cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
An extension of inventory models incorporating financing agreements with both suppliers and customers

Abstract In a recent article, Min et al. [J. Min, Y.W. Zhou, J. Zhao, An inventory model for deteriorating items under stock-dependent demand and two-level trade credit, Appl. Math. Model. 34 (2010) 3273–3285] presented an inventory model for a retailer with inventory-level-dependent demand as well as upstream and downstream financing agreements. The purpose of this note is twofold: (1) to relax the boundary condition imposed in their model that ensures the entire stock is depleted at the end of each order cycle and (2) to resolve the potential unbounded solution resulting from a linear demand function by constraining the maximum inventory level. The effects of these changes on the retailer’s profitability are examined and some practical generalizations of the model are presented.
Do substance P and the NK1 receptor have a role in depression and anxiety

Research on Substance P (SP) has, until recently, focused on its role in pain and inflammation. However, a report that NK(1) receptor antagonists have utility in the treatment of depression has stimulated research into the function of SP and the NK(1)receptor in anxiety and depression. The distribution of SP and the NK(1) receptor in brain areas implicated in anxiety and depression is initially reviewed. This is followed by evaluation of the preclinical data obtained for SP and NK(1) receptor antagonists in behavioral models of depression as well as the phenotype of genetically modified animals lacking the genes encoding for the NK(1) receptor or for SP. The weight of the evidence supports antidepressant and anxiolytic activity of NK(1) receptor antagonists. However, many of the studies do not control for nonspecific effects of the compounds, and when enantiomers that lack activity at the NK(1) receptor are included, the results, in some cases, suggest that blockade of NK(1) receptors does not account for the observed behavioral activity. Finally, clinical studies in depressed patients assessing SP levels in plasma and cerebrospinal fluid as well as the effect of NK(1) receptor antagonists are reviewed. The clinical studies are a mixture of positive, failed and negative studies on the antidepressant activity of NK(1) receptor antagonists, not unlike the early clinical results obtained with selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors.
High breakdown analogs of the trimmed mean

Two high breakdown estimators that are asymptotically equivalent to a sequence of trimmed means are introduced. They are easy to compute and their asymptotic variance is easier to estimate than the asymptotic variance of standard high breakdown estimators.
Development of a School-Wide Behavior Program In a Public Middle School: An Illustration of Deployment-Focused Intervention Development, Stage 1

School-wide behavior management systems can improve academic performance and behavior in middle schools, and they should have positive effects on students with ADHD. Unfortunately, evidence-based, school-wide behavior management systems have not been widely adopted because of problems with feasibility, acceptability, and sustainability. The Deployment-Focused Model of Intervention Development and Testing has been proposed as a promising method of bridging the gap between research and practice settings. A key aspect of the model is to involve the persons most likely to deliver the service (e.g., teachers) in the intervention development process from the very beginning. To illustrate this process, the authors describe the planning and implementation of a school-wide program designed to improve behavior in a public middle school.
Combining expert systems and neural networks for learning site-specific conditions

An artificial neural network to generate fertilizer recommendations for malting barley was developed. The neural network was trained and tested with data generated by a malting barley expert system developed by the authors and others. The purpose of creating a neural network was to explore the possibilities of using neural networks as tools to adjust knowledge based systems to site-specific conditions. It was shown that the neural network can adjust itself to site-specific conditions with fewer than 5% site-specific patterns in the training set. In addition the training set size required to enable the neural network to generalize was found to be at least 2000 patterns.
Dual-energy digital mammography for calcification imaging: theory and implementation

Small microcalcifications essential to the early detection of breast cancer may be obscured by overlapping tissue structures. Dual-energy digital mammography (DEDM), where separate low- and high-energy images are acquired and synthesized to cancel the tissue structures, may improve the ability to detect and visualize microcalcifications. The investigation of DEDM began with a signal-to noise ratio analysis to estimate and relate the noise level in the dual-energy calcification signals to the x-ray spectra, microcalcification size, tissue composition and breast thickness. We investigated various inverse-mapping functions, both linear and non-linear, to estimate the calcification thickness from low- and high-energy measurements. Transmission (calibration) measurements made at two different kVp values for variable aluminum thickness (to simulate calcifications) and variable glandular-tissue ratio for a fixed total tissue thickness were used to determine the coefficients of the inverse-mapping functions by a least-squares analysis. We implemented and evaluated the DEDM technique under narrow-beam geometry. Phantoms, used in the evaluation, were constructed by placing different aluminum strips over breast-tissue-equivalent materials of different compositions. The resulting phantom images consisted of four distinct regions, each with a different combination of aluminum thickness and tissue composition. DEDM with non-linear inverse-mapping functions could successfully cancel the contrast of the tissue-structure background to better visualize the overlapping aluminum strip. We are currently in the process of translating our DEDM techniques into full-field imaging. We have designed special phantoms with variable glandular ratios and variable calcification thicknesses for evaluation of the full-field dual-energy calcification images.
Binding of Organochloride and Pyrethroid Pesticides To Estrogen Receptors α and β: A Fluorescence Polarization Assay

Several agricultural pesticides and industrial chemicals, such as the organochlorides DDT and methoxychlor, have been shown to cause both endocrine disruption in humans and binding to the estrogen receptor. Estrogen receptor-α (ERα) and -β (ERβ) are ligand-activated nuclear signaling proteins with widespread presence in the body. Binding of the hormone estradiol to the ER can affect development with an activation profile that is subtype specific. This investigation measures the ability of pesticides to bind in vitro to human ERα and ERβ by observing their ability to displace a fluorescent estrogen homologue from the receptor. Eight pesticide related compounds were assayed: four in the DDT family and four based on the natural insecticide pyrethrin. The organochlorides tested were: DDT, HPTE, and two DDT metabolites: VF77-1and VF72-1. The four synthetic pyrethroids tested were permethrin, deltamethrin, bifenthrin and fenvalerate. While all of the molecules in the DDT family that we tested showed strong binding to ERα, the pyrethroids showed either extremely weak (fenvalerate) or no binding (permethrin, deltamethrin, bifenthrin) to ERα under our experimental conditions. ERβ exhibited a different binding profile: high affinity binding to the DDT family of molecules AND to permethrin, lower affinity but still strong binding to deltamethrin and fenvalerate, and no binding at all to bifenthrin. These results suggest that permethrin, in addition to the DDT based molecules, could potentially have the ability to disrupt the estrogen hormone pathway through binding to ERβ. Permethrin's binding to ERβ is notable, particularly in light of its widespread use in home pet care products such as pet shampoo and flea and tick repellants. The results also suggest that the binding affinity of ERβ is similar to but less discriminating than that of ERα.
A Measure of Media Bias

In this paper we estimate ADA (Americans for Democratic Action) scores for major media outlets such as the New York Times, USA Today, Fox News Special Report, and all three network television news shows. Our estimates allow us to answer such questions as Is the average article in the New York Times more liberal than the average speech by Tom Daschle? or Is the average story on Fox News more conservative than the average speech by Bill Frist? To compute our measure, we count the times that a media outlet cites various think tanks and other policy groups. We compare this with the times that members of Congress cite the same groups in their speeches on the floor of the House and Senate. By comparing the citation patterns we construct an ADA score. As a simplified example, imagine that there were only two think tanks, and suppose that the New York Times cited the first think tank twice as often as the second. Our method asks: What is the typical ADA score of members of Congress who exhibit the same frequency (2:1) in their speeches? This is the score that we would assign to the New York Times. Our results show a strong liberal bias. All of the news outlets except Fox News Special Report and the Washington Times received a score to the left of the average member of Congress. Consistent with many conservative critics, CBS Evening News and the New York Times received a score far left of center. Outlets such as USA Today, NPRs Morning Edition, NBCs Nightly News and ABCs World News Tonight were moderately left. The most centrist outlets (but still left-leaning) by our measure were the Newshour with Jim Lehrer, CNNs NewsNight with Aaron Brown, and ABCs Good Morning America. Fox News Special Report, while right of center, was closer to the center than any of the three major networks evening news broadcasts. All of our findings refer strictly to the news stories of the outlets. That is, we omitted editorials, book reviews, and letters to the editor from our sample.
Comparative studies of detergent effects on the calcium adenosine triphosphatase of sarcoplasmic reticulum: protein isolation, lipid exchange and enzyme transport function.

Abstract The detergent effects of lysolecithin, Triton X-100, and cholate were compared in the calcium transport ATPase system of sarcoplasmic reticulum. Lysolecithin was found to act as a detergent in releasing the ATPase for subsequent purification, but did not strongly promote exchange of membrane lipid classes. Both Triton and cholate promoted exchange of membrane phospholipid. Higher concentrations of Triton and cholate inhibited the ATPase activity, but the enzyme could be reactivated by addition of phospholipid or fatty acid directly to the mixture. Under these conditions, reactivation depended on the presence of lipid acyl chains, rather than specific head groups. It was also found that Triton could be readily removed from the mixture by passing the enzyme through a hydrophobic bead column. Calcium transport was reactivated in the resulting membranes.
Recognition of the T stem-loop of a pre-tRNA substrate by the ribozyme from Bacillus subtilis ribonuclease P.

The ribozyme from bacterial ribonuclease P (denoted P RNA) specifically recognizes the coaxially stacked T stem-loop and the acceptor stem of a tRNA substrate. This recognition is mediated primarily through tertiary interactions. At least four 2'-OH groups in the T stem-loop region have been implicated as direct contacts with Bacillus subtilis P RNA [Pan, T., et al. (1995) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 92, 12510]. Effects of six single 2'-OH --> 2'-H substitutions and two base mutants of the G19-C56 tertiary interaction in tRNA on substrate binding (Kd) and the chemical step of the reaction (k2) have been determined using a tRNA(Phe) substrate containing a 2'-deoxy residue at the cleavage site. Our results show that at least five functional groups in the T stem-loop of tRNA directly participate in P RNA binding. They include the 2'-OH groups of residues 54, 56, 61, and 62 and possibly the 4-amino group of the conserved C56. The 2'-OHs of residues 54, 61, and 62 are positioned within the same minor groove due to stacking of the reverse Hoogsteen U54-A58 pair on the G53-C61 Watson-Crick pair in the T stem. This groove is extended to the 4-amino group of C56 through the tertiary structure of tRNA. We use the term "tertiary groove" to describe alignment of functional groups through tertiary folding of an RNA. The binding also includes the 2'-OH of nucleotide C56 which is not located in this tertiary groove. Assuming additivity, these five interactions can contribute 7.4 kcal/mol or 10(5)-fold in binding but only -0.5 kcal/mol or approximately 2-fold in chemistry at 37 degrees C. The P RNA binding site for the T stem-loop includes at least the previously identified A230 as well as the A130 in B. subtilis P RNA. The Kd and k2 data from the A130G mutant of B. subtilis P RNA suggest that A130 may be proximal to residue 56 in tRNA. These results show how the highly structured T stem-loop region in a pre-tRNA substrate is bound by the B. subtilis P RNA. This is among the first examples of how a nonhelical RNA structure can be recognized by another RNA through tertiary interactions.
Markers of fibrosis and epithelial to mesenchymal transition demonstrate field cancerization in histologically normal tissue adjacent to breast tumors

Previous studies have shown that a field of genetically altered but histologically normal tissue extends 1 cm or more from the margins of human breast tumors. The extent, composition and biological significance of this field are only partially understood, but the molecular alterations in affected cells could provide mechanisms for limitless replicative capacity, genomic instability and a microenvironment that supports tumor initiation and progression. We demonstrate by microarray, qRT-PCR and immunohistochemistry a signature of differential gene expression that discriminates between patient-matched, tumor-adjacent histologically normal breast tissues located 1 cm and 5 cm from the margins of breast adenocarcinomas (TAHN-1 and TAHN-5, respectively). The signature includes genes involved in extracellular matrix remodeling, wound healing, fibrosis and epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT). Myofibroblasts, which are mediators of wound healing and fibrosis, and intra-lobular fibroblasts expressing MMP2, SPARC, TGF-β3, which are inducers of EMT, were both prevalent in TAHN-1 tissues, sparse in TAHN-5 tissues, and absent in normal tissues from reduction mammoplasty. Accordingly, EMT markers S100A4 and vimentin were elevated in both luminal and myoepithelial cells, and EMT markers α-smooth muscle actin and SNAIL were elevated in luminal epithelial cells of TAHN-1 tissues. These results identify cellular processes that are differentially activated between TAHN-1 and TAHN-5 breast tissues, implicate myofibroblasts as likely mediators of these processes, provide evidence that EMT is occurring in histologically normal tissues within the affected field and identify candidate biomarkers to investigate whether or how field cancerization contributes to the development of primary or recurrent breast tumors.
Landing a job in urban space: The extent and effects of spatial mismatch

Abstract This paper emphasizes the spatial nature of the job search process and analyzes the effects of job accessibility on search duration. A theoretical spatial job search model shows how the pattern and efficiency of job search activity may be affected by spatial labor market conditions. The empirical analysis develops unique measures of job accessibility. The results provide strong support of the spatial mismatch hypothesis. Simulation results show that blacks' greater sensitivity to local labor market demand conditions contributes significantly to the black–white gap in search durations. Racial differences in the distribution of job accessibility account for one-fifth of the black–white gap in the hazard of successfully completing a job search, and the cumulative effect of racial differences in all the spatial search-related variables accounts for 40% of the overall black–white gap.
More Than Just Talking

Weather Matters An American Cultural History Since 1900 by Bernard Mergen University Press of Kansas, Lawrence, 2008. 408 pp. $34.95. ISBN 9780700616114. Mergen offers a wide-ranging consideration of Americans' experiences with and reactions to their weather
Baseline and Longitudinal Increases in Diastolic Blood Pressure Are Associated With Greater White Matter Hyperintensity Volume The Northern Manhattan Study

Background and Purpose—Elevated blood pressure (BP) is a risk factor for stroke and dementia, but the effect of BP, and change in BP over time, on white matter hyperintensity volume (WMHV) is not fully understood. Few studies have included Hispanics, who are at greater risk of stroke and dementia than non-Hispanic whites. We examined BP in relation to WMHV in a stroke-free cohort. Methods—The Northern Manhattan Study includes 1290 stroke-free participants who had brain MRI. We examined baseline systolic and diastolic (DBP) BP, and changes in BP from baseline to MRI, and WMHV. Results—There were 1281 participants with brain MRI and 2 BP measurements (mean age, 64 years; SD=8; range, 40 to 94 years). Baseline DBP was associated with greater WMHV (P 5 mm Hg DBP from baseline to MRI ha...
Incorporating Groundwater Levels into Sea-Level Detection Models for Hawaiian Anchialine Pool Ecosystems

ABSTRACT Marrack, L., 2015. Incorporating groundwater levels into sea-level detection models for Hawaiian anchialine pool ecosystems. As sea levels rise, the distribution and community structure of coastal ecosystems are expected to change. In many coastal aquifers, fresher groundwater floats on top of denser saltwater and will rise with sea level. Under these conditions, ecosystems dependent on groundwater may shift inland as a result of inundation, changes in salinity, or both. Groundwater-fed anchialine pool habitats existing in porous coastal substrates around the world have not been assessed for sea-level rise impacts. As a first step toward examining ecosystem response to rising water levels, geospatial models were developed to detect anchialine pools on the island of Hawai‘i at current water levels and models were validated with known pool locations. Specifically, the objectives were to determine whether accounting for groundwater levels in the model improved pool detection, to identify the model t...
What optogenetic stimulation is telling us (and failing to tell us) about fast neurotransmitters and neuromodulators in brain circuits for wake-sleep regulation

In the last eight years optogenetic tools have been widely used to identify functional synaptic connectivity between specific neuronal populations. Most of our knowledge comes from the photo-activation of channelrhodopsin-2 (ChR2) expressing inputs that release glutamate and GABA. More recent studies have been reporting releases of acetylcholine and biogenic amines but direct evidence for photo-evoked released of neuropeptides is still limited particularly in brain slice studies. The high fidelity in the responses with photo-evoked amino-acid transmission is ideal for ChR2-assisted circuit mapping and this approach has been successfully used in different fields of neuroscience. Conversely, neuropeptides employ a slow mode of communication and might require higher frequency and prolonged stimulations to be released. These factors may have contributed to the apparent lack of success for optogenetic release of neuropeptides. In addition, once released, neuropeptides often act on multiple sites and at various distances from the site of release resulting in a greater complexity of postsynaptic responses. Here, we focus on what optogenetics is telling us-and failing to tell us-about fast neurotransmitters and neuropeptides.
The influence of annealing on the surface morphology of single crystal MgO

The surface morphology of (001)-oriented single crystal MgO has been studied as a function of annealing temperature using atomic force microscopy. The surface undergoes two significant changes in the temperature range 500 to 1750°C. Following annealing at 1000°C surface facetting is visible with the formation of well-defined steps and terraces. Following annealing at temperatures ≥ 1500°C the faceted surface structure is lost and planarization of the surface occurs.
Remarks on the orientational thermodynamics of f.c.c. solid ortho-H2

Abstract An improved approximation for the calculation of the orientational thermodynamics of solid ortho-H2, on a rigid f.c.c. lattice, interacting via a truncated mean-field Hamiltonian representing the electric quadrupole - quadrupole and crystal field terms is worked out.
Variation with temperature of the nucleation rate of supercooled liquid tin and water drops.

Abstract X-ray diffraction, dilatometric, and visual techniques are described for measuring the extent of crystallization of systems composed of many small mutually independent volumes of supercooled liquid. Preliminary measurements on supercooled liquid tin and supercooled water show their rate of nucleation has a very large negative temperature coefficient corresponding to an activation energy of the order of − 2 × 105 calories.
Cx40.8, a Cx43-like protein, forms gap junction channels inefficiently and may require Cx43 for its association at the plasma membrane

In addition to having a Cx43 ortholog, the zebrafish genome also contains a Cx43-like gene, Cx40.8. Here, we investigate the expression of cx40.8 in zebrafish fins and the function of Cx40.8 in HeLa cells. We find that cx40.8 is present in the same population of dividing cells as cx43. Unlike Cx43, dye coupling assays suggest that Cx40.8 only inefficiently forms functional gap junction channels. However, co-transfection reveals that Cx40.8 can co-localize with Cx43 in gap junction plaques, and that the resulting plaques contain functional gap junction channels. Together, these data suggest the possibility that Cx40.8 may functionally interact with Cx43 to regulate cell proliferation in vivo.
Multivessel cervicocephalic and visceral arterial dissections: Pathogenic role of primary arterial disease in cervicocephalic arterial dissections.

The origin and pathogenesis of spontaneous internal carotid artery dissections in most cases remain unclear. It is presumed that in many cases an underlying arterial disease may predispose the artery to the mural dissection. In about 15% of cases, there is angiographic evidence of fibromuscular dysplasia in carotid, vertebral, or renal arteries. Uncommonly, cases of cystic medial necrosis and, rarely, other arterial diseases have been reported. However, in the majority of cases, no arterial disease can be documented. Multivessel spontaneous dissections strongly suggest the presence of underlying arterial disease despite absence of any angiographic or laboratory findings pointing to any specific arteriopathy. In this communication, three cases of multivessel cervicocephalic and visceral arterial dissections are reported. Angiographic and laboratory data gave no clues to the nature of the underlying arterial disease. Further clinical observations and histopathologic studies, when possible, as well as biochemical studies should provide more insight into the origin and pathogenesis of the spontaneous arterial dissections.
URBAN ADOLESCENTS' PERCEPTIONS OF THEIR NEIGHBORHOODS: AN EXAMINATION OF SPATIAL DEPENDENCE

Spatial dependence exists when the variation between observations is dependent on spatial location. In the present study, geostatistical methods were used to examine spatial dependence in adolescents’ perceptions of their neighborhoods: whether adolescents living in close proximity perceived their neighborhoods more similarly than adolescents living further apart. Participants included 343 adolescents (53% male; 91% African American) enrolled in sixth grade, residing in Baltimore City, with geocoded home addresses. These addresses were used in combination with a measure of perceived neighborhood disorder and disadvantage to compute variogram plots, a geostatistical technique used to evaluate spatial dependence. Results indicated that perceptions of youth residing in close geographic proximity were more similar than perceptions of youth residing further apart. Adjusting for census-level characteristics, but not individual and family characteristics, resulted in decreased variation among participants but did not eliminate the spatial dependence. Findings highlight the utility of geostatistical methods for social science research. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
UV Curing Effects on Glass Structure and Mechanical Properties of Organosilicate Low-k Thin Films

Ultra-violet radiation curing has emerged as a promising technique for enhancing the glass structure and mechanical properties of low-k organosilicate thin films. The present work examines the effects of UV curing on the adhesive and cohesive fracture properties of carbon-doped oxide low-k films. Detailed 29Si and 13C nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy was employed to study the effects of UV curing on glass structure. The UV curing process is demonstrated to improve the glass network by decreasing the number of terminal non-bridging bonds and increasing the number of cross-linking bonds, leading to significant increases in elastic modulus and interfacial fracture energy. However, an interesting finding is that UV curing does not lead to similar improvements in the films' cohesive strength or their resistance to environmentally assisted cracking in chemical environments. Possible mechanisms responsible for this unexpected behavior are discussed
The Glycemic Index: Physiological Mechanisms Relating to Obesity, Diabetes, and Cardiovascular Disease

The glycemic index was proposed in 1981 as an alternative system for classifying carbohydrate-containing food. Since then, several hundred scientific articles and numerous popular diet books have been published on the topic. However, the clinical significance of the glycemic index remains the subject of debate. The purpose of this review is to examine the physiological effects of the glycemic index and the relevance of these effects in preventing and treating obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease.
Limiting the impact of mobility on ad hoc clustering

This paper explores the impact of node mobility on DMAC, a typical clustering protocol for mobile ad hoc networks. Several protocols for clustering have been proposed, which are quite similar in operations and performance. We selected one and evaluate the cost of maintaining the clustering structures when the nodes move according to three different mobility models, namely, the random way point model, the Brownian motion and the Manhattan mobility model. Via ns2-based simulations we have observed that the mobility models have different impact on protocol performance. The general trend, however, appears to be the same for networks of increasing size. The second contribution of this paper concerns mitigating the impact of mobility over the clustering structure and hence on the overall network performance. We consider a generalization of DMAC (GDMAC) where rules are established to decrease the number of cluster updates. Via simulation we have observed that GDMAC is effective in reducing the clustering overhead imposed by mobility, and hence its maintenance cost.
Collocation solutions of integro-differential equations

Collocation solutions of mth order nonlinear integro-differential equations are discussed. The solutions are piecewise polynomials and are determined by the requirement that they satisfy the given equation at a finite number of points. Approximations to the collocation equations are also discussed.
A Sequential Stochastic Security System Design Problem for Aviation Security

Passenger screening is a critical component of aviation security systems. This paper introduces the sequential stochastic security design problem (SSSDP), which models passenger and carry-on baggage-screening operations in an aviation security system. SSSDP is formulated as a two-stage model, where in the first stage security devices are purchased subject to budget and space constraints, and in the second stage a policy determines how passengers that arrive at a security station are screened. Passengers are assumed to check in sequentially, with passenger risk levels determined by a prescreening system. The objective of SSSDP is to maximize the total security of all passenger-screening decisions over a fixed time period, given passenger risk levels and security device parameters. SSSDP is transformed into a deterministic integer program, and an optimal policy for screening passengers is obtained. Examples are provided to illustrate these results, using data extracted from the Official Airline Guide.
A New Flexible MPI Collective I/O Implementation

The MPI-IO standard creates a huge opportunity to break out of the traditional file system I/O methods. As a software layer between the user and the file system, an MPI-IO library can potentially optimize I/O on behalf of the user with little to no user intervention. This is all possible because of the rich data description and communication infrastructure MPI-2 offers. Powerful data descriptions and some of the other desirable features of MPI-2, however, make MPI-IO challenging to implement. By creating a new collective I/O implementation that allows developers to easily tinker and play with new optimizations or combinations of different techniques, research can proceed faster and be quickly and reliably deployed.
A theoretical comparison of detection techniques on R-DAT

Two alternative detection techniques are simulated on a model of a R-DAT recording channel. The R-DAT model includes electronic and head noise, media noise, adjacent track interference, and overwrite interference. By using this model, the two alternative detection techniques (Class IV partial response and a compromise DC Viterbi detector) are compared with reference flat equalization. Both techniques show some advantage in signal-to-noise ratio margin. >
Identification of a group of AML/MDS patients with a relatively favorable prognosis who have chromosome 5 and/or 7 abnormalities.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Patients with AML, RAEB-t, or RAEB and abnormalities involving chromosomes 5 and/or 7 (-5, -7) generally, but not always, have poorer prognoses than patients with a normal karyotype. Our objective was to see whether the occasional relatively favorable outcome in -5/-7 patients is a random event or, rather, reflects true heterogeneity in -5/-7. DESIGN AND METHODS: We examined 3 factors known to be prognostic in AML for their prognostic significance in 400 -5/-7 patients treated at the M.D. Anderson Cancer Center from 1980-1998 for AML or MDS. The outcome of comparative interest was survival as assessed by log-rank test. RESULTS: There was evidence that outcome was better in -5/-7 patients with a simple (rather than complex) karyotype, with > 1 normal metaphase (rather than only metaphases containing -5/-7), and without an antecedent hematologic disorder. More importantly, the 10% of the patients with a simple karyotype, > 1 normal metaphase, and no antecedent hematologic disorder not only had a better outcome than the other -5/-7 patients but had essentially identical outcomes to the 669 AML/MDS patients with a normal karyotype treated at M.D. Anderson during the same period. INTERPRETATION AND CONCLUSIONS: The results indicate that the -5/-7 group should not a priori be regarded as having an unfavorable prognosis, and more generally suggest the need to refine prognosis within each of the cytogenetic subsets of AML.
The molecular weight of polyacrylonitrile

There is a surprising lack of agreement between the values which have been reported for both the number-average and weight-average molecular weights of polyacrylonitrile. We have undertaken an investigation of both whole polymers and polymer fractions to discover and eliminate the sources of systematic error which would lead to these differences, and thereby to develop procedures yielding reliable molecular weight values for this polymer. Our experience indicates that the procedure which must be followed to obtain reliable osmotic data depends upon the conditions under which the polymer was prepared, whether the sample is a whole polymer or a fraction, and the purity of the solvent. Designating solution polymers by S and those prepared in an aqueous system with a persulfate-bisulfite initiator by A, we conclude that reliable Mn values can be obtained for S polymers by using dimethylformaide (DMF) which has been purified by deionization or distillation, for fractions of A polymers by using deionized DMF, and for whole A polymers by performing the measurements upon DMF solutions which have been deionized by passage through a column of Amberlite MB-3 resin. Fictitiously low Mn values are observed for A polymers dissolved in distilled DMF. The value of the secon virial coefficient is very ensitive to the presence of traces of water. Turning to weight-average molecular weights, a 60% discrepancy exists between the values obtained from light scattering by Stockmayer and Casassa and by Bisschops from sedimentationdiffusion. We believe the correct Mw values lie midway between these. A part of the 60% difference is due to the omission of a correction to the sedimentation data for the effect of hydrostatic pressure. This correction was evaluated from sedimentation data by the procedure of Oth and Desreux and increases the molecular weight values deduced from sedimentation by 30%. The remainder of the difference appears to be due to the effects of depolarization and fluorescence upon the light scattering data. Thus, our data for two fractions which exhibited a limiting depolarization ρu = 0.09 yielded high Mw values standing in agreement with the relation of Stockmayer and Casassa, while the result obtained for a whole polymer having a negligible limiting depolarization agrees with those obtained from the corrected sedimentation data. The latter polymer also exhibited a more normal scattering behavior. A comparison of the weight and number-average values indicates that the Mw/Mn ratio is 2.1 ± 0.1 for the whole S polymers and 2.8 ± 0.3 for the whole A polymers. The broader distribution in the latter case suggests that termination occurs by both coupling and disproportionation in the aqueous polymerization.
A frequency reconfigurable rotatable microstrip antenna design

This paper presents a new frequency reconfigurable antenna design. The reconfigurability is achieved via a rotational motion of a part of the antenna patch. The rotating part has the form of a circle and contains four different shapes. Each shape corresponds to a different antenna structure. With every rotation, a different antenna structure is fed in order to produce a different set of resonant frequencies. A prototype antenna was fabricated and tested to prove the suggested method. A complete agreement was found between the simulated and the measured data.
Electrical contacts on organic crystals: TTF-TCNQ

Abstract Room temperature plots of the electrical potential measured on the surfaces of TTF-TCNQ crystals which carry current are presented. It is shown that silver paint contacts behave electrically as though thin resistive layers ( ⩽ 20 mhos mm 2 conductance) were inserted between the crystal and the current-injecting electrodes. The contact resistance is microscopically nonuniform, and can lead to erroneous results in 4-probe conductivity measurements. By measurement and calculation (using the method of image charges) it is demonstrated that measurement techniques which introduce nonuniform current densities into highly anisotropic crystals are subject to error unless the contacts are kept very small. The principal conductivities of TTF-TCNQ at room temperature were found to be: σb = 440 ± 15, σc ≈ 13, σa, = 1.30 ± 0.05 Ω−1 cm−1, independent of contact effects.
Five new genera of Baetidae (Insecta : Ephemeroptera) from South America

The description of new taxa of small minnow mayflies (Insecta : Ephemeroptera : Baetidae) includes the following. Crypto­ nympha copiosa n. gen. and n.sp., from Brazil, is distinguished by long, robust, pilose setae on the medial margin of the prosthecae ; apically narrow glossae and paraglossae ; absence of hindwingpads ; and long, basally narrow gill 1. Rivudiva n. gen., in­ cluding R. minantenna n.sp., from Brazil, and R. trichobasis n.sp., from Brazil and Paraguay, is distinguished by a broad lingua and relatively narrow superlinguae ; broad glossae with a distomedial row of long, robust, falcate, simple setae ; and tarsal claws with minute denticles arranged in an ellipse. Spiritiops silvudus n.gen. and n. sp., from Brazil and French Guyana, is distingui­ shed by a long, robust, pilose seta arising from the medial margin of the right prostheca and tarsal claws with two rows of den­ ticles and lateral long, fine, simple seta. Varipes lasiobrachius n. gen. and n. sp., from Colombia and Ecuador, is distinguished by the reduced right prostheca and U-shape arrangement of denticles on the tarsal claws. Zelusia principalis n. gen. and n. sp., from Brazil and Colombia, is distinguished by a medially raised labrum, bifid right prostheca, and long, slender maxillary palps. Cinq genres nouveaux de Baetidae (Insecta : Ephemeroptera) d'Amerique du Sud
PLASMODIUM VIVAX BLOOD-STAGE DYNAMICS

We examine the dynamics of parasitemia and gametocytemia reflected in the preintervention charts of 221 malaria-naive U.S. neurosyphilis patients infected with the St. Elizabeth strain of Plasmodium vivax, for malariatherapy, focusing on the 109 charts for which 15 or more days of patency preceded intervention and daily records encompassed an average 98% of the duration of each infection. Our approximations of merogony cycles (via “local peaks” in parasitemia) seldom fit patterns that correspond to “textbook” tertian brood structures. Peak parasitemia was higher in trophozoite-induced infections than in sporozoite-induced ones. Relative densities of male and female gametocytes appeared to alternate, though without a discernably regular period. Successful transmission to mosquitoes did not depend on detectable gametocytemia or on absence of fever. When gametocytes were detected, transmission success depended on densities of only male gametocytes. Successful feeds occurred on average 4.7 days later in an in...
A Child’s Right to an Environment That Prevents Obesity: Ethical Considerations

The addition of children’s rights to the human rights agenda was articulated and organized into specific areas by the Geneva Declaration of the Rights of the Child in 1924 at the League of Nations. It is stated that “mankind owes to the child the best that it has to give” (Parsi, 2002, p. 495). More specific principles were laid out in the Declaration of the Rights of the Child, proclaimed by the United Nations (UN) General Assembly (1959).
A Bayesian-Probabilistic Framework for Real-Time Fatigue Usage Factor Monitoring of Nuclear Reactor Components

Real-time estimation of the fatigue usage factor of nuclear reactor components are helpful tools for on-demand assessment of component structural integrity. Real-time measurements of field variables, such as stress and strain, along with the use of historic/available stress/strain versus fatigue life data and a Bayesian-probabilistic framework can not only help to estimate the fatigue usage factor of reactor components in real time but also can help to estimate the associated confidence bounds. In this paper, a Gaussian Process based Bayesian-probabilistic framework is proposed for real-time estimation of mean fatigue usages factor and associated probabilistic bounds. The preliminary proof of concept was demonstrated through fatigue experiments with 316 stainless steel specimens under different conditions: a) under 300 °C and pressurized water reactor (PWR) water chemistry, and b) room temperature and in-air condition. At present the proposed probabilistic monitoring approach is not part of any code requirements, however the proposed framework is output of a futuristic basic research work, which requires more advancement. Also the results discussed in the paper are part of very preliminary basic research and requires advance validation such as under realistic nuclear reactor conditions.Copyright © 2015 by ASME
Method for deriving color-difference-perceptibility ellipses for surface-color samples

We have developed a method for determining the parameters of color-difference-perceptibility ellipses for surface colors and have evaluated it by use of new visual data. A new theory was devised, based on the assumption of a normal distribution of color differences in local areas of CIE 1931 chromaticity space. A likelihood function that combines the observer characteristic with the probability of a certain chromaticity point being seen as a match to a color center provides a mathematical description of color-difference perception in x, y space. Best estimates of the color-difference-perception-ellipse parameters and the value of a false-alarm-rate parameter are found by maximizing this likelihood function. Use of this function leads to predicted data that are not significantly different from collected visual data. The unit color-difference-perception ellipse thus calculated describes the locus of chromaticities that have approximately a 60% chance of being seen as matches to the color represented by the center of the ellipse.
THE TRUTH OF THE BODY: MERLEAU-PONTY ON PERCEPTION, LANGUAGE, AND LITERATURE

When Maurice Merleau-Ponty died in 1961, the world of professional philosophy was well aware that one of the Twentieth Century’s most significant philosophic voices had been lost. Less obvious at the time, and I suspect still less than fully appreciated now, was the loss incurred by theorists of language and literature. Yet, as Ronald Bruzina points out, one of MerleauPonty’s most valuable advances beyond the great inaugural work of Husserl was precisely in the phenomenology of language.1 It is unlikely that the space of a brief essay can do much to remedy that situation. I would like to attempt, however, an interpretative summary of Merleau-Ponty’s major insights regarding the body, perception, and language, and to suggest the relevance of those ideas to selected issues affecting literary theory. The emphasis throughout will be on the integrative or synthetic tendency of Merleau-Ponty’s thought, a tendency which leads him to attack dualistic thought in all its forms. This synthetic tendency is especially evident in three insights with special relation to language issues: the inherence of meaning, the inherence of ambiguity, and the inherence of process to human existence.
Effects of myosin kinase inhibiting peptide on contractility and LC20 phosphorylation in skinned smooth muscle

A peptide inhibitor, myosin kinase inhibitor (MKI), of myosin light chain kinase (MLCK) was tested for its effects on contractility and myosin light chain phosphorylation in Triton X-100 skinned guinea pig taenia coli. MKI is based on the amino acid sequence of the myosin light chain (residues 11-19 LC20) and is a competitive inhibitor [inhibitory constant (Ki) congruent to 10 microM] of purified MLCK with respect to myosin light chain (LC20). MKI inhibited unloaded shortening velocity (V(us)) and the calcium-sensitive ATPase activity of the skinned fibers but had no significant effect on steady-state isometric force or myosin light chain phosphorylation, as measured by IEF-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis analysis. MKI had no significant effect on V(us) of thiophosphorylated fibers in the absence of calcium. MKI inhibited MLCK activity in protein extracts from taenia coli, as measured by radioactive phosphate incorporation into LC20. Surprisingly, MKI also inhibited the phosphatase activity of these same extracts. This peptide slowed the rate and extent of relaxation of calcium-contracted fibers and elicited a contraction in relaxed fibers. These results are consistent with the hypothesis that MKI may be a phosphatase inhibitor as well as an inhibitor of MLCK. Our data further suggest that the rate of phosphorylation-dephosphorylation turnover may be important in regulating V(us) in smooth muscle.
Long-range precipitation forecasts using paleoclimate reconstructions in the western United States

Long-range precipitation forecasts are useful when managing water supplies. Oceanic-atmospheric oscillations have been shown to influence precipitation. Due to a longer cycle of some of the oscillations, a short instrumental record is a limitation in using them for long-range precipitation forecasts. The influence of oscillations over precipitation is observable within paleoclimate reconstructions; however, there have been no attempts to utilize these reconstructions in precipitation forecasting. A data-driven model, KStar, is used for obtaining long-range precipitation forecasts by extending the period of record through the use of reconstructions of oscillations. KStar is a nearest neighbor algorithm with an entropy-based distance function. Oceanic-atmospheric oscillation reconstructions include the El Nino-Southern Oscillation (ENSO), the Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO), the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO), and the Atlantic Multi-decadal Oscillation (AMO). Precipitation is forecasted for 20 climate divisions in the western United States. A 10-year moving average is applied to aid in the identification of oscillation phases. A lead time approach is used to simulate a one-year forecast, with a 10-fold cross-validation technique to test the models. Reconstructions are used from 1658-1899, while the observed record is used from 1900-2007. The model is evaluated using mean absolute error (MAE), root mean squared error (RMSE), RMSE-observations standard deviation ratio (RSR), Pearson’s correlation coefficient (R), Nash-Sutcliffe coefficient of efficiency (NSE), and linear error in probability space (LEPS) skill score (SK).The role of individual and coupled oscillations is evaluated by dropping oscillations in the model. The results indicate ‘good’ precipitation estimates using the KStar model. This modeling technique is expected to be useful for long-term water resources planning and management.
TOPP as a Marine Life Observatory: Using Electronic Tags to Monitor the Movements, Behaviour and Habitats of Marine Vertebrates

The Tagging of Pacific Pelagic (TOPP) a field program of the Census of Marine Life has proven the concept of using electronic tags to develop a Marine Life Observatory (MLO) to monitor the habitat utilization, movement patterns and behaviour of large marine predators. Given the difficulty of observing the behavior of highly pelagic marine species we know relatively little about their habitat requirements. This is especially true for tunas, sharks, turtles, seabirds, seals and whales that disperse over vast areas of the pelagic realm spending most of their time underwater and at great distances from shore. The new, miniaturized sensors provide oceanographic quality environmental data directly from wild animals living free and undisturbed in their natural habitats, in addition to detailed information about the behaviour of the animals themselves. The availability of this technology is leading to a partnership between physical oceanographers and organismal biologists. These studies are providing a unique avenue for animal acquired data to be incorporated into the operational oceanography community. The data derived from these advanced electronic tagging technologies and scientific methods will help us meet the challenges of the 21st century for marine resource management and ocean modeling. Biologging has been employed on a large scale and in an operational mode showing that it can play an important role in a Global Ocean Observing System.