0.125 mg·kg−1 rocuronium, administered whenever P recovered to 25% of control. The clinical duration of these doses was 6.9±2.8, 6.1±0.4, and 8.1±0.6 min, respectively. On repeated administration of three 0.1 or 0.125 mg·kg−1 doses, rocuronium showed little cumulative tendency. Time for spontaneous recovery of P from 25% to 75%, 8.4±0.39 min and from 10% to 90%, 16.19±0.15 min, of control, were relatively short. When at termination of anesthesia T4/T1 ratios were lower than 0.75, the residual neuromuscular block could be antagonized with 0.5 mg·kg−1 edrophonium in 2 min. Rocuronium, 0.3 mg·kg−1 caused a 13.5% increase of heart rate but had no effect on blood pressure. In conclusion, in 4 to 14-year-old children, rocuronium appears to have a more rapid onset and shorter duration of action than other steroid-type muscle relaxants.
Inhibition of cation-induced DNA condensation by intercalating dyes.

Several intercalating dyes are shown to inhibit the cation-induced condensation of λ-DNA when Co3+(NH3)6 is the condensing agent. The dyes that have been studied are ethidium, propidium, proflavin, quinacrine, and actinomycin D. Earlier work has shown that intercalating dyes inhibit ψ-DNA condensation. [Lerman, L. S. (1971) Prog. Mol. Subcell. Biol.2, 382–391; Cheng, S. & Mohr, S. C. (1975) Biopolymers14, 663–674.] Dye-induced decondensation of intramolecularly condensed DNA has been studied by making use of conditions in which Co3+(NH3)6 produces intramolecular condensation without significant aggregation. Some aggregation is caused, however, during dye-induced decondensation. Dye titration curves of DNA decondensation have been measured by excess light scattering to monitor decondensation and by fluorescence to monitor intercalation. All of the dyes studied act as competing cations in displacing the condensing cation Co3+(NH3)6 from the DNA. Competition occurs both in and below the transition zone for condensation. The effectiveness of a dye as a competing cation increases with its net positive charge. Before decondensation begins, no intercalated dye can be detected, suggesting that intercalation might be incompatible with the proper helix packing needed for cation-induced DNA condensation. To test this last point, methidium–spermine was synthesized: it contains an intercalating methidium head group combined with a polyamine tail. Methidium–spermine is found to cause λ-DNA condensation, but aggregation accompanies condensation, as has been found earlier for spermine and spermidine. Fluorescence and absorption spectra indicate that the methidium group is intercalated when the DNA is condensed, indicating that intercalation need not be incompatible with DNA condensation. The presence of aggregates among the condensed DNA molecules makes this last conclusion tentative.
A basolateral chloride conductance in rat lingual epithelium

We used Ussing chamber measurements and whole-cell recordings to characterize a chloride conductance in rat lingual epithelium. Niflumic acid (NFA) and flufenamic acid (FFA), nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory aromatic compounds known to inhibit Cl− conductances in other tissues, reduced transepithelial short-circuit current (I sc ) in the intact dorsal anterior rat tongue epithelium when added from the serosal side, and reduced whole-cell currents in rat fungiform taste cells. In both Ussing chamber and patch-clamp experiments, the effect of NFA was mimicked by replacement of bath Cl− with methanesulfonate or gluconate. In low Cl− bath solution, the effect of NFA on whole-cell current was reduced. Replacement of bath Ca2+ with Ba2+ reduced the whole-cell Cl− current. We conclude that a Ca2+-activated Cl− conductance is likely present in the basolateral membrane of the rat lingual epithelium, and is present in the taste receptor cells from fungiform papillae. Further experiments will be required to identify the role of this conductance in taste transduction.
Mechanism of leukotriene D4-induced bronchoconstriction in normal subjects

Abstract Leukotriene (LT) D 4 is a potent constrictor of human airways and a putative mediator of asthma. However, its mechanism of action in man has not been established. In the present study we sought to determine the role of upper airway reflexes, cholinergic pathways, and cyclooxygenase products of arachidonic acid metabolism in mediating LTD 4 -induced bronchoconstriction in man. Six normal subjects underwent bronchoprovocation testing with LTD 4 after pretreatment with either aerosolized phosphate-buffered saline, aerosolized atropine (1.5 mg), aerosolized lidocaine (80 to 160 mg), or oral indomethacin (50 mg three times daily for 10 doses). Specific airway conductance (SG aw ), the flow rate at 30% of vital capacity from a partial forced expiratory maneuver (V30P), and the FEV 1 were measured at each concentration of LTD 4 . We calculated the provocative concentration of LTD 4 required to produce a 35% fall in SG aw (PC 35 SG aw ) or a 30% fall in V30P (PC 30 V30P) and the slope of the LTD 4 dose-response curve. Atropine increased baseline SG aw 49% (p 35 SG aw and PC 30 V30P and increased the slope of the LTD 4 dose-response curve. However, neither of these opposing effects was significant. Lidocaine had no effect on either baseline function or the airway response to LTD 4 . Indomethacin produced small decreases in baseline V30P (12%) and FEV 1 (3%) (p 4 . These results indicate that the bronchoconstriction produced by aerosolized LTD 4 in normal subjects is not mediated by cyclooxygenase products of arachidonic acid metabolism or irritant receptors in the upper airways. Although cholinergic pathways may play some role, the data suggest that bronchoconstriction results, at least in part, from a direct effect of LTD 4 on airway smooth muscle.
Visual Attention: Bottom-Up Versus Top-Down

Abstract Visual attention is attracted by salient stimuli that ‘pop out' from their surroundings. Attention can also be voluntarily directed to objects of current importance to the observer. What happens in the brain when these two processes interact?
Emerging zoonotic diseases: An opportunity to apply the concepts of nidality and one-medicine.

The use of animals as sentinels of human disease revolves around the concept of nidality. That is, an agent of disease occupies a particular ecologic niche and alterations in that niche will change the function of that agent relative to traditional host-agent-environment relationships. Nidality is a derivation of the root word nidus. Nidus is defined as a nest or breeding place, particularly a place where microbes such as bacteria, fungi, viruses, as well as other organisms and larger parasites, are located and multiply. Application of the concept of nidality and development of prevention strategies has most frequently been associated with military campaigns and interruption of tick-borne infections. Modern usage of the phrase “one-medicine” was popularized in the United States and Europe by Calvin Schwabe and the concept is attributed to Rudolph Virchow. It is applied today to the study of zoonotic disease and interventions in rural agricultural communities that share close living arrangements between people and their families, their pastoral work environment, and the animals for which they care. Integration of the two concepts of one-medicine and nidality provides an opportunity to apply a systems approach (i.e. general systems theory) to dealing with emerging zoonotic diseases in today’s global agricultural and industrial settings.
Some pitfalls in the evaluation of screening programs.

(1969). Some Pitfalls in the Evaluation of Screening Programs. Archives of Environmental Health: An International Journal: Vol. 19, No. 3, pp. 412-415.
Alpha decay of 210At to levels in 206Bi

Abstract The α-decay of 210 At has been investigated with α - γ coincidence techniques. Spins of 206 Bi levels below 500 keV have been deduced from recent electron-capture studies of 206 Po, reaction studies of 206 Bi and present results. Calculations of the α-decay rates and electromagnetic transition probabilities using wave functions in a. truncated configuration space are compared with the experimental results.
“The Public Interest Must Dominate”: Herbert Hoover and the Public Interest, Convenience, and Necessity

In the embryonic years of American broadcasting, Secretary of Commerce Herbert Hoover profoundly affected the development of American broadcasting. Hoover, in fact, was the first to articulate the public-interest standard. Today, in the digital age, broadcasting struggles with the public-interest issues of monopolization, censorship, the quality and content of programming, and the decline of localism, also concerns in Hoover's time. And so it is useful to understand what Hoover meant by public service in broadcasting and to what extent broadcasting has achieved Hoover's vision of the public interest.
In Search of Theory in School Finance Elections: a Critique of Cataldo and Holm

IN AN ARTICLE appearing in these pages in December 1983, Everett F. Cataldo and John D. Holm present evidence on "Voting on School Finances: A Test of Competing Theories." Their case study of an election in Cleveland, Ohio, "seeks to contribute to an understanding of voting behavior ... by analyzing the combined effects of socioeconomic/attitudinal variables and community factors on voting." They contend that other studies focus on one or the other; what is needed is a "comprehensive examination of voting." The authors use survey data gathered after the election to explore a host of operationally defined variables organized into five categories. Cataldo and Holm state that "the literature contains five main theoretical approaches for understanding voting ..." "Hypotheses are articulated which link the key independent variables in each theoretical category..." The categories and variables are listed below:
The influence of adrenocorticotropic and growth hormones on antibody formation.

The influence of pituitary adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) and growth hormone (somatotropin, STH), singly and in combination, has been studied in normal, young adult rats, with respect to antibody formation against Fraction IA of Pasteurella pestis . When ACTH was administered during the period of immunization, in a daily dose just sufficient to prevent body weight increase relative to the non-treated, immunized controls, serum antibody levels against the specific antigen employed were significantly depressed. The administration of STH alone resulted in a marked increase in body weight. The increase in antibody level was not significant at the 5 per cent level when compared with the control values. The same dosage of STH given simultaneously with ACTH maintained body weight at a level slightly above that of the controls, and resulted in an effective counteraction of the antibody depression produced by the latter hormone.
Dark-state-based three-element vector model for the stimulated Raman interaction

In this paper we develop a three-element vector model to describe the stimulated Raman interaction in a \ensuremath{\Lambda} system. This model is valid over the range of interaction energies for which the excited state follows the ground states adiabatically. We use the model to present simple physical interpretations of the generation of Raman-Ramsey fringes in a separated field excitation, the ac Stark shift in the Raman clock, the ultrahigh-resolution mapping of microwave phase using Raman probes, and the coherent transfer of population by adiabatic passage for atomic beam splitters. The expressions for observables are derived by inspection and agree quantitatively with published experimental results.
Postoperative radiation therapy for malignant tumors of minor salivary glands. Outcome and patterns of failure.

Background. In the treatment of major salivary gland cancers, the addition of adjuvant postoperative radiation therapy for patients with high risk features has been shown to reduce the incidence of local failure. This retrospective study was done to determine the eectiveness of this approach for minor salivary gland cancers, to document patterns of failure, and to define prognostic variables for treatment outcome. Methods. Between 1961 and 1990, 160 patients received postoperative radiation at the University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center (UTMDACC) after gross total removal of their tumors. These operations ranged from excisional biopsies to craniofacial resections with orbital exenterations depending on the original site and size of the tumor
Dynamics of H and D abstraction in the reaction of Cl atom with butane-1,1,1,4,4,4-d6

We report the primary (D-atom) and secondary (H-atom) abstraction dynamics of chlorine atom reaction with butane-1,1,1,4,4,4-d6. The H- and D-atom abstraction channels were studied over a range of collision energies: 10.4 kcal mol−1 and 12.9 kcal mol−1; 5.2 kcal mol−1 to 12.8 kcal mol−1, respectively, using crossed molecular beam dc slice ion imaging techniques. Single photon ionization at 157 nm was used to probe the butyl radical products resulting from the H- and D-atom abstraction reactions. These two channels manifest distinct dynamics principally in the translational energy distributions, while the angular distributions are remarkably similar. The reduced translational energy distribution for the primary abstraction showed marked variation with collision energy in the backward direction, while the secondary abstraction showed this variation in the forward direction.
Negative contrast as a function of the location of small reinforced placements

After receiving large rewards in a straight gray runway during Phase 1, rats were given small rewards during placement trials (Phase 2) in a gray housing cage or in a gray goalbox. During Phase 3, only animals receiving small reward in housing cage placement trials showed a successive negative contrast effect (NCE). The results suggest that alley cues other than brightness mediate the NCE and are supportive of frustration theory.
A Priori Catalytic Activity Correlations: The Difficult Case of Hydrogen Production from Ammonia

The catalytic decomposition of ammonia has recently been proposed as a possible source of hydrogen for fuel cells. However, the ruthenium catalyst is costly. Although there exist several correlations for catalytic activity that suggest potentially useful alternatives, the particular candidates differ. The present work seeks to determine experimentally which, if any, of these correlations correctly predicts suitable substitutes. The experiments examine 13 different metallic catalysts from numerous places within the Periodic Table, and show that the activity varies in the order Ru>Ni>Rh>Co>Ir>Fe≫Pt>Cr>Pd>Cu≫Te, Se, Pb. The results suggest that nitrogen desorption limits the rate on Fe, Co, and Ni, whereas N–H bond scission limits the rate on other metals such as Rh, Ir, Pd, Pt, and Cu. Conventional single-parameter correlations of activity generally fail to predict the results because the rate-determining step changes across the data set.
An Exploratory Study of Recruiters' Self-Ratings of Interpersonal Communication and Applicants' Decisions about Employment

The increasing criticism of using applicants' reports of recruiters' communication to explain postinterview outcomes suggests that alternative predictors should be identified. This exploratory investigation examined the extent to which 42 recruiters' self-ratings of interpersonal communication, specifically, empathy and involvement in the interaction, predict applicants' intent to accept a second offer for an interview. Analysis of data collected at campus screening interviews of 168 students showed that neither empathy nor involvement in the interaction significantly predicted applicants' postinterview decisions whereas, consistent with previous research, applicants' perception of recruiters' communication significantly predicted postinterview intentions. Training and research implications are addressed.
Development and Characterization of Embedded Sensory Particles Using Multi-Scale 3D Digital Image Correlation

A method for detecting fatigue cracks has been explored at NASA Langley Research Center. Microscopic NiTi shape memory alloy (sensory) particles were embedded in a 7050 aluminum alloy matrix to detect the presence of fatigue cracks. Cracks exhibit an elevated stress field near their tip inducing a martensitic phase transformation in nearby sensory particles. Detectable levels of acoustic energy are emitted upon particle phase transformation such that the existence and location of fatigue cracks can be detected. To test this concept, a fatigue crack was grown in a mode-I single-edge notch fatigue crack growth specimen containing sensory particles. As the crack approached the sensory particles, measurements of particle strain, matrix-particle debonding, and phase transformation behavior of the sensory particles were performed. Full-field deformation measurements were performed using a novel multi-scale optical 3D digital image correlation (DIC) system. This information will be used in a finite element-based study to determine optimal sensory material behavior and density.
Samgwangsa A Travelogue of Kinship

Samgwangsa is an autoethnographic memoir that begins with the author’s early childhood memories of living in Korea with her mother, who became a “military bride” and the first Korean immigrant to s...