cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A MORE EFFICIENT ALGORITHM FOR AN OPTIMAL TOUR OF A HEALTH CARE CONSUMER WITH MULTIPLE HEALTH CARE FACILITIES IN EACH COUNTY

Publisher Summary This chapter presents a more efficient algorithm for an optimal tour of a health care consumer with multiple health care facilities in each county. It discusses a problem to find an optimal tour with a view to completing M specified jobs (or M specified health facilities needed by a patient) by visiting some or all N stations (or N health care centers). In contrast with the traveling salesman problem, it is possible in this case to complete one or more specified jobs at each station. This problem was considered by Bansal and Kumar in which a recurrence relation was developed to find the optimal tour. While the method provides the true optimal tour and the order in which stations are visited, the computational complexity would increase enormously as the number of the stations increases. This chapter presents a more efficient algorithm by modifying theirs. It discusses Bansal and Kumar's method briefly.
Standardized evaluation of camera-based driver state monitoring systems

Driver state sensing technologies, such as vehicular systems, start to be widely considered by automotive manufacturers. To reduce the cost and minimize the intrusiveness towards driving, the majority of these systems rely on the in-cabin camera &#x0028 s &#x0029 and other optical sensors. With their great capabilities in detecting and intervening of driver distraction and inattention, these technologies may become key components in future vehicle safety and control systems. However, to the best of our knowledge, currently, there is no common standard available to objectively compare the performance of these technologies. Thus, it is imperative to develop one standardized process for evaluation purposes. In this paper, we propose one systematic and standardized evaluation process after successfully addressing three difficulties: 1&#x0029 defining and selecting the important influential individual and environmental factors, 2&#x0029 countering the effects of individual differences and randomness in driver behaviors, and 3&#x0029 building a reliable in-vehicle driver head motion tracking tool to collect ground-truth motion data. We have collected data on a large scale on a commercial driver state-sensing platform. For each subject, 30 to 40 minutes of head motion data was collected and included variables, such as lighting conditions, head &#x002F face features, and camera locations. The collected data was analyzed based on a proposed performance measure. The results show that the developed process can efficiently evaluate an individual camera-based driver state sensing product, which builds a common base for comparing the performance of different systems.
Mechanistic Studies of Adamantylacetophenones with Competing Reaction Pathways in Solution and in the Crystalline Solid State.

Photochemical reactions in crystals occur under conditions of highly restricted molecular mobility such that only one product is generally obtained, even when there are many others that can be obse...
Is Your Small Business Prepared for a Crisis

Recent well-publicized catastrophic events have increased the importance of crisis management for many large business managers. The issue of crisis management for small businesses has received little attention in the literature. This article examines the issue of crisis management for small business owners/managers. A small business crisis model is presented to enable business owners and consultants to consider the types of crises that might affect small firms. Guidelines are proposed for small business owners to use to anticipate crises that might affect their firms and to effectively prepare for these events.
Measuring Speech Perception Using the Wide-Range Acoustic Accuracy Scale: Preliminary Findings

Purpose Speech perception requires individuals to hear and differentiate acoustic signals integral to effective communication. Measuring speech perception in children is challenging because speech ...
Anal Conditions: External Hemorrhoids

Symptomatic hemorrhoids affect approximately 10 million Americans per year and comprise a large part of clinical practice in colon and rectal surgery. External hemorrhoids are engorged veins that encircle the anal verge and communicate with the internal hemorrhoidal cushions. Symptoms include discomfort, pruritus, difficult hygiene or severe pain if acute thrombosis occurs. Determination of treatment depends on how symptoms affect a patient’s quality of life or if the physical exam appears abnormal questioning the diagnosis. The mainstay of treatment is conservative with adjustments of a patient’s bowel habits. Stool bulking, avoidance of straining, and decreased wiping may improve the patient’s symptoms. Acute thrombosis can occur following heavy lifting, straining with defecation, or childbirth, and results in edema, thrombophlebitis, ulceration and bleeding. Acute surgical management may be considered if severe pain does not resolve within 72 hours or if the tissue appears necrotic. Excisional hemorrhoidectomy may be performed depending on the physical examination and extent of patient’s symptoms. If thrombosed hemorrhoids appear to be resolving and pain improving, most patients can avoid an operation. Finally the astute clinician should not accept hemorrhoids as the end cause of rectal bleeding without evaluating the colon endoscopically to look for other sources of bleeding.
Untangling the X-ray Emission From the Sa Galaxy NGC1291 With Chandra

We present a Chandra ACIS-S observation of the nearby bulge-dominated Sa galaxy NGC1291. The X-ray emission from the bulge resembles the X-ray emission from a sub-class of elliptical and S0 galaxies with low L_X/L_B luminosity ratios. The X-ray emission is composed of a central point-like nucleus, ~50 point sources that are most likely low mass X-ray binaries (LMXBs), and diffuse gas detectable out to a radius of 120" (5.2 kpc). The diffuse gas has a global temperature of 0.32^{+0.04}_{-0.03} keV and metallicity of 0.06 +/- 0.02 solar, and both quantities marginally decrease with increasing radius. The hot gas fills the hole in the HI distribution, and the softening of the spectrum of the X-ray gas with radius might indicate a thermal coupling of the hot and cold phases of the interstellar medium as previously suggested. The integrated X-ray luminosity of the LMXBs, once normalized by the optical luminosity, is a factor of 1.4 less than in the elliptical galaxy NGC4697 or S0 galaxy NGC1553. The difference in L_{X,stellar}/L_B between the galaxies appears to be because of a lack of very bright sources in NGC1291. No sources above 3 x 10^38 ergs/s were found in NGC1291 when ~7 were expected from scaling from NGC4697 and NGC1553. The cumulative L_{X,stellar}/L_B value including only sources below 1.0 x 10^38 ergs/s is remarkably similar between NGC1291 and NGC4697, if a recent surface brightness fluctuation-determined distance is assumed for NGC4697. If this is a common feature of the LMXB population in early-type systems, it might be used as a distance indicator. Finally, a bright, variable (1.6-3.1 x 10^39 ergs/s) source was detected at the optical center of the galaxy. Its spectrum shows excess soft emission superimposed on a highly absorbed power law component, similar to what has been found in several other low luminosity AGN (ABRIDGED).
High-Throughput Live Imaging of Microcolonies to Measure Heterogeneity in Growth and Gene Expression.

Precise measurements of between- and within-strain heterogeneity in microbial growth rates are essential for understanding genetic and environmental inputs into stress tolerance, pathogenicity, and other key components of fitness. This manuscript describes a microscope-based assay that tracks approximately 105 Saccharomyces cerevisiae microcolonies per experiment. After automated time-lapse imaging of yeast immobilized in a multiwell plate, microcolony growth rates are easily analyzed with custom image-analysis software. For each microcolony, expression and localization of fluorescent proteins and survival of acute stress can also be monitored. This assay allows precise estimation of strains' average growth rates, as well as comprehensive measurement of heterogeneity in growth, gene expression, and stress tolerance within clonal populations.
Drug Resistance in Metastatic Breast Cancer: Tumor Targeted Nanomedicine to the Rescue.

Breast cancer, specifically metastatic breast, is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in women. This is mainly due to relapse and reoccurrence of tumor. The primary reason for cancer relapse is the development of multidrug resistance (MDR) hampering the treatment and prognosis. MDR can occur due to a multitude of molecular events, including increased expression of efflux transporters such as P-gp, BCRP, or MRP1; epithelial to mesenchymal transition; and resistance development in breast cancer stem cells. Excessive dose dumping in chemotherapy can cause intrinsic anti-cancer MDR to appear prior to chemotherapy and after the treatment. Hence, novel targeted nanomedicines encapsulating chemotherapeutics and gene therapy products may assist to overcome cancer drug resistance. Targeted nanomedicines offer innovative strategies to overcome the limitations of conventional chemotherapy while permitting enhanced selectivity to cancer cells. Targeted nanotheranostics permit targeted drug release, precise breast cancer diagnosis, and importantly, the ability to overcome MDR. The article discusses various nanomedicines designed to selectively target breast cancer, triple negative breast cancer, and breast cancer stem cells. In addition, the review discusses recent approaches, including combination nanoparticles (NPs), theranostic NPs, and stimuli sensitive or “smart” NPs. Recent innovations in microRNA NPs and personalized medicine NPs are also discussed. Future perspective research for complex targeted and multi-stage responsive nanomedicines for metastatic breast cancer is discussed.
Breaking of time-reversal symmetry for a particle in a parabolic potential that is subjected to Lévy noise: Theory and an application to solar flare data.

The noise in nonequilibrium systems commonly contains more outliers as compared to equilibrium systems and is often best described with a L\'evy distribution. Many systems in which there are fluctuations around a steady-state throughput can be modeled as a L\'evy-noise-subjected particle in a parabolic potential. We consider an overdamped particle in a parabolic potential that is subjected to noise. Microscopic reversibility and time-reversal symmetry apply if the particle is subject to Gaussian distributed noise, but are violated if the noise is L\'evy. A parameter to detect this violation is formulated. We, furthermore, develop an understanding for how the time-reversal asymmetry depends on the time $\mathrm{\ensuremath{\Delta}}t$ between the sample points and on the stability index, $\ensuremath{\alpha}$, of the L\'evy noise. With solar flare data it is shown how the time-reversal asymmetry parameter of a signal can be used to obtain the $\ensuremath{\alpha}$ of the underlying noise.
Optimizing Risk Management Strategies for the Control of Philornis downsi—A Threat to Birds in the Galápagos Islands

One of the most concerning threats to Galapagos bird populations, including some critically endangered species, is the invasive parasitic fly Philornis downsi. While long-term sustained solutions are under study, immediate actions are needed to reduce the impacts of this fly. Application of permethrin to birds’s nests has been successfully done, but there might be potential long-term reproductive effects to birds. Cyromazine, an insect growth regulator, has been proposed as an alternative, but its risks and effectiveness are unknown. The goal of this study was to assist managers to determine which combination of chemical (permethrin or cyromazine) and mode of application (injection, spray, and self-fumigation) was likely to be most effective to control P. downsi while minimizing toxicity to small land birds in Galapagos, given data available and high levels of uncertainty in some cases. This study is presented as a semi-quantitative risk assessment employing the use of a multi-criteria decision analysis (MCDA) model. For the six potential alternatives resulting from the combination of chemical and mode of application, the criteria were given a score from 1-6 supported by available evidence from the literature and from expert opinion. In addition, three different scenarios with different sets of weights for each criterion were assessed with stakeholder’s input. Considering the scenario with higher weight to effectiveness of the method against P. downsi while also weighing heavily to minimize the toxicity to birds, cyromazine spray followed by permethrin injection were the preferred strategies. Self-fumigation was the mode of application with highest uncertainty but with much potential to be further explored for its feasibility. The approach taken here to evaluate mitigation strategies against an important threat for avian species in Galapagos can also be used in other conservation programs when making real time decisions under uncertainty.
Artificial intelligence strategy integrating morphologic and architectural biomarkers provides robust diagnostic accuracy for disease progression in chronic lymphocytic leukemia

Artificial intelligence-based tools designed to assist in the diagnosis of lymphoid neoplasms remain limited. The development of such tools can add value as a diagnostic aid in the evaluation of tissue samples involved by lymphoma. A common diagnostic question is the determination of chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) progression to accelerated CLL (aCLL) or transformation to diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (Richter transformation; RT) in patients who develop progressive disease. The morphologic assessment of CLL, aCLL, and RT can be diagnostically challenging. Using established diagnostic criteria of CLL progression/transformation, we designed four artificial intelligence-constructed biomarkers based on cytologic (nuclear size and nuclear intensity) and architectural (cellular density and cell to nearest-neighbor distance) features. We analyzed the predictive value of implementing these biomarkers individually and then in an iterative sequential manner to distinguish tissue samples with CLL, aCLL, and RT. Our model, based on these four morphologic biomarker attributes, achieved a robust analytic accuracy. This study suggests that biomarkers identified using artificial intelligence-based tools can be used to assist in the diagnostic evaluation of tissue samples from patients with CLL who develop aggressive disease features. © 2021 The Pathological Society of Great Britain and Ireland. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Sleep and mechanical ventilation in the intensive care unit

Sleep is essential to a patient’s well-being. The importance of sleep is highlighted by the adverse effects in the wake of its absence both physically and mentally. Sleep is difficult to achieve in the intensive care unit due to noise, patient care activities, illness, and mechanical ventilation. Activities related to mechanical ventilation such as suctioning, discomfort of the essential tremor, alarms, treatments and sedation effects can all alter sleep architecture. However, mechanical ventilation itself especially as it relates to asynchrony may also play a larger role than previously thought. This paper aims to review sleep in the intensive care unit and the relationship of mechanical ventilation.
What a Cell Should Know (But May Not)

Normal yeast cells may not know whether DNA replication is complete before starting mitosis. How does the cell cycle progress in an orderly manner?
Methods for Determining the Locus of Context Effects in Judgment

Abstract Contextual effects are proposed to occur at any of five stages of processing: sensory encoding, lexical encoding, propositional/categorical encoding, dimensional analysis, and response translation. Methods for locating the effects of contextual stimuli on judgments within this five stage model are described. Response-oriented methods, which center on the type of responses made to contextual and target stimuli, appear best suited to determine whether these effects are located at the response translation stage. Process-oriented approaches, which either alter the sequencing of processes or introduce new judgmental operations, provide a finer grain analysis. Although more research is needed, the reviewed evidence indicates that contextual contrast for psychophysical judgment occurs during dimensional analysis and effects of priming on social judgments can occur during propositional/categorical encoding.
Extending Mechanics to Minds: The Mechanical Foundations of Psychology and Economics

Part I. Reconciling Natural and Mental Philosophy: Part II. Reconstructing Rational Mechanics: Part III. Mechanical Minds: Part IV. The Metaphysics of Mechanics: Part V. Conclusion of the Matter.
The Five Femtosecond Time Step Barrier

Simulation of the dynamics of biomolecules requires the use of a time step in the range 0.5-1 fs to obtain acceptable accuracy. Nevertheless, the bulk of the CPU time is spent computing interactions, such as those due to long-range electrostatics, which vary hardly at all from one time step to the next. This unnecessary computation is dramatically reduced with the use of multiple time stepping methods, such as the Verlet-I/r-RESPA method, which is based on approximating “slow ” forces as widely separated impulses. Indeed, numerical experiments show that time steps of 4 fs are possible for these slow forces but unfortunately also show that a long time step of 5 fs results in a dramatic energy drift. Moreover, this is less pronounced if one uses a yet larger long time step! The cause of the problem can be explained by exact analysis of a simple two degree-of-freedom linear problem, which predicts numerical instability if the time step is just less than half the period of the fastest normal mode. To overcome this, a modification of the impulsive Verlet-I/r-RESPA method is proposed, called the mollified impulse method. The idea is that one modifies the slow part of the potential energy so that it is evaluated at “time averaged ” values of the positions, and one uses the gradient of this modified potential for the slow part of the force. Various versions of the algorithm are implemented for water and numerical results are presented.
Bit-interleaved coded modulation: low complexity decoding

Zehavi has shown that the performance of coded modulation can be improved over a Rayleigh fading channel by bit-wise interleaving at the encoder output, and by using an appropriate soft-decision metric for a Viterbi decoder at the receiver. Caire et al. presented details of the theory behind bit-interleaved coded modulation (BICM). We show that, for Gray encoded M-ary quadrature amplitude modulation (QAM) systems, the bit metrics of BICM can be further simplified. In QAM systems, the maximum likelihood (ML) detector for BICM uses the minimum distance between the received symbol and M/2 constellation points on the complex plane as soft-decision metrics. We show that soft-decision bit metrics for the ML decoder can be further simplified to the minimum distance between the received symbol and (/spl radic/M)/2 constellation points on the real line /spl Ropf/. This reduces the number of calculations needed for each bit metric substantially, and therefore reduces the complexity of the decoder without compromising the performance. Simulation results for single carrier modulation (SCM), and multi-carrier modulation (MCM) systems over additive white Gaussian noise (AWGN) and Rayleigh fading channels agree with our findings. In addition, we tie this result to the decoding methods for bit interleaved convolutional code standards used in industry.
Dissolving equilibrium-immiscible elements via severe plastic deformation

Severe plastic deformation has the fascinating power of alloying equilibrium-immiscible elements, overriding the thermodynamic driving force (positive heat of mixing) that would dictate phase separation in equilibrium. This article briefly reviews the current understanding of this subject, in terms of experimental evidence for atomic-level alloying and phase selection, and in particular the models proposed to explain the driven intermixing. Outstanding issues that await future research are also discussed.
Partial biochemical maturation of aneurally cultured human skeletal muscle.

We studied cultures of human skeletal muscle in vitro and estabilshed standards for biochemical markers of cellular differentiation. DNA synthesis ceased at the time of fusion, implying the absence of fibroblasts. Myosin heavy-chain synthesis, creatine and pyruvate kinase activities, and isoenzymes of creatine kinase were measured serially over 36 days. Filamin and fibronectin proteins were identified in these cultures. Compared to chick muscle in culture, human skeletal muscle cells remained relatively immature. These data provide a basis for the study of diseased human muscle cells in culture.
Microtubule-organizing center polarity and the immunological synapse: protein kinase C and beyond

Cytoskeletal polarization is crucial for many aspects of immune function, ranging from neutrophil migration to the sampling of gut flora by intestinal dendritic cells. It also plays a key role during lymphocyte cell-cell interactions, the most conspicuous of which is perhaps the immunological synapse (IS) formed between a T cell and an antigen-presenting cell (APC). IS formation is associated with the reorientation of the T cell’s microtubule-organizing center (MTOC) to a position just beneath the cell-cell interface. This cytoskeletal remodeling event aligns secretory organelles inside the T cell with the IS, enabling the directional release of cytokines and cytolytic factors toward the APC. MTOC polarization is therefore crucial for maintaining the specificity of a T cell’s secretory and cytotoxic responses. It has been known for some time that T cell receptor (TCR) stimulation activates the MTOC polarization response. It has been difficult, however, to identify the machinery that couples early TCR signaling to cytoskeletal remodeling. Over the past few years, considerable progress has been made in this area. This review will present an overview of recent advances, touching on both the mechanisms that drive MTOC polarization and the effector responses that require it. Particular attention will be paid to both novel and atypical members of the protein kinase C family, which are now known to play important roles in both the establishment and the maintenance of the polarized state.
Paramesh: A Parallel Adaptive Mesh Refinement Community Toolkit

In this paper, we describe a community toolkit which is designed to provide parallel support with adaptive mesh capability for a large and important class of computational models, those using structured, logically cartesian meshes. The package of Fortran 90 subroutines, called PARAMESH, is designed to provide an application developer with an easy route to extend an existing serial code which uses a logically cartesian structured mesh into a parallel code with adaptive mesh refinement. Alternatively, in its simplest use, and with minimal effort, it can operate as a domain decomposition tool for users who want to parallelize their serial codes, but who do not wish to use adaptivity. The package can provide them with an incremental evolutionary path for their code, converting it first to uniformly refined parallel code, and then later if they so desire, adding adaptivity.
Anthropometric study of normal glenohumeral relationships

Ninety-three cadaveric proximal humeri and matching scapulae with no evidence of shoulder disease were obtained. High-resolution roentgenograms were made. They were then digitized, and a custom computer program was used to obtain periosteal and endosteal dimensions (humeral canal width, shaft width, tuberosity offset, head offset, radius of curvature, head diameter, canal flare index, glenoid height and depth, arc of enclosure, radius of curvature, and depth of cancellous bone, among others). Statistical analyses included correlations among pairs of dimensions, regression analysis, and confidence intervals to estimate each geometric parameter. To represent the degree of conformity and constraint between the humeral head and glenoid, a conformity index (radius of head/radius glenoid) and constraint index (arc of enclosure/360) were calculated for each shoulder. Most of the parameters measured approximated a Gaussian distribution. Pairwise correlations of the geometric parameters showed that many were significantly associated at the 5% level (p 0.4), meaning that the variations between the parameters were not purely random but rather they were related and that this relationship was useful in a predictive sense. With these key parameters identified, one can design components with an optimum fit or match an existing design to a patient's anatomy with a high degree of accuracy. No correlation was found between the radii of curvature for the humeral head and glenoid in either the coronal or sagittal plane or between the humeral head diameter and arc of enclosure. The mean conformity index was 0.72 in the coronal and 0.63 in the sagittal plane. Only 16% of the specimens had a conformity index greater than 0.9, indicating the radii of curvature matched. The vast majority had a more curved humeral head and flatter glenoid. Also, there was more constraint to the glenoid in the coronal versus sagittal plane (constraint index = 0.18 vs 0.13). These anatomic features help prevent superior-inferior translation of the humeral head but allow translation in the sagittal plane. This database of basic anatomic geometry defines the anatomic relationships of the proximal humerus and glenoid cavity that allow for a precise bone-implant fit and assesses the match between the shape of existing components and the patient's anatomy. (J Shoulder Elbow Surg 1997;6:105-12.)
A comparative performance evaluation of write barrier implementation

Generational garbage collectors are able to achieve very small pause times by concentrating on the youngest (most recently allocated) objects when collecting, since objects have been observed to die young in many systems. Generational collectors must keep track of all pointers from older to younger generations, by “monitoring” all stores into the heap. This write barrier has been implemented in a number of ways, varying essentially in the granularity of the information observed and stored. Here we examine a range of write barrier implementations and evaluate their relative performance within a generation scavenging garbage collector for Smalltalk.
Postcranial skeleton of Eocene Leptictidae (Mammalia), and its implications for behavior and relationships

ABSTRACT The postcranial skeleton of early and middle Eocene leptictids is described based on several specimens from Wyoming and Colorado. Leptictids had a strongly keeled manubrium sterni, relatively short, generalized forelimbs (intermembral index ~60), a moderately robust humerus, stout metacarpals, and ungual phalanges resembling those of fossorial mammals. The femur is slender, with a narrow, elevated patellar trochlea and a posteriorly-directed lesser trochanter. The slightly longer tibia is firmly synostosed with the fibula just distal to midshaft. The fused tibiofibula forms a stable ankle joint with the deep astragalar trochlea. The astragalar neck and the metatarsals are moderately elongate, and there is a pronounced peroneal process on Mt I, probably related to pedal eversion. These traits indicate that leptictids were terrestrial mammals that progressed by quadrupedal walking, running, and hopping (possibly bipedally at high speed), and that burrowed using their forelimbs. Cladistic analysis o...
Treatment of adolescents with major depression: implications of the DST and the melancholic clinical subtype

Of 38 adolescents hospitalized with major depression, 47% of those receiving psychosocial treatment alone responded. Of the non-responders then treated with combined tricyclic antidepressants and psychosocial treatment, 92% responded. The melancholic subtype and dexamethasone suppression test non-suppression were associated with failure to respond to psychosocial treatment alone. Implications for controlled studies are discussed.
Psychiatric evaluation of patient decision-making: Informed consent to ECT

Informed consent is a legal doctrine particular to Anglo-Saxon law. The doctrine specifies the rights of patients to receive information about medical treatment prior to making a decision to consent to or refuse a procedure. The application of informed consent to psychiatry has provoked controversy and confusion. The ability of some mental patients to understand the nature of recommended treatment and to make a knowing, rational decision in their best interests may be questioned. This paper presents preliminary results from an empirical study of psychiatrists' evaluation of mental patients' capacity to consent to or refuse electroconvulsive treatment (ECT). Thirty-two psychiatrists from the United States were asked to evaluate patient decision-making and understanding of treatment which was documented in videotaped interviews with the patient. Observers were shown videotaped interviews of three hospitalized patients, all referred for ECT. Patients varied in terms of their apparent degree of mental illness, status on admission to the hospital (voluntary vs. involuntary), and their decisions to consent to or refuse the procedure. Results indicated that most psychiatrists rejected the patient as the final decision-maker about treatment. They preferred that either a medical professional or the patient's relatives make the final treatment decision for the patient. Negative evaluations of patient decision-making were justified by clinical assessments of the nature and severity of the patient's illness. Positive evaluations were based on the patients apparent specific understanding of the risks, benefits, and alternatives to ECT. The findings suggest that complex ethical decision problems mix questions of fact and questions of value.
Wide range of racemization of amino acids in peptides from human fossil bone and its implications for amino acid racemization dating

Abstract Aspartic acid from an HC1 hydrolyzed portion of 20–25th Dynasty Egyptian bone gave a D/L value of 0.28. Various peptide and molecular weight fractions separated before hydrolysis from another aliquot of the same bone portion yielded D/L aspartic acid values ranging from 0.09 to 0.68. Higher molecular weight and higher content of hydrophobic amino acids are factors leading to lower D/L aspartic acid values. Insoluble, high molecular weight polypeptide residues showed very low D/L aspartic acid values of 0.09. We propose that particularly stable peptides be isolated and characterized and then used for comparison with similarly isolated peptides from other fossil bone samples for purposes of age estimation.
Elevated testosterone levels during nonbreeding-season territoriality in a fall-breeding lizard, Sceloporus jarrovi.

In many vertebrates, seasonal activation of sexual and territorial behaviors coincides with seasonal gonadal activation and is caused by the increase in sex steroid hormones. Both male and femaleSceloporus jarrovi are territorial, but in this species territorial behavior is seasonally activated in late April, months before seasonal gonadal maturation, which occurs in August prior to the fall mating season. Measurements of seasonal changes in circulating levels of the sex steroid hormones testosterone, progesterone, and estradiol indicated that testosterone levels in both sexes are elevated when territorial behavior is expressed, even during the period of nonbreeding-season territoriality during the summer. This suggests that a nonbreeding season behavior is activated by a sex steroid hormone in this species.
Projectors, solvents, interpolating polynomials and lambda matrices

Abstract This paper describes the relationships between projectors, solvents, interpolating polynomials and partial fraction expansions. Properties of the projections as well as the definition and properties of a set of interpolating polynomials are given and the application of the polynomials to partial fraction expansions is discussed.
Precipitates in a near-equiatomic (Ni + Pt)-rich TiNiPt alloy

Age-treating a 49.5Ti–29.5Ni–21Pt (at.%) high-temperature shape memory alloy introduces precipitates. At 500 °C, the PL phase is stable up to 1000 h. At 600 °C, a transformation from the PL phase to Ti2(Ni,Pt)3 was observed. The Ti2(Ni,Pt)3 phase was shown to be the final stable precipitate phase in this alloy. Employing high-resolution scanning transmission electron microscopy, a model for the unit cell of the Ti2(Ni,Pt)3 phase was proposed.
The courts and the token economy: An empirical approach to the problem

Administrators and staff involved with token economies in mental institutions should be taking steps to deal with impending court actions which may restrict the allowable contingencies. Legal opinion indicates that the judiciary may evaluate such contingency programs in terms of both their effectiveness and aversiveness. The approach suggested in this paper therefore is that investigators gain empirical evidence concerning the relative effectiveness and aversiveness of contingency token economy programs. To date, the evidence supporting contingency programs in either area is minimal—although available evidence does favor contingency programs, in particular those which have included some form of increased decision-making responsibilities for the patients.
USE OF UMBILICAL VESSELS FOR CARDIAC CATHETERIZATION

The umbilical vein (UV) and artery (UA) provide an easily accessible route for cardiac catheterization (CC) in neonates, but catheter manipulation reportedly is more difficult and long term sequelae more likely than with cutdown(C)or percutaneous(P) entry of the femoral veins. This study was undertaken to evaluate these objections to UVCC and UACC. From January 1971 through July 1976, 193 infants ≤1 week old underwent CC. Of these infants 85 (44%) had UVCC, 77 (40%) CCC, and 31 (16%) PCC. The UA was also catheterized in 74/85 with UVCC, 39/77 CCC, 14/31 PCC. Success of catheter manipulation is shown by the ratio of chamber entered/chamber accessible to catheter: During CC, complications related to method of catheter entry occurred in 3/85 with UVCC, 1/127 UACC, 2/77 CCC, 0/31 PCC. In those surviving 24 hrs after CC and in whom we have adequate follow-up, complications recognized >24 hrs after CC were found in 4/67 with UVCC, 0/110 UACC, 10/73 CCC, and 1/30 PCC. UVCC and UACC was performed more quickly and as successfully as CCC or PCC in the neonates evaluated and with no more immediate or long term complications.
Bound Whispering Gallery Modes in Circular Arrays of Dielectric Spherical Particles

Low-dimensional ordered arrays of dielectric particles can possess bound optical modes having an extremely high quality factor depending on the material used. In this paper we address the following question: can bound modes be formed in dielectric systems where the absorption of light is negligible? Our investigation of circular arrays of spherical particles within the framework of the multisphere Mie scattering theory using the simplest dipolar-like approach shows that high quality modes in an array of 10 or more particles can be attained at least for a refractive index nr > 2; the most bound modes have nearly transverse polarization perpendicular to the circular plane; and in a particularly interesting case (TiO2 particles, nr = 2.7), the quality factor of the most bound mode increases almost by an order of magnitude with the addition of 10 extra particles, while for particles of GaAs the quality factor increases by almost two orders of magnitude. The error of the dipolar approach does not exceed one percent if nr >2. Minimum acceptable disordering not affecting the quality factor is also investigated.
Thyrotoxic periodic paralysis in the United States. Report of 7 cases and review of the literature.

Abstract Although hypokalemic periodic paralysis is a common complication of hyperthyroidism among Asian populations, it is an uncommon problem in the United States. The recent experience in an American medical center with 7 patients with thyrotoxic periodic paralysis (TPP) is reviewed. Compared to most descriptions of this disorder, which tend to reflect the international experience with this disease, patients with TPP in the United States reflect the ethnic makeup of the local population: the predisposition of patients of Asian origin is very evident, but whites are more frequently affected than most previous reports have recognized. Hispanics and American Indians also appear to be at increased risk, and blacks have also been affected. Except for the fact that hyperthyroidism is an absolute requirement for expression of the disease, TPP is identical to familial periodic paralysis (FPP) in its clinical presentation. TPP affects predominantly males (to an even greater degree than FPP), is rarely associated with a positive family history, and has a later onset of presentation than FPP (reflecting the need for hyperthyroidism to occur before the disorder can be expressed). Graves disease is the most common cause of hyperthyroidism in affected patients, but any cause of thyrotoxicosis (including administration of excessive amounts of exogenous thyroid hormone) can trigger attacks of TPP in susceptible subjects. Clinical features of thyroid disease may be very subtle or virtually nonexistent; as a result, thyroid function tests should be routinely monitored in patients with features of hypokalemic paralysis. The pathophysiology of the disorder is not well understood. Definitive treatment of hyperthyroidism leads to cessation of periodic hypokalemic paralysis, but symptoms can return with recurrence of the hyperthyroid condition. Potassium administration during an acute attack will shorten the duration of the episode, and treatment with propranolol, potassium supplementation, or spironolactone may prevent attacks in some patients.
Environment and exposure to solvent of protein atoms. Lysozyme and insulin.

Abstract A computer program is described for calculating the environment and the exposure to solvent of atoms of a protein. The computation is based on the atomic co-ordinates of the protein and on assumptions like those of Lee & Richards (1971). Results for lysozyme and insulin are presented. Changes in exposure to solvent and in the nature of contacts that develop through folding, association reactions and crystallization are described numerically. The computations suggest several generalizations. (a) Lattice contacts within the protein crystal are characterized by a significantly smaller involvement of non-polar side chains and a proportionately greater involvement of ionizable side chains than is found for protein folding or for protein association reactions important for biological function, (b) In helical regions the carbonyl oxygen of the first residue in the helix has high probability of being shielded from solvent, (c) Glycine is among the residues having exposure least affected by folding; this accords with the expectation that it lies at bends of the peptide chain on the surface of the molecule.
Survival time analysis of least killifish (Heterandria formosa) and mosquitofish (Gambusia affinis) in acute exposures to endosulfan sulfate.

Single-species flow-through toxicity tests were conducted to determine the times-to-death of two indigenous fish to South Florida—least killifish (Heterandria formosa) and mosquitofish (Gambusia affinis)—from acute exposure to endosulfan sulfate. Mortalities were recorded within 8-h periods from test initiation to termination at 96 h. The 96-h LC50s for least killifish and mosquitofish estimated using the trimmed-Spearman–Karber method were 2.0 and 2.3 μg/l, respectively. An accelerated failure time model was used to estimate times to death at selected concentrations. Data were fit to log-normal, log-logistic, and Weibull distributions. Acute toxicity data fit to the Weibull distribution produced a better relative fit than log-normal or log-logistic distributions for both toxicity tests. The survival-time profiles and associated statistics illustrate the benefit of considering exposure duration as well as concentration when predicting acute risk to species’ populations. Both toxicity tests had similar outcomes from exposure to endosulfan sulfate, with least killifish being slightly more likely to die at lower concentrations and shorter time periods than mosquitofish. From the models generated by the toxicity tests, times-to-death for least killifish and mosquitofish were estimated for environmentally relevant concentrations of total endosulfan at a site of concern in South Florida. When the results from the current toxicity tests were compared to environmental concentrations from previous screening-level ecological risk assessments, the durations necessary to potentially kill 10% or more of the populations of the two native south Florida fish species were estimated to be 77 and 96 h for least killifish and mosquitofish, respectively. However, the exposure values included the α and β isomers as well as endosulfan sulfate; therefore, an understanding of their toxicity might be important in understanding the survival dynamics of fish species in endosulfan sulfate-contaminated sites.
Soluble field theory with a massless gauge invariant limit

It is shown that there exists a soluble four parameter model in 1+1 dimensions all of whose propagators can be determined in terms of the corresponding known propagators of the vector coupling theory. Unlike the latter case, however, the limit of a zero bare mass is nonsingular and yields a nontrivial theory with a rigorously unbroken gauge invariance. (c) 2000 The American Physical Society.
Asymptotic properties of the GMLE with case 2 interval-censored data

Abstract In case 2 interval censoring the random survival time X of interest is not directly observable, but only known to have occurred before Y , between Y and Z , or after Z , where ( Y , Z ) is a pair of observable inspection times such that Y Z . We consider the large sample properties of the generalized maximum likelihood estimator (GMLE) of the distribution function of X with case 2 interval-censored data in which the inspection times are discrete random variables. We prove the strong consistency of the GMLE at the support points of the inspection times and establish its asymptotic normality in the case of only finite many support points.
Interaction of Human Serum Albumin with Novel 3,9-Disubstituted Perylenes

Human serum albumin (HSA) has been used as a model for the binding of a number of different ligands, including polyaromatic hydrocarbons, to proteins. In this case we have investigated the interaction of HSA with a novel set of perylene derivatives. Di-substituted perylene analogues have been synthesized as potentially useful organic photovoltaic materials. Their photophysical properties may make them viable for fuel cell applications too. However, these molecules are poorly soluble especially in aqueous solvents. Binding to water-soluble proteins may provide a way to solubilize them. At the same time one can study whether the photophysical processes initiated by the irradiation of a perylene ligand can cause conformational changes to the host protein. With the present study we demonstrated that of the three perylene derivatives investigated only one, the dimethoxy analogue, has a significant affinity for HSA at a binding site near the bottom of the central cleft (in proximity of the Trp214 residue). The small affinity prevents any significant photoinduced changes to occur in the protein.
Resolving the gamer's dilemma

Morgan Luck raises a potentially troubling problem for gamers who enjoy video games that allow the player to commit acts of virtual murder. The problem simply is that the arguments typically advanced to defend virtual murder in video games would appear to also support video games that allowed gamers to commit acts of virtual paedophilia. Luck's arguments are persuasive, however, there is one line of argument that he does not consider, which may provide the relevant distinction: as virtual paedophilia involves the depiction of sexual acts involving children, it is therefore an instance of child pornography. I argue that virtual paedophilia involves the depiction of sexual acts involving children, which amounts to child pornography. I then draw on arguments to show that child pornography is morally objectionable. Finally, depictions of virtual murder are not instances of pornography, and so are not morally objectionable for this reason. So, there is a relevant moral distinction to draw between virtual murder and virtual paedophilia that is able to justify the former but not the latter.
Making connections: using classroom assessment to elicit students' prior knowledge and construction of concepts

Students bring prior knowledge and experiences to the classroom. According to the constructivist learning theory, students incorporate new knowledge into their existing knowledge frameworks. We used Classroom Assessment Techniques in an information technology course to elicit the construction of knowledge process. We found that CATs and instructor feedback can help shape and reveal this construction process. For example, responses to CATs revealed students' understandings of variables, digital representation, and iteration in the information technology domain. Some students claimed that the CATs helped put new ideas into their own words and helped them simplify the concepts.
The pair correlation functiong + −(r) implied by Bjerrum's theory of ion pairing

The correlation function derived from the free-energy function of Bjerrum's theory is\(g_{ + - } (r) = (\alpha /\rho {\rm K})e^{b/r}\) in the range ofr corresponding to ion pairs. Here α is the fraction of ions that are paired, ϱ is the total particle number density of positive (or negative) ions,K is Bjerrum's association constant, andb is the Bjerrum length. For the same model the HNC approximation givesg+−(r) that varies in shape as the concentration is changed, unlike the above expression. The results are discussed in the light of a famous remark by Onsager.
Preventing cancer by controlling youth tobacco use.

Abstract Objectives To review the epidemiology and prevention of teen smoking and the risks of smoking among survivors of childhood cancer. Data sources Research articles, government reports, and surveys. Conclusion Nicotine dependence often begins with the first few cigarettes smoked during adolescence. Teen tobacco use is fueled by the attractive social images that tobacco companies create for their products. Curtailing the sale of tobacco to minors and increasing their price decreases availability. Banning smoking in schools and public places reduces smoking opportunities. Implications for nursing practice Nurses have an important role to play in the battle against tobacco-induced malignancies through collaboration with community efforts or state initiatives.
Regulator of G protein signaling 9-2 (RGS9-2) mRNA is up regulated during neuronal differentiation of mouse embryonic stem cells

In this study we demonstrate up-regulation of mRNA for Regulator of G protein Signaling (RGS) 6, 7, 9 and 11, R7 family RGS binding protein (R7BP) and RGS9 anchor protein (R9AP) during neuronal differentiation of mouse embryonic stem cells (mESCs). This expression pattern was most robust for RGS9 whose transcript level was low in undifferentiated mESCs but increased over 125 fold when differentiating mESCs began to exhibit a neuronal precursor cell (NPC) phenotype. In addition, we demonstrate that RGS9 mRNA is expressed in neuronal stem cells isolated from embryonic mouse cortex. The expression of RGS9 in two distinct populations of NPCs suggests that RGS9 and its accessory proteins may play an important role in neuron development.