cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The relation of weight change to depressive symptoms in adolescence

The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders lists weight gain or weight loss as a symptom of depression at all ages, but no study of adolescent depression has examined its relation to actual (not just self-reported) weight change. In the current longitudinal study, 215 adolescents provided physical and self-report measures of change in weight, body mass, and body fat over a 4-month time interval. They also completed psychological measures of body dissatisfaction, problematic eating attitudes, and depressive symptoms. The relation between physical measures of weight change and depressive symptoms varied with age. These relations were explained by individual differences in body dissatisfaction, eating attitudes, and behaviors, leading to questions about weight change as a symptom of depression in adolescence.
Thiamine deficiency in utero alters response to ethanol in adulthood

To determine whether prenatal thiamine deficiency, a frequent concomitant of alcoholism, reduces the response to ethanol during adulthood in the rat as does ethanol exposure in utero (Abel et al. 1981), pregnant Sprague-Dawley rats received either control or thiamine deficient diets together with daily injections of the thiamine antagonist pyrithiamine. At 7 months of age, male offspring were exposed to precisely regulated ethanol vapor concentrations in an inhalation chamber for 24 h and blood ethanol concentrations (BECs) and ethanol-induced intoxication were determined. Prenatally thiamine deficient rats and controls were indistinguishable in terms of appearance, body and liver weights, and the ratios of liver to body weight and brain to liver weight. However, total body water was significantly greater, and BECs and behavioral impairment were decreased, in the experimental rats. These findings indicate that prenatal thiamine deprivation is associated with reduced pharmacologic effect of ethanol as a result of increases in its volume of distribution and rate of metabolism.
Priming Symptom Reports with Health-Related Cognitive Activity

Two experiments showed that self-reports of physical symptom frequency increase after people make abstract decisions about health connotations of common words. In Experiment 1, scores on a standardized symptom frequency inventory were substantially higher among subjects who completed the inventory after the decision task than among subjects who completed the inventory before the task. In Experiment Z similar increases were found in reports of discrete symptom episodes occurring within a specific time frame, and arousal and mood explanations were ruled out. Evidence was also obtained that manipulated accessibility of health cognitions (induced by the word decision task) and individual differences in propensity to report symptoms affect symptom reporting independently and that persons who consistently report higher levels of symptoms tend to make abstract decisions in the health domain more quickly. Discussion centers on implications for symptom measurement and on how the experimental results extend existin...
Enhanced compressive strength of an extruded nanostructured Mg–10Al alloy

Abstract We report the microstructural characterization and compressive behavior of nanostructured Mg–10Al alloys processed via cryomilling, spark plasma sintering and extrusion. We demonstrate that warm extrusion leads to ~40% improvement in compressive strength of nanostructured Mg–10Al alloys. A yield strength of 550 MPa, and an ultimate strength of 580 MPa are measured. The improvement in strength is mainly attributed to the occurrence of precipitation hardening by γ-Al 12 Mg 17 nanoprecipitates and basal-texture strengthening in addition to the grain size strengthening mechanism. Our results suggest a successful approach for the design of high strength nanostructured Mg–Al alloys.
Impact and Quasi-Static Mechanical Properties of a Carbon Fiber Reinforced Carbon Nanotube/Epoxy

Carbon fiber reinforced plastics (CFRPs) possess superior inplane mechanical properties and are widely used in structural applications. Altering the interphase of CFRPs could alleviate the shortcomings of their out-of-plane performance. In this work, the effects of adding multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) to the epoxy matrix of a CFRP are investigated. Two sets of CFRPs with matrices comprising MWCNTs/epoxy and neat epoxy, respectively, were fabricated. The tensile properties of the two systems, namely the stiffness, the ultimate strength, and the strain to failure were evaluated. The results of the tension tests showed slight changes on the on-axis (along the fiber) tensile modulus and strength of the carbon fiber reinforced epoxy/MWCNT compared to composites with no MWCNTs. The addition of MWCNTs to the matrix moderately increased the strain to failure of the composite. Energy absorption capabilities for the two sets of composites under an intermediate impact velocity (100 m.s -1 ) test were measured. The energy dissipation capacity of the CFRPs incorporating MWCNTs was higher by 17% compared to the reference CFRPs.
Diagnosing scan chain faults

Testing screens for good chips. However, when test fall out is high (low yield) it becomes necessary to diagnose faults so that the manufacturing process or physical design can be filed to improve yield. Several scan based diagnostic schemes are used in industry. They work when the scan chain itself is fault free. In this paper we describe a diagnosis system that can diagnose faults in a scan chain. >
The challenge of comprehensive and consistent sequence variant interpretation between clinical laboratories

Genetic testing has shifted from academic laboratories with expertise in specific genes to commercial laboratories that offer tests of a diverse array of genes. The purpose of this comparative study was to determine whether one academic laboratory’s model of variant interpretation is similar to that of several commercial laboratories. The Collagen Diagnostic Laboratory (CDL) received, over a 14-month period, 38 requests to interpret variants originally identified by an outside laboratory (OL). The interpretations by the OL and CDL were compared and discrepancies were assessed. Interpretations from the OL and CDL were concordant in 11 inquiries (29%); discrepancies were moderate in 11 instances (29%) and significant in 16 (42%). Factors that caused discrepancies included the following: (i) private data were not shared in a public database (n = 9); (ii) publicly available allele frequency data were not referenced and used as evidence (n = 5); and (iii) important aspects of protein structure and function were not taken into account (n = 13). Comprehensive interpretation of sequence variants depends on good functional tests and well-curated variant databases. Provision of clinical information to the clinical laboratory, mandatory submission of identified variants with phenotype data to common resources, and collaboration between clinical laboratories and recognized experts is likely to improve consistency in variant interpretation among clinical laboratories. Genet Med 18 1, 20–24.
Is silent ischemia on the routine admission ECG an important finding

The authors' objective was to determine if, in the absence of known coronary artery disease, ST-T changes suggestive of silent ischemia on the admission electrocardiogram (ECG) identify a group of patients at high risk for cardiac event or death. A prospective cohort study was undertaken at the university hospital of a tertiary care center. All patients admitted to the hospital during the 5-month study period were screened. The authors found 54 patients with risk factors but no symptoms of coronary artery disease whose admission ECGs showed silent ischemia (ischemia group), and 71 patients with similar risk of coronary artery disease but without admission ECGs showing silent ischemia (control group). Three-week and 6-month incidences of angina, myocardial infarction, and death among patients in the silent ischemia and control groups were compared. Seven (13%) patients in the silent ischemia group had cardiac events or noncardiac death in the subsequent 3 weeks versus one (1%) noncardiac death in the control group (p < 0.02). At 6 months, eight (15%) patients in the silent ischemia group versus two (3%) in the control group had cardiac events (p = 0.02). It is concluded that among patients with risk factors but no symptoms of coronary artery disease, silent ischemia on the admission ECG is associated with an increased likelihood of short-term death or cardiac event.
A Power Law Model for Survival Data Using GLIM

This paper proposes a regression model for the Weibull survival distribution of which the scale parameter is a power function of covariates. The estimation of parameters for partially censored data is pursued by using a statistical package called GLIM. Two sets of carcinogenic data are used to illustrate this procedure.
Quantifying downflow through creek sediments using temperature time series: one-dimensional solution incorporating measured surface temperature

Abstract Several authors have addressed the question of identifying the location of and quantifying the volume of groundwater/surface water interaction. Utilizing measurement of temperature within the sediments has been suggested as a means of estimating water flux through the sediments. A qualitative version of this method has been applied to identifying locations of communication between a creek and groundwater based upon temperature time series measurements in the water column and the sediments. The discussion presented earlier is extended to a more general solution which allows for incorporation of measured surface temperature (rather than an assumed surface temperature). The mathematical formulation presented is targeted on the quantification of flux across the sediment for conditions of one-dimensional downflow with a constant flux over periods of days to weeks. This technique, based on the assumption that the temperature of the surface water is the primary thermal influence on sediment temperature, is shown to provide an estimate of fluid flux (volume of water per area per time) for flux rates above a critical threshold. The flux threshold depends on a number of factors including thermal diffusivity of the sediments and depth of burial of the temperature measuring device. Based on use of three simple forcing functions for temperature at the surface of the sediments, it is shown that the amplitude of the temperature response in the sediments to a change in temperature in the overlying water column decreases with increasing depth and decreasing flux. Further, the timing of the peak response in the sediments becomes increasingly delayed as depth increases and flux decreases. These observations, combined with consideration of the assumption of one-dimensional flow, lead to suggesting that field design be based on relatively shallow burial (e.g. 5–15 cm) of the device to measure sediment temperatures. Based on these observations, one of the data sets presented earlier is reanalyzed to derive flux estimates. It is shown that a reasonable fit is obtained with a downflow flux of less than 0.03 cm day−1. Independent measurement of hydraulic gradient and hydraulic conductivity provide a range of flux estimates for the same site (although measured in a different year) which are consistent with this value. Based on these results, it is argued that this technique is a reasonable screening tool for use in situations where relatively inexpensive, point estimates of water flux are required within losing reaches of a creek.
27.6% Conversion efficiency, a new record for single-junction solar cells under 1 sun illumination

Alta Devices, Inc. has fabricated a thin-film GaAs device on a flexible substrate with an independently-confirmed solar energy conversion efficiency of 27.6%, under AM1.5G solar illumination at 1 sun intensity. This represents a new record for single-junction devices under non-concentrated sunlight. This surpasses the previous record, for conversion efficiency of a single-junction device under non-concentrated light, by more than 1%. This is due largely to the high open-circuit voltage (V oc ) of this device. The high V oc results from precise control of the dark current. The fact that this record result has been achieved with a thin-film shows that, for GaAs material systems, the majority of the growth substrate is not needed for device performance. This allows one to consider amortizing the potentially high cost of a GaAs growth substrate by growing a thin-film, lifting it off, and reusing the same substrate multiple times. This technology therefore has the potential to be a novel high-performance, thin-film option for terrestrial photovoltaics.
Modeling the influence of the interfacial zone on the DC electrical conductivity of mortar

Abstract The interfacial zone separating cement paste and aggregate in mortar and concrete is believed to influence many of the properties of these composites. The available experimental evidence, obtained on artificial geometries, indicates that the DC electrical conductivity of the interfacial zone, because of its higher porosity, may be considerably larger than that of the bulk cement paste matrix. This paper presents the theoretical framework for quantitatively understanding the influence of the interfacial zone on the overall electrical conductivity of mortar, based on realistic random aggregate geometries. This understanding is also used, via an electrical analogy with Darcy's law, to make predictions about the effect of the interfacial zone on fluid permeability. The results obtained for mortar should also pertain to concrete.
Spectroscopic investigations of pyrene butanol encapsulated in C-hexylpyrogallol[4]arene nanocapsules

Pyrogallol[4]arenes self-assemble to form stable hydrogen-bonded nanocapsules that have many unique properties making them potentially suitable for diverse applications, such as molecular transporters and nanoreactors. However, little is known about the host–guest behaviour of these materials. Utilizing nanoenvironment-dependent properties of the fluorescent reporter molecule, pyrene butanol (PBOH), the encapsulating abilities of the hexameric C-hexylpyrogallol[4]arene (PgC6) nanocages are further explored. Solution-state, spectroscopic and spectrofluorometric investigations and solid-state, single-crystal X-ray diffraction studies are in agreement and indicate an ordered inner phase. Up to two PBOH guest molecules are sequestered within the nanocapsule along with encapsulation solvent. The nature of the PBOH–PgC6 complex is found to change with time, as indicated by fluorophore leaching. These research findings provide additional insight into the encapsulation capabilities of PgCn nanocapsules.
UV immobilized phospholipid bilayers

Dinitrophenyl phosphotidylethanolamine-containing bilayers have been immobilized on carbon-shadowed support films by UV irradiation of the first monolayer transferred to the support film. The immobilized bilayer is capable of allowing bound protein (anti-DNP antibody) to organize into 2-D arrays in the presence of organic solvents such as acetonitrile and dilute concentrations of detergents such as beta-octyl glucoside. The ability of the bilayers to remain attached to supports under various conditions that include organic solvents and detergents as well as divalent ions is of potential interest in the study of protein crystallization and particularly in the study of membrane proteins.
Modality-Dependent Modulation of Conduction by Impulse Activity in Functionally Characterized Single Cutaneous Afferents in the Rat

Cutaneous afferents exhibit changes in excitability after impulse activity that are correlated with functional modality but are independent of axonal diameter, as studied in 39 cold fibers and 51 nociceptors of the rat. Latency of conducted impulses was used to indicate changes in axonal excitability caused by electrical stimulation. Stimuli were applied both at fixed frequencies and at the time intervals of impulses previously recorded during response to natural stimulation. Latency increased following both these forms of electrical stimulation, as well as after natural stimulation of the receptive fields. The latency increase was correlated with the number of impulses and the frequency of the preceding discharge in all of 4 nociceptors and 13 cold fibers studied for this feature. Increase of latency by electrical or natural stimulation led to reduced responsiveness to natural stimulation. The magnitude and time course of latency changes were correlated with fiber modality. In 32 nociceptors the latency ...
Confidence intervals and p-values in clinical decision making

Clinical trials are usually performed on a sample of people drawn from the population of interest. The results of a trial are, therefore, estimates of what might happen if the treatment were to be given to the entire population of interest. Confidence intervals (CIs) provide a range of plausible values for a population parameter and give an idea about how precise the measured treatment effect is. CIs may also provide some useful information on the clinical importance of results and, like p-values, may also be used to assess ‘statistical significance’. Although other CIs can be calculated, the 95% CI is usually reported in the medical literature. In the long run, the 95% CI of an estimate is the range within which we are 95% certain that the true population parameter will lie. Despite the usefulness of the CI approach, hypothesis testing and the generation of p-values are common in the medical literature. The p-value is often used to express the probability that the observed differences between study groups are due to chance. p-values provide no information on the clinical importance of results. Conclusion: It is good practice for authors of research articles to report CIs with their estimates instead of just p-values as p-values are less informative and convey no information on clinical importance.
Functional Characteristics of Human Toxic Neutrophils

The function of toxic neutrophils from patients with severe infection and inflammation was studied by in-vitro determination of their chemotactic, migratory, phagocytic, and bactericidal activities. Toxic neutrophils had 2196 of the chemotactic activity of controls. Staphylococcus albus was destroyed less readily by toxic neutrophils, but the differences observed between toxic and control neutrophils were small. After incubation for 2 hr, toxic neutrophils killed 81*26 of the original inoculum, while control cells killed 9796. This small reduction in total bacterial clearance by toxic neutrophils was associated with increases in both free and cell-associated bacteria, suggesting a compromise in phagocytic and bactericidal activities. Sera from patients with toxic neutrophils did not affect normal neutrophils. Studies of phagocytes from ten patients who had febrile illnesses without toxic neutrophils were normal. None of these patients had severe bacterial infection. No alterations in function were detected in neutrophils of two patients with polycythemia vera and one with myeloid metaplasia.
Amplified total internal reflection: theory, analysis, and demonstration of existence via FDTD

The explanation of wave behavior upon total internal reflection from a gainy medium has defied consensus for 40 years. We examine this question using both the finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) method and theoretical analyses. FDTD simulations of a localized wave impinging on a gainy half space are based directly on Maxwell's equations and make no underlying assumptions. They reveal that amplification occurs upon total internal reflection from a gainy medium; conversely, amplification does not occur for incidence below the critical angle. Excellent agreement is obtained between the FDTD results and an analytical formulation that employs a new branch cut in the complex "propagation-constant" plane.
A specific tetracycline-induced, low-molecular-weight RNA encoded by the inverted repeat of Tn10 (IS10).

Abstract The tetracycline (Tc)-resistance transposon Tn10 has previously been shown to encode a small (~4 S) RNA species in Escherichia coli minicells. When Tn10-containing mini-cells were labeled in the presence of Tc a new RNA species was detected that hybridized specifically to DNA sequences from the outer 400 bp of each inverted repeat sequence (IS10).
Chronic myelomonocytic leukemia: Tel-a-kinase what Ets all about

Department of Medicine tDepartment of Pediatrics Divisions of Hematology-Oncology Gwynne Hazen Memorial Laboratory Molecular Biology Institute and Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center University of California, Los Angeles Los Angeles, California 90024 A logical approach toward identifying the genes responsi- ble for cancer is to clone tumor-specific chromosomal ab- normalities such as translocation breakpoints. For human leukemias, transcription factors are at the heart of many breakpoints. In this issue of Cell, Golub et al. (1994) report the cloning of the t(5;12) translocation found in patients with chronic myelomonocytic leukemia (CMML). Although their approach is a familiar one, the result is quite surpris- ing. This translocation fuses a member of the Ets family of transcription factors named Tel (for translocation, Ets, leukemia) to a well-known receptor tyrosine kinase (RTK), the platelet-derived growth factor receptor j3 (PDGFRP). A kinase-transcription factor fusion raises novel questions about how such chimeric genes might function. Further- more, the discovery that an altered PDGFRB protein plays a role in CMML adds to the accumulating ring of evidence that Ras abnormalities are central to the genesis of multi- ple types of myeloid leukemia. RTK Fusion Oncogenes: Constifutive Dimerization Activates Normal Signal Transduction Pathways A first step in understanding how the Tel-PDGFRP fusion protein might lead to leukemia is to examine the range of previously described translocations involving tyrosine kinases. We have limited our comparison to transmem- brane RTKs to keep the analogy to PDGFRp as close as possible. Figure 1 summarizesselected examplesof RTKs converted to oncogenes by slightly different structural al- terations. We must know how normal tyrosine kinase receptors function to understand how mutant receptors might work. A critical step initiated by ligand binding is dimerization of two adjacent receptors followed by phosphorylation of specific tyrosine residues in the cytoplasmic tails of the paired receptors. These phosphorylated tyrosine residues are high affinity-binding sites for the Src homology 2 (SH2) domains of specific cytoplasmic signaling molecules such as GrbP. The SH2 domains of these molecules dock onto the tail of the dimerized receptor, forming a complex which transmits the signal into the cell. In the case of GrbP, the consequence is clear (reviewed by Schlessinger, 1993). In addition to binding the receptor, Grb2 binds the GDP- GTP exchanger molecule Son of sevenless (SOS), which, in turn, activates the Ras protein (Figure 2). The most straightforward explanation for how mutant versions of these tyrosine kinase receptors function as oncogenes is that they represent constitutively activated
Plaud on Ilardi and Feldman.

A cultural analysis is given to the premise that clinical psychology is a discipline of theoretical fragmentation. It is argued that the discipline will achieve paradigmatic status as an applied science by reestablishing the link between behavioral theory and clinical applications. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Clin Psychol 57: 1109–1111, 2001.
Influence of ZnCl2 pretreatment on behavioral and histological responses to kainic acid in rats.

Abstract Kainic acid evoke behavioral convulsions and causes lesions in hippocampal pyramidal cell layers in rats. The effects of ZnCl 2 pretreatments on these events were examined. Rats were given ZnCl 2 (35 mg/kg, subcutaneously (s.c.)) 15 min prior to kainic acid administration (12 mg/kg, intraperitonealy (i.p.)). Another group of animals was given an additional dose of ZnCl 2 (35 mg/kg, i.p.) 24 h prior to the s.c. ZnCl 2 and i.p. kainic acid. All rats that received kainic acid, whether saline controls or ZnCl 2 pretreated, experienced wet dog shakes (WDS) and convulsions. No significant differences were seen between groups in number or latency of WDS or convulsions. Two days after behavioral data were collected, the brains were perfused and the extent of lesioning among hippocampal CA1 and CA3 pyramidal cells was quantified. A single dose of ZnCl 2 had either no effect or a slight protective effect on cell lesioning induced by kainic acid. However, lesioning was more pronounced in animals treated twice with zinc. It is concluded that zinc, co-administered with kainic acid, augments kainate cytotoxicity when the dose and timing of zinc exposure are within a critical period.
Oral Cryptococcus neoformans infection in AIDS

Abstract Opportunistic fungal and parasitic infections account for a significant amount of the morbidity and the mortality associated with the acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS). Oral fungal infections are limited primarily to Candia albicans. The first reported case of oral Cryptococcus neoformans infection in a patient with AIDS is presented.
Is preschool child health surveillance an effective means of detecting key physical abnormalities

Method This was a prospective study of a 1-year cohort of children born to mothers registered with 25% of general practices in Nottingham. A cohort of 2308 babies was followed up for 15–18 months. All referrals for five tracer physical conditions (undescended testes, congenital heart disease, squints, developmental dysplasia of the hip and congenital hearing loss) were followed up through hospital record systems and copies of child health surveillance reviews from the personal child health records. Results One thousand, nine hundred and seventy-two (85%) of the initial cohort were followed up. Four hundred and thirteen (21%) children had been referred for one of the tracer conditions and 91% had been referred directly from child health surveillance reviews. Only 49 (12%) children needed treatment or follow-up after assessment. The sensitivity of screening was high, ranging from 72% for congenital heart disease to 100% for developmental dysplasia of the hip and hearing loss. However, false positive rates were also very high, ranging from 60% for undescended testes to 97% for developmental dysplasia of the hip and hearing loss. Thus the positive predictive value of referral for dysplasia of the hip or hearing loss was only 5%, with a negative predictive value of 100%. In contrast, the positive predictive value for undescended testes was 67%, with a false negative rate of 14%. Eighty-four per cent of those who needed treatment or follow-up after assessment had been referred from the child health surveillance programme. The largest proportion of abnormalities was identified from the 6-week review, but most referrals came from the neonatal review and the health visitor distraction test. Conclusion The majority of children with the five tracer conditions used in this study were identified during child health surveillance examinations.
A randomized clinical trial of smoking cessation treatments provided in HIV clinical care settings.

INTRODUCTION Identifying successful smoking treatment interventions and methods of delivery is critical given the smoking rates among HIV-positive populations and the medical implications of smoking in this population. This study compared the efficacy of 3 smoking cessation interventions provided in HIV clinical treatment settings. METHODS Following a baseline assessment, 209 HIV-positive smokers were randomly assigned to 1 of 3 conditions in a parallel group design. Treatment conditions were individual counseling plus nicotine replacement treatment (NRT), a computer-based Internet smoking treatment plus NRT, and self-help plus NRT. Smoking status was determined at follow-up assessments completed at 12, 24, 36, and 52 weeks following treatment initiation. RESULTS Cessation rates ranged from 15% to 29%; however, no statistically significant differences in abstinence were found among the treatment conditions over time. Those employed, those who reported a greater desire to quit, or those with lower mood disturbance scores were more likely to achieve abstinence (p < .01). The number of cigarettes participants reported smoking in the 24hr prior to each assessment significantly declined over time (p < .001). CONCLUSIONS Although we found no differences in abstinence rates across groups, the results indicate that integration of smoking cessation interventions is feasible in HIV clinical treatment settings, and cessation results are promising. The overall abstinence rates we report are comparable to those found in similar treatment studies across multiple populations. Further research is warranted.
ℒ2 sets which are almost starshaped

Let S be a subset of R d . The set S is said to be an ℒ set if and only if for every two points x and y of S, there exists some z ∈ S such that [x, z] ⋃ [z, y] ⊂ S. Clearly every starshaped set is an ℒ set, yet the converse is false and introduces an interesting question: ‘Under what conditions will an ℒ set S be “almost” starshaped; that is, when will there exist a convex subset C of S such that every point of S sees some point of C via S’ This paper provides one answer to the question above, and we have the following result: Let S be a closed planar ℒ set, S simply connected, and assume that the set Q of points of local nonconvexity of S is finite. If some point p of S see each member of Q via S, then there is a convex subset C of S such that every point of S sees some point of C via S.
Three-dimensional behavior of mixing-limited chemistry in the atmosphere

Abstract The effect of turbulent concentration fluctuations in the near-source region on fast, second-order atmospheric reactions of the type A + B → C is investigated. The correlation term C′ A C′ B is related to the concentration variance of emitted species A, C′ A 2 . The specific reactions studied are those pertaining to NO-O3-NO2 chemistry. A locally one-dimensional finite element method (LOD-FEM) is used to solve the three-dimensional transport/chemistry equations. By evaluating the differences in the photostationary-stale parameter (λ = k 3 C NO C O 3 k 1 C NO 2 ) , the effect of the fluctuation term, C NO ′C′ O 3 , is shown to be substantial in the near-source region. The effect initially increases with downwind distance, and then decreases as diffusion and dissipation become dominant. Within the plume itself, the effects are smallest at the core of the plume and are most pronounced at the plume edges. The important dynamical parameters are the eddy diffusivity used for closure of the turbulent species transport equation and the dissipation of turbulent energy that controls the small-scale fluctuations. From a diurnal standpoint, the maximum effect is observed at around noontime, with minimal effects being observed in the early morning and late evening.
Age and occupational status of defendant in relation to mock juror sentencing recommendations

This study extended the research of Smith & Hed (1975) by examining the effect of age and occupational status on sentencing recommendation by mock jurors. Participants read a description of a crime committed by a young or old and high or low status defendant, recommended a sentence, and indicated perceptions of the defendant’s future. Although no significant differences attributable to defendant age or status were observed, high status defendants were rated as having a better potential future, whatever their age.
Intensifying magnetic dark modes in the antisymmetric plasmonic quadrumer composed of Al/Al2O3 nanodisks with the placement of silicon nanospheres

Abstract In this study, a quadrumer cluster composed of Al nanodisks in both symmetric and antisymmetric orientations has been utilized to generate magnetic hot-spots by using coil-type Fano resonances. Determining the accurate geometrical sizes for the examined cluster, we calculated the spectral response of the structure numerically. Utilizing strong plasmon resonance hybridization between Al/Al2O3 nanodisks that are suited in a close proximity to each other, such a finite and simple nanocluster yields intensified hidden magnetic fields |H| as a dark mode and electric |E| as a bright modes. Using and placement of silicon nanospheres in the unoccupied gap distance between proximal Al nanodisks give rise to significant enhancement in the energy and quality of the induced multiple Fano dips. Appearing of multiple Fano resonant modes in a coil-type regime in the UV and visible spectrum helps us to optimize the energy of generated magnetic hot-spots, significantly. Ultimately, we examined the sensitivity of the proposed final quadrumer by considering the behavior of Fano minima. We plotted the linear figure of merit (FoM) based on the Fano resonance energy differences in various conditions over the refractive index. Quantifying the FoM for the studied nanostructure, then we compared the quality of structure with the analogous nanoclusters. This work paves novel methods toward the utilization of Al/Al2O3 nanoparticles as a potential substance to employ in designing nanoclusters that are able to support strong dark resonances as well as bright modes. Wide-range working region, optimized electric and magnetic fields, multiple and high quality Fano dips, high FoM and low-costs are the superior features of the proposed artificial structure in comparison to analogous configurations.
Direct Determination of Pure-State Density Matrices. IV. Investigation of Another Constraint and Another Application of the P Equations

An additional theorem of the Hellman-Feynman variety is used in conjunction with the equations derived in paper II for the first-order density matrix. This particular theorem due to Parr relates the energy difference $E({\ensuremath{\lambda}}^{\ensuremath{'}})\ensuremath{-}E(\ensuremath{\lambda})$ to a "parameter-transition density" $\ensuremath{\rho}({\ensuremath{\lambda}}^{\ensuremath{'}}, \ensuremath{\lambda})$. It is shown that $E({\ensuremath{\lambda}}^{\ensuremath{'}})\ensuremath{-}E(\ensuremath{\lambda})$ can be used as a constraint on either $\ensuremath{\rho}({\ensuremath{\lambda}}^{\ensuremath{'}})$ or $\ensuremath{\rho}(\ensuremath{\lambda})$. An additional application of the $\mathit{P}$ equations as a density-fitting technique is investigated. That is, given a set of expectation values in some basis $\mathit{\ensuremath{\Psi}}$, one can use the $\mathit{P}$ equations to generate the density matrix that corresponds to these expectation values in some other basis $\mathit{\ensuremath{\chi}}$. Several helium-atom Hartree-Fock densities are fitted to smaller bases with various sets of operators. Density graphs are given for comparison.
Track Initiation In A Dense Target Environment Using Multiple Sensors

The problem of track initiation in the exoatmospheric ballistic missile defense scenario has been studied before, assuming a scanning LWIR sensor. This paper is concerned with the same problem, but under a more difficult sensor configuration, namely, a set of mid-altitude satellite sensors. To handle conditions of high target density and poor observability, a new initiation procedure is used for the iterative-least-square (ILS) filter, and the filter itself is modified to accept a-priori state covariance. The target density is effectively reduced by calling upon an edge tracker initially, which forms track files of edges of the clusters. Track initiation is then accomplished by referencing to those edge track files, assuming that targets in the same cluster travel in parallel. Tracks initiated by two sensors are merged to provide precise state estimates to the extended Kalman filter that is used to carry out the track maintenance task.
Acropetal:A Genetic Locus Required for Conidiophore Architecture and Pathogenicity in the Rice Blast Fungus☆

Fungal spores are a primary means of dissemination and are the major sources of inoculum in pathogenic species. Sporulation in the rice blast fungus Magnaporthe grisea involves the production of three-celled conidia, borne sympodially on an aerial conidiophore. A disease cycle initiates when spores are dispersed and attach to the rice plant surface. Using insertional mutagenesis we have identified a major regulator of conidiophore morphogenesis in M. grisea. A null mutation in the acropetal (ACR1) locus causes a hypermorphic conidiation phenotype where indeterminate growth of the conidial tip cell results in the production of head-to-tail (acropetal) arrays of spores. acropetal mutants are nonpathogenic and fail to undergo infection-related morphogenesis. The ACR1 locus encodes a spore-specific transcript and acr1(-) mutants fail to turn off the expression of the hydrophobin encoding gene MPG1 in dormant spores. We propose that ACR1 is a stage-specific negative regulator of conidiation that is required to establish a sympodial pattern of spore formation. Interestingly a failure to establish the correct pattern of sporulation in M. grisea results in the production of spores that cannot progress through the disease cycle. Studies of Acropetal suggest that the diverse patterns of spore ontogeny in conidial fungi arose through alterations in major genes controlling spore-specific gene expression.
Characterization ofEntamoeba histolytica-induced dephosphorylation in Jurkat cells

Entamoeba histolytica killing of host cells is contact dependent and mediated by a Gal/GalNAc lectin. Upon contact with amoeba a rapid and extensive dephosphorylation of tyrosine phosphorylated host cell proteins is observed. This effect is mediated by the Gal/GalNAc lectin. However, it requires intact cells, as purified lectin failed to induce dephosphorylation in Jurkat cells. The nonpathogenic, but morphologically identical amoeba,Entamoeba moshkovskii also did not induce dephosphorylation in target cells. Treatment of Jurkat cells with phosphotyrosine phosphatase inhibitors has shown that a host phosphatase is responsible for dephosphorylation. However, it was found that the CD45 phosphotase was not necessary for dephosphorylation of host cell proteins.
When acquisitions go awry: pitfalls in executing corporate strategy

Looks at five cases of significant value destruction – when acquisition was followed by divestiture at a much lower price. Notes that closer examination reveals several fault lines that companies frequently encounter as they execute their corporate strategy.
Bottom-up Modeling of the Elastic Properties of Organosilicate Glasses and their Relation to Composition and Network Defects

Organosilicate glasses (OSG), also known as SiCOH or carbon-doped oxide are used as low-k inter-metal dielectrics for integrated circuits. The material must fulfill two conflicting requirements: It has to have low density to reduce the dielectric constant and be mechanically stable enough to withstand mechanical stress during subsequent production steps. Experimental advances in improving their mechanical and electrical properties have not yet been theoretically examined at the ab initio level, due to the relatively large model sizes necessary for amorphous materials. We employ the density-functional based tight-binding (DFTB) method to achieve an accurate description of OSG properties at different compositions. We analyze the influence of composition and topological defects on the density and bulk modulus of non-porous OSG. We find that the dependence of density and stiffness on chemical composition is of different nature. This difference is traced to a transition between different mechanisms of elastic deformation in silica glass and in silicon hydrocarbide, which is also the reason for different sensitivity to topological defects in the two materials.
NITPACK: An Interactive Tree Package

Le but de cet article est de decrire un ensemble de programmes FORTRAN transportable qui peut etre utilise pour mettre en œuvre les arbres de decisions ou les organigrammes sur un calculateur numerique. Cet ensemble de programmes est appele NITPACK et est constitue de 2 sous-programmes principaux NITREE et NIT
Identification of the human pituitary tumor transforming gene (hPTTG) family: molecular structure, expression, and chromosomal localization.

Abstract In an attempt to determine the mechanism of human tumorigenesis, we have searched for oncogenes and recently reported the molecular cloning of a potent oncogene (hPTTG) from human testis. hPTTG mRNA is expressed at high levels in various human tumors and tumor cell lines. Overexpression of hPTTG in the mouse fibroblast cell line (NIH 3T3) results in an increase in cell proliferation, induces cellular transformation in vitro, and promotes tumor formation in nude mice. The hPTTG gene isolated from the human genomic library consists of five exons and four introns and spans over 10 kb. In the studies reported here, we further investigated the possibility of the presence of additional genes homologous to hPTTG in the human genome, which was first indicated by Southern blot analysis of the human genomic DNA and chromosomal mapping of the hPTTG gene using DNA from human×hamster hybrid cell lines in PCR. Sequencing and restriction map analysis of the additional genomic clones identified two intronless genes homologous to hPTTG. This finding was confirmed by the chromosomal location of the second gene to chromosome 4p15.1 and the third gene to chromosome 8q13.1. Based on the similarity in sequences, we proposed that hPTTG be renamed hPTTG1 and the new genes be named hPTTG2 and hPTTG3. hPPTG2 was found to be 91% identical and hPPTG3 89% identical with hPPTG1 at the amino acid level. Northern blot and reverse transcriptase/polymerase chain reaction (RT/PCR) analyses of the mRNA from various human tissues revealed differential expression of the hPTTG2 and hPTTG3 genes in normal and tumor tissues, suggesting that these genes may be associated with tumorigenesis.
Hormone Replacement Therapy for Prevention or Treatment of Atherosclerosis in Postmenopausal Women: Promises, Controversies, and Clinical Trials

Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death among men and women in the U.S. and other developed societies. However, myocardial infarction and stroke are uncommon in women until their sixth decade and beyond. Clinicians have long suspected that the delay of a decade or more in cardiovascular disease expression in women relative to men is due to the protective effects of estrogen prior to menopause. Reports from population based observational studies of the favorable effects of hormone replacement therapy on cardiovascular morbidity and mortality have led to enthusiasm for widespread use of estrogen by postmenopausal women for the prevention of cardiovascular disease. In support of the antiatherogenic potential of estrogen are studies in postmenopausal women showing favorable effects on lipoprotein levels, fibrinolysis, and vascular function. However, a secondary prevention trial in postmenopausal women with coronary artery disease showed no cardiovascular benefit of hormone replacement therapy. Ongoing clinical trials and options to conventional hormone replacement therapy for cardiovascular protection will be discussed in this review. (c)2000 by CVRR, Inc.
Relationships between mean and standard deviation of air temperature: implications for global warming

Using data from the contiguous USA, the relationship between mean and standard devi- ation of daily air temperature was estimated on a monthly timescale from 1948 to 1997. In general, there is either an inverse relationship or a weak relationship between mean and standard deviation. For both daily maximum and daily minimum air temperature, the inverse relationship is spatially coherent for one-third to two-thirds of the contiguous USA for most months. The inverse relationship also is fairly strong, with typical reductions in standard deviation ranging from 0.2 to 0.5°C for every 1°C increase in mean temperature. A weaker, direct relationship between mean and standard devi- ation occurs in some northern states, primarily during spring and fall months. Using the predominant inverse and weak relationships as historical analogs for future climatic change suggests that interdi- urnal variability of air temperature should either decrease or remain unchanged under warming con- ditions. Although the variability of air temperature may decrease or remain unchanged at most loca- tions in the contiguous USA, the probability of extremely high air temperatures should still increase, depending on the magnitude of changes in mean air temperature and the nature of the variance response.
Light scalars and SU(5) predictions for sin2ϑW and the proton lifetime

Abstract We investigate the dependence of the weak angle ϑ W and the proton lifetime τ p on the structure of the Higgs sector in the SU(5) model of grand unification. It is remarkable that only a small number of low dimensional scalar multiplets are sufficient to stabilize the proton considerably while accommodating experimental information on sin 2 ϑ W . We present some modifications of the minimal model which predict a proton lifetime of the order of its present experimental lower bound as well as a richer particle spectrum in the 100 GeV range.
High temporal resolution and streak-free four-dimensional cone-beam computed tomography

Cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) has been clinically used to verify patient position and to localize the target of treatment in image-guided radiation therapy (IGRT). However, when the chest and the upper abdomen are scanned, respiratory-induced motion blurring limits the utility of CBCT. In order to mitigate this blurring, respiratory-gated CBCT, i.e. 4D CBCT, was introduced. In 4D CBCT, the cone-beam projection data sets acquired during a gantry rotation are sorted into several respiratory phases. In these gated reconstructions, the number of projections for each respiratory phase is significantly reduced. Consequently, undersampling streaking artifacts are present in the reconstructed images, and the image contrast resolution is also significantly compromised. In this paper, we present a new method to simultaneously achieve both high temporal resolution ( approximately 100 ms) and streaking artifact-free image volumes in 4D CBCT. The enabling technique is a newly proposed image reconstruction method, i.e. prior image constrained compressed sensing (PICCS), which enables accurate image reconstruction using vastly undersampled cone-beam projections and a fully sampled prior image. Using PICCS, a streak-free image can be reconstructed from 10-20 cone-beam projections while the signal-to-noise ratio is determined by a denoising feature of the selected objective function and by the prior image, which is reconstructed using all of the acquired cone-beam projections. This feature of PICCS breaks the connection between the temporal resolution and streaking artifacts' level in 4D CBCT. Numerical simulations and experimental phantom studies have been conducted to validate the method.
Weak polymorphism can be sound

The weak polymorphic type system of Standard ML of New Jersey (SML/NJ) (MacQueen, 1992) has only been presented as part of the implementation of the SML/NJ compiler, not as a formal type system. As a result, it is not well understood. And while numerous versions of the implementation have been shown unsound, the concept has not been proved sound or unsound. We present an explanation of weak polymorphism and show that a formalization of this is sound. We also relate this to the SML/NJ implementation of weak polymorphism through a series of type systems that incorporate elements of the SML/NJ type inference algorithm.