cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
TIME COURSE ANALYSES OF THE THERMOREGULATORY RESPONSES TO MELATONIN AND CHLORPROMAZINE IN BULL SNAKES (PITUOPHIS MELANOLEUCUS)

Abstract Intraperitoneal injections of either melatonin (MEL) or chlorpromazine (CPZ) significantly lowered preferred body temperature (T b ) of bullsnakes, Pituophis melanoleucus . Multiple comparison procedures showed that T b for both MEL and CPZ treatments differed significantly from both the injected and non-injected control groups. However, T b for MEL treatments did not differ from those of CPZ treatments ( t =0.471; df =12; P =0.646), indicating that each drug has a similar effect on thermal selection. Our results obtained from time-course experiments support earlier experiments where a repeated measures design was used to test treatment effects of MEL and CPZ on thermal selection. However, we further show that injected controls (saline and ethanol injection) do not differ from non-injected controls (no injection) for both MEL and CPZ experiments. Although there are no differences between T b of snakes receiving MEL or CPZ, time-course analyses indicate that the duration of thermoregulatory responses differ between MEL and CPZ treatments. This indicates that CPZ treatments may be more effective in increasing the amount of time required for individuals to return to normal preferred T b or set temperature (T set ). The initial duration of thermoregulatory responses to the first injection of MEL differed significantly from the second injection. There were no differences in the duration of thermoregulatory responses between the first and second injections of CPZ. There are no data for the metabolic half-life of MEL in ectothermic vertebrates. Our study provides some information regarding the time-course of thermoregulatory responses to elevated levels of MEL via intraperitoneal injections of either MEL or CPZ, a metabolic antagonist of MEL.
Inevitable experimental errors, determinism, and information theory

Classical physics was based upon the assumption that experimental errors were just accidental and should be ignored by the theory. Modern physics realizes that errors are inevitable and that it is impossible to go to the limit of infinitely small errors. The uncertainty principle and the negentropy principle of information prove that the smaller the error, the greater the price that must be paid for the observation. There is no exact limit to the accuracy, but its high cost makes it unattainable. Classical physics assumed complete determinism. The new modern “matter of fact” point of view states the impossibility to prove this assumption. If experimental errors are very small, it takes a longer time to reach the final statistical distribution, but this final state of statistical equilibrium will always be reached. Many examples are discussed, and the “matter of fact” point of view is compared with similar ideas presented by the Vienna school, by M. Born and by the Copenhagen school.
Minority women with sexually transmitted diseases: sexual abuse and risk for pelvic inflammatory disease.

Mexican American and African American women (N = 617) with a sexually transmitted disease (STD) underwent a targeted physical exam and questioning regarding sexual abuse, current genitourinary symptomatology, and pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) risk behaviors to determine the relationship between sexual abuse and risk for PID. Sexually abused women (n = 194) reported higher PID risk behaviors, including earlier coitus, more sex partners, higher STD recurrence, and a tendency toward delayed health-seeking behavior. They also reported more severe genitourinary symptomatology, confirmed by physical exam, and presumptive diagnoses of PID. These characteristics identify sexually abused women at high risk for PID. Because of its considerable impact on risk for PID, assessment for sexual abuse is essential in clinical management of women with STD and for diagnosis of PID. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Res Nurs Health 24, 38–43, 2001
SPINAL-FLUID PROCOAGULANT ACTIVITY: A SENSITIVE INDICATOR OF CENTRAL-NERVOUS-SYSTEM DAMAGE

Abstract Testing the procoagulant activity (P.C.A.) of cerebrospinal fluid (C.S.F.) by measuring its effect on plasma-recalcification time is a useful indicator of central-nervous-system damage. C.S.F. from 22 normal children and adolescents aged 6 months to 17 years had a mean ±S.D. P.C.A. of 14±6%. P.C.A. in 13 children with C.N.S. infection was significantly increased to 59±13%. In 8/13 of these children activity remained high (42±11%) after therapy. In patients with acute lymphatic leukaemia (A.L.L.) 12 aged >21/2 years at diagnosis had a normal activity (17±8%) and 4 patients aged L . L . and the post-irradiation syndrome) had the highest activities. Ether extraction showed that the active material had lipid properties. P.C.A. did not correlate with protein, lactic dehydrogenase, or cell count in C.S.F.
Endoplasmic reticulum export of adrenergic and angiotensin II receptors is differentially regulated by Sar1 GTPase.

Abstract The molecular mechanism underlying the export of G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) from the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) remains largely unknown. In this manuscript, we investigated the role of Sar1 GTPase, which coordinates the assembly and budding of COPII-coated vesicles, in the cell-surface targeting, signaling and ER export of α2B-adrenergic (α2B-AR), β2-AR and angiotensin II type 1 receptors (AT1R). The cell-surface expression of α2B-AR, β2-AR and AT1R, and receptor-mediated ERK1/2 activation were significantly attenuated by the GTP-bound mutant Sar1H79G, suggesting that export from the ER of these receptors is mediated through the Sar1-dependent COPII-coated vesicles. Interestingly, subcellular distribution analyses showed that α2B-AR and AT1R were highly concentrated at discrete locations near the nucleus in cells expressing Sar1H79G, whereas β2-AR exhibited an ER distribution. These data indicate that Sar1-catalyzed efficient GTP hydrolysis differentially regulates ER export of adrenergic and angiotensin II receptors. These data provide the first evidence indicating distinct mechanisms for the recruitment of different GPCRs into the COPII vesicles on the ER membrane.
A general statistical framework for assessing Granger causality

Assessing the causal relationship among multivariate time series is a crucial problem in many fields. Granger causality has been widely used to identify the causal interactions between continuous-valued time series based on multivariate autoregressive models in the Gaussian case. In order to extend the application of the Granger causality concept to non-Gaussian time series, we propose a general statistical framework for assessing the causal interactions. In this study, the Granger causality from a time series x 2 to a time series x 1 is assessed based on the relative reduction of the likelihood of x 1 by the exclusion of x 2 compared to the likelihood obtained using all the time series. Simulation results indicated that the proposed algorithm accurately predicted nature of interactions between discrete-valued time series as well as between continuousvalued time series.
Predator-induced behaviour shifts and natural selection in field-experimental lizard populations

The role of behaviour in evolutionary change has long been debated. On the one hand, behavioural changes may expose individuals to new selective pressures by altering the way that organisms interact with the environment, thus driving evolutionary divergence. Alternatively, behaviour can act to retard evolutionary change: by altering behavioural patterns in the face of new environmental conditions, organisms can minimize exposure to new selective pressures. This constraining influence of behaviour has been put forward as an explanation for evolutionary stasis within lineages and niche conservatism within clades. Nonetheless, the hypothesis that behavioural change prevents natural selection from operating in new environments has never been experimentally tested. We conducted a controlled and replicated experimental study of selection in entirely natural populations; we demonstrate that lizards alter their habitat use in the presence of an introduced predator, but that these behavioural shifts do not prevent patterns of natural selection from changing in experimental populations.
A profile of US asthma centers, 2006

Background Asthma is a significant public health problem that results in 1.8 million annual emergency department (ED) visits. Many ED visits may be prevented with specialized asthma care. Objective To describe US asthma centers with a long-term goal of exploring their potential role in improving outcomes for ED patients with acute asthma. Methods We conducted initial online surveys in 2004. One survey identified asthma centers and their directors through reports by emergency medicine researchers and fellowship directors (allergy/immunology, pulmonary, and critical care) at US hospitals. A second survey asked asthma center directors to describe their asthma center. Follow-up surveys were conducted 2 years later in 2006. Results Eighty-seven (49%) of the 177 hospitals surveyed have asthma clinics. Although spirometry was available on the day of the visit at all asthma centers surveyed in 2006, only 21% (95% confidence interval, 11%-34%) of sites reported that at least 90% of visits per week included a spirometry test. Only one quarter (26%; 95% confidence interval, 15%-40%) of asthma centers reported that at least 90% of patients undergo a skin or blood test for environmental allergens during 1 of their visits. Half of center directors (53%) were unsure of the approximate number of annual ED visits for acute asthma at their hospital. No significant measured changes were noted in asthma centers between 2004 and 2006. Conclusions Asthma centers are heterogenous, with different services available. Although challenges remain, collaboration between EDs and asthma centers may contribute to improved asthma outcomes and merits further study.
The relationship between hydrogen content, weak bond density and Staebler-Wronski defects in amorphous silicon

Abstract P-i-n solar cells were degraded by current injection at high temperature until steady state was achieved and quenched to room temperature for SW defect determination. The H content in the i-layer of the devices was systematically varied through reactor pressure. The effect of the H content on the steady state SW density is found to be associated with the weak bond density rather than with an alteration in the recombination rate.
Successful treatment of avoidance of dentistry by desensitization or by increasing pain tolerance

Abstract Five subjects were treated by desensitization for fear of dentistry. Unlike earlier reported cases, these subjects were avoiding dental work rather than reporting discomfort during dental work. Three subjects completed dental treatments following desensitization, and received dental examination and prophylaxis 6 months later. The other two began courses of dental treatment, but discontinued because of pain experienced during treatment. They were successfully treated by a procedure that systematically raised pain tolerance.
Highly conductive graphene-based segregated composites prepared by particle templating

We use capillary-driven particle level templating and hot melt pressing to disperse few-layer graphene flakes within a polystyrene matrix to enhance the electrical conductivity of the polymer. The conducting pathways provided by the graphene located at the particle surfaces through contact of the bounding surfaces allow percolation at a loading of less than 0.01 % by volume. This method of distributing graphene within a matrix overcomes the need to disperse the sheet-like conducting fillers isotropically within the polymer, and can be scaled up easily.
Air–soil exchange of mercury from background soils in the United States

The air–surface exchange of mercury (Hg) was measured, using a dynamic polycarbonate flux chamber, for soils with low or bbackgroundQ Hg concentrations (b0.1 mg/kg) at eleven locations across the contiguous United States. Sampling locations included agricultural, desert, grassland, mixed and pine forest ecosystems (n=1326 soil flux measurements at 46 individual sites). An overall soil Hg flux of 0.9F0.2 ng/m 2 /h for these background soils was obtained by averaging the means for the different locations. Soil Hg fluxes were significantly lower in dark conditions than in the light for all but the grassland sites. Mean inlet air Hg concentrations were 1.0F0.1 ng/m 3 in the dark and 1.3F0.2 ng/m 3 in the light. Soil temperature inside and outside of the chamber, air temperature, relative humidity, and irradiance were measured concurrently with soil Hg flux. Soil–air Hg exchange was weakly predicted by environmental variables (R 2 from 0.07 to 0.52). For a single location, flux was better correlated with soil moisture than other measured environmental parameters, suggesting that soil moisture might be an important driver for Hg emissions from background soils. In addition, based on data collected we suggest some quality control measures for use of TekranR 2537A analyzers when measuring low mercury fluxes. Using basic scaling procedures, we roughly estimate that natural emissions from soils in the contiguous U.S. release ~100 Mg/yr of Hg to the atmosphere. D 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Forage chicory and plantain: Nutritive value of herbage at variable grazing frequencies and intensities

Cultivars of forage chicory (Cichorium intybus L.) and plantain (Plantago lanceolata L.) grown in the northeastern USA have acceptable seasonal productivity; however, their reproductive habit could limit herbage nutritive value. The nutritive value of chicory and plantain cultivars was compared and examined under the effect of variable frequency and intensity of grazing. The cultivars were compared with 'Pennlate' orchardgrass (Dactylis glomerata L.), a productive grass during the summer, in two grazing experiments in 3 yr. Pre-grazing herbage samples were analyzed and compared for crude protein (CP), neutral detergent fiber (NDF), and in vitro true digestibility of dry matter (IVTD). In both experiments, the average CP of entries was 180 to 200 g kg -1 , similar to orchardgrass. The NDF of forbs, which ranged from 300 to 400 g kg -1 , was 200 g kg -1 lower than orchardgrass. The IVTD of chicory cultivars averaged 850 to 950 g kg -1 . In Exp. 1, 'Forage Feast' and 'Puna' chicory had the greatest IVTD (5% greater than orchardgrass: average 911 vs. 867 g kg -1 , respectively; P < 0.05). Lancelot plantain had the lowest IVTD in both experiments. Grazing management (frequency of grazing) affected nutritive value in Exp. 1 but not in Exp. 2. Although herbage composition in Exp. 2 varied, continuous reproductive development did not affect nutritive value. Managing Puna chicory and Lancelot plantain using a canopy-height based grazing system to maximize yield and persistence does not compromise nutritive value. Puna chicory could be a good complement to Pennlate orchardgrass in grass-based feeding systems.
Early childhood hearing loss: Clinical and molecular genetics. An educational slide set of the American College of Medical Genetics

Early childhood hearing loss: Clinical and molecular genetics. An educational slide set of the American College of Medical Genetics
Post‐Exercise Substrate Utilization after a High Glucose vs. High Fructose Meal During Negative Energy Balance in the Obese

Objective: To assess the effects of negative energy balance on the metabolic response of a meal containing either glucose or fructose as the primary source of carbohydrate after exercise in obese individuals in energy balance, or negative energy balance. Research Methods and Procedures: Fourteen adults with mean body mass index (BMI) 30.3 ± 1 kg/m2, age 26 ± 2 years, and weight 93.5 ± 5.4 kg, adhered to an energy-balanced (EB) or a negative energy-balanced (NEB) diet for 6 days. On Day 7, subjects exercised at 70% VO2peak for 40 minutes then consumed either high glucose (50 g of glucose, HG) or high fructose (50 g of fructose, HF) liquid meal. Substrate utilization was measured by indirect calorimetry for 3 hours. Blood samples were collected before exercise and 0, 30, 60, 120, and 180 minutes after consuming the meal. Results: The HG produced 15.9% greater glycemic (p < 0.05) and 30.9% larger insulinemic (p < 0.05) responses than the HF under both EB and NEB conditions. After the NEB diet, carbohydrate and fat oxidation did not differ for HG and HF. In contrast, carbohydrate oxidation increased 31%, and fat oxidation decreased 39% with HF compared with HG after the EB diet. Thus, HF and HG consumed after exercise produced marked differences in macronutrient oxidation when obese subjects followed an EB diet, but no difference when adhering to a NEB diet. Discussion: The data suggest that the use of fructose in supplements/meals may provide no additional benefit in terms of substrate utilization during a weight loss program involving diet and exercise.
The effects of iodine on the ultraviolet absorbante spectra of thyroglobulin, casein and insulin

Abstract The ultraviolet absorbance spectra of thyroglobulin has been determined in dilute solutions. This protein shows maxima at 321, 290, 281, and 247 mμ. In acid solution, there is a marked change in the curve in the 321- and 253-mμ regions. On iodination, the band in the region of 300–325 mμ is markedly intensified. Iodination of casein and insulin gives similar changes.
860 MARKED ELEVATIONS OF OCTANOIC ACID AND OTHER MEDIUM CHAIN FREE FATTY ACIDS UNASSOCIATED WITH CEREBRAL SYMPTOMS

Octanoic and other short and medium chain free fatty acid concentrations (FFA) have been noted to be elevated in Reye syndrome and infusion of these substances has produced a similar syndrome in animals. Thus, these substances have been implicated as causal factors for some of the symptoms in this problem. MCT's are used to treat a variety of children. They have been demonstrated to produce elevations of FFA in dogs. We measured medium chain FFA in patients receiving MCT's chronically. A patient with type IB glycogenosis had extreme elevations of C7-C10 FFA. She also had elevated butyrate and isobutyrate but not propionate or valerate levels. Patients receiving MCT's as part of a ketogenic diet had mildly elevated concentrations of C8 and C9 FFA and variable concentrations of C7 FFA. None of these patients had cerebral symptoms. Thus, elevations of medium chain FFA may be a secondary phenomenon in Reye syndrome.
Construction of m4-run linear graphs by finite geometries

Abstract Finite projective geometries are used to obtain some series of Taguchi's linear graphs involving m 4 runs, where m is a prime or a prime power. The concept of maximal linear graph is introduced to reduce the number of nonisomorphic linear graphs. Some 81-run maximal linear graphs are given as examples. A table of 27 nonisomorphic 16-run maximal linear graphs, which is believed to be complete, is provided.
Oscillations and Noise in Low-Pressure DC Discharges

This is a review paper concerned mainly with oscillations and fluctuations which have been observed to occur either spontaneously or as a result of deliberate excitation in low-pressure, hot-cathode plasmas. Experimental observations on high- and low-frequency effects occurring spontaneously are discussed, and speculations are made about the possible generation mechanisms. In many cases, theories of these mechanisms have been treated in experiments involving deliberate excitation of oscillations, and comparisons are made where relevant. For device applications, and to relieve the difficulties which occur in quantitative experiments in plasma physics, it is important that the sources of spontaneous oscillations be understood and suppressed, if possible. The paper includes a discussion of work which has been carried out to reduce these effects, and concludes with some suggestions for further lines of attack on the problems.
QS436. Stem Cell Coated Biomaterials a Possibility in Hernia Repair

Introduction: Coating mesh for hernia repair with a patient’s own cells could improve biocompatibility. Adult mesenchymal stem cells can be acquired from various tissues and cultured. Seeding stem cells on prosthetic materials for hernia repair has not been described. Methods: Adult Lewis rat bone marrow stem cells were harvested and cultured. Stem cell purity ( 99%) was confirmed by a panel of antibody markers. MTS [3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-5-(3-carboxymethoxyphenyl)-2-(4-sulfophenyl)-2H-tetrazolium; inner salt] (Promega, Madison, WI) assays were performed to determine maximum growth rate. Six pieces of Polygalactin 910 (PG) mesh (4cm each) were seeded with 3.0x10 cells and cultured for 11 days before intra-abdominal placement into 6 adult Lewis rats. Non-seeded mesh was placed into one control animal. Adhesion scores were graded by 3 blinded surgeons after 2 weeks. Results: Stem cell growth on PG peaked at 11 days (2.86 10 cells) with microscopic evidence of confluence. Stem cell coated mesh had 0-50% surface area adhesions compared to 50-100% for non-seeded mesh. Conclusions: Polygalactin 910 mesh supports stem cell growth and attachment. Stem cell coated PG exhibits improved biocompatibility by decreasing adhesion formation. Larger, fully-powered studies are needed to define the benefits of seeding prosthetic materials for hernia repair with stem cells.
Cancer Survivorship Care: Exploring the Role of the General Internist

According to the National Cancer Institute (NCI), cancer survivorship encompasses the “physical, psychosocial, and economic issues of cancer from diagnosis until the end of life.” Today, one in 30 Americans are cancer survivors. Almost two-thirds have at least one chronic health condition. As the numbers of cancer survivors increase, cancer itself can be viewed as a chronic medical condition. This paper illustrates some of the challenges faced by cancer survivors. We discuss the limitations of current models of survivorship care, including shared care. In addition, we explore how the American Board of Internal Medicine’s previously proposed credential of Comprehensive Care Internist could serve to define and integrate the complex needs of adult cancer survivors with the skills and talents of general internists.
Indentation size effects in face centered cubic single crystal thin films

Abstract This paper presents the results of an experimental study of indentation size effects in Au, Ag and Ni single crystals with (0 0 1), (0 1 1) and (1 1 1) orientations. The studies show clearly that the hardness increases with decreasing indentation size, for indents between ∼30 and 600 nm in depth. The observed size dependence is rationalized using the mechanism-based strain gradient plasticity theory by Nix and Gao. The shape and extent of material pile-up is shown to depend strongly on the material hardness and crystal orientation. In the case of (0 0 1) oriented crystals, the extent of material pile-up is low in Ag, compared to that in the Au and Ni crystals. The material pile-up profiles are conventional three-lobes shapes. However, for indents in (0 1 1) crystals, butterfly shaped pile-up profiles are observed in Ni, compared to conventional pile-up profiles in Au and Ag. In contrast, flower shaped pile-up profiles are observed in (1 1 1) Ni crystals, compared to conventional pile-up profiles in Au and Ag. Displacement bursts are also shown to occur in (0 1 1) and (1 1 1) oriented Ni at indentation load levels of ∼80–100 μN. These are attributed to the initial onset of dislocation slip activity, when the shear stress exceeds the estimated theoretical shear strengths of the materials.
Electrosurgery for Tonsillectomy

Objective: To describe the electrophysical principles, techniques, and morbidity associated with electrosurgical tonsillectomy. Study Design: Review. Methods: In electrosurgery, radiofrequency energy is applied directly to tissues to generate heat. Electrosurgery devices are radiofrequency generators coupled with application handpieces. The most common electrosurgery techniques are the monopolar blade, monopolar suction, bipolar, and microscopy-assisted procedures. Several studies have compared electrosurgery with other methods for performing tonsillectomy. Results: Electrosurgery has been found to be equivalent to or better than other methods used for tonsillectomy with respect to perioperative and delayed bleeding, postoperative pain, operating time, and time to return to normal activity. Conclusion: Several safe and effective techniques are available for tonsillectomy, including electrosurgery. The choice of method depends on the surgeon's training, comfort with the technology, experience, and impressions concerning morbidity.
Atomic distribution of transition metals in III-nitrides

Understanding atomic distributions on the order of nanometers is becoming ever more essential to solid-state electronic device design. The local composition of any singular constituent can have a great effect on a host of materials properties. Atom probe tomography is currently the only characterization technique that can provide direct physical detection of ionic species of atoms. In this work, MOCVD grown GaMnN thin films are characterized utilizing the state of the art local electrode atom probe (LEAP TM ) to determine the atomic ordering of Mn in an effort to help understand room-temperature ferromagnetic exchange mechanisms in wide-bandgap dilute magnetic semiconductors. The results support prior magnetometry data that suggest paramagnetism results primarily from isolated Mn atoms. A predisposition for the formation of dimers, trimers or clusters does not exist in the samples grown. The ultimate goal in determining the physical arrangements of atoms and how they related to exchange mechanisms is to understand the structure-propertygrowth condition relationships for the tailoring of specific MOCVD processes that will lead to the ability to selectively control spintronic device functionalities.
Properties of Likelihood Inference for Order Restricted Models

The most common mode of inference for order restricted models is likelihood inference. See T. Robertson, F. T. Wright, and R. L. Dykstra (1988, “Order Restricted Statistical Inference,” Wiley, New York) for an excellent treatment of inference in such models. In this paper we demonstrate that maximum likelihood estimation and likelihood ratio testing are prone to behavior that is somewhat unintuitive and unappealing to our sensibilities for many order restricted models. From a practical standpoint this behavior sometimes is cause enough for us to seek alternative procedures. For restrictions to a simple order cone, likelihood inference is satisfactory. However, if, for example, the restrictions are of the tree order type, umbrella order, star-shaped order, or stochastic order, then likelihood methods seem to have some shortcomings. General results will identify when likelihood methods are potentially wanting.
Ghrelin Suppression in Overweight Children: A Manifestation of Insulin Resistance?

Ghrelin levels increase before and decrease after meals, potentially playing a role in meal initiation and satiety in an inverse pattern to that of insulin. The role of ghrelin in childhood obesity, a state associated with hyperinsulinism and insulin resistance, is not fully understood. Therefore, the aims of the present study were to investigate the dynamics of ghrelin suppression after an oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) in normal weight (NW) vs overweight (OW) children and the relationship of ghrelin suppression to insulin sensitivity. Thirty-seven NW (15 males and 22 females; 9.4 ± 0.2 yr old) and 23 OW (13 males and 10 females; 9.4 ± 0.3 yr old) prepubertal children underwent a 3-h OGTT with measurements of ghrelin, glucose, and insulin. The fasting glucose to insulin ratio and the whole body insulin sensitivity index were used to assess the relationship of insulin sensitivity to fasting ghrelin and ghrelin response to the OGTT, respectively. Fasting ghrelin levels were significantly lower in OW vs...
Dolichol kinase in rat sarcoplasmic reticulum membrane preparations

A dolichol kinase (EC 2.7.1.108) was found in sarcoplasmic reticulum membrane fractions from rat leg muscle. This enzyme specifically required CTP as a phosphoryl donor and relatively little activity was found in the absence of exogenous detergent-suspended dolichol. Unlike other reported dolichol kinases, the kinase from skeletal muscle was activated almost equally well by Ca2+, Zn2+, or Mg2+, but not Mn2+. No effect of calmodulin was seen. The kinase exhibited a single pH optimum at pH 7-8 in contrast to kinases from certain other tissues. Despite the low level of dolichol present in skeletal muscle, the kinase in the sarcoplasmic reticulum fraction had an activity comparable to that of microsomal preparations from tissues such as brain and liver, which may indicate that skeletal muscle has a high capacity for dolichol phosphorylation and protein glycosylation.
PERFORMANCE PAY AS A SCREENING DEVICE

Analysis of management compensation has focused on the principal — agent problem. We address the problem confronting owners who must choose a manager without knowing the productivity of individual managers. We find performance contingent contracts may result in a separating equilibrium in which high productivity managers accept contracts low productivity managers find unacceptable.
Stability analysis in wound composite material axial impeller

A stability analysis is developed to assess the stresses and dynamic characteristics of the wound composite material axial impeller under centrifugal force loading conditions. This procedure is bas...
In search of momentum profits: are they illusory?

We test whether a Genetic Algorithm (GA) can find profitable investment strategies based on prior stock returns and earnings surprises. We add to the argument whether momentum investing profits are a statistical illusion. The performance of the optimized momentum portfolios is evaluated before and after trading costs, during different time periods, over two market states, and after adjusting for risk. The GA optimization improves the annual returns of the momentum strategies by 2% to 6%. After considering transaction costs, both price and earnings momentum portfolios do not appear to generate abnormal returns. Positive risk-adjusted returns net of trading costs are documented solely in the ‘up’ markets for a portfolio long in prior winners only.
Distributed Evidence Propagation in Junction Trees

Evidence propagation is a major step in exact inference, a key problem in exploring probabilistic graphical models. In this paper, we propose a novel approach for evidence propagation on clusters. We decompose a junction tree into a set of sub trees, and then perform evidence propagation in the sub trees in parallel. The partially updated sub trees are merged after evidence collection. In addition, we propose a technique to explore tradeoff between overhead due to startup latency of message passing and bandwidth utilization efficiency. We implemented the proposed method on state-of-the-art clusters using MPI. Experimental results show that the proposed method exhibits superior performance compared with the baseline methods.
Growth promotion by homocysteic acid

Homocysteic acid, H03SCH2CH2CHNH2CO2H, promotes growth of hypophysectomized rats, assayed by observation of increased thickness of epiphyseal cartilage of the tibia and by observation of tail growth. Doses of homocysteic acid as low as 1 microgram per day for 4 days in the tibia assay and 2.5 milligrams per kilogram per day for 5 weeks in the tail assay were effective in promoting growth. Serum somatomedin activity, determined by the porcine cartilage disk assay, was also increased by homocysteic acid. These findings relate an area of sulfur amino acid metabolism to the physiological action of growth hormone, accelerated growth in homocystinuria, initiation of arteriosclerosis, and control of cellular growth.
Are Economists Different, and If So, Why?

Do economists behave differently from noneconomists? Some evidence suggests they do. In a well-known 1981 study in the Journal of Public Economics, Gerald Marwell and Ruth E. Ames found that free riding was significantly greater among a group of economics graduate students than among other student groups in their experiments. Marwell and Ames offered two conjectures for why economics students might in fact behave differently. First, students who are particularly concerned with economic incentives might self-select into economics. In addition, or alternatively, economics students might adapt their behavior over time to the basic axioms of the theories they study. These conjectures may be called respectively the selection and learning hypotheses. In this paper we explore whether Marwell and Ames' result is robust—whether economists are indeed different. In particular, we use a simple ultimatum bargaining experiment to test whether economics students behave more in accordance with predictions of the rational/self-interest model of economics. Finding that a behavioral difference does exist, we then conduct tests to discriminate between the selection and learning hypotheses
Fabrication of a Surgical Stent for Bilateral Tuberosity and Mandibular Alveolar Reduction

A technique for constructing a single surgical stent to direct bilateral preprosthetic maxillary tuberosity reductions and mandibular alveolectomies is presented. The stent is fabricated using unaltered articulated definitive casts. The stent allows the oral surgeon to replicate the desired vertical dimension of occlusion for a thorough assessment of the sufficiency of the surgical revisions. The situation illustrated is unique, in that preoperatively, the patient's maxillary tuberosities were situated inferior and medial to their ipsilateral retromolar pads.
The design and implementation of dynamic hashing for sets and tables in Icon

Two key features in the Icon programming language are tables and sets. An Icon program may use one large set or table, or thousands of small ones. To improve space and time performance for these diverse uses, their hashed data structures were reimplemented to dynamically resize during execution, reducing the minimum space requirement and achieving constant-time access to any element for virtually any size set or table. The implementation is adapted from Per-Ake Larson's dynamic hashing technique by using well-known base-2 arithmetic techniques to decrease the space required for small tables without degrading the performance of large tables. Also presented are techniques to prevent dynamic hashing from interfering with other Icon language features. Performance measurements are included to support the results.
Critical infrastructure security curriculum modules

Critical infrastructures have succumbed to the demands of greater connectivity. Although the scheme of connecting these critical equipment and devices to cyberspace has brought us tremendous convenience, it also enabled certain unimaginable risks and vulnerabilities. The importance of critical infrastructure (CI) protection has never been pronounced and we are in a juncture in history where CI security is paramount. Although research in this area of national need has grown steadily, pedagogical materials in this area is slow to keep up. This paper presents the development of course modules for critical infrastructure security curriculum. Although these course modules can be used to augment an existing course in CI, they can also be utilized as bases with which to build a complete CI course. Existing laboratory setups which can be used to supplement the course are also described. The course modules and the supplemental laboratories are envisioned to be great instruments for training future information security professionals. These pedagogical materials can also be used as supplements to other courses that pertain to information security, risk management, or emergency preparedness.
Prolonged pheromonotropic activity of pseudopeptide mimics of insect pyrokinin neuropeptides after topical application or injection into a moth

Amphiphilic pseudopeptide analogs of Phe-Thr-Pro-Arg-Leu-NH2, representing the active C-terminal core pentapeptide of the pyrokinin class of insect neuropeptides, were synthesized by replacement of phenylalanine with hydrocinnamic acid (Hca-Thr-Pro-Arg-Leu-NH2), or addition of 1-pyrenebutyric acid (Pba-Phe-Thr-Pro-Arg-Leu-NH2) or 9-fluoreneacetic acid (Fla-Phe-Thr-Pro-Arg-Leu-NH2). The pseudopeptides were found to stimulate sex pheromone biosynthesis when injected into females of the moth Heliothis virescens. Optimal pheromonotropic responses were obtained by injection of 0.25 pmol of Hca-Thr-Pro-Arg-Leu-NH2, 2.5 pmol of Pba-Thr-Pro-Arg-Leu-NH2 and 0.5 pmol of Fla-Thr-Pro-Arg-Leu-NH2. Topical application of each of the pseudopeptides in water to the cuticle of moths stimulated significant production of pheromone at a dose of 50 pmol with optimal stimulation occurring when 500 pmol were applied. The parent peptide, Phe-Thr-Pro-Arg-Leu-NH2, failed to stimulate significant production of pheromone when applied topically at a dose as high as 2000 pmol. Temporal studies indicated that Hca-Thr-Pro-Arg-Leu-NH2 stimulated significant production of pheromone for only 4 h after application where as continuous pheromone production for 18 h was observed when either Pba-Phe-Thr-Pro-Arg-Leu-NH2 or Fla-Phe-Thr-Pro-Arg-Leu-NH2 were applied to the abdomen. The results show that modification of the C-terminal active core of the insect pyrokinins, by addition of hydrophobic moieties, can result in production of pseudopeptides which effectively penetrate the insect cuticle and have prolonged physiological effects making them favorable candidates for use in development of alternative strategies for pest insect control.
Relationship between intestinal microecology and the translocation of intestinal bacteria.

It is now well known that endogenous bacteria can translocate from the intestinal tract and cause many of the complicating infections seen in severely ill, hospitalized patients. Of the hundreds of bacterial species in the intestinal tract, relatively few aerobic/facultative species appear to translocate with any frequency. Van der Waaij and colleagues (1971, 1972a, 1972b) originally proposed that, by a process termed ‘colonization resistance’, strictly anaerobic bacteria prevented the intestinal overgrowth and subsequent translocation of these potentially pathogenic aerobic/facultative bacteria. Selective antimicrobial decontamination, designed to maintain colonization resistance, has been effective in reducing the incidence of infectious morbidity in high risk patients. However, the mechanisms controlling bacterial translocation remain unclear, but appear to depend on host factors, as well as on factors inherent in the microbe itself. There is both clinical and experimental evidence supporting the concept that strictly anaerobic bacteria do not readily translocate. Bacteria that are able to survive within macrophages (e.g., Salmonella species and Listeria monocytogenes) translocate easier than others, and there is recent experimental evidence that normal intestinal bacteria may translocate to the draining mesenteric lymph node within host phagocytes. There is also evidence that anaerobic bacteria translocate along with facultative species in situations associated with intestinal epithelial damage, i.e., burn trauma, oral ricinoleic acid, and acute mesenteric ischemia. In contrast, recent experimental evidence demonstrates that facultative bacteria can translocate across a histologically intact intestinal epithelium, and that the ileal absorptive cell may be at least one portal of entry prior to transport into deeper tissues. It is anticipated that further clarification of the routes and mechanisms involved in bacterial translocation will provide new insights into the treatment and prevention of a significant proportion of the infectious morbidity seen in severely ill, hospitalized patients.
Determination of vascular permeability coefficients under slow luminal filling.

Abstract This Communication describes a method to obtain the permeability product (permeability coefficient normalized by vascular dimensions) from time-lapse intensity data for which the introduction of labeled solute into the vasculature does not occur at a sharply defined time. This method has an error of ~ 10% across a wide range of filling times and noise levels, and is particularly well-suited for situations in which the permeability coefficient is greater than 10− 6 cm/s. We show that it is applicable whether the increase in vascular solute concentration is sustained or transient.
Experimental Chronic Noise Is Related to Elevated Fecal Corticosteroid Metabolites in Lekking Male Greater Sage- Grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus)

There is increasing evidence that individuals in many species avoid areas exposed to chronic anthropogenic noise, but the impact of noise on those who remain in these habitats is unclear. One potential impact is chronic physiological stress, which can affect disease resistance, survival and reproductive success. Previous studies have found evidence of elevated stress-related hormones (glucocorticoids) in wildlife exposed to human activities, but the impacts of noise alone are difficult to separate from confounding factors. Here we used an experimental playback study to isolate the impacts of noise from industrial activity (natural gas drilling and road noise) on glucocorticoid levels in greater sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus), a species of conservation concern. We non-invasively measured immunoreactive corticosterone metabolites from fecal samples (FCMs) of males on both noise-treated and control leks (display grounds) in two breeding seasons. We found strong support for an impact of noise playback on stress levels, with 16.7% higher mean FCM levels in samples from noise leks compared with samples from paired control leks. Taken together with results from a previous study finding declines in male lek attendance in response to noise playbacks, these results suggest that chronic noise pollution can cause greater sage-grouse to avoid otherwise suitable habitat, and can cause elevated stress levels in the birds who remain in noisy areas.
Medicaid Managed Care's Impact On Safety-Net Clinics In California

ABSTRACT: A growing percentage of Medicaid patients are receiving medical care within a managed care system. This policy change has raised concerns about whether safety-net providers can maintain their share of Medi-Cal (California Medicaid) patients. From 1995 to 1997 several of California's counties implemented mandatory Medi-Cal managed care. The majority of California's safety-net primary care clinics experienced a decline in the percentage of their patients insured by Medi-Cal. However, after the overall decline in the number of Medi-Cal beneficiaries was controlled for, the increased penetration of Medi-Cal managed care in a county was not independently associated with a decline in clinics' share of Medi-Cal patients. Despite this fact, it may become increasingly difficult for clinics to maintain their current level of services with declining Medi-Cal enrollment and other anticipated reforms in their funding.
Glycogen Storage Within Undifferentiated Cells of the Dental Papilla: Electron Microscope Findings

Large cytoplasmic pools of glycogen were observed within relatively undifferentiated cells in the dental papillae of the developing incisor teeth of young Swiss albino mice. Little or no glycogen was present within fully differentiated odontoblasts and fibroblasts, which suggests that the depletion of glycogen stores provides the energy needed for differentiation.
Tetanus Toxin and Antigenic Derivatives I. Purification of the Biologically Active Monomer

A procedure for the isolation of pure tetanus toxin in a lethal monomeric form was developed based on the extraction of whole cells and chromatographic techniques. A crude extract of toxin was obtained by hypertonic extraction of cells from a 72-hr culture of Clostridium tetani Massachusetts strain. The extract was precipitated with ammonium sulfate and further purified by sequential use of ion-exchange chromatography and gel filtration. The degree of purification obtained by the fractionation procedures was monitored by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. The pure toxin has an average specific activity of 150 × 10 6 mouse MLD per mg of N and 3,000 Lf per mg of N. Immunological purity was demonstrated by a single line on both immunoelectrophoresis and agar double diffusion. One band was obtained on polyacrylamide electrophoresis, as was a single symmetrical peak in the ultracentrifuge and on Sephadex G-100 chromatography. The pure protein has an absorbancy ratio (280/260 mμ) of 2.1 in phosphate buffer ( p H 7.5). Images
Discontinuity-Adaptivity Model and Robust Estimation

Robust methods (Tukey 1977; Huber 1981; Rousseeuw 1984) are tools for statistics problems in which outliers are an issue. It is well known that the least squares (LS) error estimates can be arbitrarily wrong when outliers are present in the data. A robust procedure is aimed to make solutions insensitive to the influence caused by outliers. That is, its performance should be good with all-inlier data and deteriorates gracefully with increasing number of outliers. The mechanism of robust estimators in dealing with outliers is similar to that of the discontinuity adaptive MRF prior model studied in the previous chapter. This chapter provides a comparative study (Li 1995a) of the two kinds of models based on the results about the DA model and presents an algorithm (Li 1996b) to improve the stability of the robust M-estimator to the initialization.
Simplified production and concentration of HIV-1-based lentiviral vectors using HYPERFlask vessels and anion exchange membrane chromatography

During the past twelve years, lentiviral (LV) vectors have emerged as valuable tools for transgene delivery because of their ability to transduce nondividing cells and their capacity to sustain long-term transgene expression in target cells in vitro and in vivo. However, despite significant progress, the production and concentration of high-titer, high-quality LV vector stocks is still cumbersome and costly. Here we present a simplified protocol for LV vector production on a laboratory scale using HYPERFlask vessels. HYPERFlask vessels are high-yield, high-performance flasks that utilize a multilayered gas permeable growth surface for efficient gas exchange, allowing convenient production of high-titer LV vectors. For subsequent concentration of LV vector stocks produced in this way, we describe a facile protocol involving Mustang Q anion exchange membrane chromatography. Our results show that unconcentrated LV vector stocks with titers in excess of 108 transduction units (TU) per ml were obtained using HYPERFlasks and that these titers were higher than those produced in parallel using regular 150-cm2 tissue culture dishes. We also show that up to 500 ml of an unconcentrated LV vector stock prepared using a HYPERFlask vessel could be concentrated using a single Mustang Q Acrodisc with a membrane volume of 0.18 ml. Up to 5.3 × 1010 TU were recovered from a single HYPERFlask vessel. The protocol described here is easy to implement and should facilitate high-titer LV vector production for preclinical studies in animal models without the need for multiple tissue culture dishes and ultracentrifugation-based concentration protocols.