cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Autoimmune Encephalitis in the ICU: Analysis of Phenotypes, Serologic Findings, and Outcomes.

To report the clinical and laboratory characteristics, clinical courses, and outcomes of Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, ICU-managed autoimmune encephalitis patients (January 1st 2003–December 31st 2012). Based on medical record review, twenty-five patients were assigned to Group 1 (had ≥1 of classic autoimmune encephalitis-specific IgGs, n = 13) or Group 2 (had ≥3 other characteristics supporting autoimmunity, n = 12). Median admission age was 47 years (range 22–88); 17 were women. Initial symptoms included ≥1 of subacute confusion or cognitive decline, 13; seizures, 12; craniocervical pain, 5; and personality change, 4. Thirteen Group 1 patients were seropositive for ≥1 of VGKC-complex-IgG (6; including Lgi1-IgG in 2), NMDA-R-IgG (4), AMPA-R-IgG (1), ANNA-1 (1), Ma1/Ma2 antibody (1), and PCA-1 (1). Twelve Group 2 patients had ≥3 other findings supportive of an autoimmune diagnosis (median 4; range 3–5): ≥1 other antibody type detected, 9; an inflammatory CSF, 8; ≥1 coexisting autoimmune disease, 7; an immunotherapy response, 7; limbic encephalitic MRI changes, 5; a paraneoplastic cause, 4; and diagnostic neuropathological findings, 2. Among 11 patients ICU-managed for ≥4 days, neurological improvements were attributable to corticosteroids (5/7 treated), plasmapheresis (3/7), or rituximab (1/3). At last follow-up, 10 patients had died. Of the remaining 15 patients, 6 (24 %) had mild or no disability, 3 (12 %) had moderate cognitive problems, and 6 (24 %) had dementia (1 was bed bound). Median modified Rankin score at last follow-up was 3 (range 0–6). Good outcomes may occur in ICU-managed autoimmune encephalitis patients. Clinical and testing characteristics are diverse. Comprehensive diagnostics should be pursued to facilitate timely treatment.
TAXES, REGULATIONS AND THE CORPORATE DEBT MARKET*

Outstanding credit market debt in the U.S. corporate sector increased dramatically over the second half of the 20th century. During this period, tax rates on dividend distributions and corporate income decreased. This article argues that the observed decline in dividend and corporate income tax rates generated an improvement in the collateral value of corporate assets and led to an increase in U.S. corporate debt. To analyze this conjecture, we build a general equilibrium model with enforcement constraints that induce endogenous limits on debt financing. We find that the model can account for the time-series features of U.S. corporate debt data.
Measuring thinking with standardized science tests

According to the Educational Policies Commission, the central purpose of education in this country is to lead students to develop the ability to think. No standard way exists to measure whether or not the schools are achieving that purpose. The EPC identified 10 rational powers as constituting the essence of the ability to think. The research reported here was done to ascertain which rational powers are measured by commercially-available, standardized tests in science. A universe of standardized tests was defined and 12 specific tests were randomly selected for analysis. All instruments were validated by a panel of experts, as was a training program for the four teacher-evaluators who applied previously-evaluated criteria to each test item to determine which rational powers had to be used in responding to the item. Seven of the 12 standardized tests analyzed in the research required that students use only the rational power of recall in responding. In fact, approximately 90% of the items analyzed from all tests required only recall. Students were required to use other rational powers only rarely when responding to a test item and the use of the rational powers of comparing, imagining, and analyzing was not necessary on any of the test items examined. The conclusion was drawn that the producers of standardized tests are not concerned with measuring student achievement of the rational powers. The purpose which runs throught and strengthens all other educational purposes—; the common thread of education—; is the development of the ability to think.
Physiology, Propaganda, and Pound Animals: Medical Research and Animal Welfare in Mid-Twentieth Century America

In 1952, the University of Michigan physiologist Robert Gesell shocked his colleagues at the business meeting of the American Physiological Society by reading a prepared statement in which he claimed that some of the animal experimentation being carried out by scientists was inhumane. He especially attacked the National Society for Medical Research (NSMR), an organization that had been founded to defend animal experimentation. This incident was part of a broader struggle taking place at the time between scientists and animal welfare advocates with respect to what restrictions, if any, should be placed on animal research. A particularly controversial issue was whether or not pound animals should be made available to laboratories for research. Two of the prominent players in this controversy were the NSMR and the Animal Welfare Institute, founded and run by Gesell's daughter, Christine Stevens. This article focuses on the interaction between these two organizations within the broader context of the debate over animal experimentation in the mid-twentieth century.
Sex differences in the frequency and functions of fantasies during sexual activity

Abstract A questionnaire about the frequency and effects of different thoughts during heterosexual activity was returned by 66 females and 75 males in a random sample of college undergraduates and graduate students. A high response rate (91%) was obtained, and the male and female respondents were shown to be generally similar in sexual experience. Frequency data confirmed an earlier study of the same population in finding that, during sexual activity, males think more about past sexual experiences and ongoing behavior, while females think more about imaginary experiences. Effects data indicated that these frequency differences occur because females use fantasy more than males to increase arousal, to decrease anxiety about sexual activity, to compensate for less-than-ideal sexual experience, and to enhance even a satisfactory experience. Males, in contrast, use thoughts of real experience more often than females to increase arousal and to control and direct sexual activity.
Prediction of individual cell performance in a long-string lead/acid peak-shaving battery: application of artificial neural networks

Abstract This work represents the culmination of several years of study of an operating large energy storage battery with the purpose of determining if computerized pattern recognition of maintenance data (and/or available fabrication data) could be used for the early detection of poorly performing cells. Also investigated was the possible identification of cells with predicted high performance. Previous studies using k-nearest neighbor pattern recognition have been augmented with the investigation of artificial neural network analysis. Both methods have achieved practical levels of prediction, but the neural network prediction results are somewhat better. It was possible to select 70% of the high-performing cells, without any false selections from the low-performing cells; it was possible to identify nearly 96% of the poor-performance cells, with none of the high-performance cells mis-selected. These results suggest the feasibility of the routine application of neural networks for performance prediction as part of a maintenance strategy for long-string energy storage systems.
Modeling the Dynamics of Escherichia Coli Populations through Spectroscopy and Particle Tracking

Developing predictive models of microbial communities is of current interest in microbial ecology (1). Escherichia coli cultures constitute good model system to study in this context. E. coli cultures have been investigated in terms of metabolism, biochemical reactions, and genetics. However, as opposed to biochemical dynamics, spatial (physical) dynamics has been less studied, especially with regard to bacteria-predator relationships. We construct a statistical analysis method for analysis of E. coli dynamics grown in the presence of a predator bacterium, Bdellovibrio bacteriovorus. Measurements are peformed by optical microscopy and tracking, as well as by NMR spectroscopy. Variation over time with respect to predator bacteria or chemical agents of cell death are monitored by 31P NMR spectra, population density, and tracking parameters of E. coli. Phosphorus NMR is used to determine the distribution of phosphates within cells. Spectra are compared between cells during early, middle, and late logistic growth, cells killed by chemical agents, e.g. ethanol or sodium hypochlorite, and cells grown in the presence of the predator. Population density is measured by light scattering at 600 nm under the various conditions listed above for NMR. Results could help construct a dynamic model of bacterial populations. With such a model, ecological processes resulting in various population fluctuations might be described at a fundamental physical level and predicted more accurately. [1] McMahon et al. Current Opinion in Biotechnology 2007, 18, 287.
Polar Indole-3-acetic Acid Diffusion in Nonliving and Model Systems

Polar indole-3-acetic acid movement was observed in killed plant segments and in artificial model systems. The polar diffusion of indole-3-acetic acid was observed in tissue killed by chemical or physical means in an agar-plant system and in a multicelled Plexiglas dialysis chamber containing hypocotyl tissue gradients or gradients of anion exchange material.It was suggested that polar indole-3-acetic acid movement in excised segments may be a reflection of the diffusion of indole-3-acetic acid through asymmetric gradients of materials with binding characteristics somewhat similar to ion exchange.
Interventional Pulmonologist Perspective: Treatment of Malignant Pleural Effusion

The management of known malignant pleural effusions focuses around the initial thoracentesis and subsequent objective and subjective findings. A completely reexpanded lung after fluid removal and with symptomatic improvement predicts successful pleurodesis. Pleurodesis method depends on center expertise as well as patient preference. Medical thoracoscopy does not require the operating room setting and is performed on the spontaneously breathing patient with similar success rate to surgical thoracoscopy in the appropriately selected patients. However, it is not widely available. Talc insufflation is preferred for even distribution of sprayed particles to pleural surfaces. Most often, patients can be discharged home within 24 to 48 hours after continuous chest tube suction. Indwelling pleural catheter has become popular given the ease of insertion and patient centered home drainage. Coordinated care with good patient and family education and support is paramount to maximizing the beneficial potential of the catheter. Complications are minimal, and catheters are easily removed if patients can no longer benefit from drainage, or if pleurodesis has occurred. In the setting of trapped lung as a result of visceral pleura encasement from tumor, indwelling catheter can still be useful if the patient improves with thoracentesis. However, if no subjective improvement is seen after thoracentesis for trapped lung, then no procedure is recommended and other modes of palliation should be sought.
The inheritance of behavioral wildness in house mice (Mus musculus L.)

Fourteen behavioral measures were ranked according to their ability to differentiate performances of a wild population of mice from three domestic inbred strains. These “wildness” rankings were then analyzed for their ability to predict genetic and Genotype by Environment interactions. Genetic parameters were derived from analysis of three inbred domestic strains and their three hybrid crosses via the diallel technique of genetic analysis. Genotype by Environment interactions were assessed both as mean differences in stock performances resulting from rearing in a laboratory vs naturalistic environment and as differences in environmental variability within stock genotypes. Behavioral characters ranking high on “wildness” failed to demonstrate any unitary pattern of Genotype by Environment interactions. The diallel genetic analysis revealed many examples of additive variation but relatively few examples of dominant variation. An extremely wide range of interactions occurred between genotype and rearing environments, with “wildness” and “developmental homeostasis” concepts both failing to account for all the observed interactions.
Purpose in Life Test: Parts B and C

The 20 multiple-choice items of Part A of Crumbaugh and Maholick's (1969) Purpose in Life test to date have been the most popular means of obtaining an estimate of the intensity or depth of one's meaning in life. In strong contrast, Part B (13 sentence-completion items asking about one's purpose) and Part C (the request to write a paragraph about "your aims, ambitions, and goals in life" and to assess progress toward reaching these) have been ignored. We argue for more frequent use of Parts B and C for the following reason. Given that research on life purpose is in an incipient stage, we feel that an appropriate focus would be to launch the type of preliminary, predominantly qualitatively oriented studies that Parts B and C are appropriate for rather than only to insist upon rigorous, quantitative hypothesis-testing designs. In a pilot study we tested whether Part B could provide sufficiently complex and important information for someone familiar with the participants to be able to identify confidently most of those who had filled out only Part B. The participants were 17 members of a creative writing class which the second author had attended for several years. After the participants filled out Part B of the PIL anonymously, the second author then decided who had written each of the protocols which were read aloud co her and gave reasons for each of her choices. She felt certain of 16 of her 17 choices; in addition, she was able to give full and intuitively convincing explanations of why she had made each choice. (Confidentiality issues precluded us from checking her actual accuracy.) We interpret these results as suggesting that Part B may have the value not only of providing a partial qualitative description of one's life meaning but also of presenting pertinent personal identifying material. There seem to be many potentially fruitful applications for information gathered from such an essay question. A few examples are creation of a categorization system of different purposes, investigating which types of goals seem to be reported as more capable of fulfillment and comparing the types of meanings emphasized during different life-span developmental periods. REFERENCE CRUMBAUGH, J. C., & MAHOLICK, L. T. Manna! of instructions for the Purpose in Life Test. Muster, IN: Psychometric Affiliates, 1969.
Social computing, folksonomies, and image tagging: Reports from the research front

Today, the World Wide Web contains a vast collection of multimedia information sources which are mainly created and published by individuals. Image and video sharing services such as Flickr and YouTube pose new challenges in multimedia information indexing and retrieval and demand dynamic sets of solutions. Individuals are not just users but creators and indexers of multimedia information sources through activities such as tagging. User generated tags, taxonomies, and folksonomies of images are gaining popularity. Therefore, how to incorporate users' tags into the process of indexing and retrieval needs urgent attention. Presenters on this panel conducted various studies on image tagging and descriptions by people and the common findings include: (a) tags assigned to groups of images and individual images differ in terms of their level of abstraction, (b) image tagging specificity and exhaustivity levels differ greatly among individuals, and (c) the accordance between existing controlled vocabularies and tags varies in terms of image attributes. To make this panel an interactive one, the audience will have the opportunity to discuss the general topic of social computing (specifically image tagging) and indexing guided by the following questions: 1 Are user-generated image tags/index terms viable alternatives to index terms assigned by professionals? Or, if tags cannot substitute for indexer-generated index terms, can we utilize user-generated tags to complement current indexing schemes by reflecting users' needs which are not found in existing indexing schemes? 2 Can a large image indexing and retrieval system realistically rely on user-generated tags/index terms? 3 What does the audience think of the criticism that language used by users (or user-generated tags/index terms) is not precise and controlled? 4 Are we in a better position today, due to the popularity of social tagging, to effectively and efficiently implement truly user-centered indexing? Or, is social tagging merely a fad that users will not support in the long term? 5 What should the role of traditional indexing tools and systems be?
ELECTRON PROBE ANALYSIS OF SILICON AND OTHER ELEMENTS IN LEAF EPIDERMAL CELLS OF THE RICE PLANT (ORYZA SATIVA L.)

By means of electron probe analysis, the effects of significant amounts of accumulation of silicon on the accumulation of calcium, potassium, magnesium, manganese, phosphorous, iron, and sodium in the silica cells of rice leaves are described. The silica cells of both the surfaces of the leaf blade and leaf sheath were studied. Silicon accumulation in the silica cells appears to decrease the amount of accumulation of potassium on both the surfaces of the leaf blade and sheath. The effect of significant amounts of silicon accumulation on the accumulation of other elements in a particular cell varies iff different organs or on different surfaces of the organ of the same plant. Magnesium, manganese, iron, and phosphorus could not be detected in the adaxial epidermis of the leaf sheath and magnesium and iron in the adaxial epidermis of the leaf blade. Manganese, magnesium, and phosphorus were not detected in the abaxial epidermis of the leaf blade nor iron in the abaxial epidermis of the leaf sheath. Sodium was not revealed in either surface of the leaf blade and leaf sheath. Possible mechanisms for the effects of silicon accumulation on the accumulation of these elements in rice leaf epidermal cells are discussed.
Ridge flow models for image segmentation

ABSTRACT In this paper we introduce a new algorithm for segmentation of medical images of any dimension. Thesegmentation is based on geometric methods and multiscale analysis. A sequence of increasingly blurredimages is created by Gaussian blurring. Each blurred image is segmented by locating its ridges, decom-posing the ridges into curvilinear segments and assigning a unique label to each, and constructing a regionfor each ridge segment based on a flow model which uses vector fields naturally associated with the ridgefinding. The regions from the initial image are leaf nodes in a tree. The regions from the blurred imagesare interior nodes of the tree. Arcs of the tree are constructed based on how regions at one scale mergevia blurring into regions at the next scale. Objects in the image are represented by unions and differences of subtrees of the full tree. The tree is used as input to a visualization program which allows the user to interactively explore the hierarchy and define objects. Some results are provided for a 3—dimensionalmagnetic resonance image of a head.
Residual Viremia in an RT-SHIV Rhesus Macaque HAART Model Marked by the Presence of a Predominant Plasma Clone and a Lack of Viral Evolution

Highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) significantly reduces HIV-1 replication and prevents progression to AIDS. However, residual low-level viremia (LLV) persists and long-lived viral reservoirs are maintained in anatomical sites. These reservoirs permit a recrudescence of viremia upon cessation of therapy and thus HAART must be maintained indefinitely. HIV-1 reservoirs include latently infected resting memory CD4+ T-cells and macrophages which may contribute to residual viremia. It has not been conclusively determined if a component of LLV may also be due to residual replication in cells with sub-therapeutic drug levels and/or long-lived chronically infected cells. In this study, RT-SHIVmac239 diversity was characterized in five rhesus macaques that received a five-drug HAART regimen [tenofovir, emtricitabine, zidovudine, amdoxovir, (A, C, T, G nucleoside analogs) and the non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase (RT) inhibitor efavirenz]. Before maximal viral load suppression, longitudinal plasma viral RNA RT diversity was analyzed using a 454 sequencer. After suppression, LLV RT diversity (amino acids 65-210) was also assessed. LLV samples had viral levels less than our standard detection limit (50 viral RNA copies/mL) and few transient blips <200 RNA copies/mL. HAART was discontinued in three macaques after 42 weeks of therapy resulting in viral rebound. The level of viral divergence and the prevalence of specific alleles in LLV was similar to pre-suppression viremia. While some LLV sequences contained mutations not observed in the pre-suppression profile, LLV was not characterized by temporal viral evolution or apparent selection of drug resistance mutations. Similarly, resistance mutations were not detected in the viral rebound population. Interestingly, one macaque maintained a putative LLV predominant plasma clone sequence. Together, these results suggest that residual replication did not markedly contribute to LLV and that this model mimics the prevalence and phylogenetic characteristics of LLV during human HAART. Therefore, this model may be ideal for testing HIV-1 eradication strategies.
On the consensus protocol of conspecific agents

Abstract We present a class of consensus protocols over groups of agents with stochastically switching, directed, and weighted communication topologies. In this protocol, an agent’s traits, that is, the cardinality of its neighbor set and the weight assigned to its neighbors in the updating process, are given by two jointly distributed random variables and the neighbors of an agent are selected with equal probability. We provide closed form results for the asymptotic convergence rate and for the steady state mean square deviation in the presence of additive noise. These results are specialized to consensus protocols based on Erdős–Renyi and numerosity-constrained networks.
Kinetics of the gas-phase reactions of hydroxyl radicals with C1–C6 aliphatic alcohols in the presence of ammonium sulfate aerosols

The effects of ammonium sulfate aerosols on the kinetics of the hydroxyl radical reactions with C1–C6 aliphatic alcohols have been investigated using the relative rate technique. P-xylene was used as a reference compound for the C2–C6 aliphatic alcohols study, and ethanol was used as a reference compound for the methanol study. Two different aerosol concentrations that are typical of polluted urban conditions were tested. The total surface areas of aerosols were 1400 μm2 cm−3 (condition I) and 3400 μm2 cm−3 (condition II). Results indicate that ammonium sulfate aerosols promote the ethanol/OH radical and 1-propanol/OH radical reactions as compared to the p-xylene/OH radical reaction. The relative rate of the ethanol/·OH reaction versus the p-xylene/·OH reaction increased from 0.19 ± 0.01 in the absence of aerosols to 0.24 ± 0.01 and 0.26 ± 0.02 under aerosol conditions I and II, respectively. The relative rate of the 1-propanol/·OH reaction versus the p-xylene/·OH reaction increased from 0.45 ± 0.03 in the absence aerosols to 0.56 ± 0.02 and 0.55 ± 0.03 under aerosol conditions I and II, respectively. However, significant changes in the relative rates of the 1-butanol/·OH, 1-pentanol/·OH, and 1-hexanol/·OH reactions versus the p-xylene/·OH reaction were not observed for either aerosol concentration. The relative rates of the methanol/·OH reaction versus the ethanol/·OH reaction were identical in the absence and presence of aerosols. These results indicate that ammonium sulfate aerosols promote the methanol/·OH reaction as much as the ethanol/·OH reaction (as compared to the p-xylene/·OH reaction). © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Int J Chem Kinet 33: 422–430, 2001
Hydrogen production from photolysis of steam adsorbed onto platinized SrTiO3

Photodissociation of high presssure (1-8 atm) water vapor adsorbed onto the partially platinized surface of single crystal SrTiO{sub 3} has been observed. The reaction is catalytic; several thousands of monolayers of hydrogen have been produced. The reaction requires light of greater than bandgap (3.1 eV) energy, and proceeds vigorously only if elevated temperatures (375- 450 K) and high pressures are used. Recombination of products and poisoning of the metal appears to diminish the reaction rate after several hours. This reaction differs from the photolysis of water in the analogous short-circuit electrochemical cell in that we use no electrolyte and we are able to use non-conducting, stoichiometric SrTiO{sub 3} because bulk electrical conductivity has little influence on localized surface reactions. We have observed evidence for the following steps during photolysis of water on platinized SrTiO{sub 3} : (1) generation of electron-hole pairs by light of greater than bandgap energy, (2) dissociative chemisorption of water vapor on the hydroxylated semiconductor surface, (3) diffusion of a surface hydrogen species to platinum islands and desorption of hydrogen from the islands, and (4) recombination of hydrogen and oxygen which limits the amount of hydrogen that can be generated in a batch reactor.
Trust and Diachronic Agency

On your way out, you're standing, key in hand, at the door. You've just locked that door. Or so you think. This is what memory clearly tells you. But have you really? You give the handle a turn. Yes, locked. The thought occurs to you, however, that double-checking hasn't improved your epistemic predicament. If it made sense to doubt then, it makes equal sense to doubt all over again. A feel for the absurdity of triple-checking suffices to send you on your way. At the produce stand you pause. You'd intended to buy eggplant, not okra, but now you're unsure. Why not choose okra? You feel certain that nothing relevant to your deliberation has changed. Yet you see no harm in quickly rehearsing the considerations pro and con. So you redeliberate and affirm your intention to buy eggplant. The thought occurs to you, however, that redeliberating hasn't changed your practical-reflective predicament. If it made sense to redeliberate then, it makes equal sense to redeliberate all over again. These failures of self-trust have a peculiar feature. Lacking a basis in any consideration apart from the thought that it couldn't hurt to double-check, there is no way to redress them rationally. A baseless worry admits of no rational redress-you just have to wait for it to subside. If you'd not been paying attention as you locked the door, double-checking would give you a memory belief that would assuage the temptation to triple-check. But you already have that memory belief. If at the produce stand you believed that you'd overlooked some matter relevant to your decision to buy eggplant, you could reopen your deliberation with some idea how to get it closed
Starch gel electrophoretic phenotypes of mouse times human somatic cell hybrids and mouse isozyme polymorphisms.

Segregation of human chromosomes in man-mouse somatic cell hybrids affords a system for the linkage analysis of human gene loci. The isozymes constitute useful phenotypic markers for such studies, since homologous enzymes between man and mouse usually differ in their electrophoretic mobility. Electrophoretic techniques have been compiled for 22 isozymes. In this report, phenotypes are shown for mouse mouse-human somatic cell hybrids, and human cells cultured in vitro. Polymorphisms and linkage relationships are also discussed for inbred strains ofMus musculus.
Mechanisms of the electron irradiation-induced amorphous transition in intermetallic compounds

A buildup of radiation-induced lattice defects is proposed as the cause for lattice instability that can give rise to a crystalline-to-amorphous transition. An analysis of published experiments on intermetallic compounds suggests that, when amorphization takes place, no microstructural evolution based on the aggregation of like-point defects occurs. This observation leads us to suggest that buildup of a different type of defect, which will destabilize the crystal, should occur. We thus propose that an interstitial and a vacancy may form a complex, giving rise to a relaxed configuration exhibiting a sort of short-range order. Two mechanisms of complex formation are analyzed, one diffusionless (limited by the point defect production rate) and the other temperature dependent. The amorphization kinetics as a function of temperature, dose, and point defect sink strength are studied. Theoretical predictions on the amorphization dose as a function of temperature are made for the equiatomic TiNi alloy and compared with available experimental results.
Hypertension Genetics, Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms, and the Common Disease:Common Variant Hypothesis

The investigation of heritable susceptibility to disease is an effort to associate disease phenotype with underlying genotype. Such genotype:phenotype associations have been demonstrated for a large number of monogenetic disorders. The usual strategy has been to use linkage mapping in affected families to identify chromosomal loci from which candidate genes and genotypes can be tested for association with disease. This strategy has not been similarly successful for common heritable disease susceptibilities including hypertension that involve multiple genes and gene-environment interactions. Development of extensive collections of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) raises the possibility that these SNPs can be used as markers in genome-wide association mapping studies to identify hypertension susceptibility loci. In this approach, large numbers of markers are typed in cases and controls with the expectation that markers interrogating SNPs that are involved in inheritance of disease susceptibility will emerge through their association with this trait in the affected population. Essential hypertension is a common disorder. The term "common" has 2 implications: first, that the disease is prevalent; and, second, that it is widespread. Such frequency and distribution characteristics could arise if the susceptibility alleles for hypertension were prevalent in the founding population of contemporary human beings and became distributed with human global dispersal. This common disease:common variant concept is attractive because it suggests that the genetic heterogeneity underlying hypertension susceptibility could be relatively small. It also allows the possibility that nonrandom association of alleles (linkage disequilibrium, LD) can be used to reduce the number of SNP markers required to identify disease susceptibility alleles because a single marker can act as a surrogate for variation flanking it. The influence of a number of important factors on the detectability of hypertension susceptibility alleles by SNP mapping approaches is not yet fully defined. These factors include the locus and allelic diversity of hypertension, the weaker relationship (compared with Mendelian traits) between genotype and phenotype, the accuracy of high throughput genotyping techniques, the extensive role of nongenetic factors, and the extent and heterogeneous nature of LD across the genome.
Correlates of physician visits among children and adolescents in west Texas: effects of hyperglycemia symptoms.

Context Health care services use by children varies tremendously. Because of the increasing prevalence of diabetes in children and adolscents, one of the major concerns is access to physician care among children with diabetes and diabetes symptoms. Purpose This population-based cross-sectional study examines correlates of physician visit among children and adolescents living in west Texas. Methods A telephone survey was administered in 2002 to a random sample of households in 106 counties of West Texas. The sample included 5,462 respondents with children aged between 3 and 18 years. Proportional odds ordered logistic regression analysis was used to determine correlates of physician visits in the previous 12 months. Findings Hispanic children were less likely than non-Hispanic whites to have a recent physician visit; there were no significant rural-urban differences. Children with insurance (adjusted odds ratio= 2.21, 95% CI = 1.89-2.59) were more likely to visit physicians. Almost 16% of children in this study did not have any health insurance coverage. Children reporting 3 or more hyperglycemia symptoms and those with a family history of diabetes had 1.81 times and 1.20 times the odds of visiting the physician. Conclusions Presence of health insurance and increasing symptoms of diabetes were found to influence the utilization of physician services. Since most of the cases of diabetes that have recently been diagnosed among Texas youth are type 2 diabetes, it is important that adolescents and their parents are educated about the risk factors and how to recognize them.
Identifying Health Literacy and Health System Navigation Needs among Rural Cancer Patients: Findings from the Rural Oncology Literacy Enhancement Study (ROLES)

Rural residence is associated with disparities in cancer-related outcomes. Guided by the Chronic Care Model (CCM), the Rural Oncology Literacy Enhancement Study (ROLES) assessed health literacy and patient navigation needs among rural cancer patients. A mixed methods (qualitative and quantitative) approach was used, including: in-depth interviews, health literacy assessments, and phone surveys with cancer patients (N = 53) from 5 oncology clinics in rural Wisconsin; focus groups and self-administered surveys with staff (N = 41) in these clinics. Within four dimensions of the CCM (community resources, self-management support, delivery system design, and decision support), this study uncovered multiple unmet navigation needs, health literacy limitations, and barriers to quality cancer care. System-level implementation of patient navigation and health literacy best practices could contribute to improved cancer care and patient outcomes among rural populations. Further research identifying effective interventions that reduce cancer disparities among rural cancer patients is necessary.
Groups 5 and 6 Terminal Hydrazido(2−) Complexes: Nβ Substituent Effects on Ligand-to-Metal Charge-Transfer Energies and Oxidation States

Brightly colored terminal hydrazido(2−) (dme)MCl_3(NNR_2) (dme = 1,2-dimethoxyethane; M = Nb, Ta; R = alkyl, aryl) or (MeCN)WCl_4(NNR_2) complexes have been synthesized and characterized. Perturbing the electronic environment of the β (NR_2) nitrogen affects the energy of the lowest-energy charge-transfer (CT) transition in these complexes. For group 5 complexes, increasing the energy of the N_β lone pair decreases the ligand-to-metal CT (LMCT) energy, except for electron-rich niobium dialkylhydrazides, which pyramidalize N_β in order to reduce the overlap between the Nb═Nα π bond and the Nβ lone pair. For W complexes, increasing the energy of N_β eventually leads to reduction from formally [W^(VI)≡N–NR_2] with a hydrazido(2−) ligand to [W^(IV)═N═NR_2] with a neutral 1,1-diazene ligand. The photophysical properties of these complexes highlight the potential redox noninnocence of hydrazido ligands, which could lead to ligand- and/or metal-based redox chemistry in early transition metal derivatives.
The Colonization of Eastern Siberia: an Evaluation of the Paleolithic Age Radiocarbon Dates

Abstract This paper critically evaluates the published radiocarbon data obtained for 46 Eastern Siberian Paleolithic sites (older than 8000 BP ). The sites were characterized by both radiocarbon age and geographic location (i.e. latitude and longitude), and rated according to the materials dated and their stratigraphic context. Multiple regression statistics (r2,P[two tails]) were used to examine the relationships between the variables age and location. The results were then illustrated as three-dimensional linear surface plots. A plot based on the bulk of14C dates (N=150) shows that the age of sites decrease in a west-to-east direction. A plot created from the highest rated14C dates (N=63) demonstrates that the principal chronocline is from south-to-north. Statistically, both stratigraphic context and sample composition affect the accuracy of radiocarbon dates. Age determinations made on charcoal collected from undisturbed sediments are the most reliable. This new approach provides a more precise view of human colonization and may be used to examine time transgressive cultural dispersion elsewhere.
Neogene Paleogeography of Western Snake River Plain, Idaho and Oregon: ABSTRACT

Analysis of Miocene through Pleistocene siliciclastic and volcaniclastic sequences in the western Snake River Plain of Idaho and Oregon allows detailed paleogeographic reconstruction of sedimentation associated with the development of a rapidly subsiding continental basin. Extensional tectonism was accompanied by voluminous outpourings of basaltic and silicic volcanic material. These in turn were reworked basinward by marginal alluvial fan-braided stream networks into basin-center fluviolacustrine systems. Episodic influxes of both felsic and basaltic tephra are recorded in fossiliferous lacustrine silt and claystones of the Poison Creek and Chalk Hills Formations, radiometrically bracketed between 12.5 to 5 m.y.B.P. Basinward-fining facies indicate deposition in a large acustrine complex fed by at least 2 major fluvial systems. Complex interfingering of coarse-grained strandline deposits with offshore fine-grained sediments suggests repeated expansion and contraction of the lake system and record the dynamic interplay between basin tectonism and sedimentation. A major unconformity and presence of extensive interbasinal basaltic volcanism (Banbury Basalt) reflects draining of this lacustrine system and renewed extensional tectonism in the basin approximately 4 m.y.B.P. Reestablishment of a major fluviolacustrine complex is represented by deposits of the Pliocene-Pleistocene Glenns Ferry Formation (4-1.8 m.y.B.P.). The fossiliferous mudstone, sandstone, and conglomerate represent alluvial fan, meandering stream, flood-basin, and lake margin systems. Inter edded with these are a series of basaltic tuffs and flows reflecting continuing volcanism along the basin margin and basin center. Continued structural adjustments along high-angle normal faults that bound the basin are indicated by stratigraphic relationships as well as the style of fluvial sedimentation. Periods of rapid basin subsidence are recorded by thin, discontinuous channel sandstone encased by thick overbank siltstone and claystone. More stable periods allowed development of sheet-like channel sandstone with subordinate amounts of overbank fines. Basin-wide structural adjustments have continued to the present, as indicated by the incisement of these Neogene deposits by the modern Snake River. End_of_Article - Last_Page 518------------
Neonatal vs. adult sensorimotor cortex damage: The ability to use spared cortical fragments of target tissue to guide tactile learning

In an earlier study, it was found that rats with little or no sparing of sensorimotor cortex areas SmI and SmII performed extremely poorly on a battery of five tactile discriminations, whether the lesions were made on the 2nd day of life or at maturity. In contrast, infant-operated rats with 13%–28% of the anterolateral part of SmI spared performed better than adult- or infant-operated animals with larger, more complete lesions, although their learning scores were still worse than those of sham-operated animals. In order to determine whether adult-operated rats could use spared fragments of target tissue as well as the infant-operated animals could, lesions sparing 15%–31% of the same regions of sensorimotor cortex were made in mature rats that were subsequently tested for their ability to learn the discrimination problems. The results provide some support for the hypothesis that infant-operated animals can make more efficient use of spared fragments of target tissue than can their adult-operated counterparts even though, in both age groups, animals with subtotal lesions perform better than do animals with almost all or all of the sensorimotor cortex destroyed.
Admissible and minimax multiparameter estimation in exponential families

Abstract Consider p independent distributions each belonging to the one parameter exponential family with distribution functions absolutely continuous with respect to Lebesgue measure. For estimating the natural parameter vector with p ≥ p 0 ( p 0 is typically 2 or 3), a general class of estimators dominating the minimum variance unbiased estimator (MVUE) or an estimator which is a known constant multiple of the MVUE is produced under different weighted squared error losses. Included as special cases are some results of Hudson [13] and Berger [5]. Also, for a subfamily of the general exponential family, a class of estimators dominating the MVUE of the mean vector or an estimator which is a known constant multiple of the MVUE is produced. The major tool is to obtain a general solution to a basic differential inequality.
NOD fetal thymus organ culture: an in vitro model for the development of T cells involved in IDDM.

Abstract This paper introduces a model which incorporates fetal thymus organ culture (FTOC) from NOD mice to replicate thymic development of diabetogenic T cells. NOD fetal pancreas organ culture (FPOC) co-cultured with 13–16 day NOD FTOC for an additional 14–21 days produced less insulin than FPOC cultured alone. Insulin production from the FTOC of non-diabetic strains C57BL/6 and BALB/c was not inhibited by co-culture with FTOC from their syngeneic counterparts. Sections of the NOD co-cultures showed peri-islet infiltration with lymphocytes. Insulin reduction by FTOC/FP co-culture was prevented by co-culture of the NOD FT with FT from immunologically incompetent C.B-17 SCID/SCID mice. Co-culture of NOD FP with NOD FT prior to the development of T cells prevented generation of diabetogenic FTOC. Thus, early exposure of NOD T cell precursors to the thymic stromal elements of C.B-17 SCID/SCID FT or to islet antigens can negatively select for diabetogenic T cells or activate immuno-regulatory cells that can suppress diabetogenic T cell activity. The addition of blocking F(ab′) 2 fragments of anti-CD3ϵ monoclonal antibody to NOD FTOC/FP co-cultures prevented insulin reduction, implicating a role for TcR-mediated recognition in this “in vitro IDDM” model. The addition of activating whole anti-CD3ϵ caused the complete ablation of insulin production in FTOC/FP co-cultures from all strains tested. Transfer of unprimed syngeneic FTOC cells to prediabetic NOD mice prevented the onset of IDDM while transfer of islet-cell primed FTOC/FP cells slightly increased disease incidence. These data suggest that while diabetogenic T cells are present in the FT, they are normally suppressed, even after organ culture. However, these cells can induce the destruction of islet cells, in vitro and in vivo, if they are appropriately activated with pancreatic tissue.
Using Markov chain analysis to study dynamic behaviour in large-scale grid systems

In large-scale grid systems with decentralized control, the interactions of many service providers and consumers will likely lead to emergent global system behaviours that result in unpredictable, often detrimental, outcomes. This possibility argues for developing analytical tools to allow understanding, and prediction, of complex system behaviour in order to ensure availability and reliability of grid computing services. This paper presents an approach for using piece-wise homogeneous Discrete Time Markov chains to provide rapid, potentially scalable, simulation of large-scale grid systems. This approach, previously used in other domains, is used here to model dynamics of large-scale grid systems. In this approach, a Markov chain model of a grid system is first represented in a reduced, compact form. This model can then be perturbed to produce alternative system execution paths and identify scenarios in which system performance is likely to degrade or anomalous behaviours occur. The expeditious generation of these scenarios allows prediction of how a larger system will react to failures or high stress conditions. Though computational effort increases in proportion to the number of paths modelled, this cost is shown to be far less than the cost of using detailed simulation or testbeds. Moreover, cost is unaffected by size of system being modelled, expressed in terms of workload and number of computational resources, and is adaptable to systems that are non-homogenous with respect to time. The paper provides detailed examples of the application of this approach.
24-Methylenecholesterol: Isolation and identification as an intermediate in the conversion of campesterol to cholesterol in the tobacco hornworm

24-Methylenecholesterol was positively identified as an intermediate in the dealkylation and the conversion of campesterol to cholesterol in the tobacco hornworm,Manduca sexta (L.). Biochemical and nutritional studies with3H-labeled campesterol and 24-methyl-enecholesterol indicated that the conversion of campesterol to cholesterol in this insect includes the following metabolic sequence: campesterol, 24-methylene-cholesterol, desmosterol, cholesterol.
MOS VLSI reliability and yield trends

The yield and reliability capability of an MOS technology are shown to be the product of at least six different technological trends; namely those towards: 1) more complex device structures, 2) scaled down feature sizes, 3) increased wafer sizes, 4) factory automation, 5) increased die size and package lead counts, and 6) increasingly sophisticated computer-aided design tools. The capabilities of a specific technology are a function of the equipment and processes by which it is manufactured and these are often the rate-limiting factors for evolution to the next generation of technology. However, because of the impact of scaling trends on MOS IC failure mechanisms, reliability concerns are starting to dominate the rate of technology change. This is evidenced, even at the present, by the fact that technology decisions must be made by trading off one reliability failure mechanism against another. For example, the high storage charge density needed to provide strong signals for alpha-particle-induced soft error immunity, produces high electric fields and oxide breakdown problems in thin-oxide MOS storage capacitors. Failure distribution for both failure mechanisms are shown to be exponentially dependent (in an inverse manner) on the scale factor for oxide thickness. Hot-electron degradation is also exponentially dependent on the scale factor for channel length. Metal and contact electromigration lifetimes can be reduced by the seventh and nineth powers of scale factor, respectively. The implications are that the dominant reliability mechanisms may change in the future, and that wearout will start to impinge on reliability life.