cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The gold crisis of 1869: Stabilizing or destabilizing speculation under floating exchange rates?

Jay Gould’s manipulation of the gold market during the summer and fall of 1869, culminating in the original Black Friday, September 24, 1869, maintains a favored role in the historians’ repertory of colorful stories of corruption during the “robber-baron” era. Among economists, Black Friday, or the Gold Crisis, assumes added significance. It involved an attempt by private speculators to control the external value of the domestic currency during the one period in U.S. history when the nation was on a freely floating exchange rate with little or no government intervention. Opponents of floating exchange rates, such as Paul Einzig, argue that under such a system “determination of exchange rates would be left to the mercy of speculators,” (Einzig, 1970, p. VII) and insist that “there is no shadow of justification for taking [the] optimistic view” (p. 79) that private speculation would tend to be stabilizing. Previous writers on Black Friday have shared the view that that event provides dramatic evidence of destabilizing speculation. Horace White argued that “Black Friday and its evil consequences were due to the existence of a bad currency and a fluctuating standard of value” (White, 1935, p. 242). “The panic of Black Friday,” according to Barrett, “was one of the items in the great bill of costs which the country paid” for its lapse into a system under which “the temptations to speculate in gold were too strong to be resisted” (Barrett, 1931, p. 95). And Irwin Unger, in his award-winning study of the Greenback era, charged that Black Friday was the product of a system which “put the commercial community at the mercy of speculators” (Unger, 1964, p. 169). This generally accepted interpretation of Black Friday lends support to the view of Einzig and others that private speculative behavior is destabilizing and that a floating exchange rate is therefore an unreliable system. Even among proponents of floating exchange rates, acceptance of this traditional interpretation serves as a nagging reminder of the possible threat of destabilizing speculation. Inadequate economic analysis and lack of empirical examination of the traditional interpretation have resulted in oversimplification of Black Friday. Rather than an example of destabilizing speculation, Black Friday properly interpreted is a striking example of the obstacle offered by speculative capital flows to disequilibrating manipulation. Despite Jay Gould’s extraordinary bold attempt, he was unable to prevail against equilibrating
Formation and reactions of the triplet state of sym-triazine in solution studied by laser spectroscopy

Abstract The laser photolysis of sym -triazine optically excited at 265 nm was studied in acetonitrile, cyclohexane and isopropyl alcohol. The TT absorption spectrum was observed with maxima at 245 and 303 nm and shoulders at ≈ 345 and ≈ 450 nm. It decays with a rate k = (1.1 ± 0.1) × 10 6 s −1 in acetonitrile solution. The triplet is assigned as (n, π * ) in character based on the efficient quenching by H-atom donors, e.g., cyclohexane and isopropyl alcohol ( k q ≈ (1 − 2) × 10 8 M −1 s −1 ). The formation of the azyl radical and the corresponding solvent radicals from these reactions have been observed and identified.
An affinity-amplified immunoassay for juvenile hormone esterase.

Abstract A method is described for increasing the specificity of an immunoassay for catalytically active enzymes and is specificically illustrated with a sensitive assay for an important regulatory enzyme from insects. Trifluoromethyl ketone haptens, potent inhibitors of insect juvenile hormone esterase, were bound to proteins such as hemocyanin (keyhole limpet) and conalbumin (chicken embryo). Haptens containing a thiol group were conjugated using heterobifunctional coupling reagents, and haptens with a carboxylic acid moiety were conjugated by the mixed anhydride method. The trifluoromethyl ketone-protein conjugates, shown to retain their inhibitory activity against juvenile hormone esterase, were used as coating antigens in several solid-phase enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay formats along with specific antibodies raised in rabbits against purified juvenile hormone esterase. The previously unreported format, termed affinity-amplified immunoassay (AAIA), was successfully used for quantitative monitoring of low levels of the esterase in dilute hemolymph and egg homogenates from various lepidopteran insect species, as well as for detection of the native and mutant forms of the enzyme obtained in a recombinant baculovirus expression system. The AAIA format was more sensitive for the target esterase and detected only the catalytically active form of the enzyme.
Water Quality Characterization and Mathematical Modeling of Dissolved Oxygen in the East and West Ponds, Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge

The current study was undertaken to characterize the East and West Ponds and develop a mathematical model of the effects of nutrient and BOD loading on dissolved oxygen (DO) concentrations in these ponds. The model predicted that both ponds will recover adequately given the average expected range of nutrient and BOD loading due to waste from surface runoff and migratory birds. The predicted dissolved oxygen levels in both ponds were greater than 5.0 mg/L, and were supported by DO levels in the field which were typically above 5.0 mg/L during the period of this study. The model predicted a steady-state NBOD concentration of 12.0-14.0 mg/L in the East Pond, compared to an average measured value of 3.73 mg/L in 1994 and an average measured value of 12.51 mg/L in a 1996-97 study. The model predicted that the NBOD concentration in the West Pond would be under 3.0 mg/L compared to the average measured values of 7.50 mg/L in 1997, and 8.51 mg/L in 1994. The model predicted that phosphorus (as PO4(3-)) concentration in the East Pond will approach 4.2 mg/L in 4 months, compared to measured average value of 2.01 mg/L in a 1994 study. The model predicted that phosphorus concentration in the West Pond will approach 1.00 mg/L, compared to a measured average phosphorus (as PO4(3-)) concentration of 1.57 mg/L in a 1994 study.
Non-rigid alignment of pre-operative MRI, fMRI, and DT-MRI with intra-operative MRI for enhanced visualization and navigation in image-guided neurosurgery.

Abstract Objective: The usefulness of neurosurgical navigation with current visualizations is seriously compromised by brain shift, which inevitably occurs during the course of the operation, significantly degrading the precise alignment between the pre-operative MR data and the intra-operative shape of the brain. Our objectives were (i) to evaluate the feasibility of non-rigid registration that compensates for the brain deformations within the time constraints imposed by neurosurgery, and (ii) to create augmented reality visualizations of critical structural and functional brain regions during neurosurgery using pre-operatively acquired fMRI and DT-MRI. Materials and methods:Eleven consecutive patients with supratentorial gliomas were included in our study. All underwent surgery at our intra-operative MR imaging-guided therapy facility and have tumors in eloquent brain areas (e.g. precentral gyrus and cortico-spinal tract). Functional MRI and DT-MRI, together with MPRAGE and T2w structural MRI were acquired at 3 T prior to surgery. SPGR and T2w images were acquired with a 0.5 T magnet during each procedure. Quantitative assessment of the alignment accuracy was carried out and compared with current state-of-the-art systems based only on rigid registration. Results:Alignment between pre-operative and intra-operative datasets was successfully carried out during surgery for all patients. Overall, the mean residual displacement remaining after non-rigid registration was 1.82 mm. There is a statistically significant improvement in alignment accuracy utilizing our non-rigid registration in comparison to the currently used technology (p Conclusions:We were able to achieve intra-operative rigid and non-rigid registration of (1) pre-operative structural MRI with intra-operative T1w MRI; (2) pre-operative fMRI with intra-operative T1w MRI, and (3) pre-operative DT-MRI with intra-operative T1w MRI. The registration algorithms as implemented were sufficiently robust and rapid to meet the hard real-time constraints of intra-operative surgical decision making. The validation experiments demonstrate that we can accurately compensate for the deformation of the brain and thus can construct an augmented reality visualization to aid the surgeon.
ACP Journal Club. Young adults with persistent, asymptomatic, isolated microscopic hematuria were at increased risk for ESRD.

Source Citation Vivante A, Afek A, Frenkel-Nir Y, et al. Persistent asymptomatic isolated microscopic hematuria in Israeli adolescents and young adults and risk for end-stage renal disease. JAMA. 2...
The effect of unrelated vaccines on the localization of paralysis in mouse encephalomyelitis.

ConclusionsMice injected in a foreleg with pertussis vaccine alone or combined with precipitated diphtheria-tetanus toxoids were frequently paralyzed in the injected foreleg following infection with mouse encephalomyelitis virus. The frequency of paralysis in the inoculated extremity was 7 or more times greater than among the untreated controls.Precipitated diphtheria-tetanus toxoid had less effect and typhoid-paratyphoid vaccine had none.The injection of vaccines did not increase the frequency of paralysis, irrespective of location, but pertussis vaccine consistently shortened the period between the introduction of virus and the onset of paralysis.
The Association of Extracurricular Activity Participation with Substance Use Among Youth in the DARE Plus Project.

Abstract The Minnesota Drug Abuse Resistance Education (DARE) Plus project augmented the DARE curriculum with community, parent involvement, and extracurricular activity components. Of the 24 schools in the DARE Plus project, the 8 receiving the DARE Plus intervention are examined in this study. The association of participation in the extracurricular activities component of the DARE Plus project with adolescent substance use is investigated. The intervention targeted the class of 2005 from seventh to eighth grade (1999–2001). As part of the intervention, students participated in extracurricular activities planned by peer leaders, and annual surveys measured substance use and psychosocial outcomes. After 2 years students overall and boys participating in extracurricular activities had significantly less alcohol use and fewer intentions to use alcohol than did nonparticipants. Asian American participants had significantly less tobacco use and fewer intentions to use tobacco compared with nonparticipants. Th...
INFLUENCES OF GENDER IDEOLOGY AND HOUSEWORK ALLOCATION ON WOMEN'S EMPLOYMENT OVER THE LIFE COURSE.

Abstract The study investigates the influences of women’s attitudes about gender and couples’ housework allocation patterns on women’s employment status and work hours across the life course. The influence of these factors on the employment characteristics of continuously married women is investigated at four time points: 1977, 1980, 1985, and 1993. Data come from the Intergenerational Panel Study of Parents and Children and the analysis sample includes 556 continuously married women. Findings from structural equation, fixed effects, and tobit models offer consistent evidence of long-term positive influences of women’s egalitarian gender ideology and men’s participation in routine housework on women’s labor force participation. The results provide evidence of a process of lagged adaptation through which wives’ employment patterns are responsive to individual and couple characteristics over long intervals of time.
Influence of nest-box substrate (pine shavings vs. artificial turf) on nesting behavior and prolactin levels in turkey hens (Meleagris gallopavo)

Abstract Because brood patch stimulation is required for the development of incubation behavior and nesting physiology in turkey hens, we tested the hypothesis that differences in tactility of nest box substrates might alter the normal progression of the lay cycle. Nest boxes containing either pine shavings or artificial turf as substrate were presented to 22 hens and we monitored changes in nest box usage, serum prolactin levels and egg production over a 23 week photo-induced laying cycle. No significant differences were detected in any measure. We conclude that the tactile stimulation provided by these materials is insufficiently different to produce significant results with the population of hens used in the test.
Maximizing the opening of eye diagrams for slow-light systems

We present a data-fidelity metric for quantifying distortion in slow-light optical pulse delay devices. We demonstrate the utility of this metric by applying it to the performance optimization of gain-based slow-light delay systems for Gaussian and super-Gaussian pulses. Symmetric Lorentzian double-line and triple-line gain systems are optimized and achieve maximum delay of 1.5 and 1.7 times the single-line gain system delay, respectively. The resulting double-line gain system design is qualitatively similar to the double-line gain system designed with a previous metric, but is tuned specifically to constrain data fidelity.
BRIDGING THEORY AND PRACTICE IN THE ALLOCATION OF SALES AND PROMOTIONAL RESOURCES WITHIN CUSTOMER ORGANIZATIONS

Business marketers' sales and promotional costs continue to escalate. These marketers face complex problems in identifying and reaching key influencers in targeted prospect organizations. This article links current developments in industrial buying behavior theory and research to the problem of allocating sales and promotional resources. It defines a customer‐driven approach, specifying that marketer actions be linked to the prospect organization's buying activities. Specifically, the phase or stage of the buying process, the makeup of the decision‐making unit over time, and the roles played by buying participants, particularly stakeholders, should all dictate the content, timing, and targeting of sales and promotional efforts. An outline framework for allocating these resources is proposed and an overview of how buying and selling activities interact is presented.
A response to the commentaries by Craddock and Fotaki

These are excellent commentaries by Fotaki (2011) and Craddock (2011) on my article “Agency versus Structure: Genetics, Group Membership, and a New Twist on an Old Debate” (Angel, 2011). The commentaries are informed, constructive, and civil, and this debate format is a useful method of fostering a dialog related to an important, or rather several important issues. I and the commentators are basically in complete agreement. They have identified some injudiciousness in certain of my statements which require clarification. In addition, Fotaki takes the discussion into a new domain that I would have very much liked to have pursued had I had the space (Fotaki, 2011). She restates the issues I addressed in a succinct and articulate manner and draws upon important social theorists to develop an argument for a continued focus on structure and social factors in the explanation of racial and ethnically-based health vulnerabilities that speak directly to the intent of the original article. I, the commentators, and probably most everyone else, are in agreement that factors that we label biological or social are inevitably and inextricably intertwined. Although the language of “agency” and “structure” may have no place in polite dinnertime conversation, the rhetorical objective is to reiterate the point that the distinction is far from straightforward, either theoretically or empirically. As with “biological” or “social”, the terms are merely convenient ways of referring to different analytical foci. Clearly what we refer to as “social” is created and reproduced by biological entities acting in accordance with genetically evolved capacities. As
Metastatic potential of malignant fibrous histiocytoma of myxoid or giant-cell subtype in rats.

Summary We have previously reported on the induction of rat malignant fibrous histiocytomas by 4-hydroxiaminoquinoline 1-oxide. The present study describes cell number- and time-related formation of metastatic lung nodules after i.v. injection of cell suspensions containing various numbers (10 3 to 10 5 /ml) of myxoid or giant-cell subtype malignant fibrous histiocytoma cells. The metastatic potential of the myxoid subtype of rat malignant fibrous histiocytoma was significantly enhanced by i.v. injection of tumor cells selected from metastatic lung nodules and was further increased by repeating the selection procedure more than 7 times. In contrast, the growth activity of subcutaneous transplants of tumor fragments obtained from metastatic lung nodules derived from myxoid subtype did not differ from that of parent malignant fibrous histiocytomas.
Equal consideration and unequal moral status

L'essai elucide le concept de la consideration egale, fait une analyse reconstructive du concept flou du statut moral et demontre la compatibilite de la consideration egale et du statut moral inegal
Serdar Somuncu: Reframing Integration through a Transnational Politics of Satire

Following the success of Knobi Bonbon, the first Turkish German cabaret founded by Sinasi Dikmen and Muhsin Omurcu in 1985, Turkish German comedy has become standard fare on the German stage. Among the younger generation of Turkish German performers, Serdar Somuncu has distinguished himself through biting political satire targeting both German and Turkish societies and through his zealous engagement with the German past. Beginning with his Mein Kampf program in 1996, Somuncu developed a series of performances criticizing German Vergangenheitsbewaltigung, the corrosive power of popular media, and failures of political leadership in Germany and Turkey. With escalating vehemence in his Hassprediger shows, Somuncu rails against the miasma of critical lassitude that renders the public susceptible to demagoguery, prejudice, and chauvinism and seeks to inoculate his audience against such influences by enacting a transnational politics of satire.
Noise without Noise: A New Monte Carlo Method

A new Monte Carlo method is introduced which generates configurations according to any desired probability distribution. Unlike previous techniques, which require the relative probability of any two configurations to be computed exactly, this method allows the prescence of large but unbiased noise in this computation. The method has important applications in including the effects of dynamical fermions in Monte Carlo calculations, amongst other problems.
Comparing paths to quality of life: Contributions of ACT and cognitive therapy intervention targets in two highly anxious samples

Abstract Anxiety disorders are associated with numerous costs and poor quality of life (QOL), and yet are highly treatable. The present study evaluated the relations between putative change processes, anxiety symptom severity, and QOL by employing path analysis to compare two theoretically-derived models of anxious psychopathology in an examination of pre-intervention data from two self-help effectiveness studies. Consistent with expectation, symptom severity predicted QOL in a model derived from cognitive therapy principles, though the model did not provide a good fit to the data. A model derived from Acceptance and Commitment Therapy principles suggested that the impact of experiential avoidance (EA) on QOL was independent of symptom severity and provided a better fit to the data. In fact, the path from anxious symptomatology to QOL became non-significant when EA was allowed to relate to QOL directly. Cognitive fusion strongly predicted anxiety sensitivity which, in turn, significantly predicted symptoms. Theoretical and practical implications of the findings are discussed in the context of improving available treatments for anxiety-related disorders.
When to Broom or Remove Traffic Control Safely on Fresh Emulsified Asphalt Chip Seals

The optimal time to allow brooms to sweep a fresh chip seal is usually determined by experienced field personnel. Factors that affect this decision include aggregate type; aggregate moisture content; emulsion type and grade; application rates of emulsion and aggregate; weather conditions at the site, including humidity, air and pavement temperature, and wind; and number of rollers. Given all these factors, and because changes in one factor can have a significant effect on how an emulsion gains strength and how soon it can resist the forces of brooms and traffic, the decision as to when to allow brooms and traffic on fresh chip seals becomes difficult, at best, to predict. The results of this research suggest that moisture content of the chip seal system is related directly to the strength of an asphalt emulsion residue. Laboratory and field testing confirm that the strength of an asphalt emulsion residue as measured by a modification to the ASTM D7000 sweep test can be used to predict the moisture content...
What is the influence of long-term ursodeoxycholic acid therapy in patients with primary biliary cirrhosis?

What is the influence of long-term ursodeoxycholic acid therapy in patients with primary biliary cirrhosis?
Longitudinal growth changes in untreated subjects with Class II Division 1 malocclusion.

Introduction: The purpose of this longitudinal study was to compare the craniofacial growth changes in untreated subjects with Class II Division 1 malocclusion with those in subjects with normal (Class I) occlusion from the prepubertal through the postpubertal stages of development, as defined by a biological indicator of individual skeletal maturity (cervical vertebral maturation method). Methods: The Class II Division 1 sample consisted of 17 subjects (11 boys, 6 girls). The Class I sample also consisted of 17 subjects (13 boys, 4 girls). The lateral cephalograms of the subjects in both groups were analyzed at 6 consecutive stages of development, from CS1 through CS6. The statistical comparisons of the growth changes in the study groups were performed with Mann-Whitney U tests. Results: Craniofacial growth in subjects with untreated Class II malocclusion is essentially similar to that in untreated subjects with normal occlusion at all developmental intervals, with the exception of significantly smaller increases in mandibular length ( P Conclusions: Class II dentoskeletal disharmony does not tend to self-correct with growth in association with worsening of the deficiency in total mandibular length and mandibular ramus height.
Overconfidence in children's multi-trial judgments of learning

Abstract The underconfidence with practice effect (UWP) refers to the finding that people's judgments of learning shift from overconfidence to underconfidence on and after a first study-test trial (Koriat, Ma'ayan, & Sheffer, 2002). Finn and Metcalfe (2007, 2008) proposed that people show UWP because they use their memory of prior test performance as a cue to make subsequent judgments of learning and inadequately account for new learning (i.e. the Memory for Past Test (MPT) heuristic). In contrast to adults, 3rd and 5th graders' judgments showed persistent overconfidence on and after a first study-test trial. A second experiment tested children's ability to remember their prior test performance. Children's prior performance discriminations were accurate for items that they answered correctly on the prior trial, but were overconfident for items they had answered incorrectly indicating that their continued overconfidence was a result of faulty memory, rather than a failure to use the MPT heuristic.
High Voltage System Design for the IUCF 300 KV Electron Cooling System

A summary of the electron beam high voltage system design for the IUCF Cooler1,2,3, now under construction, is presented. There are extremely stringent regulation requirements (~10ppm) on the main high voltage power supply (-300 kVDC, 15 mA), and less stringent requirements on the gun anode power supply, in order to achieve the regulation needed to store beams in the IUCF Cooler with very low momentum spreads (?p/p ? 2xl0-5). An overview of the main high voltage power supply (HVPS) specifications and design, as well as provisions and plans to improve the regulation are discussed. The electron collection system, modeled after the FNAL collector which was able to collect between 99.9% and 99.99% of the electron beam, is discussed along with the requirements of the associated power supplies. The designs of the high voltage acceleration structures and high voltage platform are discussed, as well as practical design considerations based upon experience with the Fermilab 120 keV electron cooling system.
A regime-switching analysis of pass-through

We empirically investigate how various economic factors affect the changes in the pricing policies of exporters, in particular changes in the exchange rate pass-through. Assuming exporters set prices following either a high or a low pass-through pricing policy, and assuming that the transition probabilities between these pricing policies depend on market concentration, exporting country’s market share and monetary stability, we estimate a Markov regime-switching model, using data we have collected on imported cars to the United States. Our findings show that the “low pass-through” regime is characterized by: lower exchange rate pass-through, low response to misalignments in the firm’s relative price, low volatility of exogenous shocks, and higher duration. When we decompose the changes in the pass-through in our sample, we find that monetary stability has been the most important factor behind the decline in the pass-through. Monetary stability explains more than 50% of the decline in the exchange rate pass-through, while country market share and market concentration explain about 25 and 10%, respectively.
2-groups with few conjugacy classes

An old question of Brauer that asks how fast numbers of conjugacy classes grow is investigated by considering the least number cn of conjugacy classes in a group of order 2n. The numbers cn are computed for n ≤ 14 and a lower bound is given for c15. It is observed that cn grows very slowly except for occasional large jumps corresponding to an increase in coclass of the minimal groups Gn. Restricting to groups that are 2-generated or have coclass at most 3 allows us to extend these computations.
Role of Information in the Stochastic Zero-Sum Differential Game

In this paper, a linear-quadratic Gaussian zero-sum differential game is studied. “Maneuverability” is defined to measure players' strength. It is shown that a “more maneuverable” player would prefer a “more observable” information system. An example is given to show that a “more controllable” player might not prefer “more observable” measurements in the stochastic environment.
Molecular cloning and characterization of a candidate human growth-related and time-keeping constitutive cell surface hydroquinone (NADH) oxidase.

ENOX (ECTO-NOX) proteins are growth-related cell surface proteins that catalyze both hydroquinone or NADH oxidation and protein disulfide−thiol interchange and exhibit both prion-like and time-keeping (clock) properties. The two enzymatic activities they catalyze alternate to generate a regular period of 24 min in length. Here we report the cloning, expression, and characterization of a human candidate constitutive ENOX (CNOX or ENOX1) protein. The gene encoding this 643 amino acid long protein is located on chromosome 13 (13q 14.11). Functional motifs previously identified by site-directed mutagenesis in a cancer-associated ENOX (tNOX or ENOX2) as adenine nucleotide or copper binding along with essential cysteines are present, but the drug-binding motif (EEMTE) sequence of ENOX2 is absent. The activities of the recombinant protein expressed in Escherichia coli were not affected by capsaicin, EGCg, and other ENOX2-inhibiting substances. The purified recombinant protein bound ca. 2 mol of copper/mol of pro...
The bilirubin-induced photodegradation of deoxyribonucleic acid.

Extract: The widespread use of phototherapy for neonatal jaundice has caused some concern since little is known about the cellular consequences of such treatment. The present study was undertaken to determine the effects of photoactivated bilirubin on the structure of purified deoxyribonucleic acid. DNA illuminated in the presence of bilirubin exhibited altered physical chemical properties as evidenced by (1) a changed thermal helix coil transition profile, (2) a sensitivity of the treated DNA to alkaline degradation, and (3) a limited depolymerization of single-stranded DNA. The above changes were observed with a total light dosage representing only 5% of that received by a newborn infant during a 24-hr period of phototherapy in our nursery. Speculation: In view of the known relationship between ability to modify cellular DNA and mutagenic and/or carcinogenic potential, the present results suggest that phototherapy is a complex process which may have potentially dangerous sequelae.
On the continuity of the minimum set of a continuous function

Abstract : This memorandum obtains necessary and sufficient conditions so that the solution of a constrained minimization problem will vary continuously when the constraints and objective function are varied. It also obtains special results in the case that the constraints are linear inequalities.
Reform As Affirmation: Jimmy Carter's Executive Branch Reorganization Effort

Modern presidents must negotiate the tension between, on one hand, public demands for systemic change and, on the other hand, contextual and institutional constraints that limit their authority and ability to achieve “reconstructive” reforms. Jimmy Carter's executive branch reorganization effort illustrates how institutional decision-making processes can impede presidents' attempts to pursue innovative approaches to reform. This article maintains that a “garbage ca” decision-making process led Carter and his aides to abandon their initial novel “bottom-up” approach to reorganization in favor of the traditional “top-down” structural approach adopted by their predecessors. The article concludes that institutional pressures compelled the recent president most intent on repudiating the past to affirm it.
Patent foramen ovale closure to treat migraine headache.

Could the presence of a patent foramen ovale be associated with the occurrence of migraine headaches? In this the first of two Viewpoints on patent foramen ovales, Jeremy Orr and Jonathan Tobis discuss the possibility that the majority of migraine headache could be treated by closing this patent foramen ovale passageway though the heart.
Empirical exchange rate models and shifts in the co-integrating vector

Abstract This paper finds that many of the anomalies in the exchange rate literature can be explained in large measure by recurrent shifts in the co-integrating vector. We find that the co-integrating vector implied by a composite monetary model experiences parameter shifts on five occasions over the modern period of floating. Within the implied regimes of relative parameter constancy we find that parameter estimates are mostly significant and of the correct sign. We also find co-integration and considerable improvement in the out-of-sample fit on the part of all the structural models examined.
Adherence of germ tubes of Candida albicans to tissues from immunocompromised mice

The influence of immune status of the host on binding of germ tubes of Candida albicans to murine tissue sections in an ex vivo assay was examined. Generally, germ tubes appeared randomly adhered to the tissues examined and binding was unaffected by immunodeficiency induced by treatment with cyclophosphamide and cortisone acetate. Adherence was somewhat reduced in spleen and kidney sections or increased in liver sections and unchanged in lymph node sections from treated mice compared to sections from control animals. Scanning electron micrographs showed organisms appeared to be loosely or tightly bound to the surface or partially embedded in spleen sections from both control and treated mice. These observations suggested that qualitative and quantitative difference in adhesion of germ tubes to various tissues may contribute little to the susceptibility of the immunodeficient animal to candidal infection.
A numerical model of nitrogen flxation and its application to Lake Valencia, Venezuela*

SUMMARY. 1. A numerical model for calculation of daily and annual nitrogen fixation in lakes is presented. The model is based on empirically-derived equations for the rates of nitrogen fixation by heterocysts (nitrogen-fixing cells) in relation to light and on functions for the vertical and tetnporal distributions of heterocysts and light in a lake. 2. Applications of the model to Lake Valencia, Venezuela, between December 1980 and December 1981 indicated that nitrogen fixation is largely a surface phenomenon in this lake: 80% of diurnal fixation occurred within 1m of the water surface. 3. Nitrogen fixation is largely restricted to periods of lake stratification, when the phytoplankton have sufficient light for growth, but dissolved inorganic nitrogen is scarce. Nitrogen fixation was maximal late in the stratification period of 1981: 85 % of fixation occurred within the last 3 months of the 9-month period. 4. The annual nitrogen fixation in Lake Valencia is 26 kg ha−1, which is comparable to the nitrogen fixation in temperate eutrophic lakes with seasonal blue-green algal blooms. However, nitrogen fixation accounted for only 23% of the total nitrogen supply to Lake Valencia in 1981.
Quality of death and dying in patients who request physician-assisted death.

Abstract Background: Physician-assisted death (PAD) was legalized in 1997 by Oregon's Death with Dignity Act (ODDA). Through 2009, 460 Oregonians have died by lethal prescription under the ODDA. Objective: To determine whether there was a difference in the quality of the dying experience, from the perspective of family members, between 52 Oregonians who received lethal prescriptions, 34 who requested but did not receive lethal prescriptions, and 63 who did not pursue PAD. Design: Cross-sectional survey. Measurements: Family members retrospectively rated the dying experience of their loved one with the 33 item Quality of Death and Dying Questionnaire (QODD). Results: There were differences reported in 9 of the 33 quality item indicators. Few significant differences were noted in items that measured domains of connectedness, transcendence, and overall quality of death. Those receiving PAD prescriptions had higher quality ratings on items measuring symptom control (e.g., control over surroundings and control...
Selective parent ion axialization for improved efficiency of collision-induced dissociation in laser desorption-ionization fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry.

We have systematically established the excitation frequency, amplitude, duration, and buffer gas pressure for optimal axialization efficiency and mass selectivity of quadrupolar excitation-collisional cooling for isolation of parent ions for collision-induced dissociation in Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry. For example, at high quadrupolar excitation amplitude, ion axialization efficiency and selectivity are optimal when the applied quadrupolar excitation frequency is lower than the unperturbed ion cyclotron frequency by up to several hundred hertz. Moreover, at high buffer gas pressure (10−6 Torr), quadrupolar excitation duration can be quite short because of efficient collisional cooling of the cyclotron motion produced by magnetron-to-cyclotron conversion. Efficiency, detected signal magnitude, and mass resolving power for collision-induced dissociation (CID) product ions are significantly enhanced by prior parent ion axialization. With this method, we use argon CID to show that C94+(m/z 1128) formed by Nd:YAG laser desorption-ionization behaves as a closed-cage structure.
The ABC of EF-G.

The recently solved crystal structures of Thermus thermophilus elongation factor G, with and without GDP, reveal a protein of five domains with surprising features which can be correlated with biochemical data to suggest probable functional roles.
Control of Brown Rot and Blue Mold of Sweet Cherry with Preharvest Iprodione, Postharvest Cryptococcus infirmo-miniatus, and Modified Atmosphere Packaging

The effectiveness of preharvest iprodione and postharvest Cryptococcus infirmo-miniatus treatments alone and in combination for control of decay of sweet cherry fruit was studied. Also, the effect of a modified atmosphere on brown rot control was evaluated as a part of the iprodione-C. infirmo-miniatus combinations. A single preharvest application of iprodione at 1.13 kg a.i./ha reduced brown rot in stored sweet cherry fruit in both years of this study. Significantly better control of brown rot was obtained when cherry fruit that received a preharvest iprodione application also were treated with a postharvest dip in a suspension of C. infirmo-miniatus containing 0.5 to 1.5 × 108 CFU/ml. Brown rot was reduced by modified atmosphere packaging (MAP) alone and further reduced as a result of a C. infirmo-miniatus-MAP synergism. Incidence of brown rot was reduced from 41.5% in the control to 0.4% by combining preharvest iprodione and postharvest C. infirmo-miniatus treatments with MAP.
Crystallization behavior of nylon 6 nanocomposites

Abstract The crystallization behavior of nylon 6 nanocomposites formed by melt processing was investigated. Nanocomposites were produced by extruding mixtures of organically modified montmorillonite and molten nylon 6 using a twin screw extruder. Isothermal and non-isothermal crystallization studies involving differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) were conducted on samples to understand how organoclay concentration and degree of clay platelet exfoliation influence the kinetics of polyamide crystallization. Very low levels of clay result in dramatic increases in crystallization kinetics relative to extruded pure polyamide. However, increasing the concentration of clay beyond these levels retards the rate of crystallization. For the pure nylon 6, the rate of crystallization decreases with increasing the molecular weight as expected; however, the largest enhancement in crystallization rate was observed for nanocomposites based on high molecular weight polyamides; this is believed to stem from a higher degree of platelet exfoliation in these nanocomposites. Wide angle X-ray diffraction (WAXD) and DSC were further used to characterize the polymer crystalline morphology of injection molded nanocomposites. The outer or skin layer of molded specimens was found to contain only γ-crystals; whereas, the central or core region contains both the α and γ-forms. The presence of clay enhanced the γ-structure in the skin; however, the clay has little effect on crystal structure in the core. Interestingly, higher levels of crystallinity were observed in the skin than in the core for the nanocomposites, while the opposite was true for the pure polyamides. In general, increasing the polymer matrix molecular weight resulted in a lower degree of crystallinity in molded samples as might be expected.
Is antidepressant-associated mania always an evidence of a bipolar spectrum disorder? A case report and review of the literature

Abstract Objective The authors consider the clinical implications of characterizing every case of antidepressant-induced mania as evidence of an underlying bipolar diathesis. Method The authors report the case of a 45-year-old man, with no personal or family history of bipolar symptoms, who developed manic symptoms after sertraline initiation for a first lifetime depressive episode. Results The patient's manic symptoms resolved rapidly with cessation of sertraline. His depressive symptoms responded to mirtazapine, and he had no further mood episodes during 2-year follow-up. Discussion It may not always be appropriate to identify selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor-induced manic symptoms as pathognomonic for the bipolar diathesis, particularly as the bipolar formulation has distinct implications for future pharmacologic choices.
Continuous Hydrologic Modeling Study with the Hydrologic Modeling System

The development of model parametrization methodologies using geographic information systems is becoming increasingly important in hydrologic modeling applications, especially given the continued trend of comprehensive and readily available geospatial databases. This paper discusses the development of parametrization and calibration methodologies for the 12-parameter soil moisture accounting (SMA) algorithm recently added to the Hydrologic Modeling System (HMS) program by the Hydrologic Engineering Center (HEC). The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Nashville District, is considering HMS as a tool for continuous hydrologic simulation in the Cumberland River basin. The study demonstrates that parameters for a complex soil moisture accounting model can be derived from publicly available geographic information system (GIS) databases and that the use of seasonal or multiparameter sets improves model performance. Only one of the seven parameters estimated using GIS databases was varied during model calibration. Par...
Hepatotoxicity Associated with Chronic Acetaminophen Administration in Patients without Risk Factors

OBJECTIVE:To evaluate the literature regarding the potential of acetaminophen to cause toxicity in adult patients without risk factors, when used chronically in daily doses ≤4 g.DATA SOURCES:Key tertiary literature was reviewed, along with searches of MEDLINE (1966–July 2001), International Pharmaceutical Abstracts (1970–May 2001), and PREMEDLINE (July Week 5, 2001). Key search terms included acetaminophen, paracetamol, toxic hepatitis, hepatotoxicity, liver dysfunction, overdose, drug toxicity, and poisoning.DATA SYNTHESIS:Most tertiary references state that the maximum daily dose of acetaminophen is 4 g. Patients taking more than this amount, especially those with certain risk factors, are more likely to develop toxicity. However, a few patients may develop toxicity regardless of risk. An evaluation of the literature regarding the toxic potential of acetaminophen when given at doses ≤4 g/d chronically (≥4 d) to adult patients without risk factors was conducted.CONCLUSIONS:Acetaminophen should be used ca...
National estimates of emergency department visits for pediatric severe sepsis in the United States

Objective. We sought to determine the characteristics of children presenting to United States (US) Emergency Departments (ED) with severe sepsis. Study design. Cross-sectional analysis using data from the National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey (NHAMCS). Using triage vital signs and ED diagnoses (defined by the International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision codes), we identified children<18 years old presenting with both infection (triage fever or ICD9 infection) and organ dysfunction (triage hypotension or ICD-9 organ dysfunction). Results. Of 28.2 million pediatric patients presenting to US EDs each year, severe sepsis was present in 95,055 (0.34%; 95% CI: 0.29‐0.39%). Fever and respiratory infection were the most common indicators of an infection. Hypotension and respiratory failure were the most common indicators of organ dysfunction. Most severe sepsis occurred in children ages 31 days‐1 year old (32.1%). Most visits for pediatric severe sepsis occurred during winter months (37.4%), and only 11.1% of patients arrived at the ED by ambulance. Over half of severe sepsis cases were self-pay or insured by Medicaid. A large portion (44.1%) of pediatric severe sepsis ED visits occurred in the South census region. ED length of stay was over 3 h, and 16.5% were admitted to the hospital. Conclusion. Nearly 100,000 children annually present to US EDs with severe sepsis. The findings of this study highlight the unique characteristics of children treated in the ED for severe sepsis.
Delivery of four-dimensional radiotherapy with TrackBeam for moving target using a dual-layer MLC: dynamic phantoms study

Yaxi Liu, Ph.D. 11.9999 Normal 0 false false false MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ansi-language:#0400; mso-fareast-language:#0400; mso-bidi-language:#0400;} Normal 0 false false false MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ansi-language:#0400; mso-fareast-language:#0400; mso-bidi-language:#0400;} Respiratory motion has been considered a clinical challenge for lung tumor treatments due to target motion. In this study, we aimed to perform an experimental evaluation based on dynamic phantoms using MLC-based beam tracking. TrackBeam TM , a prototype real-time beam tracking system, has been assembled and evaluated in our clinic. TrackBeam TM includes an orthogonal dual-layer micro multi-leaf collimator (DmMLC), an on-board mega-voltage (MV) portal imaging device, and an image processing workstation. With a fiducial marker implanted in a moving target, the on-board imaging device can capture the motion. The TrackBeam TM workstation processes the online MV fluence and detects and predicts tumor motion. The DmMLC system then dynamically repositions each leaf to form new beam apertures based on the movement of the fiducial marker. In this study, a dynamic phantom was used for the measurements. Three delivery patterns were evaluated for dosimetric verification based on radiographic films: no-motion-lung-tumor (NMLT), three-dimensional conformal radiotherapy (3DCRT), and four-dimensional tracking radiotherapy (4DTRT). The displacement between the DmMLC dynamic beam isocenter and the fiducial marker was in the range of 0.5 mm to 1.5 mm. With radiographic film analysis, the planar dose histogram difference between 3DCRT and NLMT was 48.6% and 38.0% with dose difference tolerances of 10% and 20%. The planar dose histogram difference between 4DTRT and NLMT was 15.2% and 4.0% respectively. Based-on dose volume histogram analysis, 4DTRT reduces the mean dose for the surrounding tissue from 35.4 Gy to 19.5 Gy, reduces the relative volume of the total lung from 28% to 18% at V 20 , and reduces the amount of dose from 35.2 Gy to 15.0 Gy at D 20 . The experimental results show that MLC-based real-time beam tracking delivery provides a potential solution to respiratory motion control. Beam tracking delivers a highly conformal dose to a moving target, while sparing surrounding normal tissue.