cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The optimal subsidization of Baptists by bootleggers

Rent-seeking bootleggers have an incentive to subsidize the lobbying activities of the public-interest minded Baptists. We demonstrate that unless a certain set of conditions hold, the optimal subsidy will be positive and will provide a moral smoke screen for rent-seeking activities. Consequently, it will be extremely difficult to identify the actual level of rent-seeking from the public interest activities. Therefore, current empirical estimates may well underestimate the actual level of rent-seeking in the regulatory arena.
Noneconomic goals of investors

This study adopts a consumer perspective and explores investors' noneconomic goals. This approach shifts the focus from the investment vehicle and its performance to the investor and her/his investing goals. We explore the influence of religiosity, environmental attitude, materialism, collectivism, risk tolerance, and social investing efficacy on investors' noneconomic goals. We find that social investing efficacy mediates the relationships between the aforementioned variables and noneconomic goals. Implications for managerial practice are discussed. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Models of the doctor-patient relationship and the ethics committee: Part One.

Models of the doctor-patient relationship determine which value will predominate in the interaction of the parties. That value then significantly colors and even sometimers alters the nature of the ethical discussion. For example, if an institution predominately prides it-self on its competitive posture, ethical issues arising therein will necessarily be colored by entrepreurial rather than deontological ethics. By contrast, a physician who underlines patient decision making will tend to place autonomy first above all other principles, casting that relationship in a libertarian tone.
Asymptotic stability of reaction-diffusion systems in chemical reactor and combustion theory

Abstract Some coupled reaction-diffusion systems arising from chemical diffusion processes and combustion theory are analyzed. This analysis includes the existence and uniqueness of positive time-dependent solutions, upper and lower bounds of the solution, asymptotic behavior and invariant sets, and the stability of steady-state solutions, including an estimate of the stability region. Explicit conditions for the asymptotic behavior and the stability of a steady-state solution are given. These conditions establish some interrelationship among the physical parameters of the diffusion medium, the reaction mechanism, the initial function and the type of boundary condition. Under the same set of physical parameters and reaction function, a comparison between the Neumann type and Dirichlet or third type boundary condition exhibits quite different asymptotic behavior of the solution. For the general nonhomogeneous system, multiple steady-state solutions may exist and only local stability results are obtained. However, for certain models it is possible to obtain global stability of a steady-state solution by either increasing the diffusion coefficients or decreasing the size of the diffusion medium. This fact is demonstrated by a one-dimensional tubular reactor model commonly discussed in the literature.
Synthesis and characterization of deoxynivalenol glucuronide: Its comparative immunotoxicity with deoxynivalenol

Abstract Deoxynivalenol (DON) is a mycotoxin commonly contaminating wheat, barley and corn. DON glucuronide (DONGLU) is a major DON metabolite. We synthesized and purified DONGLU and tested its immunotoxicity, hypothesizing that DONGLU would be much less toxic to K562 cells compared with DON. DONGLU was synthesized using rat liver microsomes, uridine-5′-diphosphoglucuronic acid and DON, and purified with a Sephadex LH-20 column and reverse phase HPLC. β-Glucuronidase hydrolysis formed a product with retention time and UV spectrum identical with DON. Using atmospheric pressure chemical ionization in negative mode, the molecular mass (M−1) of purified DONGLU was 471 g/mol; in agreement with an expected molecular weight of 472 g/mol. MS and NMR indicated that the glucuronide moiety was conjugated with the carbon-3-hydroxyl group of DON. The cytotoxicity of DON and DONGLU were compared in cell culture using human erythroleukemia cell line K562. Fifty percent inhibition of cell number was observed with a DON concentration of 1.31 μM using a methylthaizol tetrazolium (MTS) cell viability assay whereas no significant cytotoxicity was observed for DONGLU at up to 270 μM. DONGLU did not influence DON toxicity at 0.5 μM, 1.3 μM and 8.4 μM concentration combinations of each compound. These data verified that DONGLU is a detoxification product of DON.
Generic functions by nonstandard name scoping in APL

We show how to acheive generic functions as in abstract datatypes (such as the Simula CLASS construct or ADA Package notion) for typeless languages, specifically APL. We do this by altering the standard dynamic scoping of names in APL to a scheme we call downward scoping.
Predictors of inpatient mortality in an acute palliative care unit at a comprehensive cancer center.

Predicting inpatient mortality has clinical and financial implications and helps improve the care of patients with advanced cancer and their families. Models with excellent validity and reliability are available for mortality prediction in intensive care units. The purpose of the current study was to determine factors associated with increased likelihood of mortality in an acute palliative care unit (APCU). We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of 500 patients admitted to the APCU. Basic characteristics and information on symptom intensity, vital signs, relevant laboratory tests, and the presence or absence of delirium were obtained from the records of the consultation that preceded the APCU admission. Univariate and multivariate analyses were conducted to compare characteristics of patients who died in the APCU with characteristics of those who were discharged alive. Of the 500 patients admitted to the APCU, 124 (25%) died. Factors that were jointly prognostic for death, using multivariate analysis were younger age (odds ratio [OR] for older patients [≥65] 0.43, 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.25−0.73, p < 0.001), admission from another oncology floor (OR 5.64, 95% CI, 1.82–17.44, p = 0.003), hyponatremia (OR 3.02, 95% CI, 1.76−5.17, p < 0.001), hypernatremia (OR 4.14, 95% CI, 1.25−13.75, p = 0.020), high blood urea nitrogen (BUN) (OR 1.95, 95% CI, 1.15−3.30, p = 0.013), high heart rate (≥101 bpm) (OR 1.72, 95% CI, 1.01−2.93, p = 0.047), high respiration rate (≥21/min) (OR 1.67, 95% CI, 1.00−2.79, p = 0.048), and supplemental oxygen use (OR 2.69, 95% CI, 1.60−4.52, p < 0.001). We observed a significant association of certain factors with increased likelihood of APCU death in patients with advanced cancer. These findings need to be validated in a larger prospective study to develop a model for predicting APCU mortality for patients with advanced cancer.
The use of 2-deoxy-2-[18F]fluoro-D-glucose (FDG-PET) positron emission tomography in the routine diagnosis of epilepsy.

Abstract Purpose: Positron emission tomography with 2-deoxy fluoroglucose positron emission tomography (18-FDG-PET) is widely used in the pre-surgical evaluation of subjects with epilepsy, but little is known of its usefulness in a non-surgical population. Procedures: We analyzed the sensitivity of PET as a diagnostic tool in a large unselected population of epilepsy subjects. Pre-surgical and non-surgical portions of this population were individually assessed as well. The relationship of PET abnormalities to other neurodiagnostic tests was examined. Statistical assessment relied primarily on contingency tables (chi-square tests), with ANOVA or non-parametric assessment used as necessary. Results: While PET was more likely to identify areas of decreased metabolism in the surgical population than in the non-surgical populations, it nevertheless found a significant number of abnormalities in the total population and in the non-surgical group alone. Even in groups in which the clinical diagnosis was unknown, abnormalities were found 40% of the time. PET was useful as an exclusionary diagnostic tool for non-epileptic seizures (NES) and primary generalized epilepsies (PGE) with sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy > 90%. The PET was somewhat more sensitive than magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in finding abnormalities in the total population, but was less sensitive than electroencephalography (EEG). Conclusion: PET may be a useful diagnostic tool in the general epilepsy population even when a definitive clinical diagnosis is not suggested by other modalities. (Mol Imag Biol 2002;4:245–252) Published by Elsevier Science, Inc.
Taste in the medial orbitofrontal cortex of the macaque.

Abstract:Taste activates about 6% of the neurons in the anterior insula (primary taste cortex) of the macaque. The anterior insula has many direct and indirect projections to the orbitofrontal cortex (OFC), including the caudolateral OFC (clOFC), where only 2% of the neurons respond to taste. We have identified a 12-mm2 region in the medial OFC (mOFC) where taste represents 7–28% of the population. This rich trove of taste cells has functional characteristics typical of both the insular cortex that projects to it and the clOFC to which it projects. Mean spontaneous rate was 3.1 spikes/s, nearly identical to that in the insula, but double that of the clOFC. In the mOFC, 19% of the taste cells also responded to other modalities, most commonly olfaction and touch, slightly less than the 27% in the clOFC. The distribution of best stimulus neurons was almost even across the four prototypical stimuli in the mOFC, as in insula, but discrepant from the clOFC, where sugar responsiveness dominated. The broadly tuned taste neurons in the mOFC were similar to those in the insula and strikingly different from the more specialized cells of the clOFC. Whereas the responsiveness to the taste of a satiating stimulus declines among the narrowly tuned clOFC cells, satiety has much less impact on the responsiveness of mOFC neurons. The mOFC is a robust area worthy of exploration for its involvement in gustatory coding, the amalgamation of sensory inputs to create flavor, and the hedonics that guide feeding.
Metabolite concentrations and concentration ratios in metabolic regulation.

Abstract Simple computational and graphic models were used to illustrate necessary design constraints in the evolution of two aspects of metabolic control: regulation at the catalytic site by ratios of metabolic coupling factors such as the ATP/ADP/AMP system and the pyridine nucleotides, and endproduct feedback inhibition. The observed constancy of the ratios of the nucleotide coupling agents, especially of the adenylates, indicates that control in vivo must be exerted primarily by ratios of the components of the pools, and must be insensitive to pool size. Such response of appropriate enzymes has been observed in vitro. The model illustrates by graphs the effects of variation in enzyme affinity fo the nucleotide coupling agents, and of variation in the ratios of these affinities. The graphs demonstrate the previously recognized, but not as formally demonstrated, need for high affinity (low Michaelis constants relative to physiological concentrations) and for higher affinity for the product nucleotide than for the reactant. Similar calculations for enzymes subject to negative feedback control demonstrated that, even if the effect of a modifier on the affinity of binding of substrate is very large, a sensitive response to modifier concentration cannot be attained if the reaction catalyzed is first order with respect to substrate and modifier. The cooperativity that is observed in such cases is thus a necessary design feature without which effective negative feedback could not have evolved.
Glatiramer acetate and the glatiramoid class of immunomodulator drugs in multiple sclerosis: an update

Importance of the field: MS is a chronic progressive inflammatory and neurodegenerative disease associated with autoimmune dysregulation. Glatiramer acetate (GA), a complex polypeptides mixture and first member of the glatiramoid class, is a first-line therapy for relapsing MS. New glatiramoids are under development.Areas covered in this review: Studies from a PubMed search with terms ‘glatiramer’ and ‘glatiramoid’ were evaluated, focussing on studies conducted between 2007 and 2010.What the reader will gain: We review newly discovered GA effects on innate and acquired immunity and results of recent clinical studies. GA delays conversion from a clinically isolated syndrome to definite MS and has clinical benefits comparable to those of IFN-β drugs, but is more cost-effective and improves quality of life. Preclinical studies of protiramer, a higher molecular mass glatiramoid, showed unexpected toxicity in animals, resulting in discontinuation of drug development.Take home messages: GA is a cost-effective, ...
Experimentally Induced Habitat Shifts by Hispid Cotton Rats (Sigmodon hispidus): Response to Protein Supplementation

Hispid cotton rats ( Sigmodon hispidus ) occupy habitat patches nonrandomly on the Texas coastal prairie. We addressed the hypothesis that this pattern of habitat occupancy was influenced by nutrient content of habitat patches. Because availability of protein varied among habitat patches and amount of protein available in monocot patches was insufficient for reproduction, a specific objective was to determine whether animals would shift their habitat affinity toward monocot patches when protein was experimentally increased. We also tested whether overhead cover affected selection of habitat. Experiments were conducted in enclosures open to field weather conditions. Quadrants in these enclosures contained vegetation from monocot (i.e., low protein content, 4%) or mixed (i.e., high protein content, 11%) habitat types. In addition, quadrants received treatments of high or low cover and artificial diets containing either 0 or 15% protein. Hispid cotton rats selected quadrants containing high cover and supplemental food with 15% protein. The greatest increase in occupancy was in monocot habitats supplemented with 15% protein and where cover was low. Thus, nutritional content of habitat patches affects habitat occupancy by this herbivore, and cotton rats balanced risk against reward.
Induction of rat hepatic P450IIE1 (CYP 2E1) by pyridine: evidence for a role of protein synthesis in the absence of transcriptional activation.

The dose- and time-dependent induction of P45OIIE1 in rat liver by pyridine has been characterized. A single injection of pyridine (100 mg/kg, i.p.) increased P450IIE1 levels 2-, 3- and 4-fold at 6, 10 and 24 hr, respectively, relative to controls as evidenced by metabolic activity and Western blot analysis. Induction of IIE1 was dose-dependent over the range 10 to 200 mg/kg. Cycloheximide administration completely prevented the induction of P450IIE1 by pyridine, whereas actinomycin D administration had no appreciable effect. Pyridine induction of IIE1 did not occur by transcriptional activation. Hybridization analysis failed to reveal an increase in IIE1 message in either total RNA or poly(A+) mRNA following pyridine treatment, although a slight decrease in poly(A+) mRNA was noted. The rate of P450IIE1 synthesis was assessed by labelling of proteins with [14C]leucine in vivo, followed by autoradiographic analysis. Increased intensity of a protein band comigrating with purified IIE1 was observed in microsomes isolated from rats at 5 hr following either pyridine or acetone treatment, as compared to controls. An increase in intensity was also noted for protein bands migrating in the region of 62 and 50 kDa. These results suggest that induction of P450IIE1 at early times following acute pyridine exposure involves protein synthesis possibly through increased translational efficiency.
Intertribal dance and cross cultural communication: Traditional powwows in Ohio

Powwows such as those in the central Ohio area offer opportunity to explore a complex set of inter‐and intracultural communication. American Indian efforts to increase common understanding of contemporary Native America, powwow stresses American Indian commonalities in relation to mainstream American culture. In the context of the American Indian community they stress tribal individuality and they value intertribal negotiation rather than pan‐ethnic conglomeration or assimilation.
Observations of streamer formation in sprites

[1] Sprites have been recorded at 10,000 fps with 50 μs image exposure time. At this time resolution it is possible to resolve the temporal development of streamer tips. The recordings show that sprites start with a streamer head forming at an altitude near 80 km. The streamer head moves rapidly downwards while brightening, and ∼300 μs after streamer passage longer lasting emissions ensues. This is essentially the C-sprite. In some events upward moving streamer heads are also observed, in which case we have a carrot-sprite. The streamer speeds vary between 106 and 107 m/s. Both positive and negative accelerations, of magnitude 105 – 1010 m/s2, were observed. Upward streamers, when present, always start later and from a lower altitude than downward streamers, and they start from existing structure in the sprite.
Axonal transport of antibodies to subcellular and protein fractions of rat brain

Experiments examined the feasibility of using the axonal transport of antibodies as a possible means to characterize nerve membrane composition and the fate of internalized macromolecules. Polyspecific antibodies were generated in rabbits against rat brain synaptosomal and microsomal subcellular fractions and against wheat germ agglutinin-binding proteins isolated by lectin affinity chromatography. Antisera were injected into the vitreal chamber of the eye and into the facial musculature of anesthetized rats to test, respectively, for anterograde transport in retinotectal neurons and for retrograde transport in facial motoneurons. Control injections of preimmune serum were made into the opposite side. After survival for 4–168 h, animals were perfused and the axonally transported rabbit immunoglobulins detected in frozen sections of the brainstem using a modified peroxidase-antiperoxidase immunocytochemical procedure. Antisera against all 3 classes of neuronal antigens contained antibodies that underwent retrograde axonal transport. No evidence of anterograde transport was seen. Neurons containing retrogradely transported immunoglobulins exhibited punctate as well as diffuse staining of the cytoplasm and proximal dendrites, exclusive of the nucleus. Following retrograde transport of antibodies to the synaptosomal fraction, staining of the neuropil around motoneurons was also observed, suggesting transcellular transport of these antibodies. Concentrations of injected antibodies as low as 1% of whole antiserum led to detectable retrograde transport. Increasing concentrations of antibodies above the amount in whole antiserum did not increase the intensity of staining in retrogradely labeled neurons, suggesting saturation. The findings support the view that antibodies to neural membranes are taken up and transported by binding to specific sites on nerve terminals. The development of monospecific antibodies for studies of axonal transport is thus likely to provide a feasible approach to characterize, in vivo, specific neuronal cell surface components and their internalization, transport and processing in neurons.
Compressive cardiac and circulatory disorders: Clinical and laboratory correlation☆

Abstract Forty patients with primary cardiac compression due to constrictive pericarditis, lax effusion, or cardiac tamponade were studied. An additional 28 patients were presented with spurious evidence of cardiac compression or with pericardial effusion that plays an unimportant role in the circulatory disorder. Rather stringently defined physical findings were sought which might allow discrimination between cardiac disorders. Certain procedures which alter circulatory variables were carried out. The following conclusions are drawn from the results. 1. 1. Constrictive pericarditis is associated with venous and auscultatory phenomena which do not allow separation from other forms of heart disease causing congestive heart failure. Kussmaul's venous sign is present in less than 40 per cent, an x descent is inconstant; pulsus paradoxus, as classically defined, is not observed. Right and left heart filling pressures do not differ greatly and, when varied, retain similarity. Cardiac performance appears independent of wide ranges of venous pressure. 2. 2. In lax pericardial effusion, Kussmaul's sign and Friedreich's sign, along with third heart sounds, are not present. At times, a prominent x descent is seen in venous pressure recordings. Pulsus paradoxus is inconstant with tranquil breathing but is regularly induced by deep inspiration. There is inspiratory decrease in venous pressure and pericardial pressure. Cardiac index is normal and venous pressure is less than 12 mm. Hg. Circulatory distress is not apparent and removal of fluid from the pericardium has little effect on cardiac performance. Tamponade induces signs of circulatory distress and is regularly characterized by pulsus paradoxus and there is frequently a prominent systolic drop in venous pressure (x descent). Friedreich's sign, a third heart sound, and Kussmaul's venous sign, are absent. The venous pressure exceeds 12 mm. Hg. There is an inspiratory decrease in venous pressure and pericardial pressure. The low cardiac index is usually relieved by tap. When aortic stenosis is present, respiratory variation in left ventricular systolic pressure may not be reflected by clinical pulsus paradoxus. 3. 3. Spurious signs of cardiac compression may be due to: (1) respiratory disease, (2) severe myocardial disease and incidental effusion or, (3) obesity. In the first case, there is pulsus paradoxus, normal cardiac index, low venous pressure, and venous and pericardial pressure decrease with inspiration. The second group does not show pulsus paradoxus and the elevated venous pressure, diastolic dip, and third heart sounds are due to heart failure. Obesity may cause pulsus paradoxus and increased peripheral venous pressure, which does not reflect central venous pressure. These findings seem related to inspiratory collapse of extrathoracic vessels, since they are influenced by changes in blood volume or venous tone.
Older adults' reactions to a robot's appearance in the context of home use

Robots are being designed to assist older adults in their homes. However, we lack a clear understanding of the aspects of robot appearance older adults pay attention to and consider important for accepting a robot in their homes. The goal of this study was to systematically assess older adults' reactions to a specific robot's appearance in the context of home use. Independent living older adults interacted with the PR2 and were interviewed about its appearance. In general, there was expectation for a small sized robot that fits with the home and is easy to control. There was variability for desired human-likeness, although some human-like characteristics might be acceptable to most.
Opiate reinforcement processes: re-assembling multiple mechanisms

Opiate reinforcement processes can be described within the context of operant conditioning theory. Both positive and negative reinforcing effects may motivate drug-taking behavior, although the strongest evidence attributes drug-taking to a simple positive reinforcement process. Empirical research has focused largely on a positive reinforcement mechanism involving the ventral tegmental dopamine system, but three additional reinforcement mechanisms can be argued on logical grounds. These other mechanisms involve neuroadaptive changes produced by chronic opiate administration and may contribute to the strong motivational impact of opiates following long-term drug use.
Herbicide Incorporation by Irrigation and Tillage Impact on Runoff Loss

Runoff from farm fields is a common source of herbicide residues in surface waters. Incorporation by irrigation has the potential to reduce herbicide runoff risks. To assess impacts, rainfall was simulated on plots located in a peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.) field in Georgia's Atlantic Coastal Plain region after pre-emergence application of metolachlor (2-chloro-N-(2-ethyl-6-methylphenyl)-N-[(1S)-2-methoxy-1-methylethyl]-acetamide) and pendimethalin (N-(1-ethylpropyl)-3,4-dimethyl-2,6-dinitro-benzenamine). Runoff, sediment, and herbicide loss as function of strip tillage (ST) versus conventional tillage (CT) were compared with and without irrigation (12.5 mm) after application of an herbicide tank mixture. For the CT system, metolachlor runoff was reduced 2x and pendimethalin 1.2x when compared with the non-irrigated treatment. The difference in irrigated and non-irrigated metolachlor means was significant (P = 0.05). Irrigation reduced metolachlor runoff by 1.3x in the ST system, but there was a 1.4x increase for pendimethalin. Overall results indicated that irrigation incorporation reduces herbicide runoff with the greatest impact when CT is practiced and products like metolachlor, which have relatively low K(oc) and high water solubility, are used. The lower ST system response was likely due to a combination of spray interception and retention by the ST system cover crop mulch and higher ST soil organic carbon content and less total runoff. During the study, the measured K(oc) of both herbicides on runoff sediment was found to vary with tillage and irrigation after herbicide application. Generally, K(oc) was higher for ST sediment and when irrigation incorporation was used with the CT system. These results have significant implications for simulation model parametization.
Depolarizing action of calcium-ion depletion on frog nerve and its inhibition by compounds acting on the acetylcholine system

Abstract The membrane-conductance change resulting from Ca-ion depletion has been investigated on desheathed frog tibialis nerve with the “sucrose gap” technique. Several compounds known to be acetylcholine-receptor inhibitors and thus to antagonize the depolarizing action of acetylcholine by competitive action have been tested for their effects on the depolarization produced by Ca-Ion depletion. Antagonistic effects were obtained with four different receptor inhibitors: physostigmine, procaine, dimethyl curare and atropine. The effect is rapid and reversible. The experiments suggest that the removal of Ca ions leads to depolarization of the conducting membrane by means of acetylcholine-receptor activationl; they support the view of an essential role of the acetylcholine system in ionic-conductance changes.
Characterizing changes in kidney and renal pelvis cancer incidence from 1998 to 2006 in the United States.

In this study, we characterize the changes in kidney and renal pelvis cancer (RCC) from 1998 to 2006 in the United States. The goal is to examine variations in stage and treatments. In addition, we explore changes in risk factors that have occurred over the same period. Data on over 20,000 patients diagnosed with RCC in National Cancer Data Base were used for the study. We investigated the changes in stage and treatment rates based on race, gender and age at diagnosis from 1998 to 2006. Changes in smoking, obesity and hypertension rates over the period were examined for comparison. The increase in RCC incidence rates from 1998 to 2006 was almost entirely a result of increases in stage I. Increases for blacks were proportionally higher than whites. Obesity and hypertension increased over the period but smoking declined. In terms of treatment, there was an increase in surgery cases primarily for stage I. There were no significant differences in trends based on gender, although rates in men were 65% greater than in women. The mean age at diagnosis was stable for stages I–IV. There are increased incidences of renal tumors, particularly stage I renal cancer among blacks and whites from 1998 to 2006. Patients were more likely to undergo surgical therapy for these tumors.
Assessment of eosinophil and neutrophil participation in atopic dermatitis: Comparison with the IgE-mediated late-phase reaction

We hypothesized that repeated IgE-mediated late-phase reactions are critical in the pathogenesis of atopic dermatitis (AD). Prior studies have shown that extracellular deposition of eosinophil granule major basic protein (MBP) occurs in lesional AD skin, despite a paucity of infiltrating eosinophils, and that deposition of both neutrophil and eosinophil granule proteins occurs in the IgE-mediated late-phase reaction. We evaluated the participation of both eosinophil and neutrophil granule proteins in AD. Cutaneous biopsy specimens and serum and urine samples were obtained from 22 patients with AD. Lesional tissue was examined by means of immunofluorescence for neutrophil elastase and lactoferrin and for eosinophil granule MBP, eosinophil-derived neurotoxin (EDN), and eosinophil cationic protein (ECP). Serum levels of elastase, MBP, EDN, and ECP and urine levels of MBP, EDN, and ECP were measured. Marked extracellular deposition of at least one of the eosinophil granule proteins was present in the dermis of 15 of the 22 AD skin specimens, but minimal or no extracellular neutrophil elastase or lactoferrin deposition was observed in any specimens. Serum and urine levels of MBP, EDN, and ECP in the patients were elevated when compared with those of normal controls, whereas serum levels of neutrophil elastase were not elevated. Serum MPB levels correlated with extent of body surface involvement. These results suggest that eosinophil degranulation occurs in AD but that neutrophil degranulation does not. Although eosinophil degranulation is prominent in both the late-phase reaction and in AD, the lack of neutrophil degranulation in AD demonstrates differences in the inflammatory reactions.
Streamlining long latency instructions for seamlessly combined out-of-order and in-order execution

In the current day wide-issue processors, the size of the instruction scheduling window (also called Issue Queue (IQ)) is limited mainly by the hardware complexity to design the logic, and thus limits the number of instructions scanned every cycle to extract instruction level parallelism (ILP). To exacerbate the problems, instructions depending on long latency load operations continue to reside in the IQ until their source operands are ready. Thus, such delayed instructions block any new instructions from entering the IQ even if potentially they are ready for execution. The growing disparity in processor and memory speeds is further aggravating the delay in dislodging instructions from IQ. To alleviate the problem, in this paper we propose a novel technique to streamline instructions in separate buffers according to the chain of dependencies. Each instruction is streamlined behind a parent instruction while it waits for the source operand to be supplied by the long latency memory operations. These instructions are segregated from the IQ and thus the pressure on IQ is relieved which enables flow of potentially executable instructions in the pipeline. Our analysis of SPEC2000 programs reveals that instructions dependent on load cache misses or their dependents, typically have their first source operand ready within 5-15% of their total wait time in the IQ. Based on the observations, the long latency memory dependent instructions are streamlined into in-order buffers when their first operand is ready. In the proposed architecture, instructions from both the conventional IQ and the heads of the streamline buffers can be selected for execution, while the wakeup logic complexity remains same as in the conventional design. Our results show that the performance speedup of 32-entry IQ supplemented by 32 in-order buffers is 15.7% and 2% for FP and integer benchmark respectively, which is very much comparable to that of a conventional 64-entry IQ. A 64-entry IQ design can gain performance over a 32-entry IQ, albeit with a large overhead in circuit delay complexity of wakeup logic, while streamline buffers can gain performance over 32-entry IQ without any such overhead.
Binary refrigerant–oil phase equilibrium using the simplified SAFT equation

Abstract Refrigerants such as tetrafluoroethane (R134a) with compatible oils such as polyalkaline glycols (PAGs) and neopentyl (polyol) esters are now being used as replacements for CFCs like freons in household and automobile compressors as well as a number of other applications. Thus an understanding and accurate quantitative description of the phase equilibrium behavior of binary refrigerant–oil mixtures is important. For example, seal failure in compressor operations can be adequately described through a combination of the associated refrigerant–oil phase equilibrium and a two-phase flow model. Data for modeling the behavior of liquid and/or vapor refrigerant is usually readily available. However, in many realistic situations the chemical structure (i.e. molecular weight, segment length, presence or absence of branching, etc.) and associated physical properties (vapor pressure, liquid density, etc.) of the oil are either unknown or unavailable for proprietary reasons and this makes modeling any phase equilibrium very difficult. Often times the required properties of the oil must be estimated. It is also important to keep in mind that accurate modeling must address the relative size of the molecules involved or that the refrigerant molecule has a low molecular weight and is largely spherical while the oil has a higher molecular weight and can be either branched or long chain. A unified framework for binary refrigerant–oil phase equilibrium consisting of chemical structure analyses, mathematical modeling, and experimental data is presented and applied to the phase equilibrium of R134a and neopentyl ester oils. In particular, gas chromatography (GC) and GC–mass selective detector (GC-MS) analyses are used to characterize the molecular weight and branching structure of a given polyol ester. From this, group contributions methods are used to estimate vapor pressures and liquid densities of the oil as a function of temperature and pressure. Group contribution-generated vapor pressure and liquid density data for the oil are then used to regress statistical associating fluid theory (SAFT) parameters for the simplified SAFT equation of state (EOS). Phase diagrams for R134a-polyol ester for a number of temperatures are generated using the simplified SAFT EOS and compared to the experimental data of Takaishi and Oguchi (1993) . A number of equation-solving issues are also addressed. Comparison of the modeling results with experimental data clearly shows that the proposed framework of chemical analyses, group contribution methods and the simplified SAFT equation provides an excellent description of refrigerant–oil phase equilibrium.
The Spatial Stability of Natural Convection Flow on Inclined Plates

The spatial stability of a natural convection flow on upward-facing, heated, inclined plates is revisited. The eigenvalue problem is solved numerically employing two methods: the collocation method with Chebyshev polynomials and the fourth-order Runge-Kutta method. Two modes, traveling waves and stationary longitudinal vortices, are considered. Previous theoretical models indicated that nonparallel effects of the mean flow are significant for the vortex instability mode, but most of them ignored the fact that the eigen-functions are dependent on the streamwise coordinate as well. In the present work, the method of multiple scales is applied to take the nonparallel flow effects into consideration. The results demonstrate the stabilizing character of the nonparallel flow effects. The vortex instability mode is also considered within the scope of partial differential equations. The results demonstrate dependence of the neutral point on the initial conditions but, farther downstream, the results collapse onto one curve. The marching method is compared with the quasi-parallel normal mode analysis and with theoretical results including correction to nonparallel flow effects
Single-atom fluorescence with nonclassical light.

The statistical properties of fluorescent light from a single two-level atom driven by nonclassical light beams that exhibit antibunching and squeezing are discussed in the weak-field limit. The fields produced in intracavity second-harmonic generation and those produced by superposing the light from a degenerate parametric oscillator with a coherent field are considered to be the models of nonclassical light beams. These fields can be described in terms of real Gaussian random processes with nonzero mean coherent components. Analytical expressions for the fluorescent light intensity, the second-order intensity correlation function, and the variance of the photon number in the steady state are obtained. The effects of driving-field correlations, detuning, and other parameters characterizing the atom-field interaction on the statistics of scattered light are investigated. It is found that for a certain range of parameters the second-order intensity correlation function may vanish at nonzero times. Under certain other circumstances the antibunching of the fluorescent photons is enhanced. These and other interesting features that appear in the scattered light are discussed.
The effects of mine waste contamination at multiple levels of biological organization

Abstract This study shows that metal-contaminated sediments cause adverse biological effects at all levels of biological organization, from cellular to ecosystem-level responses, even where the corresponding surface water meets water-quality-based criteria. We studied the effects of contamination from the abandoned Alder Mine, Alder Mill, and Red Shirt Mill located near the town of Twisp on the eastern slopes of the north Cascade Mountains in Okanogan County, Washington (U.S.A.) on fish and wildlife habitat in the Methow River. Ore deposits in the area were mined for gold, silver, copper and zinc until the early 1950s. An up-gradient and down-gradient approach was used to compare impacted sites to control sites. Although the dissolved metal concentrations in the Methow River were below the limits of detection, eight elements were identified as contaminants of potential environmental concern (COPECs) in sediments. Results revealed contamination impacts at ecosystem, community, population, individual, cellular, subcellular, and molecular levels. Metal contaminants in forest soils around the mines were present at concentrations toxic to soil bacteria suggesting that functional properties related to nutrient cycling and energy flow have been effected. Exposed trout in the Methow River showed reduced growth compared to controls. Histopathological evidence is consistent with copper-induced metabolic disease. Glycogen bodies were present in trout hepatocyte cytosol and nuclei and the presence of glycogen inclusions was pathognomic of Type IV glycogen storage disease (GSD IV). This condition suggests food is being converted into glycogen and stored in the liver and that the glycogen is not being converted back normally into glucose for distribution to other tissues in the body, which is a likely cause for the poor growth and development observed in fish and macroinvertebrates. Glycogen storage disease is caused by either a deficiency or inactivation of the glycogen branching enzyme, which results in the synthesis of an abnormal glycogen molecule that is insoluble due to a decreased number of branch points and increased chain length. Further examination of hepatocytes by transmission electron microscopy also revealed the accumulation of electron-dense metal-granules in the mitochondrial matrix.
Marriage of wired and wireless networks to build tomorrow's Internet

Summary form only given. Tomorrow's Internet will neither be completely wired nor be completely wireless. Our proposed solution is the interim of the wired and wireless network, where roaming nodes are connected back to the wired media when they reach a wired site. The idea is to utilize the large bandwidth infrastructure available over the wired backbone network to connect all static nodes and at the same time use the wireless media for only those nodes which are in transition from one wired site to another.
PHASE TRANSITIONS OF ADSORBATES: VI, EFFECT OF DEICING AGENTS ON THE FREEZING OF CEMENT PASTE

Changes in the dimensions and heat content of hydrated cement specimens were determined as a function of temperature and concentration of deicing agent in cooling-warming cycles between plus 15 and minus 70 C. The concentration of the polar deicer (NaCl) solution varied from 0 to 26% and that of the nonpolar (urea) solution from 0 to 40%. The w/c ratios were 0.4, 0.6, and 0.8 plain and 0.5 air-entrained. Experiments were also conducted to clarify the effect of cooling rate and sample size. The observations can be explained by the mechanism previously proposed for phase transitions of absorbates. In the presence of salts, freezing and melting of liquid exuded from the pores on cooling proceed according to the bulk phase diagram, producing double peaks in the thermograms except at extreme concentrations. The detrimental effect of deices is attributed mainly to the high degree of saturation, a consequence of the low vapor pressure of the solutions. A beneficial aspect is the widening of the temperature range in which transitions occur. These opposing effects result in the worst conditions at a low deicer concentration (5% NaCl) and optimum conditions at a moderately high concentration (13% NaCl). Since the effect of deicers is physical, it should be common to all chemicals. Air entrainment, although beneficial in most circumstances, can be detrimental. The best protection against "salt scaling" appears to be reduction of porosity./AUTHOR/
Feasibility of using ultrasonic flexural waves as a cooling mechanism

The potential convective heat transfer capability of an ultrasonic flexural wave (UFW) is experimentally investigated. The UFW includes an ultrasonic flexural standing wave (USW) and an ultrasonic flexural traveling wave (UTW). The factors that might affect the cooling performance of the UFW are investigated. Those include the vibration amplitude of the UFW, the gap between the cooling source and the object above it, and the temperature of the object being cooled. It was observed that the temperature drop increased with the vibration amplitude. At gaps below 100 /spl mu/m, a temperature drop was not observed. As the gap was increased to more than 100 /spl mu/m, the temperature drop increased until it reached an optimum gap producing maximum temperature drop. Beyond the optimum gap, the temperature drop began to decrease. Also, it was observed that the temperature drop increased as the temperature difference between the object and ambient air increased. The cooling performance of the USW and UTW was investigated and compared. The differences in cooling performance were found to be insignificant. This indicates that acoustic streaming is the dominant factor in the convective heat transfer using the UFW. However, using resonance, the UTW creates a temperature drop six times greater than the UTW for a given power supply. With the USW having a vibration amplitude of 25 /spl mu/m, an object at 98/spl deg/C was cooled down to 58/spl deg/C in 5 min. The temperature drop obtained by using the USW was approximately 80% of a conventional fan oriented with respect to the heated object such that the maximum heat transfer occurs. The UFW-based fan offers advantages over the conventional fan, such as silent operation, minimal heat dissipation, lack of wearing parts, and slim profile. These benefits make the fan an ideal candidate for cooling miniature parts in an enclosed workspace. Finally, a possible design option for minimizing the fan using thin-film PZT is presented.
Human duodenal mucosal bicarbonate secretion: Evidence suggesting active transport under basal and stimulated conditions

When the proximal duodenum of animals or humans is perfused with isoosmolar NaCl, bicarbonate enters the luminal effluent. In addition, duodenal bicarbonate output is stimulated by luminal acidification and prostaglandins of the E class. The hypothesis that in vivo human duodenal bicarbonate transport persists in the absence of a plasma-to-lumen bicarbonate gradient and therefore is probably an active transport process was tested. In healthy subjects, a 4-cm segment of the proximal duodenum was isolated from gastric and pancreaticobillary secretions. Net duodenal bicarbonate secretion remained similar to basal levels during luminal perfusion with either 24 or 32 mM bicarbonate (each isoosmolar with plasma by the addition of NaCl). In addition, peak increases in acid-induced bicarbonate outputs with luminal perfusion of 154 mM NaCl and 32 mM NaHCO3 (+122 mM NaCl) were similar. Moreover, prostaglandin E2-stimulated bicarbonate secretion with perfusion of 154 mM NaCl and 32 mM NaHCO3 (+122 mM NaCl) was similar. It was concluded that in humans, proximal duodenal mucosal bicarbonate transport remains unaltered in the absence of a plasma-to-lumen bicarbonate gradient at rest and after stimulation with HCl or prostaglandin E2. These observations suggest that human proximal duodenal bicarbonate secretion involves active transport.
Sediment production from unpaved roads in a sub-tropical dry setting — Southwestern Puerto Rico

article The threat imposed by increased sediment loading rates ranks among the most important stressors affecting coral reef ecosystems worldwide. This study represents an effort to quantify the effects of unpaved roads on erosion rates in a dry sub-tropical area of Puerto Rico and is intended to aid in developing scientifically-based erosion mitigation strategies. Hence, the specific objectives of this study were to: (1) measure sediment production rates from unpaved roads; (2) evaluate the effect of precipitation, rainfall erosivity, slope, plot length, and vegetation cover on sediment production rates; and (3) compare measured sediment production rates to published surface erosion data from roaded and natural sites in the Eastern Caribbean. Sediment production from nine abandoned road segments with varying slopes and plot lengths were measured with sediment traps in southwestern Puerto Rico from August 2003 to September 2005. The overall average sediment production rate was 0.84 Mg ha −1 yr −1 , and the range of observed values was 15-50 times higher than locally-measured natural erosion rates. Only four of the nine study sites had a statistically significant correlation between sediment production and total rainfall and this is attributed to progressive changes in some of the conditions controlling erosion rates. Sediment production rates were dependent on slope raised to the 1.6th power, as well as to the product of plot length times slope
Basic cognition in adulthood: Combined effects of sex and personality

This study was designed to explore the relationships between sex, personality, and basic cognitive processes. Using a representative adult sample of 245 participants (M age = 47.80 years) with processing speed and short-term memory (STM) as the dependent variables, sex, and personality traits were entered into multiple regression analyses. Sex (female) and personality (high Extraversion) positively predicted processing speeds (final bs = .25 and .24, respectively). In addition, there was a Sex X Conscientiousness interaction for processing speed in which females high in Conscientiousness were significantly faster than males high in Conscientiousness; low Conscientiousness scores were non-discriminatory between the sexes. Sex (male) and personality (high Extraversion, low Conscientiousness) were predictive of STM (final b s= .17, .16, and .19, respectively). Differences in cognitive styles or motivation levels in low conscientious and high conscientious men and women may account for these differences.
Amniocentesis in twin pregnancies: a systematic review of the literature

Objective Using published data, we sought to determine the amniocentesis-related loss rate in twin gestations.