cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Assessing regression to the mean effects in health care initiatives

Interventions targeting individuals classified as “high-risk” have become common-place in health care. High-risk may represent outlier values on utilization, cost, or clinical measures. Typically, such individuals are invited to participate in an intervention intended to reduce their level of risk, and after a period of time, a follow-up measurement is taken. However, individuals initially identified by their outlier values will likely have lower values on re-measurement in the absence of an intervention. This statistical phenomenon is known as “regression to the mean” (RTM) and often leads to an inaccurate conclusion that the intervention caused the effect. Concerns about RTM are rarely raised in connection with most health care interventions, and it is uncommon to find evaluators who estimate its effect. This may be due to lack of awareness, cognitive biases that may cause people to systematically misinterpret RTM effects by creating (erroneous) explanations to account for it, or by design. In this paper, the author fully describes the RTM phenomenon, and tests the accuracy of the traditional approach in calculating RTM assuming normality, using normally distributed data from a Monte Carlo simulation and skewed data from a control group in a pre-post evaluation of a health intervention. Confidence intervals are generated around the traditional RTM calculation to provide more insight into the potential magnitude of the bias introduced by RTM. Finally, suggestions are offered for designing interventions and evaluations to mitigate the effects of RTM. On multivariate normal data, the calculated RTM estimates are identical to true estimates. As expected, when using skewed data the calculated method underestimated the true RTM effect. Confidence intervals provide helpful guidance on the magnitude of the RTM effect. Decision-makers should always consider RTM to be a viable explanation of the observed change in an outcome in a pre-post study, and evaluators of health care initiatives should always take the appropriate steps to estimate the magnitude of the effect and control for it when possible. Regardless of the cause, failure to address RTM may result in wasteful pursuit of ineffective interventions, both at the organizational level and at the policy level.
The Radiative Effect of Aerosols in the Earth's Atmosphere

A modified two-flux approximation is employed to compute the transfer of radiation in a finite, inhomogeneous, turbid atmosphere. A perturbation technique is developed to allow the treatment of nongray gaseous absorption with multiple scattering. The perturbation method, which employs a backscatter factor as a parameter, can be used with anisotropic particle scattering as well as Rayleigh scattering. This method is used to study the effect of aerosols on radiative solar heating and infrared cooling as well as the radiative-convective temperature distribution in the earth's atmosphere. It is found that the effect of aerosols in the infrared cannot be neglected; while in the visible, the effect can be of the same order as that due to absorption by water vapor. For a high surface albedo (greater than 0.30) heating of the earth-atmosphere system results due to the presence of aerosols. The aerosols also reduce the amount of convection needed to maintain a stable atmosphere. For the case of a dense haze a temperature inversion is found to exist close to the ground.
The experimental liquid?vapor phase diagram of bulk nuclear matter

The modern investigation of clusters, for which 1 N ∞, requires a generalization of the thermodynamics developed for infinite systems. For instance, in finite systems, phase transitions and phase coexistence become ill-defined with ambiguous signals. The existence of phase transitions in nuclear systems, in particular of the liquid–vapor kind, has been widely discussed and even experimentally claimed. A consistent and unambiguous approach to this problem requires a connection between finite systems and the corresponding infinite systems. Historically, this has been achieved at temperature T = 0 by the introduction of the liquid drop model and the extraction of the volume term, which is a fundamental quantity of nuclear matter. This work extends this approach to T > 0, by determining the liquid–vapor coexistence line and its termination at the critical point. Since there is no known experimental situation where a nuclear liquid and vapor are in coexistence, we establish a relationship between evaporation rates and saturated vapor concentration and characterize the saturated vapor with Fisher's droplet model. We validate this approach by analyzing cluster concentrations in the Ising and Lennard-Jones models and extracting the corresponding first-order coexistence line and critical temperature. Since the vapor of clusters coexists with a finite liquid drop, we devise a finite size correction leading to a modified Fisher equation. The application of the above techniques to nuclear systems requires dealing also with the Coulomb force. Nuclear cluster evaporation rates can be corrected for Coulomb effects and can be used to evaluate the cluster concentrations in the 'virtual' equilibrium vapor. These cluster concentrations, determined over a wide temperature range, can be analyzed by means of a modified Fisher formula. This leads to the extraction of the entire liquid–vapor coexistence line terminating at the critical point. A large body of experimental data has been analyzed in this manner and the liquid–vapor phase diagram of nuclear matter has been extracted.
Division of foraging labor in ants can mediate demands for food and safety

Solitary foragers can balance demands for food and safety by varying their relative use of foraging patches and their level of vigilance. Here, we investigate whether colonies of the ant, Formica perpilosa, can balance these demands by dividing labor among workers. We show that foragers collecting nectar in vegetation near their nest are smaller than are those collecting nectar at sites away from the nest. We then use performance tests to show that smaller workers are more likely to succumb to attack from conspecifics but feed on nectar more efficiently than larger workers, suggesting a size-related trade-off between risk susceptibility and harvesting ability. Because foragers that travel away from the nest are probably more likely to encounter ants from neighboring colonies, this trade-off could explain the benefits of dividing foraging labor among workers. In a laboratory experiment, we show that contact with aggressive workers results in an increase in the mean size of recruits to a foraging site: this increase was not the result of more large recruits, but rather because fewer smaller ants traveled to the site. These results suggest that workers particularly susceptible to risk avoid dangerous sites, and suggest that variation in worker size can allow colonies to exploit profitably both hazardous and resource-poor patches.
SPHINX: rich insights into evidence-hypotheses relationships via parameter space-based exploration

We demonstrate our SPHINX system that not only derives but also visualizes evidence-hypotheses relationships on a parameter space of belief and plausibility. SPHINX facilitates the analyst to interactively explore the contribution of different pieces of evidence towards the hypotheses. The key technical contributions of SPHINX include both computational and visual dimensions. The computational contributions cover (a.) flexible computational model selection; and (b.) real-time incremental strength computations. The visual contributions include (a.) sense-making over parameter space; (b.) filtering and abstraction options; (c.) novel visual displays such as evidence glyph and skyline views. Using two real datasets, we will demonstrate that the SPHINX system provides the analysts with rich insights into evidence-hypothesis relationships facilitating the discovery and decision making process.
Application of an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) to determine paraquat residues in milk, beef, and potatoes.

The USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) has included paraquat on its list of compounds to be considered for monitoring in foods. However, present methods do not easily accommodate the processing of large numbers of samples, thus limiting routine monitoring of the compound. The conventional method, based on spectrophotometry of reduced paraquat solutions, requires time-consuming sample preparation. Although the advantages of immunoassays for pesticide residue analysis have been pointed out, the reported immunoassays for paraquat have only been applied to cases of clinical poisoning or human exposure assessment. In this study, spiked milk, potato, and beef were analyzed directly, without prior cleanup, by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA).
Comment on "A skin depth-independent finite element method for eddy current problems" by S. Keran and J.D. Lavers

Comments on errors in the above mentioned paper (see ibid., vol.MAG-22, no.5, p.1248-50, 1986) presenting the skin-depth-independent finite-element method. The term gamma should appear in the numerator and not in the denominator of all the arguments of exponential and hyperbolic functions. >
Non-target effects of entomopathogenic nematodes on soil microbial community and nutrient cycling processes: A microcosm study

Abstract Under microcosm conditions, changes in the soil microbial biomass, respiration rates, and nitrogen pools as indicators of potential non-target effects of entomopathogenic nematodes on soil, were evaluated. Two tests were conducted using soil collected from the field with no history of entomopathogenic nematode application. Treatments consisted of applications of Steinernema carpocapsae All strain in the presence or absence of the wax moth Galleria mellonella larva as a target insect host, compared with the untreated control (soil only). In the second experiment an insecticide treatment (trichlorfon) was added. Microbial biomass (total nitrogen), and mineral nitrogen (NH 4 -N, NO 3 -N) were measured using standard methods up to 32 days and soil respiration up to 64 days in both experiments. No negative effect was detected in the soil microbial biomass, respiration and nitrogen pools after application of S. carpocapsae . However, a significant increase in ammonium was measured during almost the entire period of the test in the nematode plus larva treatment, not shown in the other treatments. This high level of ammonium in the nematode plus larva treatment showed that entomopathogenic nematodes can indirectly affect system-level processes in soil and adds evidence on the importance of indirect interactions affecting functions in soil food webs. The application of the insecticide trichlorfon significantly suppressed the microbial biomass and nitrification process.
Buffering against weight gain following dieting setbacks: An implicit theory intervention

article i nfo Research on implicit theories suggests that incremental beliefs—that attributes are malleable—can help buffer people against the adverse effects of setbacks on goal achievement. We conducted a longitudinal experiment to examine whether an incremental beliefs intervention could help dieters manage their body weight in the face of severe dieting setbacks. To explore the efficacy of our incremental beliefs intervention, we randomly assigned individuals to a control, a knowledge, or an incremental beliefs condition. In addition to examining the main effect of intervention condition on weight-loss across a 12-week period, we also tested the hypoth- esis that although participants assigned to the control or knowledge intervention condition would gain more weight as dieting setbacks became more severe, participants assigned to the incremental beliefs condition would not. Results supported this hypothesis: Incremental beliefs protected against setback-related weight-gain. Implications for integrating implicit beliefs interventions with obesity relapse prevention pro- grams are discussed.
Sensitivity of Tropical Cyclone Forecasts as Revealed by Singular Vectors

Abstract Singular vector (SV) sensitivity, calculated using the adjoint model of the U.S. Navy Operation Global Atmosphere Prediction System (NOGAPS), is used to study the dynamics associated with tropical cyclone evolution. For each model-predicted tropical cyclone, SVs are constructed that optimize perturbation energy within a 20° by 20° latitude/longitude box centered on the 48-h forecast position of the cyclone. The initial SVs indicate regions where the 2-day forecast of the storm is very sensitive to changes in the analysis. Composites of the SVs for straight-moving cyclones and non-straight-moving cyclones that occurred in the Northern Hemisphere during its summer season in 2003 are examined. For both groups, the initial-time SV sensitivity exhibits a maximum within an annulus approximately 500 km from the center of the storms, in the region where the potential vorticity gradient of the vortex first changes sign. In the azimuthal direction, the composite initial-time SV maximum for the straight-mov...
De-Stalinizing Soviet science: rethinking the moral implications of scientific progress in Khrushchev-era film

ABSTRACTThis article analyses Mikhail Romm's 1962 film Deviat' dnei odnogo goda/Nine Days of a Year and Sergei Mikaelian's 1965 feature Idu na grozu/Into the Storm in order to examine Khrushchev-era attitudes toward science. In contrast to the regime's absolute faith in the possibilities of scientific research under the Party leadership, these two films construct a more nuanced stance towards science and its practitioners. An examination of these two exceptionally well-attended motion pictures within a broader historical context reveals that rhetoric underpinning de-Stalinization injected an ethical dimension into contemporaneous discussions about science. Nikita Khrushchev's revelation of Stalinist crimes led to compromising questions about the state's ability to manage scientific discoveries responsibly. Even the overwhelmingly positive public image of scientists and technocrats, which had become ubiquitous after the launch of Sputnik 1 in 1957, was tied intimately with the scientific community's abilit...
Assessing organizational change in multisector community health alliances

Objective The purpose of this article was to identify some common organizational features of multisector health care alliances (MHCAs) and the analytic challenges presented by those characteristics in assessing organizational change. Data Sources Two rounds of an Internet-based survey of participants in 14 MHCAs. Study Design We highlight three analytic challenges that can arise when quantitatively studying the organizational characteristics of MHCAs—assessing change in MHCA organization, assessment of construct reliability, and aggregation of individual responses to reflect organizational characteristics. We illustrate these issues using a leadership effectiveness scale (12 items) validated in previous research and data from 14 MHCAs participating in the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation's Aligning Forces for Quality (AF4Q) program. Findings High levels of instability and turnover in MHCA membership create challenges in using survey data to study changes in key organizational characteristics of MHCAs. We offer several recommendations to diagnose the source and extent of these problems.
Integrated space-time adaptive hp -refinement methods for parabolic systems

Abstract We describe adaptive integrated space-time hp-refinement algorithms for one-dimensional vector systems of parabolic partial differential equations. Solutions are calculated using Galerkin's method with a piecewise polynomial hierarchical basis in space and singly implicit Runge-Kutta (SIRK) methods in time. A posteriori estimates of local spatial and temporal discretization errors are used with a priori error estimates to control spatial and temporal enrichment. New techniques simplify spatial error estimation with high-order approximation; integrate spatial and temporal discretization and enrichment; and enable the selection of future meshes and acceptance of partial time steps. A base hp-refinement strategy and several variants are developed and compared using a number of linear and nonlinear examples.
Regulation of nitrogenase by 2-oxoglutarate-reversible, direct binding of a PII-like nitrogen sensor protein to dinitrogenase

Posttranslational regulation of nitrogenase, or switch-off, in the methanogenic archaeon Methanococcus maripaludis requires both nifI1 and nifI2, which encode members of the PII family of nitrogen-regulatory proteins. Previous work demonstrated that nitrogenase activity in cell extracts was inhibited in the presence of NifI1 and NifI2, and that 2-oxoglutarate (2OG), a potential signal of nitrogen limitation, relieved this inhibition. To further explore the role of the NifI proteins in switch-off, we found proteins that interact with NifI1 and NifI2 and determined whether 2OG affected these interactions. Anaerobic purification of His-tagged NifI2 resulted in copurification of NifI1 and the dinitrogenase subunits NifD and NifK, and 2OG or a deletion mutation affecting the T-loop of NifI2 prevented copurification of dinitrogenase but did not affect copurification of NifI1. Similar results were obtained with His-tagged NifI1. Gel-filtration chromatography demonstrated an interaction between purified NifI1,2 and dinitrogenase that was inhibited by 2OG. The NifI proteins themselves formed a complex of ≈85 kDa, which appeared to further oligomerize in the presence of 2OG. NifI1,2 inhibited activity of purified nitrogenase when present in a 1:1 molar ratio to dinitrogenase, and 2OG fully relieved this inhibition. These results suggest a model for switch-off of nitrogenase activity, where direct interaction of a NifI1,2 complex with dinitrogenase causes inhibition, which is relieved by 2OG. The presence of nifI1 and nifI2 in the nif operons of all nitrogen-fixing Archaea and some anaerobic Bacteria suggests that this mode of nitrogenase regulation may operate in a wide variety of diazotrophs.
Mechanistic understanding of the effect of rigidity percolation on structural relaxation in supercooled germanium selenide liquids

High-resolution $^{77}\text{S}\text{e}$ nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy is used to investigate the rotational dynamics of Se atoms in ${\text{Ge}}_{x}{\text{Se}}_{100\ensuremath{-}x}$ supercooled liquids with $5\ensuremath{\le}x\ensuremath{\le}23$. The Se atoms in Se-Se-Se linkages are found to be significantly more mobile compared to those in Ge-Se-Se/Ge linkages. The time scale of the rotational dynamics of Se-Se-Se linkages and its temperature dependence are nearly identical for liquids with $x\ensuremath{\le}17$ but the time scale displays an abrupt increase for the liquids with $x=20$ and 23, at and above the rigidity percolation threshold. Such a dynamical transition is shown to be consistent with a sudden elastic stiffening of the atomic network of ${\text{Ge}}_{x}{\text{Se}}_{100\ensuremath{-}x}$ supercooled liquids at the percolation threshold.
Procedural Justice and Police Legitimacy: A Test of Measurement and Structure

The procedural justice theory of police legitimacy has received substantial empirical support, yet too little attention has been paid to the operationalization and measurement of these important theoretical constructs. In particular, it is unclear whether the items used to represent procedural justice and police legitimacy possess convergent and discriminant validity. The current study uses confirmatory factor analysis to test for the measurement properties of these constructs and expands upon prior research by also including a measure of encounter-based procedural justice in addition to a scale tapping into global beliefs. The results provide mixed support for discriminant and convergent validity between legitimacy and global procedural justice. Full structural equation models test an alternative specification of one of the popular measurement methods for legitimacy, and compare the relative impact of each type of procedural justice. The findings indicate that while specific procedural justice predicts legitimacy, global procedural justice has a stronger influence. Implications for measurement and police policy are discussed.
Role of Myeloperoxidase and Bacterial Metabolism in Chemiluminescence of Granulocytes from Patients with Chronic Granulomatous Disease

Phagocytosis of catalase-positive microbes by normal polymorphonuclear neutrophils results in increased metabolism as required for microbicidal action. Chemiluminescence is a product of the associated oxygenation reactions. Neutrophils from patients with chronic granulomatous disease are capable of phagocytizing catalase-positive microbes, but there is no associated respiratory burst, microbicidal action is greatly decreased, and chemiluminescence is not detected. However, these defective neutrophils can kill catalase-negative, H2O2-generating bacteria. In the present study, chemiluminescence by neutrophils from patients with chronic granulomatous disease after phagocytosis of H2O2-generating streptococci was detected. Acid extracts of myeloperoxidase from either control or patient neutrophils also yielded chemiluminescence in the presence of streptococci, but not in the presence of catalase-positive microbes.
Spring in the step

Elastic Mechanisms in Animal Movement. By R. McNeill Alexander. Cambridge University Press: 1988. Pp. 141. £19.50, $34.50.
Surface Plasmon Response for Anisotropic Silver Particles with Dimensions Below the Electrostatic Limit

A seeded process based on the staged addition of sodium borohydride and hydroquinone with silver nitrate was used to form aqueous nanocolloids consisting of a mixture of quasi-spherical and tabular structures. All of the dimensions for these particles were less than the 40 nm limit that marks the transition in spherical particles from a single surface plasmon peak to a broad multipolar signal. Despite the size being below the electrostatic limit, the small tabular particles retained the unique shape of the optical response seen with particles that are large with respect to the optical wavelength. This retention of response shape across the transition from electrostatic to electrodynamic conditions stands in marked contrast to the large change in response seen with spherical particles. The results are explained with respect to the geometry of the resultant induced electrical field across the particles.
Dynamic oxygen concentration in silicon melts during Czochralski crystal growth

Abstract A model has been developed for calculating the dynamic oxygen concentration change in silicon bulk melts during Czochralski crystal growth via consideration of the balance among competing oxygen fluxes in this system. Here, a single oxygen species in the melt is assumed. In this model, the important parameters are found to be (1) the equilibrium oxygen concentration at the crucible wall, (2) the surface area ratio between the free melt surface and the crucible-melt contacting surface, (3) the SiO partial pressure in the main gas stream, and (4) a lumped melt convection parameter, Q . The effect of these parameters on the oxygen content in silicon melts is examined and the possible use of this model for online control of oxygen content in silicon crystals is discussed.
Temporal Analysis of Reference Frames in Parietal Cortex Area 5d during Reach Planning

The neural encoding of spatial and postural reference frames in posterior parietal cortex has traditionally been studied during fixed epochs, but the temporal evolution of these representations (or lack thereof) can provide insight into the underlying computations and functions of this region. Here we present single-unit data recorded from two rhesus macaques during a reach planning task. We found that area 5d coded the position of the hand relative to gaze before presentation of the reach target, but switched to coding the target location relative to hand position soon after target presentation. In the pretarget period the most relevant information for success in the task is the position of the hand relative to gaze; however, after target onset, the most task-relevant spatial relationship is the location of the target relative to the hand. The switch in coding suggests that population activity in area 5d may represent postural and spatial information in the reference frame that is most pertinent at each stage of the task. Moreover, although target−hand coding was dominant from soon after the reach target onset, this representation was not static but built in strength as movement onset approached, which we speculate could reflect a role for this region in building an accurate state estimate for the limb. We conclude that representations in area 5d are more flexible and dynamic than previously reported.
Structural studies of antihistamines. The crystal structure ofH 4aH 9a -cis-H 9,H 9a-trans-2-methyl-9-phenyl-2, 3,4,4a,9,9a-hexahydro-1H-indeno[2,1-c]pyridine hydrochloride

The crystal and molecular structure ofH4a,H9a-cis-H9,H9a-trans-2-methyl-9-phenyl-2, 3,4,4a,9,9a-hexahydro-1H-indeno[2,1-c]pyridine hydrochloride was determined. The compound crystallizes in the orthorhombic space groupPbca, with eight molecules in the unit cell of dimensionsa = 10.461(2),b = 20.141(10), andc = 15.469(3) A. Intensity data were measured using Mo radiation and a θ−θ scan method. The structure was solved by direct methods and refined by least-squares techniques to a finalR of 4.6%. Thecis-trans isomer has higher antihistamine activity compared to thecis-cis isomer but is less active than phenindamine, the 2,3,4,9-tetrahydro derivative. The bond distances in thecis-trans andcis-cis derivatives are identical so that the differences in activity must be related to differences in conformation. The difference in the conformation is discussed from a receptor-site view of the two molecules.
Controlled Adsorption of End-Functionalized Polystyrene to Silicon-Supported Tris(trimethylsiloxy)silyl Monolayers

Chemically grafted tris(trimethylsiloxy)silyl (sub)monolayers [tris(TMS)] were prepared on the native oxide of silicon by vapor-phase reaction of the corresponding monochlorosilane at elevated temperatures. By exploiting the inherently sluggish kinetics of the silanization reaction, the grafting density of the tris(TMS) (sub)monolayer can be tuned. Water contact angle, ellipsometry, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy were used to determine the surface coverage. Unreacted silanol groups on the substrate surface were used as adsorption sites for carboxylic acid end-functionalized polystyrenes (PS-COOH). The thickness of the adsorbed layer could be controlled by the tris(TMS) surface coverage, adsorbing solvent, and polymer molecular weight. Amino-tris(TMS) mixed monolayers were prepared by the reaction of (4-aminobutyl)dimethylmethoxysilane (ABDMS) with tris(TMS) submonolayers. Polymer adsorption to tris(TMS)/ABDMS mixed monolayers did not occur as readily as it did to the tris(TMS)/silanol surfaces. Aggr...
Genetic control of immune response to staphylococcal nuclease. XII: Analysis of nuclease antigenic determinants using anti-nuclease monoclonal antibodies

SJL mice, which are high responders to Staphylococcal nuclease (nuclease), were immunized and used to produce hybridoma cell lines secreting anti-nuclease monoclonal antibodies (mAb). Ten stable clones were derived from a single fusion. Seven of these produced antibodies of the IgG1,κ isotype and were more precisely characterized for antigenic specificity. Only one hybridoma cell line (54-10-4) produced anti-nuclease antibodies capable of inhibiting enzymatic activity of nuclease. Binding inhibition analyses strongly suggest that the other monoclonal antibodies, which failed to inhibit nuclease activity detect two different antigenic regions, or epitopes, of the molecule: epitope cluster 1 domain is defined by hybridomas 54-2-7, 54-5-2, 54-9-8, and 54-10-8; epitope cluster 2 by 54-5-1 and 54-1-9. Because of its capacity to inhibit nuclease enzymatic activity mAb 54-10-4 was considered specific for a third epitope of the nuclease molecule called epitope 3. Binding studies of these monoclonal antibodies were extended to peptide fragments of the nuclease molecule in order to examine possible cross-reactions with such fragments, as has previously been reported for antibodies purified from polyclonal antisera. Monoclonal antibodies specific for epitope cluster 1 on the native molecule also bound to the fragments 1–126 and 49–149 but failed to bind to fragment 99–149, suggesting that the corresponding epitope(s) is determined by amino acids localized between residues 49 and 99. The epitope clusters 2 and 3 appeared to be expressed only on the native molecule. Monoclonal antibodies of different clusters exhibited very different migration patterns on isoelectric focusing while monoclonal antibodies of the same cluster were indistinguishable, which suggests that they may have originated from the same B cell precursor. Taken together these data suggest that this panel of monoclonal antibodies detects at least three distinct epitopes of the nuclease molecule, one of which could be involved in the determination of the enzymatic site.
Nanocasting of carbon nanotubes: in-situ graphitization of a low-cost mesostructured silica templated by non-ionic surfactant micelles

The in-situ graphitization of an as-made, large pore silica mesostructure templated by nonionic Pluronic 123 surfactant micelles provides a low cost pathway to the nanocasting of linear carbon nanotubes.
On the Fundamental Law of Active Portfolio Management: What Happens If Our Estimates Are Wrong?

The fundamental law of active portfolio management provides profound insights on the value creation process of managed funds and shows how forecasts of alphas or forecasting skills can be transformed into the value-added of an active portfolio. A key weakness of the law and its various extensions is that they ignore the estimation errors associated with the parameter inputs of the law. In this article, the author shows that the estimation errors have a substantial impact on the value-added and can easily destroy all the value promised by the law if not dealt with carefully. To minimize the impact of the estimation errors, the author proposes two methods—scaling and diversification. The scaling method scales the estimated optimal active portfolio by a suitable proportion to maximize the valued-added. The diversification approach suggests holding other portfolios along with the estimated optimal active portfolio in order to diversify away much of the estimation errors. The author shows that the two methods can be effectively used to minimize the impact of the estimation errors so as to substantially improve the valued-added.
Interactions between chronic haloperidol treatment and cocaine in rats: an animal model of intermittent cocaine use in neuroleptic treated populations.

This experiment investigated the possibility that rats maintained on chronic haloperidol treatment would show increased behavioral responsiveness to cocaine, similar to that observed in human stimulant abusers who are chronically treated with neuroleptics. Thus, the effects on locomotion and stereotyped behavior of intermittent injections of cocaine were investigated in female rats receiving chronic haloperidol treatment. Daily injections of haloperidol (0.2 mg/kg, IP) or vehicle were administered for 6, 12 or 18 days prior to the start of testing with cocaine and were then continued throughout cocaine testing. All rats received four doses of cocaine (0.0, 3.0, 7.5, or 15.0 mg/kg, IP) in random order with an intervening vehicle day between successive drug days. The four dose sequence of cocaine was repeated a total of four times. Initial cocaine administration produced dose dependent increases in locomotion and stereotyped behavior. When the sequence of cocaine doses was repeated, differences among treatment groups emerged. Groups treated with haloperidol exhibited heightened locomotion in response to cocaine and with repeated injections, showed a higher rate of behavioral sensitization than control animals. These differences in the behavioral response to cocaine were maintained for at least 2 months following termination of daily haloperidol treatment. In order to examine the mechanisms underlying this heightened responsiveness to cocaine, apomorphine-induced locomotion (dose range, 0–250 µg/kg, SC) was determined. Regardless of dose, rats treated with haloperidol showed different temporal patterns of locomotion in response to apomorphine suggesting that the increased response to cocaine was related to changes in dopaminergic receptor sensitivity.
Fabrication of ellagic acid incorporated self-assembled peptide microtubes and their applications

Ellagic acid (EA), a plant polyphenol known for its wide-range of health benefits was encapsulated within self-assembled threonine based peptide microtubes. The microtubes were assembled using the synthesized precursor bolaamphiphile bis(N-α-amido threonine)-1,5-pentane dicarboxylate. The self-assembly of the microstructures was probed at varying pH. In general, tubular formations were observed at a pH range of 4-6. The formed microtubes were then utilized for fabrication with EA. We probed the ability of the microtubes as drug release vehicles for EA as well as for antibacterial applications. It was found that the release of EA was both pH and concentration dependent. The biocompatibility as well as cytotoxicity of the EA-fabricated microtubes was examined in the presence of mammalian normal rat kidney (NRK) cells. Finally the antibacterial effects of the EA incorporated peptide microtubes was examined against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus.
Context alters the ability of clitoral stimulation to induce a sexually-conditioned partner preference in the rat.

We have shown previously that clitoral stimulation (CLS) of female rats induces significant conditioned place preference (CPP), indicating that it is rewarding. The present study asked whether CLS could induce a conditioned partner preference. In the first experiment, sexually naive females received 10 alternating trials of CLS and No-CLS in the presence of a male rat behind a wire-mesh screen. For one group, CLS was made in the presence of the male scented with almond extract. On alternating trials, those females received sham CLS in the presence of an unscented male behind the screen. The order was reversed for the other group. After 5 trials in each condition, females were placed into an open field with two sexually vigorous males, one scented and the other unscented. Contrary to expectation, females displayed a preference for the male associated with sham CLS. The second experiment examined whether a partner preference could be conditioned by associating CLS with the almond odor alone. A new group of sexually naive females received the same CLS-odor, No-CLS-No Odor pairings as above, but with the odor presented on cotton gauze in the chamber. During the final open field test, those females selectively solicited the scented male. We conclude that CLS that induces CPP also induces conditioned partner preference. However, we propose that CLS in the presence of an inaccessible male created a sexual inhibitory state for female rats.
Parameters involved in the enhancement of monoclonal antibody targeting in vivo with recombinant interferon.

The effects of recombinant human leukocyte (clone A) interferon (rHu-IFN-αA) were investigated on the expression of monoclonal antibody (MAb)-defined tumor antigens expressed on human mammary and colon carcinomas. The rHu-IFN-αA treatment substantially increased the localization of radiolabeled MAb B6.2-F(ab′)2 to the transplantable Clouser human mammary carcinoma, as well as to the moderately differentiated human colon xenograft WiDr, when grown as s.c. tumors in athymic mice. In contrast, human tumor cell lines (i.e., LS174T, A375, etc.) that were unresponsive to the antigen-augmenting ability of rHu-IFN-αA in vitro were also unresponsive in vivo, indicating a possible method of screening carcinoma cell populations for subsequent rHu-IFN-αA adjuvant therapy prior to MAb administration. The method of delivery of rHu-IFN-αA was also studied. The i.m. route resulted in a 3–4 h plasma half-life for rHu-IFN-αA. The administration of rHu-IFN-αA via an osmotic pump resulted in a stable circulating plasma titer of 400–800 antiviral units/ml for 7 days. Utilizing delivery of rHu-IFN-αA by the constant infusion route, it was found that the increase in localization of 125I-B6.2-F(ab′)2 was dependent on (1) the length of time of treatment and (2) the circulating plasma rHu-IFN-αA levels. These results thus provide information useful for subsequent studies to determine the potential efficacy of adjuvant rHu-IFN-αA treatment for MAb-targeted tumor diagnosis and treatment.
Novel Production of Terpenoids in Escherichia coli and Activities Against Breast Cancer Cell Lines

Metabolic engineering of heterologous pathways has allowed the production of therapeutically important compounds in microbial systems. Here, we report the engineering of a monoterpenoid biosynthetic pathway into Escherichia coli. Five genes encoding sequential enzymes for perillyl alcohol biosynthesis from the precursors isopentenyl pyrophosphate (IPP) and dimethylallyl pyrophosphate (DMAPP) were engineered into E. coli. Expression of these genes allowed the production of the intermediate limonene, but the downstream monoterpenoid, perillyl alcohol, was not detected. A new compound was detected but could not be identified based on the data obtained. Only 1.6 μg/ml of the compound was being produced from the engineered E. coli strain, but, when these cultures were fed limonene as a substrate, the production was nearly 250 μg/ml. This unknown compound inhibited the cell proliferation of MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells in 48-h treatment experiments. This compound may have potential benefits in breast cancer treatment. This is the first report showing the production of a monoterpenoid in engineered E. coli and its antiproliferative effects in breast cancer cells.
Identification of the muon stopping sites in GdSr2Cu2RuO8: Confirmation of ferromagnetic cuprate planes in a superconducting cuprate

Abstract Muon spin rotation experiments on superconducting GdSr2Cu2RuO8 reported a magnetic induction of 720–740 G. Neutron diffraction studies have shown that the Ru spins are ordered antiferromagnetically along the c-axis, while the cuprate planes are ordered ferromagnetically in the a–b plane and are stacked antiferromagnetically. Using this spin configuration with refined spin moments, we have calculated the magnetic induction at potential muon stopping sites; muons stopping in the center of the ferromagnetic CuO2 planes will experience an induction of ∼725 G, a result in excellent agreement with experiment. We predict that muon experiments, carried out at temperatures below the Gd antiferromagnetic ordering temperature, will detect an induction exceeding 1 T at one of the muon sites.
Cognitive vulnerabilities as predictors of stress generation in early adolescence: pathway to depressive symptoms.

Although individuals with depression have been found to experience a higher rate of stress in their lives, it remains unclear to what extent other personal characteristics may contribute to stress generation. The current study extended past research by examining the effects of two theoretically and empirically supported cognitive vulnerabilities to depression (negative cognitive style and rumination) as predictors of dependent interpersonal and achievement events, independent events, and relational peer victimization. In a diverse sample of 301 early adolescents (56 % female; Mage = 12.82 years), we found that negative cognitive style prospectively predicted the experience of dependent interpersonal stress and relational victimization, and that rumination did not predict stress in any of the domains. Furthermore, the occurrence of intervening stress mediated the associations between negative cognitive style and subsequent depressive symptoms. Additionally, whereas negative cognitive style predicted relational victimization among both boys and girls, girls were particularly vulnerable to developing depressive symptoms following the occurrence of relational victimization. Thus, a negative cognitive style may contribute to the occurrence of stressful events, which in turn increases depressive symptoms. Girls may be particularly reactive to relational victimization, representing one pathway through which sex differences in depression may emerge.
Planning optimal robot trajectories by cell mapping

A cell-mapping method is introduced for planning global trajectories of robotic manipulators in cases where the cell space is composed of combination pairs of plane cells. With the proposed method, optimal trajectory problems in the free field and in the obstacle-constrained field are studied. Two numerical examples are given to show the obtained optimal trajectories and controls. >
Pure-injective modules

It is proved that a pure-injective module over a commutative ring with unity is a summand of a product of duals of finitely presented modules, where duals are to be understood with reference to the circle group T, with induced module structures. Using similar techniques, it is also shown that an R-module has its underlying group pure-injective precisely when it is a submodule of a product of duals of cyclic modules and also a summand as abelian group of the same product.All rings considered are commutative with unity and all modules are unitary. Let Mod-R be the category of modules over a ring R. An exact sequence 0 → A → B → C → 0 in Mod-R is pure-exact if, for any N in Mod-R, 0 → A⊗N → B⊗N → C⊗N → 0 is exact. A module M is pure-injective if it has the injective property relative to the class of pure-exact sequences in Mod-R. A module P is FP (finitely presented) if it is the image of a finitely generated free module with a finitely generated kernel. A module M is compact if it carries a Hausdorff compact topology so that M is a topological R-module. Let T denote the circle group—the group of real numbers modulo the integers—and let X* denote the dual module Homℤ(X, T) of the module X.
Microwave-induced thermoelastic tissue imaging

A prototype microwave-induced thermoelastic tissue imaging system was designed to acquire and process two-dimensional projections of various sizes test tubes filled with tissue equivalent materials. A test object is immersed in a tank of water at whose surface single microwave pulses of 2 mu s at a carrier frequency of 2450 MHz are launched. Thermoelastic waves induced at the water surface are detected, on propagating through the object material, by a 20*20 piezoelectric transducer array at the bottom of the water tank. A computer-controlled data acquisition system samples and converts the amplified and bandlimited signals into digital form. The system produces images interactively through the use of image processing techniques. Results are presented to demonstrate the potential use of microwave-induced thermoelastic waves as a possible medical imaging modality. >
Low-Bremsstrahlung X-Ray Source Using a Low-Voltage High-Current-Density Nanostructured Field Emission Cathode and a Transmission Anode for Markerless Soft Tissue Imaging

We report the design, fabrication, and proof-of-concept characterization of an X-ray generator for improved X-ray absorption imaging that uses a nanostructured field emission cathode as the electron source and a microstructured transmission anode as the X-ray generating structure. Field emission cathodes consume less power, respond faster, and tolerate lower vacuum than the thermionic cathodes used in conventional X-ray generators. The use of a transmission anode, instead of a conventional reflection anode, allows filtering of the background radiation (bremsstrahlung) while allowing efficient generation of X-ray at lower voltages by exciting atomic shell transitions, resulting in emission of X-ray with narrow spectral linewidth for sharper imaging of biological tissue. The fabricated field emission cathode contains arrays of self-aligned and gated silicon field emitters. The field emission cathodes turn on at bias voltages as low as 25 V, and their gates transmit almost 100% of the electrons to the anode. The cathodes produce per-emitter electron currents in excess of $2~\mu $ A (current density >2 A/cm $^{2}$ ) at a bias voltage of 80 V. A desktop rig is built to generate X-ray with a field emission cathode and transmission anode. Using the facility, we obtained X-ray absorption images of several objects. The images clearly show details under $500~\mu $ m in size, as well as soft tissue and fine bone structures without using contrast agents. [2014-0087]
A Bond Graph Model of an Electromagnetic Launcher—Part 2: Simulation Results

An electromagnetic launcher (EML) or railgun is a complex dynamically coupled system, with interacting electric, magnetic, mechanical, and thermal subsystems. Part 1 of this paper formulated a bond graph model of an EML system, including power supply, dynamics of power cables, electric dynamics of armature and rails, magnetic containment of flux, electric contact resistance between sliding armature and rails, generation of forward longitudinal motion, transverse contact mechanics of armature sliding on rails, thermal analysis of armature heating, and model of armature melt wear and plasma erosion. Using state equations extracted from the Part 1 paper, numerical simulation results of the Institute of Advanced Technology's MCL EML are presented. Simulated are rail current, armature forward motions, armature-rail contact normal approach, armature and interface temperatures, and material loss. Results are compared to MCL shot 185. The results suggest interface temperatures of thousands of kelvins, which can exceed 15 000 K under certain conditions, and an armature-rail sliding contact separation due to accumulated melt erosion, consistent with transition.
Cataclysm: Scalable overload policing for internet applications

In this paper we present the Cataclysm server platform for handling extreme overloads in hosted Internet applications. The primary contribution of our work is to develop a low overhead, highly scalable admission control technique for Internet applications. Cataclysm provides several desirable features, such as guarantees on response time by conducting accurate size-based admission control, revenue maximization at multiple time-scales via preferential admission of important requests and dynamic capacity provisioning, and the ability to be operational even under extreme overloads. Cataclysm can transparently trade-off the accuracy of its decision making with the intensity of the workload allowing it to handle incoming rates of several tens of thousands of requests/second. We implement a prototype Cataclysm hosting platform on a Linux cluster and demonstrate the benefits of our integrated approach using a variety of workloads.
The high-altitude brain.

SUMMARY The highest place on our planet, Mount Everest (8850m), appears to be close to the limit of how high an acclimatized human can go, albeit slowly. In this paper, I will explore the possibility that what limits human performance at such extreme degrees of hypoxia is the availability of oxygen to the brain. Also, one of the known costs of such extreme exposure is residual mild impairment of performance on neuropsychometric tests after return to sea level, implying injury to brain cells. That such injury could occur in the absence of any overt impairment of function, much less without loss of consciousness, is unexpected. I will speculate about physiological mechanisms that might cause or contribute to both decrements in real-time performance while at altitude and residual deficits for a time after return to low elevations; the effects of hypoxia on brain cells are an even greater puzzle at the present time.