cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Letting Out the Secret: Violence in Lesbian Relationships

Over the past 2 decades, a variety of studies on domestic violence has confirmed that abuse is widespread. This increased attention to violence in intimate relationships has been focused on heterosexual couples, despite the assertion that 4-10% of the population is homosexual. Violence among lesbian couples has largely been ignored by family violence researchers, but clinical practitioners who are sought out by the battered and/or the batterers for therapy are well aware of the extent and nature of the battering that takes place in these relationships, and that battering is not limited to heterosexual relationships. This exploratory study takes a step toward an understanding of lesbian violence by examining the incidence, forms, and correlates of violence in lesbian relationships. Based upon the responses of 284 lesbians to a questionnaire, it was found that lesbian violence is not a rare phenomenon. This finding reflects the need for further research into this social problem in all intimate relationships...
Probability-one homotopy maps for mixed complementarity problems

Probability-one homotopy algorithms have strong convergence characteristics under mild assumptions. Such algorithms for mixed complementarity problems (MCPs) have potentially wide impact because MCPs are pervasive in science and engineering. A probability-one homotopy algorithm for MCPs was developed earlier by Billups and Watson based on the default homotopy mapping. This algorithm had guaranteed global convergence under some mild conditions, and was able to solve most of the MCPs from the MCPLIB test library. This paper extends that work by presenting some other homotopy mappings, enabling the solution of all the remaining problems from MCPLIB. The homotopy maps employed are the Newton homotopy and homotopy parameter embeddings.
Effect of plasminogen activator inhibitor–1 in diabetes mellitus and cardiovascular disease

Concentrations of plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1) are elevated beginning at the stage of impaired glucose tolerance and continuing through the development of diabetes mellitus and the metabolic syndrome. Evolving evidence of the central role of PAI-1 in mediating fibrosis and thrombosis increasingly supports the theory that it is a significant risk factor for macrovascular complications and cardiovascular disease, particularly in patients with diabetes. Several clinical studies have demonstrated a strong correlation between circulating PAI-1 levels and cardiovascular events and mortality. With the potentially severe effects of elevated PAI-1 levels becoming evident, there is increased interest in developing therapies targeted at reducing PAI-1 expression or circulating concentrations. Thus far, weight loss, inhibitors of the renin-angiotensin system, and insulin sensitization through use of thiazolidinediones (TZDs) appear to be the most promising strategies for managing elevated PAI-1 levels. Of these, TZD therapy is the only one that provides the benefits of both long-term glycemic control and improved cardiovascular risk profile. This article reviews the regulation of PAI-1, its activity in various disease states, and available treatment options.
MRT-Diagnostik der Sehnen am Sprunggelenk

Zusammenfassung Die Bedeutung der Sehnendiagnostik des Sprunggelenkes besteht einerseits in der Abklarung akuter und chronischer Schmerzzustande. Aufgrund ihrer Bedeutung als mechanische Stabilisatoren ist deren Beurteilung zudem im Zusammenhang mit chronischen Ruck- und Mittelfussveranderungen von Interesse. Der vorliegende Artikel soll keinen umfassenden Uberblick uber das gesamte Spektrum der Sehnenpathologien liefern. Es werden vielmehr einige wichtige Pathologien und Differenzialdiagnosen exemplarisch herausgegriffen und mit zahlreichen Bildbeispielen illustriert. Eine kurze Erorterung der Starken und Schwachen der wichtigsten Sequenztechniken wird vorangestellt.
Stark Ionization of High-Lying States of Sodium

By using stepwise excitation in an atomic beam, we have excited slow-moving atoms to pure high-lying quantum states at densities low enough to avoid loss by collision. The atoms were detected with high efficiency by Stark ionization. Results are presented of a study of the threshold field for ionization for $s$ states of sodium with principal quantum number $n$ from 26 to 37.
Time-dependent Kohn-Sham density-functional theory

A time-dependent Kohn-Sham theory is presented for obtaining the time-dependent density which has a periodic dependence on time. A set of coupled single-particle equations $\ensuremath{-}\frac{1}{2}{\ensuremath{\nabla}}^{2}{\ensuremath{\chi}}_{i}+{v}_{\mathrm{eff}}{\ensuremath{\chi}}_{i}={\ensuremath{\epsilon}}_{i}{\ensuremath{\chi}}_{i}$ and $\frac{\ensuremath{\partial}{\ensuremath{\chi}}_{i}^{2}}{\ensuremath{\partial}t}+\stackrel{\ensuremath{\rightarrow}}{\ensuremath{\nabla}}\ifmmode\cdot\else\textperiodcentered\fi{}({\ensuremath{\chi}}_{i}^{2}\stackrel{\ensuremath{\rightarrow}}{\ensuremath{\nabla}}{S}_{i})=0$ are obtained. The ${\ensuremath{\chi}}_{i}(\stackrel{\ensuremath{\rightarrow}}{\mathrm{r}},t)$ and ${S}_{i}(\stackrel{\ensuremath{\rightarrow}}{\mathrm{r}},t)$ are the phase and amplitude, respectively, of the time-dependent Kohn-Sham orbitals, ${v}_{\mathrm{eff}}(\stackrel{\ensuremath{\rightarrow}}{\mathrm{r}},t)$ is the time-dependent Kohn-Sham effective potential, and ${\ensuremath{\epsilon}}_{i}(\stackrel{\ensuremath{\rightarrow}}{\mathrm{r}},t)=\ensuremath{-}\frac{\ensuremath{\partial}{S}_{i}(\stackrel{\ensuremath{\rightarrow}}{\mathrm{r}},t)}{\ensuremath{\partial}t}$. The density $\ensuremath{\rho}(\stackrel{\ensuremath{\rightarrow}}{\mathrm{r}},t)$ is equal to the sum of the squares of the ${\ensuremath{\chi}}_{i}(\stackrel{\ensuremath{\rightarrow}}{\mathrm{r}},t)$.
Effects of Hemodilution, Blood Loss, and Consumption on Hemostatic Factor Levels During Cardiopulmonary Bypass

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to determine quantitatively the effects of consumption, hemodilution, and blood loss on coagulation and fibrinolytic factor levels during cardiopulmonary bypass. Design: A combination of measured levels of prothrombin, antithrombin, fibrinogen, plasminogen, and antiplasmin along with their activation markers F1.2, thrombin-antithrombin complex, fibrinopeptide A, plasmin-antiplasmin complex, and D-dimer were used with a computer model of each patient’s vascular and hemostatic systems to estimate the cardiopulmonary bypass-associated loss of each factor because of hemodilution, blood loss, and consumption. Setting: University hospital. Participants: Nine patients undergoing coronary artery bypass graft surgery. Interventions: None. Measurements and Main Results: At baseline, it was estimated that on average 2%, 3%, and 25%, respectively, of the baseline liver secretion of plasminogen, prothrombin,and fibrinogen were consumed by activation of these proteins. During cardiopulmonary bypass, thrombin and plasmin generation were increased, whereas fibrin generation was decreased because of heparin. Compared with baseline, hemodilution during cardiopulmonary bypass resulted in an average 35% ± 7% decrease in the concentration of coagulation and fibrinolytic proteins, whereas blood loss was responsible for an average 6% ± 5% decrease in these proteins. Blood loss varied substantially among patients, resulting in Conclusions: Hemodilution is the primary cause of the drop in coagulation and fibrinolytic proteins during routine cardiopulmonary bypass, followed by blood loss, whereas consumption accounts for less than a 1% drop in most patients.
Homology between Borrelia burgdorferi OspC and members of the family of Borrelia hermsii variable major proteins.

Abstract Synthesis of the Borrelia burgdorferi outer surface protein C (OspC) is quite variable. We have cloned and sequenced the ospC gene from B. burgdorferi isolate CA-11.2A, a clone in which ospC expression varies. The 5' flanking region of the gene contains at least two consensus promoter regions, as well as two large overlapping inverted repeats. Sequence comparison to other OspC proteins indicated that the CA-11.2 A OspC is as closely related to OspC from two different genospecies of Lyme disease spirochetes as it is to OspC from the prototype B. burgdorferi strain, B31. Comparisons of the OspC amino acid (aa) sequence with those in aa sequence databases revealed partial identity with the variable major proteins Vmp3 and Vmp24 of B. hermsii , a causative agent of tick-borne relapsing fever. An ospC probe hybridized to B. hermsii restriction fragments and linear plasmids that also were recognized by the vmp3 and vmp24 probes. OspC and these Vmp appear to be related, but their synthesis is regulated differently in the two species of spirochetes. This represents a fascinating example of the evolution of the number, position, regulation and perhaps function of homologous genes in two related pathogens. These parameters may relate to characteristic properties of the pathogens and their separate tick vectors.
Thematic review series: Patient-Oriented Research. Recent advances in liver triacylglycerol and fatty acid metabolism using stable isotope labeling techniques

Isotopic measurement of biosynthetic rates of lipids in VLDL particles has long posed difficult technical problems. In this review, key methodologic issues and recent technical advances are discussed. A common problem for all biosynthetic measurements is the requirement to measure isotopic labeling of the true intracellular biosynthetic precursor pool. Two techniques that address this problem for lipid biosynthesis, and that are applicable to humans, have been developed-the combinatorial probability method (or mass isotopomer distribution analysis) and (2)H(2)O incorporation. The theoretical basis and practical application of these methods, both of which involve mass spectrometry, are described. Issues relevant to specific lipid components of VLDL, such as differences in the labeling of the various particle lipids (phospholipid, cholesterol, etc.), and the contribution of an intrahepatic cytosolic triacylglycerol (TG) storage pool to VLDL-TG are discussed. In summary, advances in stable isotope-mass spectrometric techniques now permit accurate measurement of liver-TG synthesis and flux. In vivo regulation of the synthesis, assembly, and secretion of VLDL-TG in humans is thereby accessible to direct investigation. Patient-oriented research in conditions such as dyslipidemia and hepatic steatosis is made feasible by these scientific advances.
3D in vivo swept source endoscopic OCT based on rigid GRIN lens rod probe

In this manuscript, we report a fast speed swept source endoscopic OCT system utilizing a 4.5mm diameter rigid GRIN lens rod probe. The rigid probe has a tunable working distance with tuning range 0~7mm. The system could take front scanning images with speed of 40frames per second (512 A line per frame). The probe can work in contact and non contact mode. Fast speed contact and non-contact imaging was demonstrated.
Echolocation of insects by horseshoe bats

MOST bats of the Suborder Microchiroptera use echolocation during the pursuit of insect prey1. This conclusion was originally based on observation that bats emitted high frequency orientation sounds during pursuit of insects and that their repetition rate increased sharply during close pursuit manoeuvres. Experiments in controlled laboratory conditions later demonstrated that little brown bats (Myotis lucifugus) could capture fruit flies (Drosophila sp.) by echolocation when vision and passive hearing of insect flight sounds were not possible2.
Selectivity Coefficients for Divalent Oxyanions from the Continuous Foam Fractionation of a Quaternary Ammonium Surfactant

Abstract An experimental investigation is presented of the continuous, single equilibrium stage foam fractionation of chromate (CrO4 2-) and of thiosulfate (S2O3 2-) from 0.4 to 3.0 × 10–4 M aqueous solutions. The cationic surfactant, ethyl-hexadecyldimethylammonium bromide (EHDA-Br), is modeled as a soluble ion exchanger, considering the exchange of CrO4 2- and S2O3 2- or EHDA-CrO4 − and EHDA-S2O2 − for Br−. The data indicate that EHDA-CrO4 − or EHDA- S2O3 − is exchanged with Br−. The selectivity coefficient for chromate is 3.90 and that for thiosulfate is 16.8.
Morphine Enhances HIV Infection of Human Blood Mononuclear Phagocytes through Modulation of β-Chemokines and CCR5 Receptor

Background Injection drug use remains a significant risk for acquiring HIV infection. The mechanisms by which morphine enhances HIV infection of human immune cells are largely unknown. Objective In this study, we sought to determine the possible mechanisms by which morphine upregulates HIV infection of human blood monocyte-derived macrophages (MDM). Methods In this study, MDM were infected with the R5, X4, and R5X4 HIV strains. HIV replication was determined by performing reverse transcriptase activity assays. HIV receptors were determined by performing reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reactions and flow cytometry assays. β-chemokines were analyzed by performing enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays. In addition, HIV R5 strain and murine leukemia virus envelope-pseudotyped HIV infection was performed to determine whether morphine affects HIV infection of macrophages at entry level. Results Morphine significantly enhanced HIV R5 strain infection of MDM but had little effect on X4 strain infection. The macrophage-tropic R5 strain envelope-pseudotyped HIV infection was markedly increased by morphine, whereas murine leukemia virus envelope-pseudotyped HIV infection was not significantly affected. Furthermore, morphine significantly upregulated CCR5 receptor expression and inhibited the endogenous production of β-chemokines in MDM. The opioid receptor antagonist naltrexone blocked the effects of morphine on the production of β-chemokines. Conclusion Opiates enhance HIV R5 strain infection of macrophages through the downregulation of β-chemokine production and upregulation of CCR5 receptor expression and may have an important role in HIV immunopathogenesis.
A computational study of 2,5-dibenzylidenecyclopentanone and 2,6-dibenzylidenecyclohexanone, model compounds for poly(arylidenecycloalkanones)

The relative energies of the three possible isomers of 2,5-dibenzylidenecyclopentanone and of 2,6-dibenzylidenecyclohexanone were calculated using Mechanics, MOPAC, and MOPAC with CI. The calculated lowest energy isomer of each compound agrees with known spectroscopic and crystallographic data. This work shows that the “SCF-CI” calculations previously reported on 2,5-dibenzylidenecyclopentanone do not predict the actual structure of the compound and should not be used to predict the structure of the corresponding polymer. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 74: 2255–2257, 1999
Fatigue, self-efficacy, physical activity, and quality of life in women with breast cancer.

Background More than 192 000 US women faced the challenge of living with breast cancer in 2009. Although exercise may help combat treatment-related symptoms, cancer-related fatigue has been identified as a potential barrier to engaging in physical activity. Self-efficacy has been proposed to mediate the impact of cancer-related fatigue on physical activity and subsequently improve quality of life (QOL). Objective The purpose of this study was to determine the linkages among the concepts of an introductory model of fatigue related to cancer, self-efficacy for physical activity, physical activity, and QOL in women being treated for breast cancer. Interventions/methods Women currently receiving treatment for breast cancer were asked to complete 5 instruments: demographic profile, Piper Fatigue Scale, Physical Activity Assessment Inventory, Human Activity Profile, and McGill QOL Questionnaire. Structural equation modeling of the data was performed to determine the direct and indirect influences of study variables on QOL. Results The model was tested based on responses of 73 participants. All paths between variables were significant. The model explained 53% of the variance in QOL scores, 28% of the variance in physical activity, and 31% of the variance in self-efficacy. Conclusions Although fatigue is most commonly thought of as a physical problem requiring physical intervention, this study provides emerging evidence to suggest there may be potential interventions to improve self-efficacy that may mediate the effect of fatigue on QOL. Implications for practice Interventions to improve self-efficacy may contribute to increased physical activity and improved QOL in this population.
Concentration, distribution, and bioavailability of mercury and methylmercury in sediments of baltimore harbor and Chesapeake Bay, Maryland, USA

For the Chesapeake Bay, sediments in regions such as Baltimore Harbor have total mercury (Hg) concentrations that exceed environmental effects guidelines. However, fish concentrations do not appear elevated. Indeed, the factors controlling the transfer of sedimentary Hg, especially as monomethylmercury (MMHg), the most bioaccumulative form of Hg, to these aquatic organisms are poorly understood. To examine this, we have investigated the distribution and bioavailability of Hg and MMHg to benthic organisms in Baltimore Harbor and the Chesapeake Bay, in Maryland, USA. The results discussed here show that sediment concentration for both total Hg and MMHg covaries with sediment organic content and that this parameter is a better predictor, for surface sediments, of concentration than iron content, acid volatile sulfide (AVS), or other factors. Furthermore, correlations between inorganic Hg and MMHg in benthic biota with sediment levels suggest that variation in the bioaccumulation factor (SBAF) for invertebrates is best explained in terms of sediment organic content. Thus, the results from this study emphasize the importance of organic matter in regions removed from point source input in controlling both the concentration and bioavailability of MMHg to organisms. Because of the exponential nature of the SBAF/organic content relationship, there is a nonlinear organism response to MMHg in sediments that must be considered in any estimation of the toxic effect of sediment MMHg. Also, as a result of the decoupling between total Hg and MMHg concentration and bioavailability in surface sediments, any remediation evaluation of bioavailability and/or toxicity that is based only on total Hg concentration is unlikely to provide a reliable prediction.
Selective Fatty Acid Metabolism, Not the Sequence of Dietary Fish Oil Intake, Prevails in Fillet Fatty Acid Profile Change in Sunshine Bass

Abstract Increasing prices of fish oils (FOs) that are rich in long-chain (LC) polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) have led to increased implementation of plant-derived oils in aquaculture feeds. Use of diets that contain alternative lipids will affect the fillet fatty acid (FA) profile; therefore, the fish may be “finished” to augment fillet LC-PUFA content before harvest. Understanding tissue FA profile change and selective metabolism of FAs in sunshine bass (female white bass Morone chrysops × male striped bass M. saxatilis) may allow finishing strategies to be optimized for this taxon. We evaluated whether the sequence of dietary LC-PUFA provision affects tissue composition of sunshine bass and whether profile change is similar after a switch to or from an LC-PUFA-rich feed. Sunshine bass were fed practical feeds (∼45% protein, ∼14% lipid) containing FO (rich in LC-PUFAs) or corn oil (CO; rich in medium-chain [MC] PUFAs) according to four regimens: FO feed exclusively, CO feed exclusively, or switchin...
Annealing effects on individual loss mechanisms in CuInSe2 solar cells

Abstract Detailed measurements were made on CuInSe 2 solar cells following thermal anneals in air at progressively higher temperatures. For evaporated cells there is an initial improvement in many of the individual measured parameters. The common explanation is a decrease in compensating defect states. After higher temperature anneals, however, compensating state densities show a dramatic rise, resulting in large forward currents and small photocurrents, which effectively terminate the photovoltaic response.
A remote-sensing reflectance model of a red-tide dinoflagellate off west Florida1

A mathematical model that simulates the spectral curves of remote-sensing reflectance of blooms of the red-tide dinoflagellate Ptychodiscus brevis is developed. The model is compared to measurements obtained from a low-flying helicopter for P. brevis populations with chlorophyll-like pigment concentrations from 7 to 77 mg m-3 found in the case 2 waters along the west Florida shelf in October 1983. The model simulates the effects of backscattering from water, phytoplankton, and detritus, and the effects of absorption due to water, phytoplankton, detritus, and yellow dissolved matter (“Gelbstoff”) for case 1 and case 2 waters. It can be easily modified to simulate the spectral reflectance of phytoplankton from other pigment color groups. Matching the model spectral curves to measured remote-sensing reflectance curves provides accurate estimates of chlorophyll a plus pheophytin a and also estimates of Gelbstoff and detritus concentrations. Comparison of remote-sensing reflectance data to model reflectance data allows calculation of the quantum efficiency of fluorescence for a given phytoplankton population, which provides a remote measurement of a factor that has been found to increase with the nutrient stress of the population. Most algorithms used extensively in the remote sensing of chlorophyll a plus the associated pheophytin a pigments (henceforth referred to as chlorophyll a) are typically of the spectral ratio type, which are considered valid only for case 1 waters (those for which phytoplankton and their derivative products play a dominant role). Such algorithms are not analytic in nature, and the ratioing process tends to camouflage or merge several distinct effects (see Gordon and Morel 1983). Our approach here is to provide an analytic model describing how various seawater constituents affect remote-sensing reflectance measurements. By matching the model values to the measured values of remotesensing reflectance, we provide estimates of Chl
Long-term experience after transition from parenteral prostanoids to oral agents in patients with pulmonary hypertension.

Summary Background Long-term follow-up after transition to oral agents from parenteral prostanoid therapy has not been well characterized. Methods We reviewed our long-term experience after oral transitioning in patients with pulmonary hypertension. Patients were weaned off parenteral therapy based on a pre-determined outpatient protocol. Data were collected retrospectively after transition had taken place. Results Twenty-one transitioned patients were identified. Fifteen patients (71.4%) were successfully transitioned (ST): 7 to bosentan, 5 to bosentan and sildenafil, and 3 to sildenafil. Six patients failed transition (FT). None of the patients in the FT group received sildenafil. Prior to transition attempt, patients in the ST group were treated with parenteral agents for a mean of 26 months vs. 16 months in the FT group ( p =0.12). Maximal epoprostenol dose was low in both groups (ST 17.8ng/kg/min vs. FT 14.5ng/kg/min). Mean duration of oral therapy prior to transition was 11 months. After a mean follow-up of 24 months, most patients on both groups were able to maintain stable 6min walk distance and hemodynamics. FT was not associated with short- or long-term adverse events. Conclusions Oral transition from parenteral prostanoid agents can be safely done in a selected group of patients. Most patients are able to maintain stable functional class and hemodynamics at long follow up regardless of success of transition attempt. Combination therapy with sildenafil appears to be associated with higher likelihood of successful transitioning.
Statin Use and Risk of Prostate Cancer in the California Men's Health Study Cohort

Statins have known anticarcinogenic effects, however, evidence for long-term statin use as effective chemoprevention for prostate cancer is inconsistent. We examined the association between statin use and risk of prostate cancer among 69,047 eligible participants in the California Men's Health Study, a prospective cohort of Northern and Southern California Kaiser Permanente (KP) members, ages 45 to 69 years, initiated in 2002. Prostate cancer cases were identified by linkage to the KP California Cancer Registries. Statin exposure, estimated from automated KP outpatient pharmacy records (available since 1991 in Southern California and since 1994 in Northern California), was treated as time-varying and defined as the cumulative days dispensed of any statin from the first dispensing until a prostate cancer diagnosis, radical prostatectomy, termination of membership, or end of study (December 31, 2004). Cox proportional hazards models with age as the time scale were used to estimate rate ratios, while controlling for confounding variables. During follow-up, 888 prostate cancer cases, including 131 advanced cases, were identified. There was no association between ever statin use or or=5 years use was associated with a 28% lower risk for prostate cancer compared with nonuse (adjusted rate ratio, 0.72; 95% confidence interval, 0.53-0.99). This association did not differ markedly for advanced disease. However, the association did seem to be restricted to those who regularly take nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. Our findings suggest that long-term statin use might be associated with a reduced risk of prostate cancer but perhaps only among regular nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug users.
Did Plato Write Socratic Dialogues

My title is deliberately provocative, since I want to challenge both the chronology and the philosophical interpretation generally accepted for the dialogues called Socratic. I am not primarily interested in questions of chronology, or even in Plato's intellectual ‘development’. But the chronological issues are clear-cut, and it will be convenient to deal with them first. My aim in doing so will be to get at more interesting questions concerning philosophical content and literary design.Interpreters should perhaps think more often about such questions as: Why did Plato write dialogues after all? Why does a little dialogue like the Laches have such a stellar cast, with so many major figures from Athenian history? Why does Plato re-create the schoolboy atmosphere of the Charmides and Lysis? Why does he compose such a large and vivid fencing-match between Socrates and the long-dead Protagoras, in a conversation supposed to have taken place before Plato himself was born? The view which I wish to challenge tends to assume that Plato's motivation in such dialogues was primarily historical: to preserve and defend the memory of Socrates by representing him as faithfully as possible. From this it would seem to follow that the philosophic content of these dialogues must be Socrates' own philosophy, which Plato has piously preserved somewhat in the way that Arrian has preserved the teachings of Epictetus. The counterpart assumption tends to be that when Plato ceases to write as an historian he writes like any other philosopher: using Socrates as a mouthpiece to express whatever philosophical doctrines Plato himself holds at the time of writing.
A low phase noise silicon 9 GHz VCO and an 18 GHz push-push oscillator

The design and measurement of a Voltage Controlled Oscillator (VCO) at 9 GHz and a push-push oscillator at 18 GHz are described in this paper. Both oscillators use a packaged silicon transistor (Siemens BFP 540 F). The microstrip resonator is tuned with a GaAs varactor diode (M/A-COM ML46580). A 270 MHz tuning range is obtained with an output power varying from 3.2 to 8.7 dBm. The phase noise is below -109 dBc/Hz at 100 kHz offset and below -129 dBc/Hz at 1 MHz over the whole tuning bandwidth. The push-push oscillator shows a phase noise of -108 dBc/Hz at 100 kHz and below -124 dBc/Hz at 1 MHz from the carrier. These are, to our knowledge, one of the best phase noise from a silicon fixed or voltage-controlled oscillators using a packaged device at X to K-band frequencies.
Impaired modulation of circadian rhythms in patients with diabetes mellitus : A risk factor for cardiac thrombotic events?

Serious adverse cardiovascular events, including myocardial infarction, sudden cardiac death, and stroke, frequently result from rupture of atherosclerotic plaques with superimposed thrombosis and exhibit a pronounced circadian rhythmicity, peaking in the morning hours. Two potentially synergistic mechanisms play a pathogenic role in the circadian variation of arterial thrombotic events. A morning surge in sympathetic activity alters hemodynamic forces and predisposes vulnerable coronary atherosclerotic plaques to rupture. Day-night variations of hemostatic and fibrinolytic factors result in morning hypercoagulability and hypofibrinolysis, promoting intraluminal thrombus formation at the same time when the risk for plaque rupture is highest. Diabetic patients have a very high cardiac event rate but fail to show normal circadian fluctuations in the occurrence of myocardial infarction. Alterations in the circadian variation autonomic tone, blood pressure, and the thrombotic-thrombolytic equilibrium have been documented in diabetic patients. These include reduced or absent 24-h periodicity in autonomic tone, fibrinolytic activity, and thrombotic tendency, and a blunted decline in nocturnal blood pressure. Disruption of these circadian rhythms explains the lack of significant circadian distribution of cardiac events in diabetic patients. Moreover, the loss of these normal biorhythms results in a continuous susceptibility to thrombotic events throughout the day and may contribute to the excess cardiovascular mortality and morbidity in these patients.
Effect of Inhibitors on the Montmorillonite Clay-Catalyzed Formation of RNA: Studies on the Reaction Pathway

The Langmuir adsorption isotherms of the phosphoroimidazolides of adenosine (ImpA) and uridine (ImpU), dA5'ppdA and N6, N6-dimethyladenine binding on montmorillonite are consistent with their forming a monolayer on the clay surface. This suggests the condensation of ImpA and ImpU to oligomers proceeds on the surface of the clay and not in groups of monomers stacked on the clay surfaces. The binding and reactions of ImpU and ImpA on montmorillonite are blocked by N6, N6-dimethyladenine and dA5'ppdA. dA5'ppdA is a better inhibitor of oligomer formation than N6, N6-dimethyladenine because both adenine rings of dA5'ppdA bind to the clay surface and block adjacent catalytic sites. An upper limit of 5–10 × 1015catalytic sites on 50 mg of clay was estimated from the binding of ImpU and the inhibition of oligomer formation by dA5'ppdA.
Personality features differentiate late adolescent females and males with chronic bulimic symptoms.

Objective The authors examined gender differences in bulimia-related personality variables among late adolescents with chronic bulimic symptoms. Method Ninety-seven females and 14 males were included in the study. They participated in surveys in 1982, and again in 1992, and at each session reported elevated bulimic symptoms. Each respondent completed subscales of the Eating Disorders Inventory (Bulimia, Drive for Thinness, Perfectionism, and Interpersonal Distrust). Results Even compared to males with similar levels of chronic bulimic symptoms, females with chronic bulimic symptoms reported more drive for thinness; compared to females with chronic bulimic symptoms, males with chronic bulimic symptoms reported more perfectionism and interpersonal distrust. Discussion Late adolescent males and females with chronic bulimic symptoms can be distinguished on the basis of personality features. These findings have implications for theory, as well as for clinical assessment and therapeutics. © 2000 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Int J Eat Disord 27: 191–197, 2000.
Convergence: Background Material

This chapter introduces some fundamental mathematical notions that will be useful in understanding the analysis presented in the subsequent chapters. The aim of this chapter is to introduce elements of the mathematical framework needed for analyzing the convergence of algorithms discussed in this book. Much of the material presented in this chapter is related to mathematical analysis and as such a reader with a good grasp of mathematical analysis may skip this chapter. To follow Chapter 12, the reader should read all material up to and including Theorem 11.2 in this chapter. All the ideas developed in this chapter will be needed in Chapter 13.
Range and angle error correction measure for the low elevation angle in remote sensing data analysis

Effects of tropospheric radiowave propagation were studied based on ray-tracing and parametric approach with empirical data, ECM (European Climatological Medium-range), supplied by the National Climatology Data Center in Asheville, North Carolina. Results indicate that range and angle errors vary dynamically in seasons, months, and regions. The errors in the elevation angles of less than ten degrees are higher than expected, and should not be neglected for higher accuracy requirements.
TRAIT‐MEDIATED INDIRECT EFFECTS IN LARVAL ANURANS: REVERSING COMPETITION WITH THE THREAT OF PREDATION

Ecologists recently have been focusing on the role that trait-mediated indirect effects can have on community structure and composition. To date, this work has primarily focused on the effects of predator-induced behavioral plasticity on communities. However, predator-induced morphological plasticity, which has been documented in many taxa, might also lead to trait-mediated indirect effects. Here, I examined how predators altered the behavior and morphology of larval wood frogs (Rana sylvatica) and leopard frogs (R. pipiens) and how these phenotypic changes altered the outcome of competition between the two species. Competition in the absence of caged predators was asymmetric; when reared separately, leopard frogs grew more than wood frogs, but when competing (without predators), wood frogs grew faster than leopard frogs. The presence of caged predators reversed the outcome of competition between the two anuran prey. In the presence of larval dragonflies (Anax spp.) or caged mudminnows (Umbra limi), leopard frogs grew faster than wood frogs while total tadpole biomass production remained unchanged. Thus, there was a predator-mediated indirect effect. Because predators alter both the behavior and morphology of larval anurans and both of these traits are known to affect resource consumption and growth, both are potential mechanisms to explain the change in competitive outcome. Changes in behavior were not related to changes in growth, but changes in morphology (specifically mouth width and tail length) were related to changes in growth. When competitors were added (without predators), wood frogs increased their mouth width by 10% and their tail length by 3%, while leopard frogs increased their mouth width by 5% and did not change their tail length. The greater increase in mouth width for wood frogs should increase their forage intake, since tadpoles feed by scraping periphyton; the importance of a 3% longer tail in competitive ability is unknown. The presence of the predator threat (via chemical cues from the caged predators) reduced both the mouth width and tail length in the two prey species to pre-competition levels. This response corresponded with the reduced competitive ability of the wood frogs. This work demonstrates that both competitors and predators can alter prey morphology and suggests that changes in morphology can cause trait-mediated indirect effects.
Quality of life outcomes in 599 cancer and non-cancer patients with colostomies.

Background A colostomy is known to impact negatively on a patient’s quality of life (QOL). Concerns include incontinence, rectal discharge, gas, difficulties in returning to work, decreased sexual activity, and travel and leisure challenges. Reports have described QOL outcomes in cancer patients with colostomies and inflammatory bowel syndrome with colostomies, but little has been written regarding a comparison of cancer and non-cancer populations. The purpose of this study was to describe QOL issues of colostomy patients and compare these issues in cancer and non-cancer participants. Materials and methods A QOL-ostomy questionnaire was mailed to 2455 California members of the United Ostomy Association. Results Of the 1457 respondents (59%), 599 had a colostomy. Most were results from cancer (517/599), with colorectal cancer being the most common diagnosis. The most common benign diagnoses were inflammatory bowel disease and diverticulitis. Demographics were similar, except for more females in the non-cancer group (76%), and increased length of time with colostomy from the cancer group (mean 135.9 versus 106.4 months, P = 0.03). Common QOL problems included sexual problems, gas, constipation, travel difficulties, and dissatisfaction with appearance. Overall, cancer patients had less difficulty adjusting to their colostomies. Conclusions Results confirmed the negative impact of a colostomy on QOL. While patients with cancer had a better overall QOL than those with benign processes, concerns were common to all colostomy patients. These results provide health care practitioners with information useful in discussing QOL concerns during pre-operation treatment decisions and post operative teaching and follow-up care.
Quantitation of [5-CH3]-(2R, 4'R, 8'R)-α-Tocopherol in Humans

Half-lives of α-tocopherol in plasma have been reported as 2–3 d, whereas the Elgin Study required >2 y to deplete α-tocopherol, so gaps exist in our quantitative understanding of human α-tocopherol metabolism. Therefore, 6 men and 6 women aged 27 ± 6 y (mean ± SD) ingested 1.81 nmol, 3.70 kBq of [5-14CH3]-(2R, 4'R, 8'R)-α-tocopherol. The levels of 14C in blood plasma and washed RBC were monitored frequently from 0 to 460 d while the levels of 14C in urine and feces were monitored from 0 to 21 d. Total fecal elimination (fecal + metabolic fecal) was 23.24 ± 5.81% of the 14C dose, so feces over urine was the major route of elimination of the ingested [5-14CH3]-(2R, 4′R, 8′R)-α-tocopherol, consistent with prior estimates. The half-life of α-tocopherol varied in plasma and RBC according to the duration of study. The minute dose coupled with frequent monitoring over 460 d and 21 d for blood, urine, and feces ensured the [5-14CH3]-(2R, 4'R, 8'R)-α-tocopherol (the tracer) had the chance to fully mix with the endogenous [5-14CH3]-(2R, 4'R, 8'R)-α-tocopherol (the tracee). The 14C levels in neither plasma nor RBC had returned to baseline by d 460, indicating that the t1/2 of [5-CH3]-(2R, 4′R, 8′R)-α-tocopherol in human blood was longer than prior estimates.
Discovery of terpenoid and phenolic sweeteners from plants

Several plant-derived compounds of the terpenoid and phenolic types have com- mercial use as sweeteners. In our research program directed toward the discovery of additional sweet compounds of these chemical classes, candidate sweet plants for laboratory investiga- tion may be selected after scrutiny of the available literature, as a result of making inquiries in the field, and/or from a limited amount of organoleptic testing. Sweet-tasting plants are extracted according to a standard protocol, and preliminary safety testing is conducted before crude extracts or pure compounds are tasted. The practicality of using Mongolian gerbil elec- trophysiological and behavioral assays to monitor plant extracts and pure isolates has been examined. A number of sweet-tasting, plant-derived terpenoids and phenolics have been iso- lated and characterized, including the bisabolane sesquiterpenoids, hernandulcin and 4β-hydroxyhernandulcin, the labdane diterpene glycoside, gaudichaudioside A, the oleanane triterpenoid glycoside, periandrin V, the cycloartane triterpene glycosides, abrusosides A-E, the 3,4-seco-dammarane triterpene glycosides, pterocaryosides A and B, the semisynthetic dihydroflavonol, dihydroquercetin 3-acetate (4'-methyl ether), and the proanthocyanidin, sel- ligueain A. Most of these new compounds are prototype "high-intensity" sweeteners that may be worthy targets for chemical synthesis or for semi-synthetic modification to produce sub- stances with enhanced sweetness properties.
Deterioration of Asphalt Pavement at Long-Term Pavement Performance Program Site 49-1001 in Utah

Highway 191 near Bluff, Utah, features a well-monitored section of the long-term pavement performance (LTPP) program. Constructed in 1980, this section of flexible pavement performed well for nearly 13 years. Through this time, cracking of the asphalt layer was minimal. In the fourteenth year, however, the extent of longitudinal cracking in the wheel path increased and necessitated placement of a chip seal on the pavement surface. The purpose of this research was to determine the cause of pavement deterioration using LTPP data. Deflection basins obtained from falling-weight deflectometer testing were analyzed to investigate the extent to which structural degradation influenced deterioration of the pavement. Pavement layer modulus values were plotted against time and clearly show that weakening of the pavement base layer immediately preceded the occurrence of cracking. The geography of the site, as documented in photographs, supports the conclusion that inadequate water drainage at the site permitted saturation of the aggregate base layer during a period of midsummer flooding. This finding emphasizes the importance of specifying non-moisture-susceptible base materials and providing necessary drainage works in pavement design.
Kinetic Factors Control Efficiencies of Cell Entry, Efficacies of Entry Inhibitors, and Mechanisms of Adaptation of Human Immunodeficiency Virus

Replication of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) in diverse conditions limiting for viral entry into cells frequently leads to adaptive mutations in the V3 loop of the gp120 envelope glycoprotein. This has suggested that the V3 loop limits the efficiencies of HIV-1 infections, possibly by directly affecting gp120-coreceptor affinities. In contrast, V3 loop mutations that enable HIV-1 JR-CSF to use the low-affinity mutant coreceptor CCR5(Y14N) are shown here to have negligible effects on the virus-coreceptor affinity but to dramatically accelerate the irreversible conformational conversion of the envelope gp41 subunits from a three-stranded coil into a six-helix bundle. This slow step is blocked irreversibly by the inhibitor T-20. To further evaluate the role of entry rates in controlling infection efficiencies and viral adaptations, we developed methods to quantitatively measure viral entry kinetics. The virions were adsorbed by spinoculation at 4°C onto HeLa-CD4/CCR5 cell clones that either had limiting or saturating concentrations of CCR5. After warming to 37°C, the completion of entry was monitored over time by the resistance of infections to the competitive CCR5 inhibitor TAK-779. Our results suggest that the efficiency of entry of cell-attached infectious HIV-1 is principally controlled by three kinetic processes. The first is a lag phase that is caused in part by the concentration-dependent reversible association of virus with CD4 and CCR5 to form an equilibrium assemblage of complexes. Second, this assembly step lowers but does not eliminate a large activation energy barrier for a rate-limiting, CCR5-dependent conformational change in gp41 that is sensitive to blockage by T-20. The rate of infection therefore depends on the fraction of infectious virions that are sufficiently saturated with CCR5 to undergo this conformational change and on the magnitude of the activation energy barrier. Although only a small fraction of fully assembled viral complexes overcome this barrier per hour, the ensuing steps of entry are rapidly completed within 5 to 10 min. Thus, this barrier limits the overall flow rate at which the attached virions enter cells, but it has no effect on the lag time that precedes this entry flow. Third, a relatively rapid and kinetically dominant process of viral inactivation, which may partly involve endocytosis, competes with infectious viral entry. Our results suggest that the V3 loop of gp120 has a major effect on the rate-limiting coreceptor-dependent conformational change in gp41 and that adaptive viral mutations, including V3 loop mutations, function kinetically by accelerating this inherently slow step in the entry pathway.
Word learning with hierarchy-guided inference

A technique for learning new words is discussed. The technique uses expectations generated by the context and an ISA hierarchy to guide the inference process. The learning process uses the context of several independent occurrences of the word to converge on its meaning.
Retardative Factors in French Economic Development in the Nineteenth and Twentieth Centuries

All scientific research requires at its initial stage as precise a formulation of the problem under investigation as is possible to the human mind. In a study of retardative factors in French economic development in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, the need for clarifying the implications of the subject and of removing possible ambiguities is particularly urgent. By economic development is meant here an increasing amount of goods and services which are customarily exchanged for money. I am eliminating from consideration many of the intangibles of life, which are important and which the French may have in abundance, like joie de vivre.
Electrocatalysis-induced elasticity modulation in a superionic proton conductor probed by band-excitation atomic force microscopy.

Variable temperature band-excitation atomic force microscopy in conjunction with I–V spectroscopy was used to investigate the crystalline superionic proton conductor CsHSO4 during proton exchange induced by a Pt-coated conductive scanning probe. At a sample temperature of 150 °C and under an applied bias <1 V, reduction currents of up to 1 nA were observed. Simultaneously, we show that the electrochemical reactions are accompanied by a reversible decrease in the elastic modulus of CsHSO4, as seen by a contact resonance shift, and find evidence for superplasticity during scanning. These effects were not observed in the room-temperature phase of CsHSO4 or in the case of catalytically inactive conductive probes, proving the utility of this technique for monitoring electrochemical processes on the nanoscale, as well as the use of local contact stiffness as a sensitive indicator of electrochemical reactions.
Restoration of guanine nucleotide- and fluoride-stimulated activity to an adenylate cyclase-deficient cell line with affinity-purified guanine nucleotide regulatory protein.

Abstract A guanine nucleotide-binding protein purified from turkey erythrocytes by affinity chromatography confers both F-- and guanine nucleotide-stimulation of adenylate cyclase to membranes from CYC- cells, a mutant cell line deficient in these responses. Interaction of turkey erythrocyte membranes with beta-adrenergic agonists before affinity chromatography, which is essential for binding of the guanine nucleotide regulatory protein to the affinity matrix, was also required for recovery of F--stimulation restoring activity in the affinity eluate.