cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Patterns of FGF-23, DMP1, and MEPE expression in patients with chronic kidney disease

Fibroblast growth factor 23 (FGF-23), dentin matrix protein 1 (DMP1), and matrix extracellular phosphoglycoprotein (MEPE) are skeletal proteins involved in the regulation of phosphate homeostasis and bone metabolism. Circulating FGF-23 levels are increased in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD); however, FGF-23 skeletal expression and its regulation by DMP1 and MEPE have yet to be evaluated. Thus, expression of these three proteins was characterized by immunohistochemistry in 32 pediatric and young adult patients with CKD stages 2–5. When compared to normal controls, bone FGF-23 and DMP1 expression were increased in all stages of CKD; significant differences in bone FGF-23 and DMP1 expression were not detected between pre-dialysis CKD and dialysis patients. Bone MEPE expression in CKD did not differ from controls. FGF-23 was expressed in osteocyte cell bodies located at the trabecular periphery. DMP1 was widely expressed in osteocyte cell bodies and dendrites throughout bone. MEPE was also expressed throughout bone, but only in osteocyte cell bodies. Bone FGF-23 expression correlated directly with plasma levels of the protein (r=0.43, p<0.01) and with bone DMP1 expression (r=0.54, p<0.01) and expression of both proteins were inversely related to osteoid accumulation. Bone MEPE expression was inversely related to bone volume. In conclusion, skeletal FGF-23 and DMP1 expression are increased in CKD and are related to skeletal mineralization. The patterns of expression of FGF-23, MEPE, and DMP1 differ markedly in trabecular bone, suggesting that individual osteocytes may have specialized functions. Increases in bone FGF-23 and DMP1 expression suggest that osteocyte function is altered early in the course of CKD.
Molecular recognition via base-pairing and phosphate chelation. Ditopic and tritopic sapphyrin-based receptors for the recognition and transport of nucleotide monophosphates

Abstract Cytosine- (8, 9) and guanosine- (10, 11) substituted sapphyrin derivatives were prepared and tested as possible carriers for nucleotide monophosphate transport using a bulk liquid membrane model system at neutral pH. For each type of substituted sapphyrin, transport selectivity for the complementary nucleotide monophosphate was found. A high intrinsic preference for the 2′-, as opposed to 3′- or 5′-, isomer was also observed in the specific case of guanosine monophosphate transport effected by the cytosine-bearing carrier 8b. Values from direct affinity constant determinations are used to rationalize these results.
Dopaminergic mechanisms in subthalamic nucleus of rat: analysis using horseradish peroxidase and microiontophoresis

Afferent connections to the subthalamic nucleus (STN) were studied by microiontophoretically injecting horseradish peroxidase (HRP) into the STN and studying its retrograde transport. Remotely labelled neurons were frequently observed in both the globus pallidus and the pars compacta region of substantia nigra. In addition, individually labelled neurons were occasionally found in other brain regions. The sensitivity of neurons in the STN to dopamine (DA) was studied by applying DA to neurons in the STN by microiontophoresis. Three patterns of response to DA were observed. The most frequent response, observed in 46% of the STN neurons studied, was a decrease in the discharge frequency. In 15% of the neurons there was an increased frequency of firing. Eleven percent of the neurons exhibited a mixed response consisting of an initial depression of discharge rate followed by a delayed increase. The responses of STN neurons to DA were not antagonized by iontophoretically applied haloperidol. In neurons whose firing frequency was decreased by DA, the iontophoretic application of apomorphine and norepinephrine also decreased discharge rate. The observations of HRP-labelled neurons in the pars compacta region of substantia nigra following injection of HRP into the STN together with the DA responsiveness of STN neurons suggest the possibility of a dopaminergic nigro-subthalamic pathway.
Nucleon participants or quark participants

We show that centrality dependence of charged particle pseudorapidity density at midrapidity in $\mathrm{Au}+\mathrm{Au}$ collisions at the RHIC is well described as proportional to the number of participating constituent quarks. In this approach there is no need for an additional contribution from hard processes usually considered in the models based on the number of the nucleon participants.
Real-Time In Situ Monitoring of GaAs (211) Oxide Desorption and CdTe Growth by Spectroscopic Ellipsometry

We describe the growth of CdTe (211)B by molecular beam epitaxy on large-area epiready GaAs (211)B substrates. Prior to CdTe growth, GaAs substrates were thermally cleaned under an As4 flux. Oxide desorption was verified by in situ spectroscopic ellipsometry (SE) and reflection high-energy electron diffraction. The use of in situ SE played a significant role in the study of CdTe-on-GaAs growth and annealing processes. An effective medium approximation (EMA) was used to model the overlayer thickness variation of CdTe epilayers throughout growth and in situ annealing cycles. A correlation between SE-derived EMA thickness values and surface defect formation mitigation is discussed. All annealed samples (11.5 μm to 13 μm thick) exhibited excellent crystalline quality with average double crystal rocking curve full-width at half-maximum (FWHM) values of ~60 arcsec.
Patterns of surgery in patients belonging to amsterdam-positive families.

INTRODUCTION: The phenotype of hereditary nonpolyposis colorectal cancer includes an 80 percent lifetime risk of colorectal cancer, a predominance of lesions proximal to the splenic flexure, and a high incidence of synchronous and metachronous neoplasia. Although prophylactic colectomy is rarely advised for patients with a hereditary nonpolyposis colorectal cancer genotype and a normal colon, the presence of advanced neoplasia in the context of a qualifying family history or a hereditary nonpolyposis colorectal cancer genotype has led to such recommendations. We performed this study to document the patterns of colorectal surgery performed for cancer-bearing patients who are part of an Amsterdam criteria–positive family and to compare rates of metachronous cancers that follow index total or segmental colectomy. METHODS: Family trees fulfilling the classic Amsterdam criteria for hereditary nonpolyposis colorectal cancer were identified, and all patients for whom surgical and pathology records were available were included in the study. Type of surgery and the outcome of subsequent follow-up were abstracted. Patients were divided into those treated at the Cleveland Clinic and those treated elsewhere. RESULTS: There were 39 families with 93 affected patients. These patients had 127 colorectal cancers, 76 (60 percent) of which were right sided (proximal to the splenic flexure). Median age at diagnosis of the index cancer was 47 (range, 26–81) years. Sixteen patients (17 percent) had metachronous cancers and multiple surgeries, whereas four (4 percent) had synchronous cancers. Median follow-up for patients who underwent surgery at the Cleveland Clinic was 13 (range, 4–49) years, whereas that for those who underwent surgery elsewhere was 14 (range, 1–42) years. Sixteen (48 percent) of the 33 patients who underwent surgery at the Cleveland Clinic had a total colectomy vs. 7 (12 percent) of the 60 who had surgery elsewhere (Fisher’s exact test, P < 0.001). Only one patient who had surgery at the Cleveland Clinic had a second operation for a metachronous cancer (1/17 patients having a segmental resection). Fifteen patients who underwent surgery elsewhere needed a second resection for metachronous cancer (15/53 patients having a segmental resection; Fisher’s exact test, P = 0.094). CONCLUSION: We conclude that there is high risk of metachronous colorectal cancer if an index cancer in a hereditary nonpolyposis colorectal cancer patient (defined according to Amsterdam criteria) is treated by partial colectomy. However, this risk can be lowered by performing a total colectomy at the time of index surgery, or possibly by effective postoperative surveillance.
A note on the effect of L-leucine on the incorporation of bicarbonate carbon into glutamic acid by the rat.

Abstract The intraperitoneal injection of L -leucine 30 minutes prior to the administration of sodium bicarbonate- 14 C to rats has been found greatly to enhance CO 2 fixation into carbon 5 of tissue glutamic acid.
Melanoplus sanguinipes entomopoxvirus DNA topoisomerase: site-specific DNA transesterification and effects of 5'-bridging phosphorothiolates.

Abstract Melanoplus sanguinipes entomopoxvirus (MsEPV) encodes a 328 amino acid polypeptide related to the type I topoisomerases of six other genera of vertebrate and insect poxviruses. The gene encoding MsEPV topoisomerase was expressed in bacteria, and the recombinant protein was purified by ion-exchange chromatography and glycerol gradient sedimentation. MsEPV topoisomerase, a monomeric protein, catalyzed the relaxation of supercoiled plasmid DNA at ∼0.6 supercoils/s. Like other poxvirus topoisomerases, the MsEPV enzyme formed a covalent adduct with duplex DNA at the target sequence CCCTT↓. The kinetic and equilibrium parameters of the DNA transesterification reaction of MsEPV topoisomerase were k cl = 0.3 s −1 and K cl = 0.25. The introduction of a 5′-bridging phosphorothiolate at the scissile phosphate increased the cleavage equilibrium constant from 0.25 to ≥30. Similar phosphorothiolate effects were observed with vaccinia topoisomerase. Kinetic analysis of single-turnover cleavage and religation reactions established that the altered equilibrium was the result of a ∼10 −4 decrement in the rate of topoisomerase-catalyzed attack of 5′-SH DNA on the DNA-(3′-phosphotyrosyl)-enzyme intermediate. 5′-bridging phosphorothiolates at the scissile phosphate and other positions within the CCCTT element had no significant effect on k cl .
Two-Photon Imaging of Calcium in Virally Transfected Striate Cortical Neurons of Behaving Monkey

Two-photon scanning microscopy has advanced our understanding of neural signaling in non-mammalian species and mammals. Various developments are needed to perform two-photon scanning microscopy over prolonged periods in non-human primates performing a behavioral task. In striate cortex in two macaque monkeys, cortical neurons were transfected with a genetically encoded fluorescent calcium sensor, memTNXL, using AAV1 as a viral vector. By constructing an extremely rigid and stable apparatus holding both the two-photon scanning microscope and the monkey's head, single neurons were imaged at high magnification for prolonged periods with minimal motion artifacts for up to ten months. Structural images of single neurons were obtained at high magnification. Changes in calcium during visual stimulation were measured as the monkeys performed a fixation task. Overall, functional responses and orientation tuning curves were obtained in 18.8% of the 234 labeled and imaged neurons. This demonstrated that the two-photon scanning microscopy can be successfully obtained in behaving primates.
School advisory council participation and effectiveness.

This study presents a preliminary framework of the variables of effective citizen participation on mandated school advisory councils and systematically investigates the relative effects of participant-type (e.g., parent, teacher), council power, leadership style, and social climate on council member satisfaction and involvement with their councils. A group of 149 school principals and 505 of their council members provided data for the study. The major findings revealed that increased satisfaction, feelings of involvement, and actual number of activities engaged in by council members are related to higher degrees of council member power, more support from the principal for member involvement, clearer role and responsibility definition, and a person-oriented leadership style of the principal. It was also found that principals and teachers are less satisfied with council effectiveness than parents. Theoretical and intervention implications of the results are discussed.
Variation in faculty evaluations of clerkship students attributable to surgical service.

Objective The purpose of this study was to determine whether students' performance evaluations by faculty were influenced by the clinical service on which the student was evaluated. Methods Third-year medical students spent 8 weeks rotating on 3 (or 2) surgical services. Typically, students rotate on one 4-week general surgery service and two 2-week subspecialty services. Faculty members rated student performance on 5 characteristics and provided a numeric grade. Data were analyzed to determine whether any significant variations in evaluation patterns emerged. Results A total of 1033 evaluations were included in the analyses. Based on an analysis of variance, the numeric grade varied significantly by service (p Conclusions The assessment of a surgical student's clinical performance is influenced by the specific services on which he/she has rotated and may be related to the length of the rotation. Research is needed to determine whether the differences among services should be considered as a source of error in grading or considered to reflect the particular challenge of the service.
Isolation, composition, and biological activity of sugar chains of porcine oocyte zona pellucida 55K glycoproteins

ZP3, a preparation of the 55K families of porcine oocyte zona pellucida, possesses carbohydrate-dependent ligand activity for boar sperm. The aim of the present study was to analyze ZP3 N- and O-linked oligosaccharides with respect to size distribution, composition, and role in sperm-zona recognition events. Digestion of denatured ZP3 with peptide N-glycosidase F (PNGaseF) released the majority of N-glycans which fractionated on Sephadex G-75 resin as a polydisperse population with apparent molecular masses ranging from 1,900–8,200 Da. The higher molecular weight N-glycans were characterized by the presence of strongly anionic sulfated/sialylated polylactosamine structures. Alkaline-borohydride treatment of the PNGaseF-digested core proteins liberated O-glycans as a heterogeneous population of oligosaccharide alcohols, which were fractionated on a Sephadex G-50 column. Compositional analyses indicated sulfated polylactosamine units associated with the higher molecular weight O-glycans. Preincubation of boar sperm with ZP3 or purified O-glycans, but not N-glycans, inhibited subsequent attachment to zona-encased oocytes. Purified O-glycans were, however, 2 to 3 orders of magnitude less effective than ZP3 as competitive ligands. The results document the extreme heterogeneity of the ZP3 carbohydrate moiety, in large part attributable to a board spectrum of variably sized N- and O-linked sulfated polylactosamines. Ligand competition bioassays suggest that O-glycans mediate, at least in part, the sperm adhesive properties of ZP3 and strongly imply that high-affinity interaction of ZP3 sugar chains with complementary sperm receptors is dependent upon their covalent association with core proteins.
Minimum variance unbiased estimation of the drift of brownian motion with linear stopping boundaries

We consider a Brownian motion X(t) with drift θ and various linear stopping boundaries, including boundaries popular for sequential testing. We show that the stopping time T and the observed value X(T) are jointly complete for the drift. We then derive the UMVUE of the drift and of some functions of the drift, including the variance of the drift estimate. The estimates are also truncation-adaptable, with uniformly minimum variance among such estimates.
Role-Based Access Control in a Data Grid Using the Storage Resource Broker and Shibboleth

In this paper, we propose a role-based access control (RBAC) system for data resources in the Storage Resource Broker (SRB). The SRB is a Data Grid management system, which can integrate heterogeneous data resources of virtual organizations (VOs). The SRB stores the access control information of individual users in the Metadata Catalog (MCAT) database. However, because of the specific MCAT schema structure, this information can only be used by the SRB applications. If VOs also have many non-SRB applications, each with its own storage format for user access control information, it creates a scalability problem with regard to administration. To solve this problem, we developed a RBAC system with Shibboleth, which is an attribute authorization service currently being used in many Grid environments. Thus, the administration overhead is reduced because the role privileges of individual users are now managed by Shibboleth, not by MCAT or applications. In addition, access control policies need to be specified and managed across multiple VOs. For the specification of access control policies, we used the Core and Hierarchical RBAC profile of the eXtensible Access Control Markup Language (XACML); and for distributed administration of those policies, we used the Object, Metadata and Artifacts Registry (OMAR). OMAR is based on the e-business eXtensible Markup Language (ebXML) registry specifications developed to achieve interoperable registries and repositories. Our RBAC system provides scalable and fine-grain access control and allows privacy protection. Performance analysis shows that our system adds only a small overhead to the existing security infrastructure of the SRB.
A Brief History of Entertainment Technologies

No prediction of the future can be done without a good understanding of its history. This paper takes us through the history of entertainment technologies from the beginning of the 19th Century to the current time. We trace the paths taken by two particular content types-motion pictures and television-and along the way, examine several other forces that eventually come together at the beginning of the 21st century to forge a new digital economy for the coming future.
An analysis of stock price reaction to management change in distressed firms

Abstract This study analyzes excess returns to shareholders at announcement of a change in senior management of distressed firms. Excess returns are significantly positive, which is consistent with the internal corporate control hypothesis that management change following poor performance is associated with gains to shareholders. Cross-sectional tests of the effects reveal a significant title effect and significant interactions between title and appointment of an outside successor and title and firm size. These findings present new insights into the circumstances in which external vs. internal markets for managers will affect shareholder wealth.
Direct observation of peer rejection acts and their temporal relation with aggressive acts

The peer rejection literature has focused only on sociometric rejection and has not included direct observation of specific acts of rejection. This study provides observations of rejection acts and examines the temporal relation between acts of rejection and aggressive acts. Videotape samples of 86 preschool children were collected from 6 classrooms. Acts of rejection were reliably coded. Aggressive acts and acts of rejection by peers tended to occur closely together in time, suggesting that these are related. A clear temporal pattern was found in which children were likely to be recipients of rejection acts shortly after exhibiting aggressive acts.
Enrollment Pathways to Financial Sustainability: Choosing the Road Less Traveled

Rising costs, burgeoning debt, and falling credit ratings are among the financial challenges faced by small, tuition-dependent private colleges, including many members of the Council for Christian Colleges & Universities (CCCU). In their efforts to generate more revenue, most of these institutions have focused on enrollment strategies as the primary pathway to sustainability. This study explored the question: Do enrollment-focused efforts improve the financial condition of these institutions? Using a multilevel model, the influences of admitted student yield rate, undergraduate enrollment growth, enrollment in graduate and nontraditional programs, unfunded tuition discount rate, and institutional aid from donor sources were correlated with Composite Financial Index (CFI) scores during a four-year period. The results supported the need for a balanced financial strategy with priority given to increasing donor resources. Positive trends in undergraduate enrollment contributed to increasing financial health i...
Statistical Orbit Determination using the Particle Filter for Incorporating Non-Gaussian Uncertainties

The tracking of space objects requires frequent and accurate monitoring for collision avoidance. As even collision events with very low probability are important, accurate prediction of collisions require the representation of the full probability density function (PDF) of the random orbit state. Through representing the full PDF of the orbit state for orbit maintenance and collision avoidance, we can take advantage of the statistical information present in the heavy tailed distributions, more accurately representing the orbit states with low probability. The classical methods of orbit determination (i.e. Kalman Filter and its derivatives) provide state estimates based on only the second moments of the state and measurement errors that are captured by assuming a Gaussian distribution. Although the measurement errors can be accurately assumed to have a Gaussian distribution, errors with a non-Gaussian distribution could arise during propagation between observations. Moreover, unmodeled dynamics in the orbit model could introduce non-Gaussian errors into the process noise. A Particle Filter (PF) is proposed as a nonlinear filtering technique that is capable of propagating and estimating a more complete representation of the state distribution as an accurate approximation of a full PDF. The PF uses Monte Carlo runs to generate particles that approximate the full PDF representation. The PF is applied in the estimation and propagation of a highly eccentric orbit and the results are compared to the Extended Kalman Filter and Splitting Gaussian Mixture algorithms to demonstrate its proficiency.
What the human resources user wants

A group of human resources systems professionals participated in a Nominal Group Technique session seeking to determine the characteristics of management information systems contributing to user satisfaction. The technique illustrates a method of determining user information requirements. The results suggest the importance of timely and flexible retrieval facilities, on-line input, accurately validated data, adequate documentation, security, and organization support.
Sensitivity of multiple-scattering inverse transport methods to measurement errors

Inverse multiple-scattering transport methods, derived from the linear Boltzmann equation, are potentially suitable for remote-sensing studies because they do not require measurements within the scattering medium. The methods investigated yield the single-frequency angular redistribution function for a homogeneous one-dimensional slab medium that is uniformly illuminated. Illustrative numerical results for a monodirectional incident beam show that the methods are ill conditioned with respect to simulated measurement errors, with the severity depending strongly on the direction of the incident beam.
Asymptotic deviations between perturbed empirical and quantile processes

Abstract The object of the present investigation is to study almost sure deviation results between perturbed empirical and quantile processes based on the kernel smoothing method in smooth statistical models. Under appropriate conditions, we develop Bahadur-Kiefer type representations (pointwise and uniform) for perturbed kernel quantiles. These representations are then used to obtain several applications including upper and lower class results, invariance principles and functional laws of the iterated logarithm for kernel empirical and quantile processes.
Translational activation of 5′-TOP mRNA in pressure overload myocardium

The present study was conducted to determine the magnitude and duration of ribosomal protein translation in response to pressure overload and determine if additional, paracrine events associated with mechanical transduction, such as integrin activation using a bioactive peptide ligand, RGD or endothelin stimulation lead to ribosomal protein translation. Polysome analysis of ventricular tissue samples obtained from an in vivo model of right-ventricular pressure overload (RVPO) showed a significant shift in the proportion of a 5′-terminal oligopyrimidine (5′-TOP) mRNA, rpL32, associated with the polysomal fraction when compared with non-5′-TOP mRNAs, β-actin and β-myosin heavy chain (β-MHC), in the early stages of the hypertrophic response (24–48 h). Furthermore, this increase in polysome-bound rpL32 mRNA was accompanied by the phosphorylation of mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR), p70 S6 kinase (S6K1), and S6 ribosomal protein. In our in vitro studies, treatment of primary cultures of adult feline cardiomyocytes (cardiocytes) with 100 nM endothelin, 9 mM RGD, 100 nM insulin, or 100 nM TPA activated mTOR via distinct signaling pathways and resulted in an increased proportion of polysome-bound rpL32 mRNA. Pre-treatment of cardiocytes with the mTOR inhibitor rapamycin blocked the agonist-induced rpL32 mRNA mobilization to polysomes. These results show that mechanisms that regulate ribosomal biogenesis in the myocardium are dynamically sensitive to pressure overload. Furthermore, our in vitro studies indicate that distinct pathways are operational during the early course of hypertrophic growth and converge to activate mTOR resulting in the translational activation of 5′-TOP mRNA.
Characteristics of Cases of the Reincarnation Type among the Igbo of Nigeria

Data from fifty-seven Igbo cases of the reincarnation type are analyzed and compared with data from similar cases in other cultures. Compared with the cases of other cultures, the Igbo cases showed a high incidence of cases in which the subject and the person of whom he or she is said to be the reincarnation (previous personality) are related to each other, biologically or maritally. The subjects of the Igbo cases also showed an unusually high incidence (68 % ) of birth-marks and birth defects said to correspond with wounds on the previous personality. There was also a comparatively high incidence ( 18 % ) of claims to have been a person of the opposite sex in the previous life. Igbo children who were identified as being the reincarnation of someone else made fewer statements about the presumed previous life than did subjects in most other cultures.
Improved crystalline quality of AlAsxSb1−x grown on InAs by modulated molecular‐beam epitaxy

This letter reports a dramatic improvement in crystalline quality of AlAs0.16Sb0.84 ordered alloys compared with random ones grown by modulated molecular‐beam epitaxy (MMBE) on InAs substrates. The average As/Sb ratio in these ordered alloys is accurately controlled by the modulation of As2 and Sb2 beams. The surface morphology of the epilayers is mirrorlike to the naked eye and appears texture‐ and cluster‐free under an electron scanning microscope. X‐ray diffraction measurements reveal that the lattice‐matched conditions for AlAsxSb1−x epilayers to InAs can be easily achieved by simply changing the As‐shutter dutycycle. Distinct satellite peaks corresponding to the ordered structure with a period of about 11 A are also clearly observed. Strong photoluminescence (PL) is observed from GaAs0.08Sb0.92/AlAs0.16Sb0.84 single quantum well structures up to room temperature under a very low photoexcitation (5 W/cm2). At 5 K the PL linewidth is 4.5 meV.
Influence of the wall on transient conduction into packed media

Developpement d'une relation simple sous forme fermee du coefficient de transfert de chaleur a des surfaces immergees
Anoxemia as the cause of death in shock

The case is presented that both hemorrhagic and septic shock are due to an inadequate oxygen supply to mitochondria of vascular muscle cells in peripheral circulatory beds. Mitochondria disintegrate in the presence of severe hypoxia; this is a normal response which does not, per se, indicate generalized cell damage. Irreversible shock follows when appreciable numbers of the muscle mitochondria become non-functional. The ATP available from glycolysis is inadequate to resynthesize the mitochondrial apparatus and oxygen cannot be used by the damaged mitochondria to produce the needed ATP through oxidative phosphorylation. In the absence of adequate ATP, the tone of these peripheral vessels must fall, leading to irreversible systemic hypotension and death. In hemorrhagic shock, mitochondrial hypoxia of smooth muscle cells is produced by decreased perfusion of the vasa vasorum in the constricted peripheral vessels; in septic shock there is direct competition for oxygen between bacterial cytochromes and muscle mitochondria.
Brief communication: A large scale virtual screen of DprE1

A large-scale (4 million compounds) virtual screen of an essential M. tb protein.The identification of promising lead compounds for the anti-tuberculosis compounds.Analysis of predicted binding affinity and empirical screening. Tuberculosis continues to plague the world with the World Health Organization estimating that about one third of the world's population is infected. Due to the emergence of MDR and XDR strains of TB, the need for novel therapeutics has become increasing urgent. Herein we report the results of a virtual screen of 4.1 million compounds against a promising drug target, DrpE1. The virtual compounds were obtained from the Zinc docking site and screened using the molecular docking program, AutoDock Vina. The computational hits have led to the identification of several promising lead compounds.
Problems in measuring the influence of economic levels on morbidity.

OF what importance is the relation of morbidity to economic levels? Why should we address attention to this problem? If we hope to convert the cycle of poverty, ignorance, malnutrition, and sickness to one of education, improved nutrition, improved health, and economic development, we must gain understanding of the interactions of these variables. Leona Baumgartner, in a recent editorial in this Journal, quoted from Kimball's book "Tropical Africa": "It is bad enough that a man should be ignorant, for this cuts him off from the commerce of other men's minds; it is perhaps worse that a man should be poor, for this condemns him to a life of stint and scheming, in which there is no time for dreams and no respite from weariness. But what surely is worse, is that a man should be unwell, for this prevents him from doing anything much about either his poverty or his ignorance."17 The problems of ignorance, sickness, and poverty are not restricted to tropical Africa. One finds these problems even in the cities of the United States. Some economists tell us that economic development per se will lead to better health. Educators claim that education will lead to both better health and economic development, while we as health workers often claim that without health, neither education nor economic development can succeed. To plan logically for improvement in all of these areas one must be able to evaluate effects of each, in order to establish priorities. This paper does not attempt to assess and evaluate the priorities of these factors. The difficulties and shortcomings of use of interview data in lieu of complete, standardized history and physical are not discussed.28 29'34 Discussion is limited to problems and pitfalls in the study of the interrelationships of economic level and morbidity as measured by household interview. Examples are drawn mainly from a year-long, nationwide study in Taiwan.
Was the worldwide shift to gold inevitable? An analysis of the end of bimetallism

Abstract This paper analyzes the causes and consequences of the universal switch from bimetallism to the gold standard in the early 1870s. It shows that the sole cause for the fall in silver prices after 1871 was the German demonetization of silver, and that the subsequent restriction of free silver coinage in Belgium and France was unnecessary: continued free silver coinage in the Latin Union would have reduced the share of gold in the Union's monetary system only marginally. Their continued adherence to bimetallism could have avoided much of the deflation in the gold standard world in the 1870s.
Conceptual approaches to service provision in cities throughout history

All cities, from the distant past to the present, provide services for their residents, but the nature and level of urban services vary widely, as do the providers. How are we to understand this variation? We examine the major theoretical and conceptual approaches to urban services, and find that none is sufficiently comprehensive to explain patterns of service provision in all types of cities: public choice theory, co-production, critical theory, urban political ecology, collective action theory, and social integration. We use two premodern cities – Zanzibar and Tikal – to illustrate the strengths and weaknesses of these theories. A major challenge is to account for both central administrative control of services and more generative, bottom-up service provision.
The Venture Capital Revolution

V T enture capital has developed as an important intermediary in financial markets, providing capital to firms that might otherwise have difficulty attracting financing. These firms are typically small and young, plagued by high levels of uncertainty and large differences between what entrepreneurs and investors know. Moreover, these firms typically possess few tangible assets and operate in markets that change very rapidly. Venture capital organizations finance these high-risk, potentially high-reward projects, purchasing equity or equity-linked stakes while the firms are still privately held. The venture capital industry has developed a variety of mechanisms to overcome the problems that emerge at each stage of the investment process. At the same time, the venture capital process is also subject to various pathologies from time to time, which can create problems for investors or entrepreneurs. The primary focus of this article is on drawing together the empirical academic research on venture capital and highlighting what is still not known. With this focus in mind, four limitations should be acknowledged at the outset. First, this paper will not address the many theoretical papers that examine various aspects of the venture capital market, much of it examining the role that venture capitalists play in mitigating agency conflicts between entrepreneurial firms and outside investors.' Second, this article does not focus on the intricacies of the
Risk of falls and fractures in older adults using atypical antipsychotic agents: a propensity score-adjusted, retrospective cohort study.

Abstract Background Atypical antipsychotic agents are extensively prescribed in the elderly to treat various behavioral and psychiatric disorders. Past literature has documented an increased risk of falls and factures with the use of risperidone and olanzapine compared with nonuse. However, none of the studies assessed the comparative safety profiles of atypical agents with respect to falls and fractures. Objective The goal of this study was to evaluate the risk of falls and fractures associated with the use of risperidone, olanzapine, and quetiapine in community-dwelling adults aged ≥50 years. Methods The study involved a propensity score–adjusted approach in new users of risperidone, olanzapine, or quetiapine anytime between July 1, 2000, and June 30, 2008, using data from the IMS LifeLink Health Plan Claims database. Patients were followed up until a hospitalization/emergency department visit for fall/fracture or the end of the study period, whichever occurred earlier. The Cox proportional hazards regression model was used to evaluate the comparative risk of falls/fractures. The covariates in the final model included propensity scores and their interaction terms. Results There were 12,145 new users of atypical agents in the study population (5083 risperidone, 4377 olanzapine, and 2685 quetiapine). A total of 417 cases of falls/fractures with at least 1 hospitalization/ emergency department visit after the use of the antipsychotic agents were identified. The number of falls for risperidone, olanzapine, and quetiapine were 179 (3.56%), 123 (2.84%), and 115 (4.34%), respectively. After adjusting for propensity scores, the Cox proportional hazards model showed that there was no statistically significant difference with use of risperidone (hazard ratio = 1.10 [95% CI, 0.86–1.39]) or quetiapine (hazard ratio = 1.12 [95% CI, 0.86–1.46]) compared with olanzapine (reference group) in the risk of falls or fractures. Conclusions The study found no significant difference across the individual atypical agents in the risk of falls/fractures in community-dwelling older adults. Future studies are required to evaluate the overall safety profiles of the antipsychotic agents in this population.
NUMERIC AND EXACT SOLUTIONS OF THE NONLINEAR CHAPMAN–KOLMOGOROV EQUATION: A CASE STUDY FOR A NONLINEAR SEMI-GROUP MARKOV MODEL

Nonlinear Markov processes are known to arise from diffusion approximations of nonlinear master equations and generalized Boltzmann equations and have been studied in their own merit in the context of nonlinear Fokker–Planck equations. Nonlinear Markov processes can account for collective phenomena, collective oscillations, and collective chaotic behavior. Despite the importance of nonlinear Markov processes for the physics of stochastic processes, relatively little is known about the Chapman–Kolmogorov equation of nonlinear Markov processes. The manuscript derives the exact solution of the Chapman–Kolmogorov equation for a recently proposed deterministic Markov model. Numerical solutions of the Chapman–Kolmogorov equation are used to demonstrate the nonlinear semi-group property of conditional probabilities of nonlinear Markov processes.
Theory of screening and electron mobility: Application to n-type silicon.

The dielectric function for semidegenerate [ital n]-type silicon is calculated in both the random-phase approximation (RPA) and the Singwi-Tosi-Land-Sjoelander (STLS) approximation in a study of linear screening theory and electron mobility. Using a spherical effective-mass model for the six conduction-band valleys, the Boltzmann equation is solved exactly for phonon plus impurity scattering and the resulting mobility is compared with experiment. Significant differences are found in doped silicon at nonzero temperatures between Boltzmann equation solutions in the RPA Born approximation and the less accurate force-force correlation function formula for the electrical resistivity due to electron-impurity scattering. Phonon scattering has only secondary importance and is treated by standard deformation-potential models. The problem of scattering by linearly screened ionized impurities is treated with exact phase-shift scattering theory. RPA phase-shift calculated electron mobilities in [ital n]-type silicon at 300 and 77 K agree more closely with experiment than the Born approximation or Thomas-Fermi calculations. The local field correction to RPA screening of impurity potentials is not significant in scattering cross sections when the electron-electron vertex function is included. However, assuming full ionization, the STLS dielectric function yields negative electronic compressibilities at 77 K in a concentration region centered approximately where the metal-insulator transition takesmore » place at [ital T]=0, and coinciding with strong violations of the Friedel sum rule by linearly screened potentials. Strong Coulomb interactions are indicated and imply an inadequacy of linear screening theory, the Born approximation, and the Boltzmann equation for electron-impurity scattering applied to the electron-gas model for doped silicon at low temperature, despite apparently good agreement with experiment.« less
Coronary vasodilatation following diazepam (Valium)

1. The effects of diazepam (Valium) on coronary and systemic vascular resistance were studied in anaesthetized dogs on cardiopulmonary bypass under conditions of constant heart rate and aortic pressure.2. Pharmacological doses of diazepam uniformly produced coronary vasodilation lasting 30 min; systemic vascular resistance also decreased, but to lesser degree.3. When coronary blood flow was maintained constant at physiological levels, diazepam produced no changes in left ventricular contractility, as assessed by peak LV isovolumetric pressure, dp/dt max, force-velocity, and length-tension relations, whereas previous experiments had demonstrated a positive inotropic effect in a similar preparation in which coronary blood flow was responsive to alterations in coronary vascular resistance.4. In five dogs, complete separation of the coronary and systemic circulations was accomplished by a double pump-oxygenator system; direct intracoronary administration of diazepam produced coronary vasodilatation, but coronary pressure and flow were not altered by administration of diazepam to the systemic circulation.5. It is concluded that diazepam augments myocardial contractility by increasing coronary blood flow. This relationship is independent of extracardiac humoral mechanisms, and appears to require the delivery of diazepam to the coronary circulation.
Soil properties and genesis of pans in till-derived andisols, Olympic Peninsula, Washington

Subsoil pans regarded as cemented are present in certain Andisols of the Olympic Peninsula region of western Washington. Soils formed in basalt-derived alluvium or colluvium over Pleistocene-aged compact alpine till. Theories of pan formation include pedogenic cementation by silica, allophane, or humic-metal complexes ; or geogenic till compaction with no subsequent cementation. We examined the properties of three pedons with compacted and cemented subsoil horizons to better understand the genesis of these soils and pan horizons. Pan horizons, designated as Cm, are very brittle, nearly impossible to dig with hand tools, and massive in structure. Soils are acidic, with pH(H 2 O) for all horizons ranging from 3.7 to 6.0. Crystalline phyllosilicates identified are gibbsite, kaolinite, chlorite, vermiculite, and hydroxy-interlayered vermiculite. Allophane was detected in most mineral horizons, including Cm horizons, and allophane Al/Si molar ratios vary from 1.2 to 3.4. Low NaOH-extractable Si, low Si/Al molar ratios from NaOH extracts, high rainfall, and the presence of gibbsite decrease the likelihood of pedogenic opal as a cementing agent in pans. Limited organo-metallic deposition, low organic C, and low pyrophosphate-extractable Fe and Al in pan horizons suggest that podzolization processes related to ortstein formation are not responsible for Cm horizon cementation. Micromorphologic examination of Cm horizons detected a light brown to nearly colorless substance that appears to be allophane around mineral grains and in pore channels. Soil chemistry data support allophane as the primary cementing agent in these pan horizons, with kaolinite, gibbsite, and Fe oxides acting as possible accessory agents. Glacial compaction, parent material mineralogy, and cycles of wetting and drying are important factors affecting cementation of these pans.
Electrothermal analysis and optimization techniques for nanoscale integrated circuits

With technology scaling, on-chip power densities are growing steadily, leading to the point where temperature has become an important consideration in the design of electrical circuits. This paper overviews several methods for the analysis and optimization of thermal effects, in integrated circuits. Thermal analysis may be carried out efficiently through the use of finite difference methods, finite element methods, or Green function based methods, each of which provides different accuracy-computation tradeoffs, and the paper begins by surveying these. Next, we overview a restricted set of thermal optimization methods, specifically, placement techniques for thermal heat-spreading, and then we conclude by summarizing a set of future directions in electrothermal design.
Iraq and the future of nuclear nonproliferation: the roles of inspections and treaties.

In the aftermath of the GulfWar, revelations about Iraq's extensive program to develop nuclear weapons challenge the future of the international nuclear nonproliferation regime. Until inspections sanctioned by the U.N. Security Council began, Iraq's violations of its obligations under the Treaty on the Nonproliferation of Nuclear Weapons and its related safeguards agreement with the International Atomic Energy Agency went undetected. The ultimate impact of Iraq's behavior on the regime cannot yet be determined, but there is now an opportunity to improve safeguards and other aspects of the regime, including strengthening export controls and proliferation intelligence collection and sharing and the development of appropriate response capabilities.
Evidence for an active-inactive subunit complex in jack bean urease.

Abstract The structural subunit molecular weight of jack bean urease has been determined to be 30,400 on the basis of the chemical evidence presented. Each polypeptide chain has been shown to possess four types of sulfhydryl groups. In half of the subunits the sulfhydryl group required for catalytic activity is involved in a disulfide bond. This results in a catalytic subunit of 60,800 molecular weight composed of two polypeptide chains but having only one active site.
Headless ghosts and roving women: specters of modernity in Papua New Guinea

By juxtaposing a contemporary myth with an exegesis of Huli “passenger woman” (physically and sexually mobile women), I address the gendered nature of modernity. Huli women are expected to enact tradition, both through their consumption practices and through participation in the bridewealth system. Passenger women become modern through their repudiation of these roles. An analysis of women's experiences suggests that modern forms of identity can emerge in response to the shifting meanings and practices of social reproduction, [modernity, bridewealth, social reproduction, sexuality, myth]
The fast flush test measures the dynamic response of the entire blood pressure monitoring system.

The fast flush test (FT) is the only test that allows clinicians to determine in vivo the natural frequency (fn) and damping coefficient (f ) of an invasive blood pressure monitoring system. The underlying assumption to the validity of the FT is that it activates the whole system including the dista
Effect of prey richness on a consumer’s intrinsic growth rate

The intrinsic growth rate of non-selective microbivores increases asymptotically with increasing prey biomass, but we do not know how intrinsic growth rate is affected by prey richness. The objective of this experiment was to determine the effect of prey richness on the growth kinetics of nematode predators while grazing on mixed bacterial lawns. We found that the intrinsic growth rate of Caenorhabditis elegans in laboratory culture increased asymptotically with prey richness. The mechanism of this pattern was primarily due to the best available prey species in the mixture: the intrinsic growth rate of the consumer feeding on a mixture of prey was approximately equal to the intrinsic growth rate of the predator when feeding on the single best prey in monoculture. This was analogous to the selection effect observed in biodiversity-ecosystem functioning relationships. Generation time, and not reproductive output, was the life history trait component that was most consistent with the pattern of intrinsic growth rate. Our results suggest that in order to link invertebrate consumers' growth rates to their microbial species composition in the field, it will be necessary to determine the ability of microbivorous invertebrates to selectively forage in natural environments and to better understand the micro-scale distribution of microbial communities in their natural environments.