cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Learning and Exit Behavior of New Entrant Discount Airlines from City-Pair Markets:

Abstract In this research, the authors investigate firms' exit behaviors. On the basis of extant literature in economics, strategy, and marketing, the authors identify market- and firm-specific factors that influence exit behavior. They account for firms' uncertainty about a market's true attractiveness after entry on the probability of exiting a market. To evaluate exit decisions, they propose a Bayesian belief-updating model of learning embedded in a logit model that incorporates market- and firm-specific factors. The estimated evolution of beliefs over time enables the authors to determine whether firms use market information to update their prior beliefs about market attractiveness. The authors empirically investigate the market exits of new entrant discount airlines from city-pair markets. The results suggest that a combination of several market and firm factors influences exit behavior. Airlines' prior beliefs about market attractiveness are not necessarily consistent with the market's intrinsic att...
Effects of acute corticosterone treatment on partner preferences in male and female zebra finches (Taeniopygia guttata).

Abstract Stress alters physiology and behavior across species. Most research on the effects of stress on behavior uses chronic stressors, and most are correlational. The effects of acute stressors on physiology and behavior have been mixed. Here, we use zebra finches, a highly gregarious species that forms long-term pair bonds, to test the effects of an acute corticosterone (CORT) on opposite-sex partner preferences over a same-sex individual or a group (the latter is a highly appealing option). We had two competing hypotheses. First, we predicted that acute CORT would alter preferences for the opposite sex bird in both conditions in both sexes. However, since there is a sex difference in the effects of CORT on partner preferences in voles, these effects may be more pronounced in males than in females. To test our hypotheses, we administered 2 doses of CORT (10 μg and 20 μg) or vehicle (control) using a repeated measures design. In the male vs. female test, there was a significant Sex by Treatment interaction, such that in males, 10 μg CORT increased preferences for a female over the male compared to when these same males were treated with saline at baseline. There were no effects of treatment in females. In the opposite-sex vs. group condition, there was an overall effect of Treatment, such that the 10 μg dose increased preference for the opposite-sex individual over both saline treatments, regardless of sex. These findings further our understanding of the effects of an acute stressor on sexual partner preferences.
Individual Differences in Attentional Bias Associated with Cocaine Dependence Are Related to Varying Engagement of Neural Processing Networks

Cocaine and other drug dependencies are associated with significant attentional bias for drug use stimuli that represents a candidate cognitive marker of drug dependence and treatment outcomes. We explored, using fMRI, the role of discrete neural processing networks in the representation of individual differences in the drug attentional bias effect associated with cocaine dependence (AB-coc) using a word counting Stroop task with personalized cocaine use stimuli (cocStroop). The cocStroop behavioral and neural responses were further compared with those associated with a negative emotional word Stroop task (eStroop) and a neutral word counting Stroop task (cStroop). Brain–behavior correlations were explored using both network-level correlation analysis following independent component analysis (ICA) and voxel-level, brain-wide univariate correlation analysis. Variation in the attentional bias effect for cocaine use stimuli among cocaine-dependent men and women was related to the recruitment of two separate neural processing networks related to stimulus attention and salience attribution (inferior frontal–parietal–ventral insula), and the processing of the negative affective properties of cocaine stimuli (frontal–temporal–cingulate). Recruitment of a sensory–motor–dorsal insula network was negatively correlated with AB-coc and suggested a regulatory role related to the sensorimotor processing of cocaine stimuli. The attentional bias effect for cocaine stimuli and for negative affective word stimuli were significantly correlated across individuals, and both were correlated with the activity of the frontal–temporal–cingulate network. Functional connectivity for a single prefrontal–striatal–occipital network correlated with variation in general cognitive control (cStroop) that was unrelated to behavioral or neural network correlates of cocStroop- or eStroop-related attentional bias. A brain-wide mass univariate analysis demonstrated the significant correlation of individual attentional bias effect for cocaine stimuli with distributed activations in the frontal, occipitotemporal, parietal, cingulate, and premotor cortex. These findings support the involvement of multiple processes and brain networks in mediating individual differences in risk for relapse associated with drug dependence.
Assessment of the anaerobic degradation of six active pharmaceutical ingredients

Research examined the anaerobic degradation of 17 alpha-ethynylestradiol, acetaminophen, acetylsalicylic acid, ibuprofen, metoprolol tartrate, and progesterone by methanogenic bacteria. Using direct sample analysis and respirometric testing, anaerobic degradation was examined with (a) each compound as the sole organic carbon source and (b) each compound at a lower concentration (250 microg/L) and cellulose serving as the primary organic carbon source. The change in pharmaceutical concentration was determined following 7, 28, 56, and 112 days of anaerobic incubation at 37 degrees C. Only acetylsalicylic acid demonstrated significant degradation; the remaining compounds showed a mixture of degradation and abiotic removal mechanisms. Experimental results were compared with BIOWIN, an anaerobic degradation prediction model of the US Environmental Protection Agency. The BIOWIN model predicted anaerobic biodegradability of the compounds in the order: acetylsalicylic acid > metoprolol tartrate > ibuprofen > acetaminophen > 17 alpha-ethinylestradiol >progesterone. This corresponded well with the experimental findings which found degradability in the order: acetylsalicylic acid > metoprolol tartrate > acetaminophen > ibuprofen.
Promoting Resilience Among Children of Sandwiched Generation Caregiving Women Through Caregiver Mutual Help

SUMMARY Women who care for an older family member while also caring for a child under 18 years old living at home are known as sandwiched generation caregivers. These caregivers are at risk for health and psychosocial problems due to competing family role demands, and their children are at risk for poor adaptive outcomes due to their mothers' risk status. Mutual help was hypothesized to reduce caregiver risk, and thus, to promote resilience among caregivers' children. Eighty-seven caregivers were randomized into two, time-limited, mutual help conditions and a no-intervention control condition, and then one child from each family was assessed at posttest and at a 6-month follow-up. At posttest, children of caregivers participating in a mutual help group reported a significant decrease in depressive symptoms and the negative impact of caregiving, and were found to exhibit increases in global functioning and social competence. In addition, the effects for social competence and the negative impact of caregivi...
Presentation without Proteolytic Cleavage of Endogenous Precursors in the MHC Class I Antigen Processing Pathway

The antigen presentation pathway yields peptide-MHC class I complexes on the antigen presenting cell (APC) surface for recognition by appropriate T-cells. Expression of the peptide-MHC complex on APC surface is preceded by several steps that include the generation of peptide fragments in the cytoplasm and their assembly with MHC molecules in the endoplasmic reticulum. It is now clear that MHC binding to optimally processed peptides in the endoplasmic reticulum is obligatory for their stable expression on the cell surface. However, whether a similar obligatory relationship exists between generation of processed peptides and their expression as peptide-MHC on APC surface is not known. Here, we addressed this question by analyzing the processing of ovalbumin (aa257-264, SL8) or influenza nucleoprotein (aa366-374, AM9) analogs. We examined the generation of naturally processed peptides using precursors that did, or did not, contain residues flanking the optimal MHC-binding peptides. By characterizing the peptides generated from these precursors by T-cell stimulation assays and by high performance liquid chromatography analysis, we established that intracellular assembly of peptide-MHC complexes and their expression on the cell surface can occur with peptides that lack flanking residues. The presentation of these endogenously synthesized perfect fit peptides demonstrates that the cleavage of precursor polypeptides is an independent step in the antigen presentation pathway.
An occupational health and safety intervention research agenda for production agriculture: Does safety education work?

It is clear that agriculture has not kept pace with other hazardous industries in reducing its injury rate. For example, between 1960 and 1990 the work death rate for agriculture decreased only 28% while the work death rates decreased 65% for mining and 55% for construction [Purschwitz (1992)]. A national conference in Iowa in 1988 came to the forceful conclusion that "America's most productive workforce was being systematically liquidated by an epidemic of occupational disease and traumatic death and injury" [NCASH (1988)]. In 1991, the nation's top public health officer, the U.S. Surgeon General, convened a conference titled "FarmSafe 2000-A National Coalition for Local Action," to formally address agricultural safety and health issues. Importantly, conferees recognized that preventing injury and disease was superior to trying to rehabilitate people after an injury occurred. But does participation in farm safety and health educational programs lead to a reduction in risk of injury from farm work? Questions are being raised about the value of farm safety and health educational information, campaigns, programs, and related activities. The questions have identified a critical gap in the literature of farm safety and health education. There is currently no good evidence demonstrating that farm safety and health education, campaigns, programs, or related activities lead to a relatively stable reduction of risk on the farm. In other words, do farmers and their families actually put to use, in a relatively permanent or stable manner, the educational information regarding elimination, reduction, or control of physical hazards and the modification of work behavior that may cause injury?
Familial dysautonomia: Unusual presentation in an infant of non-Jewish ancestry

and congenital adrenal hyperplasia, Calif Med 104:278, 1966_ 3. Talbot NB, Sobel EH, McArthur JW, and Crawford JD: Functional endocrinology from birth through adolescence, Cambridge, 1952, Harvard University Press, p 31. 4. Kaplan NM: Metyrapone test in primary hypothyroidism, J Clin Endocrinol Metab 25:146, 1965. 5. Hellman L: Recent advances in human steroid metabolism, Adv Clin Chem 13:25, 1970. 6. Levin ME, and Daughaday WH: The influence of the thyroid on adrenocortical function, J Clin Endocrinol Metab 15:1499, 1955. 7. Peterson RE: The influence of the thyroid on adrenal conical function, J Clin Invest 37:736, 1958. 8. Hellman L, Bradlow, HL, Zumoff B, and Gallagher TF: The influence of thyroid hormone on hydrocortisone production and metabolism, J Clin Endocrinol Metab 21:1231, 1961. 9. Luetscher JA, Cohn AP, Camargo CA, Dowdy A J, and Callaghan AM: Aldosterone secretion and metabolism in hyperthyroidism and myxedema, J Clin Endocrinol Metab 23:873, 1963.
Layered cobalt phosphate grafted with hydraziniumligands: Co2(PO4)(H2PO4)N2H5

The title compound has been hydrothermally synthesized from elemental cobalt, phosphoric acid, and hydrazine, and characterized by single crystal X-ray diffraction [crystal data: triclinic, P, a = 5.1393(6), b = 6.363(1), c = 11.293(1) A, α = 95.65(1), β = 96.874(9), γ = 92.79(1)°], IR, TGA, and magnetic measurement. The structure is made of neutral layers of corner-sharing PO4 tetrahedra and dimers of edge-sharing 5- and 6-coordinate cobalt polyhedra. The hydrazinium cations, N2H5+, are coordinated as ligands on both sides of the layers and complete the octahedral coordination of the six-coordinate cobalt. The so-grafted layers are held together by strong and extensive hydrogen bonding. Thermally the compound is stable up to 360 °C, above which it decomposes in a single step to yield cobalt pyrophosphate. Magnetic measurements show paramagnetic Curie–Weiss behavior over the temperature range 5–300 K.
Circulating GLP-1 and CCK-8 reduce food intake by capsaicin-insensitive, nonvagal mechanisms

Previous reports suggest that glucagon-like peptide (GLP-1), a peptide secreted from the distal small intestine, is an endocrine satiation signal. Nevertheless, there are conflicting reports regarding the site where circulating GLP-1 acts to reduce food intake. To test the hypothesis that vagal afferents are necessary for reduction of food intake by circulating GLP-1, we measured intake of 15% sucrose during intravenous GLP-1 infusion in intact, vagotomized, and capsaicin-treated rats. We also measured sucrose intake during intravenous infusion of cholecystokinin, a peptide known to reduce food intake via abdominal vagal afferents. We found that reduction of intake by GLP-1 was not diminished by capsaicin treatment or vagotomy. In fact, reduction of sucrose intake by our highest GLP-1 dose was enhanced in vagotomized and capsaicin-treated rats. Intravenous GLP-1 induced comparable increases of hindbrain c-Fos immunoreactivity in intact, capsaicin-treated, and vagotomized rats. Plasma concentrations of active GLP-1 in capsaicin-treated rats did not differ from those of controls during the intravenous infusions. Finally, capsaicin treatment was not associated with altered GLP-1R mRNA in the brain, but nodose ganglia GLP-1R mRNA was significantly reduced in capsaicin-treated rats. Although reduction of food intake by intraperitoneal cholecystokinin was abolished in vagotomized and capsaicin-treated rats, reduction of intake by intravenous cholecystokinin was only partially attenuated. These results indicate that vagal or capsaicin-sensitive neurons are not necessary for reduction of food intake by circulating (endocrine) GLP-1, or cholecystokinin. Vagal participation in satiation by these peptides may be limited to paracrine effects exerted near the sites of their secretion.
Delayed emergence of a parkinsonian disorder or dementia in 81% of older men initially diagnosed with idiopathic rapid eye movement sleep behavior disorder: a 16-year update on a previously reported series

Abstract Objective To provide a 16-year update from the authors’ 1996 report documenting a 38% conversion from idiopathic rapid eye movement sleep behavior disorder (iRBD) to a parkinsonian disorder at a mean interval of nearly 13 years after the onset of iRBD in a series of 29 males ⩾50 years old. Methods The methods of evaluation, diagnosis and follow-up were previously described in the 1996 report. All patients had video-polysomnography (vPSG) confirmed RBD. Results 80.8% (21/26) of patients who were initially diagnosed with iRBD eventually developed parkinsonism/dementia (three of the original 29 patients were lost to follow-up). The distribution of diagnoses was as follows: n = 13, Parkinson’s disease (PD); n = 3, dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB); n = 1, dementia (unspecified; profound); n = 2, multiple system atrophy (MSA); n = 2, clinically diagnosed Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) with autopsy-confirmed combined AD plus Lewy body disease pathology. Among the 21 iRBD “converters,” the mean age (±SD) of iRBD onset was 57.7 ± 7.7 years; mean age (±SD) of parkinsonism/dementia onset was 71.9 ± 6.6 years; and mean interval (±SD) from iRBD onset to parkinsonism/dementia onset was 14.2 ± 6.2 years (range: 5–29 years). Conclusion The vast majority of men ⩾50 years old initially diagnosed with iRBD in this study eventually developed a parkinsonian disorder/dementia, often after a prolonged interval from onset of iRBD, with the mean interval being 14 years while the range extended to 29 years. Also, the specificity of iRBD converting to parkinsonism/dementia is striking. These findings carry important clinical and research implications in the convergent fields of sleep medicine, neurology, and neuroscience, and identify an optimal clinical group for conducting prospective research studies utilizing putative neuroprotective agents to delay the emergence of, or halt the progression to, parkinsonism and/or cognitive impairment as manifestations of either PD, DLB or MSA.
The application of matrix organization concepts in managing pacification and rural development

For more than two decades matrix structures have been employed in both private and public organizations. One little known application of the matrix structure was undertaken during the Vietnam war to improve the pacification and rural development program after separate agencies working independently were found to be ineffective. Over a five-year period while the matrix organization was in being to interact with the South Vietnamese, much progress was made in pacification and rural development. While the final result of the Vietnam war negated all of the success attained in pacification and rural development, it is still worthwhile to look at the achievements of this matrix organization for lessons of the future.
Prospective evaluation of the effect of an anxiety sensitivity intervention on suicidality among smokers.

Recent empirical work has revealed a significant relationship between anxiety sensitivity (AS), particularly the AS cognitive concerns subfactor, and suicidality among cigarette smokers. The current study prospectively tested whether an intervention targeting AS (i.e. an AS-augmented smoking cessation program) would predict lower suicidality in a population known to be at increased risk for death by suicide (i.e. cigarette smokers). Participants (N = 169) were randomly assigned to a standard cognitive behavioral smoking intervention or a cognitive behavioral smoking intervention with an AS reduction component. Findings indicate that the participants who received the AS-augmented intervention had lower suicidality compared to those in the standard intervention, even accounting for baseline suicidality, substance use disorder diagnosis, current depression, current anxiety, and current smoking status. As the first examination of the effect of an AS reduction program on suicidality, this study provides initia...
Measurement of Ultra Low Sulfur in IN718 by Using Infrared Absorption Method

The paper introduces an experimental process on measurement of ultra low sulfur in IN718 by using infrared carbon sulfur analyzer. The experimental data shows that, infrared absorption method can be used to analyze and measure the ultra low sulfur in IN718, and the precision and accuracy of this method meets the requirement of ASTM E l019-2000. It can be concluded that it is a feasible method in practice.
CHI-ball, an interactive device assisting martial arts education for children

In this paper, we discuss the output of a student project about the design of a physically interactive system to assist the education of martial arts to children. The conceptual scope of the project included interactions and activities designed into a system of re-configurable devices for both of the major areas of martial arts training: form practice, and sparring. Using micro-controller-based prototyping, we developed a physical, interactive model that can simulate variations of a game designed to help teach controlled sparring between two children.
Granularity-density relationship for electrophotography incorporating paper and toner granularities

An equation to describe the granularity of an electrophotographic imaging system has been developed to include the density variance attributed to the reflectance of paper and toner surfaces. Granularity measurements from two conventional electrophotographic copiers were used to validate the relationship. The results show good agreement with the overall shape of the granularity-versus-density curve; however, the values are not consistent with estimated toner particle size. Clustering of the toner particles is suggested as the cause of the high granularity values.
Descriptive Anatomy of the Interscalene Triangle and the Costoclavicular Space and Their Relationship to Thoracic Outlet Syndrome: A Study of 60 Cadavers

Abstract Objective Thoracic outlet syndrome classically results from constrictions in 1 or more of 3 specific anatomical locations: the interscalene triangle, costoclavicular space, and coracopectoral tunnel. Magnetic resonance and computed tomographic imaging studies suggest that, of the 3 potential locations for constriction, the costoclavicular space is the most susceptible to compression. This study of human cadavers aims to expand on the descriptive anatomy of the interscalene triangle and associated costoclavicular space. Methods The interscalene angle, interscalene triangle base, and costoclavicular space were measured on 120 sides of embalmed human cadavers. Linear distances and angles were measured using a caliper and protractor, respectively. The data were analyzed by calculating the mean, range, and standard deviation. Results The range for the interscalene base was 0 to 21.0 mm with a mean of 10.7 mm. For the interscalene angle, the range was 4° to 22° with a mean of 11.3°. Measurements for the costoclavicular space ranged from 6 to 30.9 mm with a mean of 13.5 mm. Conclusions No significant differences were observed between left and right interscalene triangles or costoclavicular spaces; furthermore, there were no differences between the sexes concerning these 2 locations.
Suppression of thrombospondin-1 expression during uveal melanoma progression and its potential therapeutic utility.

Objectives To determine whether expression of thrombospondin-1 (TSP1), an endogenous inhibitor of angiogenesis, is downregulated during progression of uveal melanoma and whether administration of TSP1 and/or its antiangiogenic peptides attenuate tumor growth. Methods Tyrosinase-SV40 T-antigens (Tyr Tag) transgenic mice were used for evaluation of TSP1 expression during tumor progression using immunohistological methods. The therapeutic potential of TSP1 on tumor progression was evaluated either by crossing Tyr Tag mice with a line of transgenic mice overexpressing TSP1 in the eye or by administration of TSP1-mimetic peptide with known antiangiogenic, antitumor activity. Tumor areas were measured in histological sections using Optima software (Media Cybernetics, Inc). Results The Tyr Tag tumors from 3-week-old mice showed significant TSP1 expression, which was dramatically downregulated in tumors from 12-week-old mice. Furthermore, the development and progression of tumor was significantly delayed in Tyr Tag TSP1 transgenic mice or Tyr Tag mice receiving TSP1-mimetic peptide (100 mg/kg/d). Conclusions Expression of TSP1 was decreased with the angiogenic switch during progression of uveal melanoma, and TSP1 and/or its antiangiogenic peptides were effective in attenuation of tumor growth. Clinical Relevance Modulation of TSP1 expression and/or activity may be beneficial in treating uveal melanoma.
Autocidal biological control : a general strategy for insect control based on genetic transformation with a highly conserved gene

Notch 60g11 is a sex-linked mutation in Drosophila melanogaster (Meigen) (Diptera: Drosophilidae) that causes dominant, cold-sensitive lethality in heterozygous embryos. A population of normal D. melanogaster was driven to extinction by adding an equal number of homozygous Notch 60g11 mutants to each of 3 successive generations at 18°C. Notch 60g11 homozygotes raised at 26°C showed normal viability and mating success, even in competition with a wild-type insect population, presumably because of the developmental stage-specificity of the Notch 60g11 mutation. The Notch 60g11 mutants used in this test were intended to model the transgenic insects that may be produced in other species by genetic transformation with a genetically engineered mutant gene similar to Notch 60g11 . Therefore, our mutant strain carried not only 2 copies of the Notch 60g11 mutant gene on one pair of chromosomes, but also 2 copies of the normal Notch gene on another pair of chromosomes. Because Notch 60g11 is a frameshift mutation in a gene that is highly conserved in arthropods and vertebrates, this autocidal biological control strategy could be used in any insect species that reproduces sexually and lives in a temperate climate.
A QUADRATIC COMPLETE BASIS SET COMPUTATIONAL STUDY OF MONO-LIGAND PHOSPHORUS CATION CLUSTERS WITH THE FIRST AND SECOND ROW ELEMENT HYDRIDES

Abstract Quadratic complete basis set computational studies of singlet and triplet phosphorous cation clusters with hydrides of second and third row elements was presented. This study was performed in order to estimate the stabilities, bond dissociation energies, and energy gaps between singlet and triplet clusters. Structural changes in the course of the complexation, as well as the amount of charge transferred from phosphorus cation to the ligand, was used to assess the stabilities of the complexes (bond dissociation energies) and relative energy gaps. The obtained qualitative results were compared with the energies obtained by this highly accurate ab initio computational methodology. The influence of the nature of these ligands on the stability of these clusters was discussed.
Hypotensive effects of [D-Tyr27,36, D-Thr32]Neuropeptide Y (27-36).

Abstract An analogue of the 10 C-terminal amino acids of neuropeptide Y (NPY) containing taining three d -isomeric substitutions (27–36- d ) has been synthesized and its cardiovascular activity studied in Sprague-Dawley (SD) and spontaneously hypertensive (SHR) rats. Intravenous administration of 1000 nmol/kg 27–36- d decreases MAP in SHR (−59.9 ± 5.0 mmHg) and SD rats (−44.4 ± 4.7 mmHg). The hypotension produced by 1000 nmol/kg 27–36- d diminished by 71.2% following pretreatment with the histamine receptor antagonist diphenhydramine, although histamine depletion with compound 48 80 does not significantly alter this hypotension. These data suggest that NPY(27–36)- d produces a profound and sustained hypotension in two strains of rat which is partially attributable to activity at histamine receptors.
Proliferating Cell Nuclear Antigen (PCNA) May Function as a Double Homotrimer Complex in the Mammalian Cell

The diverse function of proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) may be regulated by interactions with different protein partners. Interestingly, the binding sites for all known PCNA-associating proteins are on the outer surface or the C termini ("front") sides of the PCNA trimer. Using cell extracts and purified human PCNA protein, we show here that two PCNA homotrimers form a back-to-back doublet. Mutation analysis suggests that the Arg-5 and Lys-110 residues on the PCNA back side are the contact points of the two homotrimers in the doublet. Furthermore, short synthetic peptides encompassing either Arg-5 or Lys-110 inhibit double trimer formation. We also found that a PCNA double trimer, but not a homotrimer alone, can simultaneously accommodate chromatin assembly factor-1 and polymerase delta. Together, our data supports a model that chromatin remodeling by chromatin assembly factor-1 (and, possibly, many other cellular activities) are tightly coupled with DNA replication (and repair) through a PCNA double trimer complex.
Think Outside the Fiber: Imaging Amplifier for Space-Multiplexed Optical Transmission

This paper proposes a simple and practical method to amplify signals for space-multiplexed optical transmission. In this amplification technique, the output facet of the multicore or multimode fiber is mapped back to the same type of fiber after passing through an imaging and bulk amplifying region. Simulations are carried out for a seven-core multicore fiber with the signal lasers amplified by a bulk erbium-ytterbium-doped phosphate glass amplifier. Amplifier gain of ~20 dB is achieved at an input power of 6 mW for each individual core with an optical power conversion efficiency of 32.5%. The proposed amplifier technique does not have a core or mode count limit for multicore and multimode fibers.
Culture rules: A note on economic systems and values

This note shows that distinct clusters of general values found in various OECD nations match the particular economic systems of these countries; furthermore, these values seem to be an important underlying cause of the systems. If the values specifically focus on economic issues, rather than on more general considerations, the relationship between nations with particular groups of values and nations with the same economic system is also closer. Finally, the evidence suggests that one-to-one relationships of individual values to particular economic systems are not strong; rather, it is groups of values working together that play the critical causal role. Journal of Comparative Economics 36 (3) (2008) 510–515.
Coronary Artery Calcium and Cardiac Events Is Electron-Beam Tomography Ready for Prime Time?

Cardiovascular diseases in general and coronary artery disease in particular remain the number one cause of death and disability in all industrialized and many emerging countries all over the world. There has been considerable interest in developing better methods to predict future events so that preventive therapy can be targeted toward those at increased risk. Although in excess of 300 risk factors have been identified, most are highly collinear with each other, such that they are not independent. The number of independent risk factors is relatively small. Perhaps the best prediction algorithm for people who are at risk but who have not had a previous event is the Framingham risk score.1 The Framingham score, which measures age, sex, total cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, cigarette smoking, and systolic blood pressure, has been incorporated into the National Cholesterol Education Program Adult Treatment Panel III guidelines, and thus has been recommended to help guide therapy.2 There is recognition that the Framingham risk score is limited. It has been evaluated with a c index. The c index is equivalent to the area under a receiver-operator characteristic curve, and measures for any pair of patients, one who has an event and one who has not, the fraction of pairs correctly identified. A c index of 0.5 is equivalent to chance and a c index of 1.0 is perfect discrimination. The Framingham score has a c index of 0.68 to 0.77, depending on the exact specifications of the model.2 Clearly, there has been interest in improving the ability to predict future events. Recently, C-reactive protein (CRP), a measure of inflammation, has been shown to predict future events, to be independent of other risk factors in the Framingham score, and to be a more powerful predictor of events than low-density lipoprotein cholesterol.3 There …
MIMO space-time codes with decoding algorithm of low dimensionality

We propose a new structure of Space-Time codes of which the decoding problem can be decomposed into multiple one-dimensional closest-point search. The search can be accomplished by a simple rounding method. The new coding technique can be applied to data transmission of sensor systems, where the decoding task is expected to be quickly accomplished for the purpose of fast response.
Reactive amphiphilic graft copolymer coatings applied to poly(vinylidene fluoride) ultrafiltration membranes

Amphiphilic graft copolymers, composed of a poly(cyclooctene) backbone with poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) and phenyl azide grafts and pendant groups, were synthesized and applied as coatings to commercially available poly(vinylidene fluoride) ultrafiltration (PVDF-UF) membranes. The structure and tunable nature of this type of graft copolymer, in terms of graft density and functionality, make it appealing for enhancing the properties of existing polymer membranes with regards to membrane fouling. Photoinduced cross-linking of the graft copolymer coating provides a means by which the coating resists delamination from the underlying membrane, which in turn provides a mechanism for preventing fouling of the membrane when exposed to oil-in-water emulsions. Significant differences in fouling between the coated and uncoated PVDF-UF membranes are shown.
Chiral transition and mesonic excitations for quarks with thermal masses

We study the effect of a thermal quark mass, m{sub T}, on the chiral phase transition and mesonic excitations in the light quark sector at finite temperature in a simple chirally symmetric model. We show that, while nonzero m{sub T} lowers the chiral condensate, the chiral transition remains of second order. It is argued that the mesonic excitations have a large decay rate at energies below 2m{sub T}, owing to the Landau damping of the quarks and the van Hove singularities of the collective modes.
Synthesis and investigations of double-pharmacophore ligands for treatment of chronic and neuropathic pain.

Abstract Acids 9a–f as possible bivalent ligands designed as a structural combination of opioid μ-agonist (Fentanyl) and NSAID (Indomethacin) activities and produced compounds which were tested as analgesics. The obtained series of compounds exhibits low affinity and activity both at opioid receptors and as cyclooxygenase (COX) inhibitors. One explanation of the weak opioid activity could be stereochemical peculiarities of these bivalent compounds which differ significantly from the fentanyl skeleton. The absence of significant COX inhibitory properties could be explained by the required substitution of an acyl fragment in the indomethacin structure for 4-piperidyl.
Characterization of Yeast Methyl Sterol Oxidase (ERG25) and Identification of a Human Homologue

A yeast mutant (LT06) was isolated that showed no growth on iron-limited medium but normal growth on iron-replete medium. A gene cloned from a genomic yeast library complemented the defect, allowing growth on low iron medium. Allelic segregation analysis demonstrated that the cloned gene was the normal allele rather than a high copy suppressor. A disruption mutant was nonviable, indicating that the gene was essential. Sequence analysis and functional assays indicated that the cloned gene was identical to ERG25, a gene that codes for methyl sterol oxidase. Incubation of LT06 in low iron medium resulted in marked changes in lipid metabolism, including the accumulation of fatty acids, triglycerides, methyl sterols, and other sterol precursors. A human homologue of ERG25 was cloned, sequenced, and mapped to human chromosome 4q32-34. Analysis of the data base with both ERG25 and the human homologue resulted in the identification of a putative set of metal binding motifs with similarity to that seen in a family of membrane desaturases-hydroxylases. Western analysis using antibodies to an Erg25-GST fusion protein detected two proteins of 34 and 75 kDa. Both proteins are membrane bound and contain one N-glycosyl unit. Immunofluorescence data suggest that the proteins are present in the endoplasmic reticulum and plasma membrane. Although ERG25 transcripts are not iron regulated, there is a large increase in the concentration of transcript in the mutant LT06 grown in low iron medium. These results suggest that the enzyme is regulated not by iron but by an end product of the ergosterol pathway.
Talking about sex: Common themes about sexuality in the prime-time television programs children and adolescents view most.

Although concern is often raised about television's role as a “teacher” about sexuality, little is known about the specific content of sexual messages on the programs children and adolescents view most. To explore this issue, a content analysis was conducted of the twelve prime-time television programs most preferred by children and adolescents. For three episodes of each program, all interactions between the characters were examined for the presence of verbal statements about sexual issues. Relevant statements extracted were coded using a list of 17 categories reflecting scripts about sexuality common in our culture. Findings indicated that discussions about sexuality were quite common on these programs. On average, 29% of the interactions on an individual episode contained verbal references to sexual issues, with the level surpassing 50% for some episodes. There were more messages about the male sexual role than about the female sexual role, and more that emphasized a recreational orientation toward sex than a procreational orientation. The most frequently occurring types of messages were those in which sexual relations were depicted as a competition, in which men commented on women's bodies and physical appearance, and in which masculinity was equated with being sexual. The importance of physical attractiveness as a key asset was emphasized for and by both sexes. Results are discussed concerning adolescents' potential uses of this input, and concerning directions for further study.
Tuning a combustive sound source to meet experimental needs

The Combustive Sound Source (CSS) is a versatile underwater sound source used in underwater acoustics experiments. The source is comprised of a submersible combustion chamber, which is filled with a combustive gas mixture that is spark ignited. Upon ignition, the combustive mixture is converted into high temperature combustion byproducts, which expand and ultimately collapse to smaller volume than before ignition. Acoustic pulses are radiated by the bubble activity. The CSS can be used as a source for array calibration, propagation measurements, bottom characterizations, and sea floor seismic testing. Current environmental regulations and varying experimental needs require a tunable source that allows users to easily alter the source level, bandwidth, center frequency, and signal duration. Present efforts have focused on designing and testing a variety of devices that alter the resultant bubble activity to tune the radiated signals to meet various experimental needs. A new combustion chamber and gas exit ...
Factors influencing maternal behaviour in a burrower bug,Sehirus cinctus(Heteroptera: Cydnidae)

Abstract Female burrower bugs, Sehirus cinctus (Cydnidae), brood and provision their young. This study provides an integrative approach to insect parental behaviour by examining the influence of maternal experience on the maintenance and termination of maternal care. Intensity of care (maternal responsivity) was determined by assaying a subject's response to tactile disturbance and by measuring time spent in proximity to young. First-brood mothers were highly responsive until 3 days after their eggs hatched. Second-brood mothers, however, were only responsive until 1–2 days post-hatching. This effect was associated with differences in age and parity, but not experience, because second-brood females prevented from caring for their first group of eggs did not differ from females with previous maternal experience. To examine cues surrounding the termination of care, cross-fostering techniques were used to move the time of hatching such that it occurred either several days early (truncated brooding) or not at all (extended brooding). Females experiencing a ‘premature’ hatch showed immediate declines in responsivity following hatching. Extended brooders, which guarded viable but ‘unhatching’ eggs, remained highly responsive for 6 days after their own eggs would have hatched before terminating care. These findings suggest that internal processes and external cues interact to ensure that maternal care is of appropriate duration. 1997 The Association for the Study of Animal Behaviour
An Automatic Field-Analog Plotting Device

A device is described which samples the potentials of a 90-node resistance-grid analog computer and turns on lamps whenever it finds a potential higher than a set value. The resulting lamp pattern displays to watching students the approximate location of a given line of equal potential; a series of such lines can be successively illuminated by progressively increasing the voltage across the resistance-grid model. Application of the device to various teaching situations is briefly considered.
Molecular mapping of the rf1 gene for pollen fertility restoration in sorghum (Sorghum bicolor L.)

We report the molecular mapping of a gene for pollen fertility in A1 (milo) type cytoplasm of sorghum using AFLP and SSR marker analysis. DNA from an F2 population comprised of 84 individuals was screened with AFLP genetic markers to detect polymorphic DNAs linked to fertility restoration. Fifteen AFLP markers were linked to fertility restoration from the initial screening with 49 unique AFLP primer combinations (+3/+3 selective bases). As many of these AFLP markers had been previously mapped to a high-density genetic map of sorghum, the target gene (rf1) could be mapped to linkage group H. Confirmation of the map location of rf1 was obtained by demonstrating that additional linkage group-H markers (SSR, STS, AFLP) were linked to fertility restoration. The closest marker, AFLP Xtxa2582, mapped within 2.4 cM of the target loci while two SSRs, Xtxp18 and Xtxp250, flanked the rf1 locus at 12 cM and 10.8 cM, respectively. The availability of molecular markers will facilitate the selection of pollen fertility restoration in sorghum inbred-line development and provide the foundation for map-based gene isolation.
Poly(acrylic acid) gel as a polysulphide blocking layer for high-performance lithium/sulphur battery

The lithium/sulphur (Li/S) battery is one of the most promising electrochemical energy storage systems after the Li ion battery, due to the high theoretical energy density and low cost of elemental sulphur. However, its development has been hindered by many problems in relation to the out-diffusion of dissolved lithium polysulphide (PS, Li2Sn with 4 ≤ n ≤ 8), the series of sulphur reduction intermediates. In this paper we demonstrate a proof of concept for blocking the out-diffusion of the dissolved PS by employing a dual-layer structural sulphur cathode with a porous poly(acrylic acid) (PAA) membrane coated on the top surface. Upon activation with the liquid electrolyte, the porous PAA membrane becomes a gel and the resulting gel chemically blocks the out-diffusion of PS anions by forming hydrogen bonds between the COOH groups in the gelled PAA and the negatively charged PS anions. Verified visually by a potentiostatic polarization experiment at 1.7 V vs. Li/Li+, the out-diffusion of PS in an electrolyte-flooded Li/S cell is effectively blocked by the dual-layer structural sulphur cathode. As a result, the Li/S cell consisting of a dual-layer structural sulphur cathode exhibits much improved capacity retention while still providing a similar specific capacity, as compared with the cell using the conventional sulphur cathode.
Childhood as a social issue: Historical roots of contemporary child advocacy movements.

The emergence of childhood as a social issue is barely a century old. The historical roots of current child advocacy movements can be found in an earlier period (1873–1914) characterized as the child-saving era. The emergence of this social issue during this period appears to be related to changing conceptualizations of the child, the developing “scientific” view of the child, as well as the influence of industrialization and urbanization. The child-saving era resulted in a number of problematic achievements regarding children's rights. The historical discussion points to the contributions which developmental and social psychology can make to the study of children's rights.
The structure of organotin mercaptoesters

This paper describes the structural differences existing among various organotin mercaptoesters of the general formula RnSn[S(CH2)1–2COOR′]4–n. Infrared and Mossbauer spectroscopies were the methods of choice to investigate such differences and they have revealed that thioglycolate and 3-mercaptopropionate esters adopt cyclic cis- or trans-trigonal bipyramidal as well as trans-octahedral configurations, according to the composition of the organotin compounds and their mode of preparation. Structural relationship among organotin mercaptides and thioacetates are also discussed.
Counter-Commoditization Decision Making, Language, Localization

Commoditization seems immutable and unstoppable but, like other social processes, its prevalence is context dependent. The enabling context for commoditization has been cheap fossil fuels, economic...
Swima (Annelida, Acrocirridae), holopelagic worms from the deep Pacific

Two new species of Swima, a recently established genus of annelid worms, are introduced, one from deep water off the North American West Coast and the other from the Philippines. The acrocirrid genus now contains three named species, Swima bombiviridis, Swima fulgida sp. nov., and Swima tawitawiensis sp. nov.Swima are holopelagic, occurring only in the water column, and thus far have only been observed below 2700 m. The worms are relatively large, sometimes reaching over 30 mm in length and 5 mm in width. They have gelatinous bodies and fans of long swimming chaetae, which are flattened into paddles in S. tawitawiensis sp. nov. Members of Swima are distinguished from other swimming acrocirrids by their transparent bodies, single medial subulate branchiae, and simple nuchal organs that do not skirt the bases of lateral subulate branchiae. Swima fulgida sp. nov. is distinguished from other members of the genus by its darkly pigmented anterior gut, whereas S. tawitawiensis sp. nov. is distinguished by possessing three subulate head appendages instead of just one and by the shape of its noto- and neurochaetae. Swima species possess four pairs of elliptical, transformed segmental branchiae that produce green bioluminescence when autotomized. These ‘bombs’ were observed in various states of regeneration on a single individual. Swima are neutrally buoyant, often observed hanging immobile in the water column, and are active, agile swimmers. Although not previously documented in the literature, these worms are not rare in the deep water column. Since the worms were first noticed in 2001, they have been observed on more than half of the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute's midwater remotely operated vehicle dives that went to sufficient depth. The discovery of Swima underscores our lack of knowledge of deep pelagic fauna. © 2011 The Linnean Society of London, Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society, 2011, 163, 663–678.
Group Communication and Critical Thinking Competence Development Using a Reality-Based Project:

The presented merger and acquisition classroom exercise is based on a real yet incomplete transaction transpiring during the period of the class. The approach enables adult students to apply their ...