cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
An economic interpretation of stochastic programs

The purpose of this note is to interpret a class of stochastic programming problems in economic terms. The primal stochastic program is shown to represent a certain production program of an entrepreneur. The dual program, which is also a stochastic program, represents the problem of a contractor who desires to purchase the entrepreneur's resources and sell product back to him.
Association between mammographic parenchymal pattern classification and incidence of breast cancer.

Wolfe has suggested that the mammographic parenchymal patterns can be used to identify a group with high incidence of breast cancer. To evaluate this claim, mammograms of women with breast cancer that was detected at the University of Michigan Breast Cancer Detection Demonstration Project have been classified and compared with a randomly selected control group from the same project. The basic mammographic classifications as defined by Wolfe were used with further refinements made in the DY and QDY groups. The mammographic classifications have been grouped according to the degree of density and age. For all ages combined, our dense classifications (DY1, DY2, DYC-, QDY2) show a higher incident rate, 22/1000,than the lucent classification (N1, P1, and QDY1),9/1000,(P less than .01), although not to the degree suggested by Wolfe. This difference is statistically significant (P less than .01); the higher risk is markedly increased for women under 50 years of age (P less than .005). After age 50 the higher risk associated with the dense breast seems to disappear (P less than .13). However, this might be a consequence of women who were in a dense classification at an earlier age who subsequently changed to a lucent classification later in life. Because the percentage of lucent breasts increases with age there is a higher absolute number of cancers (55%) in this group of women past 50; these women cannot be neglected in screening. Our results suggest the following guidelines for clinical evaluation: (1) Careful mammographic and clinical follow-up for any woman with a dense breast at any age. (2) Careful mammographic and clinical follow-up past 50 regardless of breast classification. (3) Women with lucent breasts under age 50 represent a low risk category and may not require as frequent a follow-up as the other mammographic types.
Homogeneous catalytic condensation of methylene glycol (the formose reaction): Effects of oxygen and reducing sugars

Abstract The calcium hydroxide-catalyzed condensation of methylene glycol to form a racemic mixture of sugars (formose reaction) is characterized by an induction period of variable length. The induction period is shortened when reducing sugars are added and extended when oxygen is present. Oxygen interferes with the formose reaction by forming intermediate products which delay the autocatalytic sugar-forming reaction. Small quantities of added D -glucose shorten the induction period by purging oxygen from the reaction mixture, but there is no increase in the rate of sugar formation once the induction period has passed. Addition of large quantities of reducing carbohydrates to a formose reaction mixture causes a decrease in the conversion rate of methylene glycol to sugars. The progress of the formose reaction can be followed by measuring the pressure above the reaction mixture.
THE INFLUENCE OF THE SEX HORMONES ON THE BURSA OF FABRICIUS AND THE PELVIS IN THE RING-NECKED PHEASANT1

IT HAS LONG been known that the bursa of Fabricius, a dorsal diverticulum of the cloaca, is characteristically present in young birds but is almost always absent in the adult with the exception of the Ratitae. Jolly (1915) referred to the bursa as a “cloacal thymus,” reported that in the fowl maximum bursa size occurred at approximately four months, and that initiation of bursa involution coincided with the appearance of sexual maturity. Riddle (1928) found that in doves and pigeons the ovaries and testes developed slowly and appeared to be suppressed during the period of rapid body, bursa, and thymus growth. Involution of the bursa began immediately following its maximum development, and was usually complete at the time of sexual maturity. The period of involution coincided with the phase of rapid gonad devlopment and the relationship of the bursa to the growth of the gonads was regarded as suggestive evidence of an endocrine function of the bursa.
The Religious Philosophy of Jean Price-Mars:

Jean Price-Mars was a towering figure in the discipline of Africana studies and a passionate proponent of the revalorization of African retentions in the Black diaspora, especially on Haitian soil. Scholars have identified him as the Francophone counterpart of W. E. B. Du Bois for his activism, scholarly rigor, leadership efficiency, and efforts in the rehabilitation of the Black race. In Haitian thought, he is regarded as the most important Haitian intellectual in the 20th century, having exercised an enduring intellectual influence on the generation of the American occupation in Haiti (1915-1934) and the postoccupation culture from the 1930s to 1970s. While students of Haitian studies and scholars of religion have praised him for his scientific study of the Vodou faith and his intelligent argument for the viability of Vodou as religion, few critics have analyzed the complexity of his religious imagination and ideas. The goal of this essay is to analyze Price-Mars’s engagements with religion beyond the r...
Curved surfaces in surfactant aggregates

Abstract For a variety of reasons a large number of shapes of surfactant aggregates are postulated in the literature. A thermomechanical evaluation of these shapes has been attempted here. It is well known that the details of the equations describing the thermodynamics and mechanics of interfaces change with the choice of the location of the interface, yet these must all be equivalent. The constraints thus required shed light on cylindrical micelles and structural phase inversions. The need for studying fluctuations in such systems is also made obvious.
Effect of adrenal medullectomy on responses in heat production, plasma catecholamines and body temperature of burned rats to changes in the temperature of the hypothalamus

Abstract Burn (B) and control (C) rats with and without adrenal medullectomy (Adx) 9–11 days postburn underwent warming and cooling of the preoptic anterior hypothalamus (POAH) during calorimetry at 22° and 28° C ambient. Blood was drawn for catecholamine assay during each displacement of the POAH temperature (Thy). The heat production (Hp) for the AdxB group at 22° and 28° C was not different from the Hp for the sham AdxB group (80 ± 4 vs 86 ± 8 at 22° C, 58 ± 8 vs 64 ± 7 W/m2 at 28° C) in spite of there being no detectable circulating epinephrine (E) for the AdxB groups. Cooling of the POAH of the AdxB 22° C group, however, did not induce a further increment in Hp, in contract to all other groups. Thy demonstrated good significant negative linear correlation with Hp for all groups. The resulting slopes were not significantly different from one another, indicating no difference in thermal sensitivity of the POAH between the groups. In four of eight groups plasma norepinephrine (NE) demonstrated positive correlation with Hp and in five of eight groups negative correlation with Thy. Plasma E values did not correlate with Hp and demonstrated negative correlation with Thy in two of four possible groups. These data show that postburn hypermetabolism is not dependent on E in the rat and suggest that NE may be calorigenic in burned rats.
BLADDER NECK SLING FOR TREATMENT OF NEUROGENIC INCONTINENCE IN CHILDREN WITH AUGMENTATION CYSTOPLASTY: LONG-TERM FOLLOWUP

Purpose: We retrospectively reviewed the outcome and long-term followup (mean 4.16 years) of bladder neck slings for the treatment of neurogenic urinary incontinence in 58 patients (15 males) who also underwent bladder augmentation. Materials and Methods: A total of 58 patients with neurogenic bladder (43 females and 15 males, median age 11.4 years) underwent a rectus fascial sling procedure as part of the reconstructive efforts for continence between July 1991 and July 2003. Criteria for enhancement of bladder outlet resistance included a detrusor leak point pressure of less than 45 cm H2O, an open bladder neck during bladder filling at low detrusor pressures and clinical evidence of stress incontinence. Results: Followup ranged from 1 year to 10 years, 3 months (mean 4.16 years). A total of 51 patients (88%) obtained good continence results. Five females and 2 males remained incontinent following the sling procedure. Four females underwent a secondary open bladder neck procedure at a mean of 18 months after the initial procedure (artificial urinary sphincter in 2, bladder neck closure in 2). Two male patients (5 and 17 years old) had daily underwear staining or dampness with exercise or transfer. Conclusions: We consider bladder neck slings the procedure of choice for the enhancement of bladder outlet resistance in the majority of patients with neurogenic bladder who need augmentation cystoplasty and whom we do not expect will be capable of voiding spontaneously. In males and females satisfactory long-term continence can be expected with the use of the rectus fascial sling.
The systematic development of a tailored e-mail intervention for health behavior change toward increasing intentional physical activity.

Although the benefits of physical activity are well known, most adults in the United States are relatively sedentary, with about 60% of adults not regularly physically active and 25% of those not active at all. This inactivity places the population at risk for many chronic diseases. Understanding optimal ways of both communicating with and educating employees regarding intention to reduce risk of ill health and enhance well-being through physical activity was the fundamental aim of this health communication research study. The authors designed a series of theory-based, tailored e-mail messages, which were evaluated for content validity by health care experts and focus groups. Focus groups were held according to the stage-of-change level of the participants, and two clear domains emerged: persuasion and decision domains. Improving societal well-being in a cost-effective manner using e-mail remains to be seen; however, creating interventions to engineer sufficient impact on health behavior decision making i...
Spruce beetles and forest ecosystems in south-central alaska : A review of 30 years of research

From 1920 to 1989, approximately 847,000 ha of Alaska spruce (Picea spp.) forests were infested by spruce beetles (Dendroctonus rufipennis). From 1990 to 2000, an extensive outbreak of spruce beetles caused mortality of spruce across 1.19 million ha of forests in Alaska; approximately 40% more forest area than was infested the previous 70 years. This review presents some of the most important findings from a diversity of research and management projects from 1970 to 2004 to understand the biology, ecology, and control of this important forest insect, and the causes and effects of their outbreaks. We suggest that future research should examine the long-term effects of the spruce beetle outbreaks and climate variability on forest ecosystems in the region. Research into how different management actions facilitate or interrupt natural successional processes would be particularly useful.
Age-dependent adrenergic actions in the main olfactory bulb that could underlie an olfactory-sensitive period

Many sensory systems are endowed with mechanisms of neural plasticity that are restricted to a sensitive period in the young developing animal. In this study, we performed experiments in slices of ...
Body Proportions and Gliding Adaptations of Flying Squirrels (Petauristinae)

Flying squirrels range in length of head and body from less than 90 mm to more than 400 mm. Large flying squirrels are more slender than tree squirrels or small flying squirrels. They have proportionately longer tails than small flying squirrels, but large tree squirrels have the longest tails of all, both absolutely and proportionately. Relative limb lengths decrease with size among flying and tree squirrels, but the ratio of forelimb to hindlimb length is generally higher for flying squirrels than for tree squirrels. The styliform cartilage adds to the area of the patagium, but it is isometric with respect to size. Weight varies by a factor of almost 64 and the area of the patagium by a factor of almost 16, with little divergence from the expected isometric relationship. Therefore “wing loading” varies almost by a factor of four and is estimated to be as low as 30 Newtons/square meter (N/m2) in small petauristines and as great as 110 N/m2 in large ones. Hang gliding seems to provide a good analogue for the gliding of flying squirrels, although the squirrels have lower aspect ratios (l.0 to 2.2) and lower glide ratios (less than 3) than do most hang gliders. From this analogy it seems probable that the heavier “wing loading” of large flying squirrels does not affect the glide ratio (horizontal distance/vertical drop) but that the larger flying squirrels must “fly” faster to maximize their glide ratio. It is also probable that small flying squirrels with lower “wing loadings” are more maneuverable, but large flying squirrels with heavier loadings are less affected by air turbulence.
Degenerative complications of diabetes: a review.

PREVENTION and treatment of premature degenerative complications is today the most important problem in the management of diabetes mellitus. As long as treatment with diet and insulin is adequate to prevent loss of weight, polyuria, acidosis, and other annoying symptoms, patients may do well for several years. It is the development of generalized arteriosclerosis, retinal lesions, diabetic nephropathy and neuritides after ten to twenty years of diabetes, which presents a distressing sequence of the disease, particularly in′ patients between 30 and 50 years of age. In recent years, premature vascular disease with its manifestations in the retina, the coronary arteries, the kidneys and the peripheral vessels has been regarded as related inevitably to the duration of diabetes and possibly to unidentified “X” factors. Some writers (Dolger (1), Lichtenstein (2), and Tolstoi (3)) have therefore endorsed the program of management in which a free or unmeasured diet is allowed and insulin given daily to prevent ac...
Effect of femoral head diameter and operative approach on risk of dislocation after primary total hip arthroplasty.

Background: It has been postulated that use of a larger femoral head could reduce the risk of dislocation after total hip arthroplasty, but only limited clinical data have been presented as proof of this hypothesis. Methods: From 1969 to 1999, 21,047 primary total hip arthroplasties with varying femoral head sizes were performed at one institution. Patients routinely were followed at defined intervals and were specifically queried about dislocation. The operative approach was anterolateral in 9155 arthroplasties, posterolateral in 3646, and transtrochanteric in 8246. The femoral head diameter was 22 mm in 8691 of the procedures, 28 mm in 8797, and 32 mm in 3559. Results: One or more dislocations occurred in 868 of the 21,047 hips. The cumulative risk of first-time dislocation was 2.2% at one year, 3.0% at five years, 3.8% at ten years, and 6.0% at twenty years. The cumulative ten-year rate of dislocation was 3.1% following anterolateral approaches, 3.4% following transtrochanteric approaches, and 6.9% following posterolateral approaches. The cumulative ten-year rate of dislocation was 3.8% for 22-mm-diameter femoral heads, 3.0% for 28-mm heads, and 2.4% for 32-mm heads in hips treated with an anterolateral approach; 3.5% for 22-mm heads, 3.5% for 28-mm heads, and 2.8% for 32-mm heads in hips treated with a transtrochanteric approach; and 12.1% for 22-mm heads, 6.9% for 28-mm heads, and 3.8% for 32-mm heads in hips treated with a posterolateral approach. Multivariate analysis showed the relative risk of dislocation to be 1.7 for 22-mm compared with 32-mm heads and 1.3 for 28-mm compared with 32-mm heads. Conclusions: In total hip arthroplasty, a larger femoral head diameter was associated with a lower long-term cumulative risk of dislocation. The femoral head diameter had an effect in association with all operative approaches, but the effect was greatest in association with the posterolateral approach. Level of Evidence: Therapeutic Level III. See Instructions to Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.
Blunt abdominal trauma and hollow viscus injury in children: the diagnostic value of plain radiography

Although blunt abdominal trauma is common in children, the G-I tract is involved only rarely. However, this paper deals with a series of 24 cases in whom a hollow viscus was injured. We present the radiological and operative findings as well as the results of subsequent radiological workup in patients who had no surgery. Contrary to the recent trend which stresses early abdominal CT as critically important for guiding treatment we have retained a more conservative attitude. Our present protocol includes plain radiography frequently combined with sonographic screening of the abdomen. In patients with stable vital signs and when necessary, we follow up with scintigraphy. CT is reserved for complicated cases with obscure clinical manifestations which do not fit the plain radiological findings and also cases running an unexpected course.
Solvent and solvent isotope effects on the vibrational cooling dynamics of a DNA base derivative.

Vibrational cooling by 9-methyladenine was studied in a series of solvents by femtosecond transient absorption spectroscopy. Signals at UV and near-UV probe wavelengths were assigned to hot ground ...
SR87/SR86 Ratios of Calc-Alkalic Lavas from the Rabaul Caldera, Papua New Guinea

Eight samples of basaltic-to-rhyolitic calc-alkalic lavas erupted from the Rabaul caldera on the island of New Britain have Sr 87 /Sr 86 ratios ranging from 0.7035 to 0.7040 and averaging 0.7038. The mean strontium-isotope ratio is in the middle of an extremely limited range of values for other calc-alkalic island-arc lavas of the western and southwestern circum-Pacific region. The constancy of Sr 87 /Sr 86 in the Rabaul lavas is compatible with derivation of the andesitic and more silicic members of the series by fractional crystallization of a basaltic magma. However, the strontium-isotope data do not preclude different degrees of partial melting of an isotopically uniform source in the mantle as a possible mechanism for producing the compositional variety of lavas at Rabaul.
A new subgraph expansion for obtaining coloring polynomials for graphs

Abstract The coloring polynomial for any graph G is obtained as a sum over the subgraphs of G which have no vertices of degree one and no bridges. The subgraph weights are calculated using a simple iterative procedure. Application is made to the square crystal lattice graph.
A minimum cost estimator for the mean of positively skewed distributions with applications to estimation of exposure to contaminated soils

In this paper, a new flexible cost function is introduced in order to reduce the probability of underestimating the mean of positively skewed distributions by using the sample mean. Under this cost function, a minimum cost estimator is derived and its theoretical properties are studied. Simulation studies are based on the lognormal distribution and on a data set of chromium concentration from one of the EPA's toxic waste sites. The results show that the estimator proposed in this article is superior to the upper confidence limit (UCL) estimator currently being used by EPA to alleviate the underestimation problem.
Tularemia in BALB/c and C57BL/6 mice vaccinated with Francisella tularensis LVS and challenged intradermally, or by aerosol with virulent isolates of the pathogen: protection varies depending on pathogen virulence, route of exposure, and host genetic background

In order to begin understanding the immunological basis for immunity to tularemia, and to establish a baseline for judging the efficacy of potential novel vaccines, the present study examined the ability of the live vaccine strain of Francisella tularensis (F. tularensis) LVS, to elicit immunity in mice against subsequent systemic and aerosol challenge with highly virulent strains of the pathogen. The results show, that infection with LVS protects BALB/c mice against systemic challenge with virulent Types A and B F. tularensis. In contrast, C57BL/6 mice vaccinated with LVS were only rendered immune to systemic challenge with Type B F. tularensis. Neither mouse strain immunized with LVS was able to resist aerosol challenge with Type A F. tularensis, and only immunized BALB/c mice withstood exposure to aerosols of Type B F. tularensis.
Objetivo: García Lorca. Nuevas inquisiciones cinematográficas y televisivas sobre la vida, obra y muerte del poeta

This essay, “Objetivo: Garcia Lorca. Nuevas inquisiciones cinematograficas y televisivas sobre la vida, obra y muerte del poeta”, explores several representations of Federico Garcia Lorca in Spanish film and TV productions of recent decades. The focus on the figure of the author rather than on the adaptations of his plays favors the analysis of the representation of two, closely intertwined processes: that of literary creation-how the creative process is portrayed, and how the artist’s life is seen to intertwine with his work-and that of the cultural construction of the artist, in retrospect, as a historic figure and a cultural icon. This seems a particularly appropriate perspective in the case of Garcia Lorca, whose fame and cultural significance owe as much to the circumstances of his life and death as they do to his plays and poems, and who in recent decades has been vindicated, reinvented, and re-introduced as an emblematic presence and a foundational myth of a contemporary, autonomous Andalucia and a democratic Spain. The article traces all those processes through recent documentaries such as Emilio Ruiz Barrachina’s Lorca, el mar deja de moverse, Magali Negroni’s F.G.L. (1898-1936): Federico cumple 100 anos and Basilio Martin Patino’s “mockumentary” El jardin de los poetas.
Sarcoid Reactions after Chemotherapy for Hodgkin’s Lymphoma

Introduction: There is a reported association between sarcoidosis and malignancy. This is particularly true for lymphomas and is known as the sarcoidosis-lymphoma syndrome. Case report: A 49 year old Caucasian female presented with mediastinal and axillary lymphadenopathy. An excisional axillary lymph node biopsy showed classical Hodgkin’s lymphoma, nodular sclerosis subtype. She received six cycles of conventional chemotherapy achieving a complete remission with no evidence of any lymphadenopathy on restaging imaging. However, one month after completion of chemotherapy, she developed new onset of progressive mediastinal lymphadenopathy. A mediastinoscopy and biopsy was performed showing noncaseating granulomata and the patient was diagnosed with a sarcoid reaction. Conclusion: Sarcoidosis and sarcoid reactions must be considered in the differential diagnosis when assessing patients with persistent or enlargening masses after chemotherapy treatment for Hodgkin’s lymphoma, especially since this is associated with a better prognosis. A tissue biopsy is essential prior to starting chemotherapy for presumed relapsed malignancy or persistent disease so as to avoid inappropriate treatment.
What is bluegrass anyway? Category formation, debate and the framing of musical genre

This article examines the contested issue of defining the genre of bluegrass music. Interpreting this debate as a subjective negotiation and renegotiation of a category, it focuses on the discursive and musical means through which ontologies of bluegrass are framed. In doing so, the article adds to a growing body of literature that considers genre in popular music as a flexible construct involving both musical performance and cultural formations. The article begins by exploring the idea of bluegrass as constructed by Bill Monroe and a number of early bluegrass scholars, after which it invokes recent work on human cognition and categorisation to analyse the genre debate among bluegrass enthusiasts. The article ultimately proposes that such discourse, notwithstanding its apparent futility, can be regarded as a vital means for a genre's self-perpetuation.
EARLY INDICATIONS OF FAILURE IN LARGE COMPRESSIVE DEFORMATION OF SOLID FOODS

Cylindrical specimens of Agar gel (5%), apple flesh, and potato tissue were subjected to large uniaxial compressive deformation and then the stress was allowed to relax. The relaxed moduli as well as the relaxation curves shape characteristic constants were calculated and plotted vs the initial stress or the fixed strain. The latter relationships revealed that there are early quantitative indications of failure well before this is indicated in the force deformation relationship.
A Meta-Commentary: Response to the Commentaries of Marks-Tarlow and Solow Glennon

In replying to the commentaries of Marks-Tarlow and Solow Glennon, I have provided some clarification and expansion on the epistemology of dynamic systems models. These models served as the basis for integrating neuroscientific research findings with the phenomena of self and identity. Some of the challenges offered by the commentators have been specifically addressed with reference to a clarification of a “linguistic system” and causality as it applies to nonlinear dynamics.
Partial Unwrapping of SSB from SsDNA Facilitates RecA Filament Formation

DNA breaks can be repaired by homologous recombination, a process that maintains genetic stability in an organism. A protein that is essential for this mechanism in E. coli is RecA. During repair, RecA must bind and form nucleoprotein filaments on single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) in direct competition with single-stranded DNA binding protein (SSB). Despite extensive studies, the mechanism behind this competitive process remains unclear.Here, we use high-resolution optical tweezers with simultaneous fluorescence microscopy to observe directly the mechanical properties of ssDNA-SSB, ssDNA-RecA, and ssDNA-SSB-RecA complexes under a range of tensions. This single-molecule assay allows us to probe and visualize simultaneously the interactions of RecA and SSB with ssDNA in real time and with nanometer resolution. Using a 70-nucleotide, poly-dT ssDNA construct designed to accommodate a single SSB, we investigated different scenarios of protein-DNA complex formation under a range of tensions between 0-10 pN.Individual SSBs on their own bind and condense ssDNA in discrete steps, the size of which depend on tension. Under low tensions (1-3 pN), an SSB wraps 50-70 nt of ssDNA in a single step. At higher tensions (>4 pN), SSB exhibit transient, partially wrapped states on ssDNA. In the absence of SSB, RecA filaments nucleate rapidly on ssDNA regardless of tension. In contrast, when RecA is added to ssDNA coated with an SSB, filament formation is inhibited at low tensions. At higher tensions, where the SSB can partially unwrap from ssDNA, we observe RecA filaments form after an extended lag time. Our results suggest a mechanism in which SSBs inhibit RecA by sequestering ssDNA. Tension-induced unwrapping of the SSB makes ssDNA available for RecA to bind and nucleate a filament.
The effects of the β-lactam antibiotic, ceftriaxone, on forepaw stepping and L-DOPA-induced dyskinesia in a rodent model of Parkinson's disease.

Glutamate receptor antagonists can improve the symptoms of Parkinson’s disease (PD) and reduce l-3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine (l-DOPA)-induced dyskinesia (LID) in both animal models and humans, but usually produce intolerable side effects. Recent evidence suggests that upregulation of the major glutamate transporter, GLT-1, by the β-lactam antibiotic, ceftriaxone, can increase the removal of synaptic glutamate without producing noticeable side effects, and may provide an effective alternative to receptor antagonists for several neurodegenerative diseases. We examined whether repeated i.p. injections of ceftriaxone would, like glutamate antagonists, reduce the deficits in contralateral forepaw stepping produced by unilateral injections of 6-OHDA into the medial forebrain bundle of rats and reduce LID (as measured by abnormal involuntary movements). In Experiment 1, daily injections of 100 mg/kg ceftriaxone improved contralateral forepaw stepping by 44 %, and these therapeutic effects were still apparent 29 days following the cessation of treatment. In Experiment 2, daily injections of 50 mg/kg ceftriaxone were as effective as daily injections of 10 mg/kg l-DOPA in increasing contralateral forepaw stepping by 40 %. These therapeutic effects of ceftriaxone were decreased by an injection of 10 mg/kg of the selective GLT-1 antagonist, dihydrokainate (DHK), and were still evident 69 days after the cessation of ceftriaxone injections. Furthermore, ceftriaxone did not produce dyskinesia by itself and reduced the development, but not the expression, of LID. These data suggest that ceftriaxone, by producing a long-term increase in GLT-1 function and increasing the removal of synaptic glutamate, may offer several advantages over l-DOPA as therapy for PD.
Spectrophotometric study of bilirubin interference in the huang reaction for cholesterol

Abstract The difficult problem of ascribing the measure of bilirubin interference in a direct Liebermann-Burchard reaction (LB) for serum cholesterol has been investigated. Various parameters in this reaction have been described. The effect on the reaction temperatures of the addition of an aqueous sample and non-aqueous standard to the reagent solution indicates that this factor may be uncontrolled. The results obtained on studying the different initial starting temperatures has been shown to influence the final absorbance values variably at the two reported wavelengths of measurement. Spectra showing the effect of varying time and temperatures on the reactions of cholesterol, bilirubin and cholesterol—bilirubin mixtures with the Huang modification of the L—B reagent are detailed, along with the consideration of the choice of wavelength of measurement on cholesterol to bilirubin absorbance ratios. The validity or non-validity of suggested blanks is shown spectrophotometrically. The conclusion arrived at is that a correction for bilirubin interference in this direct reaction is quite difficult. For comparison purposes the reactions of p-toluene sulfonic acid and ferric chloride reagents with bilirubin are shown.
Sequence stratigraphy of an intrashelf basin carbonate ramp to rimmed platform transition: Maryville Limestone (Middle Cambrian), southern Appalachians

Middle and Upper Cambrian strata in the southern Appalachians consist of a sequence of six alternating limestone and shale formations (Conasauga Group). The Conasauga Group constitutes part of a thick pericratonic Cambro-Ordovician passive-margin sequence along the eastern North American continent. The Cambrian carbonate platform was flanked by a high-relief shelf margin toward the east, facing the open ocean, while to the west the carbonate platform sloped into an intrashelf basin. It is this western shelf margin that is the topic of the present study. Detailed lithofacies analysis of the Middle Cambrian Maryville Limestone along a shelf-to-basin depositional transect reveals that the shelf evolved from a gently basinward-sloping ramp to a rimmed platform fringed with steeper slopes. Cyanobacterial buildups ( Renalcis-Girvanella ) dominated the platform margin environments. Progradation of the platform occurred toward the craton. A process-oriented approach has allowed us to define the sequences, sequence boundaries, and the stacking pattern of the Maryville Limestone. The Maryville Limestone sequence consists of two depositional subsequences. The boundary between the two subsequences is not a sequence boundary, because it does not separate rocks deposited in different environmental regimes. The two subsequences within the Maryville sequence consist of a combination of aggradational, retrogradational, and progradational units (with respect to the platform interior). The stacking pattern recognized is the result of variations in sedimentation rate, subsidence, and eustatic sea-level change. Each of the dominantly carbonate units within the Conasauga represents this gradual transition from a ramp-like platform to basin transition into a rimmed platform. The transition between the Maryville Limestone (Middle Cambrian) and the overlying Nolichucky Shale (Late Cambrian) is a sequence boundary. This sequence boundary is both an exposure surface and a drowning unconformity, and it marks a distinct shift in the pattern of sedimentation. Shallow-water carbonate deposition terminated at the boundary followed by the onlap of deeper-water basinal siliciclastics over shallow carbonates. The approach presented here can serve as a useful analogue to other lower Paleozoic and possibly younger passive-margin sequences.
Analytical chemistry: Home diagnostics to music.

Fed up with sitting in the doctor's surgery among all those sneezy patients, waiting for the results of a health check? With the latest technology, you could one day perform bioassays on your home compact-disc player.
Rhetoric as “a way of knowing”: An attenuation of the epistemological claims of the “new rhetoric”

This essay explores the notion of rhetoric‐as‐epistemic—a theory which has recently gained increasing attention from rhetoricians. The author begins by explicating the nature of the claim that rhetoric is truth‐creative. This is followed by a delineation of the philosophic suppositions anchoring such a contention. Finally, the author sets forth several criteria for determining under what conditions rhetoric may be said to function in epistemologically meaningful ways.
Saturable, energy-dependent, transmembrane transport of prostaglandins against concentration gradients.

SOME vertebrate tissues, such as the choroid plexus, anterior uvea, and the kidney cortex, accumulate radioactivity against a concentration gradient when incubated with 3H-prostaglandins (3H-PGs)1. This accumulation is reversible, temperature-dependent and can be inhibited by metabolic and transport inhibitors, and by high concentrations of PGs, PG analogues and some organic acids such as probenecid and indomethacin2,3.
Cognitive and mood disturbance as causes and symptoms of fatigue in cancer patients.

Fatigue, cognitive dysfunction, and depression are very common in cancer patients. A relationship among the three entities is recognized but poorly understood. Factors that contribute to this poor understanding are the subjective nature of the symptoms, multiple potential causes, and a lack of reliable assessment tools. An understanding of fatigue in cancer patients may benefit from studies of chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) and other nonmalignant diseases indicating that cognitive impairment varies with physical and mental fatigue, and that symptoms of depression experienced by patients with physical illnesses and primary mood disorders are qualitatively different. The multidimensional nature of fatigue suggests that interventions should be patient-specific. They could be related to lifestyle or involve the use of specific behavioral or pharmacologic therapies. As is the case with depression and cognitive disorders, targeted interventions against cancer-related fatigue will benefit from a better understanding of its potential biologic causes. Consideration of cognitive dysfunction and depression complicates the understanding of cancer-related fatigue; however, it provides opportunities to assist patients who must deal with this serious problem.
Induction of demyelination by intraneural injection of antibodies against sulfoglucuronyl paragloboside.

Abstract Sulfoglucuronyl glycolipids (SGGLs) carry the glucuronyl 3-sulfate (HNK-1) epitope which is recognized by monoclonal IgM paraproteins from patients with demyelinating polyneuropathy. We report that intraneural injections of rat anti-SGGL antibodies induce demyelination in rat sciatic nerve, along with mild to moderate clinical symptoms. Morphologically, vesiculation and loosening of the myelin sheath were observed 3 h postinjection, followed by extensive demyelination and macrophage infiltration after 4 days. Since the antiSGGL antibodies showed no cross-reactivity with other components in rat sciatic nerve, these results indicate that SGGLs alone can serve as the target antigens in demyelinating neuropathy.
Detecting spam in a Twitter network

Spam becomes a problem as soon as an online communication medium becomes popular. Twitter’s behavioral and structural properties make it a fertile breeding ground for spammers to proliferate. In this article we examine spam around a one-time Twitter meme—“robotpickuplines”. We show the existence of structural network differences between spam accounts and legitimate users. We conclude by highlighting challenges in disambiguating spammers from legitimate users.
LE of shallow mixing interfaces: A review

Eddy-resolving techniques have become a powerful tool to investigate shallow flows at both laboratory and field scale. In this paper several examples are given where high-resolution 3D numerical simulation are used to investigate the spatial development of mixing interfaces (MIs) forming in shallow environments like open channels with idealized and natural bathymetry where the bed friction plays a major role in the spatial development of the MI and associated large-scale turbulence. The focus is on the coherent structures forming within the MI and in its vicinity that control the momentum and mass exchange and heat transfer between the two sides of the MI. Examples include: (1) a MI developing in a flat-bed open channel downstream of a splitter wall separating two parallel fully-turbulent streams of different velocities, (2) a MI developing in a flat-bed open channel downstream of a 60 $$^{\circ }$$ wedge separating two non-parallel fully turbulent streams of different velocities, (3) a MI developing downstream of a river confluence for cases with a large and, respectively, a small difference between the mean velocities of the two streams. Stratification effects due to unequal densities of the two incoming streams are also discussed, (4) a MI developing between a main rectangular straight channel and a series of shallow embayments present at one of the channel banks. Besides using available experimental data to demonstrate that eddy resolving techniques can accurately predict the structure of the MI and its development, the paper discusses new insights into the physics of these flows obtained based on the simulations. The paper also provides an overview of the main numerical approaches that can be used to simulate the unsteady dynamics of the large scale turbulence in flows containing shallow MIs.
Ensemble Configurations for Typhoon Precipitation Forecasts

This study explores the impacts of three different ensemble configurations on the predictability of typhoon-related precipitation. These ensemble configurations are constructed by; (1) using a single model starting with physically initialized ECMWF analyses assimilating five different precipitation estimates and with an ECMWF analysis itself (multi-analysis, MA), (2) using a single model with six different convection schemes and initialized with ECMWF analyses (multi-convection, MC), and (3) six operational forecast models initialized with the centers’ own analyses (multi-model, MM). Ensemble precipitation forecasts are verified with help of satellite-derived precipitation estimates. Typhoon-related precipitation systems are best predicted by the MM configuration, from both deterministic and probabilistic viewpoints. The single model ensemble setups (MA and MC) contain more biases than the MM setup. A weighed ensemble, the so-called superensemble (SE), technique shows a slight increase in forecast skills, compared to the bias-corrected ensemble.
Boron-Complexation Strategy for Use with 1-Acyldipyrromethanes

1-Acyldipyrromethanes are important precursors in rational syntheses of diverse porphyrinic compounds. 1-Acyldipyrromethanes are difficult to purify, typically streaking upon chromatography and giving amorphous powders upon attempted crystallization. A solution to this problem has been achieved by reacting the 1-acyldipyrromethane with a dialkylboron triflate (e.g., Bu2B-OTf or 9-BBN-OTf) to give the corresponding B,B-dialkyl-B-(1-acyldipyrromethane)boron(III) complex. The reaction is selective for a 1-acyldipyrromethane in the presence of a dipyrromethane. The 1-acyldipyrromethane-boron complexes are stable to routine handling, are soluble in common organic solvents, are hydrophobic, crystallize readily, and chromatograph without streaking. The 1-acyldipyrromethane can be liberated in high yield from the boron complex upon treatment with 1-pentanol. Alternatively, the 1-acyldipyrromethane-boron complex can be used in the formation of a trans-A2B2-porphyrin. In summary, the boron-complexation strategy has broad scope and greatly facilitates the isolation of 1-acyldipyrromethanes.
A linear‐quadratic fit for saturation curves obtained under continuous irradiation of parallel‐plate ionization chambers

An approximation to saturation curves of parallel-plate ionization chambers for various gases under continuous irradiation is given. The proposed fit asymptotically agrees with Mie's set of equations for the low and the high collection efficiency regions. It is shown that this fit which, for gases containing electronegative atoms, is dependent upon a parameter obtained from physical constants agrees with measurement and with values calculated from Mie's set of equations. However, for gases containing nonelectronegative atoms, it is shown that an additional experimental parameter is required to fit the measurements.
The Lineage-Specific Transcription Factor PU.1 Prevents Polycomb-Mediated Heterochromatin Formation at Macrophage-Specific Genes

Lineage-specific transcription factors (TFs) are important determinants of cellular identity, but their exact mode of action has remained unclear. Here we show using a macrophage differentiation system that the lineage-specific TF PU.1 keeps macrophage-specific genes accessible during differentiation by preventing Polycomb repressive complex 2 (PRC2) binding to transcriptional regulatory elements. We demonstrate that the distal enhancer of a gene becomes bound by PRC2 as cells differentiate in the absence of PU.1 binding and that the gene is wrapped into heterochromatin, which is characterized by increased nucleosome occupancy and H3K27 trimethylation. This renders the gene inaccessible to the transcriptional machinery and prevents induction of the gene in response to an external signal in mature cells. In contrast, if PU.1 is bound at the transcriptional regulatory region of a gene during differentiation, PRC2 is not recruited, nucleosome occupancy is kept low, and the gene can be induced in mature macrophages. Similar results were obtained at the enhancers of other macrophage-specific genes that fail to bind PU.1 as an estrogen receptor fusion (PUER) in this system. These results show that one role of PU.1 is to exclude PRC2 and to prevent heterochromatin formation at macrophage-specific genes.
Ovarian Follicle Atresia: A Hormonally Controlled Apoptotic Process*

GREATER THAN 99% of ovarian follicles undergo a degenerative process called atresia during reproductive life. Extending earlier morphological analysis, recent studies have demonstrated that apoptotic cell death is the molecular mechanism underlying follicle atresia. The use of DNA 3′-end-labeling methods allows quantitation and identification of internucleosomal degradation of DNA after gel fractionation as well as in situ analysis of specific cell types undergoing DNA fragmentation in histological sections. Using rats as the experimental model, gonadotropins, epidermal growth factor (EGF)/transforming growth factor-α (TGFα), basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF), insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I), and estrogens have been identified as follicle survival factors capable of suppressing apoptotic DNA fragmentation, whereas androgens, interleukin-6 (IL-6), and GnRH are potential atretogenic factors. This review summarizes the historical background of studies on follicle atresia and selection as well as rec...
Inhibition of ubiquitin-proteasome pathway–mediated IκBα degradation by a naturally occurring antibacterial peptide

Induction of NF-kappaB-dependent gene expression plays an important role in a number of biological processes including inflammation and ischemia-reperfusion injury. However, few attempts aimed at selective regulation of this transcription factor have been successful. We report here that a naturally occurring antibacterial peptide PR39 reversibly binds to the alpha 7 subunit of the 26S proteasome and blocks degradation of NF-kappa B inhibitor I kappa B alpha by the ubiquitin-proteasome pathway without affecting overall proteasome activity. I kappa B alpha phosphorylation and ubiquitination occur normally after PR39 treatment, and binding of valosin-containing proteins is not impaired. The inhibition of I kappa B alpha degradation abolishes induction of NF-kappa B-dependent gene expression in cell culture and in mouse models of acute pancreatitis and myocardial infarction, including upregulation of endothelial adhesion proteins VCAM-1 and ICAM-1. In the latter model, sustained infusion of PR39 peptide resulted in significant reduction of myocardial infarct size. PR39 and related peptides may provide novel means to regulate cellular function and to control of NF-kappa B-dependent gene expression for therapeutic purposes.
Raw relation sets and multiperson decision making

In this paper, multiperson decision making is explored based on raw relation sets (Chen, 2002), in which three types of basic order relationships between any two objects are used to define the order relationships among a set of objects. Different order relationships among the same set of objects may be produced by different evaluators (or evaluation criteria) and there is also an order relationship among the evaluators themselves. In this paper, all evaluators are assumed to be of the same importance. This method emphasizes using qualitative (or un-weighted) order relationships but it is also capable of handling weighted order relationships.
Reactions to Death as a Function of Perceived Similarity to the Deceased

This study investigated reactions to the death of a similar or dissimilar person. Sixty females met and evaluated a confederate who was presented as similar or dissimilar to themselves. Participant...