cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Clinical Assessment and Diagnosis

This chapter focuses on how cultural factors, in addition to other variables, impact the process and the results of clinical assessment and diagnosis in transcultural situations. In contrast to medical practice, psychiatric work relies heavily on clinical skill to solicit information from the patient for assessment and diagnosis. Soliciting information involves interaction between the clinician and the patient. This interaction is subject to personal factors of the patient such as communication skill, understanding of problems, motivation for making complaints and the psychopathology involved such as its severity and nature. It is also very much influenced by the clinician-patient relationship and the perception and skill of the evaluator. It starts with the distress or problems experienced and perceived by the patient and proceeds to the presentation of complaints made by the patient to the clinician. These are perceived and understood as specific types of problems by the clinician. Finally, an assessment, which includes categorization and diagnosis, is made by the clinician of the disorder in question. Finding the appropriate clinical category for diagnosis is influenced by the professional orientation of the clinician, the classification system used, and the purpose of making the diagnosis. In many societies, a clinician needs to take into consideration the social impact of diagnostic labeling on the patient and his family while making a clinical diagnosis.
Effects of the Form of Government and Property Tax Limits on Local Finance in the Context of Revenue and Expenditure Simultaneity

This paper examines the impact of the form of government and state-imposed property tax limits on municipal finance. We suggest that municipal revenues and expenditures are determined concurrently and estimate revenue and expenditure functions as simultaneous equations. We use the instrumental variable approach and fixed effects to address revenue and expenditure endogeneity. By testing the model on a cross-section of rich municipal data for fiscal year 2002, we find evidence that revenues and expenditures are simultaneously determined, that potentially binding state-imposed property tax limits effectively restrict local revenues and that the form of government is a significant predictor of local expenditures.
Miniaturised bandpass filter using dumb-bell-shaped slot resonator

A microstrip dumb-bell-shaped slot resonator (DSSR) is proposed for a miniaturised bandpass filter (BPF) design. An equivalent circuit model of the DSSR is also presented and validated through circuit and EM simulations. The proposed DSSR does not employ ground slots, so the fabrication process is simple. This ultimately results in an easy analysis and design which minimises fabrication errors. Using the DSSR, a miniaturised 7.35 GHz BPF is designed and tested. The filter dimensions are 0.37 g ×0.27× g , where λ g is the guided wavelength at the centre frequency of 7.35 GHz.
Local land use regulations in the USA: A study of their impacts on housing cost

Abstract Local land use regulations are needed to protect the general health and welfare of the population and protect the environment. But, taken together, these regulations may have inflationary effects on the cost of housing. This article discusses the housing cost effects of local land use and growth control regulations In the USA, and proposes recommendations to reduce the cost by reforming these regulations and streamlining review procedures. The findings of this article would be useful to public officials who serve on different advisory and decision-making bodies having to do with local land use planning and affordable housing.
Two-class packet reservation multiple access, motivations and design

The interaction between quality-of-service, service disciplines, pricing, and revenue has been an interesting issue that needs more research and analysis. In this paper, a framework for comparing multi-class architectures is developed, in an attempt to contribute to a better understanding of the problem. A simple two-class packet reservation multiple access (PRMA) architecture is proposed as an example of an efficient multi-class architecture. Performance analysis and simulation results are presented to prove the superiority of two-class PRMA over the classical single-class PRMA.
An Architecture for Very Large Rule Bases Based on Surrogate Files

To support a large set of rule bases as well as ground facts, we propose an efficient retrieval method by transforming heads of clauses and facts into Concatenated Code Words (CCW) to form a surrogate file. By adopting the ‘mode’ declarations used in PARLOG, the heads of clauses can be represented by function-free terms, and then are transformed to CCW to be used as an index to gain access to the actual database. A simplified unification operation on surrogate files can be efficiently implemented by means of a specialized associative processor due to the uniform structure of surrogate files.
Declarative Object-Oriented Programming: Inheritance, Subtyping and Prototyping

A design and implementation of a declarative object-oriented language is presented. The language is strongly and mostly statically typed and supports software reuse techniques such as inheritance, subtype and parametric polymorphism. It differs significantly from the existing strongly typed object-oriented languages in its declarative constraint language which is based on a suitably extended logic programming paradigm. Behavioral subtyping and advanced polymorphic facilities (such as, for example, F-bounded polymorphism) now fit naturally into this general paradigm. The underlying implementation technique produces a powerful prototyping tool for object-oriented software development and generalizes logic programming architectures by an algebraic automata based model for representing object states and state transitions.
Magnetorheological Fluids: From Basic Physics to Application

Magnetorheological (MR) fluids are suspensions of magnetizable micrometer particles in a liquid. The rheological properties of the fluids can be changed rapidly, reversibly and repeatedly from that of a liquid to that of a solid when an external magnetic field is applied. This tunability of the fluids comes from the microscopic structure of the particles. Different microscopic structures are observed, quantified and correlated with rheological properties. The yield stress and viscosity of MR fluids depends on the particle size and volume fraction, sample cell geometry, magnetic field strength and application rate. The application of MR fluids in cancer therapy is discussed. In-vitro experiments show the blood flow can be blocked leading to a tumor by injecting a dilute MR fluid in a blood vessel and placing a magnet on top of the tumor. Without blood supply, tumor necrosis occurs shortly.
Fabrication and Spin Tests of Thick Laminated S2-Glass Flywheel Disks

The results of a program to fabricate and test model flywheels made of thick laminated S2-glass are presented under 5 headings, i.e., fabrication of thick, laminated discs; failure criterion for these laminated discs; spin tests on laminated discs; manufacture and characterization of the filament wound outer rings; and assembly and spin testing of complete hybrid disc-ring flywheels. It was demonstrated that laminated discs up 3.6 cm (1.4 in.) thick can be manufactured with fiber volume content between 48 to 50% and void content less than 1.8% for application to flywheel energy storage. Analysis indicated that initial damage to the matrix of such discs will occur at the center of the disc at comparatively low tip speeds. This was observed, but the initiation of damage did not seem to be closely related to ultimate failure. Hybrid disc-ring flywheels composed of S2-glass/epoxy, laminated discs and filament wound, graphite/epoxy rings assembled with an interference fit were successfully fabricated. Initial spin tests substantiated analytical predictions of initial damage due to delamination of the outer ring. Final failure was due to increased system vibration in both tests. Improvements in ultimate energy densities of 44% have been demonstrated with respect to thick laminated discs without outermore » rings. Reduction of the inside-to-outside radius ratio of the graphite ring should allow ultimate energy densities of 55 Wh/kg (25 Wh/lb.) and greater to be reached without delamination of the ring. This ultimate energy density is higher than reported energy densities for high performance metal flywheels.« less
Spectral statistics for scaling quantum graphs

The explicit solution to the spectral problem of quantum graphs is used to obtain the exact distributions of several spectral statistics, such as the oscillations of the quantum momentum eigenvalues around the average, $\delta k_{n}=k_{n}-\bar k_{n}$, and the nearest neighbor separations, $s_{n}=k_{n}-k_{n-1}$.
Inhibition of multidrug resistance-associated protein (MRP) functional activity with pluronic block copolymers

Purpose. Using monolayers of human pancreatic adenocarcinoma cells (Panc-1) that express multidrug resistance-associated protein (MRP), the present work investigates the effects of Pluronic block copolymers on the functional activity of MRP. Methods. The studies examined the accumulation and efflux of the MRP selective probe fluorescein (FLU) in Panc-1 cell monolayers with and without Pluronic P85 (P85), Pluronic L81 (L81) and Pluronic F108 (F108). Results. Treatment of Panc-1 cells with P85 resulted in concentration-dependent increases in FLU accumulation and elimination of FLU sequestration in vesicular compartments in these cells. The effects of P85 were selective for FLU in the Panc-1 cell monolayers. Inhibition of MRP-mediated transport was dependent on the composition of Pluronic block copolymer: the more hydrophobic copolymer had the greater effect on FLU uptake in Panc-1 monolayers (L81 > P85 > F108). Conclusions. This paper demonstrates for the first time that Pluronic block copolymers inhibit multidrug resistance-associated protein (MRP). The similarities in the effects of Pluronic block copolymers on MRP and P-glycoprotein drug efflux systems suggest that a single unifying mechanism may explain the inhibition observed.
Framework and Tools for Assessing and Understanding the Green Economy at the Local Level

The transition to a green economy will imply many changes in the labour market locally and the local development systems. The impacts are still difficult to measure as definitions vary and policy uncertainties persist. The OECD Local Economic and Employment Development (LEED) Programme is making an important contribution to these debates with its project on Climate Change, Employment and Local Development which is looking at the obstacles hindering green growth at the local level and the policy frameworks needed to ensure skills availability, economic activity and market opportunities in the green economy. This report was prepared by Prof. Randall W. Eberts from the W.E. Upjohn Institute for Employment Research Kalamazoo in the United States. It makes a valuable contribution to the OECD LEED work on the transition to a green economy and its implications at the local level.
Integrating Human Behavior Into the Development of Future Cyberterrorism Scenarios

The development of future cyber terrorism scenarios is a key component in building a more comprehensive understanding of cyber threats that are likely to emerge in the near-to mid-term future. While developing concepts of likely new, emerging digital technologies is an important part of this process, this article suggests that understanding the psychological and social forces involved in cyber terrorism is also a key component in the analysis and that the synergy of these two dimensions may produce more accurate and detailed future cyber threat scenarios than either analytical element alone.
Blood pressure reference intervals for healthy adult chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes)

Background Cardiovascular disease is the primary cause of morbidity and mortality among captive chimpanzees. But there are no clinical definitions of normotension or hypertension in chimpanzees. Methods We analyzed 1 year of blood pressure (BP) data from a population of 261 healthy captive adult chimpanzees using a consistent set of criteria to ascertain health. Results Systolic BP varied by body weight. Diastolic BP varied by age. Median normotension was 126/63 mmHg, with an upper limit of 147/84 mmHg. We defined categories of pre-hypertension (148/85—153/88 mmHg) and hypertension (≥154/89 mmHg). The prevalence of elevated BP was 15%. The relative risk of mortality was 2.60, compared to normotensive animals. Conclusions We used contemporary methods from human laboratory medicine to define reliable reference intervals for chimpanzee BP. Results allow accurate diagnosis of hypertension and pre-hypertension, and demonstrate an effect of elevated BP on mortality.
Monaural balances and loudness coding during auditory adaptation.

A monaural simultaneous balance technique was used to compare amounts of adaptation for two conditions: (1) with the test intensity equal to the adapting intensity, and (2) with the test intensity +10 dB above the adapting intensity. Previous, findings (Weiler and Hood, 1977) showed a decline in measured adaptation for the second condition using simultaneous binaural balances. That this was not the case for the monaural balances investigated in this study may indicate different adaptation-induced auditory changes are being measured monaurally vs. binaurally.
In situ synthesis of silver nanoparticle decorated vertical nanowalls in a microfluidic device for ultrasensitive in-channel SERS sensing

A microfluidic device with integrated novel silver nanoparticle (Ag NPs) decorated nanowall structures was fabricated via in situ electrodeposition of Cu-core/C-sheath nanowalls, followed by a facile in-channel silver galvanic replacement reaction method at room temperature. The integrated microfluidic devices with Ag NPs decorated nanowalls, serving as a highly active Raman substrate, were then applied for in-channel surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) sensing using crystal violet as the model compound. The results show that the presence of a PDMS microfluidic channel does not significantly affect the Raman signal and crystal violet as low as 50 pM is prominently detected. The calculated apparent enhancement factor is 1.1 × 109, which allows for the ultra-sensitive detection of analytes in microfluidic devices. The superior enhancement of the in-channel Raman signal and excellent analyte sensitivity can be attributed to the synergistic effect of several distinct traits of the Ag NPs decorated nanowalls – a large available surface for analyte adsorption, a large number of nanocavities surrounded by nanowalls laterally confining the surface plasmons, and numerous “hot spots” resulting from close-contacted Ag NPs and/or the proximate edges of Ag decorated nanowalls. Because preparation of the active SERS substrate and subsequent finger-print SERS detection is completed within a microfluidic device, the developed method opens a new venue to integrate active SERS substrate within microfluidic channels and provides an excellent microfluidic SERS sensor platform for ultrasensitive and selective chemical and biological sensing.
Work-Related Asthma in Washington State

Objective. Asthma is a common and costly public health problem. Occupational exposures contribute to the burden of asthma. Identifying workplace exposures and industries and occupations at risk can lead to more effective prevention measures. Methods. Data from Washington State’s work-related asthma (WRA) surveillance program from October 2001 to December 2008 were analyzed. Workers’ compensation records, physician reports, and telephone interviews were used to describe the occurrence of WRA during this time, in order to identify contributing exposure sources and industries and occupations that are associated with WRA in Washington. Results. There were 1343 identified WRA cases in Washington State during this time. Of these, 1285 were workers’ compensation claims, with a total medical cost for State Fund claims of approximately $3 million dollars. The top three sources identified were miscellaneous chemicals and materials, mineral and inorganic dusts, and plant material. Plant material claims proved to be ...
Odor intensity and pleasantness for a diverse set of odorants

Data Analysis Office, U.S. Army Natick Laboratories, Natick, Massachusetts 01760 Observers compared the odor of butanol to the odors of various concentrations of 32 chemicals, and also rated the odor pleasantness and unpleasantness of these 32 odorants by a line matching procedure. All stimuli were presented to the observers by air dilution olfactometers. Odor intensity matches between each odorant and butanol were often describable by power functions. A derived magnitude estimate of odor intensity was obtained through a calibration of the butanol concentration scale. Most odorants grew less rapidly in intensity than butanol, and all odorants grew in intensity as decelerating functions of concentration. A more general function of the form P =: k1 + k2Ck3 was needed to account for the pleasantness-unpleasantness judgments. In this study, most odorants were rated either neutral or unpleasant. Observers showed far more variability in hedonic judgments than in intensity judgments.
Brain activation via olfaction

Restriction of olfactory stimulation produces massive cell death in areas of the human brain not typically associated with olfactory perception: medial prefrontal cortex, cerebellum, insular cortex, orbitofrontal cortex, supramarginal gyrus, hippocampus, nucleus accumbens and the fusiform gyrus. These brain areas participate in: inference of the intentions of others, maintenance of attention, response to language, social judgment, production of language, formation of memories, motivation, and the recognition of human faces, all significant problems for individuals who have autism. Indeed, all of these same brain areas are adversely affected in the autistic brain. We therefore treated children who have autism using olfactory stimulation, potentiated by pairing it with tactile stimulation to activate these brain areas on a daily basis. Other sensory stimuli were also included in a brain activation program. In a randomized clinical trial, we used a standard test to confirm a ‘full’ autism diagnosis in all children and then gave an IQ test and a test of autism severity at baseline and at 6 months. We found that 42% of the brain activation group and 7% of the control group that received only standard-care treatments had a clinically significant improvement in their symptoms. Moreover, there was a 10.5-point difference in the IQ scores of children given brain activation therapy relative to control group scores. In addition to being much more effective than standard therapies, there was no need for expensive skilled therapists to produce these improvements. Finally, the average age of those treated in the study was well beyond the age at which standard therapies have been shown to have beneficial effects. Brain activation via olfactory stimulation may therefore be an effective low-cost therapy for a wide range of children with autism. As most children with autism have special sensitivities to odors, these brain areas may constitute a system that mediates those perceptual sensitivities.
Simulation of long-term fatigue damage in bioprosthetic heart valves: effects of leaflet and stent elastic properties

One of the major failure modes of bioprosthetic heart valves (BHVs) is noncalcific structural deterioration due to fatigue of the tissue leaflets; yet, the mechanisms of fatigue are not well understood. BHV durability is primarily assessed based on visual inspection of the leaflets following accelerated wear testing. In this study, we developed a computational framework to simulate BHV leaflet fatigue, which is both efficient and quantitative, making it an attractive alternative to traditional accelerated wear testing. We utilize a phenomenological soft tissue fatigue damage model developed previously to describe the stress softening and permanent set of the glutaraldehyde-treated bovine pericardium leaflets in BHVs subjected to cyclic loading. A parametric study was conducted to determine the effects of altered leaflet and stent elastic properties on the fatigue of the leaflets. The simulation results show that heterogeneity of the leaflet elastic properties, poor leaflet coaptation, and little stent-tip deflection may accelerate leaflet fatigue, which agrees with clinical findings. Therefore, the developed framework may be an invaluable tool for evaluating leaflet durability in new tissue valve designs, including traditional BHVs as well as new transcatheter valves.
An n-FET with a Si nanowire channel and doped epitaxially-thickened source and drain regions

The authors demonstrates that doped epitaxial contacts to a Si nanowire improve Ron and eliminate ambipolar conduction. Our n-FET mobility was shown to be comparable to standard n-channel Si mobility.
Interferon and ribavirin combination treatment synergistically inhibit HCV internal ribosome entry site mediated translation at the level of polyribosome formation.

Purpose: Although chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection has been treated with the combination of interferon alpha (IFN-α) and ribavirin (RBV) for over a decade, the mechanism of antiviral synergy is not well understood. We aimed to determine the synergistic antiviral mechanisms of IFN-α and RBV combination treatment using HCV cell culture. Methods: The antiviral efficacy of IFN-α, RBV alone and in combination was quantitatively measured using HCV infected and replicon cell culture. Direct antiviral activity of these two drugs at the level of HCV internal ribosome entry site (IRES) mediated translation in Huh-7 cell culture was investigated. The synergistic antiviral effect of IFN-α and RBV combination treatment was verified using both the CalcuSyn Software and MacSynergy Software. Results: RBV combination with IFN-α efficiently inhibits HCV replication cell culture. Our results demonstrate that IFN-α, interferon lambda (IFN-λ) and RBV each inhibit the expression of HCV IRES-GFP and that they have a minimal effect on the expression of GFP in which the translation is not IRES dependent. The combination treatments of RBV along with IFN-α or IFN-λ were highly synergistic with combination indexes <1. We show that IFN-α treatment induce levels of PKR and eIF2α phosphorylation that prevented ribosome loading of the HCV IRES-GFP mRNA. Silencing of PKR expression in Huh-7 cells prevented the inhibitory effect of IFN-α on HCV IRES-GFP expression. RBV also blocked polyribosome loading of HCV-IRES mRNA through the inhibition of cellular IMPDH activity, and induced PKR and eIF2α phosphorylation. Knockdown of PKR or IMPDH prevented RBV induced HCV IRES-GFP translation. Conclusions: We demonstrated both IFN-α and RBV inhibit HCV IRES through prevention of polyribosome formation. The combination of IFN-α and RBV treatment synergistically inhibits HCV IRES translation via using two different mechanisms involving PKR activation and depletion of intracellular guanosine pool through inhibition of IMPDH.
Disability payments, drug use and representative payees: an analysis of the relationships.

Aims This study attempted to determine: if US federal cash disability payments increase the use of cocaine or opiates among those requalifying for supplemental security income (SSI) disability benefits compared with those who lost benefits; if drug use peaks at the beginning of the month after the receipt of the disability cash disbursement; and if money management by representative payees of requalifying SSI recipients suppresses drug use. Design A multi-site, prospective, 2 year longitudinal design was used with follow-up interviews conducted every 6 months. Urine samples were collected at the final three follow-up interviews. Setting Data were collected in Chicago, IL, Los Angeles, CA, and Seattle, WA, USA. Participants This study used a randomly selected sample of 740 former recipients of SSI who had received disability benefits for drug addiction and alcoholism (DA&A) in 1996, were between the ages of 21 and 59 years, had not received concurrent social security disability insurance and provided testable urine samples and complete self-report data for at least one follow-up interview. Measurements Independent variables included demographics, SSI status at follow-up, representative payee status, drug treatment participation and income. Time of drug testing was operationalized as the first 10 days of the month versus the last 20–21 days based on when the urine sample was collected. The dependent variables were cocaine and opiate use, determined by urinalysis results. Findings Participants were 28% more likely to test positive for cocaine use in the first 10 days of the month than later in the month. This effect was general across all subjects and was not restricted to those receiving SSI benefits. No such effect was found for opiate use. Receiving SSI benefits did not increase cocaine or opiate use generally, nor did having a representative payee suppress use. Conclusions The findings do not support the contentions that federal cash benefits appreciably increase drug use or that representative payees discourage use, at least when use is defined dichotomously. The ‘check effect’ for cocaine use appears to be general and not confined to those receiving federal cash benefits. The lack of a ‘check effect’ for opiate use is probably the result of the difference between a relatively steady state of opiate use associated with addiction and a binge pattern of cocaine use triggered by suddenly flush resources.
Deuterium quadrupole echo NMR study of methyl group dynamics in N-Acetyl-dl-(γ-d6)-valine

Abstract 2H quadrupole echo NMR was used to examine the dynamics of the two -CD3 groups of the isopropyl moiety in N-acetyl- dl -(γ-d6)-valine. At room temperature a Pake pattern is seen for the two groups, indicating fast limit motion, but at lower temperatures, in the range −130 to −170°C, the rates for the CD3 groups enter the intermediate exchange regime, where the lineshapes are unique and very sensitive to the dynamic processes and geometry of the reorienting moiety. In addition, the T1 values, the τ dependence, and the quadrupole echo intensity in the intermediate exchange region permit the spectral contributions from each group to be further separated, and thus the threefold hopping rate for each to be measured. Temperature-dependent studies yield activation energies of 15.3 and 22.2 kJ/mol for the two groups.
Chemische Synthesen von Zwischenprodukten des Zuckerstoffwechsels

Im Embden-Meyerhof-Schema der Garung und der Glykolyse sind Phosphorsaure-Verbindungen entscheidende Zwischenstufen. Sieben dieser Substanzen konnten mit den Hilfsmitteln der organischen Chemie im Laboratorium des Verfassers rein dargestellt werden: Glucose-6-phosphorsaure, D-Glycerinaldehyd-3-phosphorsaure, Dioxyaceton-phosphorsaure, L(-)α-Glycerin-phosphorsaure, 3-Phosphoglycerinsaure, 2-Phosphoglycerinsaure und Phosphobrenztraubensaure. Ihre Darstellung und die der D-Erythrose-4-phosphorsaure wird beschrieben. Der Biochemiker besitzt damit fur seine Untersuchungen wohldefinierte Substrate, die ihm u.a. neue Ausblicke in die Bildung hydroaromatischer und aromatischer Verbindungen in der Natur ermoglichen.
A model for the involvement of the small nucleolar RNA (U3) in processing eukaryotic ribosomal RNA

The nucleotide sequence of chick pre-rRNA between 5.8S and 28S rRNAs is 85% G + C and has the potential to form many different secondary structures. A model is presented in which a small nucleolar RNA, U3, and its associated proteins act as an RNA isomerase to position the pre-rRNA for processing. Cleavage could be performed either by a nuclease present in the U3RNP or by a ribonuclease directed to the proper form of the pre-rRNA.
New developments in depression, anxiety, compulsiveness, and hallucinations in Parkinson's disease†

Increasing research efforts are focused on nonmotor aspects of Parkinson's disease (PD). Depression, anxiety, compulsivity (dopamine dysregulation symptoms), and hallucinations/psychosis are among these disorders, and all complicate the management of PD with negative influences on quality of life. There is a strong overlap between depression and apathy and likewise, depression and anxiety can coexist and require careful pharmacologic management. Dopamine dysregulation syndrome is linked to medication use and most clearly associated with dopamine agonists. In contrast, although hallucinations and psychosis do not occur unless patients with PD are treated with dopaminergic drugs, medication doses do not directly relate to this problem. Functional neuroimaging provides an excellent resource for investigating these behaviors as well as their anatomical and neurochemical bases. New treatments are being developed, but there have been very few large-scale randomized clinical trials to test the relative roles of new or available agents for abating these problematic behaviors.
Induction of Abnormal Proliferation by Nonmyelinating Schwann Cells Triggers Neurofibroma Formation

Summary Recent evidence suggests that alterations in the self-renewal program of stem/progenitor cells can cause tumorigenesis. By utilizing genetically engineered mouse models of neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1), we demonstrated that plexiform neurofibroma, the only benign peripheral nerve sheath tumor with potential for malignant transformation, results from Nf1 deficiency in fetal stem/progenitor cells of peripheral nerves. Surprisingly, this did not cause hyperproliferation or tumorigenesis in early postnatal period. Instead, peripheral nerve development appeared largely normal in the absence of Nf1 except for abnormal Remak bundles, the nonmyelinated axon-Schwann cell unit, identified in postnatal mutant nerves. Subsequent degeneration of abnormal Remak bundles was accompanied by initial expansion of nonmyelinating Schwann cells. We suggest abnormally differentiated Remak bundles as a cell of origin for plexiform neurofibroma.
The Planck mass plasma roton solution of the cosmological constant problem

The failure of the Large Hadron Collider to detect supersymmetry and the Higgs particle suggests that one should replace supersymmetry with another fundamental symmetry, for example the symmetry of the Planck mass plasma where the vacuum is made up of an equal number of positive and negative Planck mass particles. The Planck mass plasma has for each mass component a phonon–roton spectrum and explains the small positive cosmological constant observed. The masses of the elementary particles are here explained by the gravitational field energy of pole–dipole particles, which explain the Dirac spinors as composed of gravitationally interacting positive and negative masses.
Clerodane diterpenoids from Baccharis articulata

Abstract In addition to the previously known compound,7-oxo-16, 19-dihydroxy-3,4-dehydroclerodan-15,20 diacid-dilactone, two novel clerodane diterpenes have been isolated from the aerial portions of Baccharis articulata , namely, 8β-hydroxy-7-oxo- ent -cleroda-3-en-15,18-diacid-16,19-dilactone and 15,16-epoxy-7α,18-dihydroxy-15-methoxy- ent -cleroda-3-ene.
APPROVAL VOTING Some Recent Empirical Evidence

Approval voting has been offered by a number of formal theorists, notably Steven Brams and Peter Fishburn (1983), as a solution to problems occasioned by multicandidate elections. The formal development of approval voting has spurred a number of empirical studies. This note adds to the empirical literature on approval voting by presenting recent evidence in the form of CPS data on the 1980 elections and exit poll data on the 1981 New Jersey gubernatorial primaries. The New Jersey exit poll was the first survey designed specifically to tap the potential consequences of approval voting. These data reveal that plurality voting obscured the acceptability of Reagan and Carter to their respective party identifiers. They also confirm John Anderson's victimization by the “wasted vote” syndrome, and the fact that the victors of the New Jersey gubernatorial primaries were Condorcet candidates. Additional data on public receptivity to approval voting are also presented.
Transrectal gene therapy of the prostate in the canine model

Direct transrectal delivery of therapeutic genes utilizing adenoviral vectors for advanced prostate cancer may offer effective treatment at the molecular level. Large animal models to assess feasibility and the intraprostatic and systemic dissemination patterns of these vectors have not been reported. For these studies, a replication-deficient (E1−/E3−) recombinant adenovirus (AdRSVlacZ) expressing bacterial β-galactosidase (β-gal) was delivered under transrectal ultrasound guidance. Two prostate biopsies, followed by concurrent injection of 4.8×109 pfu of the adenoviral vector divided into either 1 or 2 mL of diluent, were performed (n=4). Swabs of the rectum, sputum, and urine were collected and after 72 hours, the animals were sacrificed. Specimens were assayed for the presence of virus and β-gal activity. Rectal swabs were transiently positive, whereas urine and sputum samples showed no detectable vector throughout the experiment. β-gal activity was observed at the prostate injection sites with detectable activity noted up to 7.5 mm away from the injection site. Systemic dissemination was observed regardless of the injected volume. In conclusion, transrectal prostate biopsy with concurrent prostate injection is a feasible method to deliver therapeutic adenoviral vectors for the treatment of prostate cancer; however, systemic distribution and temporary rectal shedding of virus should be anticipated.
Ramsey pricing and competition: The consequences of myopic regulation

This paper addresses the welfare consequences of applying the Ramsey rule when the regulated firm is not a monopolist in all of its markets. The partially regulated optimum and the outcome of myopic regulation, the “Short-Sighted Ramsey Equilibrium” (SSRE), are examined in a differentiated duopoly model. In the optimum, the markup of competitive substitute goods is relatively high. In the SSRE, the regulator is likely to set the price of competitive substitute goods lower than optimal, and complementary goods higher than optimal. Strategic reactions by a competitor may reverse the result.
Author reply to comments on "Design, fabrication, and testing of double negative metamaterials"

The present author replies to the paper by Shin et al. (ibid., vol.53, no.2, p.891, February 2005) which commented on his original paper (Ziolkowski, ibid., vol.51, no.7, p.1516-29, July 2003).
Maturation of rabbit reticulocytes: degradation of specific reticulocyte proteins.

Abstract As analyzed by polyacrylamide-gel electrophoresis, rabbit reticulocyte cytoplasm contains, in addition to globin, seven predominant polypeptides. The amounts of these range from 0.1 to 1.2% of globin. Rabbit erythrocytes contain only three of these nonglobin polypeptides. The loss of the four other polypeptides is correlated with maturation of the reticulocytes to erythrocytes. We also fractionated reticulocytes according to age by equilibrium centrifugation through a gradient of metrizamide and showed that younger reticulocytes contain much more of these four polypeptides than do more mature reticulocytes. The four polypeptides that are lost during differentiation are also very sensitive to in vitro destruction by chymotrypsin or trypsin under conditions where globin and the three reticulocyte nonglobin peptides that remain during reticulocyte maturation are completely resistant. Our results are consistent with the notion that the degradative rate of a reticulocyte cytoplasmic protein is determined by its susceptibility to general intracellular proteases.
Adaptive motion-compensated video coding scheme towards content-based bit rate allocation

An adaptive motion-compensated video coding scheme, that is based on structural video component segmentation and cod- ing complexity analysis, is proposed in this paper. The bits are allo- cated more efficiently among different frame types and variant video components. A novel scene cut detection algorithm is proposed for partitioning the input video sequences into a set of shots and each shot may be encoded as one or multiple GOPs according to its length. Moreover, the positions of the reference frames (I and P frames) in a video shot are adapted to improve the temporal predict- ability among frames and provide high coding efficiency, thus high picture quality with the same bit rate. More bits are allocated for these reference frames for providing high quality of the recon- structed pictures. The residue frames in a video shot are encoded as the bidirectional interpolation frames (B frames) and can be also quantized more coarsely because they have high temporal predict- ability and are not used as references. The bits, that have been allocated for the three different frame types (I, P, B frames), can be further distributed more efficiently among variant video components to avoid the coding artifacts. Experimental results show that this proposed adaptive video coding scheme is more efficient than the traditional fixed GOP coding algorithms and may be an efficient de- velopment of the present adaptive coding techniques. © 2000 SPIE and IS&T. (S1017-9909(00)00504-3)
Signal transduction in Alzheimer disease: p21-activated kinase signaling requires C-terminal cleavage of APP at Asp664

The deficits in Alzheimer disease (AD) stem at least partly from neurotoxic beta-amyloid peptides generated from the amyloid precursor protein (APP). APP may also be cleaved intracellularly at Asp664 to yield a second neurotoxic peptide, C31. Previously, we showed that cleavage of APP at the C-terminus is required for the impairments seen in APP transgenic mice, by comparing elements of the disease in animals modeling AD, with (platelet-derived growth factor B-chain promoter-driven APP transgenic mice; PDAPP) versus without (PDAPP D664A) a functional Asp664 caspase cleavage site. However, the signaling mechanism(s) by which Asp664 contributes to these deficits remains to be elucidated. In this study, we identify a kinase protein, recently shown to bind APP at the C-terminus and to contribute to AD, whose activity is modified in PDAPP mice, but normalized in PDAPP D664A mice. Specifically, we observed a significant increase in nuclear p21-activated kinase (isoforms 1, 2, and or 3; PAK-1/2/3) activation in hippocampus of 3 month old PDAPP mice compared with non-transgenic littermates, an effect completely prevented in PDAPP D664A mice. In contrast, 13 month old PDAPP mice displayed a significant decrease in PAK-1/2/3 activity, which was once again absent in PDAPP D664A mice. Similarly, in hippocampus of early and severe AD subjects, there was a progressive and subcellular-specific reduction in active PAK-1/2/3 compared with normal controls. Interestingly, total PAK-1/2/3 protein was increased in early AD subjects, but declined in moderate AD and declined further, to significantly below that of control levels, in severe AD. These findings are compatible with previous suggestions that PAK may be involved in the pathophysiology of AD, and demonstrate that both early activation and late inactivation in the murine AD model require the cleavage of APP at Asp664.
Parallel-cascaded noniterative neural network for identfying closely related optical patterns

When the training class patterns {Um} are closely related and they are inseparable (according to some targeted binary output vectors {Vm}) by a one- layered perceptron (OLP), then {Um} must be linearly dependent, and the output-augmented {Um} must be positively, linearly dependent. The learning of this OLP is then impossible no matter what learning rules we use, because the solution of the connection matrix just does not exist. However, we can always use a parallel-cascaded, two-layered perceptron (PCTLP) to realize this inseparable mapping. The design of this PCTLP is derived from the positive-linear independency condition we previously studied. It is a very intriguing mathematical derivation and the design of the PCTLP is much more efficient then that of the conventional series- cascaded, three-layered, neural networks. Also its robustness in recognizing any untrained, closely related patterns can be controlled and maximized. The physical origin, the theory, and the design of this novel, `universal' perceptron pattern recognition system will be discussed in detail in this paper.© (2000) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Review of Archie's equation through theoretical derivation and experimental study on uncoated and hematite coated soils

Abstract This theoretical and experimental study investigated the applicability of Archie's equation to iron oxide coated soils as a function of pore water chemistry, with the ultimate goal of developing a relationship to estimate electrical conductivity based on the physical properties of soils. The study performed an experimental investigation to quantify the electrical properties of uncoated and lab-prepared iron oxide coated sands and clay, in order to evaluate the role of sorbed hematite on the measured electrical conductivity/resistivity of the soils. It was demonstrated that the observed conductivity/resistivity of hematite coated and uncoated clean sands showed good agreement under the tested salinities and iron contents, and both coated and uncoated sands could be represented by Archie's equation. In contrast, the electrical conductivity of iron oxide coated clay indicated a slightly higher value than that of clean kaolinite at low salinity due to the higher relevance of surface conduction; however, with further increase in salinity, the electrical properties of both coated and uncoated kaolinites were comparable and governed by pore water conduction, which agreed with the prediction from Archie's equation.
1989 computer graphics education directory

This is SIGGRAPH's fourth directory of college-level computer graphics education, covering courses in computer graphics in several different subjects. This directory is a single source of computer graphics course information. If you are a student entering college or considering a change of studies, a professional considering broadening your skills, or an educator seeking broader contacts in graphics among your peers, this directory is designed for you.We compiled the directory from the responses to a questionnaire sent out this spring, and it is completely updated since the last edition. The responses were separated by topic according to information received on the questionnaire and our perception of the course's audience. The placement of some courses may not be precise, so you may be advised to use more than one directory list in searching for an interesting course. For example, if you are interested in graphics for architects you should consult the Arts, Architecture and Design listings, but you might also find useful information in the list on Engineering, CAD/CAM and Drafting. You should follow up interesting entries by contacting the school directly for the many details of schedule, cost and admission which are not included here. We should point out that our listing is not complete since we do not know of all the computer graphics courses being taught, and some courses listed in previous directories are not here since no information was received on them.The course information we received was placed in individual lists by the following criteria. The Concepts and Systems list contains courses covering general concepts in computer graphics and systems for producing graphics; such courses are often found in Computer Science or EECS programs and have no particular application orientation. The Engineering, CAD/CAM and Drafting list contains courses which seem to be oriented toward applications in these areas. For CAD/CAM and Drafting courses, this is rather easy to tell, while the engineering orientation is inferred from a location in an Engineering program with no other information, or from a title such as "Engineering Computer Graphics." Many engineering programs, however, have courses which seem to fit the Concepts and Systems category most closely and so are listed there. The other lists are fairly easily categorized, except for some problems determining where to place courses in Design; here the home program is usually the determining factor.
Short term response of herpetofauna to oak regeneration treatments on the mid-Cumberland Plateau of southern Tennessee

Abstract We examined the short term response of herpetofauna to two treatments designed to regenerate oak in upland hardwood forest: (1) shelterwood (30–40% BA retention), and (2) oak-shelterwood (midstory removal by use of herbicide), along with controls. Research was conducted 1 and 2 years post treatment within an oak-hickory forest within the mid-Cumberland Plateau of southern Tennessee. Reptiles and amphibians were captured using drift fences equipped with double-ended funnel traps and pitfall traps. The shelterwood treatment had the least canopy cover and greatest amount of light at the forest floor relative to oak shelterwood or control. These changes were the main drivers for increasing the complexity of forest vegetation within the stands. Fowler’s toads, eastern-narrow mouthed toads, northern slimy salamanders, eastern five-lined skinks, eastern fence lizards, northern black racers and smooth earth snakes were most abundant in the shelterwood treatment. Broad-headed skinks were most abundant in oak-shelterwood stands. Amphibian and reptile species richness was higher in the shelterwood stands than in oak-shelterwood or control. Reptile diversity was higher in the shelterwood treatment than controls. No negative responses for herpetofaunal abundance, richness, or diversity were detected in either treatment. These findings will provide forest resource managers and private forest land owners with better knowledge for conserving herpetofaunal species when implementing these oak regeneration methods in upland hardwood forests of the Cumberland Plateau.
Studies directed toward the total synthesis of scytophycin C: Synthesis of the C(1)C(18) fragment of scytophycin C

Abstract The synthesis of the C(1) to C(18) fragment of Scytophycin C is described which features a highly stereoselective carbon Ferrier-type reaction in 3.0 M lithium hlorate ethyl acetate .
Time- and Wavelength-Resolved Fluorescence Detection for Capillary Zone Electrophoresis with Axial Excitation

Abstract Capillary zone electrophoresis (CZE) has become a powerful tool in separation science. Detection methods for this technique, however, have not yet matured. We describe here two axial optical detection methods with time and wavelength resolution for CZE. CZE separation of rhodamine dyes was carried out in a 200-μm capillary. A 100-μm fiberoptic cable was inserted into the capillary to the edge of the observation window. The fiberoptic was used to transmit laser radiation, which served as the excitation source for fluorescence spectroscopy. Separation of rhodamine 590 from rhodamine 610 and kiton red was achieved. Time-resolved detection allowed the analysis of protein–rhodamine B isothiocyanate conjugates as well as detection of the sensitized fluorescence of fluorescein in the presence of coumarin.