cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A Proposed Three-Dimensional Constitutive Model for Shape Memory Alloys

The shape memory alloy (SMA) stress-strain response associated with martensitic twinning hysteresis and austenite-martensite/martensite-austenite superelasticity is modeled using constitutive equations. Compared to the modeling work done on viscoelastic and viscoplastic be havior, this has been an area of limited study. The equations which are presented here express the growth of inelastic strain in a rate-type formulation similar to viscoplastic laws. This constitutive model is obtained by extending a one-dimensional evolutionary model of SMA behavior to three dimensions. The resulting model is then reduced to meet the loading conditions of three special cases: uniaxial loading, shear loading, and non-proportional biaxial loading (combined axial- torsional loading). The model which is being considered, although nonlinear, is relatively simple in that only two evolutionary equations are required to model inelastic strain and a generalized back stress at a material point. Thus the model being presented use...
Hearing Math: Algebra Supported eText for Students With Visual Impairments.

Supported eText for students with visual impairments in mathematics has a promising, emerging literature base, although little of the existing research focuses on implementation within a classroom setting. This qualitative study sought to understand the use of supported eText to deliver algebra to students with visual impairments enrolled in algebra mathematics courses. The study also sought to explore supported eText in contrast to students’ traditional means of accessing an algebra text. The main results suggest supported eText holds potential in terms of delivering mathematics content; however, more research and more reflection on the field is needed regarding this approach as a sole means of presenting text. Implications for teacher professional development and implementation practices are discussed.
Mining frequent neighboring class sets in spatial databases

We consider the problem of finding neighboring class sets. Objects of each instance of a neighboring class set are grouped using their Euclidean distances from each other. Recently, location-based services are growing along with mobile computing infrastructure such as cellular phones and PDAs. Therefore, we expect to see the development of spatial databases that contains very large number of access records including location information. The most typical type would be a database of point objects. Records of the objects may consist of "requested service name," "number of packet transmitted" in addition to x and y coordinate values indicating where the request came from. The algorithm presented here efficiently finds sets of "service names" that were frequently close to each other in the spatial database. For example, it may find a frequent neighboring class set, where "ticket" and "timetable" are frequently requested close to each other. By recognizing this, location-based service providers can promote a "ticket" service for customers who access the "timetable."
UNMASKING A MODULATED CHAOTIC COMMUNICATIONS SCHEME

This paper will address the problem of unmasking a new chaotic communication scheme using synchronizing circuits, where the Lorenz system is modulated by the message and the x-coordinate of the modulated system is added to the message and transmitted to the receiver. The receiver is driven into perfect synchrony with the transmitter even in the presence of the message, and since the message becomes part of the dynamics it provides very little distortion to the phase space of the dynamical system. However, this paper will demonstrate that it is still possible to extract a sinusoidal message from the transmitted signal. It will also be shown that it is possible to extract the sinusoidal signal solely from the x-coordinate, without secondarily adding back the message sinusoid before transmission. The message extraction is also shown to work for simple frequency-modulated and phase-modulated message signals. The modulated communication scheme does effectively nullify a multi-step unmasking technique which had been somewhat successful when applied to chaotic communication schemes which employed additive message signals.
Sustaining Southern Identity: Douglas Southall Freeman and Memory in the Modern South. By Keith D. Dickson. (Baton Rouge, LA: Louisiana State University Press, 2011. Pp. xvi, 314. $42.50.)

Since the early twentieth century, white Southerners from William Faulkner to C. Vann Woodward have tried to define the essence of what makes one “Southern.” Keith D. Dickson has embarked on a simi...
Queen fecundity and reproductive skew in the termite Nasutitermes corniger

A major goal of studies on social animals is to understand variation in reproduction within and between groups. We used hierarchical regressions to analyze oviposition rates in the neotropical termite Nasutitermes corniger, a species with both monogynous and polygynous colonies. Queen fecundity was a non-linear, saturating function of queen weight. Greater queen weight was associated with larger nest size and with lower numbers of queens per nest, suggesting competition among queens for resources acquired by the colony. The collective egglaying rate of pairs of queens exceeded that of single queens, but further increases in queen number did not raise total fecundity. Skew in oviposition rates, as quantified by Morisita’s index Iδ, averaged 1.2, indicating inequalities in reproductive rates that are only moderately greater than expected for random apportionment. The leveling off of oviposition with increasing queen weight suggests that it is costly for individual females to produce eggs at high rates, which could favor tolerance of reproduction by other females, reducing reproductive skew. We hypothesize that the incentive to tolerate reproduction by other females is especially pronounced for heavier queens, because these queens are close to the limit of their own reproductive capacity. Consistent with this hypothesis, skew in oviposition rates was inversely related to the mean weight of queens within a nest.
A neuropsychological analysis of schizophrenic thought disorder

We examined the relationship of schizophrenic thought disorder, as measured by the Thought Disorder Index (TDI), with (1) neuropsychological measures of verbal memory, abstraction, executive function, visual memory, and working memory; and (2) quantitative MRI measures of prefrontal and basal ganglia structures. TDI scores correlated strongly with tests of verbal memory, abstraction and executive functions, modestly with tests of working memory, but did not correlate with scores on tests of visual memory. Neither TDI scores nor their neuropsychological correlates were associated with frontal or basal ganglia magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) measures, with the exception of the measures of working memory that demonstrated a modest relationship with frontal and basal ganglia structures. These findings suggest that schizophrenic thought disorder may be strongly related to neuropsychological impairments in verbal memory, abstraction and executive functions, and modestly related to problems with working memory in this sample of patients.
Evolution of a Permo-Triassic sedimentary mélange, Grindstone terrane, east-central Oregon

The Grindstone terrane in east-central Oregon is one of the few areas in western North America where large blocks of unmetamorphosed Devonian, Mississippian, and Permian limestones are inter mixed with Permian and Lower Triassic radiolarian chert and Pennsylvanian?, Permian, and Triassic volcaniclastic rocks. Although originally described as parts of a coherent succession, we interpret the Grindstone rocks to be a sedimentary melange composed of Paleozoic limestone slide and slump blocks that became detached from a carbonate shelf fringing a volcanic knoll or edifice in Late Permian to Middle Triassic time and were intermixed with Permian and Triassic slope to basinal clastic and volcaniclastic rocks in a forearc basin setting. Paleogeographic affinities of the Grindstone limestone faunas and volcaniclastic debris in the limestone and clastic rocks all indicate deposition in proximity to an island-arc system near the North American craton. The Grindstone terrane deposits are unconformably overlain by Upper Triassic to Middle Jurassic sequences of the Izee terrane. Although lithologic and faunal differences indicate that the Grindstone and Izee terranes together represent a tectonic block separate from the adjacent Baker terrane, all three terranes were juxtaposed by Late Triassic or Early Jurassic time. We recommend reduction to informal status for the Coffee Creek (Mississippian), Spotted Ridge (Pennsylvanian?), and Coyote Butte (Permian) formations because (1) they cannot be mapped or traced beyond limited areas, and (2) these older rocks are chaotically inter-mixed with younger chert and volcaniclastic rocks. New biostratigraphic data indicate that the bulk of the Spotted Ridge volcaniclastic rocks represent a part of the Triassic Vester Formation of the Izee terrane.
Trauma stat and trauma minor: are we making the call appropriately?

OBJECTIVES Trauma accounts for a significant number of pediatric emergency room visits and is the leading cause of death in pediatric patients over 1 year of age. To provide quality care, protocols are used to mobilize personnel to treat injured patients. We reviewed our experience at a level 1 pediatric trauma center, where a 2-tiered trauma activation protocol is used in treating children with significant injuries. METHODS We analyzed data in our trauma registry from 1994 to 1999 of patients with Injury Severity Score > or = 9 in whom trauma activations were called. Data reflected demographics, severity of injury, hospital course and outcome. Trauma activations were based on standard protocols that took physiologic status, anatomic area of injury, and mechanism of injury into account. Nineteen personnel were notified in a Trauma Stat Activation, and 8 were notified in a Trauma Minor Activation. RESULTS There were 470 trauma activations: Trauma Stat = 220 and Trauma Minor = 250. As a group, Trauma Stat patients were more hemodynamically unstable, had a lower GCS and a higher Injury Severity Score than Trauma Minor patients. Patients in the Trauma Stat group were also more likely to require intensive care and have a prolonged hospitalization. The Trauma Stat group had a mortality rate of 20%. There were no deaths in the Trauma Minor group. CONCLUSIONS Trauma activations result in heavy resource utilization and must be appropriate. The 2 trauma activation levels were associated with differences in injury severity, medical resource utilization, and outcome. With no deaths in the Trauma Minor group and a 20% mortality rate in the Trauma Stat group, we conclude that the protocol used was neither too conservative, nor too liberal.
The Effect of Carbon Dioxide on the Growth of Slime Producing Bacteria on Fresh Beef

The growth of psychrotolerant, slime-producing bacteria found on the surface of fresh beef leaving packing plants in Western Canada was markedly inhibited by carbon dioxide gas in the atmosphere. The degree of inhibition depended on the temperature, CO2 concentration and the age of the culture at the time of CO2 application. Tests with slices of lean beef inoculated uniformly with a mixture of strains of Pseudomonas and Achromobacter showed that the nearer the temperature to 0°C, the higher the CO2 concentration, and the earlier the stage of growth at the time CO2 was applied, the greater the extension of shelf-life (freedom from off-odour) of the meat obtained. Twenty percent CO2 was the most practical concentration since it was effective at temperatures as high as 10°C and since higher concentrations caused color change in the meat but gave little additional inhibition of growth. A 24 - 48 hr. delay in the application of CO2 after inoculation resulted in over 90% reduction in the inhibitory effect of the gas.
Role of Subsurface Particulates on the Dynamic Adsorption of Dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine at the Air/Water Interface

Dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine (DPPC) is the major component of lung surfactant, which stabilizes the lung by reducing greatly the surface tension at the air/liquid interface of the alveoli. In this study, the adsorption behavior of DPPC at the air/water interface was investigated with tensiometry, infrared reflection−absorption spectroscopy (IRRAS), and ellipsometry. Two different preparation protocols were used to vary the size and microstructure of dispersed particles, and their effects were assessed. The tension results indicate that sonication of DPPC above the main gel-to-liquid-crystal transition temperature, to break the large liposomes into smaller vesicles, greatly improved the adsorption rate and tension-reduction ability of DPPC dispersions. In IRRAS, the intensity of the νa−CH2 band was found to be much higher for DPPC dispersions than the value for spread DPPC monolayers at the maximum monolayer surface density, suggesting that after surface film formation there may be substantially more mat...
Selective cell uptake of modified Tat peptide-fluorophore conjugates in rat retina in ex vivo and in vivo models.

PURPOSE To determine the pattern of retinal uptake of modified Tat peptide-fluorophore conjugates in the rat after ex vivo application and intravitreal injection. METHODS Modified Tat peptide (RKKRRORRRGC) was conjugated at the C terminus to Alexa Fluor 594 to enable visualization of uptake. In the ex vivo model, posterior segments were incubated for up to 120 minutes in peptide solution. In the in vivo model, intravitreal injections of 5 microL peptide solution were performed in anesthetized rats, which were then euthanatized from 1 hour to 7 days after injection. Retinal and optic nerve paraffin sections were examined for fluorescent labeling. Immunohistochemistry for retinal cell markers was performed to identify cell types exhibiting uptake. RESULTS The pattern of labeling seen in retinal sections was highly similar for the ex vivo and in vivo experiments, with specific uptake by retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) and by a subset of inner nuclear layer cells. The pattern of labeling remained specific even at the later time points. In the in vivo model, fluorescence was also noted in the nerve fiber layer and anterior optic nerve, extending posteriorly along the optic nerve at later time points. CONCLUSIONS A specific pattern of uptake for modified Tat peptides was consistently seen in the rodent retina. Given the preferential uptake of these peptides by RGCs and the potential to conjugate diverse moieties, modified Tat peptides may be useful for delivery of therapeutic agents or molecular imaging probes to RGCs.
Effect of cannabidiol on cytochrome P-450 isozymes

Cannabidiol (CBD) has been shown to inhibit mouse hepatic mixed-function oxidations of several drugs after acute treatment, whereas repetitive treatment resulted in the restoration of drug-metabolizing capabilities. We have found that acute CBD treatment modestly decreased cytochrome P-450 content but markedly decreased hexobarbital hydroxylase, erythromycin N-demethylase, and 6 beta-testosterone hydroxylase activities. Repetitive CBD treatment, on the other hand, resulted in the restoration of cytochrome P-450 content as well as hexobarbital hydroxylase and erythromycin N-demethylase activities. However, after such repeated treatments a fresh dose of CBD can once again inactivate erythromycin N-demethylase activity but not hexobarbital hydroxylase activity. The resistance of hexobarbital hydroxylase to re-inactivation by CBD was paralleled by stimulation of pentoxyresorufin O-dealkylase activity and the appearance of a 50 kD protein that was immunoreactive to an antibody raised against rat hepatic cytochrome P-450b. CBD metabolism in vitro by microsomes prepared from such CBD-"induced" animals, resulted in a pattern of metabolites different from that observed from comparable incubations with liver microsomes from either untreated or phenobarbital-treated animals. Thus, it appears that CBD initially inactivates at least one cytochrome P-450 isozyme, but after repetitive CBD treatment, an isozyme is induced that is resistant to further re-inactivation by CBD. This isozyme appears to be immunochemically similar to, but somewhat functionally distinct from, the isozyme induced by phenobarbital treatment in mice.
Impact of receptor changes on treatment of status epilepticus.

Neurotransmitter receptors play a key role in the pathogenesis and current treatment strategies for status epilepticus (SE). Benzodiazepines are commonly used to treat SE exert their anticonvulsant action by stimulating γ-aminobutyric type A receptors (GABAA receptors). These drugs are quite effective in terminating SE in approximately 55–66% of patients, but there is a residual group of patients with seizures resistant to benzodiazepeines. The mechanisms underlying initiation and maintenance of prolonged SE were explored.
A papal matchmaker: Principle and pragmatism during Innocent III's pontificate

Abstract Scholars have yet to recognize the complexity of the match-making policies of Innocent III (1198–1216) concerning the proposed marriages for Otto of Brunswick, Frederick of Sicily, and Elena of Gallura. This article analyzes five marriage projects whereby Innocent used a mixture of canonical principle and pragmatism to further not only the welfare of his proteges, wards and kin but also to advance the interests of the Church and to maintain a peaceful civilized world. It argues that in these projects where the practical and the pastoral often intersected, sometimes politics and canon law circumscribed the extent of papal power; nevertheless, Innocent also to some degree utilized the flexibility of canon law as a political instrument when this was possible. Yet, while politics were an important consideration in the pope's marital strategies, and he took advantage of the elasticity of the law, the pope also continued to act within a set of canonical and moral principles. Thus, ultimately canon law governed his decisions, a law which he would not transgress for political gain alone.
Quantifying the Importance of the Statistical Assumption in Statistical X-ray CT Image Reconstruction

Statistical image reconstruction (SIR) is a promising approach to reducing radiation dose in clinical computerized tomography (CT) scans. Clinical CT scanners use energy-integrating detectors. The CT signal follows a compound Poisson distribution, its probability density function (PDF) does not have an analytical form hence cannot be used in an SIR method. The goal of this work is to quantify the effects of using an approximate statistical assumption in SIR methods for clinical CT applications. We apply a pseudo-Ideal Observer (pIO) to simulated CT projection data of the fanbeam geometry at different dose levels. The simulation models the polychromatic X-ray tube spectrum, the effects of the bowtie filter, and the energy-integrating detectors. The pIO uses a pseudo likelihood function (pLF) to calculate the pseudo likelihood ratio, which is the decision variable used by the pIO in a binary detection task. The pLF is an approximation to the true LF of the underlying data. The pIO has inferior performance than the IO unless the pLF coincides with the LF; this performance difference quantifies the closeness between the pseudo likelihood and the exact one. Using lesion detectability in a signal known exactly, background known exactly binary detection task as a figure-of-merit, our results show that at down to 0.1% of a reference tube current level I0, the pIO that uses a Poisson approximation, or a matched variance Gaussian approximation in either the transmission or the line integral domain, achieves 99% the performance of the IO. The constant variance Gaussian approximation has only 70%-80% of the IO performance. At tube currents lower than 0.1% I0, the performance difference is more substantial. We conclude that at current clinical dose levels, it is important to account for the mean-dependent variance in CT projection data in SIR problem formulation, the exact PDF of the CT signal is not as important.
Constraints on the solid-state greenhouse effect on the icy Galilean satellites

Surface temperature data from the Voyager spacecraft provide a constraint on the magnitude of a possible solid-state greenhouse effect on the icy Galilean satellites. A solid-state greenhouse effect will occur if the regoliths of Europa, Ganymede, and Callisto are optically thin in the visible and opaque in the thermal infrared, which would be consistent with particulate water ice. We examine in detail the effects of using different values for light penetration depth and regolith thermal properties on the diurnal variation of surface temperature. We then compare model results with surface temperature measurements for all three satellites. We conclude that the solid-state greenhouse effect is limited to the approximate range of 0 cm ≤ ζ ≤ 2.2 cm on Europa, where ζ is the characteristic e-folding insolation absorption length; this magnitude of greenhouse effect produces an increase in subsurface temperatures of approximately 10 K or less. Similarly, Ganymede and Callisto both have allowable ranges for ζ of 0 to 0.5 cm based on Voyager surface temperature, with no significant heating of the subsurface layers. The amount of subsurface heating is strongly dependent on the assumed thermal properties of the regolith.
Increased systemic and brain cytokine production and neuroinflammation by endotoxin following ethanol treatment

Cytokines and alcohol share a common modulation of inflammation and hormones as well as being implicated in multiple diseases, but the mechanisms are poorly understood. The purpose of this study was to investigate the interaction of liver, serum and brain cytokines as well as whether ethanol would potentiate endotoxin (Lipopolysaccharide, LPS) responses once ethanol had cleared. Male C57BL/6J mice were treated intragastrically with water (control) or ethanol (5 g/kg, i.g., 25% ethanol, w/v), with volumes matched, for 1 day or daily for 10 days. Mice were then injected intraperitoneally with saline (control) or LPS (3 mg/kg, i.p.) in saline 24 hrs after the last dose of ethanol. Gene expression and protein synthesis of proinflammatory cytokines and anti-inflammatory cytokine, oxidative enzymes, microglial activation and inhibition of neurogenesis were examined using real-time PCR, ELISA, and immunohistochemistry. LPS increased proinflammatory cytokines (TNFα, MCP-1, IL-1β) several fold in liver, brain and serum at 1 hr. Ethanol is known to increase liver cytokines and alter the risk of multiple chronic diseases. Ten daily doses of ethanol increased brain and liver TNFα, and pretreatment with ethanol potentiated LPS-induced increases in TNFα, MCP-1, IL-1βin liver, serum and brain. Proinflammatory cytokine levels in liver and serum returned to basal levels within a day, whereas brain proinflammatory cytokines remained elevated for long periods. IL-10, an anti-inflammatory cytokine, is reduced in brain by ethanol and LPS, while brain proinflammatory cytokines remain increased, whereas liver IL-10 is increased when proinflammatory cytokines have returned to control levels. Activation of brain microglia indicated by morphological changes, reduced neurogenesis and increased brain expression of COX-2 and gp91phox NADPH oxidase subunit mRNA were found in the 10 daily doses of ethanol-pretreated LPS group. Acute increases in serum cytokines induce long lasting increases in brain proinflammatory cytokines. Ten daily doses of ethanol exposure results in persistent alterations of cytokines and significantly increases the magnitude and duration of central and peripheral proinflammatory cytokines and microglial activation. Ethanol induced differential anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-10 responses in liver and brain could cause long lasting disruption of cytokine cascades that could contribute to protection or increased risk of multiple chronic diseases.
Molecular and Phenotypic Characterization of Strains of Photobacterium damselae subsp. piscicida Isolated from Hybrid Striped Bass Cultured in Louisiana, USA

Abstract Photobacteriosis, which is caused by the bacterium Photobacterium damselae subsp. piscicida (formerly Pasteurella piscicida) was found to be a primary cause of mortality in hybrid striped bass (striped bass Morone saxatilis × white bass M. chrysops) cultured in brackish water in southern Louisiana. The disease was diagnosed on 50 occasions from 1990 through 2000 by the Louisiana Aquatic Diagnostic Laboratory, and mortality ranged from 5% to 90% in individual culture units. Strains of the bacterium from the Louisiana coast of the Gulf of Mexico were identified by means of biochemical tests, guanine–cytosine ratio, and Aquarapid Pp kit. Strains were characterized according to their biochemical phenotype, enzyme activities, plasmid profile, genotypic profile as determined by randomly amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) analysis, and antimicrobial susceptibility. When compared with representative isolates from the Chesapeake Bay, Greece, Japan, and Israel, Louisiana Gulf Coast isolates of P. damselae su...
Zinc uptake by the water hyacinth: Effects of solution factors

Abstract Factors effecting Zn+2 uptake by the water hyacinth Eichhonnia cnassipes, were examined. Two phases of zinc uptake were observed throughout the uptake range (1000 – 0.001 ppm). Initially a rapid uptake phase of 4 hours followed by a slower, near linear uptake phase extending past 48 hours. Stirring the solution enhanced uptake, suggesting uptake is partially diffusion limited. Increasing pH from 3 to 5 enhanced zinc uptake. As solution volume was increased, more zinc was removed. With increasing amounts of Hg+2 or Cd+2, the zinc removal rate decreased, suggesting a competition for binding sites on the roots. The presence of complexing agents during the uptake phase reduced zinc uptake. The inability of complexing agents to recover all zinc removed by a plant suggests a translocation to sites within the plant.
Introduction to the special section on measuring cognitive products in research and practice.

This article introduces a special section of the Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology titled "Measuring Cognitive Products in Research and Practice." The practice of cognitive behavior therapies--and research on their effectiveness and the validity of the models of psychopathology and therapy associated with these treatments--requires valid assessment of cognition. Cognitive variables can be considered at several levels; the main focus of the articles in this special section is on techniques suited to measurement of cognitive products, thoughts, and images of which people are conscious.
INVESTIGATIONS OF PROLIFERATIVE AND SENESCENT CALLUS OF SOYBEAN

Different explant sources from several Giycine max (L.) Merr. cultivars and several G. soja F. J. Herm Plant Introductions were tested for calluas production. Embryo axis explants produced callus most readily; hence, they were selected for media response studies and microscopic evaluation. Two callus types, proliferative and senescing, were identified and characterized by light and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Proliferative callus was composed of chloroplast-containing cells interspersed with colorless meristematic areas, while senescing callus contained mostly large, vacuolate cells without chloroplasts. In SEM preparations a furry, layered, mucilaginous coating was seen on the outer surface of the senescing callus, while proliferative callus cells had uncoated, smooth or wrinkled surfaces. The mucilage contained glucose and galactose.
Interventional radiology of the lower urinary tract and its relationship to surgical treatment

Interventional radiological techniques of the lower genitourinary (GU) tract are large and varied and continue to expand because of technological advances and also because budgetary restraints are being placed on our medical society. This has stimulated continuous search for alternative ways of treating disease in a more cost-effective fashion. As a result, there has been an overall decrease in morbidity and mortality, as well as postprocedural incapacity. We review the most important and newest modalities and provide some background of the processes affecting the lower GU tract.
The Formulation of Bioelectric Source-field Relationships in Terms of Surface Discontinuities*

Abstract This paper considers the properties of scalar fields which satisfy Laplace's equation and which are either discontinuous or have discontinuous normal derivatives across some arbitrary surface. It is shown that expressions for the volume conductor fields of bioelectric sources can be readily obtained from the aforementioned relations. This procedure is simple and, in addition, preserves physical insight.
Introduction: The Future Lies Behind! Thirty Years of Teaching Futures Studies

Since futures studies has been a worldwide serious academic and consulting activity for more than 30 years, why have people never heard of it—or at least why do they know so little about it? The author briefly outlines his own teaching and consulting experiences in futures studies since 1967 and then introduces each of the 25 authors whose essays follow in this special issue.
Sleep, Function and HIV: A Multi-Method Assessment

Amongst HIV+ individuals, sleep complaints have been recognized as common and debilitating; but have rarely been formally assessed or compared to controls using validated sleep tools. In this study we conducted structured interview for sleep disorders, polysomnography, 2-week home (ambulatory) monitoring and validated sleep/functional questionnaires. 56 % (14/25) of HIV+ participants and 0 % (0/19) of controls fulfilled the diagnostic criteria for insomnia. Insomnia severity scores were correlated with fatigue and anxiety symptoms. Sleep latency on 2-week actigraphy was significantly longer (P = 0.027) for HIV+ participants and associated with lower MOS-HIV scores. Sleep quality was significantly reduced in HIV+ participants based on validated questionnaires of overall sleep quality (P = 0.0017) and insomnia related symptoms (P < 0.001) even after adjusting for education and affective symptoms. HIV+ individuals are suffering with under-diagnosed sleep disorders that are negatively impacting quality of life and functional capabilities. Further studies aimed at improving recognition of sleep disorders and implementation of efficacious medical and behavioral treatment could improve functioning and disease management.
Surface Brightness and Evolution of Galaxies

It is well known that before the redshift-magnitude diagram of galaxies could be used for determination of the cosmological parameters one must know the evolution of the galaxies. We propose use of apparent surface brightness: which depends only on the redshift and is independent of the cosmological model and the inhomogeneities in the universe: for observational determination of the evolution of galaxies. The needed observations are isophotal angular diameters and apparent magnitudes within this or any other reasonable angular diameter. The application of the results for determination of q/sub 0/ is discussed briefly. (AIP)
Scion/interstock/rootstock effect on sweet cherry yield, tree size and yield efficiency

Abstract Yield and trunk cross-sectional area of ‘Bing’ and ‘Chinook’ cherries were measured on four tart cherry interstocks, ‘Kansas Sweet’, ‘Northstar’, ‘Montmorency’ and ‘Redrich’, and on four rootstocks, Mahaleb 4, Mahaleb 900, F 12-1 Mazzard and New York Mazzard, over a 20-year period. Additional treatments included both scions on either mahaleb or mazzard rootstocks without interstocks. Fifty-seven percent of total mortality was associated with ‘Redrich’ interstock, with no other single treatment showing disproportionately high mortality. After 20 years, cumulative yield was highest on Mahaleb rootstocks, but there were no significant differences in cumulative yield among interstocks. Trees lacking interstocks had significantly lower cumulative yield than trees with interstocks. Trunk cross-sectional area of ‘Bing’ was smaller than ‘Chinook’, and ‘Northstar’ produced smaller trunks than other interstocks tested. However, trees without interstocks tended to have smaller trunks than those with interstocks, although not significantly smaller than those with ‘Northstar’ interstocks. Trunk cross-sectional area was not affected by rootstock. Yield efficiency of ‘Bing’/‘Northstar’/Mahaleb 4 was the highest of the combinations tested.
Local absorbing boundaries of elliptical shape for scalar wave propagation in a half-plane

We have recently discussed the performance of local second-order two-dimensional absorbing boundary conditions of elliptical shape for scattering and radiation problems involving sound-hard obstacles embedded in a full-plane. In this article, using the method of images, we extend the applicability of elliptically shaped truncation boundaries to semi-infinite acoustic media. For problems in either the time- or the frequency-domains, involving near-surface structures of elongated cross-sections, we show that significant computational savings are attainable when compared against semi-circular truncation geometries.
A Critique of the Old-Age and Survivors Insurance Program of the United States

The Old-Age and Survivors Insurance (OASI) program is the most important source of retirement income for the aged and is one of the major institutional developments of the past third of a century. At the end of fiscal year 1970, almost 17 million Americans were receiving retirement benefits and another 6.4 million were receiving survivors benefits under the program with cash benefits to these beneficiaries amounting to $26.3 billion during fiscal year 1970.1 Virtually all Amer? icans are covered by social security and, therefore, will be entitled to some benefits under the program. It is the purpose of this paper to analyze the economic and social impact of the retirement benefits provided by the OASI program. While the Social Security system also encompasses disability and health insur? ance for the aged, only the retirement and survivors programs will be examined. OASI has dual objectives. One objective is to provide a minimum level of income or a "floor of protection" to prevent destitution in old age. This assumes that the OASI benefit will be supplemented by personal assets and private pensions. The other objective of the program is to provide a level of benefits for a retired couple which would replace ". . . at least 50 percent of his average wages under the social security system."2 Since the wife's benefit is equal to one half of her husband's benefit or primary insurance amount, the replacement goal for an un? attached retiree would be one-third of his average covered earnings. The social security benefit is the foundation upon which the contem? porary American program of income maintenance for the aged has been built. The OASI benefit forms the base of the tripartite system of income maintenance which consists of social security, private pensions and per? sonal assets. Since its inception, it has been generally assumed that the OASI program should provide the floor of protection or income base to be supplemented by personal assets and private pensions. Although this assumption is widely accepted and has often been stated by Congress, the reality of the tripartite system is questionable. However, the continued 39
A chemical assay for ergonovine in ergot compared with the biologic assay

A method is described for extracting ergonovine from ergot and estimating it colorimetrically with the p- dimethylaminobenzaldehyde reagent. Ten samples of rye ergot assayed by this method were found to have from 16 to 32 mg. of ergonovine (expressed as the acid maleate) per 100 Gm. of ergot. Application of the method to previously assayed samples of ergot which had been fortified with known amounts of ergonovine showed a recovery of 91 per cent of the added ergonovine. Biologic assay of the same extracts as used for the colorimetric analysis gave values 8 to 20 per cent (av. = 15 per cent) lower than the colorimetric values. The discrepancy between the biologic and colorimetric assay was greater in the samples which had been ground several months prior to the assay than in those which were assayed immediately after grinding.
Religion, Affect and Cognition in Listener Contributions to NPR’s Talk of the Nation Before, During and After 9/11

Broadcast media often provide forums for public expression, which may be useful for understanding public thought and emotion during times of public crisis. This exploratory study had two purposes. ...
The Sounds of Silence: The Profession's Response to the COGEE Report

When asked about the profession's response to the COGEE (Commission on Graduate Education in Economics) report, Anne Krueger, the chair of the commission, stated that if a pin dropped simultaneously with the issuance of the report, the dropping of the pin would sound like thunder. I agree; there has been essentially no response to the COGEE report. Despite the lack of response, I believe that there is something to say on the topic. I begin with a discussion of the background of the COGEE report, why it came about, and what it had to say. Next, I consider the changes that have occurred in the profession over the last 10 years in relation to the COGEE report. I conclude with some personal observations on the issues the COGEE report raised.
Rulers of the Game: Central Bank Independence During the Interwar Years

Central bank independence is associated with restrictive monetary choices that can be deflationary within fixed exchange-rate regimes. Because central banks act to counteract domestic inflation, they put a premium on domestic price stability at the expense of international monetary stability. Evidence from fifteen countries between 1925 and 1938 shows that the more independent central banks took more deflationary policies than were necessary for external adjustment. Central banks in general were more restrictive under left-wing governments than they were under more conservative regimes and often were more restrictive than required for external equilibration. This suggests that policies of independent central banks designed to enhance domestic price stability may force deflationary pressures onto other states in the system and potentially destabilize a fixed exchange-rate regime.
Las Cortes de Castilla y León bajo los Austrias: Una interpretación

Jose Ignacio Fortea Perez, Las Cortes de Castilla y Leon bajo los Austrias: Una interpretacion (Valladolid: Junta de Castilla y Leon, 2008), Paperback €25, 384 pp., ISBN 978-84-9718-561-5 In this v...
Nitrogen-15 NMR chemical shifts in oligopeptides coordinated to cobalt(III)

Abstract Dipeptide, tripeptide, and tetrapeptide complexes with cobalt(III) ions were studied as model compounds for evaluation of 15 N NMR chemical shifts induced in proteins upon binding transition metal ions. Coordination of oligopeptides to cobalt(III) resulted in large negative 15 N NMR shifts for amine nitrogens (− 76 to − 32 ppm) and deprotonated amide nitrogens (− 47 to −10). Coordination-induced shifts were affected by the nature of moiety at the trans position; the shifts were always larger with a carboxylato oxygen than with an amine nitrogen in the trans position. Thus, coordination-induced 15 N NMR shifts provided direct and specific information on the stereochemistry of peptide coordination. Two new complexes, [Co(Gly-gly-gly-glyH −3 )(NH 3 ) 2 ] and Ba[Co(Gly-L-hisH −2 )(NO 2 ) 3 ], were synthesized and their structure was determined by NMR spectroscopy.
Induction of Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor in Human Astrocytes by Lead INVOLVEMENT OF A PROTEIN KINASE C/ACTIVATOR PROTEIN-1 COMPLEX-DEPENDENT AND HYPOXIA-INDUCIBLE FACTOR 1-INDEPENDENT SIGNALING PATHWAY

The mechanism(s) underlying lead neurotoxicity are not fully elucidated. cDNA expression microarray analysis identified lead-sensitive genes in immortalized human fetal astrocytes (SV-FHA). Of the represented genes expressed, vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) was one of the most sensitive. Lead induced VEGF mRNA 3-fold and VEGF protein approximately 2-fold with maximum mRNA induction following incubation with 10 micrometer lead acetate for 24 h. Phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA), a potent protein kinase C (PKC) activator, increased VEGF mRNA 2-fold and PKC inhibition by GF-109203 completely blocked VEGF induction by lead. Expression of dominant-negative PKC-epsilon, but not PKC-alpha, completely inhibited VEGF mRNA induction by lead. Lead activated the transcription factor AP-1 and increased AP-1-dependent luciferase expression >2-fold. Transfection of cells with a c-jun dominant-negative effectively inhibited both AP-1 activation and VEGF mRNA induction by lead. Hypoxia-inducible factor 1 (HIF-1) activity in SV-FHAs was moderately increased by lead (86%) and PMA (96%). Pretreatment with GF-109203 completely inhibited these effects of lead and PMA. However, lead did not alter HIF-1-dependent luciferase expression and a HIF-1alpha dominant-negative had no effects on the induction of VEGF mRNA by lead. These findings indicate that lead induces VEGF expression in SV-FHAs via a PKC/AP-1-dependent and HIF-1-independent signaling pathway.
Determinants of Survival in Advanced Non–Small-Cell Lung Cancer in the Era of Targeted Therapies

Molecular profiling of non–small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) samples is important for therapeutic decisionmaking, but its independent association with prognosis is unclear. We performed a retrospective chart review of patients with NSCLC undergoing EGFR and KRAS mutational testing at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania. A survival analysis revealed that neither EGFR nor KRAS held independent prognostic significance. This will help inform patient communication about prognosis. Background: Molecular profiling of non–small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) samples has a profound impact on choice of therapy. However, it is less clear whether EGFR and KRAS mutations are prognostic outside of a trial-based treatment paradigm. Methods: We performed a retrospective chart review of 513 patients with NSCLC undergoing EGFR and KRAS mutational analysis at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania between May 2008 and November 2011. Survival analysis was based on the 376 patients who received systemic treatment, and their survival was determined from the date of initiation of systemic therapy. Results: The median overall survival (OS) was 30.8 months (95% confidence interval [CI], 24.7-36.9). Neither EGFR mutational status (P ¼ .09) nor KRAS mutational status (0.69) was associated with OS. Female sex (P < .001), never smoker status (P ¼ .01), better performance status (PS) (P < .001), lower Charlson Comorbidity Index (P < .001), and lower age-weighted index (P < .001) were associated with prolonged survival. The presence of bone metastases (P ¼ .001) and liver metastases (P ¼ .004) was also associated with a shortened survival. In a multivariable regression that adjusted for stage, we demonstrated that male gender (P ¼ .002), worse Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group PS (P ¼ .01), metastases to bone (P ¼ .03), and higher age-weighted comorbidity index (P ¼ .001) were independent prognostic factors for shorter survival. EGFR mutation status was not prognostic (P ¼ .85). Conclusion: In our series, EGFR and KRAS do not function as prognostic determinants for NSCLC.
Meta-analysis: the adjuvant role of thymopentin on immunological response to hepatitis B virus vaccine in end-stage renal disease.

Summary Background It has been calculated that 30–40% of dialysis patients fail to produce antibodies to HBsAg antigen after vaccination towards hepatitis B virus. Several authors have reported on the benefit of thymopentin (TP5) as adjuvant to vaccine against hepatitis B virus in patients receiving regular dialysis. However, consistent information on this issue is still lacking. Aims To evaluate efficacy and safety of thymopentin as adjuvant to hepatitis B vaccine in dialysis patients by performing a systematic review with a meta-analysis of clinical trials. Methods We used the random effects model of DerSimonian and Laird, with heterogeneity and sensitivity analyses. Results We identified 11 studies involving 272 unique patients with end-stage renal disease. Only prospective, controlled trials were included. Pooling of study results did not show a significant increase in seroresponse rate among study (thymopentin plus hepatitis B virus vaccine) vs. control (hepatitis B virus vaccine alone) patients; the pooled odds ratio of failure to respond to hepatitis B virus vaccine was 0.677 (95% confidence intervals: 0.285–1.605); no heterogeneity was found (P = 0.0001). Thymopentin significantly improved the seroresponse rate in the subgroup of trials based on greater thymopentin doses (OR: 0.184; 95% CI: 0.085–0.398). Conclusions Our meta-analysis showed that thymopentin significantly improved the seroresponse rate towards hepatitis B vaccine only in dialysis patients treated with higher thymopentin doses. The limited number of patients precluded definitive conclusions.
Children's adaptive behavior scale: A new measure of adaptive functioning

This article describes a new instrument for the measurement of adaptive behavior that is administered directly to the child. It was designed for brief administration, to be educationally relevant, and to measure these five domains of adaptive behavior: Language Development, Independent Functioning, Family Role Performance and Economic-Vocational Activity, and Socialization. An initial study of test-retest reliability indicates the instrument has high reliability.
Headache Currents Commentary

Neuro-ophthalmology is a field that interfaces intimately with headache medicine. Examples include common and uncommon visual disturbances related to migraine, painful loss of vision, eye pain, photophobia, pupillary disorders, and painful ophthalmoplegia. There are often articles relevant to headache specialists that are published in the ophthalmic literature. This commentary highlights 2 interesting clinical articles. All neurologists and headache medicine specialists should read the review on photophobia by Digre and Brennan as it is relevant, clinical, and comprehensive. The literature review on topiramate-related acute angle-closure glaucoma provides us with useful information about the epidemiology and pathophysiology of this rare but potentially vision-threatening condition that may occur with the most widely used of migraine preventives.
The transmission of disease to allograft recipients via donor organs.

The transplantation of solid organs from cadaveric donors involves a small but significant risk of disease transmission from the donor to the host. Diseases transmitted by organ transplantation generally fall into three categories: infections, tumors, or primary organ diseases (Table 1). Infectious diseases are those most frequently reported to be transmitted, despite the signilicant precautions taken to exclude potential donors who have any evidence of infection. Cadaveric organ donors are subject to several factors that promote the risk of infection (Table 2). Firstly, the overwhelming majority of cadaveric organ donors have been rendered brain dead as a result of acute trauma that often involves penetrating wounds, which constitute a risk for infection. Secondly, potential cadaveric organ donors include a substantial number of individuals who are at high risk of infection from intravenous drug use or homosexual activity (i.e. young male, inner-city residents). Finally, the medical management of potential donors usually occurs in an intensive care unit, with the use of treatments such as intravenous lines, blood transfusions, and steroids, each of which can promote infection in the donor.