cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Immediate neurocognitive effects of concussion.

OBJECTIVE: To prospectively measure the immediate neurocognitive effects and early course of recovery from concussion and to examine the effects of loss of consciousness (LOC) and posttraumatic amnesia (PTA) on the severity of neurocognitive impairment immediately after concussion. METHODS: A sports-related concussion research model was used to allow prospective immediate evaluation of concussion. A total of 2385 high school and college football players were studied. Ninety-one players (3.8%) sustained concussions during the study. A brief neurocognitive and neurological screening measure, the Standardized Assessment of Concussion, was used to assess cognitive functioning before the football season, immediately after injury, and 15 minutes, 48 hours, and 90 days after injury. RESULTS: Standardized Assessment of Concussion scores immediately after concussion were significantly lower than the preseason baseline score and the noninjured population baseline mean, even for injured subjects without LOC or PTA. Subjects with LOC were most severely impaired immediately after injury, whereas those without LOC or PTA were least impaired. Significant impairment was also detected 15 minutes after injury, but all three groups returned to baseline levels of cognitive functioning within 48 hours. CONCLUSION: These findings are the first to demonstrate not only that a gradient of increasing concussion severity is represented by PTA and LOC but also that measurable neurocognitive abnormalities are evident immediately after injury without PTA or LOC. Language: en
Chapter 2 Qualitative research and implementation evaluation: A path to organizational learning

Abstract Beyond gaining knowledge to better meet specified objectives, managers desperately need information to generate new learning which might move their organizations beyond standard though processes, presumptions, and approaches. Double-loop learning, which exposes underlying norms, assumptions, and objectives, helps managers to develop innovative and creative responses to organizational problems. Implementation evaluation, often relying on qualitative methods, is especially suited to providing the types of information necessary to foster double-loop learning. Evaluating the implementation of policy tools — vehicles through which particular decisions become operational — is an especially fertile field for enhancing organizational learning.
Evidence for diverse roles of protein kinase-C in the inhibition of gene expression by insulin: the tyrosine aminotransferase, albumin, and phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase genes

We have previously shown that insulin is less effective in inducing expression of several genes in H4 hepatoma cells with reduced functional protein kinase-C (PKC) activity. However, other reports suggest that insulin regulation of gene transcription is not PKC dependent. Insulin and phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA) rapidly inhibit transcription of the tyrosine aminotransferase and albumin genes. Prolonged PMA pretreatment, to desensitize cells to PMA, resulted in a loss of insulin ability to inhibit albumin transcription. Insulin was still able to inhibit tyrosine aminotransferase transcription, but less than in non-PMA-pretreated cells, and there was also a slight decrease in the ability of insulin to inhibit phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase transcription. We previously demonstrated decreased responsiveness of PMA-induced gene expression in insulin-desensitized cells. In the present work, using insulin-desensitized H4 cells (insulin pretreatment for 24 h), subsequent treatment with PMA did not alter phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase transcription rates, whereas PMA did inhibit tyrosine aminotransferase transcription rates to an extent similar to observed in nonpretreated cells. Unexpectedly, there was a significant increase in albumin transcription after PMA addition to insulin-pretreated cells. These findings support our hypothesis that the role of PKC in the regulation of gene expression by insulin varies for different insulin-regulated genes.
An analysis of an Euler-Bernoulli beam-column with arbitratry initial crookedness by transfer matrix methods

Abstract The effects of initial crookedness, often neglected in the analysis of structural members under axial as well as transverse loads, are considered. The transfer matrix method is chosen as an approach to the problem because it provides a way to analyze both simple and complex systems with relative ease. It is assumed that the initial crookedness can be discribed by a mathematical function. This function is incorporated into the basic beam equations, which are then used in the derivation of a transfer matrix for a beam-column. Only the extension column of the obtained transfer matrix contains information relating to the initial crookedness. General formulas for the elements of the extension column are given. These formulas are used to obtain extension columns for the case where the initial crookedness is described by an infinite sine series. A very specific half-sine initial crookedness with eccentric-end loads is shown to collapse to the well known secand solution. Implementation of these transfer matrices must be completed with extreme care since the general transfer matrix method allows arbitrary placement of transverse loads and/or supports. This paper outlines the matrix manipulation procedures that are to be used to implement these new matrices in the presence of in-span loads or manipulation procedures that are to be used to implement these new matrices in the presence of in-span loads or supports.
Tectonic evolution of Proterozoic rocks in the Cimarron Mountains, northern New Mexico, USA

Abstract Portions of three Proterozoic tectonostratigraphic sequences are exposed in the Cimarron Mountains of New Mexico. The Cimarron River tectonic unit has affinities to a convergent margin plutonic/volcanic complex. Igneous hornblende from a quartz diorite stock records an emplacement pressure of 2–2.6 kbar. Rocks within this unit were subsequently deformed during a greenschist facies regional metamorphism at 4–5 kbar and 330 ± 50° C. The Tolby Meadow tectonic unit consists of quartzite and schist. Mineral assemblages are indicative of regional metamorphism at pressures near 4 kbar and temperatures of 520 ± 20° C. A low-angle ductile shear zone separates this succession from gneisses of the structurally underlying Eagle Nest tectonic unit. Gneissic granite yields hornblende pressures of 6–8 kbar. Pelitic gneiss records regional metamorphic conditions of 6–7 kbar and 705 ± 15° C, overprinted by retrogression at 4 kbar and 530 ± 10° C. Comparison of metamorphic and retrograde conditions indicates a P–T path dominated by decompression and cooling. The low-angle ductile shear zone represents an extensional structure which was active during metamorphism. This extension juxtaposed the Tolby Meadow and Eagle Nest units at 4 kbar and 520° C. Both units were later overprinted by folding and low-grade metamorphism, and then were emplaced against the Cimarron River tectonic unit by right-slip movement along the steeply dipping Fowler Pass shear zone. An argon isotope-correlation age obtained from igneous hornblende dates plutonism in the Cimarron River unit at 1678 Ma. Muscovite associated with the greenschist facies metamorphic overprint yields a 40 Ar/39 Ar plateau age of 1350 Ma. By contrast, rocks within the Tolby Meadow and Eagle Nest units yield significantly younger argon cooling ages. Hornblende isotope-correlation ages of 1394–1398 Ma are interpreted to date cooling during middle Proterozoic extension. Muscovite plateau ages of 1267–1257 Ma appear to date cooling from the low-grade metamorphic overprint. The latest ductile movement along the Fowler Pass shear zone post-dated these cooling ages. Argon released from muscovites of the Eagle Nest/Tolby Meadow composite unit, at low experimental temperatures, yields apparent ages of c. 1100 Ma. Similar ages are not obtained north-east of the Fowler Pass shear zone, suggesting movement more recently than 1100 Ma.
Bit-stream classification using joint and conditional entropies

We are interested in the problem of classifying and segmenting bit streams with different source content and with different source coding in a communication channel. Although there are many researches on data segmentation, not much work is seen on this particular problem. Given zero and one observations of the bit stream, we first show that the windowed discrete FOurier transform enables us to distinguish fixed and variable length coded bit streams and in the case of fixed lengths coded bit stream, it can also determine the coding length of the bit stream. To further separate bit streams with variable length codes, we propose a classifier based on k-bit joint and conditional entropies. We present the joint and conditional entropy estimation schemes, and provide the upper bound for their performance. Then, we analyze the computational complexity of the entropy estimation. Finally experimental results are given to demonstrate the discriminant power of proposed entropy features.
Optical measurements of single molecules in cells

The microscopic observation of single fluorescent molecules in the plasma membrane and within the cytoplasm of living cells has recently been demonstrated. These observations provide a unique, relatively noninvasive window into the time-dependent localization and activity of individual cellular structures at the ultimate sensitivity of one molecule.
A pharmacokinetic-pharmacodynamic model of tolerance to morphine analgesia during infusion in rats

A pharmacokinetic-pharmacodynamic (PK-PD) model was constructed to describe the kinetics of tolerance development to morphine-induced antinociception. Tail-flick latencies in response to hot water (50°C) were assessed in male Sprague-Dawley rats exposed to a 12-hr iv infusion of either morphine (1.4 to 3.0 mg/kg per hr) or saline. Morphine-induced antinociception, expressed as the percentage of maximum possible response (%MPR), peaked after 120 min of infusion and decreased thereafter despite sustained systemic morphine concentrations. Both the rate and extent of tolerance development increased with increasing concentrations; an overall residual effect of approximately 24% MPR was observed at the end of the infusion regardless of the steady-state morphine concentration. The kinetics of tolerance offset were examined in a separate experiment by assessing tail-flick latency 15 min after morphine iv bolus (2 mg/kg) in tolerant and control rats. Recovery of response neared completion 18.5 days after a 12-hr exposure to morphine (2.0 mg/kg per hr). A PK-PD model was constructed to account for the delay in onset of antinociceptive effect and tolerance development relative to the blood concentration-time profile. According to this model, both the extent and the rate of tolerance development were modulated by the kinetics of the drug in the central compartment. Accumulation of a hypothetical “inhibitor” acting either as a reverse agonist, a competitive or noncompetitive antagonist, or a partial agonist could potentially account for the loss of pharmacologic effect in the presence of an agonist. The rate of tolerance development predicted from the PK-PD model varied widely (28-fold) depending on the type of pharmacologic interaction selected to account for the loss of effect. Using the rate of tolerance offset to discriminate between the different models (t1/2 offset 5.4 days), onset and offset of tolerance was described accurately by postulating that the inhibitor behaves as a partial agonist with low intrinsic activity (5.5% MPR) and high binding affinity for the receptor (IC50 15.0 ng/ml).
Microstructural development of high temperature deformed AZ31 magnesium alloys

Abstract Due to their significant role in automobile industries, high temperature deformation of Mg–Al–Zn alloys (AZ31) at constant stress (i.e. creep) were studied at a wide range of stresses and temperatures to characterize underlying deformation mechanism, dynamic recrystallization (DRX) and dislocation density evolution. Various microstructures (e.g. grain growth & DRX) are noted during steady-state creep mechanisms such as grain boundary sliding (GBS), dislocation glide creep (DGC) and dislocation climb creep (DCC). Although a combination of DRX and grain growth is characteristic of low stacking fault energy materials like Mg alloys at elevated temperatures, observation reveals grain growth at low strain-rates (GBS region) along with dynamic recovery (DRV) mechanism. X-Ray Diffraction (XRD) analysis revealed a decrease in dislocation density during GBS region while it increased under dislocation based creep mechanisms which could be related to the possible DRV and DRX respectively. Scanning Electron Microscopic (SEM) characterization of the fracture surface reveals more inter-granular fracture for large grains (i.e. GBS region with DRV process) and more dimple shape fracture for small grains (i.e. DGC & DCC region with DRX).
Conflict Resolution and the Evolution of Cooperation in the U.S.-Mexico Borderlands

Some recent observations by Jorge Bustamante (1985b) provide the point of departure for this paper. He maintains that recent relations between the United States and Mexico have been characterized by tensions whose level has not been seen since the nationalization of U.S. oil interests in Mexico in 1938. Although empirical evidence indicates clearly that bilateral relations have increased in intensity and diversity, the representations of politicians and the press have created "a strong sense that something is going on between Mexico and the United States which is not rational and not congruent with the increasing de facto interdependence between the two countries." Bustamante further points out that "Scholars from both countries must recognize that they are not isolated from, and they cannot extricate themselves from, the seemingly unrelated elements of intergovernmental relationships affecting their work." Thus, "one of the goals of research should be to examine our current binational problems, to expose their causes, and to establish a base for their resolution." Elsewhere, Bustamante argues that the common border is a logical place to begin working out North-South differences because situations that arise there force us to pay attention to each other's thought processes (cited in Weisman 1984, p. 24). This paper attempts to address the foregoing issues by examining some of the ways in which international interactions at the border create conflicts as well as cooperative undertakings. No effort is made to describe in detail the more or less formal institutions that have been established to provide a framework for transborder interactions. For information in this regard, see for example ANUIES 1981; Chattan 1983; Gonzalez 1981; International Boundary and Water Commission 1981; U.S. Department of State 1985. Rather, the objectives are to identify the nature of fundamental asumptions that condition transborder interactions and their outcomes; to indicate the consequent policy implications, especially with respect to transborder cooperation; and to suggest feasible approaches that could enhance such cooperation.
A Chemical Engineer's Perspective on Health and Disease.

Abstract Chemical process systems engineering considers complex supply chains which are coupled networks of dynamically interacting systems. The quest to optimize the supply chain while meeting robustness and flexibility constraints in the face of ever changing environments necessitated the development of theoretical and computational tools for the analysis, synthesis and design of such complex engineered architectures. However, it was realized early on that optimality is a complex characteristic required to achieve proper balance between multiple, often competing, and objectives. As we begin to unravel life's intricate complexities, we realize that that living systems share similar structural and dynamic characteristics; hence much can be learned about biological complexity from engineered systems. In this article, we draw analogies between concepts in process systems engineering and conceptual models of health and disease; establish connections between these concepts and physiologic modelling; and describe how these mirror onto the physiological counterparts of engineered systems.
Theory of surface-plasmon excitation in metal-insulator-metal tunnel junctions

A new calculation of surface-plasmon excitation in tunnel junctions is described. The tunnel junction is divided into three regions of complex dielectric function ${\ensuremath{\epsilon}}_{L}(\ensuremath{\omega})$, ${\ensuremath{\epsilon}}_{0}(\ensuremath{\omega})$, and ${\ensuremath{\epsilon}}_{R}(\ensuremath{\omega})$ which correspond to the left electrode, the barrier, and the right electrode, respectively. Maxwell's equations are solved for the classical electromagnetic fields. The source terms are given by the quantum-mechanical transition current and charge, $\stackrel{\ensuremath{\rightarrow}}{\mathrm{J}}=(\frac{\mathrm{ie}\ensuremath{\hbar}}{2m})(\ensuremath{\psi}_{}^{*}{}_{R}{}^{}\ensuremath{\nabla}{\ensuremath{\psi}}_{L}\ensuremath{-}{\ensuremath{\psi}}_{L}\ensuremath{\nabla}\ensuremath{\psi}_{}^{*}{}_{R}{}^{})$ and $\ensuremath{\rho}=\ensuremath{-}e\ensuremath{\psi}_{}^{*}{}_{R}{}^{}{\ensuremath{\psi}}_{L}$, for an electronic transition from a state ${\ensuremath{\psi}}_{L}$ in the left electrode to a state ${\ensuremath{\psi}}_{R}$ in the right. The transition rate is given by $(\ensuremath{-}\frac{2}{\ensuremath{\hbar}\ensuremath{\omega}})\mathrm{Re}\ensuremath{\int}{\stackrel{\ensuremath{\rightarrow}}{\mathrm{E}}}^{*}\ifmmode\cdot\else\textperiodcentered\fi{}\stackrel{\ensuremath{\rightarrow}}{\mathrm{J}}{d}^{3}r$ where $\ensuremath{\hbar}\ensuremath{\omega}={E}_{L}\ensuremath{-}{E}_{R}$. This new formulation avoids the need to quantize the electromagnetic fields and allows the use of complex dielectric functions. Current-carrying orthogonal eigenfunctions are used for ${\ensuremath{\psi}}_{L}$ and ${\ensuremath{\psi}}_{R}$ in place of the nonorthogonal basis set associated with the transfer-Hamiltonian theory of inelastic tunneling. The transition rate calculated from the latter theory differs from the present calculation by a factor as large as 10 to 100 in some instances. Numerical estimates of the rate of surface-plasmon excitation in Al-${\mathrm{Al}}_{2}$${\mathrm{O}}_{3}$-Ag junctions are given. The inelastic tunneling rate is found to be \ensuremath{\sim}0.1 of the elastic rate (for electrons tunneling into Ag). Excitation of electromagnetic modes which can be made radiative by roughening the electrodes is discussed.
Fuel Consumption of a Strutted vs Cantilever-Winged Short-Haul Transport with Aeroelastic Considerations

A preliminary design of a short-haul aircraft using a strut-braced wing was made to study the possibility of block fuel savings caused by the decrease in wing weight allowed by the use of a strut. A computer-aided wing loads and stress analysis was performed to determine the wing weight savings. It was found that the wing weight savings are not large in this aircraft and the induced drag decrease is offset by the strut parasite drag. The final cantilever and strutted configurations have essentially equal block fuel consumptions. A calculated strut flutter velocity was close enough to the flight envelope to warrant design consideration.
Prospects for the development of new treatments with a rapid onset of action in affective disorders

Several compounds have been claimed to have a faster onset of antidepressant action. However, these trials suffered from lack of appropriate definitions and of standardised and comparable methodology, as far as measurement instruments, dosage strategies and statistical analyses were concerned. This article was undertaken to examine the data on the speed of onset of action with the available antidepressant compounds. To date, no compound has clearly been proven to act any faster than others. Electroconvulsive therapy is the modality that seems to produce faster onset of action compared with available medications. The major methodological issues in these studies are reviewed, and areas for future research are suggested.
Analytic structure of the p ¯ -nucleus optical potential

The positions of zeros and poles of the optical model S matrix are tracked for the case of antiproton scattering from /sup 16/O. It is found that moderately rapid energy variations can arise from zeros near the real axis and that this is a likely occurrence for expected strengths.
Cognitive modeling of consultation processes: A means for improving consultees' problem definition skills

Abstract This study investigated whether consultees' understanding and use of problem definition skills could be enhanced by increasing their awareness of these processes during consultation interactions. Subjects assigned to a consultation with cognitive modeling group viewed videotaped consultation interactions in which consultants' verbalizations during the problem definition stage of consultation frequently included overt references to the problem-solving processes being used by these consultants. Subjects in a consultation without cognitive modeling group viewed similar interactions except that the consultants' statements did not include overt references to problem-solving processes. A control group viewed irrelevant interactions between consultants and consultees. Data analyses indicated that the subjects exposed to consultations that included cognitive modeling components wrote better problem definitions and were better able to describe the process for defining children's problems than subjects in either the consultation without cognitive modeling or control groups. The subjects in the consultation without cognitive modeling group generally did better than those in the control group.
Indomethacin and arginine vasopressin interaction in the fetal kidney: a mechanism of oliguria.

Objective: Indomethacin has been shown to cause fetal oliguria in humans and animals. This study was designed to test the hypothesis that indomethacin-induced fetal oliguria is mediated through the renal action of arginine vasopressin. Study Design: Twenty-seven late-gestation (129 ± 4 days [mean ± SE]) chronically catheterized fetal sheep were studied. After a 1-hour control period fetal responses to indomethacin, 0.05 mg/kg given intravenously, followed by a 4-hour maintenance infusion ( n = 9), were compared with an identical indomethacin infusion plus an arginine vasopressin V2-receptor antagonist (d[CH 2 ] 1 5 , D-Phe 2 , lle 4 Arg 8 , Ala 9 )-VP ( n = 8) or vehicle alone ( n = 10). Fetal arterial and venous pressures, heart rate, and urinary flow were measured continuously. Results: Fetal urinary flow rate ( p p = 0.004) fell in response to indomethacin alone, but the addition of the arginine vasopressin V2-receptor antagonist blocked indomethacin's oliguric and free water effect. Urinary osmolality and sodium increased in both indomethacin and indomethacin + arginine vasopressin V2-receptor antagonist groups compared with vehicle ( p p = 0.007). Conclusions: These results suggest that (1) fetal oliguria secondary to indomethacin is mediated through the stimulation of the renal arginine vasopressin V2-receptor and (2) prostaglandin synthesis inhibition may play a role in renal tubular sodium handling. In addition, the arginine vasopressin V2-receptor plays a role in ameliorating the hypertensive response to indomethacin. We speculate that indomethacin stimulates circulating arginine vasopressin levels and enhances peripheral arginine vasopressin effects in the fetus, resulting in oliguria and hypertension.
China as a latecomer: Toward a global logic of the open policy

The paper reviews a number of substantive issue‐areas in China's foreign economic sector (the foreign trade system, industrial and geographical targeting, foreign investment regulations, and the fo...
SWAMI (poster session): a framework for collaborative filtering algorithm development and evaluation

We present a Java-based framework, SWAMI (Shared Wisdom through the Amalgamation of Many Interpretations) for building and studying collaborative filtering systems. SWAMI consists of three components: a prediction engine, an evaluation system, and a visualization component. The prediction engine provides a common interface for implementing different prediction algorithms. The evaluation system provides a standardized testing methodology and metrics for analyzing the accuracy and run-time performance of prediction algorithms. The visualization component suggests how graphical representations can inform the development and analysis of prediction algorithms. We demonstrate SWAMI on the Each Movie data set by comparing three prediction algorithms: a traditional Pearson correlation-based method, support vector machines, and a new accurate and scalable correlation-based method based on clustering techniques.
N-polar GaN/InAlN/AlGaN MIS-HEMTs with 1.89 S/mm extrinsic transconductance, 4 A/mm drain current, 204 GHz f T and 405 GHz f max

This paper reports 1.89 S/mm extrinsic transconductance, 4 A/mm drain current density, and 0.23 Ω-mm on-resistance on depletion-mode nitrogen-polar GaN MIS-HEMTs with a 5.4-nm GaN channel and a novel InAlN/AlGaN back barrier grown by MOCVD on a vicinal sapphire substrate. These dc figures of merit are among the best values reported for all GaN HEMTs. Additionally, an fT of 204 GHz using a 70-nm T-gate (14.3 GHz*μm fT*Lg product) and an fmax of 405 GHz using a 90-nm T-gate were obtained. These frequency figures of merit match the state-of-the-art Ga-polar devices with similar gate lengths. GaN-based HEMTs have demonstrated tremendous performance in high-frequency, high-power applications due to the high electron velocity, sheet charge density, and critical electric field of the III-N material system. The dc and high-frequency performance of N-polar and Ga-polar HEMTs has increased rapidly as the result of highly scaled device dimensions and advanced epitaxial structures [1]-[4].
A new plasma method of synthesizing aerosol particles

Abstract A new experimental method of synthesizing aerosol particles is demonstrated. A non-thermal plasma is used to sputter a solid target by energetic ion impact. Sputtered atoms nucleate in the gas phase to form particles, which the plasma levitates particles during several hours of operation. Particle growth can take place at room temperature. The plasma is formed in a vacuum vessel by a pair of parallel electrodes that are powered with a radio-frequency high voltage. Scanning electron micrographs reveal the particle morphology. Particles initially grow with a spherical shape, and their size can be selected by terminating the discharge after they have grown to the desired diameter. By altering the plasma parameters such as gas pressure and voltage, and by allowing particles to grow for a longer period of time, they can coagulate into string-like or fractal-like conglomerates.
Ultra-high finesse, low mode volume Fabry-Perot microcavity

We construct microcavities comprising ultralow-loss micromirrors fabricated by laser ablation and reflective coatings. With quality factors of 3.3×106 and finesses of 1.5×105, strong coupling or lasing with a single quantum emitter may be achieved.
The use of historical analysis to provide alternatives to authoritative justifications of accounting standards: A focus on stock dividends

Abstract This study demonstrates the effectiveness and importance of historical analysis as a pedagogic tool. Specifically, the study illustrates how historical analysis may provide explanations that provide greater insight into the reasons underlying the construction of current reporting requirements than may be obtained from the authoritative text, the conceptual framework, or accounting theory. The study also examines how historical analysis may be used to demonstrate to students that, rather than being conceived and constructed in a theoretical and conceptual vacuum, accounting policy decisions are often heavily influenced, and sometimes constrained, by legal, political, and societal forces. In this particular case, the research suggests that current reporting requirements were constructed to discourage the use of stock dividends that policymakers perceived as a deceptive financial practice. In addition, the research illustrates how the dynamic and evolutionary attributes of the standard-setting process become clearly visible when examined from a historical perspective. The study concludes by recommending and describing a “positive approach” to accounting education that challenges students to question why current reporting requirements exist in their present form.
Prevalence of Regurgitant Murmurs in Patients with Valvular Regurgitation Detected by Doppler Echocardiography

Abstract Study Objective:To determine the relation between heart valve regurgitation detected by Doppler echocardiography and audible regurgitant murmurs. Design:Consecutive sample. Setting:Adult e...
Inhibition of murine RNA tumor virus replication and oncogenesis by chloroquine

The effects of 7-chloro-4-(4-diethylamino-l-methylbutylamino) quinoline diphos-phate (chloroquine) on marine RNA oncogenic virus infection and replication were studied in cell culture and in vivo. Replication ofMoloney leukemia virus in cell culture was inhibited by approximately 75% at a drug concentration of 1 s/ml. This concentration had no effect on cellular DNA or RNA synthesis or on cell division. Chloroquine at a dose of 50 mg/kg body weight given 15 min after injection of Moloney murine sarcoma virus prevented tumor development in newborn mice; similar treatment inhibited the induction of splenomegaly by Rauscher leukemia virus in adult mice. The effect of the drug is not exerted on the virus particle itself, since incubation of the virus with chloroquine for 30 min prior to infection did not decrease its oncogenicity. Presumably, the drug affects one or more events in virus replication.
Measuring capacity flexibility of a transportation system

This paper describes concepts and techniques to measure the flexibility of a transportation system to accommodate changing demands and traffic patterns. Flexibility is increasingly desired as a characteristic of transport systems, particularly in light of changes in supply chains and traffic patterns, and the concern for the vulnerability of the system to both natural disasters and terrorist actions. Two approaches are described. One is based on current methods for estimating system capacity, and the related concept of reserve capacity. This results in a conservative estimate of flexibility. The second approach permits variations in the traffic pattern, in order to more fully capture demand variations that can be accommodated. The described measures are implemented on a containerized freight rail network, as a means of testing their feasibility and potential value as descriptors of system characteristics. The uses of the measures in planning, investment, and policy-making are discussed.
Mixture of principal axes registration: a neural computation approach

Non-rigid image registration is a prerequisite for many medical imaging applications such as change analysis in image-based diagnosis and therapy assessment. Nonlinear interpolation methods may be used to recover the deformation if the correspondence of the extracted feature points is available. However, it may be very difficult to establish such correspondence at an initial stage when confronted with large and complex deformation. In this paper, a mixture of principal axes registration (mPAR) is proposed to tackle the correspondence problem using a neural computation method. The feature is to align two point sets without needing to establish the explicit point correspondence. The mPAR aligns two point sets by minimizing the relative entropy between their probability distributions resulting in a maximum likelihood estimate of the transformation mixture. The neural computation for the mPAR is developed using a committee machine to obtain a mixture of piece-wise rigid registrations. The complete registration process consists of two steps: (1) using the mPAR to establish an improved point correspondence and (2) using a multilayer perceptron (MLP) neural network to recover the nonlinear deformation. The mPAR method has been applied to register a contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance (MR) image sequence. The experimental results show that our method not only improves the point correspondence but also results in a desirable error-resilience property for control point selection errors.
Immune Response and Mitosis of Human Peripheral Blood Lymphocytes in vitro

Phytohemagglutinin causes cultured lymphocytes to agglutinate, divide, and produce gamma-globulin. Most cells are transformed into large lymphocytes, some resembling plasmocytes. Actinomycin D stops gamma-globulin production after 2 hours. When specific antigens are added to lymphocytes from sensitized individuals, only some cells undergo morphological transformation, produce gamma-globulin, and divide. When cells or cell extracts from an unrelated individual are added to a culture, a similar reaction occurs.
Effects of Buoyancy on Electrohydrodynamic-Enhanced Forced Convection in a Vertical Channel

Buoyancy effects on heat transfer enhancement using an electrohydrodynamic (EHD) technique is numerically examined for laminar forced convection in a horizontal channel. Attention is also focused on the effect of added buoyancy on the flow stability. The flow Reynolds numbers and thermal buoyancy strength considered are in the range of 6 x 10 2 ≤ Re ≤ 1.8 x 10 3 and 10 4 ≤ Gr ≤ 10 6 , respectively. The electrical field is generated by positive corona from a wire electrode charged with dc high-voltage (10 ≤ V 0 ≤ 17.5 kV). In terms of an EHD number, this corresponds to 0.36 < N ehd ≤ 23.56. The results show that heat transfer enhancement increases with the applied voltage. For a given electric field, oscillation in the flow and temperature fields is observed for flows at small Reynolds numbers. In addition, the flow and temperature fields become more unstable with an increase in the thermal buoyancy strength. Because of the existence of secondary flows, there is an improvement in heat transfer. However, it is observed that thermal buoyancy has a negligible effect on the heat transfer enhancement for Gr < 10 6
“You make me a better/worse person”: A two-dimensional model of relationship self-change

For better or worse, relationships have the potential to affect individuals' self-concepts; however, currently no integrative model exists to explain the variety of these self-concept changes. We propose that self-concept changes occur along two independent dimensions: direction (increase vs. decrease in content) and valence (positivity vs. negativity of content). These two dimensions combine to create four processes of relationship-induced self-concept change: self-expansion (increasing positive content), self-contraction (decreasing positive content), self-pruning (decreasing negative content), and self-adulteration (increasing negative content). Using community and university samples, we developed a measure of self-concept change (Study 1) and examined how the four self-processes were associated with love (Study 1), relationship quality (Studies 2 and 3), and infidelity (Study 3). The self-concept improvement processes (i.e., self-expansion and self-pruning) were associated with greater love and relationship quality, whereas in Study 3 self-concept degradation processes (i.e., self-contraction and self-adulteration) predicted infidelity.
Health Care Segregation and Race Disparities in Infectious Disease: The Case of Nursing Homes and Seasonal Influenza Vaccinations

Examining nursing home segregation and race disparities in influenza vaccinations, this study demonstrates that segregation may increase both susceptibility and exposure to seasonal flu for black Americans. Evidence based on the 2004 U.S. National Nursing Home Survey shows that individuals in nursing homes with high percentages of black residents have less personal immunity to flu because they are less likely to have been vaccinated against the disease; they may also be more likely to be exposed to flu because more of their coresidents are also unvaccinated. This implies that segregation may generate dual disease hazards for contagious conditions. Segregation appears to limit black Americans' access to personal preventive measures against infection, while spatially concentrating those people who are most likely to become contagious.
Experimental assessment of pore breakaway during sintering

Experimental measurements of intragranular pore-size distributions and of the shapes of distorted pores attached to grain boundaries were used to examine the podgrain-boundary separation problem. In situ evaluation of the ratio of the boundary mobility-to-surface diffusivity from pore distortion measurements, coupled with prior analytic expressions for the critical pore breakaway condition, permitted specific intragranular pore sizes generated by separation to be predicted. The predictions lie within the distribution of measured intragranular pore sizes.
Counterfactuals and Comparative Possibility

In the last dozen years or so, our understanding of modality has been much improved by means of possible-world semantics: the project of analyzing modal language by systematically specifying the conditions under which a modal sentence is true at a possible world. I hope to do the same for counterfactual conditionals. I write A□→C for the counterfactual conditional with antecedent A and consequent C. It may be read as ‘If it were the case that A, then it would be the case that C’ or some more idiomatic paraphrase thereof.
Kinetic gating mechanism of DNA damage recognition by Rad4/XPC

The xeroderma pigmentosum C (XPC) complex initiates nucleotide excision repair by recognizing DNA lesions before recruiting downstream factors. How XPC detects structurally diverse lesions embedded within normal DNA is unknown. Here we present a crystal structure that captures the yeast XPC orthologue (Rad4) on a single register of undamaged DNA. The structure shows that a disulphide-tethered Rad4 flips out normal nucleotides and adopts a conformation similar to that seen with damaged DNA. Contrary to many DNA repair enzymes that can directly reject non-target sites as structural misfits, our results suggest that Rad4/XPC uses a kinetic gating mechanism whereby lesion selectivity arises from the kinetic competition between DNA opening and the residence time of Rad4/XPC per site. This mechanism is further supported by measurements of Rad4-induced lesion-opening times using temperature-jump perturbation spectroscopy. Kinetic gating may be a general mechanism used by site-specific DNA-binding proteins to minimize time-consuming interrogations of non-target sites.
On-line Fluorescence Profile of Aerobic Sludge Digestion

An online fluorometer designed for following intracellular NAD(P)H was used to monitor aerobic sludge digestion experiments. The fluorescence showed an initial rise to a high plateau, a sharp decline after staying at the plateau for 20-60 h, and a trailing very slow decrease. The characteristic fluorescence profile was shown to result mainly from the solids-associated fluorescence, after ruling out other factors such as pH, temperature, and supernatant fluorescence. The fluorescence profile was, however, not a mere result of the decreasing solids concentration. The varying sludge viability and population composition (e.g., the decay of heterotrophs and the increasing fraction of nitrifiers) played important roles. The fluorescence profile correlated well with the profile of the viable heterotrophic cell number concentration evaluated with TSB-agar plates. The initial increase of the number concentration was attributed to the growth of multiple small bacteria from the lysate of each large microorganism, which was demonstrated in the experiments with baker’s yeast as the starting culture for digestion. The fluorescence profiles observed in the yeast experiments were similar to those in the sludge experiments. Responding to glucose additions and the switch from aerobic to anaerobic conditions, the yeast systems showed typical step increases of fluorescence as expected from the change of NAD(P)H level associated with heterotrophic metabolism. However, no such fluorescence responses were detectable in the sludge digestion systems. NAD(P)H were thus uncertain to be responsible for the online fluorescence observed. Nonetheless, the initial fluorescence plateau corresponded to the period of rapid digestion and, for the plant studied, the EPA regulation criteria of VSS reduction >38% and/or SOUR <1.5 mg of O2 (g of TS) -1 h -1 were satisfied at the end of the plateau. The online fluorescence provides an effective means of monitoring the aerobic sludge digestion process.
Control of Glucose- and NaCl-Induced Biofilm Formation by rbf in Staphylococcus aureus

Both Staphylococcus aureus and S. epidermidis are capable of forming biofilm on biomaterials. We used Tn917 mutagenesis to identify a gene, rbf, affecting biofilm formation in S. aureus NCTC8325-4. Sequencing revealed that Rbf contained a consensus region signature of the AraC/XylS family of regulators, suggesting that Rbf is a transcriptional regulator. Insertional duplication inactivation of the rbf gene confirmed that the gene was involved in biofilm formation on polystyrene and glass. Phenotypic analysis of the wild type and the mutant suggested that the rbf gene mediates the biofilm formation of S. aureus at the multicellular aggregation stage rather than at initial attachment. Sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis analysis demonstrated that the mutation resulted in the loss of an ∼190-kDa protein. Biofilm production by the mutant could be restored by complementation with a 2.5-kb DNA fragment containing the rbf gene. The rbf-specific mutation affected the induction of biofilm formation by glucose and a high concentration of NaCl but not by ethanol. The mutation did not affect the transcription of the ica genes previously shown to be required for biofilm formation. Taken together, our results suggest that the rbf gene is involved in the regulation of the multicellular aggregation step of S. aureus biofilm formation in response to glucose and salt and that this regulation may be mediated through the 190-kDa protein.
Dose-effect Relationship of the β-Agonists Fenoterol and Salbutamol in Patients With Asthma

Question What is the relative per microgram potency and side effect profile of the β -agonists salbutamol and fenoterol? Method The relative bronchodilator (ΔFEV 1 , V ˙ 25, V50) potency and side effect profile (Δtremor, heart rate, breathlessness, BP) of nebulized salbutamol and fenoterol were evaluated by means of a randomized, double-blind, crossover, cumulative (50 to 2,500 µ g) dose-response study. Both β -agonists were administered to 12 patients with stable asthma over age 18 years with baseline FEV 1 between 35 to 70 percent predicted. Results (1) Salbutamol and fenoterol both provided significant bronchodilatation compared with baseline. (2) There was no dose-effect difference between the two β -agonists with respect to bronchodilator response. (3) Overall there was no significant difference between the side effect profiles of the two β -agonists, although at the highest dose of fenoterol, there was marginally greater tremor when measured by accelerometry. (4) There was no difference in the vital signs or subjective patient evaluations of tremor, palpitations, or breathlessness as estimated by a visual analogue scale. (5) No significant adverse reactions occurred. Summary and conclusion Equivalent bronchodilatation and similar side effect profiles were measured in a group of patients with stable asthma after treatment with nebulized salbutamol or fenoterol in the dose range 50 to 1,250 µ g (cumulative, 2,500 µ g). This indicates that both β -agonists have similar per microgram potency and side effect profiles. Observed clinical differences in response or side effects associated with fenoterol metered-dose inhaler administration may be a result of its higher dose per puff metered-dose inhaler formulation.
Strain-Gage Balance Axial Section Design Optimization Using Design of Experiments

*Strain-Gage balances are precision force transducers used to measure six forces and moments simultaneously during wind tunnel tests. These transducers are complex structural elements that deform under load and use strain-gages to convert the deformation into an electrical signal. While the technology for designing and developing quality balances has improved since their inception, cost is still an issue. The majority of the cost is due to machining the axial force measurement section. The objective of this design study is to determine if a less expensive axial force measurement alternative can be designed to provide this measurement capability at an acceptable level. A candidate geometry was chosen for this investigation based on its use in measuring a single longitudinal force. An experiment was designed to investigate its potential as an axial section for a wind tunnel balance by varying design parameters to determine its optimum configuration for a given volume and load measurement requirement. The experiment consisted of varying the defining dimensions for the selected geometry (factors) and performing a stress analysis on each resulting configuration to calculate the stresses (responses). These calculations or experiments were performed using Pro-Engineer/Pro-Mechanica 3-D modeling and finite element analysis software and analyzed in Design Expert software. Results of the experiments will be discussed.
Influence of caregiver stress and coping on glycemic control of young children with diabetes.

Abstract Introduction The purpose of this research was to examine the influence of caregiver stress, perceived stress and coping on home management and glycemic control of young children with type 1 diabetes. Method A correlational design of 73 conveniently sampled caregivers of children younger than 9 years of age receiving routine care in an urban hospital diabetes clinic completed the Problem Areas in Diabetes Survey, the Appraisal of Diabetes Scale, the Coping Health Inventory for Parents, and the Diabetes Self-Management Profile. Data were analyzed using Pearson product-moment correlation. Results Higher caregiver stress was associated with lower Hgb A 1c levels. Higher levels of home management were associated with lower Hgb A 1c . No significant relationship was noted between caregiver coping and home management. Discussion Caregivers managing their child’s type 1 diabetes rated themselves as having stress, and those able to maintain their child’s glycemic control indicated higher levels of perceived stress. It is essential that practitioners assess caregiver stress regardless of the child’s apparent glycemic control.