cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Acute and chronic stress effects on open field activity in the rat: Implications for a model of depression

The initial activity of a rat placed in novel surroundings (i.e., open field activity) has been taken as an indicator of its emotional state. We have investigated the effects of immediately antecedent stress upon open field activity in comparison with basal (i.e., unstressed) activity, and additionally, the effects of a history of chronic stress upon the above behavioral patterns. Acute exposure to a non-traumatic, non-debilitating stress (noise and light) consistently increased activity in comparison with basal activity. A history of chronic stress on the other hand reduced basal activity from control levels, and eliminated the activation response to acute stress. This lack of acute activation may bear some resemblance to depression on several grounds. Behaviorally it represents a "refractory loss of interest." Also, chronically stressed rats showed endocrine changes similar to those seen in human depressives. Finally, antidepressant treatment with the monoamine oxidase inhibitor pargyline restored the ability of chronically stressed rats to respond actively to stress.
Requirement of NAD and SIR2 for Life-Span Extension by Calorie Restriction in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Calorie restriction extends life-span in a wide variety of organisms. Although it has been suggested that calorie restriction may work by reducing the levels of reactive oxygen species produced during respiration, the mechanism by which this regimen slows aging is uncertain. Here, we mimicked calorie restriction in yeast by physiological or genetic means and showed a substantial extension in life-span. This extension was not observed in strains mutant for SIR2 (which encodes the silencing protein Sir2p) or NPT1 (a gene in a pathway in the synthesis of NAD, the oxidized form of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide). These findings suggest that the increased longevity induced by calorie restriction requires the activation of Sir2p by NAD.
The Virtue of Heaven: From Calvin to Cyber-Talk and Back

Protestant theology at the beginning of the twentieth century, as represented by such influential figures as Johannes Weiss, Albert Schweitzer, Franz Over-beck, and later Rudolf Bultmann, asked what was no longer believable in the Gospel talk of heaven given the modern frame of reference. A century later the opposite question invites at least equal attention: what is no longer believable in the modern frame of reference given the Gospel talk of heaven? Calvin’s references to the real (or true) presence of Christ's heavenly life as "virtus" invite a conversation with computer talk of virtuality that illumines by contrast the current task of dogmatic theology in addressing what is heard today in the Gospel message as "the real world".
Influence of temperature of nitriding of silicon

On etudie les effets de la temperature de nitruration du silicium sur la formation d'un liant de nitrure de silicium lors de la cuisson de refractaires de carbure de silicium en atmosphere d'azote.
2012 David Sun lecture: helping your patient by helping yourself--how to improve the patient-physician relationship by optimizing communication skills.

2012 David Sun Lecture: Helping Your Patient by Helping Yourself—How to Improve the Patient–Physician Relationship by Optimizing Communication Skills
Supporting the Transition to Adulthood among High School Dropouts: An Impact Study of the National Guard Youth Challenge Program

Using a multi-year, random assignment design, this study evaluated the effects of the National Guard Youth Challenge Program (NGYCP), an intensive residential intervention program for youth ages 16-18 who have dropped out of high school. The sample included 1,173 youth (predominantly male) of diverse racial and ethnic backgrounds from ten NGYCP sites across the country. Positive impacts on educational and employment outcomes were sustained 3 years after entering the program, with older participants generally showing greater benefits than younger participants. Implications for research and practice are discussed.
Infrared markers for determining the order parameters of uniaxial liquid crystals.

Polarization-dependent absorption coefficients of various molecular vibrational bands (i.e., IR markers) in the 2.5–20-μm spectral region were measured for two nematic liquid crystals (LCs), 5CB and MBBA. Combining the measured absorption dichroism of a dipole moment with a correction factor g, which takes the anisotropy of the local field into consideration, the order parameter S of a uniaxial LC can be determined. This g factor is found to have significant effect on the determination of S. The temperature-dependent g factor is calculated for 5CB, for example. Results on S agree well with those obtained by the NMR technique, which does not require the local field correction. Order parameters of several 5CB–host–LC mixtures were measured at room temperature. Results indicate that the LC mixtures with higher nematic-isotropic phase transition temperature exhibit larger S. This phenomenon can be used to improve the LC materials for IR applications.
An analysis of the steady-state heat balance method for measuring sap flow in plants

Abstract An axisymmetric finite element model of heat flow was used to evaluate some of the assumptions inherent in the steady-state heat balance method for measuring sap flow in herbaceous plants. Results indicate that the gauge slightly overestimates conduction up and down the stem when sap flow is nearly zero, causing a corresponding underestimate of the sheath conductance and the radial outward heat flux. As sap flow rates increase, the temperature distribution in the stem and gauge is altered to the point that the one-dimensional Fourier equations are no longer applicable and the individual heat fluxes in the system are poorly estimated. However, the errors are largely self-compensating, so that the resulting gauge estimate of the heat absorbed by the sap stream is reasonably accurate. The model indicates that stem vascular anatomy affects the accuracy of the method, predicting that, in general, the method should be more accurate with dicots than with monocots.
Discredited Inheritance: Machado-Joseph Disease and Family Dynamics in the Azores

Machado-Joseph Disease is a dominantly inherited disorder that has been present among families of the Azores Islands since at least the mid-1800s. As a unique form of inheritance, it has influenced not only dynamics and identities within the nuclear family, but within the kinship networks in general, and in interactions with the larger island community. This paper, using Machado-Joseph Disease as a case study and drawing upon data collected during two field trips to the Azores, explores the cultural construction of genetic threat in the context of the family and in the context of the community in which families carry on their life activities.
Benzoquinones in stages of the life-cycle of the cestode Spirometra mansonoides.

Abstract Ubiquinone-10 and rhodoquinone-10 were detected in stages of the life-cycle of a pseudophyllidean cestode, Spirometra mansonoides , by chromatographic. UV spectrophotometric, proton nuclear magnetic resonance spectrometric and electron impact mass spectrometric methods. Ubiquinone-10 was identified in 1-day-old eggs and cotacidia, and rhodoquinone-10 in coracidia, plerocercoids and adult tapeworms. Tentative identification were also made of ubiquinone-10 in procercoids and rhodoquinone-10 in 10-day-old eggs. The roles of benzoquinones in helminth aerobic and anaerobic metabolism are discussed in relation to their distribution in stages of the S. mansonoides life-cycle.
Modified Cauer form

It is shown that the modified Cauer form (MCF), and more specifically the generic conditions, can be derived from the fast triangular factorisation of the Toeplitz matrix formed by the Markov parameters and moments of the transfer function.
Antialiasing on the IBM PS/2 VGA by treating color bits as subpixels

Abstract This paper presents a novel method of antialiasing on the IBM PS 2 VGA and similar displays that allow the programmer to use any 16 colors chosen from a large repertoire. The four bits of the color code are treated as subpixels, doubling the effective resolution in both dimensions without requiring additional video memory. The 16 colors are defined as appropriate shades of gray or a single color. Video memory records which subpixels are illuminated, rather than just storing partial illumination values for whole pixels, with the result that intersecting and overlapping lines are plotted correctly. Because the shades of gray are obtained by table lookup, gamma correction introduces no additional overhead. Optimal gamma correction can be determined empirically by comparing the apparent brightness of lines of width inversely proportional to desired intensity.
Hospitalization of the nursing home patient.

The scenario is a familiar one. A nurse from the skilled nursing facility calls you because one of your patients is not doing well. “Should I send her to the hospital?” Although hospitalization offers acute services and onsite specialists, physicians can manage a wide range of medical problems in the nursing home. Additionally, nurses at such facilities are able to provide a variety of services from intravenous hydration and medications to wound management and palliative care. The decision to send a patient to the hospital is multifactorial, and influences include the severity of the underlying medical problem, availability of nursing home services, physician comfort level, patient and family request, and economic incentives. Hospitalization is not without its own set of risks and benefits. Hospitalized older patients are at an increased risk for adverse events including delirium, functional decline, and iatrogenesis, and their overall health and quality of life may be deleteriously affected by such experiences. This article will discuss important aspects in the evaluation, treatment, and management of the hospitalized nursing home patient. Emphasis will be placed on the clinical competencies required to provide optimum care for this subset of the geriatric patient population.
Archaeological Visualization: Towards an Archaeological Information Science (AISc)

This paper reviews and evaluates the potential use of modern visualization techniques in archaeology. It suggests the need to apply and develop such techniques as a central part of any modern archaeological investigation. The use of these methods is associated with wider questions about data representations, in particular, their integration with archaeological theory and their role in facilitating analysis and shaping interpretation. Concern for these questions and with the overall potential that information systems provide to capture, represent, analyze, and model archaeological information suggests the need for a new interdisciplinary focus, Archaeological Information Science. For such a focus to prosper, archaeologists need to develop additional skills that go beyond mere technical ones. They need to become more active in the design and creation of future information archaeological systems. To this end, archaeologists are urged to view this task as a way to extend archaeology in new directions and to recognize that the digital representation and treatment of archaeological information can generate new forms of doing archaeology.
Optimal importance sampling with explicit formulas in continuous time

In the Black–Scholes model, consider the problem of selecting a change of drift which minimizes the variance of Monte Carlo estimators for prices of path-dependent options.
MO-F-214-01: A Novel Dosimetry System Useful for Accurate and Optimal Total-Skin Electron-Beam Therapy

Purpose: We are introducing a dosimetric system for calculation of dose distribution within patients from total skinelectron beam (TSEB) in order to avoid large dose variations and frequent setup changes for accurate and safe TSEB therapy of mycosis fundoides. Methods: Custom cylindrical phantoms were made of a set of buckets filled with water and wrapping with bolus outside. Films placed at depths of interest in the cylindrical phantoms and flat solid water phantom were irradiated using 6‐MeV high‐dose‐rate TSEB from an Elekta Synergy linear accelerator. Horizontal and vertical fluence profiles as well as depth‐dose curves were measured by positioning the flat phantom at various locations. Curvature factors were determined by the dose curves across the films in the cylindrical phantom and quantified as functions of the curvature radius and the angle between the TSEB and local surface norm. The off‐axis and curvature factors were used in calculation of the skin‐depth dose distribution in any body parts for individual beams. Sum of the doses from all beams provides the total skin dose distribution. The calculation requires only the toward beam body surfaces that can be captured with 3D cameras. Results: Repeated phantom experiments confirmed the dose calculation accuracy within 5%. Computer simulation for patients with different body shapes and treatment setup using the Stanford technique agreed with the results of in‐vivo dose measurements. Dose variation from different techniques including changes from 60 to 45 degree turntable angles for oblique beams in Stanford technique and rotation TSEB were simulated. Conclusions: This simple and accurate dosimetric system allows users to predict total skin dose distribution and distribution changes with different treatment techniques. Importantly, it allows users to plan and optimize TSEB treatment.
Myocardial Infarction Outcomes “The Times, They Are A-Changin…”

The American Heart Association recently defined as a goal, “By 2020, to improve the cardiovascular health of all Americans by 20% while reducing deaths from cardiovascular diseases and stroke by 20%.”1 These are bold objectives, which represent a substantial challenge to care providers, patients, stakeholders, and populations in view of alarming trends in obesity and diabetes.2 To demonstrate success, we must be able to monitor progress. Our ability to do so is challenged by the lack of a national system to conduct surveillance of cardiovascular disease, which hinders our assessment of the effectiveness of interventions aiming at improving its outcome in populations.3 Without a national system, the surveillance of cardiovascular disease relies on a multitier strategy leveraging vital statistics, administrative datasets, community surveillance programs, and local registries. In the present issue of Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes , an important article by Kostis et al4 illustrates the use of such an approach for surveillance of cardiovascular disease by reporting on trends in the prognosis of patients with acute myocardial infarction hospitalized in New Jersey hospitals. Using the Myocardial Infarction Data Acquisition System (MIDAS), which contains hospital discharge data from nonfederal acute care hospitals in New Jersey, the authors examined the outcomes of 285 387 patients hospitalized with a first myocardial infarction between 1986 and 2007. The length of hospital stay decreased, as did in-hospital mortality. Importantly, 30-day mortality, a critical indicator, which is independent of length of hospital stay, was nearly cut in half, as it decreased markedly as well from 18% to 10%. Conversely, a small but definite increase in mortality beyond 30 days and up to 1 year after myocardial infarction was detected with an increase of 1.2% over the time period. This increase is small but is a …
Wtt-Degrees and T-Degrees of R.E. Sets

We use some simple facts about the wtt-degrees of r.e. sets together with a construction to answer some questions concerning the join and meet operators in the r.e. degrees. The construction is that of an r.e. Turing degree a with just one wtt-degree in a such that a is the join of a minimal pair of r.e. degrees. We hope to illustrate the usefulness of studying the stronger reducibility orderings of r.e. sets for providing information about Turing reducibility. ?1. T-degrees and w-degrees. The Turing degree of a set of integers is a measure of its nonrecursiveness. If A and B are sets of integers, we say that A a such that c n b exists and c n b = afb? Theorem 5.1 gives a negative answer to Question 1 and evidence for a negative answer to Question 2. Our method of attacking Questions 1 and 2 led us to the study of reducibility Received May 29, 1981. 'This research was supported by NSF Grant MCS 80-02937. The results were presented to the 1981 Spring Meeting of the A.S.L. at Milwaukee. ? 1984, Association for Symbolic Logic 0022-48 12/83/4804-0002/$02.00
Nonrenormalizability of the Quantized Einstein-Maxwell System

The one-loop divergences of coupled general relativity and electrodynamics cannot be absorbed by renormalization.
Plastic deformation of polycrystalline zirconium carbide

The compressive yield strength of arc-melted polycrystalline zirconium carbide has been found to vary from 77 kg per sq mm at 1200 C to 19 kg per sq mm at 1800 C. Yield drops were observed with plastic strain-rates greater than 0.003/sec but not with slower strain rates. Strain-rate change experiments yielded values for the strain-rate sensitivity parameter m which range from 6.5 at 1500 C to 3.8 at 1800 C, and the product dislocation velocity stress exponent times T was found to decrease linearly with increasing temperature. The deformation rate results are consistent with the Kelly-Rowcliffe model in which the diffusion of carbon assists the motion of dislocations.
Capturing the effect of temperature, strain rate, and stress state on the plasticity and fracture of rolled homogeneous armor (RHA) steel

Abstract This work is an investigation of the mechanical response and damage evolution of Rolled Homogeneous Armor (RHA) steel at different temperatures, stress states, and strain rates. Although the tension, compression, and torsion yield and work hardening rates were essentially the same when considering uncertainty in the tests, the damage progression and failure strains were different. Tension and torsion experiments revealed that torsional loading was more deleterious to ductility when comparing equivalent failure strains. As is typical of metals, the experiments showed that as the temperature increased to 300 °C from ambient conditions, the flow stress decreased, and the failure strains increased. High strain-rate experiments conducted via split-Hopkinson pressure bars (Kolsky) showed increased strength and reduced failure strains. Fractography was performed on selected tension and torsion post-mortem specimens to quantify the number density of nucleated voids and size distribution of voids from the experiments. For the first time in the literature, an internal state variable (ISV) plasticity/damage model was used to capture the varying effects of temperature, strain rate, and stress state for the RHA steel with a single set of plasticity and damage parameters. The ISV model for RHA steel can be used in finite element analysis (FEA) under a wide variety of boundary conditions.
Comparison of Myeloperoxidase Activity in Leukocytes from Normal Subjects and Patients with Chronic Granulomatous Disease

A study was undertaken to compare myeloperoxidase (MPO) activity in leukocytes from normal subjects and those with chronic granulomatous disease (CGD) and to eliminate further consideration of MPO as the oxidase responsible for the post-phagocytic respiratory burst and subsequent oxidase microbicidal sequence lacking in leukocytes from patients with CGD. With use of granule fractions isolated from a number of samples, MPO activity in several MPO-mediated biochemical systems (peroxidase assays, protein iodination, and amino acid decarboxylation) was measured. No difference was demonstrated between granule fraction preparations from normal subjects and those with CGD. These data show that MPO activity is normal in CGD leukocytes and are inconsistent with a role for MPO in initiating the post-phagocytic respiratory burst.
Effects of Eddy Vorticity Forcing on the Mean State of the Kuroshio Extension

AbstractEddy–mean flow interactions along the Kuroshio Extension (KE) jet are investigated using a vorticity budget of a high-resolution ocean model simulation, averaged over a 13-yr period. The simulation explicitly resolves mesoscale eddies in the KE and is forced with air–sea fluxes representing the years 1995–2007. A mean-eddy decomposition in a jet-following coordinate system removes the variability of the jet path from the eddy components of velocity; thus, eddy kinetic energy in the jet reference frame is substantially lower than in geographic coordinates and exhibits a cross-jet asymmetry that is consistent with the baroclinic instability criterion of the long-term mean field. The vorticity budget is computed in both geographic (i.e., Eulerian) and jet reference frames; the jet frame budget reveals several patterns of eddy forcing that are largely attributed to varicose modes of variability. Eddies tend to diffuse the relative vorticity minima/maxima that flank the jet, removing momentum from the ...
Mechanism for nitrogen isotope fractionation during ammonium assimilation by Escherichia coli K12

Organisms that use ammonium as the sole nitrogen source discriminate between [15N] and [14N] ammonium. This selectivity leaves an isotopic signature in their biomass that depends on the external concentration of ammonium. To dissect how differences in discrimination arise molecularly, we examined a wild-type (WT) strain of Escherichia coli K12 and mutant strains with lesions affecting ammonium-assimilatory proteins. We used isotope ratio mass spectrometry (MS) to assess the nitrogen isotopic composition of cell material when the strains were grown in batch culture at either high or low external concentrations of NH3 (achieved by controlling total NH4Cl and pH of the medium). At high NH3 (≥0.89 µM), discrimination against the heavy isotope by the WT strain (−19.2‰) can be accounted for by the equilibrium isotope effect for dissociation of NH4+ to NH3 + H+. NH3 equilibrates across the cytoplasmic membrane, and glutamine synthetase does not manifest an isotope effect in vivo. At low NH3 (≤0.18 µM), discrimination reflects an isotope effect for the NH4+ channel AmtB (−14.1‰). By making E. coli dependent on the low-affinity ammonium-assimilatory pathway, we determined that biosynthetic glutamate dehydrogenase has an inverse isotope effect in vivo (+8.8‰). Likewise, by making unmediated diffusion of NH3 across the cytoplasmic membrane rate-limiting for cell growth in a mutant strain lacking AmtB, we could deduce an in vivo isotope effect for transport of NH3 across the membrane (−10.9‰). The paper presents the raw data from which our conclusions were drawn and discusses the assumptions underlying them.
Effects of phenobarbital on protein synthesis and polysome levels in rat liver

Abstract Administration of phenobarbital to rats increases the rate of synthesis of certain microsomal drug-metabolizing enzymes in a selective manner and promotes proliferation of smooth endoplasmic reticulum in the liver. Phenobarbital increased a number of factors by which protein synthesis could be enhanced in the liver. It produced a 30% increase in the amount of ribosomes and mRNA per cell. The proportion of ribosomes associated with polysomes was increased by 5–10 % over normal liver. There was a 10–30 % increase in the rate of polypeptide elongation and a small increase or no change in polysome size, indicating that the rate of polypeptide initiation was increased proportionately. The product of these effects accounts for the 1.5-fold increase in the rate of total protein synthesis previously reported. The average polysome size, and the size of free polysomes in particular, was maintained when actinomycin D was administered to phenobarbitalpretreated rats, suggesting that the rate of mRNA degradation was decreased selectively. Phenobarbital did not, however, affect the distribution of ribosomes between the free and membrane-bound states or the activity of ribonucleases associated with isolated free and bound polysomes. Thus, we conclude that phenobarbital stimulates protein synthesis by expanding the mRNA pool, at least partially through effects on mRNA degradation, and by augmenting the rate of mRNA translation.
Novel device (AirWave) to assess endotracheal tube migration: a pilot study.

Introduction Little is known about endotracheal tube (ETT) migration during routine care among critically ill patients. AirWave is a novel device that uses sonar waves to measure ETT migration and obstructions in real time. The aim of the present study is to assess the accuracy of the AirWave to evaluate ETT migration. In addition, we determined the degree of variation in ETT position and tested whether more pronounced migration occurs in specific clinical scenarios.
Human Motion Simulation for Vehicle and Workplace Design

Digital Human Models (DHMs) are fast becoming an effective tool for performing proactive ergonomics analysis and design. DHM software, such as Jack, SAFEWORK, RAMSIS, SAMMIE, and the UM 3DSSP, are meant to assist a designer early in a product development process, when he or she is attempting to improve the physical design of vehicle interiors and manufacturing workplaces. To become even more effective in meeting such a goal, it is proposed that future DHMs must include valid posture and motion prediction models for various populations. It is argued in this article that existing posture and motion prediction models now used in DHMs must be based on real motion data to assure validity for complex dynamic task simulations. It is further proposed that if valid human posture and motion prediction models are developed, these can be combined with psychophysical and biomechanical models to provide a very powerful tool for predicting dynamic human performance and population specific limitations. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Binding of 3H‐Methyltrienolone (3H‐R1881) to androgen receptors in human gingiva

Binding of 3H-Methyltrienolone (3H-R1881) to cytoplasmic androgen receptor protein and its translocation into nuclei in human gingiva was demonstrated. 3H-R1881 binds to androgen receptors with high affinity (Kd= 1.7−1.9 × 10−9 M) and low capacity (10–16 fmol/mg protein). The binding was specific for DHT binding sites and was destroyed by proteolytic enzymes (pronase and trypsin). These results suggest that 3H-R1881 can be used as a ligand in combination with nonradioactive DHT to study androgen receptors in the gingiva.
Protein synthesis in relation to fruit ripening

The relationship of protein synthesis to ripening of Bartlett pears was determined by investigating several parameters of ripening under conditions of ‘steady-state’ or ‘new’ protein synthesis. The investigations were directed at the question of dependency of ripening on the activity of newly synthesized or pre-existing proteins. It was found that protein synthesis is required for normal fruit ripening and the proteins synthesized early in the ripening process include enzymes required for ripening.14C-Phenylalanine was incorporated into fruit proteins, which were subsequently separated by acrylamide gel electrophoresis, of fruits at various stages of ripening. Fruit ripening and ethylene synthesis are inhibited when protein synthesis is blocked by treatment with cycloheximide at the early-climacteric stage. However, once ripening progresses beyond a certain stage ripening, but not protein synthesis, proceeds equally well in the presence or absence of cycloheximide indicating that the enzymes involved in ripening are synthesized soon after ripening has been initiated. Ethylene does not overcome cycloheximide inhibition of ripening or protein synthesis. It is concluded that normal ripening of pear fruits requires the coordinated synthesis of enzymes whose concentrations are limiting the rate of the various ripening reactions. The synthesis of these enzymes takes place for the most part during the early stage of ripening before marked physical changes become apparent in the tissue. Ethylene is required in physiologically active concentrations in order to initiate this ripening syndrome and can act only if protein synthesis is allowed to proceed. Without ethylene, fruits which otherwise are ready to ripen continue to synthesize those proteins for which capacity already exists.
War and mortality in Kosovo, 1998-99: an epidemiological testimony.

Summary Background The total number, rates, and causes of mortality in Kosovo during the last war remain unclear despite intense international attention. Understanding mortality that results from modern warfare, in which 90% of casualties are civilian, and identifying vulnerable civilian groups, are of critical public-health importance. Methods In September 1999 we conducted a two-stage cluster survey among the Kosovar Albanian population in Kosovo. We collected retrospective mortality data, including cause of death, for the period of the conflict. Findings The survey included 1197 households comprising 8605 people. From February, 1998, through June, 1999, 67 (64%) of 105 deaths in the sample population were attributed to war-related trauma, corresponding to 12 000 (95% CI 5500–18 300) deaths in the total population. The crude mortality rate increased 2·3 times from the pre-conflict level to 0·72 per 1000 a month. Mortality rates peaked in April 1999 at 3·25 per 1000 a month, coinciding with an intensification of the Serbian campaign of "ethnic cleansing". Men of military age (15–49 years) and men 50 years and older had the highest age-specific mortality rates from warrelated trauma. However, the latter group were more than three times as likely to die of war-related trauma than were men of military age (relative risk 3·2). Interpretation Raising awareness among the international humanitarian community of the increased risk of mortality from war-related trauma among men of 50 years and older in some settings is an urgent priority. Establishing evacuation programmes to assist older people to find refuge may prevent loss of life. Such mortality data could be used as evidence that governments and military groups have violated international standards of conduct during warfare.
Executive budget proposal, executive veto, legislative override, and uncertainty: A comparative analysis of the budgetary process

This study examines the roles of the executive budgetary proposal, the executive veto, the legislative override, and legislative uncertainty about the executive's preferences in determining the outcome of a budgetary process. A sequential model of the budgetary process with three institutional agents — a legislature, an appropriations committee, and an executive — is presented. To focus attention on the executive proposal, the veto, the override provision, and uncertainty, simplifying assumptions are made: (1) the appropriations committee has monopoly agenda power, and (2) there is a closed amendment control rule. In order to characterize sequential equilibria of various combinations of veto rules and override provisions, we examine a particular arrangement of agents' preferences and a two item budget. The results demonstrate that the final budget depends critically on the executive proposal, the executive veto rule, the override provision, and the uncertainty. We achieve three striking results. First, the executive proposal may be effective in reducing the frequency of the exercised veto. Second, for a given override provision, a movement from the item veto to the item reduction veto leaves the executive worse off in some cases. Third, with the same change in institutions, the government budget may increase.
Frames built on fractal sets

Abstract Frames of finite dimensional Hilbert spaces have recently been of great interest in applications to modern communication networks transport packets. In this note, continuous and discrete frames, living on fractal sets, of both finite and infinite dimensional separable abstract Hilbert spaces are found. In particular, we find discrete frames, robust to erasures, of finite dimensional Hilbert spaces using iterated function systems.
Enhanced Responses to Aerosolized Bronchodilator Therapy in Asthma Using Respiratory Maneuvers

To determine If respiratory maneuvers may enhance the response to inhaled bronchodilator drugs, we evaluated the bronchodilator responses when isoproterenol was: inhaled as a bolus at high (80 percent VC) compared to low (20 percent VC) lung volumes, and inhaled as a single 800 μ g dose compared to four 200 μg doses given 20 min apart. Nine asthmatic subjects inhaled isoproterenol sequentially at high and low lung volumes on two separate days; 15 others inhaled single doses of 200, 400, 600, and 800 μg isoproterenol on four separate days. FEV1, specific conductance (Gaw/V L ), V ˙ max50%, and the slope of phase 3 of the single-breath nitrogen test (ΔN 2 /L) were measured 10 min after each dose. FEV1 and Gaw/V L increased and ΔN 9 /L decreased more following inhalation at high compared to low lung volume (P L increased more in the group given 800 μg in divided doses than the group given a single dose (P
An evaluation of advanced combined cycles

Abstract The main objective of this investigation is to identify and assess advanced improvements to the combined cycle such as gas turbine firing temperature, pressure ratio, combustion techniques, intercooling, enhanced blade cooling schemes and supercritical steam cycles that will lead to significant performance improvements in coal based power systems. This assessment is conducted in the context of conceptual designs that advance state-of-art combined cycles and result in an 8% reduction in heat rate over a coal based Integrated Gasification Combined Cycle (IGCC) plant utilizing an H class gas turbine technology with steam cooling. This efficiency goal for the study was set by the United States Department of Energy. H class gas turbines are commercially offered by General Electric (GE), Mitsubishi and Siemens for natural gas based combined cycle applications with 60% efficiency (LHV) and it is expected that such machines will be offered for syngas applications within the next 5–10 years, while our investigation looks further beyond that time frame. The levelized cost of electricity for an IGCC utilizing the H class gas turbine is $86/MW h while that for the advanced IGCC identified in this investigation consisting of an intercooled gas turbine with a firing temperature that is 340 °C higher is $79/MW h which is a significant 8% reduction.
Care and Maintenance of the Common Vampire in Captivity

Conditions and procedures which have been utilized in our laboratory in the successful maintenance of the common vampire bat, Desmodus rotundus , in captivity over a period of several years are described, with the expectation that they may prove useful to other investigators. Also described is a cage design which helps minimize some of the special problems associated with the handling of vampires and making provision for their sanitation; the cage can also be used to advantage with other species of bats.
Surface area variations of coal during solvent extraction

Abstract Changes in the surface area of a Wyoming sub-bituminous coal with progressive extraction have been investigated. Surface areas were determined from CO 2 adsorption isotherms at 196 K using the BET equation with 0.234 nm 2 for the molecular cross-sectional area of the CO 2 molecule at 196 K. Surface areas of the extracted coal varied with extraction time, yield and with the nature of the solvent. A maximum surface area of 265 m 2 /g was obtained from a four-hour treatment using tetralin at 350 °C as the solvent. The raw coal had a surface area of 99 m 2 /g.
A COMPARISON OF DIRECT ADJUSTMENT AND REGRESSION ADJUSTMENT OF EPIDEMIOLOGIC MEASURES

Although regression adjustment can provide a useful alternative to direct adjustment, especially when data are sparse, many researchers are unaware that adjusted summary measures can be easily derived from regression coefficients. In a nontechnical discussion with examples, the direct adjustment procedure is compared with three methods of regression adjustment based on analysis of covariance models: the conditional prediction method, the stratified prediction method, and the marginal prediction method. Both the stratified prediction and direct adjustment methods yield summary measures that are weighted averages of stratum-specific measures, while adjusted measures from the conditional prediction method are similar to stratum-specific estimates. In contrast to the other adjustment procedures, which can use internal or external weights, the marginal prediction method always gives an internally adjusted measure. Under certain conditions, the three regression adjustment procedures produce identical results. Major advantages of direct adjustment include computational simplicity and relatively few statistical assumptions. Regression adjustment, however, is more convenient for statistical tests for interactions and group differences, and often precludes the need to categorize continuous variables, so that problems with empty strata are avoided.
Measured resection: a valuable tool in TKA.

Multiple methods may be used to determine correct femoral component rotation during TKA. Numerous reports document surgeon inability to precisely identify critical bone landmarks when deciding correct femoral component rotation using a measured resection methodology. While the author recommends using all available methods in combination, use of gap balancing provides a more accurate and reproducible way to obtain satisfactory flexion gap stability.
Shokurov's ACC conjecture for log canonical thresholds on smooth varieties

Shokurov conjectured that the set of all log canonical thresholds on varieties of bounded dimension satisfies the ascending chain condition. In this paper we prove that the conjecture holds for log canonical thresholds on smooth varieties and, more generally, on locally complete intersection varieties and on varieties with quotient singularities.
Ultraviolet spectrophotometric determination of primary and secondary aliphatic amines by formation of dithiocarbamates

Abstract Primary and secondary aliphatic amines (ca. 0.2–6 μg ml−1) determined at 250 and 280 nm, respectively, after in situ derivatization to dithiocarbamates in a carbon disulphide/ aqueous sodium hydroxide two-phase system. Alcohols, aromatic and tertiary amines do not interfere.
An adhesive transfer method of cutting and mounting thin sections for autoradiography.

A short strip of adhesive transfer cellophane tape is applied to the face of the block to provide backing for the section during cutting and handling. The tape is sealed to the nuclear track plate ...
Further insights into sinusoidal organic anion uptake

Previous studies in cultured rat hepatocytes revealed that initial uptake of sulfobromophthalein (BSP) was markedly reduced upon removal of Cl− from the medium. In the present study, unidirectional Cl− gradients were established in short-term cultured rat hepatocytes and their effect on BSP uptake was determined. These investigations revealed that BSP uptake requires external Cl− and is not stimulated by unidirectional Cl− gradients, suggesting that BSP transport is not coupled to Cl− transport. In contrast, BSP transport is stimulated by an inside-to-outside OH− gradient, consistent with OH− exchange or H+ cotransport. As the presence of Cl− is essential for but not directly coupled to BSP transport, binding of 35S-BSP to hepatocytes was determined at 4° C. This revealed an ∼ 10-fold higher affinity of cells for BSP in the presence as compared to the absence of Cl− (Ka + 3.2 ± 0.8 vs. 0.42 ± 0.09 μM−1; P < 0.02). Affinity of BSP for albumin was Cl−-independent, and was ∼ 10% of its affinity for cells in the presence of Cl−. These results indicate that extracellular Cl− modulates the affinity of BSP for its hepatocyte transporter.
The perception of speech rate from the sound-silence patterns of monologues

Two experiments asked whether listeners can judge word rate from a speech signal that has been degraded in various ways. In the first, the rates of spontaneous speech were increased by 42% and further transformed to produce tone-silence sequences. The tonesilence sequences were presented to listeners who judged the rate of each sequence. Results clearly indicated that listeners could differentiate the rates of the tone-silence sequences, suggesting that minimal nonlinguistic information may be sufficient to make grossly accurate estimates of speech rates. In the second study, listeners were presented with speech sequences involving three naturally produced rates (slow, moderate, and fast) in three conditions (clear, frequency-inverted, and tone-silence) such that different listeners participated in the three conditions, but heard all rates in each condition. Listeners in the clear and frequency-inverted conditions distinguished all three rates, but those in the tone-silence condition differentiated only the slow and moderate rates. Contrary to expectation, the gender and extroversion scores of the listeners did not affect their judgments.
Biliary stent migration with colonic diverticular impaction

placed for duct decompression. The proximal tip of the stent was located within the left hepatic duct and its position confirmed. The patient was to return at a later date for a second attempt at stone extraction, but 4 days later she developed upper gastrointestinal bleeding. Upper gastrointestinal en­ doscopy demonstrated multiple erosions of the gastric an­ trum and body. Examination of the duodenum revealed no evidence of bleeding, but the biliary stent could not be located within the duodenal lumen. Plain abdominal x-ray identified the migrated stent in the left lower quadrant. Despite recommendations, the patient refused further inter­ vention and had an otherwise uneventful recuperation. Liver and pancreatic chemistries normalized prior to discharge, suggesting spontaneous stone passage. Thirteen months after her initial presentation, the patient returned to the clinic for an unrelated condition. Sponta­ neous rectal passage of the stent had not been observed. A plain abdominal film (Fig. 1) showed the stent, in an un­ changed location in the left lower quadrant in the area of the sigmoid colon. Sigmoidoscopy was performed and the stent was identified at approximately 60 cm from the anus. Its more proximal tip was embedded within a diverticulum, seemingly anchored by the flange. A small adherent blood clot was noted within the diverticular orifice although there had been no recent history of gastrointestinal bleeding or laboratory evidence to suggest a decrease in hemoglobin. Several other small diverticula were also noted in the sig­ moid colon. The stent was grasped with a rat-toothed forceps and atraumatically withdrawn. The patient had experienced no symptoms related to the stent in the sigmoid colon, and no complications were noted following its removal. Six months later, she has had no symptoms suggestive of pancreaticobiliary disease and serum chemistries remain normal.
Hymenopteran parasitoids and dipteran predators of Diuraphis noxia in the west-central Great Plains of North America: Species records and geographic range

Parasitoids and predatory flies were sampled in the wheat production region of the west-central Great Plains (southeastern Wyoming, western Nebraska, and north-central Colorado) of North America using plant material infested with the Russian wheat aphid, Diuraphis noxia (Mordvilko) (Hemiptera: Aphididae). Samples were taken April through October in 2001 and 2002, which was 15–16 years after first detection of D. noxia and 5–6 years after the last release of natural enemies for its control in this region. The natural enemies detected were (in order of high to low detection frequencies across three states and 2 years): Aphelinus albipodus Hayat and Fatima (Hymenoptera: Aphelinidae), Eupeodes volucris Osten Sacken (Diptera: Syrphidae), Lysiphlebus testaceipes (Cresson) (Hymenoptera: Braconidae, Aphidiinae), Leucopis gaimarii Tanasijtshuk (Diptera: Chamaemyiidae), Aphidius avenaphis (Fitch), Aphidius matricariae Haliday, Diaeretiella rapae (M’Intosh), Aphidius ervi Haliday, Praon yakimanum Pike and Starý (Hymenoptera: Braconidae, Aphidiinae), and Aphelinus asychis Walker (Hymenoptera: Aphelinidae). The results confirmed establishment of one of the 10 exotic parasitoid species released for D. noxia control (A. albipodus) in the west-central Great Plains. It is unknown whether detection of A. asychis, A. matricariae, and D. rapae can be attributed to exotic introductions or preexisting populations. Other species detected in this study have been previously documented from the western US, although the recognized distributions have expanded for A. avenaphis, L. gaimarii, and P. yakimanum compared to the first few years after initial detection of D. noxia. Thus, there is definitive establishment of one exotic introduced for D. noxia and considerable range expansion of preexisting species that prey upon D. noxia.
Leptin-induced leptin resistant rats exhibit enhanced responses to the melanocortin agonist MT II

The purpose of this study was to determine if leptin could induce a leptin resistance in young rats and if leptin-induced leptin resistant rats are responsive to the melanocortin agonist, melanotan II (MT II). Recombinant adeno-associated virus encoding rat leptin cDNA (rAAV-leptin) or control viral vector were administered into young, lean rats for 300 days, and food consumption, body weight, oxygen consumption, serum leptin, and leptin signal transduction were measured. In the rAAV-leptin rats, the anorexic response attenuated by day 140, and the increase in energy expenditure attenuated prior to day 223. At day 300, the rats were challenged with centrally administered recombinant leptin to test leptin responsiveness. Whilst the control responded with a decrease in food intake, the rAAV-leptin rats were unresponsive. The same rats were administered MT II subsequently, and both the leptin-resistant and leptin-responsive groups displayed reduced food intake. Notably, the anorexic response persisted longer in the leptin-resistant group. These data demonstrate that leptin induces leptin resistance in young rats and that these leptin-resistant rats have an enhanced anorexic response to exogenous melanocortin activation. We suggest that defective endogenous melanocortin activation may represent one element of leptin resistance, leading to compensatory hypersensitivity of the melanocortin pathway.
Efficient pattern-matching with don't cares

We present a randomized algorithm for the string matching with don't cares problem. Based on the simple fingerprint method of Karp and Rabin for ordinary string matching [4], our algorithm runs in time O(n log m) for a text of length n and a pattern of length m and is simpler and slightly faster than the previous algorithms [3, 5, 1].