cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Service-level selection by HMOs in Medicare

In the federal Medicare program, contracting health maintenance organizations (HMOs) are paid on a capitated basis. There has long been concern that an "adverse selection" of risks remain in the traditional fee-for-service (FFS) sector, since beneficiaries with low costs may leave the FFS sector and join the HMOs. The distortion associated with this form of selection is that health plans may design their mix of health care services in order to effectuate favorable selection. This paper scrutinizes patterns of HMO membership and costs by service in the FFS sector for evidence consistent with the hypothesis that HMOs engage in service-level product distortion. We develop a multi-service model of choice between FFS and HMOs and show that if the HMO sector is underproviding (overproviding) a service relative to the FFS sector, we should observe a positive (negative) correlation between the HMO market share and average costs of those remaining in the FFS sector. We estimate the correlation between the HMO market share and the average FFS costs for different health care services using Medicare data for 1996. We find evidence indicating that there exists significant service-level selection by HMOs.
Arginase isozymes and their detection by catalytic staining in starch gel

Abstract A method for the separation by starch gel and the in situ detection of the isozymes of arginase is presented. The method is capable of detecting 0.2 units of activity; it is specific, giving no staining in the absence of either arginine or urease from the developing solution. For purposes of the present study all parameters have been optimized for the separation and localization of arginase isozymes in tissue extracts. The method ought to be applicable, however, with appropriate modifications, to other enzymes yielding either alkaline reaction products (detectable in the presence of excess thiol) or yielding free thiol (such as reduced Coenzyme A) in alkaline medium.
Demonstration of two tyrosyl-tRNA synthetases of pea roots.

Abstract Tyrosyl-tRNA synthetase ( l -tyrosine: tRNA ligase (AMP), EC 6.1.1.1) from pea roots was fractionated into two activity regions by DEAE-cellulose chromatography. The two fractions also eluted from a Sephadex G-200 column at different positions. The two synthetase activities from the Sephadex G-200 fractionation rechromatographed on a second DEAE-cellulose column in the same respective positions as on the first DEAE-cellulose column. The synthetase which eluted first from the DEAE-cellulose column (T 1 synthetase) was much less stable than the synthetase which eluted later (T 2 synthetase). Both enzymes had similar pH, ATP and MgCl 2 optima. The two enzymes acylated tyrosyl-tRNA from various plant tissues and calf liver but did not significantly acylate Escherichia coli tRNA . T 1 and T 2 synthetase catalyzed the acylation of the two major isoaccepting tyrosyl-tRNA species of pea. A third tyrosyl-tRNA of pea was acylated by either T 1 or T 2 synthetase at only a very low rate relative to the rate of the crude (ammonium sulfate) synthetase preparation.
On- and Off-AXIS Large-Area Pulsed Laser Deposition

Over the past few years Pulsed Laser Deposition (PLD) has become a popular technique for the deposition of a wide variety of thin films, and PLD systems are currently found in numerous industrial, government, university, and military laboratories. At present, it is estimated that well over 200 different materials have been deposited by PLD and the list keeps growing. However, even with all the interest in laser deposition the technique has not yet emerged as an industrial process. At the moment, industry still prefers standard thin film growth techniques such as magnetron and ion beam sputtering, chemical vapor deposition, and electron beam evaporation for production applications. These processes have been in use for decades and have demonstrated the ability to deposit films of most materials over large areas with excellent uniformity at reasonable cost and deposition rates. Furthermore, an entire infrastructure has been built up to support these processes including standardization of deposition rate monitors, power sources, target and crucible sizes, etc. On the other hand, laser-deposition is still an emerging technology, and relatively little infrastructure exists to adequately support either research or industrial applications. Since there are several materials which are difficult if not impossible to grow in thin-film form by more conventional techniques, it is expected that as pulsed laser-deposition matures this unique process will take its rightful place on the manufacturing line.
Phase transitions in potassium-intercalated graphite: KC/sub 24/

Two structural phase transition in K${\mathrm{C}}_{24}$ have been observed by x-ray diffraction: an order-disorder transition at ${T}_{U}=126.0\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.5$ K and a structural transition ${T}_{L}$ at about 93 K. Details of these transitions are presented, as well as the stacking sequences of the intermediate and low-temperature phases.
Studies on the Production of Intravascular Thrombi and Their Treatment with Fibrinolysin

In 22 dogs, the effect of fibrinolysin therapy of fresh intravascular clots was evaluated by serial angiograms and autopsies. The average time required for dissolution of such clots, when treated by systemic plasmin, was 4 hours and 45 minutes, while the average time necessary for lysis with local fibrinolytic therapy was 2 hours 10 minutes. Treatment of fresh venous and arterial clots did not disclose any significant difference in susceptibility to lysis. In 21 dogs, the effect of age of the clot on the effectiveness of plasmin therapy was studied in clots formed with serum and morrhuate. Clots treated within 4 days of formation were susceptible to dissolution, although clots treated after 3 days did not uniformly undergo complete lysis. The serum-induced clots were more amenable to fibrinolytic therapy than were those formed with morrhuate.
Aggressive attitudes in middle schools: a factor structure and criterion-related validity study

Student attitudes toward aggression have been linked to individual aggressive behavior, but the relationship between school-wide normative beliefs about aggression and aggressive behavior poses some important measurement challenges that have not been adequately examined. The current study investigated the factor structure, measurement invariance, and criterion-related validity of a six-item Aggressive Attitudes scale using a large sample of seventh- and eighth-grade students (n = 39,364) from 423 schools. Analytic procedures accounted for the frequently ignored modeling problems of clustered and ordinal data to provide more reliable and accurate model estimates and standard errors. The resulting second-order factor structure of the Aggressive Attitudes scale demonstrated measurement invariance across gender, grade, and race/ethnicity groups. Criterion-related validity was supported with eight student- and school-level indices of aggressive behavior.
Credit Constraints and Human Capital Investment in College Education

Using data from the Health and Retirement Study 2001 Human Capital Investment Survey, this article examines the impact of credit market constraints on investment in college education. The effect of family income on college attendance may not be as big as perceived in some previous studies. The interest rates faced by children from middle families are the lowest in the credit market. The research suggests that various government programs aiming to help children from poor families may be effective, but only at the extensive margin—by improving their access to college education. For those who get into college, underinvestment by students from poor families remains a significant problem.
Neuronal activity in the region of the thalamic principal sensory nucleus (ventralis caudalis) in patients with pain following amputations

Abstract Thalamic neuronal activity has not been studied in a primate model of peripheral nerve injury. We now report neuronal activity in the region of the human principal sensory nucleus of thalamus (ventralis caudalis) in awake patients during the physiologic exploration that precedes surgical procedures for treatment of stump pain and movement disorders. All patients with amputations showed increased thalamic representations of the stump as reflected in both receptive and projected field maps. This suggested that thalamic re-organization involved both the afferent inputs from and the perceptual representation of the limb. The spontaneous activity of neurons in the region of ventralis caudalis representing the limb with the stump (stump area) was significantly different from that in other areas of the region of ventralis caudalis in patients with amputations (stump control areas) and in patients with movement disorders (control areas). The mean interspike intervals were significantly shorter for cells located in stump areas than for those located in stump control or control areas. Cells in all areas were found to fire in three different patterns: B group (burst) characterized by bursting activity, R group (relay) characterized as a Poisson process, and III group characterized by non-bursting, non-Poisson activity. Cells in the B group were significantly more common in stump control (41%) and stump areas (33%) than in control areas (15%). Bursting cells were found to have patterns consistent with the occurrence of a calcium spike (spike-burst pattern). The spike-burst pattern was most common among cells with receptive fields in the stump area. In these cells firing between bursts (primary event rate) was significantly higher than other cells in the region of ventralis caudalis, suggesting that spike-bursts are not due to hyperpolarization, i.e. low-threshold spikes. Spike-bursts often occur as a result of low-threshold spikes, when the cell is hyperpolarized. In contrast, spike-bursts in these patients were associated with increased interburst firing rates in cells with receptive fields. Thus bursting of these cells may have been due to high-threshold dendritic calcium spikes evoked by afferent input. In that case bursting could be involved in activity-dependent changes in thalamic function following deafferentation through a calcium-mediated mechanism.
Probability learning with noncontingent success

Abstract A noncontingent success (NCS) reinforcement schedule for binary prediction is one in which the subject has the same probability (δ) of being correct regardless of which response he makes. These schedules may be contrasted with the more commonly studied noncontingent event (NCE) schedules in which the event probabilities are not contingent on the subject's choice of response, but the probability of his being correct is. The NCS schedules are examined here in connection with the problem of deciding experimentally between the linear and N element models for probability learning. It is shown that for mathematical reasons there is essentially no possibility of making such a decision on the basis of experiments with NCE schedules. Predictions for NCS schedules are then derived from the two models, and an experiment with two such schedules (δ = .8 and δ = 1.0) is reported. The results unequivocally support the N element model over the linear model, but under δ = 1 contingencies subjects generate patterned response sequences—“superstitious solutions”—that cannot be explained by any of the current models.
The effect of radiation therapy on von Willebrand factor in patients with angiosarcoma

Radiation damages endothelial cells (EC) of malignant and normal tissues. Shortly after radiation injury platelet thrombi cause small vessel obstruction. Radiation doses of 20 Gy or higher release von Willebrand factor (VWF) from cultured human umbilical vein EC. Angiosarcoma (AS) is a vascular tumor with abnormal appearing EC which have detectable cytoplasmic VWF. We examined the effect of radiation therapy on VWF in three patients with AS. Each patient's malignant tissue was demonstrated to have cytoplasmic VWF present. Venous blood samples were drawn immediately before and at weekly intervals during treatment. Patient 1 received 80 Gy over 6 weeks and had no alterations in the VWF. Patient 2 received 64 Gy over 6 weeks and was noted to have loss of the high molecular weight multimers of VWF without loss of FVIII:C, VW: RIST, or von Willebrand antigen activity (VW:Ag). Patient 3 was treated with 64.4 Gy over 9 weeks and had a disproportionate increase of the VW: Ag and VW: RIST to FVIII: C. This returned to normal after completion of therapy. These changes were minimal and might be explained by either limited local release or no increased release of VWF from the irradiated tissue. The minimally abnormal multimeric pattern in patient 2 may be due to the release of an abnormal VWF in normal amounts or small amounts of proteolysis. The alteration in the VW: RIST and VW: Ag to FVIII: C ratio can be explained by activated coagulation secondary to radiation injury.
Respiration and acid-base balance in the salamander,Ambystoma tigrinum: Influence of temperature acclimation and metamorphosis

Effects of temperature acclimation (5 or 25 °C for 2–4 weeks) and metamorphosis on oxygen uptake, acid-base balance and blood-O2 affinity have been investigated inAmbystoma tigrinum. The results differ from previous studies in three ways. (1) The transition from gilled to gill-less adults had no effect on the O2 affinity of blood. (2) Cold acclimation increased blood O2 affinity in neotenes and had no effect in adults. (3) O2 uptake increased, rather than decreased, after acclimation to a higher temperature. The results resemble previous studies also in three ways. (1) O2 uptake increased with the transition from gilled-neotenes to gill-less adults as did the dependence on air-breathing. (2) Metamorphosis resulted in CO2 retention and a fall in arterial pH. (3) The temperature coefficient of blood pH was about −0.014dpH/dT in vivo and in vitro. The physiological significance of the results is discussed with respect to the natural history, modes of breathing, and dependance on aerial respiration ofAmbystoma tigrinum.
The preparation and colorimetric analysis of l-canaline

Abstract A method for the isolation of l -canavanine from the seed of jack bean, Canavalia ensiformis (L.) DC., is described. Procedures for the enzymatic preparation of l -canaline by hydrolysis of l -canavanine have been developed. A new colorimetric assay for canaline is presented.
Biologically-inspired pattern recognition for odor detection

Abstract It is shown that biologically-inspired data aggregation methods result in improved odor discrimination in a gas sensor array. In one typical group of experiments, the correct identification rate achieved by a neural network was improved from 92% without aggregation to 98% with aggregation.
Ionization of C3F8 by electron and ion impact

Abstract The dissociative ionization of perfluoropropane, C 3 F 8 , by electron impact has been measured under single collision conditions using Fourier Transform Mass Spectrometry. The total ionization cross-section rises to a maximum value of 1.24±0.20×10 −15 cm 2 at 140 eV. CF 3 + is the most prominent ion fragment at all energies, followed by C 3 F 7 + , CF + , CF 2 + , C 2 F 4 + and C 2 F 5 + ; C 3 F 8 + is not observed. The ratio of dissociative ionization to total dissociation increases from 25±8% at 22 eV to no less than 70% from 70 to 200 eV. Among the ion fragments only C 3 F 7 + reacts at room temperature to produce C 2 F 5 + .
Theory of hysteresis and bistability during transmission through a linear nondispersive–nonlinear dispersive interface

The transmission through a linear nondispersive–nonlinear dispersive interface is investigated. Propagation-mode and nonpropagation-mode solutions are obtained, and the stabilities of these solutions are checked. A complete figure of the dependence of the transmitted wave (output) on the incident (input) wave shows hysteresis and bistability. This analysis may be used to study similar nonlinear dispersive systems and to search for some nonlinear-optical elements serving as switching, logic, and memory devices.
Organization of fibroblasts in the heart

Cardiac fibroblasts are organized into a three-dimensional network in the heart. This organization follows the endomysial weave network that surrounds groups of myocytes. Reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction, Western blots, and immunohistochemistry were used to show that discoidin domain receptor 2 (DDR2) was specific for cardiac fibroblasts and not expressed on endothelial cells, smooth muscle cells, or cardiac myocytes. DDR2 is expressed early in development and in the adult heart. High voltage electron microscopy (HVEM), scanning electron microscopy, and laser scanning confocal microscopy document the three-dimensional organization of fibroblasts in the heart. Antibodies against connexin 43 and 45 showed different patterns but confirmed, along with HVEM, that fibroblasts are connected to each other as well as cardiac myocytes. The implications of this arrangement of fibroblasts can be important to cardiac function. The signaling of DDR2 and the expression of matrix metalloproteinase 2 in relation to collagen turnover and remodeling is discussed.
Hair as Forensic Evidence of Explosive Handling

Hair has the ability to assimilate a variety of chemical compounds. The analysis of hair for determining first-hand exposure to illegal drugs is a popular forensic technique [1–6]. Molecules such as explosives can also become trapped in hair due to external exposure and detected at trace levels [7–12]. Hair analysis could prove a powerful, non-invasive method for the detection of individual exposure to illicit explosives. Previous studies showed that in a sealed vessel with adequate headspace, military explosives such as PETN, TNT, and RDX were sorbed to human hair. These organic explosives persisted on hair even after the hair was washed with detergents or solvent [7, 8]. Such sorption was influenced by hair color, and the levels of contamination were on the order of micrograms per gram hair after thousands of hours of exposure. It was assumed that in the “real-world” explosives would sorb to hair through the condensation of vapors or by the deposition of solid particulates. This study involved the sampling of hair from students and instructors attending field classes for handling explosives at Fort A. P. Hill, Fredericksburg, VA and Redstone Arsenal, AL. Hair was sampled using combs fitted with cheesecloth, and the cheesecloth was extracted and analyzed by GC-ECD for PETN, TNT, and RDX. On average, 80% of the participants were contaminated with PETN, found in detonating cord, after daily field exercises. Average participant contamination with TNT and RDX in hair ranged from 30 to 50%.
NDL: a domain-specific language for device drivers

Device drivers are difficult to write and error-prone. They are usually written in C, a fairly low-level language with minimal type safety and little support for device semantics. As a result, they have become a major source of instability in operating system code.This paper presents NDL, a language for device drivers. NDL provides high-level abstractions of device resources and constructs tailored to describing common device driver operations. We show that NDL allows for the coding of a semantically correct driver with a code size reduction of more than 50% and a minimal impact on performance.
Facies-Architecture Study of a Stepped, Forced Regressvie Compound Incised Valley in the Ferron Notom Delta, Southern Central Utah, U.S.A.

Abstract Detailed facies-architecture study of a portion of a > 10-kilometer-wide compound incised valley in outcrops of the Turonian Ferron Notom Delta shows three simple incised valleys filled with different facies associations. The valley-fill deposits were mapped with 30 detailed measured sections, photomosaics, and bedding diagrams. The oldest, incised valley 3, forms a terrace deposit that erodes directly into hummocky-cross-bedded lower-shoreface deposits. It is filled with fine- to medium-grained tidally influenced deposits, characterized by abundant mud-draped cross beds, sparse burrowing, and a bimodal paleocurrent-direction pattern. The younger incised valley 2 locally cuts through the valley 3 terrace and also into the lower-shoreface deposits. The valley 2 fill comprises multi-story medium-grained fluvial deposits with minor finer-grained tidally influenced fluvial deposits in the upper 10%. The youngest, incised valley 1, also locally cuts into the lower-shoreface deposits, removing the terraces formed by valleys 2 and 3. Valley 1 is filled entirely with medium-grained fluvial deposits. The composite valley fill records generally increasing fluvial dominance and decreasing tidal influence during successive cut-and-fill episodes associated with each simple valley fill. It is hypothesized to correlate with a longer-term, stepped relative fall of sea level, punctuated by standstills, or minor rises of sea level.
Type I Pleuropulmonary Blastoma: A Report From the International Pleuropulmonary Blastoma Registry

Purpose Type I pleuropulmonary blastoma (PPB) is a rare, cystic lung neoplasm in infants characterized by subtle malignant changes and a good prognosis. Recurrences after type I PPB are usually advanced type II or type III neoplasms with a poor prognosis. This article describes the first collection of type I PPB cases, analyzes outcome based on treatments of surgery or surgery plus chemotherapy, and presents type I PPB management recommendations. Patients and Methods Type I PPB cases from the International PPB Registry and literature were evaluated using standard statistical methods for outcomes based on age at diagnosis, sex, thoracic side, surgical extent, length of follow-up, constitutional/familial disease, pre-existing lung cysts, intrathoracic findings, and treatments (surgery or surgery and chemotherapy). Results Thirty-eight type I PPB cases were identified: Registry (n = 30) and literature (n = 8). Twenty children had surgery alone; eight (40%) experienced recurrence; and four died. Eighteen chil...
Status of the experimental studies of the electron cloud at the Los Alamos proton storage ring

The electron cloud (EC) at the Los Alamos Proton Storage Ring (PSR) has been studied extensively for the past several years with an overall aim to identify and measure its important characteristics, the factors that influence these characteristics, and to relate these to the two-stream (e-p) transverse instability long observed at PSR. Some new results since PAC2001 are presented
Architectural design exploration of chip-scale photonic interconnection networks using physical-layer analysis

Chip-scale photonic interconnection networks have emerged as a promising technology solution that can address many of the scalability challenges facing the communication networks in next-generation high-performance multicore processors. Photonic interconnects can offer significantly higher bandwidth density, lower latencies, and better energy efficiency. Even though photonics exhibits these inherent advantages over electronics, the network designs that can successfully leverage these benefits cannot be straightforwardly extracted from typical electronic network methodologies and must consider the many unique physical-layer constraints of optical technologies. We conduct an architectural exploration of four chip-scale photonic interconnection networks in a novel simulation environment, measuring insertion loss, crosstalk, and power. We also explain and demonstrate the impact of these physical-layer metrics on the scalability, performance, and realizability of each design.
β‐glucosidase Activity in Juice‐Processing Enzymes Based on Anthocyanin Analysis

A screening procedure utilizing boysenberry juice as a substrate, which combined HPLC and spectrophotometric analyses, was used to measure β-glucosidase activity of enzyme preparations used for juice processing. Enzyme preparations (n = 26) were evaluated at two dosage rates. At the mean recommended dosage, one preparation produced a decrease in total monomeric anthocyanin and cyanidin-3-glucoside, relative to a control, indicating β-glucosidase activity. At 0.1% dosage, 4 enzymes produced a significant decrease in cyanidin-3-sophoroside and 2 enzymes caused an increase in cyanidin-3-rutinoside, indicating β-1,2-glucosidase activity. Such activity in juice processing enzymes was much lower and less prevalent than found previously for β-galactosidase. Botrytis cinerea also degraded anthocyanins in boysenberry juice.
Using medical simulation to teach crisis resource management and decision-making skills to otolaryngology housestaff.

Objectives. Develop a course to use in situ high-fidelity medical simulation (HFS) in an actual operating room (OR) to (1) teach teamwork and crisis resource management (CRM) skills simultaneously ...
Immunohistochemical characterization of 5-HT3A receptors in the Syrian hamster forebrain

Abstract The Syrian hamster (Mesocricetus auratus) has been extensively used as an animal model to investigate neuronal networks underlying various behaviors where 5-HT3A receptors have been found to play a critical role. To date, however, there is no comprehensive description of the distribution of 5-HT3A receptors in the Syrian hamster brain. The current study examined the localization of 5-HT3A receptors across the neuraxis of the Syrian hamster forebrain using immunohistochemistry. Overall, 5-HT3A receptors were widely and heterogeneously distributed across the neuraxis of the Syrian hamster brain. Notably, the most intense 5-HT3A immunolabeling patterns were observed in the cerebral cortex and amygdala. In addition, high variability in receptor density and expression patterns (i.e., perikarya, fibers and/or neuropilar puncta) was observed within the majority of brain areas examined, indicating that the role this receptor has in the modulation of a particular neural function differs depending on brain region. In some regions (i.e., nucleus accumbens) differences in the immunolabeling pattern between rostral, medial and caudal portions were also observed, suggesting functional heterogeneity of this receptor within a single brain region. Together, these results and the localization of this receptor to brain areas involved in the regulation of sexual behavior, aggression, circadian rhythm, drug abuse and anxiety implicate 5-HT3A receptors in the modulation of various behaviors and neural functions in the Syrian hamster. Further, these results underscore the importance of evaluating 5-HT3A receptors as a pharmacological target for the treatment of various psychopathological disorders.
An adaptive nonparametric approach to restoration and interpolation for medical imaging

We present the application of a novel nonparametric approach to restoration and interpolation of medical images. The proposed approach is based on the notion of spatially adaptive filtering where locally computed filters adjust to the underlying estimated geometry of the signal of interest. In particular, the approach allows for high performance denoising, restoration and interpolation of images from a variety of modalities using the same mathematical and computational framework.
The Convergence of Health and Family in the Vietnamese Culture

Although thousands of Vietnamese refugees have found sanctuary in the United States during the past 30 years, few descriptions exist about the manner in which the Vietnamese family functions in this country. Using the phenomenological method, open-ended interviews on health, illness, and family in the Vietnamese culture were conducted with 15 Vietnamese women. The participants conveyed themes of connectedness, holism, persistence of values, and the importance of continuity of intergenerational wisdom. These topics provide information about the salience of the Vietnamese family and intersecting points of its health in particular. This article examines implications for nurse clinicians working with families and the importance of involving family members in health care delivery. Recommendations for further research pertaining to the Vietnamese family and communities are also explored.
Platelet Monoamine Oxidase Activity in Children and Adolescents With Psychiatric Disorders

Platelet monoamine oxidase (MAO) activity was studied in 108 children and adolescents with psychiatric illness and 67 control subjects. Platelet MAO activity was higher in male children with a psychiatric disturbance than in male control subjects. There was a gradual decline in platelet MAO activity during childhood and adolescence. Associations were demonstrated between MAO activity and hemoglobin, hematocrit, and platelet count, and should be considered in biological studies of vulnerability to psychiatric illness.
Shape anisotropy of a single random-walk polymer

Random walks have been used to describe a wide variety of systems ranging from cell colonies to polymers. Sixty-five years ago, Kuhn [Kuhn, W. (1934) Kolloid-Z. 68, 2–11] made the prediction, backed later by computer simulations, that the overall shape of a random-walk polymer is aspherical, yet no experimental work has directly tested Kuhn's general idea and subsequent computer simulations. By using fluorescence microscopy, we monitored the conformation of individual, long, random-walk polymers (fluorescently labeled DNA molecules) at equilibrium. We found that a polymer most frequently adopts highly extended, nonfractal structures with a strongly anisotropic shape. The ensemble-average ratio of the lengths of the long and short axes of the best-fit ellipse of the polymer was much larger than unity.
Effects of Colesevelam Hydrochloride (WelChol) on Biomarkers of Inflammation in Patients With Mild Hypercholesterolemia

Inflammation is pivotal in atherogenesis. High-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), the prototypic marker of inflammation, has been shown to predict cardiovascular events. Colesevelam hydrochloride (HCl) (WelChol, Sankyo Pharma Incorporated, Parsippany, New Jersey), a specifically engineered bile acid sequestrant, has been shown to be effective in lowering low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol levels in monotherapy and in combination with statins or fenofibrate. Previously, we have shown that statins lower hs-CRP levels; however, a paucity of data is available examining the effect of colesevelam HCl on hs-CRP levels. The aim of this study was to examine the effect of colesevelam HCl therapy (3.75 g/day for 6 weeks) on hs-CRP in patients with mild hypercholesterolemia in a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study. Twenty-five subjects on colesevelam HCl and 23 subjects on placebo completed the study. The median baseline hs-CRP levels for the treatment and placebo groups are 3.4 and 3.1 mg/L, respectively. Colesevelam HCl therapy resulted in a significant reduction in LDL cholesterol levels (p
Plasmonic Modulation of the Upconversion Fluorescence in NaYF4:Yb/Tm Hexaplate Nanocrystals Using Gold Nanoparticles or Nanoshells

Automatic upgrade: attachment of gold nanoparticles (NPs) onto upconversion nanocrystals (NCs) results in plasmonic interactions that lead to a significant enhancement of upconversion emission of more than 2.5. Conversely, formation of a gold shell greatly suppresses the NC emission because of considerable scattering of excitation irradiation (see picture; a=NC before seed attachment; b, c=NC with attached Au NPs; c=NC with Au shell; scale bar=50 nm).
Long-term Effects of Carbohydrate Availability on Mating Success of Newly Eclosed Aedes albopictus (Diptera: Culicidae) Males

Sugar availability varies greatly in nature, and determining how this affects male mosquito fitness is essential for understanding population dynamics. We allowed male Aedes albopictus (Skuse) carbohydrate access for increasing intervals of time immediately after eclosion and we evaluated their fitness by comparing mortality, mating success, and sperm transfer. We compared individual male Ae. albopictus, which were offered water or 20% sucrose solution for 24, 48, or 72 h. As predicted, there were significant increases in fitness for each additional day of sucrose access. Following sugar exposure, we allowed males daily access to three virgin females. We assessed mating success through observation of spermatozoa in the female spermathecae. When individuals of the same age were compared, males with sugar access exhibited significantly greater mating success than water-treated males in all treatments. The total number of spermathecae filled by males with sugar access in the 48- and 72-h treatments was also significantly greater on some days; these were 3-5 d posteclosion in the 48-h treatment and 5-6 d posteclosion in the 72-h treatment. We conclude that extended sugar access at eclosion is important for maximizing fitness in male Ae. albopictus and should be applicable to sterile male release efforts, especially when laboratory-reared males suffered from other disadvantages. We recommend retaining adult males for 3 d posteclosion prior to release to improve their mating success in male release initiatives.
THE ROLE OF COMPUTERS IN WRITING PROCESS

In this paper, the role of computers in writing process was investigated. Last 25 years of journals were searched to find related articles. Articles and books were classified under prewriting, composing, and revising and editing headings. The review results showed that computers can make writers’ job easy in the writing process. In addition, literature results revealed that teachers, peers, instructional strategies, and computer software all together have some important roles to develop students’ writing ability. Simplifying the revising process is the biggest expectation from computers.
Wake collapse in the thermocline and internal solitary waves

Experiments were conducted in a long channel in which a mixed region was allowed to collapse in the thermocline region of a stratified fluid. Two solitary wave-like disturbances were generated travelling to the right and left of the mixed region. The mixed region fluid was partly entrained in these waves. The waves were allowed to reflect from the end walls and to collide after the reflexions. The velocity structure of the wave was studied before, during and after a collision by means of hot-film anemometry and streak pictures. Wave speeds were accurately determined by two hot-film probes. Permanence of form and amplitude decay of the waves were observed over long distances and through successive collisions and reflexions. An analytical result for the structure of the solitary wave in an ambient stratification of the hyperbolic tangent type, but of finite total water depth, was obtained using Benney's method. Excellent agreement between the experimental and theoretical results was obtained. The results showed that the generated waves were indeed solitary waves.
Planar Annular Ring Antennas With Multilayer Self-Biased NiCo-Ferrite Films Loading

With their high relative permeability, magneto-dielectric materials show great potential in antenna miniaturization. This paper presents an annular ring antenna with self-biased magnetic films loading in the gigahertz frequency range. The annular ring antenna was realized by cascading a microstrip ring and a tuning stub. Self-biased NiCo-ferrite films were adopted to load an annular ring antenna on a commercially available substrate that operates at 1.7 GHz. Novel antenna designs with self-biased NiCo-ferrite films on one side and both sides of the substrate were investigated. Antennas with self-biased magnetic films loading working at 1.7 GHz showed a down shift of 2-71 MHz of the central resonant frequency. An antenna gain enhancement of up to 0.8 dB was observed over the non-magnetic antenna.
Influence of corn on common waterhemp (Amaranthus rudis) growth and fecundity

Abstract Four experiments were conducted in central Iowa during 2001 and 2002 to determine the effects of weed emergence time and corn row spacing on common waterhemp growth and fecundity. Four common waterhemp emergence cohorts were established in each experiment and corresponded to the VE, V3, V5, and V8 stages of corn grown in rows spaced 38 and 76 cm apart. Common waterhemp mortality averaged 20, 56, 97, and 99% for the first, second, third, and fourth cohorts, respectively. Mean mature common waterhemp height for the first cohort was 140 cm, whereas plants emerging at the V8 corn stage were only 5 cm tall. Biomass of the first cohort was 20% less in 38-cm rows than in 76-cm rows, but later cohorts were not affected by row spacing. Biomass and seed production of waterhemp emerging at the V3, V5, and V8 corn stages decreased 80, 97, and 99%, respectively in comparison with the first cohort. Overall results indicate that common waterhemp biomass, survival, and fecundity decline sharply with delayed emer...
Admissibility, Unbiasedness, and Nonnegativity in the Balanced, Random, One-Way Anova Model

Problems encountered in estimating variance components in mixed-effects analysis of variance (ANOVA) models have stimulated research in linear estimation. Pukelsheim (1976) noted that quadratics in the observations which are invariant to fixed effects follow a linear model in the variance components, and that results in linear estimation theory can then be applied directly to this derived linear model. However, this model has characteristics which do not permit application of earlier results on admissibility of linear estimators by Cohen (1966) and Rao (1976). Olsen, Seely and Birkes (1976) provided results on admissibility and completeness among unbiased linear estimators in a very general setting which encompasses the peculiar structure of linear models for invariant quadratics. In models with two variance components, they described the essentially complete class of admissible unbiased invariant quadratic estimators of linear combinations of the variance components. These results when combined with existing results on unbiased linear estimation, fairly completed the story on unbiased invariant quadratic estimation of variance components.
The Impact of Response Measurement Error on the Analysis of Designed Experiments

This study considers the analysis of designed experiments when there is measurement error in the true response or so-called response measurement error. We consider both additive and multiplicative response measurement errors. Through a simulation study, we investigate the impact of ignoring the response measurement error in the analysis, that is, by using a standard analysis based on t-tests. In addition, we examine the role of repeat measurements in improving the quality of estimation and prediction in the presence of response measurement error. We also study a Bayesian approach that accounts for the response measurement error directly through the specification of the model, and allows including additional information about variability in the analysis. We consider the impact on power, prediction, and optimization. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Reflex regulation of sweat rate by skin temperature in exercising humans

To find whether sweat rate (SR) and forearm skin blood flow ( SkBF ) were reflexly affected by skin temperature (Tsk) we used water-perfused suits to rapidly elevate Tsk during exercise. With this elevation in Tsk, there was a period of little net change in esophageal temperature (Tes) but marked responses in SR and SkBF . During this period a rise in Tsk of 4.2 +/- 0.3 degrees C was associated with an increase in SR of 0.44 +/- 0.09 mg X cm-2 X min-1 and an increase in SkBF of 3.27 +/- 0.42 ml X 100 ml-1 X min-1. Multiple linear regression analysis as well as comparison with control studies in which Tsk was kept cool also reveal a consistent role for Tsk in the reflex regulation of SR and SkBF . Responses in SR and FBF were much more marked at levels of Tsk below 33 degrees C. Below a Tsk of 33 degrees C, SR rose 0.30 +/- 0.06 mg X cm-2 X min-1 per degrees C rise in Tsk, whereas above 33 degrees SR rose only 0.05 +/- 0.01 mg X cm2 X min per degrees C. FBF rose 2.81 +/- 0.60 and 0.77 +/- 0.18 ml X 100 ml-1 X min-1 per degrees C rise in Tsk at the lower and upper ranges of Tsk, respectively.
Optimization Under Mixed Aleatory/Epistemic Uncertainty Using Derivatives

In this paper mixed aleatory/epistemic uncertainties in a robust design problem are propagated via the use of box-constrained optimizations and surrogate models. The assumption is that the uncertain input parameters can be divided into a set only containing aleatory uncertainties and a set with only epistemic uncertainties. Uncertainties due to the epistemic inputs can then be propagated via a box-constrained optimization approach, while the uncertainties due to aleatory inputs can be propagated via sampling. A statisticsof-intervals approach is used in which the box-constrained optimization results are treated as a random variable and multiple optimizations need to be performed to quantify the aleatory uncertainties via sampling. A Kriging surrogate is employed to model the variation of the optimization results with respect to the aleatory variables enabling exhaustive Monte-Carlo sampling to determine the desired statistics for each robust design iteration. This approach is applied to the robust design of a transonic NACA 0012 airfoil where shape design variables are assumed to have epistemic uncertainties and the angle of attack and Mach number are considered to have aleatory uncertainties. The very good scalability of the framework in the number of epistemic variables is demonstrated as well.
Insecticide Susceptibility and Response to Selected Pollens of Larval Alfalfa Leafcutting Bees, Megachile pacifica (Panzer) (Hymenoptera: Megachilidae)

A method for rearing larvae from field-collected eggs of Megachile pacifica (Panzer) was used to measure insecticide toxicities, synergist ratios, and larval growth on 4 pollen species. Carbaryl, propoxur, Landrin® (3,4,5-trimethylphenyl methylcarbamate and 2,3,5-trimethylphenyl carbamate) and methomyl had LC50 values ranging from 42–121 ppm. Gardona® [2-chloro-1-(2,4,5-trichlorophenyl) vinyl dimethyl phosphate] and monocrotophos were more toxic with LC50 values of about 1.7 and 2.6 ppm, respectively. The carbaryl-piperonyl butoxide synergist ratios for the larvae were estimated to range between 1.57–2.17. Alfalfa pollen provided the best larval growth. Pollens from goatsrue, sweet clover, and goldenweed were less satisfactory.
NMR Techniques for Studying Ionic Diffusion in Solids

A survey of NMR relaxation time techniques for studying ionic diffusion in solids is presented. Particular emphasis is placed on discussing the kinds of information obtainable from T1, T1ρ, T1D, and T1D′ measurements. Applications to the study of local and nonlocal diffusion, diffusion in weakly magnetic systems, and motions between unequal potential wells are described. Relaxation due to fluctuating dipolar, quadrupolar, and chemical shift anisotropy interactions is discussed.
Dopamine antagonism by thioridazine in schizophrenia

One of the leading current theories of the etiology of schizophrenia is excessive activity of some brain dopaminergic tracts. One of the major objections to the theory is that thioridazine is clinically as effective a treatment of schizophrenia as other neuroleptic drugs but appears to have much less dopamine-blocking properties than these agents in man and laboratory animals. Serum prolactin levels are increased by dopamine receptor-blocking drugs. We have found that thioridazine is as effective as chlorpromazine, trifluperazine, and prolixin enanthate in increasing serum prolactin levels in unmediated schizophrenic patients, indicating it is an effective dopamine-blocking agent.
The Effects of Performance Fatigability on Postural Control and Rehabilitation in the Older Patient

Fatigue is common in older adults and has a significant effect on quality of life. Despite the high prevalence of fatigue in older individuals, several aspects are poorly understood. It is important to differentiate subjective fatigue complaints from fatigability of motor performance because the two are independent constructs with potentially distinct consequences on mobility. Performance fatigability is the magnitude of change in a performance criterion over a given time of task performance. Performance fatigability is a compulsory element of any strength training program, yet strength training is an important component of rehabilitation programs for older adults. The consequences of fatigability for older adults suggest that acute exercise of various types may result in acute impairments in postural control. The effects of performance fatigability on postural control in older adults are evaluated here to aid the rehabilitation clinician in making recommendations for evaluation of fall risks and exercise prescription.
Executive Functioning in Children and Adolescents With Perinatal HIV Infection and Perinatal HIV Exposure.

BACKGROUND Executive functions (EFs) are critical for management of life activities, but few studies have evaluated EFs in children and adolescents with perinatally acquired HIV (PHIV), who are at risk for problems in academics, behavior, and medication adherence. We compared EFs in youth with PHIV and in perinatally HIV-exposed but uninfected (PHEU) youth. METHODS Four Delis-Kaplan Executive Function System (D-KEFS) subtests were administered to 173 youth with PHIV and 85 PHEU youth, aged 9 to <19 years, who were enrolled in the Pediatric HIV/AIDS Cohort Study (PHACS) Memory and Executive Functioning Study. Youth with PHIV, with or without history of a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Class C (AIDS-defining) condition (PHIV/C [n = 45] and PHIV/non-C [n = 128], respectively), were compared with each other and with PHEU youth. Among youth with PHIV, associations with measures of current and past disease severity were evaluated using adjusted linear regression models. RESULTS The PHIV/C group (mean age, 15.5 years), compared with the PHIV/non-C and PHEU groups (mean ages, 14.5 and 12.9 years, respectively), were significantly slower on the Inhibition and Color Naming/Reading Combined conditions of the Color-Word Interference subtest and made more errors on Inhibition; differences between the PHIV/C and PHEU groups persisted in adjusted models. No differences in adjusted means for fluency or problem-solving were found. The PHIV/non-C and PHEU groups did not differ on any measure. Associations of specific EF measures with HIV RNA viral load, CD4-positive T-lymphocyte percentage, and age at greatest disease severity were observed. CONCLUSIONS Youth with PHIV and previous AIDS-defining conditions performed more poorly on some EF measures. Relationships of EF development with the degree and timing of disease severity require further study. Implications for long-term outcomes and interventions are important avenues for follow-up.
Development and Application of Anticancer Nanomedicine

This chapter describes the state-of-the-art advances in the field of cancer nanotechnology that bring the science closer to clinical realization of nanomedicine-mediated cancer therapy and targeting. The development of various types of nanomedicines and their current status of clinical translation is reviewed, followed by the discussion of studies for improving the biodistribution, tumor penetration, and cellular uptake of nanomedicines. Recent development of nanomedicine-controlled formulation and conjugation techniques, as well as the potential and the challenge of nanomedicine-mediated cancer targeting, is also discussed.