cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Sulphonylureas increase the number of insulin receptors

SULPHONYLUREA drugs have been widely used in the management of the form of diabetes mellitus which develops in adulthood. Although some endogenous insulin secretory capacity seems to be necessary for Sulphonylureas to be effective (they are ineffective in pancreatectomised animals), their precise mechanism of action has not been clear. Short-term administration of Sulphonylureas to animals or humans is associated with increased insulin secretion1,2. However, prolonged administration reduces pancreatic insulin content in animals3,4 and diminished insulin secretion in reponse to nutrient stimulation in both laboratory animals5 and humans with adult-onset (insulin-independent) diabetes6,7. Treatment with sulphonylureas also decreases the biosynthesis of proinsulin8. Thus, the chronic antidiabetic action of Sulphonylureas does not seem to result from an effect on insulin release, but rather from one or more extrapancreatic effects9,10. In that connection, we have shown that chronic administration of the sulphonylurea, glipizide, to patients with adult-onset diabetes mellitus results in significant potentiation of insulin action, as assessed by changes in insulin-mediated glucose disposal11. On the basis of those results, we have suggested that glipizide influences the interaction of insulin with the cell membranes in insulin-sensitive tissues. We now report that, in an animal model, such an effect involves an increase in the number of insulin receptors.
Quantitation of Ciprofloxacin Hydrochloride and Norfloxacin in Tablets Using High-Performance Liquid Chromatography

AbstractA stability-indicating high-performance liquid chromatography method for the quantitation of ciprofloxacin and norfloxacin in tablets (the only dosage form available at present) has been developed. The method is precise and accurate with a percent relative standard deviation based on 5 readings of 1.2 and 1.4 for ciprofloxacin and norfloxacin, respectively. A number of inactive ingredients present in the tablets did not interfere with the assay procedures. The addition of hydrochloric acid in the extraction procedure was necessary for the quantitative recovery and reproducible results. The recovery from the synthetic mixtures was quantitative. Both the drugs (quinolones) appear to be very stable since 10 minute boiling with either sulfuric acid or sodium hydroxide solution caused very little decomposition.
Effectiveness of thesauri-aided retrieval

In this report, we describe the results of an experiment designed to measure the effects of automatic query expansion on retrieval effectiveness. In particular, we used a collection-specific thesaurus to expand the query by adding synonyms of the searched terms. Our preliminary results show no significant gain in average precision and recall.
Relationships among Social Perception, Social Skill, and Social Anxiety of Psychiatric Patients:

This study examined relationships among measures of social perception and social performance for 63 psychiatric patients. Simulated social situations with differing response alternatives were prese...
Simulating fluid flow in lithographically directed, evaporation driven self-assembly systems

A modeling methodology based on computational fluid dynamics (CFD) has been developed for predicting the bulk particle transport that occurs during evaporation driven self-assembly. The governing partial differential equations are solved over a computational domain defined by a deforming control volume. The deformation of the control volume is linked to a flux of the bulk liquid in order to simulate the flow field created by evaporation. The CFD predictions are compared with experimental measurements of the particle distribution obtained by optically imaging fluorescing nanoparticles within an evaporating, pinned colloidal droplet.
Temporal order memory deficits prior to clinical diagnosis in Huntington's disease.

The current study examined temporal order memory in preclinical Huntington’s disease (pre-HD). Participants were separated into less than 5 years (pre-HD near) and more than 5 years (pre-HD far) from estimated age of clinical diagnosis. Participants completed a temporal order memory task on a computerized radial eight-arm maze. On the study phase of each trial, participants viewed a random sequence of circles appearing one at a time at the end of each arm. On the choice phase, participants viewed two circles at the end of the study phase arms and chose the circle occurring earliest in the sequence. The task involved manipulations of the temporal lag, defined as the number of arms occurring in the sample phase sequence between the two choice phase arms. Research suggests that there is more interference for temporally proximal stimuli relative to temporally distal stimuli. There were no significant differences between the pre-HD far group and controls on the temporal order memory task. The pre-HD near group demonstrated significant impairments relative to the other groups on closer temporal lags, but were normal on the furthest temporal lag. Therefore, temporal order memory declines with increased temporal interference in pre-HD close to estimated diagnosis of HD. (JINS, 2009, 15, 662–670.)
The interaction of cytochrome c and the heme domain of cytochrome P-450BM-3 with the reductase domain of cytochrome P-450BM-3

Abstract Cytochrome P -450 BM-3 from Bacillus megaterium is a soluble, catalytically self-sufficient fatty acid mono-ocygenase that resembles the Class II P -450 systems of the eukaryotic endoplasmic reticulum. Its single polypeptide chain contains both a P -450 heme domain and an NADPH: P -450 reductase domain, each of which bears significant structural and functional homology with its microsomal coutnerparts. We report here that cytochrome c , which can accept NADPH-derived electrons from the reductase domain of P -450 BM-3 , did not inhibit myristate hydroxylation catalyzed by P -450 BM -3 or by two reductase domain mutant enzymes (W574Y, W574F) which have diminished hydroxylase activity relative to wild-type enzyme but reatin cytochrome c reductase activity levels comparable to wild-type enzyme. Because reduced cytochrome c generated independently of the reductase domain of P -450 BM-3 did not support myristate hydroxylation, it seems likely that cytochrome c binds to a site on the reductase domain which does not overlap the site of the heme domain interaction. We also found that myristate did not inhibit 24 P -450 BM-3 -mediated cytochrome c reduction. Since neither substrate inhibited the conversion of the other, we conclude that the rate-limiting steps for both myristate hydroxylation and cytochrome c reduction by P -450 BM-3 do not involve electron transfer through the reductase domain.
A Periodic Density Functional Theory and Hartree−Fock Study of Alkali Halides with Gaussian Orbitals

Periodic-density functional theory (DFT) and Hartree-Fock calculations have been performed on the alkali halides for the alkali metals Li, Na, K, and Rb and the halogens F, Cl, Br and I. Calculations were done with HF-optimized basis sets and DFT-optimized basis sets, at the HF, local DFT (LDFT), and nonlocal DFT (NLDFT) with the Becke exchange potential and the Perdew-Wang correlation potential. The HF and NLDFT results are similar for the lattice parameters, in general, by overestimating them. The LDFT method always underestimates the lattice parameters. As a consequence, the HF and NLDFT methods predict bulk moduli that are too small and the LDFT method predicts bulk moduli that are too large. The absolute error in the bulk moduli are larger at the LDFT level than at the other levels. Charge distribution maps have been calculated and analyzed. The maps clearly show that the main difference between the HF and DFT densities is in the treatment of exchange and that the nonlocal (gradient) corrections moderate this difference.
An Evaluation of a Full‐/Part‐time Tour Scheduling Methodology

With the increasing emphasis on improving service sector staff scheduling, many organisations have turned to employing part‐time staff in greater numbers. Operating managers need to schedule this staff in an efficient manner to cover the highly variable demand that is commonly present. This study demonstrates a number of important factors that influence how well staff schedules can be matched against variable demand. Four heuristic staff scheduling procedures are examined that provide optimal, or near optimal, staff schedules under different operating conditions. It is shown that variability in demand controls the number of excess staff hours scheduled, and that the smaller the number of daily shift hours and/or the number of days worked per week, the lower will be the level of excess staff hours scheduled.
Coactivation of multiple tightly coupled calcium channels triggers spontaneous release of GABA

Voltage-activated Ca(2+) channels (VACCs) mediate Ca(2+) influx to trigger action potential-evoked neurotransmitter release, but the mechanism by which Ca(2+) regulates spontaneous transmission is unclear. We found that VACCs are the major physiological triggers for spontaneous release at mouse neocortical inhibitory synapses. Moreover, despite the absence of a synchronizing action potential, we found that spontaneous fusion of a GABA-containing vesicle required the activation of multiple tightly coupled VACCs of variable type.
In Vitro Susceptibility Comparisons and Recommendations for Oxolinic Acid

Minimal inhibitory concentration and disk diffusion susceptibility studies were carried out with oxolinic acid to determine a recommended disk content for disk susceptibility testing. Regression curve analyses were performed with disks containing 1, 2, and 5 μg of oxolinic acid. Data suggest that the 5-μg disk more satisfactorily fulfills requirements for susceptibility testing than the 1- or 2-μg disks evaluated. Ultraviolet spectral analysis studies for absorption maxima and extinction coefficients were done to verify the authenticity and concentration of oxolinic acid in the aqueous solutions studied.
QUANTUM DYNAMICS WITH LANCZOS SUBSPACE PROPAGATION : APPLICATION TO A LASER-DRIVEN MOLECULAR SYSTEM

Two Lanczos subspace propagation techniques are discussed in this work and compared with the Chebyshev method applied to the original Hamiltonian matrix. Both procedures involve the use of a reduced propagator in the Lanczos subspace to calculate the solution to the time-dependent Schrodinger equation but differ in the way the propagator is evaluated. The LSC (Lanczos subspace Chebyshev) expresses the propagator in terms of Chebyshev polynomials that are functions of the tridiagonal Hamiltonian matrix in the Lanczos space. In contrast, the LSV (Lanczos subspace variational) is implemented by solving the eigenproblem in the Lanczos subspace and then performing a variational expansion of the propagator in the M-dimensional eigenvector space. Although the LSV is the same as the reduced propagator scheme proposed by Park and Light, in the present study the LSV is implemented as a one-step long-time propagator. As a numerical example, the interaction of a molecule with a strong laser pulse is investigated. The Hamiltonian is explicitly time dependent in this case, and thus the stationary formalism is employed in this work to solve the time-dependent Schrodinger equation. Application of either the LSC or LSV yields a wave function in the M-dimensional Lanczos subspace. Nonetheless, the transition amplitudes computed from this wave function are in excellent agreement with those calculated by direct application of the Chebyshev method in the original space used to define the Hamiltonian matrix. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Int J Quant Chem 67: 273–285, 1998
Comparison of the three procedures for measuring VO2 max in competitive cyclists.

Previous studies have generally shown that maximal oxygen uptake ( $$\dot VO_2 $$ max) determined on a cycle ergometer is lower than the subject's true $$\dot VO_2 $$ max. The purpose of this study was to ascertain if competitive cyclists, in contrast to the general population, can attain as high a $$\dot VO_2 $$ max on the bicycle as on the treadmill. Three progressive test protocols were used to measure $$\dot VO_2 $$ max — 1. a treadmill running test, 2. a cycle ergometer test at a 90 rpm pedaling rate, and 3. a test in which the subjects rode their racing bicycles at 20 mph on a motor-driven treadmill. An equation was developed to predict the power output, and thus indirectly the $$\dot VO_2 $$ required, at various workloads on the treadmill cycling test. The $$\dot VO_2 $$ max values, and all other measured variables, were similar with the three protocols. Actually, in contrast to results on non-cycling populations, our cyclists had $$\dot VO_2 $$ max values that were slightly (3.7%), though not significantly, higher on the cycle tests. Cycling at 90 rpm, a rate preferred and used by competitive cyclists may be beneficial because of possible blood flow and fiber recruitment advantages. The $$\dot VO_2 $$ max values of the three national class cyclists were 71.6, 69.7, and 69.5 ml·kg−1·min−1 which are similar to those of athletes in other endurance sports.
Nocturnal and circadian body temperatures of depressed outpatients during symptomatic and recovered states

Abstract Forty-one recurrent unipolar depressed outpatients were studied at baseline (symptomatic period) and at recovery. Rectal temperatures were measured continously between 1800h and 0600h on 2 successive nights at each time point. In those 24 patients who recovered after receiving interpersonal psychotherapy (IPT) alone (“psychotherapy responders”) and who thus remained drug-free throughout, there was no difference in nocturnal body temperatures between baseline and recovery time points. Moreover, noctrunal temperatures patterns appeared to be very similar to those of a healthy contrast group ( n =17). The contrast group was not matched for age and gender with the patient group, though, so the comparison was only suggestive. At baseline, those recovering after psychotherapy alone ( n =24) did not differ from those eventually failing to respond to IPT and requiring medications to achieve recovery (“medication responders”) ( n =17). Medication responders did show some baseline versus recovery differences in nocturnal temperatures, but these may possibly have been a function of the medications used. At recovery, a subset of 19 psychotherapy responders and 13 medication responders underwent an “unmasking” experiment involving 36 hours of wakeful bedrest. In the resulting endogenous temperature rhythms, there was no evidence of any reliable differences between the psychotherapy responder and medication responder patient groups. Both groups showed rhythms that were very similar to those of a healthy contrast group ( n =17), although, again, the contrast group was not matched for age or gender with the patient group. In conclusion, in measures of body temperature, at least, there appeared to be little evidence of circadian dysfunction in this group of recurrent outpatient depressives.
Dual extremum principles relating to optimum beam design

Of concern is a cantilever beam resting on an elastic foundation and supporting a load at the free end. The beam is of rectangular cross section and of constant height but variable width. It is required to taper the beam for maximum strength. This means that the beam is to support a maximum vertical load W at the free end when the free end is given unit deflection. The constraint is that the weight of the beam should not exceed a given bound K. It is shown that the optimum taper should be so chosen that the curvature of the beam is constant. This yields the solution of the problem in terms of explicit formulas. For more general constraints, an inequality is found which gives upper and lower bounds for the maximum load W even though explicit formulas are not available.
El diagnóstico de la lesión traumática cervical: una década de cambios basados en la evidencia

The growing awareness of the need for emergency centers specializing in the care of trauma patients, together with advances in diagnostic imaging technology, have led to the occasional indiscriminate use of diagnostic methods to the detriment of ordering diagnostic tests based on the risk of fracture and of the clinical examination itself. In many institutions, this practice is carried out without appropriate controls and without analyzing the risks and benefits of a particular clinical conduct. This is particularly true in cases of multiple trauma with suspected traumatic lesions of the cervical spine. For many years, radiological examination was based on plain-film radiography, with CT playing a complementary role. Over the last decade, since the introduction of helical CT, and more recently multidetector CT scanners, the diagnostic approach has undergone rapid, significant changes. This article summarizes the experience based on publications centered on establishing the diagnostic effectiveness of CT in comparison to plain-film radiography and the importance of recognizing risk factors when determining the diagnostic strategy. On the other hand, the importance of avoiding unnecessary tests and excessive radiation in providing appropriate and efficient medical care is stressed. In general, the evidence indicates that CT should be the first-line approach in high-risk patients and plain-film radiography should be reserved for the initial evaluation of patients with a low risk of traumatic lesions.
Thermochemical studies of substituted phenylnitrenes: Enthalpies of formation of chlorophenylnitrenes

Abstract The gas-phase acidities of chloroanilino-radicals have been measured, and have been combined with the electron affinities of chlorophenylnitrenes to determine the N–H bond dissociation energy of chloroanilino-radicals and the enthalpies of formation for the triplet, singlet, and radical anion states of the isomeric nitrenes. There is little difference found between the bond dissociation energies in the radicals and those in the corresponding anilines, indicating little interaction between the unpaired electrons in the chlorophenylnitrene, as expected. The values obtained are in good agreement with the values obtained from the theoretical calculations. Download : Download full-size image
Development of physical dependence on midazolam by oral self-administration

Groups of rats drank either a solution of the ultrashort-acting benzodiazepine midazolam or water under schedule-induced polydipsia conditions in chronic, daily, 3-hr sessions. In Experiment 1, the physical dependence status of animals was tested after 9 months by the precipitated withdrawal method using the benzodiazepine-blocking agent Ro 15-1788 and by exposure to a brief audio stimulus at 1.5, 12 and 24 hr following drug withdrawal. Ro 15-1788 failed to produce withdrawal signs, while the audio stimulus plus withdrawal did. In Experiment 2, similar groups were periodically tested for susceptibility to audiogenically-induced seizures at 3, 6, 12, 15, 18, 21, 24 and 26 weeks 90 minutes after their drug or vehicle intake sessions. In the midazolam-drinking group, physical dependence developed at about 12 weeks and increased in severity over the course of the study. Serum measures confirmed that continuous elevation of drug and active metabolite levels are not necessary for the development of physical dependence. A chronic, daily, single elevation of a few hr was sufficient.
Intensive treatment of dysarthria in two adults with Down syndrome.

Objective: This study investigated the impact of an established behavioural dysarthria treatment on acoustic and perceptual measures of speech in two adults with Down syndrome (DS) and dysarthria to obtain preliminary measures of treatment effect, effect size and treatment feasibility.Methods: A single-subject A-B-A experimental design was used to measure the effects of the Lee Silverman Voice treatment (LSVT®) on speech in two adults with DS and dysarthria. Dependent measures included vocal sound pressure level (dB SPL), phonatory stability and listener intelligibility scores.Results: Statistically significant improvements (p < 0.05) in vocal dB SPL and phonatory stability were present following treatment in both participants. Speech intelligibility scores improved in one of the two participants.Conclusions: These data suggest that people with DS and dysarthria can respond positively to intensive speech treatment such as LSVT. Further investigations are needed to develop speech treatments specific to DS.
Solgenes: a Solanaceae database

Biological investigations have the potential to produce large volumes of data, much of which is condensed or omitted from publications, and which may not be readily accessible to researchers outside that discipline. Bringing together in a single repository information whose common thread is the Solanaceae family gives researchers a valuable, multidisciplinary tool. The SolGenes (Solanaceae) database project, a part of the USDA Plant Genome Research Program, is meant to be such a tool. The database has facilities for handling genetic and physical maps, DNA sequences, pathologies and germplasm stocks, as well as other types of information. It currently contains tomato, potato and pepper genetic maps based on a common set of probes, tomato germplasm data including wild species and stocks, autoradiogram images of distributed probes and much more. Current efforts are focused on loading images of tomato mutants, expanding the germplasm data, and setting up a gopher server. The database software (ACEDB) provides a user-friendly, graphical interface with links between logically related pieces of information, allowing the user to view data from multiple sources with just a few clicks of the mouse. The database and software are freely available to interested parties.
A New Generation of Innovative Ultra-Advanced Intelligent Composite Materials Featuring Electro-Rheological Fluids: An Experimental Investigation

A new generation of revolutionary, intelligent, ultra-advanced composite materials featuring electro-rheological fluids is proposed herein for the active continuum vibrational control of structural and mechanical systems. This paper reports on a pioneer ing proof-of-concept experimental investigation focussed on evaluating the static and elastodynamic transient response characteristics of cantilevered beams fabricated in this new class of materials. The results of this investigation clearly demonstrate for the first time the ability to dramatically change the vibrational characteristics of beam-like speci mens fabricated in ultra-advanced composite materials by changing the electrical field im posed on the fluid. The capability of these materials to interface with modem solid-state electronics can be exploited by extending the fundamental phenomenological work pre sented herein by the successful incorporation of intelligent sensor technologies and modern control strategies in order to significantly accele...
Extrapulmonary Pneumocystosis: The First 50 Cases

Over the last 35 years, 50 cases of extrapulmonary infection with Pneumocystis carinii have been reported in the literature throughout the world. Use of prophylactic aerosolized pentamidine may have facilitated the relative prevalence of extrapulmonary disease because of its inadequate systemic distribution. An increase in reported cases of infections due to P. carinii has been seen in conjunction with AIDS, but extrapulmonary pneumocystosis represents less than 1% of all cases of infection with P. carinii. Several organs or tissues may be involved, but the most common sites are lymph nodes, spleen, liver, and bone marrow. Extrapulmonary spread of P. carinii infection occurs via both lymphatic and hematogenous routes. While all patients with disseminated forms of this infection die rapidly, survival for patients with AIDS is possible if systemic treatment is provided, if a single extrapulmonary site is involved, and if no concomitant pneumonia is present. Because of the increasing frequency of this condition in patients who do not have pneumonia due to P. carinii, extrapulmonary pneumocystosis should be included among the AIDS-defining criteria.
A Process for Assessing Wooded Plant Cover by Remote Sensing

The ability to map the extent of wooded vegetation cover over large areas using remote sensing is important for managing and assessing rangelands. Currently, applied techniques are inadequate because they 1) do not directly measure the amount of land covered by woody plants and rely on low-resolution images, 2) require considerable training-area data to train a classifier, and 3) describe only a limited number of land cover types. This paper presents an innovative methodology for creating a landcover map that requires little to no traditional, training-area data collection before classification. The procedure combines both high-resolution aerial photography (resampled to 2.5-m pixels) and lower-resolution satellite imagery (30-m pixels) to produce a detailed and easily producible data set. The resulting data set also categorizes regions into a wide variety of land cover types in addition to differing levels of wooded cover. This new methodology was applied to the Upper Guadalupe River watershed in Texas, which is composed of varying amounts of brush cover between herbaceous range and dense cover. Validation by comparison to aerial imagery demonstrated a 74.4% success rate for all land cover classes. Validation was also performed by ground survey for several brush-covered points and showed a 90.0% success rate. As a result of the ground survey, modifications to the methodology were recommended to reduce classification errors and improve the process.
Processing of broadband stimuli across A1 layers in young and aged rats.

Abstract Presbycusis can be considered a slow age-related peripheral and central deterioration of auditory function which manifests itself as deficits in speech comprehension, especially in noisy environments. The present study examined neural correlates of a simple broadband noise stimulus in primary auditory cortex (A1) of young and aged Fischer–Brown Norway (FBN) rats. Age-related changes in unit responses to broadband noise bursts and spontaneous activity were simultaneously recorded across A1 layers using a single shank, 16-channel electrode. Noise bursts were presented contralateral to the left A1 at 80 dB SPL. Aged A1 units displayed increased spontaneous (29%), peak (24%), and steady state response rates (38%) than did young A1 units. This was true across all A1 layers, although age-related differences were significantly greater for layers I–III (43% vs 18%) than lower layers. There was a significant age-related difference in the depth and duration of post-onset suppression between young and aged upper layer A1 units. The present functional differences across layers were consistent with studies showing greatest losses of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) markers in superficial layers of A1 and with anatomic studies showing highest levels of inhibitory neurons located in superficial cortical layers. The present findings were also consistent with aging studies suggesting loss of functional inhibition in other cortical sensory systems.
Third-order nonlinearity compensation in field effect transistors

A method to compensate the field effect transistor (FET) channel third order nonlinearity is proposed and experimentally demonstrated. The FET channel current-voltage (I-V) characteristic is sublinear and hence the related nonlinearity can be compensated by adding the component with superlinear I-V. Such I-V can be realised by using Schottky-type contacts to the FET channel or by connecting the FET to external Schottky diodes. In this reported work, the criterion for non linearity compensation is derived. Next, as a proof of concept, a discrete prototype circuit containing a MOSFET and compensating circuit has been designed, built and tested. As confirmed by two tone measurements, reduction of third-order distortions up to 26 dBm has been achieved by using the nonlinearity compensation network.
Gamma-crystallin, a major cytoplasmic polypeptide disulfide linked to membrane proteins in human cataract.

Abstract Examination of human cataract has revealed the presence of a number of unique complexes containing cytosol and membrane components: the high molecular weight disulfide linked aggregates and membrane preparations containing disulfide linked cytosol polypeptides. It is now shown that a major cytosol species associated with these complexes is gamma-crystallin. This conclusion is based upon investigation of polypeptides released by reduction and comparisons based on amino acid, immunochemical and sequence analyses. It is suggested that two types of complexes may be closely related.
Effect of n-3 fatty acid enriched eggs and organic eggs on serum lutein in free-living lacto-ovo vegetarians.

Lutein is a xanthophyll found in the chloroplasts of dark green leafy vegetables, chromoplasts of fruits, and egg yolk. Dietary, serum and macular lutein are inversely related to the risk of age-related macular degeneration. Although the lutein from egg is known to be more bioavailable than that from spinach, not much is known about lutein bioavailability from n-3 fatty acid enriched eggs and organic eggs, both of which are increasingly available to consumers. We determined the effects of feeding n-3 fatty acid-enriched eggs and organic eggs on serum lutein, zeaxanthin and β-carotene in 20 healthy lacto-ovo-vegetarian (LOV) adults using a single-blind, randomized, crossover study design with a 4-week washout between treatments: six organic eggs or six n-3 fatty acid enriched eggs per week or no egg control for 8weeks each. Serum lutein was significantly higher in both egg treatments (P<0.009) compared with the control, but was not different between the two egg treatments. Serum β-carotene was also higher in the egg groups compared with control but only approached significance (P=0.066). Serum zeaxanthin increased in both egg treatments compared with control but did not reach statistical significance (P=0.139). n-3 fatty acid enriched eggs and organic eggs may both significantly increase serum lutein in healthy LOV consuming a predominately plant-based diet.
Improving the Short-Term Prediction of Suicidal Behavior

Aspirational Goal 3 of the National Action Alliance for Suicide Prevention's Research Prioritization Task Force is to predict who is at risk for attempting suicide in the near future. Despite decades of research devoted to the study of risk and protective factors for suicide and suicidal behavior, surprisingly little is known about the short-term prediction of these behaviors. In this paper, we propose several questions that, if answered, could improve the identification of short-term, or imminent, risk for suicidal behavior. First, what factors predict the transition from suicidal thoughts to attempts? Second, what factors are particularly strong predictors of making this transition over the next hours, days, or weeks? Third, what are the most important objective markers of short-term risk for suicidal behavior? And fourth, what method of combining information about risk and protective factors yields the best prediction? We propose that the next generation of research on the assessment and prediction of suicidal behavior should shift, from cross-sectional studies of bivariate risk and protective factors, to prospective studies aimed at identifying multivariate, short-term prediction indices, examining methods of synthesizing this information, and testing the ability to predict and prevent suicidal events.
Evolution of the GaAs(001) surface structure during the transition from the As-rich (2×4) to the Ga-rich (4×2) reconstruction

Abstract Evolution of the GaAs(001) surface during the transition from the As-rich (2×4) to the Ga-rich (4×2) reconstruction has been studied by scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) and low-energy electron diffraction (LEED). It has been found that the (2×4)–(4×2) transition proceeds via the formation of intermediate phases exhibiting (3×6) and (4×6) LEED patterns. STM images indicate that these phases are multi-domain. In particular, the (3×6) phase is locally composed of domains of the “(2×6)” and disordered phases, while the (4×6) phase in addition contains (4×2) domains. To explain STM images taken in a dual polarity bias mode, structural models for the “(2×6)” and disordered phases are proposed. These structures are electrostatically compensated via disorder of As (“2×6” phase) and Ga (disordered phase) dimers. A comprehensive picture of the (2×4)–(4×2) phase transition based on the analysis of the STM data is presented.
Dietary Adherence and Satisfaction with a Bean-Based High-Fiber Weight Loss Diet: A Pilot Study

Objective. Dietary fiber can reduce hunger and enhance satiety, but fiber intake during hypocaloric weight loss diets typically falls short of recommended levels. We examined the nutritional effects and acceptability of two high-fiber hypocaloric diets differing in sources of fiber: (a) beans or (b) fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. Methods. Subjects were 2 men, 18 women, mean age = 46.9, and mean BMI = 30.6. Subjects completed 3-day food diaries in each of the two baseline weeks. Subjects were then randomized to four weeks on one of two 1400-calorie diets including 25-35 g fiber primarily from 1.5 cups beans/day or from fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. Recommended fiber-rich foods were provided. Subjects kept weekly 3-day food diaries and were assessed weekly. Results. Diet conditions did not differ on outcome measures. Both diets increased fiber intake from 16.6 g/day (SD = 7.1) at baseline to (treatment average) 28.4 g/day (SD = 6.5) (P < 0.001). Fiber intake was consistent over treatment. Caloric intake dropped from 1623.1 kcal/day (SD = 466.9) (baseline) to 1322.2 kcal/day (SD = 275.8) (P = 0.004). Mean weight loss was 1.4 kg (SD = 1.5; P < 0.001). Energy density and self-reported hunger decreased (P's < 0.01) while self-reported fullness increased (P < 0.05). Both diets were rated as potentially acceptable as long as six months. Conclusions. Both diets significantly increased fiber intake by 75%, increased satiation, and reduced hunger. Results support increasing fiber in weight loss diets with a variety of fiber sources.
Adaptive reconstructors for adaptive optics

This paper concerns a class of adaptive optics problems in which phase distortions due to atmospheric turbulence are corrected by adaptive wavefront reconstruction with a deformable mirror - i.e., the control loop that drives the mirror adapts in real time to time-varying atmospheric conditions, as opposed to the linear time-invariant control loops use din conventional 'adaptive optics.' The basic problem is posed here as an adaptive disturbance rejection problem with many channels. The solution given here is to augment a linear time-invariant feedback control loop with an adaptive feedforward control loop based on a multichannel adaptive lattice filter. Simulation results are presented for a one-meter telescope with both single-layer and two- layer atmospheric turbulence profiles. These results demonstrate the significant improvement in imagin resolution produced by the adaptive control loop.© (1999) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Platinum-sulfated zirconia catalysts. Dependence of activity on sulfur addition method

Abstract Sulfur was added to hydrous zirconia using a number of methods. Sulfur was added using ammonium sulfate, H 2 S, SO 2 as well as H 2 SO 4 . The impact of the method of sulfur addition on the properties of the catalysts is reported. The activity was evaluated for all catalysts prepared by measuring the conversion of n-hexadecane in batch reactors. The H 2 SO 4 , ammonium sulfate and SO 2 methods of sulfur addition produced the most active catalysts. These catalysts were then studied in a trickle bed reactor. The hydrocracking and hydroisomerization yields were independent of the method of sulfur addition and strictly a function of conversion. One of the methods using SO 2 produced a catalyst which showed high activity for over 500 h on stream.
Does expectancy affect alcohol absorption

Many factors influence alcohol absorption, yet few studies have addressed the issue of whether or not experimental manipulations themselves may affect alcohol absorption. The current balanced placebo design study comparing the expectancy effects of root beer and non-alcoholic beer vehicles resulted in significantly lower blood alcohol levels in the root beer condition than in the beer condition even though alcohol doses were the same. Two possible explanations are discussed; differences in expectancy may have affected absorption, or fructose in the root beer may have slowed absorption of alcohol relative to the maltose in beer. The literature does not provide strong evidence for either of the hypotheses. The implication of this study's results is that alcohol absorption rate may be an important source of confounding effects in behavioral research in the laboratory, because it may be affected by beverages or other experimental conditions.
Aerosol specification in single-column Community Atmosphere Model version 5

Abstract. Single-column model (SCM) capability is an important tool for general circulation model development. In this study, the SCM mode of version 5 of the Community Atmosphere Model (CAM5) is shown to handle aerosol initialization and advection improperly, resulting in aerosol, cloud-droplet, and ice crystal concentrations which are typically much lower than observed or simulated by CAM5 in global mode. This deficiency has a major impact on stratiform cloud simulations but has little impact on convective case studies because aerosol is currently not used by CAM5 convective schemes and convective cases are typically longer in duration (so initialization is less important). By imposing fixed aerosol or cloud-droplet and crystal number concentrations, the aerosol issues described above can be avoided. Sensitivity studies using these idealizations suggest that the Meyers et al. (1992) ice nucleation scheme prevents mixed-phase cloud from existing by producing too many ice crystals. Microphysics is shown to strongly deplete cloud water in stratiform cases, indicating problems with sequential splitting in CAM5 and the need for careful interpretation of output from sequentially split climate models. Droplet concentration in the general circulation model (GCM) version of CAM5 is also shown to be far too low (~ 25 cm−3) at the southern Great Plains (SGP) Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) site.
Radiation Emission from Patients Treated with Selective Hepatic Radioembolization Using Yttrium-90 Microspheres: Are Contact Restrictions Necessary?

Abstract Purpose To estimate the possible radiation dose to other individuals from patients treated with yttrium-90 ( 90 Y). Materials and Methods Dosimetry data were analyzed after 143 consecutive administrations of 90 Y (124 resin, 19 glass) in 86 patients. External radiation exposure levels from patients were measured immediately after infusion. Total effective dose equivalent (TEDE) to maximally exposed individuals was calculated based on total body residence time and measured dose rate. These values were compared to Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) regulations (maximum, 1 mSv) and other potential guidelines for caregivers, extensive caregivers, or pregnant contacts. Results Mean administered activity for resin microspheres was 0.71 GBq ± 0.35 (range, 0.07–1.6GBq). Mean TEDE dose to the maximally exposed contact was 0.03 mSv (range, 0.0005–0.16 mSv). For glass microspheres, mean administered activity was 2.8 GBq ± 1.5 (range, 0.37–5.14 GBq). Mean TEDE dose to the maximally exposed contact was 0.06 mSv (range, 0.0023–0.23 mSv). All 90 Y treatments were within current NRC regulations for release without instructions. One, three, and one infusion were beyond potential thresholds for caregivers, extensive caregivers, or pregnant contacts, respectively. For any contact scenario, release without instruction was appropriate when administered activity was less than 3 GBq. Conclusions All patients treated with 90 Y hepatic radioembolization to a maximum administered activity of 5.14 GBq and maximum dose rate of 10 uSv/h were releasable without contact restrictions according to the NRC contact scenario. Patients who receive more than 3 GBq during infusion may require dose rate measurement if more restrictive contact scenarios are considered.
When Validity Testing Lacks Validity: Comment on Levine et al.

The death of self-construal research has been greatly exaggerated. Levine et al. (2003) highlight the alleged methodological limitations of the current body of the self-construal model of culture. Their allegations, whether true or not, require a fair investigation. Careful examination of Levine et al. reveals pervasive logical flaws, methodological errors, and interpretation biases, which stem from ethnic stereotyping and other erroneous assumptions at various junctures. These fundamental errors, in turn, render their conclusions untenable. In testing their 1st set of hypotheses, which they proclaim to be "central to the validity" of self-construal scales, Levine et al. bifurcate the participants into "Westerners" versus "Asians," and then impose their a priori stereotype of how Westerners ought to be versus how Asians ought to be, which is scientifically unacceptable. This is an unscientific validation criterion (comparable to crude ethnic stereotypes such as "Asians are smarter") and should not be used to judge the scales' validity. Next, in their discussion of priming, Levine et al. assert that the construct validity of the interdependent self-construal requires that it must be susceptible to priming. This is an elementary logical fallacy. It simply does not follow from the definition of the interdependent self-construal and therefore cannot be used as a criterion which reflects on construct validity. Their priming experiments are also deeply flawed by the unrepresentative sample of participants. Further, in their factor analyses, Levine et al. set up the "straw man" of a "universal a priori 2-factor solution" although no self-construal scholar or theory insists that there are precisely 2 universally applicable self-construals or that the current self-construal scales are perfect. The results of statistical analyses, such as those in Levine et al., crucially depend on the selection of presuppositions. Levine et al.'s presuppositions are untenable, yet they are passed off as self-evident criteria for validity testing. Their article tries to create an illusion of finality, but is pervasively and fundamentally flawed.
EGFR Dinucleotide Repeat Polymorphism as a Prognostic Indicator in Non-small Cell Lung Cancer

Background The epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) has been implicated in tumor growth and progression. Intron 1 of the EGFR gene contains a polymorphic simple sequence repeat (SSR) of 14 to 21 CA dinucleotides, the length of which correlates inversely with the level of EGFR transcription. The authors hypothesized that a shorter length of tumor SSR would be associated with poorer survival in patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Methods Patients enrolled in Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group E3590 (a randomized, prospective trial of adjuvant therapy following resection of stages II and IIIa NSCLC) were randomized to radiation or radiation plus chemotherapy. Genomic DNA extracted from resected tumors was amplified for EGFR intron 1 by polymerase chain reaction and sequenced in a 3730XL DNA analyzer. Results One hundred fifty-seven primary tumors were sequenced, 106 (68%) of which were heterozygous for intron 1. The most common genotypes were allele lengths of 17/19 dinucleotides (17.8%), 17/18 (11.4%), and 19/19 (11.4%). Allele status (homozygous versus heterozygous) did not correlate with race, gender, weight, performance status, histology, stage, or survival. Shorter allele length (≤18 versus >18 CA dinucleotide repeats) was associated with squamous cell histology ( p = 0.03). Allele sum of greater than 35 was associated with improved overall survival (log-rank p = 0.03, hazard ratio=0.66). Conclusion This is the first study to characterize the EGFR intron 1 SSR polymorphism in NSCLC. Tumors were most commonly heterozygous for SSR length. Squamous histology was associated with a shorter SSR. Longer sequences are associated with improved survival.
A Survey of Applications and Human Motion Recognition with Microsoft Kinect

Microsoft Kinect, a low-cost motion sensing device, enables users to interact with computers or game consoles naturally through gestures and spoken commands without any other peripheral equipment. As such, it has commanded intense interests in research and development on the Kinect technology. In this paper, we present, a comprehensive survey on Kinect applications, and the latest research and development on motion recognition using data captured by the Kinect sensor. On the applications front, we review the applications of the Kinect technology in a variety of areas, including healthcare, education and performing arts, robotics, sign language recognition, retail services, workplace safety training, as well as 3D reconstructions. On the technology front, we provide an overview of the main features of both versions of the Kinect sensor together with the depth sensing technologies used, and review literatures on human motion recognition techniques used in Kinect applications. We provide a classification of motion recognition techniques to highlight the different approaches used in human motion recognition. Furthermore, we compile a list of publicly available Kinect datasets. These datasets are valuable resources for researchers to investigate better methods for human motion recognition and lower-level computer vision tasks such as segmentation, object detection and human pose estimation.
Rhetoric Matters: Ethical Standards in a Humanistic Science of Economics

Deirdre McCloskey pulls no punches in this eloquent piece. Dishonesty is a problem in economics—in particular, the misuse of "statistical significance" bothers her. But mostly she is annoyed by the fact that the profession will not discuss the problem seriously.
Real-Time Landslide Warning During Heavy Rainfall

A real-time system for issuing warnings of landslides during major storms is being developed for the San Francisco Bay region, California. The system is based on empirical and theoretical relations between rainfall and landslide initiation, geologic determination of areas susceptible to landslides, real-time monitoring of a regional network of telemetering rain gages, and National Weather Service precipitation forecasts. This system was used to issue warnings during the storms of 12 to 21 February 1986, which produced 800 millimeters of rainfall in the region. Although analysis after the storms suggests that modifications and additional development are needed, the system successfully predicted the times of major landslide events. It could be used as a prototype for systems in other landslide-prone regions.
On patches of uniform vorticity in a plane of irrotational flow

We derive an evolution equation for the motions of patches of vorticity (vortex). Steady state solutions of this equation that include those of Kirchhoff and Moore & Saffman are established. The m-fold symmetric, m≧3, hypotrochoid is an exact steady solution of this equation when rotation and strain are present. When strain is absent but rotation is present, the m-fold symmetric, m≧2, hypotrochoid is a perturbation solution with a dispersion relation extending that of Lamb. The case of m=2 is exact and is the Kirchhoff elliptical vortex.