cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A control rule for recruitment planning in engineering consultancy

The most valuable asset of a professional service firm is its people. Owing to the high labor turnover, staffing decision is very critical in its operations. We take engineering consultancy as a professional service and emphasize the importance of developing knowledge stock of skilled consultants in a planned manner for efficient productivity management. Our focus is management of knowledge-mix, which is the mix of consultants at different productivity levels. Our model is designed to determine the steady-state number of consultant-mix to meet demand at a desired service level. This is done through the use of control theory and chance constrained programming.
Fattening Cockerels by Stilbestrol Administration

Abstract The ability of administered estrogens to produce lipemias in birds has been demonstrated previously (Lorenz, Chaikoff, and Entenman, 1938-b; Zondek and Marx, 1939), as has also the relation of ovarian activity to liver lipid levels (Lorenz, Chaikoff, and Entenman, 1938-a). Zondek and Marx (1939) also reported increased fat content of liver, lung, and muscle tissue of a single cock after prolonged (16 weeks) treatment with high levels of estradiol benzoate, but no interest has been a oused in possible practical applications of such treatment due to the excessive cost of materials. With the recent availability of the relatively inexpensive and highly potent estrogen, diethylstilbestrol, and the labor saving permitted by the pellet implantation technic (Mark and Biskind, 1940; Lorenz, Entenman, and Chaikoff, in preparation), however, it seemed desirable to test the feasibility of using this preparation to hasten the fattening of marked cockerels. Subcutaneous stilbestrol pellet implants (three per bird) . . .
Cloning and sequence analysis of the human salivary peroxidase-encoding cDNA.

Abstract A cDNA ( hSPO ) encoding human salivary peroxidase (hSPO) was isolated and its nucleotide (nt) sequence determined. The coding sequence resembles those of other mammalian peroxidases and contains a 3′ untranslated region of 538 nt. In a rabbit reticulocyte lysate transcription/translation system, the cDNA produces a major protein product of approx. 67 kDa, which corresponds to the calculated molecular weight of unglycosylated hSPO.
Comparative toxicity of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs.

Abstract To compare the gastrointestinal (GI) toxicities of various nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), it is first necessary to dismantle the imprecise entity "NSAID gastropathy" into its component conditions, and understand their pathogenesis. In this article, toxicities are reviewed only in so far as they affect the upper GI tract, the site of approximately 80% of GI injuries caused by NSAIDs. The phenomena discussed are platelet dysfunction, causing hemorrhage from various lesions, including but not confined to ulcers; various mucosal injuries, ranging from small erosions to large ulcers; and "complications," such as bleeding or perforations, causing admission to hospital, that may arise from ulcers but may also arise from other lesions. Ulcers, when complicated, may either be those caused by an NSAID or "peptic" ulcers that preceded NSAID therapy (having a high prevalence in the population) and gave rise to complications resulting from NSAID effects on platelets, tissues, or biologic processes, for example, healing, necrosis/apoptosis, leukocyte adherence, vasoconstriction, or generation of free radicals. NSAIDs have been compared in various ways, including fecal blood loss, endoscopic lesion development, prospective preclinical cohort studies measuring perforations, ulcers, and bleeds, post-marketing surveillance studies, and studies of the incidence of serious adverse events in populations followed in large databases linked to each individual patient record with regard to drug consumption and outcome. All methods show considerable differences between NSAIDs. Modern studies on the relative toxicities of NSAIDs are summarized and reviewed, and a number of marketed and emerging drugs that appear less toxic than classic NSAIDs are identified.
Bifid Direct Aortic Arch Origin of Left Vertebral Artery: A Unique Vascular Variant

The present report describes an unusual case of a duplicated origin of the left vertebral artery from the aorta discovered incidentally in a young patient. Computed tomographic angiography followed by conventional angiography demonstrated this anomaly. Angiographic findings and vertebral artery embryogenesis and anomalies are discussed.
Cross-hedging foreign exchange rate risks: The case of deposit money banks in emerging Asian countries

Abstract This paper investigates the performance of five major currency futures for cross-hedging local currency/US dollar exchange rate risks faced by depository financial institutions in a selected group of emerging Asian countries. In particular, we present performance rankings by composition method of currency futures and suggest an approach that can help bank managers compare cross-hedging performance of major currency futures and identify the optimal cross-hedging strategy. Empirical findings suggest that a minimum variance cross-hedge with a futures portfolio performs better than a minimum variance cross-hedge with one currency futures for Indonesia, Singapore, and Thailand, whereas for Korea and Malaysia the minimum variance cross-hedge with one currency futures outperforms. The best performance for one currency futures is found to be made with the German mark futures for Korea and the Canadian dollar futures for Malaysia. A joint naive cross-hedge performs the worst among all the composition methods we examined.
The cellular origin of bioelectric potentials in bone.

Bioelectric potentials were recorded from the unstressed tibia in the anesthetized rabbit by means of silver/silver chloride electrodes connected to saline bridges and a high impedence voltmeter. Potentials recorded from the anterior, medial, and lateral surfaces of the tibia indicated that the surface voltage was constant around the transverse axis of a bone but varied in relation to its long axis. Voltages were independent of bony landmarks and points of muscle attachment. The bioelectric potentials changed little after sciatic nerve denervation or ligation of the femoral artery. The potentials decreased dramatically thirty minutes following the intra-arterial administration of dinitrophenol or iodoacetamide. Also, the potentials fell sharply in a localized segment of tibia injured through the application of ultrasound energy. Animal death brought about a slow decay of potential commensurate with the gradual loss of bone cell viability. The experimental evidence from this study suggests that the steady state potentials observed from the surface of unstressed bone are not directly dependent on blood flow or nerve transmission. Rather, such potentials are dependent on a functioning bone cell population, and each recorded potential represents a summation of the electromotive forces from all cells in a localized area.
Lead by Example and Precept: Introducing, Developing, and Recognizing Leadership Mastery at the Collegiate Level:

Colleges and universities are establishing courses and programs to promote leadership development. In fact, there is evidence that the college experience is associated with increases in leadership skills. Furthermore, there is evidence that being a member of a social fraternity or sorority develops your leadership skills more than a nonmember. Accordingly, a social fraternity is launching a new, comprehensive leadership development program for its members and leaders -- called Lead by Example And Precept (LEAP) - to introduce, develop, and recognize lifelong leadership competencies in undergraduate members to prepare these students to be leaders for the world in which they will live.
Modeling image potential surface states on silver and gold surfaces covered with self-assembled monolayers of alkanethiols and alkaneselenols

A one-dimensional potential based on nearly free electron (NFE) theory and the method of images is used to describe image potential surfaces states on roughened Ag and Au surfaces covered with self-assembled monolayers of alkanethiols and alkaneselenols. NFE is applied to produce the model potential in both the substrate and headgroup portion of the monolayer, and calculated image state energies are in excellent quantitative agreement with experimental energies. The image plane is located beyond the headgroup layer that is chemisorbed onto step edges, and the electrons move perpendicular to step edges and parallel to terraces.
Seventeen Antarctic seismic events detected by global surface waves and a possible link to calving events from satellite images

[1] We detect 17 seismic events in Antarctica from 1997 to 2009 by applying a surface wave detector to global seismic data. We locate these events using a waveform cross-correlation method and find that most occurred near the coast of Antarctica and are clustered in three regions: four events are on the Ronne Ice Shelf, close to the location of a 1998 calving event; five events are near the Vanderford Glacier; and eight events are near the Ninnis Glacier. The observed Rayleigh and Love waves for these events have similar amplitudes and a two-lobed radiation pattern, matching the expected amplitude behavior of a single-force source model. Using such a model, we obtain best fitting horizontal force directions for the 14 events that have relatively better signal-to-noise ratios. Analysis of coastline changes from MODIS images before and after the detected events show that two events on Vanderford Glacier and one event near Ninnis Glacier are likely associated with calving events. Moreover, the inferred force directions for the seismic events appear consistent with local ice flow directions. Both satellite observations and modeling results strongly suggest a link between seismic events and calving processes in the two regions. However, the force directions on the Ronne Ice Shelf are aligned with observed rift propagation directions, suggesting that these events may arise from rifting processes.
Sol-gel processing for fiber optic applications

The sol-gel process is a versatile process for the preparation of many types of glass and ceramics. This includes optical fibers. In this paper, the general principles of sol-gel processing are described first. This is followed by details of the specific methods that can be used for the fabrication of optical fibers. Finally, some conclusions are drawn as to the commercial potential of the various methods.
The Ontogeny of Skin.

Significance: During gestation, fetal skin progresses from a single layer derived from ectoderm to a complex, multi-layer tissue with the stratum corneum (SC) as the outermost layer. Innate immunity is a conferred complex process involving a balance of pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines, structural proteins, and specific antigen-presenting cells. The SC is a part of the innate immune system as an impermeable physical barrier containing anti-microbial lipids and host defense proteins. Postnatally, the epidermis continually replenishes itself, provides a protective barrier, and repairs injuries. Recent Advances: Vernix caseosa protects the fetus during gestation and facilitates development of the SC in the aqueous uterine environment. The anti-infective, hydrating, acidification, and wound-healing properties post birth provide insights for the development of strategies that facilitate SC maturation and repair in the premature infant. Critical Issues: Reduction of infant mortality is a global health priori...
Stability by decompositions for Volterra equations

On considere un systeme d'equations integrodifferentielles de la forme x'=A(t)x+∫ 0 t C(t,s)x(s)ds (1) que l'on ecrit x'=L(t)x+∫ 0 t C 1 (t,s)x(s)ds+(d/dt)∫ 0 t H(t,s)x(s)ds. On construit, pour cette equation, un certain nombre de fonctionnelles de Lyapunov donnant des conditions necessaires et suffisantes pour la stabilite de la solution nulle de (1)
Some Macroeconomic Consequences of Resource Immobility With Public Production

Many public services are provided through government produetion with public ownership of nonlabor inputs. In general, macroeconomic policy impacts with this mode of provision are different from a fiscal policy analysis using conventional models. This article analyzes how reduced public spending may influence aggregate employment with this mode of provision.
Accuracy and reproducibility of quantitative coronary arteriography using 6 and 8 french catheters with cine angiographic acquisition

To determine the suitability of 6 French catheters for quantitative coronary arteriography, the relative accuracy and reproducibility of one type of these catheters was compared to that obtained with standard 8 French catheters in 20 stenoses. Duplicate injections with polyurethane 6 French catheters were obtained using hand and power injection technique with cineangiographic acquisition (four 6 French catheter injections total per stenosis). Measurements of both percent diameter stenosis and absolute dimensions were compared to those obtained with hand injection and cine acquisition using 8 French catheters as a "gold standard." While the reproducibility of dimension determination with the 6 French catheter was generally similar to that obtained with the 8 French catheter (0.27 +/- 0.23 mm for absolute diameter and 8.1 +/- 7.4% for percent diameter stenosis), accuracy was significantly less for the 6 French catheter for measurement of absolute dimensions. Thus, while apparently well suited for serial measurements of the same stenoses, 6 French catheters may not be as accurate in the determination of absolute artery dimensions as 8 French catheters.
A non-qubit quantum adder as one-dimensional cellular automaton

Abstract A complete quantum addition machine is presented and compared with methods employing unitary transformations first. A quantum half-adder circuit shown earlier can be implemented into each cell of a 1D cellular automaton. An electric Aharonov–Bohm effect version of the quantum circuit is used to illustrate this implementation. Whatever a quantum Turing machine can achieve is realized in the cellular automata architecture we propose here. The coherence requirement is limited to one cell area. The magnetic flux needed is 0.1 Φ 0 , corresponding to 0.414 mT for a ring area of 1 square micron or an electric potential of 0.414 mV at 1 ps with an energy dissipation of 0.041 eV per iteration.
Collagen types and matrix protein content in human abdominal aortic aneurysms

Abstract Deficiencies of total collagen, type III collagen, and elastin have been proposed to explain aneurysm formation. Infrarenal aortas were collected from 19 patients (age 70 ± 7 years) undergoing operative repair of abdominal aortic aneurysms (diameter 7 ± 2 cm) and from 13 autopsies (age 63 ± 17 years) of patients without aneurysm disease (controls). Wall thickness and collagen and elastin concentration were determined in full-thickness aorta. Collagen types I and III were measured after digestion with cyanogen bromide, which solubilized nearly 90% of total collagen for typing. Cyanogen bromide peptides were separated by sequential carboxymethylcellulose and agarose chromatography and quantified by peak area measurement with computerized image analysis. Histologic examination revealed prominent inflammatory cell infiltration and deficient, fragmented elastin in the aneurysms. Aortic wall thickness was similar in aneurysms and in control specimens. In the aneurysms, collagen was increased (37% ± 16% vs 24% ± 5%; p p
Simultaneous pose recovery and camera registration from multiple views of a walking person

We present an algorithm to estimate the body pose of a walking person given synchronized video input from multiple uncalibrated cameras. We construct an appearance model of human walking motion by generating examples from the space of body poses and camera locations, and clustering them using expectation-maximization. Given a segmented input video sequence, we find the closest matching appearance cluster for each silhouette and use the sequence of matched clusters to extrapolate the position of the camera with respect to the person's direction of motion. For each frame, the matching cluster also provides an estimate of the walking phase. We combine these estimates from all views and find the most likely sequence of walking poses using a cyclical, feed-forward hidden Markov model. Our algorithm requires no manual initialization and no prior knowledge about the locations of the cameras.
Effects of Fe substitutions in YBa2Cu3O7

Abstract Both near edge features and EXAFS results unequivocally demonstrate that Fe perferentially substitutes for Cu(1) atoms at the linear chain site for YBa 2 (Cu 1−x Fe x ) 3 O 7+δ , where x=0.02 to 0.15. Electronic and atomic structural changes associated with Fe content are discussed.
Globally dispersed mobile drug-resistance genes in Gram-negative bacterial isolates from patients with bloodstream infections in a US urban general hospital

Mobile drug-resistance genes with identical nucleic acid sequences carried by multidrug-resistant Escherichia coli strains that cause community-acquired infections are becomingly increasingly dispersed worldwide. Over a 2-year period, we analysed Gram-negative bacterial (GNB) pathogens from the blood of inpatients at an urban public hospital to determine what proportion of these isolates carried such globally dispersed drug-resistance genes. Of 376 GNB isolates, 167 (44 %) were Escherichia coli, 50 (13 %) were Klebsiella pneumoniae, 25 (7 %) were Pseudomonas aeruginosa, 25 (7 %) were Proteus mirabilis and 20 (5 %) were Enterobacter cloacae; the remainder (24 %) comprised 26 different GNB species. Among E. coli isolates, class 1 integrons were detected in 64 (38 %). The most common integron gene cassette configuration was dfrA17-aadA5, found in 30 (25 %) of 119 drug-resistant E. coli isolates and in one isolate of Moraxella morganii. Extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL) genes were found in 16 E. coli isolates (10 %). These genes with identical sequences were found in nearly 40 % of bloodstream E. coli isolates in the study hospital, as well as in a variety of bacterial species from clinical and non-clinical sources worldwide. Thus, a substantial proportion of bloodstream infections among hospitalized patients were caused by E. coli strains carrying drug-resistance genes that are dispersed globally in a wide variety of bacterial species.
Inadvertent Ophthalmic Administration of Atropine Drops in a Hospice Patient

This case report describes a patient who had atropine ophthalmic drops prescribed and dispensed by hospice to be administered sublingually as needed for control of secretions at the end of life. However, even as she stabilized and discharged from hospice, these remained on her medication list. At a subsequent hospitalization, this order was misinterpreted and the drops were ordered to be administered in both the eyes 3 times a day while in the hospital and were included in her discharge medication list. The patient experienced severe blurring of vision until the error was corrected. This case highlights the potential risks of the common practice in hospice of using alternate routes of administration for medications designed for another purpose.
Studies of Sex Attractant of Banded Cucumber Beetle

A natural sex attractant Produced by females of the banded cucumber beetle, Diabrotica balteata LeConte, usually by the time they were 10 days old, lured males of this species from distances as far 49 feet. Unmated females remained attractive to males for as long as 79 days. Most females ceased to be attractive after 1 mating and none were attractive after 2 matings. The attractant was extracted from female abdomens with alcohol. Extracts of the heads and thoraces and of filter paper on which females had crawled gave negative results. Male behavioral responses are described.
The application of the zero wear model to joint prostheses

Abstract A zero wear model has been used to study various materials combinations employed or under consideration for total joint prostheses. The criteria for applicability of the model are satisfied for a laboratory test employing a ball-on-plane geometry. The use of the model is illustrated by considering the cases of total hip and hinge joint prostheses. There are examples in the literature in which zero wear of prostheses has been observed. It is recommended that, should the prosthesis be subject to finite wear, consideration be given to the generation and accommodation of wear debris.
Expression of the atrial natriuretic peptide gene in human fetal heart.

Expression of the human atrial natriuretic peptide (hANP) gene was examined in tissues of 19 to 28-week-old human fetuses. As expected the fetal atria express the hANP gene at a high level, accruing substantial quantities of ANP immunoreactivity and ANP mRNA. The neonatal ventricle also expresses the hANP gene at a significant level. ANP mRNA levels in the ventricle were, on the average, about 20% of those in the right atria. ANP immunoreactivity in ventricle was less that 5% of that in the right atria, suggesting important differences in the way these tissues synthesize and store the ANP peptide. Much lower levels of hANP transcripts were also detected in the lung and aortic arch. Analysis of the 5′ termini of cardiac hANP transcripts using three independent techniques suggests the presence of two transcription start sites. A major start site is located approximately 28 basepairs downstream from the primary TATA sequence. A second minor start site is positioned about 110 basepairs further upstream. Immun...
MOMENT EQUATION DESCRIPTION OF INTERSTELLAR HYDROGEN

The flow of interstellar hydrogen in the heliosphere can be studied using the moment equation approach. The Boltzmann equation is integrated over the velocity space to obtain the moment equations, the moment equations are then solved directly for the flow conditions. We present a closed system of moment equations. This approach can include anisotropic pressure when the distribution function is distorted into skewed ellipsoid.
The evolution of hematopoietic SCT in myelodysplastic syndrome

Allogeneic hematopoietic SCT (allo-HCT) is the only curative therapy for myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS). Numerous myeloablative (MA), nonmyeloablative SCT (NST) and reduced conditioning transplant (RIC) studies have included MDS patients. Twenty-four MA HCT studies published from 2000 and 2008 reported OS and disease-free survival (DFS) ranging from 25 and 16% at 2 years to 52 and 50% at 4 years. In these publications, the incidence of grades II-IV acute GVHD was 18-100%, chronic GVHD 13-88%, relapse risk 24% at 1 year to 54.5% at 4 years and TRM 19% at day 100 to 61% at 5 years. From 2003 to 2008, 30 publications combining RIC and NST reported OS and DFS from 22 and 20% at 2 years to 79 and 79% at 4 years. Incidence of grades II-IV acute GVHD ranged from 9 to 63%, chronic GVHD 18 to 80%, relapse risk 6 to 61% and TRM 0% at day 100 to 34% at 5 years. The wide range in the published results leaves many unanswered questions. Although no ideal transplant conditioning has emerged, many of the MA and RIC studies used BU-based regimens and used a recipient age cutoff of 50-55 years for MA HCT. Similarly, there is no agreement on the use of induction or hypomethylating therapy before HCT, but azacitidine and decitabine are gaining increasing attention as a bridge to HCT. Until recently, the International Prognostic Scoring System (IPSS) dictated the use and timing of HCT. The WHO classification and WHO Prognostic Scoring System (WPSS) may be better suited in predicting the outcomes and should probably be incorporated in transplant algorithms. Most published MDS transplant series combine matched related donors (MRD) and matched unrelated donors (MUD). Umbilical cord blood (UCB) grafts will likely broaden the population of MDS patients eligible for allografting, but outcome data for MDS are scant. At this time, it is reasonable to consider the availability of an MRD or MUD as separate from an UCB graft in the decision of transplantation for MDS. The development of RIC, improvements in supportive therapy and alternative donor selection will provide better OS for MDS patients undergoing transplantation. Simultaneously, better understanding and medical therapy of MDS are leading us to re-examine patient selection and the timing of HCT. The results of HCT for MDS continue to improve together with the outlook of patients afflicted with myelodysplasia.
Polar cap mesosphere wind observations: comparisons of simultaneous measurements with a Fabry–Perot interferometer and a field-widened Michelson interferometer

Polar cap mesospheric winds observed with a Fabry–Perot interferometer with a circle-to-line interferometer optical (FPI/CLIO) system have been compared with measurements from a field-widened Michelson interferometer optimized for E-region winds (ERWIN). Both instruments observed the Meinel OH emission emanating from the mesopause region (∼86 km) at Resolute Bay, Canada (74.9 °N, 94.9 °W). This is the first time, to our knowledge, that winds measured simultaneously from a ground-based Fabry–Perot interferometer and a ground-based Michelson interferometer have been compared at the same location. The FPI/CLIO and ERWIN instruments both have a capability for high temporal resolution (less than 10 min for a full scan in the four cardinal directions and the zenith). Statistical comparisons of hourly mean winds for both instruments by scatterplots show excellent agreement, indicating that the two optical techniques provide equivalent observations of mesopause winds. Small deviations in the measured wind can be ascribed to the different zenith angles used by the two instruments. The combined measurements illustrate the dominance of the 12-h wave in the mesopause winds at Resolute Bay, with additional evidence for strong gravity wave activity with much shorter periods (tens of minutes). Future operations of the two instruments will focus on observation of complementary emissions, providing a unique passive optical capability for the determination of neutral winds in the geomagnetic polar cap at various altitudes near the mesopause.
14-3-3 Proteins Associate with A20 in an Isoform-specific Manner and Function Both as Chaperone and Adapter Molecules

A20, a novel zinc finger protein, is an inhibitor of tumor necrosis factor-induced apoptosis. The mechanism by which A20 exerts its protective effect is currently unknown. Several isoforms of the 14-3-3 proteins were found to interact with A20 in a yeast two-hybrid screen. A20 bound several 14-3-3 isoforms in vitro. Moreover, transfected A20 was found to preferentially bind the endogenous eta14-3-3 isoform, whereas the beta/zeta isoforms co-immunoprecipitated much less efficiently, and epsilon14-3-3 had an intermediate affinity. Importantly, c-Raf, a previously described 14-3-3-interacting protein, also preferentially bound the eta isoform. The cellular localization and subcellular fractionation of A20 was dramatically altered by co-transfected 14-3-3, providing the first experimental evidence for the notion that 14-3-3 can function as a chaperone. Furthermore, c-Raf and A20 co-immunoprecipitated in a 14-3-3-dependent manner, suggesting that 14-3-3 can function as a bridging or adapter molecule.
Motion-Based Angiogenesis Analysis: A Simple Method to Quantify Blood Vessel Growth

Abstract Existing methods to quantify angiogenesis range from image analysis of photographs to fluorescent microscopy. These methods are often time consuming and costly; they also may not detect capillaries if they are indistinct from the background of the image. We have developed a simple method based on the motion of blood to create an image that reveals the entire angiogenic vasculature. Two image analysis software programs were used separately to demonstrate the method. Using either ImageJ or Environment for Visualizing Images, we analyzed a video clip of regenerated tissue from the partially amputated caudal fin of a zebrafish (Danio rerio). The deviations among the frames in the video stack were calculated to reveal pixels where motion has occurred. The resulting image highlighted all vessels through which blood flowed and allowed for automatic quantification of the newly developed vasculature. Using this method, we quantified the angiogenic action of basic fibroblast growth factor and vascular endo...
Incentive compatibility and information superiority of the core of an economy with differential information

We analyze the coarse, the fine, and the private core allocation of an exchange economy with differential information. The basic questions that we address are whether the above concepts are: (i) coalitionally incentive compatible, i.e., does truthful revelation of information in each coalition occur; and (ii) taking into account the information superiority or information advantage of an agent. Moreover, the above three concepts are examined in the presence of externalities and a comparison and interpretation of all of three core notions is provided.
The predictive value of intrapartum fetal heart rate abnormalities in the extremely premature infant

Objective: Our purpose was to evaluate the validity of intrapartum fetal heart rate tracings in predicting short- and long-term outcomes of infants delivered between 24 and 26 weeks. Study Design: Fetal heart rate tracings obtained during the last hour before delivery of fetuses delivered at 24 to 26 weeks' gestation were reviewed. Two perinatologists blinded to neonatal outcome evaluated the tracings for the following attributes: baseline rate and variability, presence and severity of decelerations, and overall impression (reassuring, nonreassuring, or ominous). Measured outcomes were cord blood pH; Apgar scores; intraventricular hemorrhage; duration of assisted ventilation; and hospitalization, survival, and developmental status at 1 year. Results: The fetal heart rate attribute that was found to be predictive of neonatal outcome was the presence of any bradycardia or tachycardia found in any 10-minute window (designated "baseline rate abnormality"). This correlated with neonatal death (p Conclusion: Fetal baseline rate abnormalities (either tachycardia or bradycardia) were predictive of neonatal death in extremely premature fetuses.
Radiothyroidectomy of larval steelhead trout.

SummaryA simplified procedure for radiothyroidectomy of large numbers of juvenile steelhead trout (alevins or fry) is described. Complete destruction of thyroid tissue was achieved 8 to 14 weeks after immersion in a solution of radioiodine in lake water (initial concentration: 12.5 or 25 μc 1-131/cc for 8 days).
Stable, spinning embedded vortices.

The spinning vortex is a stationary generalization of the Nielsen-Olesen vortex involving a linear time dependence of the Goldstone boson. Here we show that this vortex can be embedded in models with SU(2)[sub global][times]U(1)[sub local] symmetry. We also map the stability sector in parameter space and show that for sufficiently large spinning velocities the vortex is stable for [ital any] value of the Higgs self-coupling parameter [beta]. This is a significant improvement of stability compared to the semilocal vortex introduced by Vachaspati and Achucarro which is stable only for [beta][lt]1. This result may have significant implications for electroweak vortices.
On the nature of information — An application of entropy

It is a most satisfying experience to be able to proceed from simple, intuitive, basic premises in a straight line to a sophisticated understanding of a very fundamental concept. Historically, most philosophical and scientific concepts in their development do not progress in this logical pattern. Most often progress is made or setbacks occur in a rather disjointed manner as the pressures and talents of the time are sporadically brought to bear on a particular problem area. It is only after much controversy, speculation, charges, and countercharges that hindsight shows us a clearer and more direct path through the morass. The uninitiated seeking a route to clarity is confronted with a jungle of information, and more often than not gives up in despair.
Trace metals in mussels transplanted to San Francisco Bay

Mussels (Mytilus californianus) transplanted to San Francisco Bay exhibited elevated trace metal concentrations compared with those in other mussel watch studies on the west coast of the United States. The highest concentrations of Ag, Cu, Hg, Mn, Pb and Zn were at the South Bay stations, and often in the Redwood Creek area. Ag and Hg concentrations were linearly correlated with station distance from the North Bay (San Pablo Bay), indicating that the South Bay is a major reservoir of these pollutants within San Francisco Bay.
Bayesian Approach to Noninferiority Trials for Proportions

Noninferiority trials are unique because they are dependent upon historical information in order to make meaningful interpretation of their results. Hence, a direct application of the Bayesian paradigm in sequential learning becomes apparently useful in the analysis. This paper describes a Bayesian procedure for testing noninferiority in two-arm studies with a binary primary endpoint that allows the incorporation of historical data on an active control via the use of informative priors. In particular, the posteriors of the response in historical trials are assumed as priors for its corresponding parameters in the current trial, where that treatment serves as the active control. The Bayesian procedure includes a fully Bayesian method and two normal approximation methods on the prior and/or on the posterior distributions. Then a common Bayesian decision criterion is used but with two prespecified cutoff levels, one for the approximation methods and the other for the fully Bayesian method, to determine wheth...
The effect of UV irradiation on nanocrysatlline zinc oxide thin films related to gas sensing characteristics

Abstract The effect of ultraviolet (UV) light irradiation on the nanocrystalline ZnO thin films was investigated. The degree of crystallinity, electrical conductivity, optical properties and surface properties of ZnO thin films were measured as a function of UV irradiation time. It was found that the degree of crystallinity and electrical properties of ZnO films were affected by UV irradiation, however, no noticeable change in the surface morphology was observed. The gas sensing properties of as-deposited and UV irradiated films were also measured. It was observed that the gas sensing properties were affected by the UV irradiation. The irradiation time less than 5 min has improved the sensor while the irradiation time more than 5 min degraded the sensor characteristics for a UV power density of 2.45 W cm −2 .
Chromosomal variations correlated with geographical distribution in circotettix verruculatus (Orthoptera)

The first spermatocytes of Circotettix verruculatus have eleven chromosomes. Five of these are regularly atelomitic and three are telomitic. The other three are variable and may have both diads telomitic, both atelomitic, or one diad telomitic while the other is atelomitic. The locus of fiber attachment and, consequently, the form of the chromosome are constant for the individual. The point of fiber insertion is known to be inherited according to mendelian principles, and is, therefore, a measure of the frequencies of the telomitic and atelomitic diads in a group of individuals. Samples of five geographically different populations were studied with respect to the proportion of atelomitic to telomitic diads in the three variable tetrads. The proportion for each of the three chromosomes was compared with that for the corresponding tetrads from the other localities. The data were subjected to statistical analysis, and significant differences between some of the groups were found in the proportion of atelomitic to telomitic diads in corresponding chromosomes. A possible correlation between these cytological differences among the various localities and the formation of geographical races or subspecies are discussed. An inversion of the portion of a chromosome, which causes an apparent, although not a real, change in the locus of fiber attachment, is suggested as the origin of atelomitic chromosomes. The effect which heteromorphism of synaptic mates may have on crossing-over is considered.
A maximum likelihood N-camera stereo algorithm

This paper extends results of a maximum likelihood two-frame stereo algorithm to the case of N cameras. The N-camera stereo algorithm determines the "best" set of correspondences between a given pair of cameras, referred to as the principal cameras. Knowledge of the relative positions of the cameras allows the 3D point hypothesized by an assumed correspondence of two features in the principal pair to be projected onto the image plane of the remaining N-2 cameras. These N-2 points are then used to verify proposed matches. Not only does the algorithm explicitly model occlusion between features of the principal pair, but the possibility of occlusions in the N-2 additional views is also modelled. The benefits and importance of this are experimentally verified. Like other multi-frame stereo algorithms, the computational and memory costs of this approach increase linearly with each additional view. Experimental results are shown for two outdoor scenes. It is clearly demonstrated that the number of correspondence errors is significantly reduced as the number of views/cameras is increased. >
Anticancer activity of grape and grape skin extracts alone and combined with green tea infusions.

Abstract Grapes and grape extracts were compared for inhibition of a growth-related and cancer-specific form of cell surface NADH oxidase with protein disulfide-thiol interchange activity designated tNOX from human cervical carcinoma (HeLa) cells and growth of HeLa and mouse mammary 4T1 cells in culture and transplanted tumors in mice. Grapes and grape extracts of several varieties had activity. With an extracted grape preparation provided by the California Table Grape Commission, an active fraction was eluted with methanol from a Diaion HP-20 column after removal of inactive water-soluble materials. Grape skins were a much more potent source than either grape pulp, juice or seeds. Ethanol extracts of the ground freeze-dried pomace was an excellent source. The grape extracts interacted, often synergistically, with decaffeinated green tea extracts both in the inhibition of tNOX activity and in the inhibition of cancer cell growth. Intratumoral injections of a 25:1 mixture of a green tea extract plus ground freeze-dried pomace was nearly as effective as standard synergistic green tea–Capsicum mixtures in inhibiting growth of 4T1 mammary tumors in situ in mice.
Bitter Taste Receptor Function in Asthmatic and Nonasthmatic Human Airway Smooth Muscle Cells

Bitter taste receptors (TAS2Rs) have recently been found to be expressed on human airway smooth muscle (HASM), and their activation results in marked relaxation. These agents have been proposed as a new class of bronchodilators in the treatment of obstructive lung diseases because they act via a different mechanism than β-agonists. The TAS2R signal transduction pathway in HASM has multiple elements that are potentially subject to regulation by inflammatory, genetic, and epigenetic mechanisms associated with asthma. To address this, expression, signaling, and physiologic functions of the three major TAS2Rs (subtypes 10, 14, and 31) on HASM were studied. Transcript expression of these TAS2Rs was not decreased in HASM cells derived from donors with asthma compared with those without asthma (n = 6 from each group). In addition, intracellular calcium ([Ca2+]i) signaling using TAS2R subtype–specific agonists (diphenhydramine, chloroquine, saccharin, and flufenamic acid) was not impaired in the cells derived from donors with asthma, nor was the response to quinine, which activates all three subtypes. HASM cell mechanics measured by magnetic twisting cytometry revealed equivalent TAS2R-mediated relaxation of methacholine-treated cells between the two groups. Human precision-cut lung slices treated with IL-13 caused a decrease in β-agonist (formoterol)-mediated relaxation of carbachol-contracted airways compared with control slices. In contrast, TAS2R-mediated relaxation was unaffected by IL-13. We conclude that TAS2R expression or function is unaffected in HASM cells derived from patients with asthma or the IL-13 inflammatory environment.
Formulary Management from a Health Maintenance Organization (HMO) Perspective

With the rise of managed care, formularies are being increasingly employed in the outpatient setting to manage use and control costs of prescription drugs. The formulary management policies of vari...
a HIStorIoGraFIa Da EDUCaÇÃo NoS EStaDoS UNIDoS: 1950-2000 Educational Historiography in the United States: 1950-2000

This study examines the educational historiography originating in the United States from 1950 to 2000. The objective is to present a profile of the research on educational history conducted during these fifty years. Given the large number of investigations conducted and reported during this period, four systems for classifying the research on this area were identified. Each typology was developed in a different decade and each classifies the research from a unique perspective. The four classificatory systems approach the research from thematic, bibliographic, speculative and empirical viewpoints. The description of the typologies is preceded by a discussion of the development of the research tradition on the history of education in the United States.
Does the Prentice criterion validate surrogate endpoints

Randomized Phase II or Phase III clinical trials that are powered based on clinical endpoints, such as survival time, may be prohibitively expensive, in terms of both the time required for their completion and the number of patients required. As such, surrogate endpoints, such as objective tumour response or markers including prostate specific antigen or CA-125, have gained widespread popularity in clinical trials. If an improvement in a surrogate endpoint does not itself confer patient benefit, then consideration must be given to the extent to which improvement in a surrogate endpoint implies improvement in the true clinical endpoint of interest. That this is not a trivial issue is demonstrated by the results of an NIH-sponsored trial of anti-arrhythmic drugs, in which the ability to correct an irregular heart beat not only did not correspond to a survival benefit but in fact led to excess mortality. One approach to the validation of surrogate endpoints involves ensuring that a valid between-group analysis of the surrogate endpoint constitutes also a valid analysis of the true clinical endpoint. The Prentice criterion is a set of conditions that essentially specify the conditional independence of the impact of treatment on the true endpoint, given the surrogate endpoint. It is shown that this criterion alone ensures that an observed effect of the treatment on the true endpoint implies a treatment effect also on the surrogate endpoint, but contrary to popular belief, it does not ensure the converse, specifically that the observation of a significant treatment effect on the surrogate endpoint can be used to infer a treatment effect on the true endpoint.
Stimulation of mycelial growth of Endothia parasitica by heavy metals.

Abstract Of 16 metal cations tested on agar medium, only copper and iron stimulated mycelial growth of Endothia parasitica in relatively high concentrations. Similarly enhanced growth was produced in high (32%) glucose concentrations and also when the fungus was grown on cellophane placed over the agar surface. E. parasitica secreted large amounts of oxalate that precipitated primarily as calcium oxalate at the periphery of the fungal colony, causing an opaque halo in the medium. Mycelial growth was retarded greatly when calcium oxalate accumulated, but retardation was reversed by copper and iron salts that prevented accumulation of the calcium oxalate crystals. E. parasitica grew well on media containing copper oxalate and copper-calcium oxalate but grew poorly with calcium oxalate as the carbon source and was inhibited by sodium oxalate in the medium. The specificity by which only copper and iron salts stimulated mycelial growth suggested that the metal and oxalate ions interact to form specific oxalate complexes that reverse the inhibition of simple oxalate salts. This probably accounts for enhanced growth in the presence of otherwise toxic levels of metals and oxalate. The stimulation did not occur in liquid cultures.
Rejoinder to Edwards’ s Comments

In his position paper, Edwards critiqued several of our comments concerning the reliability and validity of difference scores. We believe our differences of opinion occur not only because Edwards has endorsed historical arguments against difference scores, but also because he conceptualizes certain issues quite differently than we do. We address his major points of criticism and then reiterate (and perhaps clarify) our position. Edwards assumes that it is reasonable to assert a priori that difference scores will often exhibit poor reliabilities because the conditions under which poor reliabilities can occur (i.e., unreliable and highly positively intercorrelated component measures) are very common in empirical research. Although these circumstances may be common, they should not be sufficient to condemn the use of difference scores a priori because reliability may be empirically investigated and because, as we suggested, reliabilities can be improved. We take exception to Edwards’s statements, “. . . the reliability of a difference score should be evaluated not only in an absolute sense, but also in relation to viable alternatives, such as using both component measures jointly in multiple regression analysis . . . . If a difference score exhibits adequate reliability, then it is almost certain that its components will exhibit superior reliabilities, indicating that the latter should be used in place of the former.” To us, this presumes that the difference and component measures in question are conceptually interchangeable, a blanket assumption we are unwilling to make. For example, the concept of role conflict obtained from the differences between subordinate and supervisor job ratings is not the same as conceptualizations of the components of subordinate and supervisor job ratings. Also, we do not agree, given adequate difference score reliabilities, that difference scores should be discarded because their component measures show higher reliabilities. What about the theory being tested or research goals? Finally, notice that we and Edwards (1994) agree, that response surfaces do not eliminate reliability problems. We disagree with Edwards’s suggestion that the reliabilities of profile similarity measures can be “problematic” because dimensions are often formed by large numbers of heterogeneous items. Our position was never that
FROM THE GLOBAL TO THE NATIONAL CYCLE: AN INTRICATE LIAISON

This paper examines the linkages between the global business cycle and national cycles. We first analyse the evolution of the global business cycle and present its main properties during global recessions and recoveries. We then consider how the sensitivity of national cycles to the global cycle varies over different phases of the global cycle and depends on country-specific features. Our findings collectively portray an intricate liaison between the global business cycle and national cycles. National business cycles are tightly linked to the global cycle, but the sensitivity of national cycles to the global cycle is much higher during global recessions than expansions. There are significant differences across countries in how they respond to the global cycle as advanced economies appear to be more sensitive to global recessions than are developing economies. Moreover, countries tend to be more sensitive to the global cycle, the more integrated they are to the global economy.