cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A Decision-Analytic Model for Using Scientific Data

Many Artificial Intelligence systems depend on the agent's updating its beliefs about the world on the basis of experience. Experiments constitute one type of experience, so scientific methodology offers a natural environment for examining the issues attendant to using this class of evidence. This paper presents a framework which structures the process of using scientific data from research reports for the purpose of making decisions, using decision analysis as the basis for the structure, and using medical research as the general scientific domain. The structure extends the basic influence diagram for updating belief in an object domain parameter of interest by expanding the parameter into four parts: those of the patient, the population, the study sample, and the effective study sample. The structure uses biases to perform the transformation of one parameter into another, so that, for instance, selection biases, in concert with the population parameter, yield the study sample parameter. The influence diagram structure provides decision theoretic justification for practices of good clinical research, such as randomized assignment and blindfolding of care providers. The model covers most research designs used in medicine: case-control studies, cohort studies, and controlled clinical trials, and provides an architecture to separate clearly between statistical knowledge and domain knowledge. The proposed general model can be the basis for clinical epidemiological advisory systems, when coupled with heuristic pruning of irrelevant biases; of statistical workstations, when the computational machinery for calculation of posterior distributions is added; and of meta-analytic reviews, when multiple studies may impact on a single population parameter.
Galapagos iguanas: Amblyrhynchus and Conolophus serum protein relationships.

The serum proteins of two genera of Galapagos iguanas were studied by means of immunochemical and electrophoretic methods. The albumin-like fraction of the serum of the Galapagos land iguana, genus Conolophus, demonstrated greater anodal mobility than the albumin of Amblyrhynchus, the Galapagos marine iguana. The marine reptile was shown to possess four antigenic serum components not found in the land reptile. Double-diffusion analysis, using rabbit antiserum to the serum of Amblyrhynchus cristatus (Santa Cruz Island), indicated taht the antigenic profile of the Santa Cruz, Hood, Tower, Albemarle and James Island populations of Amblyrhynchus were identical when the eliciting immunogen is the serum of the Santa Cruz marine iguana.
A Geometric Relationship Between Equivalent Spreads

By Andre theory, it is well known how to algebraically convert a spread in a projective space to an equivalent spread (representing the same translation plane) in a projective space of different dimension and of different order (corresponding to a subfield of the kernel). The goal of this paper is to establish a geometric connection between any two such equivalent spreads by embedding them as subspaces and subgeometries of an ambient projective spaces. The connection can be viewed as a generalization of a construction due to Hirschfeld and Thas.
Beyond Rigidity: The Unfinished Semantic Agenda of Naming and Necessity

In this fascinating work, Scott Soames offers a new conception of the relationship between linguistic meaning and assertions made by utterances. He gives meanings of proper names and natural kind predicates and explains their use in attitude ascriptions. He also demonstrates the irrelevance of rigid designation in understanding why theoretical identities containing such predicates are necessary, if true.
Hybrid Vehicle-Centric Route Guidance

Abstract This paper presents a concept, framework and algorithms for a vehiclecentric route guidance system. By vehicle-centric, we mean a route guidance system in which the vehicle senses, transmits and receives network data, and acts as a computer and consumer of guidance. The proposed system has a hybrid structure in which guidance is computed in a predictive, centralized layer and revised in a decentralized, vehicle-level layer taking into account real-time, local data. Results of initial testing are given which show the effectiveness of this approach to route guidance.
Infectious disease-related deaths of low birth weight infants, United States, 1968 to 1982.

Infant mortality rates in the United States are higher than in any other developed country. Low birth weight (LBW) is the primary determinant of infant mortality. Despite city, state, and federal programs to prevent LBW, decreases in infant mortality in the 1980s appear to be largely secondary to improved survival of LBW infants rather than to a decline in the rate of LBW births. Because prevention of mortality due to infectious disease is feasible, it was of interest to examine the role of infectious diseases in LBW infant mortality. US vital statistics mortality data for 1968 through 1982 were analyzed in terms of LBW infant mortality associated with infectious and noninfectious diseases. These analyses indicated that the rates of infectious disease-associated early neonatal and postneonatal LBW mortality increased during this time; late neonatal rates did not decline appreciably. Infectious diseases were associated with 4% of all LBW infant deaths in 1968; this had increased to 10% by 1982. Although LBW infant mortality rates associated with noninfectious diseases did not differ for white and black populations, infectious disease-associated mortality rates were consistently higher for blacks than whites in both metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas. Chorioamnionitis was involved in 28% of infectious disease-associated early neonatal LBW deaths. Sepsis was an increasingly listed cause of death in all infant age periods, whereas respiratory tract infections were decreasingly listed. Necrotizing enterocolitis increased as a cause of late neonatal mortality. These data suggest that infectious diseases are an increasing cause of LBW infant mortality and these deaths occur more frequently in the black population targeted by prevention programs. More research concerning specific causes and prevention of infections in the LBW infant may help reduce US infant mortality.
Erwinia chrysanthemi L-asparaginase : epitope mapping and production of antigenically modified enzymes

This study shows that the antigenicity of Erwinia chrysanthemi L-asparaginase can be reduced by site-directed mutagenesis. Ten B-cell epitopes of the enzyme were identified using synthetic hexapeptides and polyclonal antisera from rabbits and mice. The region 282GIVPPDEELP292 near the C-terminus was an immunodominant epitope. Binding of two hexapeptides (283IVPPDE288 and 287DEELPG292) to the antibodies was dependent on Pro285, and Pro286, since their replacement by almost any other amino acid resulted in reduced binding. The other residues were less important for binding the antibodies, as binding was relatively unaffected by amino acid substitutions. Three site-directed mutant enzymes, P285T (proline-285-->threonine etc.), P286Q and E288A, were expressed in Escherichia coli. The purified enzymes had subunit M(r) values of 35,000. The pI values of P285T, P286Q and the wild-type enzymes were 8.6, and that for the mutant E288A was 9.2. The kcat. and Km values for the mutants P286Q and E288A with L-asparagine and L-glutamine were comparable with those of the wild-type enzyme. The Km values for the mutant P285T with both substrates was similar to that of the wild-type enzyme, whereas the kcat. was reduced by 2-fold with L-asparagine and by 4-fold with L-glutamine. The change proline-->threonine reduced the antigenicity of the enzyme by 8-fold, as shown in sandwich e.l.i.s.a.s. using monoclonal antibodies raised against the wild-type enzyme.
The use of advanced batteries for meeting California's ZEV requirement

In March 1996, the California Air Resources Board (ARB) and the seven largest vehicle manufacturers in the US market formerly established a Memoranda of Agreement (MOA) to support the commercialization of zero-emission vehicles (ZEVs) and the fulfilment of a 10 percent California ZEV fleet by 2003. During the march hearings, considerable emphasis was placed on the need for advanced battery technologies capable of extending the range and performance of electric vehicles (EVs) to acceptable levels. This paper is intended to provide an update on ARB's ZEV requirement and the progress of advanced batteries including Ni-MH, Na-NiCl and Li-ion batteries.
Conditioned responding to magnetic fields by honeybees

Individual honeybees were trained in two experiments to come for sucrose solution to a target set on a shelf before an open laboratory window. On some visits, the target was presented in the ambient geomagnetic field, and on other visits in a field modified in the vicinity of the target by passing a direct current through a coil under the shelf. The target contained 50% sucrose when it was in one of the two fields and 20% sucrose when it was in the other. Tested subsequently with a pair of targets, one in the ambient field, one in the modified field, and both containing tap water, the animals significantly preferred the target in the field in which they had been given the 50% sucrose during training. Four modified fields, produced with different coils and currents, were discriminated equally well from the ambient field, and performance was as good when the 50% sucrose was given in the ambient field as when it was given in the modified field. Data are provided also to illustrate the excellent discriminative performance attainable when two targets are presented on each training visit — one in a modified field, the other in the ambient field — and choice of one is rewarded with 50% sucrose while choice of the other is punished with mild electric shock. Our results show that foragers attend to magnetic stimuli at the feeding site and that discriminative training techniques are appropriate for the study of magnetoreception and its mechanism in honeybees.
Device Simulation for Future Technologies

Simulation approaches used in Intel to evaluate the applicability of new devices and materials for future microprocessor technologies are reviewed. Examples discussed include the evaluation of highly stressed materials, III -V HEMT devices, and carbon nanoribbons. The techniques employed are similar to those used in the research community, but focused on efficient evaluation within a versatile infrastructure that works for both development and research.
The IBM 3803/3420 magnetic tape subsystem

The design innovations in the IBM 3803 Tape Control Unit and the IBM 3420 Magnetic Tape Unit are discussed. The new design concepts include a full readback parity check, a system of microprogram control that obtains high operating rates through overlap of channel control and motion control functions, a new phase-error detection system, a modified dual-density recording feature and a new interface between the control unit and tape drive. The combination of novel error detection methods, control features and programming support (including an expanded scheme of on-line diagnostics) contributes to greatly improved total system performance over previous models of tape subsystems.
Soft X-Ray Absorption Due to a Foreground Edge-on Spiral Galaxy toward the Core of A2029

We have detected an X-ray absorption feature against the core of the galaxy cluster A2029 (z = 0.0767) that we identify with the foreground galaxy UZC J151054.6+054313 (z = 0.0221). Optical observations (B, V, R, and I) indicate that it is an Scd galaxy seen nearly edge-on at an inclination of 87° ± 3°. H I observations give a rotation velocity of 108 km s-1 and an atomic hydrogen mass of M = 3.1 × 109d M☉, where d90 is the distance to the galaxy in units of 90 Mpc. X-ray spectral fits to the Chandra absorption feature yield a hydrogen column density of (2.0 ± 0.4) × 1021 cm-2, assuming solar abundances. If the absorber is uniformly distributed over the disk of the galaxy, the implied hydrogen mass is MH = (6.2 ± 1.2) × 108d M☉. Since the absorbing gas in the galaxy is probably concentrated toward the center of the galaxy and the middle of the disk, this is a lower limit to the total hydrogen mass. On the other hand, the absorption measurements imply that the dark matter in UZC J151054.6+054313 is not distributed in a relatively uniform diffuse gas.
MOLECULAR ASPECTS OF LIGHT‐INDUCED UPTAKE AND RELEASE OF PROTONS BY PURPLE MEMBRANES

— The precise molecular description of the time dependent steps in the uptake, translocation and release of protons by bacteriorhodopsin following photon absorption requires information on the time resolved changes in protonation of the side chains of specific amino acid residues and the correlation of these changes with photocycle kinetics. Thus far, the use of chemical modification to probe the role of amino acid side chains in this process has proven of value in demonstrating a role for tyrosine residues in release and uptake of protons associated with early and later stages (before and after M412 formation) of the photocycle. In addition, it has demonstrated the essential role of ionic interactions between negatively charged carboxyl groups and positively charged guanidinium groups of arginine, and amino groups of lysine. The transmembrane regulatory effect of ΔμH+ on the M412 species of the photocycle provides additional evidence for the participation of reversible protonation of amino acid side chains at the surfaces of the purple membrane in the mechanism of proton translocation. Thus, our studies relate molecular events of proton translocation to the bioenergetics of the purple membrane.
Accelerating seismic moment release and outer‐rise compression: Possible precursors to the next great earthquake in the Alaska Peninsula region

The moment release rate in the Kodiak Island (KI) segment increased prior to the great 1964 Prince William Sound earthquake (MW = 9.2). Starting in 1983 the moment release rate in the Shumagin Island (SI) segment shows a similar increase. In July 1990, an outer-rise reverse earthquake showed arc-normal compression at a depth of 42 km seaward of the Alaska Peninsula (AP) segment. Because accelerating moment release and arc-normal compression have both been proposed as precursors to large and great earthquakes, we suggest this is evidence that the SI-AP region is nearing the end of the seismic cycle between large thrust earthquakes.
A day in the EMG laboratory: case studies of 10 patients with different clinical problems.

Other articles in this issue have reviewed basic concepts of nerve conduction studies (NCSs) and needle electromyography (EMG), and have detailed the electrodiagnostic features and approaches that are used to evaluate different types of neuromuscular disorders. This article discusses 10 representative case vignettes that may be encountered during a day in the EMG laboratory, which demonstrate the approaches used in our EMG laboratory to evaluate patients presenting with specific symptoms and a variety of suspected neuromuscular conditions. Each case presents a brief description of the patient’s symptoms and clinical findings, suggests the suspected localization or diagnosis that was considered based on the clinical features before the performance of the electrodiagnostic study, and then presents the NCS and needle EMG data that were actually gathered from that patient. Comments and instructive electrodiagnostic considerations as they relate to each case are discussed at the end of the case. Although it would be uncommon to encounter all of these patients in a single day in the EMG laboratory, it would surely be an interesting and educational workday.
Liquid secondary ion mass spectrometry with a focussed primary ion source

Abstract Experiments are described, which indicate the advantage of focussing the primary ion beam to a spot smaller than the sample diameter in liquid secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS). This results in lowering the detection limit for many substances below the nanomole level and prolongs the useful measuring time for a given amount of sample. A focussed SIMS source can be built small enough to fit into existing mass spectrometers without major modifications.
Porosity development in carbons derived from scrap automobile tires

Abstract The problem of disposal of scrap automotive tires has led to many investigations of possible processes leading to high value added products, including those yielding activated carbons. This study examines the porous nature of such carbons, and how it develops under oxidizing conditions that model “physical activation” or combustion types of conditions. The characterization of porosity is based upon information obtained from nitrogen and carbon dioxide adsorption isotherms. Up to a certain degree of conversion, remarkably similar patterns of porosity development are seen during burnoff in oxygen, carbon dioxide and nitric oxide, but this gives way to more unique behaviors in the different gases at high conversions. The implication is that there is imprinted during pyrolysis a certain pattern of porosity development that is initially followed, regardless of activation conditions (within the intrinsic chemical reaction rate controlled regime), but that this gradually gives way to development that is more heavily dictated by particular reaction conditions.
Characterization of energy losses in an upflow single-chamber microbial electrolysis cell

Abstract We characterized electrode energy losses and ohmic energy loss in an upflow, single-chamber microbial electrolysis cell (MEC) with no metal catalyst on the cathode. The MEC produced 0.57 m 3 -H 2 /m 3 -d at an applied voltage of ∼1 V and achieved a cathodic conversion efficiency of 98% and a H 2 yield of 2.4 mol H 2 /mol acetate. Eliminating the membrane lowered the ohmic energy loss to 0.005 V, and the pH energy loss became as small as 0.072 V. The lack of metal catalyst on the cathode led to a significant cathode energy loss of 0.56 V. The anode energy loss also was relatively large at 0.395 V, but this was artificial, due to the high positive anode potential, poised at +0.07 V (vs. the standard hydrogen electrode). The energy-conversion efficiency (ECE) was 75% in the single-chamber MEC when the energy input and outputs were compared directly as electrical energy. To achieve an energy benefit out of an MEC (i.e., an ECE >100%), the applied voltage must be less than 0.6 V with a cathodic conversion efficiency over 80%. An ECE of 180% could be achieved if the anode and cathode energy losses were reduced to 0.2 V each.
The economic footing of the global poor, 1980–2005: The roles of economic growth, openness and political institutions

The period between 1980 and 2005 registered declining poverty, especially in its extreme form, and increasing economic inequality with implications for the economic footing of the global poor- and low-income groups. Disentangling the roles of economic growth, openness and political institutions in determining poverty and inequality using cross-national data faces enormous methodological challenges. Nevertheless, panel data regressions estimated here suggest that the poor- and low-income groups do not benefit much from economic openness and political democracy. While economic growth and government expenditures do not significantly affect poverty, they prove somewhat effective at containing inequality. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Diffuse radioactivity in the thoraco-abdominal region seen in bone scintigraphy.

B ECAUSE OF colon carcinoma with a post left hemicolectomy, a 60 year old man underwent bone scan using technetium 99m hydroxymethylene diphosphonate. The study showed an area of increased uptake in the skull and in the left hip region; the left kidney was not visualized. In addition, there was an area of faintly increased radioactivity in the left side (Fig 1), corresponding to abdominal and retroperitoneal masses seen in computed tomography (CT) of the abdomen (Fig 2). A percutaneous retroperitoneal biopsy confirmed the lower mass to be poorly differentiated adenocarcinoma consistent with metastasis from the previous colon carcinoma. A liver-spleen scan using 99mTC sulfur colloid was essentially negative (Fig 3). In addition to the bulky metastatic mass shown in this case, causes of diffuse radioactivity in the thoracoabdominal region in bone scintigraphy are as follows.
Physiochemical properties of various polymer substrates and their effects on microchip electrophoresis performance.

Abstract A suite of polymers were evaluated for their suitability as viable substrate materials for microchip electrophoresis applications, which were fabricated via replication technology. The relevant physiochemical properties investigated included the glass transition temperature (Tg), UV–vis absorption properties, autofluorescence levels, electroosmotic flow (EOF) and hydrophobicity/hydrophilicity as determined by sessile water contact angle measurements. These physiochemical properties were used as a guide to select the proper substrate material for the intended microchip electrophoretic application. The Tg of these polymers provided a guide for optimizing embossing parameters to minimize replication errors (REs), which were evaluated from surface profilometer traces. RE values ranged from 0.4 to 13.6% for the polymers polycarbonate (PC) and low-density polyethylene (LDPE), respectively. The absorption spectra and autofluorescence levels of the polymers were also measured at several different wavelengths. In terms of optical clarity (low absorption losses and small autofluorescence levels), poly(methyl methacrylate), PMMA (clear acrylic), provided ideal characteristics with autofluorescence levels comparable to glass at excitation wavelengths that ranged from 488–780 nm. Contact angle measurements showed a maximum (i.e., high degree of hydrophobicity) for polypropylene (PP), with an average contact angle of 104° ± 3° and a minimum exhibited by gray acrylic, G-PMMA, with an average contact angle of 27° ± 2°. The EOF was also measured for thermally assembled chips both before and after treatment with bovine serum albumin (BSA). The electrophoretic separation of a mixture of dye-labeled proteins including; carbonic anhydrase, phosphorylase B, β-galactosidase, and myosin, was performed on four different polymer microchips using laser-induced fluorescence (LIF) excitation at 632.8 nm. A maximum average resolution of 5.04 for several peak pairs was found with an efficiency of 6.68 × 104 plates for myosin obtained using a BSA-treated PETG microchip.
THE SEVENTH TRANSMEMBRANE DOMAINS OF THE δ AND κ OPIOID RECEPTORS HAVE DIFFERENT ACCESSIBILITY PATTERNS AND INTERHELICAL INTERACTIONS

We applied the substituted cysteine accessibility method (SCAM) to map the residues of the transmembrane helices (TMs) 7 of delta and kappa opioid receptors (deltaOR and kappaOR) that are on the water-accessible surface of the binding-site crevices. A total of 25 consecutive residues (except C7.38) in the TMs 7 were mutated to Cys, one at a time, and each mutant was expressed in HEK 293 cells. Most mutants displayed similar binding affinity for [(3)H]diprenorphine, an antagonist, as the wild types. Pretreatment with (2-aminoethyl)methanethiosulfonate (MTSEA) inhibited [(3)H]diprenorphine binding to eight deltaOR and eight kappaOR mutants. All mutants except deltaOR L7.52(317)C were protected by naloxone from the MTSEA effect, indicating that the side chains of V7.31(296), A7.34(299), I7.39(304), L7.41(306), G7.42(307), P7.50(315), and Y7.53(318) of deltaOR and S7.34(311), F7.37(314), I7.39(316), A7.40(317), L7.41(318), G7.42(319), Y7.43(320), and N7.49(326) of kappaOR are on the water-accessible surface of the binding pockets. Combining the SCAM data with rhodopsin-based molecular models of the receptors led to the following conclusions. (i) The residues of the extracellular portion of TM7 predicted to face TM1 are sensitive to MTSEA in kappaOR but are not in deltaOR. Thus, TM1 may be closer to TM7 in deltaOR than in kappaOR. (ii) MTSEA-sensitive mutants start at position 7.31(296) in deltaOR and at 7.34(311) in kappaOR, suggesting that TM7 in deltaOR may have an additional helical turn (from 7.30 to 7.33). (iii) There is a conserved hydrogen-bond network linking D2.50 of the NLxxxD motif in TM2 with W6.48 of the CWxP motif in TM6. (iv) The NPxxY motif in TM7 interacts with TM2, TM6, and helix 8 to maintain receptors in inactive states. To the best of our knowledge, this represents the first such comparison of the structures of two highly homologous GPCRs.
Energy impacts of a municipal conservation policy

An analysis of one of the oldest residential conservation programs in the United States (i.e., the Davis, California Energy Conservation Building Code) reveals a 15% reduction in electricity consumption in the first 41 months of implementation. This reduction, which has been corrected for weather effects, energy-price changes, and non-local policies, is attributed to both the structural features of the code and to the energy conserving behavior of the residents of the city.
Plasminogen Activator Inhibitor-1: A Novel Therapeutic Target for Hypertension?

Hypertension is the most common reversible risk factor for stroke, myocardial infarction, and heart failure, affecting >60 million individuals in the United State alone and 1 billion globally.1 According to the World Health Organization, hypertension is now the leading cause of preventable death worldwide.2 Importantly, the prevalence and complications of hypertension increase significantly with age. However, despite the availability of many antihypertensive agents of distinct pharmacologic classes and evidence-based guideline recommendations for stepwise, multidrug regimens, control of hypertension remains suboptimal, with target blood pressure achieved in <50% of patients.1 Although patient noncompliance and submaximal dosing of antihypertensive agents contribute to lack of blood pressure control, there is an unmet need for new approaches for treatment of hypertension. In this issue of Circulation , Boe et al3 report that pharmacological inhibition of plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1) is protective against the development of hypertension, cardiac hypertrophy, and periaortic fibrosis (ie, arteriosclerosis) in mice treated with N ω-nitro-l-arginine methyl ester (l-NAME) to inhibit endothelial nitric oxide synthase. Article see p 2318 Because the molecular basis for primary or essential hypertension is unknown, the treatment of hypertension, excluding secondary or identifiable hypertension with known causes (eg, chronic renal disease, renovascular, hyperaldosteronism, Cushing syndrome, pheochromocytoma), has been based primarily on targeting the underlying physiologic determinants of blood pressure—namely, intravascular volume (eg, diuretics), neurohormonal drive (eg, centrally acting agents, renin angiotensin system blockade), systemic vascular resistance (eg, vasodilators), and cardiac inotropy and chronotropy (eg, beta blockers; Figure). Another hallmark of hypertension is vascular remodeling of both small (inward eutrophic remodeling that decreases lumen area and increases systemic vascular resistance) and large …
Laser use in foot surgery.

Laser is an acronym for Light Amplification by the Stimulated Emission of Radiation. Laser surgery is rapidly gaining the interest of both the medical practitioner and the general public. Since the first reported use of laser surgery in podiatry in 1980,23 a large number of laser surgery centers for treatment of foot and ankle disorders have appeared throughout the country. A relative paucity of literature exists about applications of lasers in foot and ankle surgery, and orthopaedic surgery as a whole. This is further compounded by the fact that very few of the existing studies are scientifically significant, either due to inadequate numbers, questionable study design, or a combination of these factors. At the present time, it appears that the only worthwhile application of lasers in foot and ankle surgery is for the treatment of plantar warts that are resistant to more conventional methods of treatment. As more well-controlled studies on the applications of lasers become available, the future of lasers ...
The discreteW transform

Four different versions of the discreteW transform (DWT) are introduced. The DWT may be decomposed into the discrete cosine transform (DCT) and the discrete sine transform (DST). Eight versions of both DCT and DST are introduced for the decomposition of the DWT. The relationship among different versions of DWT and their relation with the discrete Fourier transform (DFT) are given. Convolution theorems represented by different versions of the DWT are derived.
Targeting protein kinase C and "non-kinase" phorbol ester receptors: emerging concepts and therapeutic implications.

Abstract Phorbol esters, natural compounds that mimic the action of the lipid second messenger diacylglycerol (DAG), are known to exert their biological actions through the activation of classical and novel protein kinase C (PKC) isozymes. Phorbol esters, via binding to the PKC C1 domains, cause major effects on mitogenesis by controlling the activity of cyclin–cdk complexes and the expression of cdk inhibitors. In the last years it became clear that phorbol esters activate other molecules having a C1 domain in addition to PKCs. One of the most interesting families of “non-kinase” phorbol ester receptors is represented by the chimaerins, lipid-regulated Rac-GAPs that modulate actin cytoskeleton reorganization, migration, and proliferation. The discovery of the chimaerins and other “non-kinase” phorbol ester receptors has major implications in the design of agents for cancer therapy.
Coupon Value: A Signal for Price?

In this article, the author proposes that consumers use the value of a coupon to estimate price. Study 1 shows that the higher the percentage discount, the higher the perceived price; Study 2 demon...
Yet another Dowker product

Abstract ♦ implies that there is a perfectly normal X such that X × X is normal but not countably paracompact.
Characterization of lentiviral pseudotypes with influenza H5N1 hemagglutinin and their performance in neutralization assays

Pseudotype reporter viruses are being used as safe, quantitative, and high-throughput tools for assessing antibody neutralization for many viruses, including influenza. However, characterization of pseudotypes containing influenza hemagglutinin (HA-pseudotypes) is needed before this system is widely adopted for evaluating neutralizing antibodies in sera following vaccination or infection. In this report HA-pseudotype stocks were analyzed for HA content, stability, and performance in neutralization assays under various conditions. HA-pseudotypes produced with HA genes of H5 strains representing clades 1, 2.2, and 2.3.4 consistently contain similar HA contents, and infectivity was not greatly affected by the purity of the HA-pseudotype preparations or variations in storage conditions. HA-pseudotype neutralization titers using a reference serum panel were also consistent across a wide range of dilutions of HA-pseudotype stocks and correlated well with results from microneutralization assays involving replicating influenza. Concentrated HA-pseudotypes were further shown to work well in hemagglutination inhibition assays. Finally, antisera elicited by genetically modified HA, with changes in the polybasic cleavage site that have been used in some H5 vaccines and reduce pathogenicity, gave identical neutralization titers against HA-pseudotypes with wild type or modified HA. These findings support continued development of HA-pseudotypes as a robust tool for analyzing sera in vaccine and serologic studies.
Eosinophilic Endomyocardial Disease Presenting as Cyanosis, Platypnea, and Orthodeoxia

Excerpt Orthodeoxia and platypnea refer to arterial desaturation and dyspnea that occur with assumption of an upright posture and are relieved by recumbency (1). We describe a unique presentation o...
Central neurogenic neuroprotection: Central neural systems that protect the brain from hypoxia and ischemia

The brain can protect itself from ischemia and/or hypoxia by two distinct mechanisms which probably involve two separate systems of neurons in the CNS. One, which mediates a reflexive neurogenic neuroprotection, emanates from oxygen-sensitive sympathoexcitatory reticulospinal neurons of the RVLM. These cells, excited within seconds by reduction in blood flow or oxygen, initiate the systemic vascular components of the oxygen conserving (diving) reflex. They profoundly increase rCBF without changing rCGU and, hence, rapidly and efficiently provide the brain with oxygen. Upon cessation of the stimulus the systemic and cerebrovascular adjustments return to normal. The system mediating reflex protection projects via as-yet-undefined projections from RVLM to upper brainstem and/or thalamus to engage a small population of neurons in the cortex which appear to be dedicated to transducing a neuronal signal into vasodilation. It also appears to relay the central neurogenic vasodilation elicited from other brain regions, including excitation of axons innervating the FN. This mode of protection would be initiated under conditions of global ischemia and/or hypoxemia because the signal is detected by medullary neurons. The second neuroprotective system is represented in intrinsic neurons of the cerebellar FN and mediates a conditioned central neurogenic neuroprotection. The response can be initiated by excitation of intrinsic neurons of the FN and does not appear dependent upon RVLM. The pathways and transmitters that mediate the effect are unknown. The neuroprotection afforded by this network is long-lasting, persisting for almost two weeks, and is associated with reduced excitability of cortical neurons and reduced immunoreactivity of cerebral microvessels. This mode of neuroprotection, moreover, is not restricted to focal ischemia, as we have demonstrated that it also protects the brain against global ischemia and excitotoxic cell death. That the brain may have neuronal systems dedicated to protecting itself from injury, at first appearing to be a novel concept, is, upon reflection, not surprising since the brain is not injured in naturalistic behaviors characterized by very low levels of rCBF, diving and hibernation. An understanding of the pathways, transmitters, and molecules engaged in such protection may provide new insights into novel therapies for a range of disorders characterized by neuronal death.
Systematic reviews of strategies to prevent motor vehicle injuries

BACKGROUND: Information on which strategies have been shown to be effective, which are ineffective, and which strategies have been inadequately evaluated is important for both public policy and future research. OBJECTIVE: To provide systematic reviews of the literature on important strategies to prevent motor vehicle injuries. METHODS: The Injury Control Research Centers (ICRCs) funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention identified 9 important motor vehicle injury prevention strategies. A systematic review of the literature in 9 different computerized databases was conducted to identify relevant controlled trials. These were critically reviewed and summarized. RESULTS: A total of 54,078 citations were reviewed; 1,111 met initial screening criteria. The reports for these citations were obtained and critically reviewed by the ICRCs. Standard criteria for inclusion of articles in the review and for evaluating the methodological quality of the articles were applied. Few randomized controlled trials were found; most controlled studies were either comparisons over time and/or across different populations. Nevertheless, these studies were able to be summarized to provide meaningful conclusions about the effectiveness of various interventions to decrease morbidity and mortality from motor vehicle crashes. CONCLUSIONS: A large body of literature on motor vehicle injury interventions exists. The summary of this literature will provide useful information to direct policy and future research efforts.
Frequency discrimination in rats measured with tone-step stimuli and discrete pure tones.

Abstract Two modified go/no-go tasks are compared for the measurement of frequency discrimination in albino rats. The first task required detection of an instantaneous, phase-matched frequency change, called a “tone-step,” within a continuous reference tone. The more traditional second task required detection of a frequency change between repetitions of a reference sequence of repeating discrete tones. For each task frequency difference limens were measured over a range of reference frequencies from 2.31 to 27.7 kHz at 60 dB sound pressure level, with both upward and downward frequency shifts. All 24 subjects quickly learned the “tone-step” task to criterion, but only 13 could also learn the discrete tone task. Subjects’ performance at either task generally improved with increasing reference frequency, and in both tasks upward frequency change thresholds were significantly higher than thresholds for downward changes. Overall mean Weber ratios were 1.73 ± 0.27% for the “tone-step” task and 2.76 ± 0.29% for the discrete tone task. However, subjects’ performance on the “tone-step” task was not correlated with subsequent performance on the discrete tone task. We suggest that the lack of correspondence between tasks might be due to frequency discrimination processes interacting with short-term memory traces during inter-tone intervals in the discrete tone task.
Stapp's theorem without counterfactual commitments: Why it fails nonetheless

Abstract Stapp's attempt to derive Bell's Inequality from a weak locality condition (Parameter Independence only) while retaining indeterminism, requires careful scrutiny to ensure unambiguous definitions and valid reasoning. Such scrutiny reveals that the argument is fallacious. This result is obtained without commitment to any particular formal analysis of truth conditions for counterfactuals nor to conditions for world similarity.
Antitrust Issues in Schumpeterian Industries

A half-century ago, Joseph Schumpeter (1950 Chapters 5–8) presented a vision of modern capitalism in which monopolies are common but frequently swept aside by a “perennial gale of creative destruction” (p. 84). This gale is driven not by price competition, but by “competition from the new commodity, the new technology ... competition which strikes not at the margins of the profits of the existing firms but at their foundations and their very lives” (p. 84). I focus here on the personal-computer (PC) software (hereafter simply “software”) industry, which resembles this vision. I discuss some important issues this industry poses for antitrust policy and, in the final section, illustrate with examples from the Microsoft case.
Nonsense, common sense, and science of expert performance: Talent and individual differences

Controversies surrounding nature and nurture determinants of expert/elite performance have arisen many times since antiquity, and remain sources of concern in the present day. Extreme positions on this controversy are fundamentally silly — both nature and nurture are necessary determinants of expert/elite performance, but neither alone represents a sufficient causal factor. The central issues surrounding the so-called “talent myth” and the “deliberate practice theory (also referred to as the “10,000 h rule”) are reviewed. Also provided is a discussion of the science of individual differences related to talent, the fundamental characteristics of talent and the role of talent in predicting individual differences in expert/elite performance. Finally, a review of the critical psychometric and statistical considerations for the prediction of individual differences in the acquisition of expert/elite performance is presented. Conclusions focus on how these various issues fit together, to provide an integrated view of the importance of talent, but also the limitations of talent identification procedures for discovering which individuals will ultimately develop expert/elite levels of performance.
Food or fear: hunger modifies responses to injured conspecifics in tadpoles

Animals must balance the conflicting needs to forage and avoid predation. The optimal balance of risk and reward should depend on the individual’s state, particularly hunger status. Satiated individuals are hypothesized to react more strongly to risk than hungry individuals, for which the necessity for food overrides perceived danger. We tested this in wood frog (Lithobates sylvaticus) tadpoles by comparing the response of fasted and fed tadpoles to injured conspecifics (alarm cue) and uninjured conspecifics (control). Food restriction significantly affected the activity levels of tadpoles and the impact of injured conspecific cues on activity. Fed tadpoles responded little to these cues, tending to decrease activity. Hungry tadpoles were more active overall and responded to injured conspecific cues by increasing activity. We propose that hungry tadpoles increase their activity in response to an injured conspecific because, in addition to indicating danger, this cue represents a nutrient source for this opportunistically cannibalistic species, and hungry tadpoles should thus adopt risky behavior to acquire this valuable resource. Differences in hunger may therefore explain variation among studies of tadpole responses to injured conspecifics. Future studies in aquatic organisms should consider the role of hunger status when assessing antipredator behavior.
Ligase-assisted signal-amplifiable DNA detection using upconversion nanoparticles

A novel ligase-assisted signal-amplifiable DNA detection scheme is demonstrated based on upconversion nanoparticles. Target DNA serves as a template for two designed DNA probes, one of which covalently attached to upconversion nanoparticles, to be joined into a single DNA strand by ligase. The resulting long DNA is able to form a hairpin loop structure, the number of which is amplified by thermal cycling. Energy transfer occurs between the upconversion nanoparticles and the intercalating dyes residing in the stem portion of the hairpin loop, and is monitored to quantify the amount of the initial target DNA. The method displays high sensitivity and specificity for DNA detection.
A clinical and pathologic study of endocervical lesions associated with oral contraceptives

A small percentage of patients who are taking oral contraceptives develop endocervical cytological atypias. In a study of 30 patients who showed endocervical histological changes 2 types of lesions were observed epidermidalization or squamocolumnar prosoplasia and microglandular hyperplasia which appears to occur only during pregnancy or with the use of oral contraceptives. The true incidence of these lesions is not known but it is felt that its importance is not the occurrence or pathogenesis but in "assuring that a diagnosis of malignancy not be made in the small percentage of women who do have the lesion".
A STUDY OF CARBON DIOXIDE TENSIONS DURING HALOTHANE ANAESTHESIA USING THE MAGILL CIRCUIT

In thirteen patients capillary blood samples were obtained for measurement of pH and Pco2 immediately after the induction dose of thiopentone, after 45 minutes of 2 per cent halothane breathed spontaneously (with nitrous oxide and oxygen), and 30 minutes postoperatively. A very variable rise in Pco 2 was observed which did not correlate well with changes in pulse rate, blood pressure, respiratory frequency, respiratory minute volume, or with the age of the patient. A single measurement of respiratory minute volume with a Wright respirometer was of no value in indicating which patients had the greatest carbon dioxide retention. The return of Pco 2 to normal values in the postoperative period was found to be rapid and, for practical purposes, complete in 30 minutes.
Sensory Responsiveness as a Predictor of Social Severity in Children with High Functioning Autism Spectrum Disorders

This study examines the relationship between sensory responsiveness and social severity in children with high functioning autism spectrum disorders (HFASD; N = 36) and age-matched controls (N = 26) between 6 and 10 years old. Significant relationships were found between social responsiveness scale scores and each of the six sensory profile sensory system scores for children with HFASD and controls. Multivariate regression analyses revealed atypical scores from multisensory responsiveness, and responsiveness of the proximal senses of oral sensory/olfactory and touch as the strongest predictors of greater social impairment in the participants. Findings suggest that the relationship between sensory responsiveness and other autistic traits is more important than previously recognized and addressing sensory modulation issues in children with HFASD may be more critical than previously understood.
Selective modification of CaaX peptides with ortho-substituted anilinogeranyl lipids by protein farnesyl transferase: competitive substrates and potent inhibitors from a library of farnesyl diphosphate analogues.

Protein farnesyl transferase (FTase) catalyzes transfer of a 15-carbon farnesyl group from farnesyl diphosphate (FPP) to a conserved cysteine in the C-terminal Ca1a2X motif of a range of proteins (“C” refers to the cysteine, “a” to any aliphatic amino acid, and “X” to any amino acid), and the lipid chain interacts with, and forms part of, the Ca1a2X peptide binding site. Here, we employed a library of anilinogeranyl diphosphate (AGPP) derivatives to examine whether altering the interacting surface between the two substrates could be exploited to generate Ca1a2X peptide selective FPP analogues. Analysis of transfer kinetics to dansyl-GCVLS peptide revealed that AGPP analogues with substituents smaller than or equal in size to a thiomethyl group supported FTase function, while analogues with larger substituents did not. Analogues with small meta-substitutions on the aniline ring such as iodo and cyano increased reactivity with dansyl-GCVLS and provided analogues that were effective FPP competitors. Other an...
Dietary fiber nursing intervention: prevention of constipation in older adults

Constipation is a major complaint of older adults. Approximately 30% of older adults use laxatives at least once weekly, and laxatives account for 1% of physician prescriptions in addition to approximately 700 over-the-counter preparations. This study evaluated the efficacy of a fiber and fluid nursing intervention on the maintenance of bowel movements and elimination aid withdrawal in residents of a long-term health care facility. The findings indicated that the number of bowel movements reached a peak at 3 months and returned to baseline values at the 6-month point while the use of both laxatives and stool softeners decreased significantly. Enema and suppository use was so infrequent at baseline and throughout the study that changes in these variables were statistically insignificant. The results demonstrate that a natural means of maintaining bowel movements using a fiber and fluid nursing intervention can significantly decrease the number of laxatives and stool softeners needed by residents of a long-term facility.
Making My Narrative Mine: Unconventional Articulations of a Female Soldier:

I use fragments from my own military service to build a narrative of the self and weave this perspective together with the experiences of other female soldiers in prose poetry. This text addresses the complexity of the interview process and demonstrates that a full articulation of experience may include unconventional moments of sense making. These unconventional articulations generally lack a beginning, middle, and end, resist attempts at simple summary, and often elevate the narrative to an abstract level. I argue that articulations of experience are potentially contrary and intraoppositional and that they should be free of any impositions of order that are not the product of the teller.