cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Isotope coefficient: some inequalities and the effect of mass dependence of carrier concentration within the van Hove scenario in high-Tc superconductors

Abstract Some inequalities for the isotope coefficient, α, are derived from an exact expression obtained from the BCS gap equation for any arbitrary electronic density of states. It is shown that the effect of the mass dependence of the carrier concentration, n, within the van Hove scenario (VHS) can explain some anomalous features of α for La2CuO4 based superconductors, not explained by earlier theories based on VHS. These features are the asymmetry of α about the optimum concentration, nm, a minimum value of α above nm, and a value of α less than BCS value of 1 2 below nm.
Determination of reflection coefficients of liposomes for some non-electrolytes by osmotic pressure measurement.

Abstract The reflection coefficients of bilayer lipid vesicles (liposomes) of various compositions have been determined for a number of non-electrolytes. The solutes were the same and the method of measurement was essentially the same as those which have been used to estimate an equivalent pore radius for erythrocytes. The method involves matching the osmotic pressure of solutions of a permeant test solute with that of a known inpermeant solute. Reflection coefficients for cholesterol-containing liposomes and those of erythrocytes are, when account is taken of those solutes known to permeate the erythrocyte by specialized pathways, not greatly different. Lipid bilayers can thus account for most of the permeability characteristics of the cell originally interpreted as due to aqueous pores. Reflection coefficients are significantly higher for egg phosphatidylcholine membranes that contain cholesterol than those which do not. There is a strong correlation between relative permeabilities derived from reflection coefficients and oil-water partition coefficients. There is also good agreement betwen these permeabilities and permeabilities measured by others, which exhibit an inverse dependence on molecular size. It is suggested that this tendency of membranes to pass small molecules more readily than large molecules, other properties being equal, is a consequence of the surface pressure of the constituent monolayers of the membrane.
Viral Risks Associated with Blood Transfusion

Great strides have been made within the last decade to help ensure the safety of the blood supply. Additional tests to detect infectious agents, as well as development of improved donor screening and deferral techniques have helped make the risk of transfusion-transmitted disease very low. Currently, blood banks perform seven tests to detect infectious agents. Prospective donors are carefully questioned about factors that place them at risk for transfusion-transmitted disease and donors known to test positive for certain viruses are permanently deferred. The risks of receiving a human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected unit is now estimated to be 1 in 493,000, while the risk of hepatitis B is 1 in 63,000. However, changes in prevalence within the blood donor population brought about by changes in the factors that place an individual at risk for a transfusion-transmitted disease could significantly alter these risks. The American public continues to be concerned about the safety of blood transfusion. These concerns coupled with the fears that new viruses or new strains of viruses will be identified that escape detection has created the impetus for development of methods that will remove or inactivate viruses in cellular blood products.
Cannabis users differ from non-users on measures of personality and schizotypy.

Accumulating evidence indicates that cannabis use may be a risk factor for schizophrenia (SZ), and chronic cannabis users score higher than non-users on measures of schizotypal personality traits. The purpose of the present study was to investigate the relations between normal personality, schizotypy, and cannabis use. Sixty-two chronic cannabis users and 45 cannabis-naive controls completed a measure of normal personality, the NEO-Five Factor Inventory (NEO-FFI), and two measures of schizotypy, the schizotypal personality questionnaire (SPQ) and perceptual aberration scale (PAS). Substance use was assessed using the SCID I alcohol/drug module and a locally developed drug use questionnaire. On the NEO-FFI, users scored higher than controls on openness, but lower on agreeableness and conscientiousness, and endorsed greater schizotypy on the SPQ and PAS. Higher neuroticism predicted greater schizotypy in both groups, and, higher Extraversion predicted lower negative-syndrome schizotypy among users. Finally, duration of cannabis use was positively correlated with scores on the SPQ and PAS among users, suggesting a relation between overall cannabis use chronicity and schizotypy. These data show that cannabis users differ from non-users on dimensions of normal personality and schizotypy, and provide further evidence that cannabis use is associated with increased levels of psychosis-related personality traits.
Differences in income between male and female physicians.

Abstract Previous studies suggest that female physicians earn less on average from the practice of medicine than their male counterparts even after differences in personal characteristics are taken into account. In our study of sex differences in physician earnings, we estimate hourly earnings equations for 1982 using a specification that controls for differences in personal characteristics between male and female physicians more completely than the specification used in previous studies. We also employ more precise estimators for the unexplained earnings differential. Our results suggest that previous studies have overstated the unexplained differential in hourly earnings. We find that female physicians in 1982 earned 12–13 percent less than male physicians due to discrimination or unexplained factors.
CANDIDATE CAVE ENTRANCES ON MARS

This paper presents newly discovered candidate cave entrances into Martian near-surface lava tubes, volcano-tectonic fracture systems, and pit craters and describes their characteristics and exploration possibilities. These candidates are all collapse features that occur either intermittently along laterally continuous trench-like depressions or in the floors of sheer-walled atypical pit craters. As viewed from orbit, locations of most candidates are visibly consistent with known terrestrial features such as tube-fed lava flows, volcano-tectonic fractures, and pit craters, each of which forms by mechanisms that can produce caves. Although we cannot determine subsurface extents of the Martian features discussed here, some may continue unimpeded for many kilometers if terrestrial examples are indeed analogous. The features presented here were identified in images acquired by the Mars Odyssey's Thermal Emission Imaging System visible- wavelength camera, and by the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter's Context Camera. Select candidates have since been targeted by the High-Resolution Imaging Science Experi- ment. Martian caves are promising potential sites for future human habitation and astrobiology investigations; understanding their characteristics is critical for long-term mission planning and for developing the necessary exploration technologies.
Artificial rearing alters development of the nucleus of the solitary tract

Previous studies have shown that damage induced to fungiform papillae of the anterior tongue at postnatal day 2 (P2) alters both pre- and postsynaptic development of gustatory recipient zones within the rostral nucleus of the solitary tract (NST). The present study was conducted to determine whether or not artificial rearing (AR) manipulations, which reduce normal orochemical stimulation during early postnatal development, would be sufficient to produce alterations in anatomical development of the rostral gustatory NST. Two groups of Long-Evans hooded rats were examined. One group received normal rearing with a lactating dam from birth to weaning (mother reared; MR). A second group of animals received artificial rearing via intragastric cannulae between the ages of P4 and P14, and were thereafter returned to lactating dams until the age of weaning (P21). Following weaning and maturation to adulthood (P49), the organization of gustatory afferent terminal fields in the NST was examined using fluorescent tracing procedures which permit the simultaneous visualization of gustatory afferent terminal fields arising from the seventh and ninth cranial nerves. Results show that AR manipulations between the ages of P4 and P14 produce alterations in development of gustatory afferent terminal fields in the NST that are essentially similar to those observed following early postnatal receptor damage. These results confirm previous suggestions that orochemical stimulation during a limited portion of rats' postnatal life is essential in inducing normal presynaptic development in the gustatory NST.
Bhopal: Lessons for technological decision-makers

The accidental release of methyl isocyanate (MIC) on December 2 and 3, 1984, at the Union Carbide India Limited (UCIL) pesticide manufacturing plant in Bhopal, India, killed at least 1,750 people, and probably as many as 2,500,1 while injuring 50,000 or more. This episode appears likely to mark a watershed in the historical relationships between scientists, corporations, governments and communities. Among the many assumptions that will have to be questioned and reconsidered in the wake of this disaster are the following: that it is possible, in principle, to know enough in advance about a complex chemical process to design a totally safe system; that it is possible, in principle, for human workers to operate such a system safely; that it is possible, in principle, for a public agency to regulate such a system effectively (even if it could be designed); and that “fault” in the legal sense can be meaningfully attributed to one among the various actors in the event of a complex system failure. The above questions all arise prominently in connection with the Bhopal tragedy. This paper recounts the key factors insofar as they are known, commenting on the information available to various parties and the decisions that were made. Some general conclusions are drawn at the end.
Response to growth hormone therapy in experimental ischemic acute renal failure

Abstract In acute renal failure (ARF), the gene and peptide expression of insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) falls. Because IGF-I is regulated by growth hormone (GH) and because kidney GH receptor expression is also attenuated in ARF, the impaired IGF-I expression may partly reflect local GH resistance. Because IGF-I treatment accelerates recovery from ARF, we determined whether high-dose GH therapy could overcome this putative GH resistance, stimulate IGF-I production, and enhance recovery. Rats with ARF were given 2.5 mg GH or vehicle (V) over 2 days, beginning 24 hours before the onset of ARF. GH prevented weight loss but did not modify the course of ARF. Next we determined whether the failure of GH to modify kidney recovery could reflect a failure to stimulate renal IGF-I gene expression. Rats were treated with GH or V over an 18-hour period beginning 1 day after the induction of ARF. Hepatic IGF-I mRNA and serum IGF-I peptide levels rose significantly with GH treatment, but the low kidney IGF-I mRNA levels did not respond. We conclude that the failure of GH to enhance recovery from ARF is caused by impaired GH-stimulated renal IGF-I production, while the maintenance of body weight likely reflects the systemic effects of the increase in hepatic IGF-I production. (J Lab Clin Med 1999;133:434-9)
The efficacy and safety of influenza vaccination in pregnancy

205 THE EFFICACY AND SAFETY OF INFLUENZA VACCINATION IN PREGNANCY JEANNE SHEFFIELD, VANESSA LAIBL, SCOTT ROBERTS, MARY LORIMER, BRIAN CASEY, DON MCINTIRE, GEORGE D. WENDEL JR, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas, Obstetrics and Gynecology, Dallas, Texas OBJECTIVE: Limited data are available about the efficacy of influenza vaccination in pregnant women. We sought to measure the efficacy and safety of the inactivated influenza vaccine in pregnant women during the 2003-2004 influenza season. STUDY DESIGN: Pregnant women R20 weeks gestation from our prenatal clinics were offered the inactived influenza vaccine during the 2003-2004 influenza season. Data prospectively were collected on vaccinated women and a matched control group receiving prenatal care during the influenza season at the same gestational age who did not get vaccinated. Student t-test and chisquare analysis were performed to compare the two groups. RESULTS: During the 2003-2004 influenza season, 2889 pregnant women received the inactive influenza vaccine. To date, 2352 (81%) of these women have delivered, and the analysis is limited to this subset. The comparison group includes 1988 women. There were no significant differences in demographic characteristics between the 2 groups.The mean EGA at vaccination was 30.0 G 5.9 weeks. The vaccinated group was less likely to deliver an infant !36 weeks (3% versus 5%, P = .02) and less likely to have a newborn NICU admission (P = .04). All other obstetric and neonatal complications were similar in the 2 groups, including neonatal infection and malformation rates. Overall, 6 women (2.6 per 1000) in the vaccinated group developed laboratory confirmed influenza and 13 women (6.5 per 1000) developed infection in the non-vaccinated group (P = .047). When restricting the analysis to those women developing influenza >2 weeks after vaccination, the time required to develop immunity, there was 1 case (0.4 per 1000) of influenza (P ! .001: RR = 15.5 (2.02,118.4)). CONCLUSION: The influenza vaccine efficacy rate during the 2003-2004 season in our pregnant population was >99%. Significantly fewer women developed influenza after the vaccine, and it reduced the rate of influenza 15 fold when given over 2 weeks before exposure. The inactivated influenza vaccine is very effective and safe for women in the second half of prenancy. S66 SMFM Abstracts
Finite element analysis of bridge approach slabs considering soil – structure interaction

The objective of this paper is to present results of a study employed to identify the probable causes and location of cracking in bridge approach and transition slabs and the factors influencing the crack development. A finite element (FE) model has been developed to study the cracking phenomenon in bridge approach and transition slabs under vehicular live load and soil settlement. A field survey was conducted to determine the extent and probable causes of crack development in these slabs at various bridge sites in the State of New Jersey, USA. The data collected from field observations were compared with those predicted by the FE model to determine its reliability and consistency. The FE model was employed in conducting a parametric study to evaluate the effect of various designs as well as soil parameters on the cracking behavior of the slabs. The results from the parametric study showed that increasing the slab thickness would significantly increase the cracking load carrying capacity of the approach s...
Cooperative effects and fluctuations in optical bistability

Abstract We show that the correct statistical mechanical description of the fluctuations of the mean field theory of optical bistability depends on the experimental parameters and we present a new master equation for a previously unconsidered experimentally relizable parameter range.
The Sphingosine-1-phosphate Receptors S1P1, S1P2, and S1P3 Function Coordinately during Embryonic Angiogenesis

Sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P) elicits diverse cellular responses through a family of G-protein-coupled receptors. We have shown previously that genetic disruption of the S1P1 receptor, the most widely expressed of the family, results in embryonic lethality because of its key role within endothelial cells in regulating the coverage of blood vessels by vascular smooth muscle cells. To understand the physiologic functions of the two other widely expressed S1P receptors, we generated S1P2 and S1P3 null mice. Neither the S1P2 null mice nor the S1P3 null mice exhibited significant embryonic lethality or obvious phenotypic abnormalities. To unmask possible overlapping or collaborative functions between the S1P1, S1P2, and S1P3 receptors, we examined embryos with multiple S1P receptor mutations. We found that S1P1 S1P2 double null and S1P1 S1P2 S1P3 triple null embryos displayed a substantially more severe vascular phenotype than did embryos with only S1P1 deleted. We also found partial embryonic lethality and vascular abnormalities in S1P2 S1P3 double null embryos. Our results indicate that the S1P1, S1P2 and S1P3 receptors have redundant or cooperative functions for the development of a stable and mature vascular system during embryonic development.
The impact of guest mix on hotel staffing

Abstract This article examines the influence of guest mix (independent versus group travellers) on the level of labour input per occupied room. Using time-series data for a major hotel in Hawaii, one of the key findings is that an increase in FIT guest has a negative impact on the hotel's staffing ratio. This result confirms the conclusion of an earlier study done by the author, and the analysis as a whole provides useful implications for hotel management's decision-making process.
Changes in sensory-cognitive input: effects on cerebral blood flow.

Eight healthy right-handed young men were subjected to local CBF measurement by [15O]water and positron emission tomography during partial sensory deprivation and during sensory-cognitive activation; physiological, hormonal, and subjective stress measurements were also performed. Results indicated that (a) “whole-brain” CBF increased during activation; (b) the greatest increase in CBF was in the primary visual cortex; (c) differences between hemispheres were not observed, but CBF was greater anteriorly than posteriorly in the deprivation condition only; (d) within-subject variability of CBF was not influenced by the sensory-cognitive condition; and (e) the procedure was not stressful.
Yield measures of irrigation performance in Pakistan

Customary evaluations of irrigation performance based upon crop yield per unit area do not reflect an adequate assessment of performance in water scarce environments such as Pakistan. Yield per unit water is a complementary and sometimes more appropriate measure. This note illustrates the different evaluations based upon yields of irrigated wheat and rice in Pakistan.
Object-Graphs for Context-Aware Visual Category Discovery

How can knowing about some categories help us to discover new ones in unlabeled images? Unsupervised visual category discovery is useful to mine for recurring objects without human supervision, but existing methods assume no prior information and thus tend to perform poorly for cluttered scenes with multiple objects. We propose to leverage knowledge about previously learned categories to enable more accurate discovery, and address challenges in estimating their familiarity in unsegmented, unlabeled images. We introduce two variants of a novel object-graph descriptor to encode the 2D and 3D spatial layout of object-level co--occurrence patterns relative to an unfamiliar region and show that by using them to model the interaction between an image's known and unknown objects, we can better detect new visual categories. Rather than mine for all categories from scratch, our method identifies new objects while drawing on useful cues from familiar ones. We evaluate our approach on several benchmark data sets and demonstrate clear improvements in discovery over conventional purely appearance-based baselines.
HLA control of interferon production in the human mixed lymphocyte culture.

Abstract This report describes studies of interferon production in the human mixed lymphocyte culture. Similar levels of interferon were detectable in two-way, unidirectional, and double-irradiated mixed lymphocyte culture combinations. Following an initial lag period of 1–2 days interferon production showed a peak response on days 3–4 and, in most combinations, was detectable through day 7 of the mixed lymphocyte culture. Interferon-gamma was the predominant type of interferon produced, along with a minor component of interferon activity detectable in some culture combinations which appeared similar to interferon-alpha. Interferon was not produced in HLA identical sibling combinations except for one brother-sister pair who were the donor and recipient of a kidney allograft. Interferon was produced in sibling and unrelated individual combinations that expressed HLA-A, HLA-B, or HLA-DR region incompatibility, with higher concentrations of interferon detectable in the HLA-DR region incompatible combinations.
Limb regeneration and apolysis in the tick, Ornithodoros tartakovskyi.

Abstract Limb regeneration potential and the apolysis process were investigated in the argasid tick, Ornithodoros tartakovskyi . Developmental instars received single or multiple amputations and were subsequently allowed to undergo single or multiple apolyses. Amputated ticks regenerated complete normal limbs but only after four successive apolyses. Following a single apolysis, the majority of regenerated limbs were essentially miniature duplicates of normal legs but commonly lacked normal chaetotaxy and/or tarsal hump(s). The site of amputation distal to the coxa-trochanter joint, number of limbs removed from an individual, and instar amputated did not consistently influence the extent of regeneration. Coagulation and clot formation were observed. The limbs of the tick apolysed within the old leg hulls. Larvae and nymphs amputated relatively early during the period of apolyses regenerated limbs; late amputations precluded regeneration. The process of apolysis was irreversible and not obviously affected by amputations.
Renato Dulbecco (1914–2012)

When a gentle superman passes from our midst, we must bow our heads in recognition of his powers. Renato Dulbecco was both gentle and remarkable. He died on 19 February at his home in La Jolla, California. I got to know Renato when he invited me in 1965 to set up my first laboratory within his space at the then-nascent Salk Institute. He was moving from a professorship at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech), where he already had a notable career in virology. We were to share a Nobel Prize, with Howard Temin, just 10 years later.
Computer Generation of Data Sets for Homework Exercises in Simple Regression

Abstract A method is given for generating different data sets for homework exercises in simple regression, such that not only are the estimated slopes, intercepts and correlations the same over all data sets, but so also are the analysis of variance tables, with error mean square that is a perfect square. An example is given. A computer program REGDATA is available for generating data sets of this nature.
Long-term hygrothermal effects on damage tolerance of hybrid composite sandwich panels

A sandwich construction, composed of hybrid carbon-glass fiber-reinforced plastic skins and a syntactic foam core, was selected as the design concept for a wind tunnel compressor blade application, where high damage tolerance and durability are of major importance. Beam specimens were prepared from open-edge and encapsulated sandwich panels which had previously been immersed in water at different temperatures for periods of up to about two years in the extreme case. Moisture absorption and strength characteristics, as related to time of exposure to hygrothermal conditions, were evaluated for the sandwich specimens and their constituents (skins and foam). After different exposure periods, low-velocity impact damage was inflicted on most sandwich specimens and damage characteristics were related to impact energy. Eventually, the residual compressive strengths of the damaged (and undamaged) beams were determined flexurally. Test results show that exposure to hygrothermal conditions leads to significant strength reductions for foam specimens and open-edge sandwich panels, compared with reference specimens stored at room temperature. In the case of skin specimens and for beams prepared from encapsulated sanwich panels that had previously been exposed to hygrothermal conditions, moisture absorption was found to improve strength as related to the reference case. The beneficial effect of moisture on skin performance was, however, limited to moisture contents below 1% (at 50 C and lower temperatures). Above this moisture level and at higher temperatures, strength degradation of the skin seems to prevail.
Some circulatory effects of 5-hydroxytryptamine in man.

Continuous infusions of small quantities of 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) were made into the pulmonary artery in 7 human subjects. In only 1 instance was there an unequivocal rise in pressure in the pulmonary artery and this was accompanied by a rise in brachial arterial pressure. The most consistent effect of the drug was to raise the heart rate. There was no effect on the cardiac output. Single rapid injections of 5-HT were made into the right atrium in 3 other subjects. In 1 of these subjects the injection of 4 µg. per Kg. caused transient ventricular arrest and systemic hypotension followed by a sustained rise in pressure in the pulmonary and brachial arteries. The results of this study were thought to indicate the presence of a Bezold-like reflex. The rapid injection of 5-HT was therefore thought to be dangerous and the investigation was discontinued.
Phosphate activation in the ground state of purine nucleoside phosphorylase.

Phosphate and ribose 1-phosphate (R1P) bound to human purine nucleoside phosphorylase (PNP) have been studied by FTIR spectroscopy for comparison with phosphate bound with a transition state analog...
ARMA bispectrum approach to nonminimum phase system identification

An identification procedure is proposed for a nonGaussian white-noise-driven, linear, time-invariant, nonminimum-phase FIR (finite-impulse response) system. The method is based on parametric modeling of the third moments of the output sequence and uses causal and anticausal autoregressive moving-average (ARMA) models. The magnitude and phase response of the system are expressed in terms of the AR parameters of the ARMA models. In particular, the AR part of the causal ARMA model captures the minimum-phase component of the system, and the AR part of the anticausal ARMA captures the maximum-phase component. Both sets of parameters are obtained by solving overdetermined linear systems of equations. A model-order-selection criterion based on third-order moments is proposed. The ARMA bispectrum approach is compared to more conventional approaches for magnitude and phase reconstruction. It is demonstrated that the proposed identification procedure exhibits improved modeling performance. The method does not require knowledge of the non-Gaussian noise distribution. >
Afferent neck projection to the cat cerebellar cortex.

1. Afferent information from the neck plays an important role in the regulation of posture and the control of head and eye movements. The present series of experiments was designed in order to characterize the cerebellar projections of neck afferents in the cat. Both anesthetized and decerebrate animals were used, and recordings were obtained following electrical stimulation of the second cervical dorsal root (C2). 2. Following electrical stimulation of C2 dorsal root, field potentials were recorded in lobules V and VI. Amplitude was maximum in the lateral third of the ipsilateral lobule V. These field potentials were produced by combined mossy and climbing fiber (MF and CF) volleys arriving at the cerebellar cortex with different latencies: 8 msec for MF and 24 msec for CF (mean values). The threshold for electrical stimulation was lower for MF than for CF activation; CF responses were evoked by high threshold afferents from muscle and joint receptors. 3. A comparison was made between the latencies of cerebellar responses evoked by electrical stimulation of nuchal and other afferents (vestibular nerve, fore-and hindpaw). The latencies of MF responses vary widely, while those of the CF responses show a much smaller variation. 4. Projection of the afferents from the neck was also demonstrated in the pars intermedia at the limit of the caudal folium of lobule V and of lobule VI (lobule simplex). A study of the convergence to this portion of pars intermedia demonstrated that stimulation of extraocular muscle nerves, trigeminal nerve, and fore-and hindpaws, as well as the neck afferents, generates a strong localized CF response with actual convergence onto single Purkinje cells. The recordings suggest that this area of wide convergence on CFs is not restricted to the superficial cortex, but extends through the depth of the fissura prima. Implications of these findings, in relation to the functional organization of lobule VI and the fissura prima, are discussed.
Insight Into ABCG1-Mediated Cholesterol Efflux

Macrophages in the arterial intima take up modified LDL and become cholesterol-ester laden foam cells, which are the primary cell type in newly formed fatty streak lesions, and which play an important role throughout lesion progression and plaque vulnerability. Macrophages can unload their excess cellular cholesterol stores via lipid efflux, the first step in the protective reverse cholesterol transport pathway. In this pathway, efflux of cellular cholesterol to extracellular acceptors, such as HDL and lipid-poor apolipoproteins, targets this cholesterol for delivery to the liver for metabolism and direct excretion into the bile. The mechanisms of cellular cholesterol efflux are the focus of intensive research, and this field was advanced greatly by the discovery of ABCA1 as the Tangier disease gene in 1999.1 Tangier disease subjects have almost no plasma HDL, and their cells have a complete deficiency in cholesterol and phospholipid efflux to apolipoprotein A-I (apoAI) and a partial defect in lipid efflux to HDL.2 Thus, it was apparent that there is more than one pathway for lipid efflux to HDL. In 2001, Schmitz and colleagues demonstrated that ABCG1, another member of the ABC gene superfamily, was upregulated by cholesterol in human macrophages, and that an ABCG1 antisense oligonucleotide that reduced ABCG1 expression also decreased lipid efflux to HDL.3 The role of ABCG1 in lipid efflux was confirmed in 2004 when Wang and colleagues and Edwards and colleagues showed that ABCG1 transfected cells had increased cholesterol efflux to HDL.4,5 See page 1310 In the current issue of Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis, and Vascular Biology , Wang et al provide novel insights both into the regulation of ABCG1 activity and into aspects of the mechanism of ABCG1-mediated lipid efflux,6 which differentiate it from the mechanism of ABCA1-mediated lipid efflux. Their essential discovery is that treatment of cells with …
Effective defect management strategies for emerging fab needs

The evolution of wafer fabrication technology and processes has seen different characteristics and varying nature of yield-limiting killer defects on the wafers. This has forced the innovation of a more sensitive and broader range of defect inspection technologies in the marketplace. Given the changing nature of defect characteristics, the multiple choices of inspection technologies, and the increasing magnitudes of fab investment costs, the problem of determining an effective defect inspection strategy for a fab has become increasingly complex. In this paper, we present the essential steps required to design and implement a cost optimal defect management strategy.
Mineral Composition of the Conway Granite in New Hampshire

Compositional data of biotite, plagioclase, and perthitic feldspar are presented which support in part earlier studies by Gaudette and Bothner (1971), Foland and others (1971), Armstrong and Stump (1971), and Liese (1968). These data consist of: (1) general similarity of major element concentrations; (2) specific systematic variation of total Fe:Mg ratios in biotite; (3) reciprocal variation of Ba and Be in the Merrymeeting stock; and (4) evidence indicating that the western half of the White Mountain batholith represents the latest stage of fractionation.
Impact of a personal response system on hospital use by low-income African American and white elders.

In 1994, the American Red Cross initiated a subsidized personal response system program for low-income elders in the Detroit area to help these elders maintain their independence at home. Data were collected on 379 low-income, at-risk elderly clients from Detroit and surrounding Wayne County, Michigan. More than 80 percent of the sample were African American ( n = 313), and the remainder were white ( n = 66) elders. Statistically significant changes in number of emergency room visits only occurred among white subscribers, increasing on average by 1.4 annual visits. One year after the installation of the personal response system, white users were twice as likely as the African Americans to make an emergency room visit or to stay overnight in the hospital. Subsidized personal response system may be an appropriate third-party government-supported secondary intervention for home-based low-income and at-risk elders to prevent premature emergency room use, hospitalizations, and institutional placements.
Reactivation of herpes simplex virus type 1 is associated with cytomegalovirus and age.

Recent studies have shown that Cytomegalovirus (CMV) may be an emerging marker of immunosenescence. CMV can affect the immune system by directly infecting leukocytes and hematopoietic cells or by eliciting an expansion of oligoclonal CD8+ T cells/contraction of the naive T cell compartment that may reduce the host’s ability to fight other pathogens. To investigate further CMV-associated changes in immunity, a study was conducted with 1,454 adults (ages 25–91) to determine the association between CMV and reactivation of another latent herpesvirus, Herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1), as indexed by antibody titers. Elevated antibody titers to latent HSV-1 were significantly associated with both CMV seropositivity and high CMV antibody levels. Evaluation by specific age groups (<45, 45–64, and 65+ years old) revealed that this association was detectable early in life (<45 years of age). Increases in HSV-1 antibodies by age occurred in CMV seropositive individuals but not CMV seronegative subjects. Within CMV seropositive subjects, increases in HSV-1 antibodies by age were only found in individuals with low CMV antibody levels as those with high CMV antibodies already exhibited elevated HSV-1 antibodies. These associations remained significant after accounting for body mass index, gender, and socioeconomic status. These results suggest that CMV can influence the immune response to another pathogen and support the concept that CMV may accelerate immunosenescence.
Patch Scheduling for Risk Exposure Mitigation under Service Disruption Constraints

We consider a discrete-time model for the spread of computer viruses in a network where the number of times the network can be fixed (i.e., the malware is reduced to a baseline level) is limited. The model consists of a set of viruses which may strike (attempt to infect) the system at each time with fixed probability. Once a virus strikes, it may go on to infect a node with some probability which varies according to the number of nodes that have already been infected. This results in the risk of having a virus in the system that could become active and paralyze some or all vital operations of the system. At each time step, if the remaining number of opportunities to fix the network is non-zero, a network administrator may choose to apply a control which brings the number of viruses back to a safer baseline level. This paper first analyzes the optimal policy using dynamic programming, but due to the curse of dimensionality, we also develop a near optimal heuristic based on policy iteration. We then consider extensions that include cost on control and a modulation parameter that affects transmission rates as well as costs, and present an analogous policy. These policies mathematically capture the tradeoff of mitigating risk in a network where we must not cause service disruptions too many times.
On virtual memories and micronetworks

We propose to use the microcomputer in a network to share I/O resources such as printers and archival memories. A model of a network is developed where computers correspond to edges of a graph. This model reflects the desired characteristics of the microcomputer organization. The advantage of virtual memory in these microcomputers is discussed. Herein, pages in the virtual memory are packets in the network. Packets and requests for packets are generated by page faults and packets are stored and forwarded by hardware like that to manage virtual memory pages. The paper discusses the strategy for a micronetwork and suggests an implementation of the hardware of such a network.
The Recognition and Surgical Management of Heritable Lesions of the Pancreas

Our knowledge regarding the inherited factors that lead to the development of lesions within the pancreas is clearly incomplete. This article addresses clinical issues in patients at moderate-to-high risk for pancreatic malignancy, with special emphasis on the recognition and diagnosis of known genetic syndromes. Using the current available information, the authors attempt to equip the practicing surgeon with critical information to increase clinical suspicion for heritable syndromes and inform specific surgical management. Additionally, this article is meant to encourage the practicing surgeon to participate in the genetic testing/screening, cancer surveillance, and prevention activities of patients who have heritable cancer syndromes and associated pancreatic lesions that require surgery.
Spatiotemporal Patterns and Dispersal of Stink Bugs (Heteroptera: Pentatomidae) in Peanut-Cotton Farmscapes

In the southeast United States, a field of peanuts, Arachis hypogaea L., is often closely associated with a field of cotton, Gossypium hirsutum L. The objective of this 4-yr on-farm study was to examine and compare the spatiotemporal patterns and dispersal of the southern green stink bug, Nezara viridula L., and the brown stink bug, Euschistus servus (Say), in six of these peanut-cotton farmscapes. GS(+) Version 9 was used to generate interpolated estimates of stink bug density by inverse distance weighting. Interpolated stink bug population raster maps were constructed using ArcMap Version 9.2. This technique was used to show any change in distribution of stink bugs in the farmscape over time. SADIE (spatial analysis by distance indices) methodology was used to examine spatial aggregation of individual stink bug species and spatial association of the two stink bug species in the individual crops. Altogether, the spatiotemporal analyses for the farmscapes showed that some N. viridula and E. servus nymphs and adults that develop in peanuts disperse into cotton. When these stink bugs disperse from peanuts into cotton, they aggregate in cotton at the interface, or common boundary, of the two crops while feeding on cotton bolls. Therefore, there is a pronounced edge effect observed in the distribution of stink bugs as they colonize the new crop, cotton. The driving force for the spatiotemporal distribution and dispersal of both stink bug species in peanut-cotton farmscapes seems to be availability of food in time and space mitigated by landscape structure. Thus, an understanding of farmscape ecology of stink bugs and their natural enemies is necessary to strategically place, in time and space, biologically based management strategies that control stink bug populations while conserving natural enemies and the environment and reducing off-farm inputs.
Vascular Targeting Agents as Cancer Therapeutics

Vascular targeting agents (VTAs) for the treatment of cancer are designed to cause a rapid and selective shutdown of the blood vessels of tumors. Unlike antiangiogenic drugs that inhibit the formation of new vessels, VTAs occlude the pre-existing blood vessels of tumors to cause tumor cell death from ischemia and extensive hemorrhagic necrosis. Tumor selectivity is conferred by differences in the pathophysiology of tumor versus normal tissue vessels (e.g., increased proliferation and fragility, and up-regulated proteins). VTAs can kill indirectly the tumor cells that are resistant to conventional antiproliferative cancer therapies, i.e., cells in areas distant from blood vessels where drug penetration is poor, and hypoxia can lead to radiation and drug resistance. VTAs are expected to show the greatest therapeutic benefit as part of combined modality regimens. Preclinical studies have shown VTA-induced enhancement of the effects of conventional chemotherapeutic agents, radiation, hyperthermia, radioimmunotherapy, and antiangiogenic agents. There are broadly two types of VTAs, small molecules and ligand-based, which are grouped together, because they both cause acute vascular shutdown in tumors leading to massive necrosis. The small molecules include the microtubulin destabilizing drugs, combretastatin A-4 disodium phosphate, ZD6126, AVE8062, and Oxi 4503, and the flavonoid, DMXAA. Ligand-based VTAs use antibodies, peptides, or growth factors that bind selectively to tumor versus normal vessels to target tumors with agents that occlude blood vessels. The ligand-based VTAs include fusion proteins (e.g., vascular endothelial growth factor linked to the plant toxin gelonin), immunotoxins (e.g., monoclonal antibodies to endoglin conjugated to ricin A), antibodies linked to cytokines, liposomally encapsulated drugs, and gene therapy approaches. Combretastatin A-4 disodium phosphate, ZD6126, AVE8062, and DMXAA are undergoing clinical evaluation. Phase I monotherapy studies have shown that the agents are tolerated with some demonstration of single agent efficacy. Because efficacy is expected when the agents are used with conventional chemotherapeutic drugs or radiation, the results of Phase II combination studies are eagerly awaited.
Multicomponent signal analysis using the polynomial-phase transform

We consider the problem of estimating signals consisting of multiple components of the form b(n)exp{J/spl phi/(n)} where b(n) is a constant or a slowly varying amplitude, and the /spl phi/(n) is a polynomial function of time. We present an estimation algorithm based on the discrete polynomial transform and illustrate its performance by several examples. The proposed algorithm is computationally much simpler than the maximum likelihood estimator for this problem.
N-(4-hydroxyphenyl)retinamide-induced death in human lymphoblastoid cells: 50 kb DNA breakage as a means of distinguishing apoptosis from necrosis.

Experimental studies of N-(4-hydroxyphenyl)retinamide, a potential cancer chemopreventive agent, have primarily involved breast cancer and neuroblastoma cell populations together with an investigation of myeloid leukemia cells and have principally been concerned with the induction of apoptosis. This investigation of N-(4-hydroxyphenyl)retinamide-induced apoptosis using T-cell-derived human lymphoblastoid lines extends these studies by indicating distinctive features associated with this drug. The induction of apoptosis is restricted to a limited concentration range, which, if exceeded, results in cell death by necrosis. While morphological changes typical of apoptosis induced by many agents are readily demonstrable after treatment of lymphoblastoid cells with 3 μM N-(4-hydroxyphenyl)retinamide, distinctive features evident using the retinoid include the absence of cell cycle arrest along with the mode and pattern of DNA breakage. Analysis by conventional gel electrophoresis indicated that internucleosomal fragmentation of DNA was an unreliable indicator of apoptosis. On the other hand, higher order DNA breakage was consistently detected during drug-induced apoptosis, but not as a result of treatment causing necrosis.
Pharmacokinetics of intravenously and intramuscularly administered cefepime in infants and children.

The pharmacokinetic characteristics of cefepime were determined after first dose (n = 35) and again under steady-state conditions (n = 31) with a group of 37 infants and children. In eight subjects, a cefepime dose given by intramuscular injection was substituted for an intravenous dose, and disposition characteristics were studied again. Study subjects ranged in age from 2.1 months to 16.4 years, and all had normal renal function. Each patient received 50 mg of cefepime/kg of body weight intravenously every 8 h, up to a total maximum individual dose of 2 g. With the exception of one study patient who received a single cefepime dose for surgical prophylaxis, the patients received cefepime for 2 to 13 days. Elimination half-life (t1/2), steady-state volume of distribution, total body clearance, and renal clearance after first dose administration averaged 1.7 h, 0.35 liter/kg, and 3.1 and 1.9 ml/min/kg, respectively. Although cefepime t1/2 and mean residence time (MRT) were slightly longer for subjects or =2 months of age. The integration of the cefepime pharmacokinetic data generated in our study with the MICs for important pathogens responsible for infections in infants and children supports the administration of a dose of 50 mg of cefepime/kg every 12 h for patients > or =2 months of age to treat infections caused by pathogens for which cefepime MICs are < or =8 mg/liter.
fNIRS: A new modality for brain activity-based biometric authentication

There is a rapidly increasing amount of research on the use of brain activity patterns as a basis for biometric user verification. The vast majority of this research is based on Electroencephalogram (EEG), a technology which measures the electrical activity along the scalp. In this paper, we evaluate Functional Near-Infrared Spectroscopy (fNIRS) as an alternative approach to brain activity-based user authentication. fNIRS is centered around the measurement of light absorbed by blood and, compared to EEG, has a higher signal-to-noise ratio, is more suited for use during normal working conditions, and has a much higher spatial resolution which enables targeted measurements of specific brain regions. Based on a dataset of 50 users that was analysed using an SVM and a Naive Bayes classifier, we show fNIRS to respectively give EERs of 0.036 and 0.046 when using our best channel configuration. Further, we present some results on the areas of the brain which demonstrated highest discriminative power. Our findings indicate that fNIRS has significant promise as a biometric authentication modality.
A Prospective, Randomized Study of Component Position in Two-Incision MIS Total Hip Arthroplasty: A Preliminary Study.

Abstract Controversy exists regarding the ability to position the implants reliably in minimally invasive surgery (MIS) total hip arthroplasty (THA). This study compared the ability to accurately position components in the MIS two-incision versus single-incision approaches. Twenty-four patients were randomized to THA through one of three approaches, including the two-incision approach. Component position was measured with computed tomography. The mean deviation from the target acetabular anteversion was 14.8 degrees in the two-incision MIS group versus 6.4 degrees in the other two approaches (p = 0.006). A mean of 9.8 degrees deviation from the target femoral anteversion in the two-incision MIS approach group was observed compared with 5.3 degrees in the single-incision groups (p = 0.05). These results suggest there is a decreased ability to accurately position the components in the two-incision approach.