cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
β-Endorphin-(1–27) antagonizes β-endorphin- but not morphine-, D-PEN2-D-PEN2-enkephalin- and U50, 488H-induced analgesia in mice

β-Endorphin-(1–27), administered intraventricularly has been previously reported to block the analgesia induced by β-endorphin injected intraventricularly. The present study was to determine if the blocking effect of β-endorphin-(1–27) was specific to β-endorphin which stimulates epsilon receptors, but not to other opioids with activity at different opioid receptors. The antagonistic effects of β-endorphin-(1–27) on the analgesia induced by β-endorphin (epsilon-opioid receptor agonist), d-Ala2-NMePhe4-Gly-ol-enkephalin (DAGO) and morphine, (mu-opioid receptor agonists), d-Pen2-d-Pen5-enkephalin (DPDPE) and d-Ala2-d-Leu5-enkephalin(DADLE) (delta-opioid receptor agonists) and U-50, 488H (kappa-opioid receptor agonist) were studied. β-Endorphin-(1–27) injected intraventricularly, at doses which, when injected alone did not produce analgesia, antagonized the analgesia induced by β-endorphin given intraventricularly. However, the analgesia induced by DAGO, morphine, DPDPE, DADLE and U-50,488H given intraventricularly was not antagonized by β-endorphin-(1–27). The data suggest that β-endorphin-(1–27) selectively blocks the analgesia induced by the stimulation of epsilon receptors but not by the stimulation of mu, delta, and kappa receptors. The results support the previously proposed hypothesis that β-endorphin produces its analgesia by stimulating specific epsilon receptors.
Sonoluminescence from an isolated bubble on a solid surface

Measurements of sonoluminescence from isolated cavities that spontaneously form on solid objects in a fluid-filled acoustic resonator are reported. The subnanosecond light flashes have a smooth ultraviolet spectrum similar to that from single bubbles, although with organic liquids low intensity Swan lines ride on the continuum. The hemispherical cavities reach maximum radii about five times larger than are realized in sonoluminescence from single bubbles. The sonoluminescence intensity continues to increase as the liquids are cooled to temperatures as low as 160 K.
Injection into a turbulent boundary layer through different porous surfaces

Conclusions Present experiments, extending earlier data in constant pressure flows, show that the wedge angle increases slowly with Reynolds number. A favorable pressure gradient, presumably because of its stabilizing effect, inhibits the growth of turbulent spots, and, in general, results in a nonlinear turbulent wedge. However, as soon as the pressure gradient diminishes to the point where the flow becomes supercritical, spot growth picks up rapidly and the associated turbulent wedge becomes linear.
A review of the literature relating caffeine consumption by women to their risk of reproductive hazards.

From this detailed review of the literature, several conclusions can be drawn: (a) An association between caffeine consumption and a reproductive hazard is more likely to be seen in lower-quality studies than in studies that come closer to approximating the ideal. This is especially evident for "lower" birthweight and congenital anomalies. (b) The association between caffeine consumption and spontaneous abortion may well reflect the Stein-Susser epiphenomenon (women with prominent nausea tend to reduce caffeine consumption and nausea appears to be a marker of good implantation, perhaps reflecting a favorable balance of hormones produced by a healthy placenta). (c) The claim that caffeine consumption by women delays conception has not been followed by convincing support. (d) Reproductive hazards associated with cigarette smoking tend to be associated with caffeine/coffee consumption. Sometimes this appears to be a consequence of residual confounding associated with inadequate adjustment for cigarette smoking, which is over-represented among those who drink the most coffee/caffeine. Sometimes this reflects the tendency of women to underreport socially undesirable behaviors (e.g. smoking) while accurately reporting socially neutral behaviors (e.g. coffee and caffeine consumption). Thus, it seems reasonable to conclude that no convincing evidence has been presented to show that caffeine consumption increases the risk of any reproductive adversity.
Does intraoperative navigation restore orbital dimensions in traumatic and post-ablative defects? ☆

Abstract Background The outcomes of the reconstruction of post-ablative and post-traumatic orbital defects are often unpredictable when considering the restoration of the orbital dimensions. Intraoperative navigation offers the surgeon visualization of bony landmarks via comparison to preoperative computed tomography, aiding in bony reduction and implant placement. The purpose of this study was to assess whether intraoperative navigation-guided orbital reconstruction re-establishes orbital volume and globe projection in subjects with post-ablative and post-traumatic orbital defects. Material and methods The investigators initiated a retrospective cohort study and enrolled a sample of subjects that underwent primary or secondary reconstruction for unilateral orbital deformities secondary to traumatic injury or tumour surgery. Pre- and post-operative orbital volume and globe projection were measured using Analyze (Mayo Clinic Biomedical Imaging Resource, Rochester, MN, USA). A matched pairs t-test was used to assess the difference in pre- and post-operative orbital volume and globe projection. Results Twenty-three subjects underwent intraoperative navigation-guided orbital reconstruction. The mean difference in orbital volume and globe projection between the non-operated orbit and operated orbit in the post-operative period was −1.3 cm3 and 2.4 mm respectively. Both final measurements were within the margin of error of clinically noticeable enophthalmos. The mean absolute difference in orbital volume and globe projection between the pre- and post-operative period was 5.1 cm3 (p = Conclusion The results of this study suggest that orbital reconstruction using intraoperative navigation is effective in establishing normal orbital volume and globe projection in post-traumatic and post-ablative defects, therefore restoring the orbit and globe to pre-traumatic and pre-ablative conditions.
The magmatic–hydrothermal transition—evidence from quartz phenocryst textures and endoskarn abundance in Cu–Zn skarns at the Empire Mine, Idaho, USA

Information about the magmatic to hydrothermal transition is preserved in late-stage features of quartz phenocrysts and endoskarn alteration in some Cu–Zn skarn deposits such as the Empire Mine in Idaho. Important features include: (1) quartz phenocrysts with strong resorption textures such as vermicular zones of igneous groundmass cutting primary quartz cathodoluminescence banding, (2) anomalous amounts of endoskarn (more than 50% of mineralized rock), (3) high F activities as evidenced by fluorite as an accessory mineral in igneous rocks, in alteration assemblages, and in fluid inclusions and by high F in hydroxyl sites in igneous biotite and amphibole, and (4) direct association of Zn, which normally is deposited distally at low temperature, with Cu in proximal locations and in endoskarn. These features are explained by the following model: (1) F lowers the solidus temperature of the magma, thus changing the timing, temperature, and duration of hydrothermal fluid exsolution. (2) Upon magmatic vapor saturation the F-rich hydrothermal fluids form bubbles that adhere to quartz phenocrysts and chemically corrode/tunnel into the quartz forming vermicular resorption textures. (3) F-rich hydrothermal fluids also promote the formation of endoskarn; silicic rocks are attacked by F-rich fluids in the same sense that carbonate wall rocks are dissolved by weakly to moderately acidic hydrothermal fluids. (4) Low fluid exsolution temperature facilitated by high F activity promotes high Zn/Cu ratios in proximal locations due to the solubility of Zn relative to Cu at lower temperatures. This model may be applicable at other localities such as the world-class Cu–Zn skarn Antamina mine, as well as some tin and rapakivi granites.
Creating a web-based, 2-D action game in JavaScript with HTML5

This paper details the author's findings and experience in developing a 2-D action game as a web-based application. The player controls an on-screen character in a 2-D world, collecting items along the way toward the goal of returning a chalice to the white castle, similar to the Atari 2600 game Adventure. The game uses JavaScript and HTML5, and does not need any additional software or plugins. Game content can be changed using a related "world" editor, also available as a web-page. This paper explores the game engine creation, with standard game concepts like tiles and sprites, along with HTML5 specifics like working with a canvas, accelerometer, sound, and keyboard.While other HTML5 based games do exist, there is little in terms of academic literature describing how this is done. This paper shows that a 2-D action game can be made with HTML5, and details how other developers could do it, too.
Personal Strengths and Assets Among Adolescents: A Comparison of Smokers and Nonsmokers

There is limited research on the relationship between adolescent smoking and related social and psychological factors, but it is known that adolescent tobacco users are at higher risk for behavioral disorders and substance abuse. Of great interest to those who work in youth tobacco prevention is expanding knowledge about those factors that lead to tobacco use as well as about those that may buffer against its use. This study examined protective factors and personal strengths in 386 adolescents as part of a high school Tobacco Use Prevention Education (TUPE) program funded by the California Department of Education. Multivariate analysis indicated a significant relationship between gender, smoking status, and personal strengths with smokers having lower levels of personal strengths. It is suggested that cessation programs consider smoking within the context of youths’ personal assets and their social support networks. School support services professionals can contribute to youth tobacco prevention efforts by attending to smoking behavior and its correlates when they are involved in assessments, consultation, or direct counseling with students.
Global public health and the academy.

There is no shortage of disease and related sequelae in the United States for our collective focus in research, teaching, and service roles in schools and colleges of pharmacy. The prevalence of cardiovascular disease, cancer, and infectious diseases require the expertise of physicians, pharmacists, and a myriad of health professionals for prevention and secondary and tertiary treatment. But as we graduate more of our students with future global responsibilities, consider infectious disease research opportunities, and contemplate worldwide interventions to stem patient noncompliance, I feel we should focus on disease epidemics and pandemics that contribute mightily to worldwide mortality. Malaria is just such a disease. A global map highlighting the geographic distribution of malaria is available on the web site of the US Department of Health and Human Resources (http://www.cdc.gov/malaria/distribution_epi/ distribution.htm). Malaria is endemic in well over 100 countries throughout the world. The malaria parasite is transmitted (via 4 species of the protozoan parasite Plasmodium) via various species of Anopheles mosquitoes which bite mainly between sunset and sunrise. The mortality associated with malaria, predominantly in Africa, is stark. For example, consider the following data from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 1 :
Civilian stressors associated with alcohol use disorders in the National Guard.

Background Alcohol use disorders are a serious public health concern among soldiers. Although deployment-related exposures have been linked with alcohol use disorders in soldiers, less is understood about the link between modifiable, civilian stressors and post-deployment alcohol use disorders. Purpose To (1) compare the influence of civilian stressors and deployment-related traumatic events and stressors on post-deployment alcohol use disorders among Army National Guardsmen primarily deployed to Afghanistan and Iraq; and (2) evaluate whether civilian stressors influence a different set of alcohol use disorder phenotypes than deployment-related traumatic events and stressors. Methods A cohort of Ohio National Guard soldiers was recruited in 2008–2009 and interviewed three times over 3 years. The analytic sample included Ohio National Guard soldiers who had been deployed by 2008–2009, had participated in at least one follow-up wave, had reported consuming at least one alcoholic drink in their lifetime, and had non-missing data on alcohol use disorders ( n =1,095). Analyses were conducted in 2013. Results In a model including measures of civilian stressors and deployment-related traumatic events, only civilian stressors (OR=2.07, 95% CI=1.46, 2.94) were associated with subsequent alcohol use disorder. The effects of civilian stressors were only present among people with no history of alcohol use disorder. Conclusions Independent of deployment-related exposures, post-deployment civilian stressors are associated with the onset of alcohol use disorder among reserve-component soldiers. Concerted investment to address daily civilian difficulties associated with reintegration into civilian life may be needed to prevent new cases of alcohol use disorders among returning military personnel.
Direct-connect tests of hydrogen-fueled supersonic combustors

Direct-connect tests of hydrogen-fueled supersonic combustors were performed using arc-heated air at combustor inlet Mach numbers of 2.9 to 3.2. Various axisymmetric combustor geometries of 5.89 and 6.96 cm (inner diameter) inlet were investigated; the fuel was injected from the wall either from a ring of equally spaced holes normal to the air stream, or from a circumferential slot oriented 45 deg downstream. The hole-type injectors consistently gave better results. The effects of various parameters are examined, and the performance comparison procedure is described. A theoretical model of the supersonic combustion process which includes a precombustion shock-compression is used to explain the character of the observed pressure distributions and to assess the effects of the measured heat transfer rates, deduced wall shear, and combustor geometry on performance.
Effects of Combination Dobutamine and Vasopressin Therapy on Microcirculatory Blood Flow in a Porcine Model of Severe Endotoxic Shock

Background Dobutamine (DB) has been recommended in combination with vasopressor therapy in septic shock, given its reported ability to improve mesenteric and microcirculatory perfusion. Vasopressin (VP) is typically reserved as a second-line agent due to the concern of ischemia. The purpose of our study was to determine whether combination DB and VP therapy improved microcirculatory blood flow in severe endotoxic shock. Methods Septic shock was induced in 20 anesthetized piglets with injection of E. coli endotoxin. DB (10μg/kg/min, n = 5) and VP (0.04 units/min, n = 10) were administered alone and in combination ( n = 15). Measurements were compared at baseline, following endotoxin administration, and following treatment. Microcirculatory blood flow was determined via the injection of colored microspheres. Results VP completely reversed endotoxin-mediated hypotension with a mean arterial pressure (MAP) of 85 ± 4.5mm Hg, which was not significantly altered with the addition of DB (77 ± 4.9mm Hg). Endotoxin uniformly depressed cardiac output (CO) from baseline (227 ± 10.7 versus 174 ± 12.4mL/min/kg) despite treatment with VP alone or in combination with DB. The addition of DB did not improve the CO in this severe septic shock model. VP was found to shunt microcirculatory flow from the skin and GI tract to vital organs such as the brain, liver, and kidneys, which was not altered with the addition of DB. Conclusions Results indicate that DB is ineffective in increasing CO or improving mesenteric blood flow when used with physiologic replacement doses of VP. In combination, DB is unable to overcome the blood flow distribution achieved with VP administration alone in severe endotoxic shock.
A Versatile PAM/PDM Decommutation Station

The growing complexity of data-handling systems and the need for less complicated and smaller decommutation devices led to the development of the PAM/PDM decommutation station shown in Fig. 1. The PAM/PDM data-handling capability of this station is 100 channels and, for the system shown, the utilized panel space is 26 1/4 inches.
The DNA damage response, immunity and cancer

The genome is constantly exposed to exogenous DNA damaging events in the form of radiation, viral infection and chemicals. Endogenous processes such as DNA replication and free radical formation also threaten the integrity of the genome. DNA damage is directly deleterious to cells and also promotes tumorigenesis. Eukaryotic organisms have evolved a signaling pathway, called the DNA damage response, to protect against genomic insults. Sensor proteins detect various forms of damage, and convey signals via a complex pathway regulated by protein phosphorylation, stabilization and transcriptional regulation. The DNA damage response causes cell cycle arrest and induction of DNA repair functions, such that cells with modest damage may survive. However, cells with more severe damage are induced to undergo apoptosis. Two compelling studies show that the DNA damage response is activated very early during tumorigenesis, providing evidence that the DNA damage response could function as a barrier in early tumorigenesis. We recently demonstrated that the DNA damage response alerts the immune system by inducing expression of cell surface ligands for the activating immune receptor NKG2D, which is expressed by natural killer cells (NK cells) and some T cells. In this review we discuss the DNA damage response and its link to the innate immune system and tumor surveillance. These findings might have important implications for the understanding of cancer therapies and for drug development.
Single sourcing for translations

OCLC Online Computer Library Center has reduced costs and improved quality by using single sourcing in the localization of its services. For its FirstSearch reference service (which provides access to 80 databases for 18,000 libraries in 64 countries), OCLC has been through three phases of localization. Each phase has increased consistency and efficiency and lowered our translation costs. In the first phase of localizing FirstSearch in 1999, we introduced French and Spanish versions. The translation included the user interface screens and the help system. During this phase, we had minimal reuse of text in the interface and help files. The next year, OCLC released a major redesign of that service-with three levels of searching and greatly expanded database help. A separate administrative service and help system were also included. The translation task became much larger, and we needed to optimize the opportunities for text reuse in the system interfaces, help systems, and documentation. In the interfaces, all text strings were categorized and defined as entity strings-reused as needed among functions, databases, and user levels. For help and documentation, the needed content was analyzed and defined in an SGML DTD. Scripts were used to generate 240 help topics from a few SGML files. This approach reduced translation costs and facilitated consistency. Now in the third phase of localization, we are integrating our tool set, implementing a content management system, and adding support for Asian languages. Through this phase, we expect to reduce translation costs and improve quality.
Intraoperative spectroscopic-guided brain tumor resection: reduction of blood contamination effects on tissue optical spectra

An optical spectroscopy-based system for intraoperative guidance of brain tumor resection is currently under development at Vanderbilt University and Vanderbilt University Medical Center. The effectiveness of brain tumor margin detection, especially the infiltrating type, using combined in vivo autofluorescence and diffuse reflectance spectroscopy was successfully demonstrated in a preliminary clinical trial (on a total of 26 brain tumor patients). In this trial, a two-step empirical discrimination algorithm based on autofluorescence and diffuse reflectance intensity at 460 nm and 625 nm yielded 100% sensitivity and 76% specificity in differentiating infiltrating tumor margins from normal brain tissues.
The formation of an ‘Islamic sphere’ in French Colonial West Africa

One of the most unintended consequences of colonial rule in French West Africa was the Islamization of large parts of it. Islamic movements have often been interpreted in specifically plitical terms, as instances of ‘collaboration’ with or ‘resistance’ to colonial domination. They can better be understood in terms of the emergence of a qualitatively new ‘Islamic sphere7rsquo; conceptually separate from ‘particular’ affiliations such as ethnicity, kin group membership or salve origins, as well as from the colonial state. This paper considers two cases in detail: the Hamawiyya, a branch of the Tijani Sufi order whose leader was exiled by the French and which was brutally repressed in the 1940s; and the ‘Wahhabiyya’, an anti-Sufi movement which emerged after World war II.
Multiple Air Robotics Indoor Testbed

This paper describes the design and construction of a Multiple Air Robotics Indoor Testbed (MARIT) in detail. MARIT is an indoor experimental platform for developing and validating research work in cooperative control, trajectory generation and computational intelligence for multiple unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). MARIT is instrumental to capture the 6 DOF (degree of freedom) dynamic position information of the small air robots fast and accurately in the 3D test domain. Several difficulties developing the testbed such as connecting the RC (radio-controlled) transmitter to the computer, modeling the UAVs in Vicon softwares and system identification of the inner control system of the UAV are clearly explained.
Concrete Durability Test Due to Environmental Degradation Using Environment Simulation Technology

Using environment simulation technology, simulation testing for environmental behavior of concrete structure could be developed. Concrete durability experiment and its relative theory research would be progressed, and it play an important role in ensuring security and durability of structures. Tailoring environment tests are discussed in the paper, as well as determining all kinds of environmental factors of durability experiment and constructing several coupling environment. Simulation tests for environmental behavior of concrete structure will be developed based on the study.
Temporal Variations in Tucson, Arizona Summertime Atmospheric Moisture, Temperature and Weather Stress Levels

Abstract Summertime temperature, dewpoint, relative humidity, apparent temperature and weather stress levels have not changed significantly over the past 37 years at the Tucson, Arizona Municipal Airport. However, several of these variables show substantial trends during the most recent 18-year subperiod when the Tucson growth rate has been highest. The results for Tucson are quite different from the statistically significant changes in local climate reported for the Phoenix Airport during the same period of record. The differences in the changing weather conditions between these two desert cities appear to be related to (a) the smaller population in Tucson, (b) the position of the Tucson airport measurement site near the outskirts of the city as opposed to the centrally located airport in Phoenix and (c) the type of landscapes being replaced by these rapidly growing urban areas. The city of Phoenix is expanding generally into irrigated agricultural lands, while in Tucson, the bulk of the urban expansion ...
1988 Whitney Award Lecture: Don't Be Afraid of Electrochemical Techniques — But Use Them with Care!

Abstract As electrochemical techniques for corrosion research, monitoring, and control become more sophisticated, and improved software for the performance and analysis of electrochemical tests becomes available, more detailed information about corrosion behavior can be obtained from such tests. It is important, however, to consider the background and limitations of even such routine tests as polarization techniques. While improved instrumentation and the availability of commercial software have made it much easier to carry out electrochemical corrosion tests, it is important to plan the performance and analysis of such tests carefully. It is pointed out that neglecting the effects of the uncompensated resistance (“ohmic drop”) can cause severe distortions of polarization curves, underestimation of corrosion rates, and changes in the true scan rate of a potentiodynamic curve. Positive feedback and the interrupter technique can be used to eliminate such errors. The choice of the correct scan rate is an imp...
A computational analysis of ATP binding of SV40 large tumor antigen helicase motor.

Simian Virus 40 Large Tumor Antigen (LTag) is an efficient helicase motor that unwinds and translocates DNA. The DNA unwinding and translocation of LTag is powered by ATP binding and hydrolysis at the nucleotide pocket between two adjacent subunits of an LTag hexamer. Based on the set of high-resolution hexameric structures of LTag helicase in different nucleotide binding states, we simulated a conformational transition pathway of the ATP binding process using the targeted molecular dynamics method and calculated the corresponding energy profile using the linear response approximation (LRA) version of the semi-macroscopic Protein Dipoles Langevin Dipoles method (PDLD/S). The simulation results suggest a three-step process for the ATP binding from the initial interaction to the final tight binding at the nucleotide pocket, in which ATP is eventually “locked” by three pairs of charge-charge interactions across the pocket. Such a “cross-locking” ATP binding process is similar to the binding zipper model reported for the F1-ATPase hexameric motor. The simulation also shows a transition mechanism of Mg2+ coordination to form the Mg-ATP complex during ATP binding, which is accompanied by the large conformational changes of LTag. This simulation study of the ATP binding process to an LTag and the accompanying conformational changes in the context of a hexamer leads to a refined cooperative iris model that has been proposed previously.
Monitoring Certain Aspects of Respiratory Failure

Acute respiratory failure has become a recognized medical emergency. There is increasing awareness that monitoring by the Astrup technique does not provide enough information in respiratory failure. Repeated analyses of arterial blood gases have the added advantage of determining whether oxygenation is adequate. This paper presents ten illustrative cases of respiratory failure in which both Astrup and arterial blood-gas determinations were made. The arterial blood-gas measurements provided information that was not obtained from the Astrup measurements and influenced the clinical course in the hospital. Patients with primary alveolar hypoventilation, alveolar hypoventilation related to obesity, physiologic shunting, and alveolar-capillary block patterns must be monitored by determination of arterial blood-gas tensions.
The maximum entropy median in the presence of an outlier

Abstract When a random sample of size n from a standard normal population is contaminated by a normal outlier with either a different mean or a different variance, the maximum entropy median outperforms the sample median in terms of squared-error loss. The only exception is when n =3 and the outlier mean or variance is sufficiently different.
Solution structure of the capsid protein from the human T-cell leukemia virus type-I.

The solution structure of the capsid protein (CA) from the human T-cell leukemia virus type one (HTLV-I), a retrovirus that causes T-cell leukemia and HTLV-I-associated myelopathy in humans, has been determined by NMR methods. The protein consists of independent N and C-terminal domains connected by a flexible linker. The domains are structurally similar to the N-terminal "core" and C-terminal "dimerization" domains, respectively, of the human immunodeficiency virus type one (HIV-1) and equine infectious anemia virus (EIAV) capsid proteins, although several important differences exist. In particular, hydrophobic residues near the major homology region are partially buried in HTLV-I CA, which is monomeric in solution, whereas analogous residues in HIV-1 and EIAV CA project from the C-terminal domain and promote dimerization. These differences in the structure and oligomerization state of the proteins appear to be related to, and possibly controlled by, the oxidation state of conserved cysteine residues, which are reduced in HTLV-I CA but form a disulfide bond in the HIV-1 and EIAV CA crystal structures. The results are consistent with an oxidative capsid assembly mechanism, in which CA oligomerization or maturation is triggered by disulfide bo nd formation as the budding virus enters the oxidizing environment of the bloodstream.
Longitudinal surface waves for the study of dynamic properties of surfactant systems. II. Air-solution interface

Abstract A recently developed longitudinal wave apparatus was employed to study the dynamic interfacial properties; the Gibbs elasticity, the diffusion parameter, the surface (excess) dilational viscosity, and the surface (excess) shear viscosity. The dynamic interfacial properties were calculated from the dispersion equation of the surface waves using the wave numbers and the damping coefficients of the longitudinal wave at different frequencies. The wave number and the damping coefficient were obtained by measuring, at different locations, the surface tension oscillations induced by the longitudinal wave. The system used in this study is the octanoic acid aqueous solution in a concentration range from 0.2 to 2.0 × 10 −6 mole/cm 3 . The Gibbs elasticity was observed to pass through a maximum, approximately 25 dyn/cm, at a concentration of 0.3 × 10 −6 mole/cm 3 . The diffusion parameter exhibited two apparent discontinuities. The results also indicate that the surface dilational viscosity is two orders of magnitude larger than the surface shear viscosity, corroborating with the previous findings.
Might randomization in queue discipline be useful when waiting cost is a concave function of waiting time

Abstract This paper suggests that introducing randomization in queue discipline might be welfare enhancing in certain queues for which the cost of waiting is a concave function of waiting time. Concavity can make increased variability in waiting times good not bad for aggregate customer welfare. Such concavity may occur if the costs of waiting asymptotically approach some maximum or if the customer incurs a fixed cost if there is any wait at all. As examples, cost might asymptotically approach a maximum for patients seeking organ transplants who will not live beyond a certain threshold time, and fixed costs could pertain for knowledge workers seeking a piece of information that is required to proceed with their current task, so any delay creates a “set up charge” associated with switching tasks.
Evidence for the presence of a pheromonotropic factor in hemolymph and regulation of sex pheromone production in Helicoverpa zea

Abstract In intact animal assays, 2-day-old females of Helicoverpa zea injected with 2 pmol synthetic H. zea-pheromone biosynthesis activating neuropeptide (Hez-PBAN) exhibited significant stimulation of pheromone production. In contrast, octopamine did not stimulate pheromone production when injected 30 min before lights off. Additionally, females injected with PBAN and mianserin (an octopamine antagonist) or reserpine, produced significant amounts of pheromone. These results suggest that octopamine may not be involved in regulation of pheromone production in H. zea. In abdomen incubation assays, synthetic Hez-PBAN stimulated pheromone production at doses as low as 10 fmol. Additionally, one female equivalent of hemolymph or serum from scotophase females exhibited pheromonotropic activity that was comparable to activity elicited by 10 fmol synthetic Hez-PBAN. High pressure liquid Chromatographic (HPLC) fractionation of scotophase H. zea hemolymph serum filtrates, obtained after filtration through molecular weight filters, suggested the presence of a pheromonotropic fraction with molecular weight that appears to be less than 3000.
A SIMD machine for beamforming on a chip

A CMOS integrated circuit containing 400000 transistors was produced to implement a beamforming algorithm. Using an SIMD architecture, it implements two pipelined 24-bits floating point multiply-accumulate units, developing a total computing power of 64 Mflops for a 60-ns cycle time. This circuit is controlled by a micro-sequencer which manages an external memory of two Mwords (24-bits instructions and data), simultaneously accessing four data elements. Designed for use in a parallel machine environment, it has a built-in communication manager. >
Isolation of HTLV-III from CSF and neural tissues of patients with AIDS-related neurological syndromes

Summary Virus isolation studies were conducted on 56 central nervous system (CNS) specimens from 45 patients in order to determine if the human T-lymphotropic virus type III (HTLV-III) is directly involved in the pathogenesis of the neurological disorders frequently encountered in the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) and AIDS-related complex (ARC). We now report the recovery of HTLV-III from at least one CNS specimen from 24 of 33 patients with AIDS-related neurological syndromes. In one patient, HTLV-III was isolated from the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) during acute aseptic meningitis associated with HTLV-III seroconversion. HTLV-III has also been isolated from CSF of 6 of 7 patients with AIDS or ARC and unexplained chronic meningitis. In addition, of 16 patients with AIDS-related dementia, 10 were culture-positive for HTLV-III from CSF, brain tissue or both. Furthermore, we have cultured HTLV-III from spinal cord of a patient with myelopathy and from sural nerve of a patient with peripheral neuropathy. These findings suggest that HTLV-III (1) is also neurotropic, (2) is capable of causing acute meningitis, (3) is responsible for the AIDS-related chronic meningitis and dementia, and (4) may be the cause of the spinal cord degeneration and peripheral neuropathy seen in AIDS and ARC.
Evaluating ontological decisions with OntoClean

Explosing common misuses of the subsumption relationship and the formal basis for why they are wrong.
Endothelin inhibits renin release from juxtaglomerular cells via endothelin receptors A and B via a transient receptor potential canonical‐mediated pathway

Renin is the rate-limiting step in the production of angiotensin II: a critical element in the regulation of blood pressure and in the pathogenesis of hypertension. Renin release from the juxtaglomerular (JG) cell is stimulated by the second messenger cAMP and inhibited by increases in calcium (Ca). Endothelins (ETs) inhibit renin release in a Ca-dependent manner. JG cells contain multiple isoforms of canonical transient receptor potential (TRPC) Ca-permeable channels. The proposed hypothesis is that endothelin inhibits renin release by activating TRPC store-operated Ca channels. RT-PCR and immunofluorescence revealed expression of both ETA and ETB receptors in mouse JG cells. Incubation of primary cultures of JG cells with ET-1 (10 nmol/L) decreased renin release by 28%. Addition of either an ETA or an ETB receptor blocker completely prevented the ET inhibition of renin release. Incubation with the TRPC blocker (SKF 96365, 50 lmol/L) completely reversed the Ca-mediated inhibition of renin release by ETs. These results suggest that endothelin inhibits renin release from JG cells via both ETA and ETB receptors, which leads to the activation of TRPC store-operated Ca channels.
Chemical Anatomy and Synaptic Connectivity of the Globus Pallidus and Subthalamic Nucleus

Since the pioneering work of Whittier and Mettler (1949) showing that small electrolytic lesion of the subthalamic nucleus (STN) induces violent involuntary movements of the contralateral limbs in non-human primates, the exact mechanisms by which the STN plays such a powerful role in the control of motor behaviors have been the subject of intensive research. In the 1980’s, the introduction of sensitive immunocytochemical and tract-tracing techniques, combined with single-unit recording in normal and parkinsonian monkeys, led to major breakthroughs in our knowledge of the critical role of this nucleus in the functional circuitry of the basal ganglia (Albin et al., 1989; Bergman et al., 1990; Wichmann and DeLong, 1996). The STN, which is the only excitatory glutamatergic structure of the basal ganglia (Smith and Parent, 1988), is now considered to be a major source of excitatory drive to basal ganglia output nuclei (Kitai and Kita, 1987). Observations in l-methyl-4-phenyl-l,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP)-treated monkeys showing that the STN activity is increased after dopamine depletion led to the development of novel surgical therapies aimed at silencing STN outflow to basal ganglia output nuclei (Bergman et al., 1990; Aziz et al., 1991). Such therapies are currently used worldwide as efficient treatment for Parkinson’s disease in humans (Starr et al., 1998). The recent demonstration that the interconnections between the globus pallidus (GP) and the STN act as a pacemaker of neuronal oscillations observed in various basal ganglia structures after dopamine depletion is further evidence that the STN plays a critical role in mediating basal ganglia functions in both normal and pathological conditions (Plenz and Kitai, 1999).
Cultural Equivalence of Adult Attachment Across Four Ethnic Groups: Factor Structure, Structured Means, and Associations With Negative Mood

This study examined factorial invariance, structured means, and association with negative mood of adult attachment across 4 ethnic groups. Online survey data (N 831) were collected from African American, Asian American, Hispanic American, and Caucasian college students. Results indicated that the factor structure of the Experiences in Close Relationship Scale did not vary across the 4 groups. Asian Americans and perhaps also ( p .051) Hispanic Americans reported greater attachment anxiety, whereas African Americans and Asian Americans reported greater attachment avoidance than did their Caucasian peers. Attachment anxiety was significantly associated with negative mood in every group, although Asian Americans reported a stronger association than their African American and Caucasian peers. The magnitude of the association between attachment avoidance and negative mood was invariant across the groups. In recent years, two sharply differing positions have emerged in a vigorous debate about the cultural universality of attachment theory constructs. Claims for the cultural universality of attachment theory have been made since its early beginnings. Ainsworth conducted her first groundbreaking observational studies of infant– caregiver attachment in Baltimore and rural Uganda (Ainsworth, 1967, 1989; Ainsworth, Blehar, Waters, & Wall, 1978). Similar patterns she observed in both settings became the basis for the claim that attachment theory constructs are culturally universal. Proponents of the cultural universality position emphasize Bowlby’s (1969) assertion that for millions of years, the caregiver– infant attachment system has been crucial for the survival of relatively helpless human offspring, and therefore the attachment system is part of the biological makeup of every member of the
Contaminants of PC-SPES are not responsible for cytotoxicity in human small-cell lung carcinoma cells

PC-SPES is a mixture of herbs used in the treatment of prostate cancer. Batches of this product were found to contain traces of synthetic drugs, and the product was removed from the market. On the basis of a correlation between contaminant levels and cytotoxicity in prostate carcinoma cell lines, Sovak et al. [M. Sovak, A. Seligson, M. Konas, M. Hajduch, M. Dolezal, M. Machala, R. Nagourney, Herbal composition PC-SPES for management of prostate cancer: identification of active principles, J. Natl Cancer Inst. 94 (2002) 1275-1281] concluded that the contaminants were responsible for cytotoxicity of this preparation. Previously, we showed that extracts of PC-SPES are cytotoxic and pro-apoptotic in both drug-sensitive (H69) and drug resistant (H69V) human small-cell lung carcinoma (SCLC) cell lines. Here, we investigated whether the contaminants might be responsible for these effects. In contrast to the data reported for prostate carcinoma cells, extracts of batches of PC-SPES from the year 1998 (reportedly contaminated) and 2001 (much less contaminated) were equally cytotoxic in both SCLC cell lines. Tests of individual contaminants gave IC50 values far in excess of the amounts reported to be present in the IC50 level for the PC-SPES extracts: diethlystilbesterol: actual IC50 in H69 cells, >1000 microM; concentration present in herbal extract at IC50, 0.05-0.2 microM; indomethacin: actual IC50 in H69 cells, 800 microM; concentration in herbal extract, 1.5-20 microM; warfarin: actual IC50 in H69 cells, 950 microM; concentration in herbal extract, 0.57-0.93 microM. Adding the calculated maximum concentration of the contaminants, singly or in combination, to extracts of the less contaminated batch (2001) of PC-SPES did not alter the cytotoxicity of the extract in H69 or H69V cells. At the contaminated concentrations, as well as 5 x those concentrations, none of the contaminants was pro-apoptotic, as indicated by a DNA fragmentation kinetics assay. However, extracts of both early and late batches of PC-SPES were pro-apoptotic in SCLC cells. We conclude that the traces of pharmaceuticals found in PC-SPES were not responsible for its cytotoxic and pro-apoptotic activities of this herbal mixture on SCLC cells.
All-Order Polarization-Mode-Dispersion (PMD) Compensation at 40 Gb/s via Hyperfine Resolution Optical Pulse Shaping

For the first time, we report lightwave system experiments testing a concept for all-order polarization-mode-dispersion (PMD) compensation based on optical pulse shaping. Our results demonstrate compensation of PMD with > 50-ps average differential group delay, well into the all-order regime, in a 40-Gb/s return-to-zero on-off keying experiment.
Exact topology identification of large-scale interconnected dynamical systems from compressive observations

In this paper, we consider the problem of identifying the exact topology of an interconnected dynamical network from a limited number of measurements of the individual nodes. Within the network graph, we assume that interconnected nodes are coupled by a discrete-time convolution process, and we explain how, given observations of the node outputs, the problem of topology identification can be cast as solving a linear inverse problem. We use the term compressive observations in the case when there is a limited number of measurements available and thus the resulting inverse problem is highly underdetermined. Inspired by the emerging field of Compressive Sensing (CS), we then show that in cases where network interconnections are suitably sparse (i.e., the network contains sufficiently few links), it is possible to perfectly identify the topology from small numbers of node observations, even though this leaves a highly underdetermined set of linear equations. This can dramatically reduce the burden of data acquisition for problems involving network identification. The main technical novelty of our approach is in casting the identification problem as the recovery of a block-sparse signal x ∈ ℝN from the measurements b = Ax ∈ ℝM with M &#60; N, where the measurement matrix A is a block-concatenation of Toeplitz matrices. We discuss identification guarantees, introduce the notion of network coherence for the analysis of interconnected networks, and support our discussions with illustrative simulations.
NAVIGATING the Future Through the Past The Enduring Historical Legacy of Federal Children's Health Programs in the United States

The United States excels at treating the most complex medical conditions, but our low-ranking health statistics (relative to other countries) do not match our high-end health care spending. One way to understand this paradox is to examine the history of federal children's health programs. In the 1800s, children's health advocates confronted social determinants of health to reduce infant mortality. Over the past 100 years, however, physicians have increasingly focused on individual doctor–patient encounters; public health professionals, meanwhile, have maintained a population health perspective but struggled with the politics of addressing root causes of disease. Political history and historical demography help explain some salient differences with European nations that date to the founding of federal children's health programs in the early 20th century. More recently, federal programs for children with intellectual disability illustrate technical advances in medicine, shifting children's health epidemiolo...
Order reduction of n for robust adaptive control design of SISO linear systems

In this paper, we propose an order-reduction design methodology to simplify the adaptive controller obtained in Z. Pan and T. Basar (2000) by n integrators. We study the same class of linear systems as Z. Pan and T. Basar (2000), make the same assumptions, and have the same formulation and approach to the problem. The main difference between our design methodology and that of Pan and T. Basar (2000) lies in the step O of the control design step. In this paper, we skip step O and immediately start the integrator backstepping procedure without stabilizing the filtered dynamics of the output. This relieves us from generating the reference trajectory for the filtered dynamics of the output and thus reducing the controller order by n. The trade-off for this order reduction Ls that the worst-case estimate for the expanded state vector has to be chosen as a suboptimal choice, rather than the optimal choice. Exactly the same robustness properties can be established for the reduced-order controllers as those of Z. Pan and T. Basar (2000). There is no definite performance comparison that can be made theoretically between the reduced-order controller and the full-order controller of Z. Pan and T. Basar (2000). Based on a few simulation examples, we observe that the reduced-order controller does not perform better than the full-order controller.