cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
United States Economic Sanctions: The Fairness of Targeting Persons from Third Countries

The United States maintains a wide variety of economic sanctions against several foreign countries in furtherance of foreign policy or national security objectives. In many cases, the United States has attempted to extend these sanctions extraterritorially to persons from third countries (i.e., nationals of neither the United States nor the target country). While this strategy may be effective from a sanctioning perspective because of its wide reach, it raises serious questions about its consistency with international legal principles and its fundamental fairness to third country nationals targeted by these programs. In many cases, persons having a relatively limited connection to the United States or the third country target are made "foot soldiers" in U.S. "wars" against perceived enemies. This paper uses the U.S. embargo against Cuba as an example to illustrate some of these issues. The United States relies on the international business community to cooperate and comply with its economic sanctions programs. However, if these programs are not implemented in a way that is perceived by that international business community as fair and effective, such cooperation may be limited, undermining the effectiveness of the programs. This article examines issues relating to whether the legislation and regulations establishing the economic programs are sufficiently clear to enable compliance, whether the persons affected by these programs are proper targets, and whether such persons have an adequate means of challenging their status if they are improperly targeted.
Segmenting the Hispanic Market Based on Ethnic Origin and Identity

Abstract An empirical study of Hispanics' consumer behavior was conducted to determine whether the Hispanic segment differs from the behavior of the dominant culture, and whether differences exist among Hispanic subsegments based on ethnic origin and ethnic identity. Three dimensions of consumer behavior-sources of product/service information, information search, and satisfaction with product/service availability-are explored. Results are analyzed to determine whether differences among segments still exist after socio-economic factors are considered. Findings indicate the His panic market segment differs from Anglos, but within the Hispanic segment significant variances in consumer behavior based on country of ethnic origin and strength of Hispanic identity are not evident. Implications for marketing management are discussed.
Marginality and Modernity: Ethnicity and Change in Post-Colonial Balochistan

Marginality and Modernity: Ethnicity and Change in Post- Colonial Balochistan. Paul Titus. ed. New York: Oxford University Press, 1997.332 pp.
A model of health plan choice:: Inferring preferences and perceptions from a combination of revealed preference and attitudinal data

Abstract In this paper, we model the elderly's choice among health plans using data from a 1988 study of the Minneapolis–St. Paul Medicare health plan market. We show how attitudinal data can be combined with revealed preference data to provide more reliable estimates of consumers' preferences for and perceptions of the attributes of choice alternatives. We develop an extended heterogeneous logit model that incorporates information about attribute importance and allows for heterogeneity in tastes for observed and unobserved attributes. Our results indicate that the inclusion of attitudinal information produces a substantial improvement in model fit and in the substantive interpretation of estimated parameters.
Nonenzymatic glycation of bovine serum albumin by fructose (fructation). Comparison with the Maillard reaction initiated by glucose

Nonenzymatic glycation by glucose (glucation) was compared with glycation by fructose (fructation). The rate and extent of protein-bound fluorescence generation upon fructation was about 10 times that upon glucation. In contrast, nonenzymatically glucated bovine serum albumin (BSA) released about twice as much formaldehyde upon periodate oxidation as did nonenzymatically fructated BSA. However, the rate of blocking of amino groups was similar in both proteins. Periodate oxidation of borohydride-reduced glycated BSA led to regeneration of amino groups with preservation of fluorescence. From the ratio between the decrease in formaldehyde-releasing ability and the regenerated amino groups, formaldehyde molar yields of 0.47 and 0.8 were computed for fructose- and glucose-derived Amadori groups, respectively. This is consistent with participation of both carbon 1 and carbon 3 in the Amadori rearrangement from fructose. The formaldehyde releasing ability of nonenzymatically fructated BSA attains asymptotic maximum values earlier than that of nonenzymatically glucated BSA. Thus, the higher rate of fluorescence generation in nonenzymatically fructated BSA could be explained by a faster conversion of its Amadori groups. Since fluorescence generation through the Maillard reaction has been correlated with long term complications of diabetes mellitus, the participation of nonenzymatic fructation in this pathological state deserves further exploration. This is especially relevant in tissues where fructose levels increase in diabetes as a result of the operation of the sorbitol pathway.
Activating mutations for transformation by p53 produce a gene product that forms an hsc70-p53 complex with an altered half-life.

The 11-4 p53 cDNA clone failed to transform primary rat fibroblasts when cotransfected with the ras oncogene. Two linker insertion mutations at amino acid 158 or 215 (of 390 amino acids) activated this p53 cDNA for transformation with ras. These mutant cDNAs produced a p53 protein that lacked an epitope, recognized by monoclonal antibody PAb246 (localized at amino acids 88 to 110 in the protein) and preferentially bound to a heat shock protein, hsc70. In rat cells transformed by a genomic p53 clone plus ras, two populations of p53 proteins were detected, PAb246/sup +/ and PAb246/sup -/, which did or did not bind to this monoclonal antibody, respectively. The PAb246/sup -/ p53 preferentially associated with hsc70, and this protein has a half-life 4- to 20-fold longer than free p53 (PAb246/sup +/). These data suggest a possible functional role for hsc70 in the transformation process. cDNAs for p53 derived from methylcholanthrene-transformed cells transform rat cells in cooperation with the ras oncogene and produce a protein that bound with the heat shock proteins. Recombinant clones produced between a Meth A cDNA and 11-4 were tested for the ability to transform rat cells. A single amino acid substitution at residue 132 was sufficientmore » to activate the 11-4 p53 cDNA for transformation. These studies have identified a region between amino acids 132 and 215 in the p53 protein which, when mutated, can activate the p53 cDNA. These results also call into question what the correct p53 wild-type sequence is and whether a wild-type p53 gene can transform cells in culture.« less
Aerodynamics of Gliding Flight in a Falcon and Other Birds

1. A live laggar falcon ( Falco jugger ) glided in a wind tunnel at speeds between 6.6 and 15.9 m./sec. The bird had a maximum lift to drag ratio ( L / D ) of 10 at a speed of 12.5 m./sec. As the falcon increased its air speed at a given glide angle, it reduced its wing span, wing area and lift coefficient. 2. A model aircraft with about the same wingspan as the falcon had a maximum L / D value of 10. 3. Published measurements of the aerodynamic characteristics of gliding birds are summarized by presenting them in a diagram showing air speed, sinking speed and L / D values. Data for a high-performance sailplane are included. The soaring birds had maximum L / D values near 10, or about one quarter that of the sailplane. The birds glided more slowly than the sailplane and had about the same sinking speed. 4. The ‘equivalent parasite area’ method used by aircraft designers to estimate parasite drag was modified for use with gliding birds, and empirical data are presented to provide a means of predicting the gliding performance of a bird in the absence of wind-tunnel tests. 5. The birds in this study had conventional values for parasite drag. Technical errors seem responsible for published claims of unusually low parasite drag values in a vulture. 6. The falcon adjusted its wing span in flight to achieve nearly the maximum possible L / D value over its range of gliding speeds. 7. The maximum terminal speed of the falcon in a vertical dive is estimated to be 100 m./sec.
Self‐Castration by a Transsexual Woman: Financial and Psychological Costs: A Case Report

ABSTRACT Introduction The out‐of‐pocket cost for an elective orchiectomy, which is often not covered by health insurance, is a significant barrier to male‐to‐female transsexuals ready to proceed with their physical transition. This and other barriers (lack of access to a surgeon willing to perform the operation, waiting times, and underlying psychological and psychiatric conditions) lead a subset of transsexual women to attempt self‐castration. Little information has been published on the financial costs and implications of self‐castration to both patients and health care systems. Aim We compare the financial and psychological costs of elective surgical orchiectomy vs. self‐castration in the case of a transsexual woman in her 40s. Methods We interviewed the patient and her providers and obtained financial information from local reimbursement and billing specialists. Results After experiencing minor hemorrhage following the self‐castration, our patient presented to the emergency department and underwent a bilateral inguinal exploration, ligation and removal of bilateral spermatic cords, and complicated scrotal exploration, debridement, and closure. She was admitted to the psychiatric service for a hospital stay of three days. The total bill was US $14,923, which would compare with US $4,000 for an elective outpatient orchiectomy in the patient's geographical area. Conclusions From a financial standpoint, an elective orchiectomy could have cost the health care system significantly less than a hospital admission with its associated additional costs. From a patient safety standpoint, elective orchiectomy is preferable to self‐castration which carries significant risks such as hemorrhage, disfigurement, infection, urinary fistulae, and nerve damage. Healthcare providers of transsexual women should carefully explore patient attitudes toward self‐castration and work toward improving access to elective orchiectomy to reduce the number of self‐castrations and costs to the overall health care system. Further research on the financial implications of self‐castration from different health care systems and from a series of patients is needed. St. Peter M, Trinidad A, and Irwig MS. Self‐castration by a transsexual woman: Financial and psychological costs: A case report. J Sex Med 12;9:1216–1219.
Design of an accurate min-max current selector

An accurate min-max current selector is designed and simulated. Given two input currents, it sorts them so that a copy of the smaller of the two input currents appears at one output, and a copy of the larger input current appears at the other output. The min-max current selector operates for input currents ranging from 70µA to 90µA, that is, over a range of 20µA. It has been designed and simulated for a 1.2µm standard CMOS process. The worst case difference between an input current and its corresponding output current is 10nA. The min-max current selector makes use of a specially designed current comparator with a maximum input offset current of 5nA and a differential gain of 2.025V/nA.
Vapor-liquid phase equilibria for linear and branched alkane monolayers physisorbed on Au(111)

Histogram-reweighting Monte Carlo simulations in the grand canonical ensemble were used to obtain vapor−liquid coexistence curves for a series of alkanes physisorbed on a flat gold substrate. The critical temperatures and densities of n-alkanes from methane to decane as well as the branched molecules 2-methylpropane, 2,2-dimethylbutane, and 2,3-dimethylbutane were determined through a mixed-field analysis. The ratio of the 2D (two-dimensional) to the 3D (three-dimensional) critical temperature was found to depend weakly on the chain length for n-alkanes, decreasing from Tc2D/Tc3D = 0.38 for methane to Tc2D/Tc3D = 0.31 for n-decane. In contrast to typical bulk fluid behavior, the branched isomers were found to have higher critical temperatures than their linear counterparts.
Parathyroid Hormone-Related Protein: From Hypercalcemia of Malignancy to Developmental Regulatory Molecule

Parathyroid hormone-related protein (PTHrP) was originally discovered because of its role in humoral hypercalcemia of malignancy (HHM), a common metabolic complication of many types of cancer. In HHM, PTHrP is released into the circulation by malignant cells and cross reacts with parathyroid hormone (PTH) receptors in bone and kidney, which results in hypercalcemia. In recent years, it has become clear that PTHrP is a normal product of many adult and fetal tissues where it appears to act in an autocrine and/or paracrine fashion to regulate organogenesis. This article explores the molecular evolution of PTHrP and how this understanding has begun to shed some light on the molecular mechanisms responsible for the biochemical manifestations of HHM. In addition, the normal biological function of PTHrP is discussed, with an emphasis on its role as a developmental regulatory molecule.
Strategy for the Evaluation and Compatibilization of Particulate Inclusions for Use in Molecular and Macromolecular Media

Abstract The quality of the dispersion of particulate solids in low and high molecular weight media depends on the interfacial forces that govern the wetting and stabilization of the solids. An understanding of these forces enables rational selection of compatible powder-fluid systems, or signals the need to provide some compatibilizers to aid dispersion. In this paper we present a strategy for evaluating particle-fluid interactions based on assessing the stability of solids in a spectrum of low molecular weight fluids. For a coarse evaluation of the dispersibility tendencies, we show how these results can be visualized in terms of a three-dimensional graph in which partial solubility parameters are the coordinates. For a more refined evaluation of dispersibility, we extend the data analysis to two-dimensional dispersibility maps in which donor and acceptor numbers of the fluids are coordinates. To exemplify the approach, experiments using three grades of titanium dioxide particles are presented. The meth...
Hybrid bioceramics with metals and polymers for better biomaterials

The number of people needing artificial bones and teeth will rapidly increase in the world. Hydroxyapaptite (HAp) is known to be a suitable ceramic owing to its biological affinity. However, its use in artificial joints and dental roots is difficult due to its poor mechanical properties. A new method to implant HAp granules into superplastic titanium alloy has been developed. We also succeeded to enhance the biomimetic growth of calcium phosphate on biological fibres (cellulose and chitin) through their surface modification by phosphorylation or silane coupling. This hybrid material may be used as virus filters, artificial trachea etc. The future of hybrid bioceramic materials appears to be promising.
Human Heart Weight at High Altitude

The weight of the right ventricle, left ventricle, and septum determined in 98 hearts of high altitude (12,300 feet) residents in Peru and in 86 hearts from sea level in the continental United States revealed that right ventricular hypertrophy is no greater at high altitude than at sea level in the stillborn-newborn infant heart. Right ventricular weight relative to total heart weight at high altitude exceeds that at sea level beginning about 30 days after birth and reaches a plateau at 56 days. Thereafter the degree of relative right ventricular hypertrophy changes only slightly through the adult years. No evidence was found of postnatal atrophy of the right ventricle either at sea level or high altitude nor of septal hypertrophy accompanying the right ventricular hypertrophy in high altitude. The degree of right ventricular hypertrophy was moderate and variable, and corresponded to the moderate, variable pulmonary hypertension previously demonstrated in high altitude residents. Since total heart weights...
Graph Matching Using a Direct Classification of Node Attendance

Abstract An algorithm has been developed that finds isomorphisms between both graphs and subgraphs. The development is introduced in the object recognition problem domain. The method isolates matching subgraphs, finds a node-to-node mapping and reorders nodes, thus permitting a direct comparison to be made between the resultant graphs. The algorithm is of polynomial order. It yields approximate results, maintaining a performance level for subgraph isomorphisms at or above 95% under a wide variety of conditions and with varying levels of noise. The performance on the full size comparisons associated with graph isomorphisms has been found to be 100 100 , also under a variety of conditions. Performance metrics, methods of testing and results are presented.
The dirty Hungarian phrasebook of tech support

In tech support, the customer is rarely right. Customers have a tendency to approach problem resolution by coming to their support staff with a solution rather than just discussing the visible issues and letting the professionals do the rest. Customers don't necessarily know what they need, but they can be extremely vocal about what they don't know, and it is up to the support staff member to hear one thing and understand what it means down the line. In the 2012 SIGUCCS closing keynote, Brian Janz likened this to a patient demanding a type of surgery before the doctor has even heard the symptoms. This paper and presentation will discuss the dying art of translation and discuss methods for communication, rapport, and technical association that will empower front-line staff to hear what customers are saying and translate it into useful information for problem resolution.
Identification of Fusion of Plant Protoplasts II: Conditions for the Reproducible Fluorescence Labelling of Protoplasts derived from Mesophyll Tissue

Summary Protoplasts prepared from mesophyll tissue of Nicotiana species were separately labelled with the non-specific fluorescence reagents fluorescein isothiocyanate and rhodamine isothiocyanate and their analogs TRITC and XRITC. Under the described conditions (i) only intact protoplasts became labelled (ii) protoplast viability, as determined by cell expansion in culture, by the onset and rate of protein synthesis and by the ability of the protoplasts to regenerate into normal plants, was unaffected by the labelling procedures (iii) protoplasts labelled separately with the fluorescent probes could be readily distinguished, by fluorescence microscopy, into two separate classes containing the individual probes. Following fusion treatments, the appearance of a third class of fluorescent protoplasts was observed which contained both probes. The appearance of this third class did not occur in the absence of fusion treatments, and is considered to represent a true indication of interclass fusion. The labelling procedure has been employed to evaluate the methods available for the production of interclass fusion events in mesophyll protoplast systems. The future application of this procedure to the isolation of inter-and intea-generic hybrid protoplasts and plants is discussed.
Mesozoic and Cenozoic Faulting Imaged at the Epicenter of the 1886 Charleston, South Carolina, Earthquake

A seismic reflection profile collected in 1981 southeast of Summerville, South Carolina, was reprocessed to investigate the recent observation of unusual features. The reprocessing included geometrical spreading and attenuation correction, minimum-phase filtering, and spiking deconvolution, which led to improved velocity analysis and residual static correction. The result gives an improved image of the shallow crust in the epicentral area of the 1886 Charleston earthquake. There is clear evidence of a down-to-the-east steeply dipping fault with approximately 200 m of vertical offset, displacing lower Mesozoic sedimentary and volcanic rocks. Diffraction from fault edges is responsible for the observation of unusual events with abnormal move-out, which led to the discovery of the faulting. The overlying Cretaceous and Tertiary sedimentary section shows approximately 10 m of reverse up-to-the-east displacement, resolved by the data to within 100 m of the ground surface. Two other near-vertical faults with down-to-the east offset of lower Mesozoic units are inferred from the data immediately to the northwest of the major fault. The locality is on the north side of the Ashley River, near the place known as Gregg’s Landing, and it coincides with the epicenters of modern seismic activity and maximum shaking effects documented in 1886. The Charleston earthquake was very likely associated with this faulting.
On-chip thermopneumatic pressure for discrete drop pumping.

A class of “lab-on-a-chip” devices use external air pressure for pumping discrete drops in a microchannel network. External air connectors can be cumbersome and are real-estate intensive. We have developed an on-chip technique to generate pressures required for metering and pumping of nanoliter-volume discrete drops. This is achieved by heating of trapped air in a pressure-generating chamber. The pressure-generating chamber is connected to the point of pressure application in the liquid-conveying microchannel through an air-delivery channel. The trapped air volume on the order of 100 nL is heated by resistive metal heaters by tens of degrees celcius to generate air pressures on the order of 7.5 kN/m2. The rate of discrete drop pumping is electronically controlled in the microchannel device by controlling the rate of air heating. Flow rates on the order of 20 nL/s are obtained in the microchannel (300 μm × 30 μm) by heating the air chamber at the rate of ∼6 °C/s. In this paper, we describe the design, fabr...
Increased cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2): a potential role in the pathogenesis of lymphoma

B cell lymphomas are a diverse group of clinicopathologic diseases with an increasing incidence. As with other malignancies, the accumulation of genetic abnormalities are required for malignant transformation of human lymphocytes. Cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) is a key biosynthetic enzyme in prostaglandin synthesis and has been implicated in the pathogenesis of numerous malignancies including colon, breast, and lung cancer. There is little data on the potential role of COX-2 in lymphoma pathogenesis. In this study, several B lymphoma cell lines and primary B cells obtained from normal volunteer controls were examined for COX-2 protein expression. Immunoblot analysis demonstrated between an approximately 2.2-4.3-fold increase in COX-2 protein expression relative to primary B cells in all lymphoma cell lines examined. Increased COX-2 phosphorylation was found in the BJAB, BL41, and Raji cells whereas the levels in Daudi, Namalwa, and Ramos did not differ from that of primary B cells. Treatment with 25-100 microM celecoxib (CEL) resulted in decreased proliferation as measured by [3H]thymidine in all cell lines examined, and the effect was dose-dependent, and not significantly enhanced by chlorambucil (CHL). The effect of COX-2 inhibition on apoptosis in lymphoma cells was examined and revealed apoptotic induction of greater than 85% in all cell lines examined at 50 microM celecoxib. The pro-apoptotic effect was dose-dependent, and was not significantly enhanced by chlorambucil. Examination of apoptosis-related proteins by immunoblot analysis revealed levels of BCL-2, BCL-X(L), and Bax to be unaffected by celecoxib. In contrast, levels of Akt, MCL-1, and phosphorylated SAP-kinase were all decreased after incubation with 50 microM celecoxib. These findings suggest that increased COX-2 expression and activity, contributes to the pathogenesis of B cell lymphomas and point to a possible role for COX-2 inhibition in their treatment.
Vulnerability assessment of the power grid against progressing wildfires

Abstract Wildfires are common in many forest and grassland ecosystems. Power transmission lines are vulnerable to wildfires in their vicinity, mainly due to increased conductor temperatures as a result of heat released by the fire. This may damage the conductor and lead to violation of safety clearances between conductor and ground. To address the situation, a power system operator may dynamically alter the ratings of the lines in the affected areas to reduce the current flowing through them, thereby assisting with conductor cooling. A unified model is proposed here that allows for dynamically changing the thermal ratings of conductors in the vicinity of a wildfire. The proposed model incorporates the radiative and convective heat released due to a progressing wildfire into the conductor thermal rating calculation in order to derive the updated conductor rating. Case studies are presented to show the effects of a progressing wildfire on a power system. It is shown that dynamically changing the ratings of power lines changes the flow of power through the network, moving the system towards a sub-optimal operating point. Under heavy loading conditions, this may even lead to imbalance between load and generation, therefore forcing involuntary load shedding to avoid system collapse.
Transport of a bacterial suspension through a soil matrix using water and an anionic surfactant

Abstract Down-flow column studies were used in this research to investigate the ability of an anionic surfactant, sodium dodecylbenzene sulfonate (DDBS), to facilitate transport of an isolate of Pseudomonas pseudoalcaligenes through a processed soil matrix under pressurized flow. The influences of bacterial density and the volume of bacterial suspension pumped were examined to determine their influence on bacterial transport in soil. Experiments were conducted using 6.35 cm diameter by 30 cm long stainless steel columns packed with a sandy clay loam. Bacterial suspensions were prepared using either water or surfactant solutions. The surfactant solution enhanced the transport of bacteria through soil columns at both bacterial densities of the pumping solution (10 10 and 10 8 cfu/ml) tested. Pumping a higher density of bacteria increased the number of bacteria recovered at all depths when either water or surfactant solutions were used. Increasing the volume of bacterial suspension pumped appears to cause significant pore blockage when water is used as the pumping suspension. However, use of DDBS facilitated the transport of bacteria by apparently reducing the extent of pore blockage.
Evaluating the utility of existing patient-reported outcome scales in novel patient populations with pancreatic cancer, lung cancer, and myeloproliferative neoplasms using medicare current beneficiary survey data.

Background While there are validated patient-reported outcomes (PRO) instruments for use in specific cancer populations, no validated general instruments exist for use in conditions common to multiple cancers, such as muscle wasting and consequent physical disability. The Medicare Current Beneficiary Survey (MCBS), a survey in a nationally representative sample of Medicare beneficiaries, includes items from three well known scales with general applicability to cancer patients: Katz activities of daily living (ADL), Rosow–Breslau instrumental ADL (IADL), and a subset of physical performance items from the Nagi scale.
Temperature-dependent phonon lifetime of the 428-cm -1 Raman line in La 2 CuO 4+y

Raman measurements of the 428-cm/sup /minus/1/ /ital A//sub 1/ital g// oxygen vibrational mode in single-crystal La/sub 2/CuO/sub 4+/ital y// show that the linewidth of this dominant line increases by a factor of 2 from 8 to 300 K, while its line position varies by less than 1 cm/sup /minus/1/ over this temperature range. The variation with temperature of the linewidth of the zone-center optical phonon of frequency /omega//sub 0/ is well explained by a three-phonon scattering process involving a decay to two phonons with wave vectors /bold k/ and /minus//bold k/ and frequencies near /omega//sub 0//2. No changes in either the linewidth or the line position was observed upon application of a magnetic field (H/parallel//cflx z/) up to 11 T.
Degeneration of a homing endonuclease and its target sequence in a wild yeast strain

Mobile introns and inteins self-propagate by 'homing', a gene conversion process initiated by site-specific homing endonucleases. The VMA intein, which encodes the PI-SceI endonuclease in Saccharomyces cerevisiae, is present in several different yeast strains. Surprisingly, a wild wine yeast (DH1-1A) contains not only the intein(+) allele, but also an inteinless allele that has not undergone gene conversion. To elucidate how these two alleles co-exist, we characterized the endonuclease encoded by the DH1-1A intein(+) allele and the target site in the intein(-) allele. Sequence analysis reveals seven mutations in the 31 bp recognition sequence, none of which occurs at positions that are individually critical for activity. However, binding and cleavage of the sequence by PI-SceI is reduced 10-fold compared to the S.cerevisiae target. The PI-SceI analog encoded by the DH1-1A intein(+) allele contains 11 mutations at residues in the endonuclease and protein splicing domains. None affects protein splicing, but one, a R417Q substitution, accounts for most of the decrease in DNA cleavage and DNA binding activity of the DH1-1A protein. Loss of activity in the DH1-1A endonuclease and target site provides one explanation for co-existence of the intein(+) and intein(-) alleles.
Promotion of Ethylene Evolution and Ripening of Tomato Fruit by Galactose

Mature green tomato fruit ( Lycopersicon esculentum Mill. cv `Rutgers9) were infiltrated with 0.5 milliliters of sterilized, distilled water alone, or containing enough glucose or galactose to allow for a concentration of 400 micrograms per gram fresh weight after infiltration. All fruit showed a transient peak of ethylene production within 6 hours due to the slight wounding by vacuum infiltration. In addition, galactose-treated fruit underwent a temporal increase in ethylene production after 25 hours, whereas, the glucose and H 2 O-control fruit did not. Furit infiltrated with galactose subsequently produced ethylene and ripened substantially earlier than glucose or H 2 O-control fruit.
SCHIZOPHRENIA, THE PREVENTION OF HOMELESSNESS, AND THE GLOBAL HEALTH MOVEMENT

Available evidence suggests that individuals with schizophrenia and other severe mental illnesses are at increased risk for homelessness in contemporary societies with diverse cultures and socioeconomic conditions. Yet the prevention of homelessness among individuals with mental illness has rarely been a focus of global health programs. We propose that it should be. In any given society, the overall risk of homelessness will reflect broad societal factors such as income inequality, housing, migration, economic conditions, and family ties. We strongly advocate for addressing these societal causes of homelessness. We also believe, however, that we need to develop special programs in parallel to prevent homelessness among individuals with severe mental illness. We use historical examples to draw attention to ways in which individuals with mental illness have been – and still are – explicitly excluded from societies. We suggest that this social exclusion requires us to take special measures to protect the rights of individuals with mental illness, and to develop programs to ensure they have access to basic necessities including a home. The form these measures take will of necessity vary widely according to local conditions. We describe mental health initiatives in two middle-income countries (Brazil and Argentina) which illustrate different approaches, and allude more briefly to efforts being made in other countries including low-income countries. Finally, we consider some of the efforts that are already being made by various international groups to further this agenda within the global health movement.
Evaporite encrustations and sulphide oxidation products from the southern Antarctic peninsula.

Abstract White evaporite encrustations collected from 66 sites scattered over 30 000 km2 of southern Antarctic Peninsula are dominantly gypsum and calcite, and subordinate aragonite and thenardite. Natrojarosite occurs as locally developed yellow surface stains on approximately 30% of the white encrustations examined. Water, which forms by the melting of snow blown into cracks in highly fractured rocks by ground blizzards, dissolves soluble ions from minerals in these rocks as it percolates into them. The white encrustations appear to be deposited when this water later rises to the surface by capillary action and evaporates. Yellow surficial salts (alunite, fibroferrite, natrojarosite) collected at 5 sites form in place by the near-surface oxidation of pyrite disseminated in the sedimentary and plutonic rocks. Green surficial salts (atacamite, antlerite, brochantite, plancheite) collected at 4 sites form in place by the near-surface oxidation of copper sulphides under conditions of low acidity. This is th...
Taking the sting out of needles.

I cannot, unfortunately, claim to be the wise mentor who taught Dr Yentis the seven principles of ensuring painless venous cannulation (April 2005 JRSM1): I can, however, claim that from 1978 I was teaching cohorts of medical students and anaesthetic novices the importance of using local anaesthesia before cannulation in conscious patients. Of the reasons he puts forward for why doctors do not do what is known to work I suspect the third is correct: they accept the evidence but choose to disregard it. This is well summed up in the old adage 'That's a good idea: we won't implement it'. Other examples could be quoted. Before drugs such as ranitidine were introduced into obstetric anaesthesia it was often recommended that the patient's stomach should be emptied before inducing general anaesthesia. Holdsworth2 showed, somewhat surprisingly, that vomiting induced by apomorphine injection was considered much pleasanter by patients than the passage of a stomach tube. The two methods were equally effective and apomorphine had no deleterious effect on the baby. Nevertheless, the use of apomorphine was never widely accepted. Nott and Hughes3 showed that the use of an intranasal spray of lignocaine significantly reduced the discomfort caused by insertion of a nasogastric tube, but as far as I am aware this simple manoeuvre has not been universally adopted. Patients remember staff who are kind and procedures that are painful or distressing. Wards and clinics provide a rich source of simple research projects that could enhance the comfort of patients and the CVs of doctors.
State Infant/Toddler Program Policies for Eligibility and Services Provision for Young Children with Autism

The importance of early developmental and behavioral treatment for children with autism is increasingly recognized. Little is known, however, about early intervention policies that may affect service delivery to these children. The current study describes states’ policies for providing early intervention services to children with Autistic Spectrum Disorders under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act Part C and examines how Part C policies are associated with the proportion of school-age children diagnosed with autism served under IDEA. Results indicate few consistencies among states in policies and practices regarding the identification and care of infants and toddlers with autism. The implications of state variation for policy makers are discussed.
Some current experimental challenges in elementary particle physics

Abstract We describe three experimental challenges for experimental elementary particle physics: (1) the ongoing search for flavor changing weak neutral currents, including future prospect for a B B factory, (2) the status of the tests of the standard model in the W, Z and t quark sectors and (3) some current search for physics beyond the standard model, to include the possibility of searching for CPT violation using a o factory.
Measurement of flux creep in Bi2Sr2CaCu2O8 using electron spin resonance

Abstract Flux creep and susceptibility in a Bi 2 Sr 2 CaCu 2 O 8 polycrystalline sample were measured using an electron spin resonance probing technique. The sample was decorated with two tiny free radical probes the signals of which superimposed at an applied field B r for T > T c . For T T c the signals split: one shifted up-field to an applied field B a 1 > B r and the other shifted down-field to an applied field B a 2 B r . The susceptibility χ was shown to be given by B a1 B a2 − 1 for ellipsoidal samples. As flux crept into or out of the sample, the shifts of the probe signals changed accordingly. When the sample was zero-field cooled and then subjected to an applied field of 330 mT the susceptibility was found to depend on the temperature as follows: χ ≈ − 0.015(1 − 0.026 T ) for 18⩽ T ⩽ 31K; and χ ≈ − 0.005(1 + 0.11 T ) for 31 ⩽ T ⩽ 90K. The abrupt change at 31 K is attributed to the onset of significant intergranular current. The dimensionless normalized logarithmic creep rate, s , peaked at a value of 0.077 at 21 K. The zero-kelvin intergranular critical current density, estimated from the Bean model and shift data, was 3.2 × 10 3 A cm −1 for T ⩽ 31 K. The pinning potential was approximately constant (0.08) between 18 and 36 K.
Undergraduate students' knowledge of infant and child development in a sample from a religiously-oriented university.

Summary Knowledge of child rearing is based on many factors. In the present study, 85 undergraduates (56 women, 46 Catholic) enrolled in psychology classes at a private university completed the Student Knowledge of Child Development Scale. Analysis showed a moderate relationship between scale scores with whether participants had taken a child development class and whether participants stated highest priority was a career or marriage and children.
Electrolysis and thermolysis for permanent hair removal

The historical, legal, and theoretical aspects and clinical technics of both electrolysis and thermolysis are critically reviewed. The pitfalls of electronic tweezers and the dangers of self-electrolysis are discussed. Complications of electrolysis and thermolysis and the pathophysiology of hair regrowth are presented. In the United States, the lack of uniform training requirements and standards for electrologists may pose an unrecognized risk to public health. It is suggested that more responsible state legislation be enacted in order to decrease the present potential threat to the public health and safety.
Use of Radical Prostatectomy Among Medicare Beneficiaries Before and After the Introduction of Prostate Specific Antigen Testing

AbstractPurpose: We monitored the use of radical prostatectomy in medicare beneficiaries before and after the introduction of prostate specific antigen (PSA) testing.Materials and Methods: Radical prostatectomies performed on medicare beneficiaries between 1984 and 1995 were identified through the medicare claims data base. Medicare enrollment files were used to define the population at risk and age-adjusted rates were standardized to the 1990 United States medicare population.Results: Rates of radical prostatectomy have steadily increased since 1984. A sharp increase in radical prostatectomy rates followed the institution of PSA testing after which a prominent decrease, particularly among older age groups, was evident. During the peak year of 1992 the age-adjusted rates of radical prostatectomy for white and black men 65 to 79 years old in the United States were 461.2 and 294.5/100,000 men. Between 1992 and 1995 the rates of radical prostatectomy among white men decreased by 22, 47 and 69% for patients 6...
Suboptimal joint probabilistic data association

A significant problem in multiple target tracking is the hit-to-track data association. A hit is a received signal from a target or background clutter which provides positional information. If an incorrect hit is associated with a track, that track could diverge and terminate. Prior methods for this data association problem include various optimal and suboptimal two-dimensional assignment algorithms which make hit-to-track associations. Another method is to assign a weight for the reasonable hits and use a weighted centroid of those hits to update the track. The method of weighting the hits is known as joint probabilistic data association (JPDA). The authors review the JPDA approach and a simple ad hoc approximation and then introduce a new suboptimal JPDA algorithm. Examples which compare an optimal two-dimensional assignment algorithm with the ad hoc and the new suboptimal JPDA formulation are given. >
Improving the performance for majors in computer science in the Nigerian universities

Abstract During the past decade, computer science programs have been established in 9 universities in Nigeria. Approximately 20% of the students beginning the programs do not graduate. Since computer personnel are in demand and since financing needed to expand programs is limited, Nigeria must find a method of reducing the rate of attrition in computer science programs. This research was undertaken to identify valid predictors of achievement in computer science with a view to improving the retention of students in these programs. This study examined both cognitive and noncognitive predictors of achievement in computer science. The cognitive factors included high school grade point average (GPA), high school mathematics average (HS-MATH), and the results of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board examination (JAMB). The noncognitive factors were affective in nature and included such factors as the amount of instructional support, the number of emotionally destabilizing problems, and the goal-relatedness of the student's academic major. The cognitive factors were found to be valid predictors of achievement. The noncognitive factors were less successful in predicting academic success in the programs. Studies in the U.S.A. have indicated that cognitive factors are better predictors of achievement among white students and that noncognitive factors are better predictors of achievement among black students. This pattern was reversed in the study conducted in Nigeria. The results suggest that differences in types of predictors may be due to social and cultural rather than racial factors.
Fast track article: Dacksis: An efficient transport protocol with acknowledgment-assisted storage management for intermittently connected wireless sensor networks

The benefits of hop-by-hop transport protocols and in-network storage in intermittently connected networks are well known. However, due to the limitation on the storage capability of wireless sensor networks (WSNs), the hop-by-hop transport protocols based on in-network storage but without storage management are inappropriate to be used directly in intermittently connected WSNs. The absence of storage management leads to node storage overflow resulting in a degraded performance of the network. This paper introduces an efficient transport protocol, Dacksis, which provides end-to-end reliability, congestion control and storage management for intermittently connected wireless sensor networks. The design of Dacksis is based on hop-by-hop transport and in-network storage, therefore, the system can react to detected network congestion quickly and can reduce the number of end-to-end packet retransmissions. The storage management feature of Dacksis saves node storage for unconfirmed packets, which decreases the possibility of buffer overflow and packet queuing time, and reduces energy spent on loss recovery. Dacksis forgoes link layer per-packet acknowledgments and transmits packets in blocks to reduce energy consumption. The block size of Dacksis is dynamically determined before each hop-by-hop transmission to enhance the utilization of node storage.
A phorbol ester-nonproliferative variant of Swiss 3T3 cells is deficient in Na+K+Cl- cotransport activity.

The identity of the genetic defect(s) in Swiss 3T3 TNR-2 and TNR-9 that confers nonresponsiveness to the proliferative effect of 12-0-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA) is not known. In BALB/c 3T3 cells, loss (via mutation) of a specific membrane ion transport system, the furosemide-sensitive Na+ K+ Cl− cotransporter, is associated with decreased responsiveness to TPA. In this study, the transport properties of parental Swiss 3T3 cells and the TPA-nonresponsive lines TNR-2 and TNR-9 were determined in the presence and absence of TPA. When the rate of 86Rb+ efflux (as a tracer for K+) was measured from each of the three cell lines, a furosemide- and TPA-inhibitable component of efflux was clearly evident in parental and TNR-9 cells but was virtually absent in TNR-2 cells. 86Rb+ influx measurements indicated the presence in parental 3T3 cells and the TNR-9 line of a substantial furosemide-sensitive flux that could be inhibited by TPA. In contrast, much less furosemide-sensitive influx was present in 3T3-TNR-2 cells, and it was relatively unaffected by TPA. In both parental 3T3 and 3T3-TNR-2 cells, most of the furosemide-sensitive 86Rb+ influx is dependent on extracellular Na+ and Cl−. The apparent affinities of the transporter for these two ions, as well as for K+, were similar in both cell lines. In parental cells, the inhibition of furosemide-sensitive 86Rb+ influx was quite sensitive to TPA (K1/2 ≅ 1 nM) and occurred very rapidly after phorbol ester exposure. As expected because of its volume-regulatory role, inhibition of Na+ K+ Cl− cotransport by TPA in parental cells caused a substantial reduction in cell volume (25%). In contrast, because of the reduced level of cotransport activity in TNR-2 cells, TPA had only a slight effect on cell volume. These results suggest that the genetic defect in 3T3-TNR-2 cells (but not TNR-9 cells) responsible for nonresponsiveness to phorbol esters may be the reduction of Na+ K+ Cl− cotransport by TPA in parental cells caused a substantial reduction in cell volume (25%). In contrast, because of the reduced level of contransport activity in TNR-2 cells, TPA had only a slight effect on cell volume. These results suggest that the genetic defect in 3T3-TNR-2 cells (but not TNR-9 cells) responsible for nonresponsiveness to phorbol esters may be the reduction of Na+ K+ Cl− contransport activity. Thus this membrane transport system may be an important component of the signal transduction pathway used by phorbol esters in 3T3 cells.
Photopatterneable Block Co-Polymers for Laser Interference Lithography

We report on the laser interference patterning of as-spun block copolymer films on silicon and silicon dioxide substrates. Our process involves the use of a pulsed laser light source of 266 nm wavelength and any type of diblock copolymer as a positive tone photoresist, resulting in the generation of sub-micron domains of different geometries and periodicity. This non-solvent based method is robust, and when combined with the inherent nano-scaled periodicity in block copolymers, can produce hierarchical patterns on substrates with potential use in the electronics and semiconductor industries.
Internal friction in alloys of Mg and Cd

Abstract The internal friction of alloys of Mg and Cd has been studied in the range 8% to 30% Mg. An order peak is observed near room temperature for all alloys in this composition range. The behavior of the internal friction for this alloy system is quite different from that for Cu-Zn and Ag-Zn in the same composition range. This is thought to be caused by the difference in structure at the composition AB3; MgCd3 possesses long-range order at 20°C, whereas the 25% alloys of Zn in Cu and Zn in Ag do not. The effects observed in alloys of Mg and Cd are shown to be consistent with all facts known about the constitution diagram. They seem also to be consistent with data obtained for the kinetics of ordering of MgCd3.