cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Health Attitudes and Practices in Arkansas

A state-wide, broad-based consumer health education program was initiated in Arkansas, July 1, 1972. The project has four major goals based on the Wisconsin planning model for consumer health education.' These four goals are to enable citizens: (1) to have a greater concern for their personal health; (2) to become better aware of and to adopt preventive and rehabilitative health practices; (3) to better understand and utilize the local health care delivery system; and (4) to learn how and when to apply self-help practices and when to call on local health service professionals for medical assistance. Information regarding the attitudes people have about illness, about their use of health care facilities, and their patterns of personal health care were gathered through a Health Attitudes and Practices Questionnaire (HAPQ). The development of this questionnaire, one of the first objectives of this comprehensive, three-year effort to develop a health education program for the state of Arkansas, was aimed a t providing baseline information for program planning and measurement. This paper reports on the questionnaire and the results of the statewide survey of consumer health attitudes and practices which was conducted in order to obtain baseline data for the health education project. 0
Short-term Electric Load Prediction Using Multiple Linear Regression Method

This paper provides new techniques to predict electric loads using a multiple linear regression (MLR) model, which adopts a statistical approach that assumes that past load and weather data can provide information for forecasting the target load. However, there are some application problems when the observed data is insufficient or the reference load deviates from the training data set. To solve these problems, we introduce new methods such as approximately adaptive searching and compensation. The results of case study show whether our new methods work well with real data.
Computer comparison of pictures

Abstract : This dissertation reports the development of digital computer techniques for detecting changes in scenes by normalizing and comparing pictures which were taken from different camera positions and under different conditions of illumination. The pictures are first geometrically normalized to a common point of view. Then they are photometrically normalized to eliminate the differences due to different illumination, camera characteristics, and reflectance properties of the scene due to different sun and view angles. These pictures are then geometrically registered by maximizing the cross correlation between areas in them. The final normalized and registered pictures are then differenced point by point.
Security Threats in Approximate Computing Systems

Approximate computing systems improve energy efficiency and computation speed at the cost of reduced accuracy on system outputs. Existing efforts mainly explore the feasible approximation mechanisms and their implementation methods. There is limited work that investigates the security threats brought by approximate computing. To fill this gap, we first analyze the approximate mechanisms used in approximate system, software, storage, and arithmetic circuits, and then propose potential attacks that will challenge the integrity and security of approximate systems. Some illustrative examples are provided accordingly to showcase the consequences of the proposed new attacks.
Response of predaceous arthropods to chemically defended larvae of the pyralid moth Uresiphita reversalis (Guenée) (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae)

Extensive observations of aposematic Uresiphita reversalis (Guenee) larvae feeding on sky-blue lupine Lupinus cumulicola Small in February in south Florida revealed a low incidence of predation by natural arthropod enemies. Three species of spiders, the wolf spiders Lycosa ceratiola Gertsch & Wallace and L. osceola Gertsch & Wallace and the crab spider Misumenops sp., rejected U. reversalis larvae that were offered to them in laboratory predation tests. However, the green lynx spider Peucetia viridans (Hentz) and the assassin bug Zelus longipes (L.) were found to feed on the caterpillars. Bioassays with the wolf spider L. ceratiola confirmed previous studies showing that the larval integument possess potent antifeedant properties, most likely because it contains quinolizidine alkaloids of dietary origin.
Macroevolutionary analysis of discrete character evolution using parsimony-informed likelihood

Rates of character evolution in macroevolutionary datasets are typically estimated by maximizing the likelihood function of a continuous-time Markov chain (CTMC) model of character evolution over all possible histories of character state change, a technique known as maximum average likelihood. An alternative approach is to estimate ancestral character states independently of rates using parsimony and to then condition likelihood-based estimates of transition rates on the resulting ancestor-descendant reconstructions. We use maximum parsimony reconstructions of possible pathways of evolution to implement this alternative approach for single-character datasets simulated on empirical phylogenies using a two-state CTMC. We find that transition rates estimated using parsimonious ancestor-descendant reconstructions have lower mean squared error than transition rates estimated by maximum average likelihood. Although we use a binary state character for exposition, the approach remains valid for an arbitrary number of states. Finally, we show how this method can be used to rapidly and easily detect phylogenetic variation in tempo and mode of character evolution with two empirical examples from squamates. These results highlight the mutually informative roles of parsimony and likelihood when testing hypotheses of character evolution in macroevolution.
Prospective Comparison of Donor-Site Morbidity following Radial Forearm and Ulnar Artery Perforator Flap Harvest.

Background: The forearm is a common donor site, providing thin, pliable workhorse flaps for head and neck reconstruction. There are no prospective studies comparing the donor-site morbidity of the radial forearm flap to the ulnar artery perforator flap. Methods: All patients undergoing forearm free flaps were included for analysis and followed for a minimum of 1 year. Grip strength, sensation to light touch, temperature sensation, and wound healing were assessed. Results: A total of 98 patients were enrolled (radial forearm flap, n = 50; ulnar artery perforator flap, n = 48). There were three osteocutaneous radial forearm flaps performed. The donor site was closed primarily in one radial forearm flap patient and four ulnar artery perforator flap patients. The majority of donor sites were resurfaced with full-thickness skin grafts (radial forearm flap, n = 40; ulnar artery perforator flap, n = 44), and the remaining were closed with split-thickness skin grafts. Average grip strength compared to baseline measured at 1, 3, 6, and 12 months after surgery demonstrated no significant differences. All patients returned to baseline sensation to light touch with no long-term sensory deficits at 1 year. No patients suffered significant changes in temperature sensation or cold intolerance. Seven patients suffered partial skin graft loss (radial forearm flap, n = 5; ulnar artery perforator flap, n = 2); all of them healed secondarily with local wound care. There were no flap losses in the study. Conclusions: The radial forearm and ulnar artery perforator flaps are equivalent in terms of success and donor-site morbidity. Selection of flap should be based on need for pedicle length, flap bulk, concerns with radial or ulnar dominance, and surgeon comfort. Clinical question/level of evidence: Therapeutic, II.
Average Age of Information in Multi-Source Self-Preemptive Status Update Systems with Packet Delivery Errors

This paper studies the "age of information" (AoI) in a multi-source status update system where multiple sources send updates of their process to a monitor through a last-come first-served server with preemption in service and packet delivery errors. Arrival times of the status updates from the sources are assumed to be random according to independent Poisson processes. Service times are also assumed to be exponentially distributed and independent of the status arrivals. If the server is idle, any arriving packet immediately enters service. When the server is busy, if the arriving packet and the packet in service are from the same source, the packet in service is preempted and the new packet immediately enters service. Otherwise, any arriving packet is discarded. A closed-form expression for the average AoI of each source as a function of the system parameters is derived and, for the case without packet delivery errors, is compared to the average AoI in the "source agnostic" preemption setting considered by Yates and Kaul where any source can preempt any other source. The results show that source agnostic preemption in service results in better average AoI than self preemption in service for all sources.
Macrophage Depletion in CCR2-/- Mice Delays Bacterial Clearance and Enhances Neutrophil Infiltration in an Acute Otitis Media Model.

BACKGROUND Otitis media (OM) is a common and potentially serious disease of childhood. Although OM is multifactorial on origin, bacterial infection is a unifying component. Many studies have established a critical role for innate immunity in bacterial clearance and OM resolution. A key component of innate immunity is the recruitment of immune and inflammatory cells, including macrophages. METHODS To explore the role of macrophages in OM, we evaluated the expression of genes related to macrophage function during a complete episode of acute OM in the mouse caused by middle ear (ME) inoculation with Haemophilus influenzae. We also combined CCR2 deficiency with chlodronate liposome toxicity to deplete macrophages during OM. RESULTS Macrophage genes were robustly regulated during OM. Moreover, macrophage depletion enhanced and prolonged the infiltration of neutrophils into the infected ME and increased the persistence of bacterial infection. CONCLUSIONS The results illustrate the critical role played by macrophages in OM resolution.
Organizational Factors Associated With Retention of Direct Care Workers: A Comparison of Nursing Homes and Assisted Living Facilities.

Background and objectives Low retention of direct care workers (DCWs), either certified nursing assistants in nursing homes (NH) or personal care assistants in assisted living (AL), continues to be an unresolved problem. While numerous studies have examined predictors of DCW retention in NHs, little attention has been paid to differences between settings of long-term care. This study compares the predictors of DCW retention rates across both settings. Research design and methods The 2017 Ohio Biennial Survey of Long-Term Care Facilities provides facility-level information from NHs and ALs (NHs= 739; ALs= 465). We compare the factors that predict retention rates of DCWs utilizing regression analysis. The factors are structural, financial, resident conditions, staffing, and management characteristics, as well as retention strategies. Results Average DCW retention rates were 66% and 61% in ALs and NHs, respectively. Not-for-profit status was significantly associated with higher retention rates across settings. While the percent of residents with dementia and less administrator turnover were associated with significantly higher DCW retention in NHs, these were not significant for ALs. However, in the AL context, a higher county unemployment rate and DCWs participation in resident care planning meetings were positively related to DCW retention after controlling for all other covariates, while DCW cross-training was negatively associated. Discussion and implications Retention strategies for DCWs may need to differ by setting, as a result of differing working environments, resources, and regulations.
Establishment and characterization of mammary organoids from non-traditional model organisms

Mammary organoid (MaO) models are only available for a few traditional model organisms, limiting our ability to investigate mammary gland development and cancer across the diverse taxa of mammals. For example, horses are mammals with a similar mammary anatomy and function as humans, but they have a remarkably low incidence of mammary cancer, making the development of MaOs in non-traditional model organisms attractive, particularly in comparative cancer research. This study established equine mammary organoids (EqMaOs) from mammary gland tissue fragments and evaluated parameters including diameter, budding, and growth stage in non-budding EqMaOs, in cultures with increasing concentrations of epidermal growth factor (EGF), a key growth factor implicated in mammary gland development. Our findings showed that EqMaO diameter is not influenced by EGF concentration, whereas number of EqMaOs with budding and stage in non-budding EqMaOs are positively influenced by increasing EGF concentration. EqMaOs also formed protrusions with putative functions, including organoid fusion and sensory functions. We further characterized EqMaOs by the presence of myoepithelial and luminal cells using immunohistochemistry and used the hormone prolactin to stimulate milk secretion, as illustrated by {beta}-lactoglobulin expression, in these EqMaOs. Additionally, we showed that our method to establish MaOs is widely applicable to additional non-traditional mammalian model organisms such as cat, pig, deer, rabbit, and prairie vole. Collectively, MaO models across species will be a useful tool for comparative developmental and cancer studies. Summary statementMammary organoids can be established from various mammals by embedding mammary tissue fragments into a 3D matrix, providing a high-throughput, physiologically accurate model for comparative studies centered on mammary gland development and cancer.
Balancing the needs of consumers and producers for scientific data collections

Abstract Recent emphasis and requirements for open data publication have led to significant increases in data availability in the Earth sciences, which is critical to long-tail data integration. Currently, data are often published in a repository with an identifier and citation, similar to those for papers. Subsequent publications that use the data are expected to provide a citation in the reference section of the paper. However, the format of the data citation is still evolving, particularly with regards to citing dynamic data, subsets, and collections of data. Considering the motivations of both data producers and consumers, the most pressing need is to create user-friendly solutions that provide credit for data producers and enable accurate citation of data, particularly integrated data. Providing easy-to-use data citations is a critical foundation that is required to address the socio-technical challenges around data integration. Studies that integrate data from dozens or hundreds of datasets must often include data citations in supplementary material due to page limits. However, citations in the supplementary material are not indexed, making it difficult to track citations and thus giving credit to the data producer. In this paper, we discuss our experiences and the challenges we have encountered with current citation guidance. We also review the relative merits of the currently available mechanisms designed to enable compact citation of collections of data, such as data collections, data papers, and dynamic data citations. We consider these options for three data producer scenarios: a domain-specific data collection, a data repository, and a large-scale, multidisciplinary project. We posit that a new mechanism is also needed to enable citation of multiple datasets and credit to data producers.
Polarimetric time-frequency distributions and applications to radar imaging

We introduce the polarimetric time-frequency distribution (PTFD) and consider its applications to radar imaging applications for polarimetric Doppler signature estimation and source discrimination. The PTFD integrates polarization with time-frequency analysis, specifically bilinear transformations. It exploits the time-varying nature of both polarization and frequency for improved target identification, classification, and characterization.
Bounds for the Entries of Matrix Functions with Applications to Preconditioning

Let A be a symmetric matrix and let f be a smooth function defined on an interval containing the spectrum of A. Generalizing a well-known result of Demko, Moss and Smith on the decay of the inverse we show that when A is banded, the entries of f(A)are bounded in an exponentially decaying manner away from the main diagonal. Bounds obtained by representing the entries of f(A)in terms of Riemann-Stieltjes integrals and by approximating such integrals by Gaussian quadrature rules are also considered. Applications of these bounds to preconditioning are suggested and illustrated by a few numerical examples.
Damping Multimachine Power System Oscillations with Feedback Linearizing Excitation Control

The use of feedback linearining control (FBLC) is investigated for the purpose of controlling poorly-damped multimachine oscillations in a model of the Northeast Power Coordianting Council bulk power transmission system.
Preliminary study of the stiffness enhancement of wood–plastic composites using carbon nanofibers

Vapor-grown carbon nanofibers (CNFs) were compounded into polypropylene (PP) with southern pine wood flour (WF) by high shear melt blending to investigate the reinforcement effects of CNFs on the stiffness of conventional wood flour/plastic composites. CNF loadings of 1, 2 and 5 parts by weight per 100 parts of PP were employed with three WF levels (20, 40 and 60 parts). Maleated polypropylene (MAPP) was used as a coupling agent to improve WF to PP compatibility. The incorporation of CNFs significantly increased the modulus of elasticity of these nanocomposites with MAPP addition. The presence of 0.61 wt % of CNF within a 36.6%WF/1.83%MAPP/61%PP composite exhibited a modulus (7590 MPa) that was 59% greater than its counterpart without CNF (36.8%WF/1.84%MAPP/61.4%PP) (4783 MPa) and 90% greater than pure PP. The origin of this enhancement is not yet understood.
Temperature dependence of In-doped silicon strain gages

An alternative method for the doping of silicon so as to reduce the temperature coefficient of the silicon's resistivity (TCR) is reported. The method is based on the use of indium (a deep-level acceptor impurity) as a primary dopant and B, Al, or Ga (shallow-level acceptors). Alternatively, it is shown that a parallel array of two strain gauges can also lead to a significant TCR. Preliminary experimental results indicate that the TCR can be reduced by at least one order of magnitude, within a temperature range of 100 degrees C. Theoretical calculations indicate that this coefficient can be as low as 10 ppm/ degrees C. >
A quality aware anycast routing protocol for wireless mesh networks

In this paper we consider anycast routing for multi-gateway wireless mesh networks to maximize the overall quality of communications. For such networks, anycasting provides an effective mechanism to reduce problems due to congestion and interfence by appropriate selection of gateways, particularly at heavy traffic conditions. However, as proved in this paper, the optimal gateway selection problem is NP-hard. Hence, we propose a heuristic for route selection that tries to perform gateway and route selection to minimize interference. Simulation results show that our proposed anycasting scheme performs better than other well known anycasting protocols.
Fusing multiresolutional data using filter banks

In this paper, an algorithm for optimal and dynamic multiresolutional distributed filtering for measurements with arbitrary resolutions is derived. A mapping scheme among different resolution levels is devised. The wavelet transform is employed as a basic tool linking signals at different resolution levels. The effectiveness of the algorithm is demonstrated in an example.
Chronic exposure to arsenic, estrogen, and their combination causes increased growth and transformation in human prostate epithelial cells potentially by hypermethylation-mediated silencing of MLH1.

BACKGROUND Chronic exposure to arsenic and estrogen is associated with risk of prostate cancer, but their mechanism is not fully understood. Additionally, the carcinogenic effects of their co-exposure are not known. Therefore, the objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of chronic exposure to arsenic, estrogen, and their combination, on cell growth and transformation, and identify the mechanism behind these effects. METHODS RWPE-1 human prostate epithelial cells were chronically exposed to arsenic and estrogen alone and in combination. Cell growth was measured by cell count and cell cycle, whereas cell transformation was evaluated by colony formation assay. Gene expression was measured by quantitative real-time PCR and confirmed at protein level by Western blot analysis. MLH1 promoter methylation was determined by pyrosequencing method. RESULTS Exposure to arsenic, estrogen, and their combinations increases cell growth and transformation in RWPE-1 cells. Increased expression of Cyclin D1 and Bcl2, whereas decreased expression of mismatch repair genes MSH4, MSH6, and MLH1 was also observed. Hypermethylation of MLH1 promoter further suggested the epigenetic inactivation of MLH1 expression in arsenic and estrogen treated cells. Arsenic and estrogen combination caused greater changes than their individual treatments. CONCLUSIONS Findings of this study for the first time suggest that arsenic and estrogen exposures cause increased cell growth and survival potentially through epigenetic inactivation of MLH1 resulting in decreased MLH1-mediated apoptotic response, and consequently increased cellular transformation. Prostate 73: 1660–1672, 2013. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Simulation of the consistent Boltzmann equation for hard spheres and its extension to higher densities

The direct simulation Monte Carlo method is modified with a post-collision displacements in order to obtain the hard sphere equation of state. This leads to consistent thermodynamic and transport properties in the low density regime. At higher densities, when the enhanced collision rate according to kinetic theory is introduced, the exact hard sphere equation of state is recovered, and the transport coefficients are comparable to those of the Enskog theory. The computational advantages of this scheme over hard sphere molecular dynamics are that it is significantly faster at low and moderate densities and that it is readily parallelizable.
Thiol-based antioxidants

The thiol redox status of intracellular and extracellular compartments is critical in the determination of protein structure, regulation of enzyme activity, and control of transcription factor activity and binding. Thiol antioxidants act through a variety of mechanisms, including (1) as components of the general thiol/disulfide redox buffer, (2) as metal chelators, (3) as radical quenchers, (4) as substrates for specific redox reactions (GSH), and (5) as specific reductants of individual protein disulfate bonds (thioredoxin). The composition and redox status of the available thiols in a given compartment is highly variable and must play a part in determining the metabolic activity of each compartment. It is generally beneficial to increase the availability of specific antioxidants under conditions of oxidant stress. Cells have devised a number of mechanisms to promote increased intracellular levels of thiols such as GSH and thioredoxin in response to a wide variety of stresses. Exogenous thiols have been used successfully to increase cell and tissue thiol levels in cell cultures, in animal models, and in humans. Increased levels of GSH and other thiols have been associated with increased tolerance to oxidant stresses in all of these systems and in some cases, with disease prevention or treatment in humans. A wide variety of thiol-related compounds have been used for these purposes. These include thiols such as GSH and its derivatives, cysteine and NAC, dithiols such as lipoic acid, which is reduced to the thiol form intracellularly, and "prothiol" compounds such as OTC, which are enzymatically converted to free thiols within the cell. In choosing a thiol for a specific function (e.g., protection of lung from oxidant exposure or protection of organs from ischemia reperfusion injury), the global effects must also be considered. For example, large increases in free thiols in the circulation are associated with toxic effects. These effects may be the result of thiyl radical-mediated reactions but could also be due to destabilizing effects of increases in thiol/disulfide ratios in the plasma, which normally is in a more oxidized state than intracellular compartments. Changes in the thiol redox gradient across cells could also adversely affect any transport or cell signaling processes, which are dependent on formation and rupture of disulfide linkages in membrane proteins. Therapeutic thiol administration has been shown to have great potential, and its efficacy should be increased by selecting compounds and methods of delivery that will minimize perturbations in the thiol status of regions external to the targeted areas.
Gedankenexperiment for Looking at the Role of Acceleration at the Beginning of Expansion of the Universe and Its Influence on the Hup

We will from first principles examine what adding acceleration does, and will not do as to the HUP previously derived. In doing so we will be examining a Friedmann equation for the evolution of the scale factor, using explicitly two cases, one case being when the acceleration of expansion of the scale factor is kept in, another when it is out, and the intermediate cases of when the acceleration factor, and the scale factor is important but not dominant. In doing so we will be tying it in our discussion with the earlier work done on the HUP. The ratio of 2nd derivative of a (time derivative), divided by a (a is a scale factor) set equal to zero would mean that the ratio of the 1st derivative of a (time derivative) divided by a could have complex solution roots, whereas the ration of the 2nd derivative of a (time derivative) divided by a with a, the scale factor as a ration not equal to zero, but constant, and large would frequently imply the first time derivative of a divided by a would have three dissimilar real valued roots. From the sake of physical analysis, the situation with not equal to zero yields more tractable result for which will have implications for the HUP inequality
Optical Waveguide Transitions

The sections in this article are 1 Separating Waveguides and Horns 2 Local Normal Mode Formalism 3 Adiabatic and Abrupt Transitions 4 Coupled-Mode Theory Representation of Normal Modes 5 Scattering Matrix Formalism 6 Coupled Amplitude Equations 7 Coupled Mode Theory Representation of Cij and Δβij 8 Branches 9 Waveguide Horns 10 Direct Computational Methods
Optimization of retinotopy constrained source estimation constrained by prior.

Studying how the timing and amplitude of visual evoked responses (VERs) vary between visual areas is important for understanding visual processing but is complicated by difficulties in reliably estimating VERs in individual visual areas using noninvasive brain measurements. Retinotopy constrained source estimation (RCSE) addresses this challenge by using multiple, retinotopically mapped stimulus locations to simultaneously constrain estimates of VERs in visual areas V1, V2, and V3, taking advantage of the spatial precision of fMRI retinotopy and the temporal resolution of magnetoencephalography (MEG) or electroencephalography (EEG). Nonlinear optimization of dipole locations, guided by a group-constrained RCSE solution as a prior, improved the robustness of RCSE. This approach facilitated the analysis of differences in timing and amplitude of VERs between V1, V2, and V3, elicited by stimuli with varying luminance contrast in a sample of eight adult humans. The V1 peak response was 37% larger than that of V2 and 74% larger than that of V3, and also ∼10–20 ms earlier. Normalized contrast response functions were nearly identical for the three areas. Results without dipole optimization, or with other nonlinear methods not constrained by prior estimates were similar but suffered from greater between-subject variability. The increased reliability of estimates offered by this approach may be particularly valuable when using a smaller number of stimulus locations, enabling a greater variety of stimulus and task manipulations. Hum Brain Mapp 35:1815–1833, 2014. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Fatty acid profiles and lipid oxidation in beef steer muscles from different anatomical locations.

Beef muscles at four different anatomical locations (longissimus dorsi, LD; psoas major, PM; semimembranosus, SM; semitendinosus, ST) were excised 24 h post-mortem from each of 12 steer carcasses and analyzed for total lipids, fatty acid proofiles and lipid oxidation catalysts. Also, the accumulation of thiobarbituric acid (TBA)-reactive substances in ground muscles stored at 4°C was determined. Total lipids and fatty acid composition of total lipid extracts were similar among the muscles from different locations. The microsomal enzymic lipid peroxidation activity was higher for the ST than for other muscles whereas total heme pigment was lower for the ST than for others. The nonheme iron was higher for the PM and SM than for the LD and ST. The accumulation of TBA-reactive substances in stored, raw ground muscle was highest for the PM and lowest for the LD. TBA values of ground muscle samples were positively correlated with heme pigment content and microsomal enzymic lipid peroxidation activity while not correlated with nonheme iron content. It also was positively correlated with the percentage of polyunsaturated fatty acids.
A Hox 3.3-lacZ transgene expressed in developing limbs.

Abstract We describe transgenic mouse lines that express lacZ under the control of the Hox 3.3 Promoter II. The correct anterior boundary can be fixed by 3.6 kb of promoter DNA (plus 1.6 kb of 5′ transcribed sequences), both in tissues of ectodermal and mesodermal origin. The posterior border, however, is not respected, and lacZ expression continues into the tail region. One line has particularly strong graded expression in the anterior proximal limb bud. Other lines, containing a shorter promoter fragment (0.6 kb), have ectopic expression in the head region, including one line that has expression in the anterior half of the retina. Such mouselines make it possible to molecularly distinguish cells in regions of the embryo that look otherwise identical and may be useful in studying the establishment of molecular differences in the mouse embryo.
S-adenosyl methionine: methionine methyl transferase from wheat germ.

Abstract The results presented in this paper demonstrate the presence of an enzyme in extracts of an acetone powder of wheat germ which catalyzes the synthesis of S -methyl methionine from S -adenosyl methionine and methionine. The enzyme requires Zn ++ (10 −4 m ) or Mn ++ (10 −3 m ). The pH optimum for this reaction is approximately 6.5. The enzyme has been partially purified by (NH 4 ) 2 SO 4 precipitation. When methionine- 14 CH 3 is used as substrate, S -methyl methionine- 14 C has been identified as a reaction product by co-chromatography in two solvents, by co-electrophoresis at one pH and by co-crystallization to constant specific activity with authentic unlabeled S -methyl methionine. S -Methyl methionine- 14 C is also found as a product when either methionine- 14 COOH or S -adenosyl methionine- 14 CH 3 is introduced as the sole radiolabel. In addition, the synthesis of S -methyl methionine has been demonstrated with extracts of germinating mung beans and of barley shoots.
Variability of brand price elasticities across retail stores: Ethnic, income, and brand determinants

Abstract Retail pricing decisions are often made with respect to the price sensitivity of shoppers in a retail store or market area. This paper explores how certain brand and consumer characteristics relate to the variability of brand price elasticities across stores belonging to the same chain. The authors measure the price sensitivity of 14 liquor brands sold in 35 store locations. Since the stores operate in a monopoly environment, the analysis is free from the confounds caused by competitive pricing or promotional activity that often hamper retail pricing studies. Also, the monopoly situation provides data that represent a census of brand sales in the categories studied. Results of a two-stage econometric analysis show that brand price elasticity is higher for brands that are promoted more frequently and for brands that have higher market shares. The magnitude of brand price elasticity is also found to be directly related to the household income in a market area and inversely related to the proportion of residents in a market area who are African-American.
Rapid ethanolysis procedure for jojoba wax analysis by gas liquid chromatography

A rapid ethanolysis procedure for preparing jojoba wax for gas liquid chromatographic analysis is described. The wax esters are hydrolyzed by refluxing 4 drops of jojoba wax in 5% HCl in anhydrous ethanol in a test tube. The resulting fatty acid ethyl esters and fatty alcohols are separated and quantitated by a single gas liquid chromatographic run. Analysis of duplicate samples by this procedure gives essentially the same results as a procedure which requires 10 times more sample and reagents and considerably more time.
Population nucleation, intensive agriculture, and environmental degradation: The Cahokia example

Cahokia, the largest pre-European settlement in North America, was situated on the Middle Mississippi River floodplain and flourished for approximately three hundred years from the 10th century AD onward. The site was favorably located from an environmental standpoint, being proximal to a diversity of microhabitats including expanses of open water and marshes from which the essential, renewable fish protein could be procured. More importantly, the largest local zone of soils characterized as optimal for prehistoric hoe cultivation lay immediately to the east. Here, on the floodplain and along its bordering alluvial fans, the large maize outfields were situated, while the multi-crop house gardens were placed within the habitation zone on soils that had often been culturally enriched by prior occupation. As successful as this strategy might have been for small, dispersed populations in such a plentiful environment, nucleation of large numbers of people at Cahokia provided a different adaptive context that ultimately led to ruinous consequences. The seeds for the city's destruction centered anthropogenically produced environmental degradation. Demands on wood resources for fuel and construction were enormous and agricultural field clearance was in forested rather than prairie settings. The resultant watershed deforestation produced greatly increased rates of erosion, runoff, and unseasonable downstream flooding during the summer growing season. The economic and social consequences of declining production and localized crop failures proved disastrous for this city of farmers.
Decision making in patchy resource environments: Spatial misperception of bioeconomic models

Abstract We investigate the performance of subjects in a patchy resource environment in the experimental laboratory to expand the concept of stock misperception into spatial and non-spatial components. Results indicate that substantial heterogeneity exists in the decision heuristics employed that can be used to identify subject “types”: steady-state and pulse fishing strategists. While steady-state strategists are only subject to spatial misperceptions, pulse strategists are subject to both forms of misperception. Both subject groups overallocate effort to regions within the fishery that possess the highest rates of emigration, inducing a spatial externality. These spatial misperceptions are exacerbated by the spatial structure present.
Monotherapy Trials with Gabapentin for Partial Epilepsy

The efficacy and safety of gabapentin as monotherapy for treatment of partial onset seizures were evaluated in three large multicenter, double-blind, parallel-group, dose-controlled trials. In the first trial, 275 outpatients with refractory partial epilepsy maintained on stable doses of one or two antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) were switched to gabapentin (GBP) monotherapy at 600 mg, 1200 mg, or 2400 mg daily. Patients were required to exit the 26-week double-blind phase of the study if they experienced worsening of seizure frequency. With respect to time to exit, there was no statistically significant difference among the three groups; only 3% of patients withdrew from the trial because of adverse events. In the second study, 82 hospitalized patients with medically refractory epilepsy were tapered off baseline AEDs and randomly assigned to GBP monotherapy at 300 mg/day or 3600 mg/day. Patients remained in the trial for a maximum of 8 days but had to exit the trial if they experienced one or more exit events. Time to exit was significantly longer in patients in the 3600-mg group (151 h) compared with those in the 300-mg group (85 h) (p = 0.0001). None of the patients withdrew from the trial because of side effects. In the third study, 292 patients with newly diagnosed partial seizures were randomized to GBP 300, 900, or 1800 mg/day or to carbamazepine (CBZ) 600 mg/day. Patients remained in the trial for up to 6 months or until they experienced an exit event. Mean time to exit was significantly longer for patients who received GBP 900 mg/day (p = 0.02) or 1800 mg/day (p = 0.04) compared with those who received 300 mg/day. The completion rate for the CBZ group (37%) was similar to that of the GBP 900-mg (39%) and 1800-mg (38%) groups. Patients receiving CBZ had a higher withdrawal rate because of adverse events compared with the GBP 900-mg and 1800-mg groups. The results of these trials provide good evidence of the efficacy and safety of GBP as monotherapy for the treatment of partial-onset seizures.
Relationship between corneal hysteresis and optic nerve parameters measured with spectral domain optical coherence tomography

Corneal hysteresis (CH) has been associated with visual field damage in glaucoma and is related to the velocity of perimetric glaucoma progression. We undertook this investigation to determine whether CH is associated with structural markers of glaucoma damage on spectral domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT). In this retrospective study, 131 patients under glaucoma evaluation were evaluated with SD-OCT (Cirrus; Carl Zeiss Meditec, Dublin, CA) and had CH measurements with the ocular response analyzer (Reichert, Inc., Buffalo, NY). Pearson and partial correlation adjusting for age were preformed to examine the association between CH and variables of interest. Generalized estimating equations were used to construct simple and multiple linear models. While Pearson correlations were modest overall, CH best correlated with mean deviation (MD; r = 0.19) followed by average retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) thickness (r = 0.18) and vertical cup to disc ratio (r = −0.11) in the open angle glaucoma group. In univariable models, CH varied as a function of MD (s = 0.1, 95 % CI 0.03, 0.1; p < 0.001) and of average RNFL thickness (s = 0.2, 95 % CI 0.1, 0.4; p = 0.001). In a multivariable analysis including MD, age, average RNFL thickness, and glaucoma status, MD (p = 0.001) and age (p < 0.001) retained significant associations with CH. In patients under evaluation and treatment for glaucoma, CH was more closely related to visual field MD than to structural markers of glaucoma damage as measured by SD-OCT.
Self‐Construal, Reference Groups, and Brand Meaning

We propose that consumers purchase brands in part to construct their self-concepts and, in so doing, form self-brand connections. We focus on reference groups as a source of brand meaning. Results from two studies show that brands with images consistent with an ingroup enhance self-brand connections for all consumers, whereas brands with images that are consistent with an outgroup have a stronger negative effect on independent versus interdependent consumers. We propose that this differential effect is due to stronger self-differentiation goals for consumers with more independent self-concepts. We also find greater effects for more symbolic than for less symbolic brands.
Water vapor diffusion in model tablet systems: II. Experiments with lactose anhydrous based tablets

Abstract Investigations were conducted to study water vapor diffusion in lactose-based compacts of increasing compositional complexity, using a previously described diffusion apparatus. Diffusion parameters were found to be a function of a pore structure for a particular system. The pore structure was influenced by tablet composition and degree of densification. Results from mercury intrusion porosimetry suggest that a large percentage of the pore volume had pore diameters in which the diffusion process was transitional between viscous (ordinary) diffusion and free-molecular (Knudsen) diffusion. The diffusion process was modeled using Percolation Theory. Resulting estimates of percolation threshold ( φ c ) and coordination number ( z ) suggested that the pore network in lactose compacts was highly connected.
Experimental bone tumours caused by common viruses.

ATYPICAL osseous and articular lesions have been observed in children in the course of measles and viral neuroinfections1,2. Although no viruses were isolated from the bones of the patients, the observations prompted the following investigation of the influence of viruses on bone tissue. In this communication we present the results of experiments with the ornithosis virus O.A.P. strain Y.S. 224, Coxsackie A9, Coxsackie B1, B3 and B4 viruses. The method used has been described before3. The experimental suspensions were free from bacterial contamination, as checked by inoculating various culture media. White mice of the ‘Porton’ race weighing 15 g each were used in the experiments. The suspensions were injected into bone marrow or joints. The Coxsackie A and B viruses were used in 25 per cent carcass suspensions, and the ornithosis virus in 15 per cent brain suspensions. The numbers of animals inoculated, the dosage of the suspensions and the frequency of lesions in the bones are shown in Table 1. Mice were anaesthetized in groups at intervals of 5 days, and inoculated parts were removed for histological examination. (The material was decalcified with 7 per cent nitric acid, fixed in paraffin, and stained with haematoxylin and eosin). In two mice, 25 and 35 days after inoculation, rapidly growing tumours were observed on the temporo-frontal aspect of the head in one case, and on the front limb in the other. The longest period of observation was 50 days.
Combined experimental and numerical study of thermal management of battery module consisting of multiple Li-ion cells

Abstract Lithium ion (Li-ion) batteries are promising power sources for hybrid powertrain systems, and the thermal management of batteries has been identified as a critical issue both for safety and efficiency concerns. This work studied thermal management of a Li-ion battery module both experimentally and computationally. A battery module consisting of multiple cells was fabricated and experimentally tested in a wind tunnel facility. Systematic tests were performed under various flow velocities, charging and discharging current, and module configuration. Computationally, a high-fidelity two dimensional computational fluid dynamics (CFD) model was developed to capture the detailed dynamics of thermal management of the cells. Temperature rise of cells and pressure measurements were recorded in the experiments, and compared with CFD model simulations. Reasonable agreement was obtained, confirming the validity of the model. The validated model was then applied to study the power consumption required by the thermal management system. The results obtained in this combined experimental and numerical study are expected to be valuable for the optimized design of battery modules and the development of reduced-order models.
THE USE OF POSTOPERATIVE IRRADIATION FOR THE PREVENTION OF HETEROTOPIC BONE AFTER TOTAL HIP REPLACEMENT WITH BIOLOGIC FIXATION (POROUS COATED) PROSTHESIS: AN ANIMAL MODEL

Radiation has been shown to be effective in the prevention of heterotopic bone. The exact etiology of heterotopic bone is unknown. Total Hip prosthetic devices that do not depend upon bone cement for fixation have become increasingly popular. The mechanism by which the bone forms around the prosthesis is similar to the process by which fractures heal which has been shown to be sensitive to irradiation. Using a rabbit model we have undertaken a study to investigate the effect of irradiation on the bony ingrowth on porous coated implants. Forty-five rabbits had porous coated implants surgically placed in the tibiae bilaterally. Each rabbit had one tibae randomly irradiated with 1,000 cGy in 5 fractions starting on the first post-operative day. Animals were sacrificed weekly starting 2 weeks post-operatively and the tibae were sent for pullout studies. The amount of force necessary to pullout the treated tibae was statistically less than the amount of force necessary to remove the untreated tibae at 2 weeks. From 3 weeks on there was no difference in the force necessary to remove the prosthesis from the untreated or treated tibae. Histologically, the untreated tibae showed bone formation while the treated tibae did not. Because of these results, it is suggested that the treatment of patients at risk for development of heterotopic bone be modified to only include the area between the femur and pelvis avoiding treatment of the prosthetic device.
Heat of ionization of a single group attached to a protein.

Abstract Ionization constants of the (CH 3 ) 2 NH + group conjugated to serum albumin and a small molecule, respectively, have been measured over the temperature range 10–36 °C. The Δ H of ionization is about 2 kcal. smaller in the protein environment. The trend in Δp K a with decreasing temperature is in agreement with expectations from an “iceberg” viewpoint.
Oxygen sensitivity of mitochondrial redox status and evoked potential recovery early during reperfusion in post-ischemic rat brain

Inspired oxygen (FiO2) was manipulated during the early reperfusion period after global cerebral ischemia (four-vessel occlusion of 20 or 30 min duration) in anesthetized rats. The goal was to determine whether oxygen availability during the early reperfusion period alters recovery of mitochondrial redox state and evoked electrical activity. The effectiveness of post-ischemic oxygen treatment was monitored at the tissue level with oxygen sensitive microelectrodes, and at the mitochondrial level by reflection spectrophotometry of the redox state of cytochrome oxidase. Transiently decreasing FiO2 from 0.3 to 0.15 limited reperfusion-induced hyperoxygenation and post-ischemic mitochondrial hyperoxidation (PIMHo). Evoked potential recovery was improved by this treatment after 20 min ischemia but not after 30 min ischemia. Increasing FiO2 from 0.3 to 1.0 exacerbated PIMHo and tissue hyperoxygenation. Transient elevation of tissue oxygen tension after 30 min of global ischemia inhibited recovery of evoked potentials. These data suggest that a period of heightened vulnerability to oxidative stress occurs within the first 10 min of reperfusion after global ischemia. This period is characterized by tissue hyperoxygenation and mitochondrial hyperoxidation. Limiting oxygen availability during this period may improve the outcome while conversely elevating oxygenation may be detrimental.