cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Chapter 13 – Cursors

Publisher Summary The languages that invoke the SQL code, in which applications are written, such as C, COBOL and Ada, neither supports sets nor supports multisets of data. They are capable of dealing with only one or a few pieces of data at a time. This particular difference between SQL and the host languages is called an impedance mismatch. SQL has facilities to help resolve this mismatch, and the cursor is among the most important of those facilities. This chapter focuses on cursors whose principal purpose is to act as a transformer to compensate for the aspect of impedance mismatch between SQL and other programming languages. A cursor is a pointer that traverses a collection of rows. If the application has to traverse many rows of data, it cannot retrieve them all at once because the host language does not deal with an arbitrary number of rows. However, a programmer can retrieve them one at a time by using a cursor. To use a cursor, the first thing that one has to do is to open it. The open statement is quite straightforward. It is an executable statement and its format is OPEN cursor-name. . The OPEN statement does not have any parameters or host variables associated with it. All data that must be supplied by the host program is specified in the cursor declaration, but it is actually obtained when the OPEN is executed. The FETCH statement allows the application to retrieve data into the program space, one row at a time. The cursor is closed using the CLOSE statement. The chapter ends with a discussion on cursor positioning.
Christians, Muslims, and Mary: A History by Rita George-Tvrtković

Rita George-Tvrtkovic's latest book explores the history of Mary's role in encounters between Christians and Muslims, focusing on her use by Christians in their assessments of Muslim faith and practice. To read the full book review, download the PDF file on the right.
Pumping wavelength related population inversion in Nd:doped laser

Pumping wavelength related population inversion in an Nd:doped laser has been investigated, where the laser is regarded as two thermodynamic equilibrium systems: the upper state and the lower state. The population inversion limits at various pumping wavelengths and temperatures are compared. The effective metastable lifetime has been derived, where both pump and laser fields within the Nd:doped laser medium reduce the lifetime. The saturation of the lifetime is discussed. As a result, in-band pumping of the Nd:doped laser is good for improving the efficiency and achieving the narrow-linewidth of the laser wavelength due to less population inversion; off-band pumping is beneficial for extracting high pulse energy, thanks to large population inversion.
Agent Assist through Conversation Analysis

Customer support agents play a crucial role as an interface between an organization and its end-users. We propose CAIRAA: Conversational Approach to Information Retrieval for Agent Assistance, to reduce the cognitive workload of support agents who engage with users through conversation systems. CAIRAA monitors an evolving conversation and recommends both responses and URLs of documents the agent can use in replies to their client. We combine traditional information retrieval (IR) approaches with more recent Deep Learning (DL) models to ensure high accuracy and efficient run-time performance in the deployed system. Here, we describe the CAIRAA system and demonstrate its effectiveness in a pilot study via a short video.
Cardiopulmonary Effective Radar Cross Section (ERCS) for Orientation of Sedentary Subject Using Microwave Doppler Radar

Effective radar cross-section (ERCS) for microwave Doppler radar, is defined by the reflected power from sections of the human body that undergo physiological motion. This paper investigates ERCS for human cardiopulmonary motion of sedentary subjects at three different positions (front, back and side with respect to radar). While human breathing and heartbeat can be measured from all four sides of the body, the characteristics of measured signals will vary with body orientation. Thus, continuous wave radar with quadrature architecture at 2. 4GHz was used to test a sedentary subject for three minutes from three different orientations: front, back and side with respect to radar. The results obtained from the tests showed that physiological motion could be obtained and that distinct patterns emerge due to the differences in the ERCS for each orientation. For the seated subject, back ERCS was higher than for front and side positions. Determining ERCS changes with position may enable determining body orientation with respect to the radar. This research opens further opportunities for development of high-resolution occupancy sensing and emergency search and rescue sensing, where the orientation of a human subject may be unknown ahead of time.
Towards a ‘hot’ tumor phenotype: DKN-01 sensitizes the tumor micro-environment via pro-immune cell cytokine release in vitro and ex vivo

Objectives: The Wnt/-catenin pathway has been associated with a ‘cold’ tumor microenvironment (TME) in ovarian cancer that allows for unregulated tumor progression. We characterized the impact of inhibiting DKK1 - a Wnt pathway target gene - on immune-related molecular responses in ovarian cancer. Methods: Data was collected from human cell lines, ascites collected from patients with HGSOC, and tissue from patient tumor samples treated with a DKK-1 inhibitor (DKN-01.) Ascites from 10 high grade serous ovarian cancer (HGSOC) patients were isolated, cultured in vitro, and treated with control or 0.5uL/mL DKN-01 for 48 hours. Cell lysates were collected for multiplex cytokine/chemokine array. Human ES2 epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) cells were cultured in vitro and treated with control or DKN-01; RNA-sequencing was performed to characterize differential gene expression changes in response to treatment. We also performed HE these findings were associated with improved local immune cell presence. In human ascites, there was a >20% increase in IL-8, CCL5 and CCL4 cytokines in response to DKN-01; these cytokines are associated with enhanced leukocyte, T cell, NK cell, and monocyte recruitment. Additionally, there was a >20% increase in CXCL9 and EGF cytokines (both associated with T cell activation), and GM-CSF (associated with pro-inflammatory/anti-tumor M1 macrophage polarization) in response to DKN-01. RNA-seq analysis of human ovarian tissue from patients with DKN-01 treatment showed a statistically significant increases in gene expression of pro-inflammatory chemokines CXCL8 (p Conclusions: DKK1 blockade facilitates a pro-inflammatory TME via increased local immunostimulatory cytokine production and release, providing a mechanism of action for improved clinical outcomes for gynecologic cancer patients by creating a ‘hot’ TME. Based on these findings, further studies are needed to investigate how DKK-1 inhibition could prime the TME to sensitize ovarian cancer to immune checkpoint blockade.
“You Get What You Fucking Deserve”: Joker and the Fantasies of Refusal

This chapter examines Todd Phillips’s 2019 film Joker with a focus on the different ways the film can be interpreted. In one reading, the film depicts the delusions of a mentally ill loner who lashes out at an indifferent society with violence. In another reading, the film tells the triumphant rise of a supervillain. These divergent fantasy frames are explored with a particular focus on the ways that music is used to shift between them.
A two-phase iterative machine learning method in identifying mechanical biomarkers of peripheral neuropathy

Abstract Peripheral neuropathy that interrupts sensorimotor integration in the motor control process will lead to hand and upper limb motor function deficits in daily life. However, behavioral biomechanics and motor functions have never been considered in available diagnoses and clinical evaluations. Previous studies that investigate the behavioral biomechanics to delineate a specific peripheral neuropathy and its severity have shown evidences that certain biomechanical parameters have the potential to be identified as biomarkers for the detection of the neuropathy from an early stage. Nevertheless, datasets formed by behavioral biomechanical parameters are often characterized by the high dimensionality, the small sample size, and the high redundancy, which brings us challenges for making binary classification between patients and healthy controls. We propose a two-phase machine learning protocol using Random Forests (RFs) for the early variable screening and the (K)PCA-SVM system for the prediction and the final identification of biomarkers. We apply the proposed protocol to an example application of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (CTS) and its prediction accuracy reaches 90.3% with 6 biomarker variables identified from 700 initial input variables. These promising results provide a paradigm shift of guidelines and directions of clinical test designs toward novel diagnostic optimization in the future.
Chapter 21: Bidirectional passage of peptides across the blood-brain barrier

Publisher Summary Peptides can cross the blood–brain barrier (BBB) in the direction of brain to blood or blood to brain. The rates of entry vary with the presence, absence and direction of saturable components, but they are sufficient to explain and to correlate with the effects induced on the contralateral side of peptide administration. Peptide transport systems often carry a small number of structurally similar peptides and are modified by various physiological, pathological, and pharmacological manipulations. It is postulated that these modifiers are important to the role that peptide transport systems play in coordinating activities between the central nervous system (CNS) and peripheral organs. Peptides are produced by peripheral tissues such as the skin, gastrointestinal tract, immune system, kidney and heart as well as by the CNS. In all of these locations, they act to regulate function. That such regulation extends as a link between the CNS and peripheral organs is clearly illustrated by the fact that peptides, after administration at peripheral sites, can have profound effects on the function of the CNS. The chapter discusses the means by which peptides can cross the BBB and consider some of the implications of such passage.
Estimation of ligand affinity constants for receptor states in functional studies involving the allosteric modulation of G protein-coupled receptors: implications for ligand bias.

Abstract Introduction The affinity constants of a ligand for active and inactive states of a receptor ultimately determine its capacity to activate downstream signaling events. In this report, we describe a reverse-engineering strategy for estimating these microscopic constants. Methods Our approach involves analyzing responses measured downstream in the signaling pathway of a G protein-coupled receptor under conditions of allosteric modulation and reduced receptor expression or partial receptor inactivation. The analysis also yields estimates of the isomerization constant of the unoccupied receptor, the sensitivity constant of the signaling pathway, and the more empirical parameters of the receptor population including the observed affinities and efficacies of allosteric and orthosteric ligands – including inverse agonists – and the efficacy of the unoccupied receptor (i.e., constitutive activity). Results and discussion We validate our approach with an analytical proof and by analysis of simulated data. We also use our method to analyze data from the literature. We show that the values of the microscopic constants of orthosteric and allosteric ligands are constant regardless of the allosteric interaction and the nature of the receptor-signaling pathway as long as the same active state mediates the response. Our analysis is useful for quantifying probe-dependent allosteric interactions and the selectivity of agonists for different signaling pathways. Knowing the isomerization constant and sensitivity constant of a signaling pathway in a given cell line or tissue preparation enables future investigators to estimate the affinity constants of agonists for receptor states simply through analysis of their concentration–response curves. Our approach also provides a means of validating in silico estimates of ligand affinity for crystal structures of active and inactive states of the receptor.
Time evolution of large classical systems

We begin with some very general and elementary remarks about nonequilibrium statistical mechanics. We then establish our notation for discussing finite systems of classical point particles, construct the microcanonical ensemble, and sketch some of the relations between statistical mechanics and ergodic theory.
Reliability improvement of hybrid organic-inorganic waveguides by dielectric passivation

In this paper we report a simple passivation method based on a dielectric coating above the fabricated waveguides. Our results indicate a significant reduction in waveguide loss and improved reliability of the waveguides. A long-term propagation loss stabilized below 0.3 dB/cm at 1550 nm of a silica passivated sol-gel slab waveguide is reported.
Maintaining stability with distributed generation in a restructured industry

A set of reduced order, linearized, dynamic models for distributed generators is developed along with a framework for modeling the generators in a power distribution system. Analysis of this distributed system structure raises two issues. The first is that the simulations demonstrate, unexpectedly, that a small load disturbance is capable of causing frequency instability in the primary dynamics of the distributed generators. Eigenanalysis of the instability suggests that it is a system phenomenon. The second issue is that the system matrix is found to not have a block diagonal dominant structure raising questions over the possible implementation of decentralized control strategies. A method to regain system stability along with an example of implementing this method are presented, along with the generator models.
Translational Initiation Factor eIF-4E: A LINK BETWEEN CARDIAC LOAD AND PROTEIN SYNTHESIS

To define the coupling mechanism between cardiac load and the rate of protein synthesis, changes in the extent of eIF-4E phosphorylation were measured after imposition of a load. Electrically stimulated contraction of adult feline cardiocytes increased eIF-4E phosphorylation to 34% after 4 h, as compared with 8% phosphorylation in quiescent controls. However, eIF-4E phosphorylation did not increase upon electrical stimulation in the presence of 7.5 mM 2,3-butanedione monoxime, an inhibitor of actin-myosin cross-bridge cycling and active tension development. Treatment of adult cardiocytes with either 0.1 μM insulin or 0.1 μM phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate increased eIF-4E phosphorylation to 23 and 64%, respectively, but these increases were not blocked by 2,3-butanedione monoxime. In canine models of acute hemodynamic overload in vivo, eIF-4E phosphorylation increased to 23% in response to left ventricular pressure overload as compared with 7% phosphorylation in controls. Acute volume overload had no effect on eIF-4E phosphorylation. These changes in eIF-4E phosphorylation account for differences in anabolic responses to acute pressure versus acute volume overload. These data suggest that eIF-4E phosphorylation is a mechanism by which increased cardiac load is coupled to accelerated rates of protein synthesis.
The Effect of Varying Levels of Induced Duct Leakage on Differential Pressures in a Florida House

The objective of this research is to quantify the effect of varying levels of induced duct leakage on differential pressures and subsequent radon levels in a typical Florida residence. The heating and air conditioning (HAC) system of a residence was modified with the addition of a fresh air ventilation system. This modification provided the ability to simulate either a return leak or a supply leak in the HAC system. The amount of leakage induced can be varied using flow control dampers and an auxiliary fan located in the ventilation system ductwork. The house was pressurized and depressurized by adding 0.06 m{sup 3}/s of ventilation air into the return side and removing 0.05 m{sup 3}/s of ventilation air from the supply side of the air handling system, respectively. The subsequent changes in house pressure and ventilation rates reduced the indoor radon concentrations from 1,865 Bq/m{sup 3} to 170 Bq/m{sup 3} under pressurized conditions and to 305 Bq/m{sup 3} under depressurized conditions.
Antiferromagnetic ground state of bcc chromium.

First-principles total-energy calculations with the local spin-density approximation for a four-atom magnetic cell show that chromium is not antiferromagnetic (AF) at the calculated zero-pressure equilibrium volume, but is on the verge of a second-order transition to an AF state. An AF spin-density wave in a large magnetic cell of appropriate size could then induce the AF state by lowering the energies of states near the Fermi surface. Confirmation of this induced AF state comes from comparisons of the calculated nonmagnetic and AF bulk moduli, the smaller AF value being in much better agreement with experiment.
Peer separation in infant chimpanzees, a pilot study

Seven nursery reared chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes), 7.5 to 10.5 months of age, were studied to determine the effects of a short period of separation from their peers on behavior and heart rate. The chimpanzees were separated from their mothers at birth, and reared in the nursery in a group living environment. The experiment encompassed a 13-day period, including 4 days of normative baseline, 5 days during which three of the infants were separated and housed in isolation while the other four controls remained together, and 4 days in which all of the animals were reunited. Six quantified behavioral observations and five heart rate measurements were obtained daily. Following separation, the isolated infants were behaviorally agitated, and exhibited increases in vocalizations, rocking and self-clasp behaviors, as well as changes in facial expression including cry face, whimper face and pout face. Time spent locomoting decreased in all seven animals during the separation period. Agitated behavior in the separated and isolated infants alternated with stationary withdrawn behavior. Individual differences were prominent. Heart rate was notable by the generally poorly developed circadian rhythmicity throughout the 13 day period; significant HR changes did not appear otherwise associated with separation. Day three of separation appeared to represent a point of transition with stereotyped motor behaviors developing in the three isolated infants and in one control infant.
A silicon photonic channelized spectrum monitor for UCSD’s multi-wavelength ring network

A compact silicon photonic channelized optical spectrum monitor is designed and realized, which can replace a large rack-mounted OSA’s channel power monitoring functionality, and the signal processing algorithm underlying its operation is described.
Detection of free peritoneal fluid by transvaginal sonography

The recognition of peritoneal fluid is of considerable clinical importance; however, the sensitivity of modern techniques for the detection of this finding has not been determined. The purpose of this study was to assess the utility of transvaginal sonography for the detection of free peritoneal fluid. Nineteen infertile women scheduled to undergo diagnostic laparoscopy were scanned with a 5-MHz transvaginal probe just before the surgical procedure. Peritoneal fluid was then aspirated laparoscopically, and the volume and location was compared to the sonographic findings. The volume of fluid obtained at laparoscopy ranged from 0 mL to 45 mL (median 8 mL). All patients with fluid volumes > or = 0.8 mL had free fluid identified sonographically. The location of fluid observed sonographically corresponded to that noted at laparoscopy in all cases. Free peritoneal fluid was visualized in 8 (73%) of 11 patients with regular menstrual cycles who were in the follicular phase at the time of the study. We conclude that transvaginal sonography is a sensitive and reliable method for the detection of free peritoneal fluid in anatomically normal women. This finding should not necessarily be considered abnormal, at least in women of reproductive age, nor should it be considered diagnostic of oocyte release.
Learning sparsifying transforms for image processing

The sparsity of signals and images in a certain analytically defined transform domain or dictionary such as discrete cosine transform or wavelets has been exploited in many applications in signal and image processing. Recently, the idea of learning a dictionary for sparse representation of data has become popular. However, while there has been extensive research on learning synthesis dictionaries, the idea of learning analysis sparsifying transforms has received only little attention. We propose a novel problem formulation and an alternating algorithm for learning well-conditioned square sparsifying transforms from data. We show the superiority of our approach for image representation over analytical sparsifying transforms such as the DCT. We also show promise in image denoising. Denoising using the learnt analysis transforms is not only better than by synthesis dictionaries learnt using the K-SVD algorithm but also faster.
Moduli space of Chaudhuri-Hockney-Lykken strings.

We discuss an orbifold of the toroidally compactified heterotic string which gives a global reduction of the dimension of the moduli space while preserving the supersymmetry. This construction yields the moduli space of the first of a series of reduced rank theories with maximal supersymmetry discovered recently by Chaudhuri, Hockney, and Lykken. Such moduli spaces contain nonsimply laced enhanced symmetry points in any spacetime dimension {ital D}{lt}10. Precisely in {ital D}=4 the set of allowed gauge groups is invariant under electric-magnetic duality, providing further evidence for the {ital S} duality of the {ital D}=4 heterotic string. {copyright} 1995 The American Physical Society.
Advantageous Effect on Porosity of Template Carbon Materials by Residue of Templates

Porous ceramic materials are generally used for templates in synthesis of new porous carbon materials by template method. In the synthesis procedure, template materials are finally dissolved by acid or alkaline solution. Improvement of carbon content in the carbon materials by the process is expected to be effective for advancement of porosity and specific surface areas of the specimens, therefore realization of elimination of templates to a maximum extent is assumed to be desirable. In this report, we have prepared several porous carbon materials by the use of natural soils or clays for templates, and improved their carbon content by ammonium chloride (NH4Cl) treatment. However, their specific surface areas demonstrate a tendency to decrease contrary to the expectation. The result suggests that the original carbon specimens are rather effective in porosity, and the residue of templates can also play a useful part for specific surface areas of the carbon materials. This effect is attractive for improvement of synthesis process of porous carbon materials, which have high specific surface area, from viewpoints of practical applications.
Fluorescence studies with malate dehydrogenase from rhizobium japonicum 3I1B-143 bacteroids: a two-tryptophan containing protein

A number of fluorescence studies, both of trp residues and bound NADH, have been reported for porcine MDH. The large number of trp residues (6) complicates the interpretation of some studies. To circumvent this we have performed studies with a two tryptophan (per subunit) MDH from Rhizobium japonicum 311B-143 bacteroids. We have performed phase/modulation fluorescence lifetime measurements, as a function of temperature and added quencher KI, in order to resolved the 1.3 ns (blue) and 6.6 ns (red) contributions from the two classes of trp residues. Anisotropy decay studies have also been performed. The binding of NADH dynamically quenches the fluorescence of both tip residues, but, unlike mammalian cytoplasmic and mitochondrial MDH, there is not a large enhancement in fluorescence of bound NADH upon forming a ternary complex with either tartronic acid or D-malonate.
Aspiration biopsy of the kidney. Simultaneous collection of cytologic and histologic specimens.

Aspiration biopsy of mass lesions of the kidney is a diagnostic procedure whose potential benefit to patients with equivocal radiologic findings, suspected metastases, palpable flank masses, nonfunctioning kidneys and even cortical cysts has not been fully explored. Over the past 7 years 163 renal aspiration specimens from 152 patients have been examined. Diagnostic yield was enhanced by use of modified "fine" needles with notched tips so that tissue fragments for histology as well as smears for cytology were obtained in 89% of solid tumors. The availability of aspirated tissue contributed significantly to pathologic classification and often spared patients additional surgery for confirmation of the cytologic diagnosis. Among the 152 cases, there were 35 with renal cell carcinomas, a sufficient number for detailed semiquantitative evaluation of their cytologic features. The remaining cases comprised metastatic carcinomas, lymphomas, transitional cell carcinomas, oncocytomas, cortical cysts, and miscellaneous conditions, e.g., abscesses, nonfunctioning kidneys, and hematomas. Overall, the aspiration biopsy determined the nature of the renal mass in 141 cases (93%). False-negative interpretations were due to insufficient diagnostic material in all but one instance. There was one false-positive result.
Arterial Constrictor Response in a Diving Mammal

Angiograms were obtained in the harbor seal, Phoca vitulina, in air and during diving. During diving there is arterial constriction of the vascular beds of muscle, skin, kidney, liver, spleen, and presumably of all vascular beds except those perfusing the brain and heart. There is sudden constriction and narrowing of muscular arteries close to their origin from the aorta. Constriction of small arterial branches is so intense that blood flow is essentially lost in all involved organs.
Dietary vitamins A and E influence retinyl ester composition and content of the retinal pigment epithelium.

Abstract Experiments were conducted to determine the influence of dietary levels of vitamin levels A and α-tocopherol on the amounts and composition of retinyl esters in the retinal pigment epithelium of light-adapted albino rats. Groups of rats were fed diets containing α-tocopherol and either no retinyl palmitate, adequate retinyl palmitate, or excessive retinyl palmitate. Other groups of rats received diets lacking α-tocopherol and containing the same three levels of retinyl palmitate. Retinoic acid was added to diets lacking retinyl palmitate. After 27 weeks, the animals were light-adapted to achieve essentially total visual pigment bleaches, and the neural retinas and retinal epithelium-eyecups were then dissected from each eye for vitamin A ester determinations. Almost all of the retinyl were found in the retinal pigment epithelium-eyecup portions of the eyes, mainly as retinyl palmitate and retinyl stearate. Maintaining rats on a vitamin A-deficient, retinoic acid-containing diet led to a significant reductions in retinal pigment epithelial retinyl ester levels in rats fed both the vitamin E-supplemented and vitamin E-deficient diets; contrary to expectations, the effect of dietary vitamin A deficiency was more pronounced in the vitamin E-supplemented rats. Vitamin A deficiency in retonic acid-maintained animals also led to significant reductions in retinyl palmitate-to-stearate ester ratios in the retinal pigment epithelia of both vitamin E-supplemented and vitamin E-deficient rats. Excessive dietary intake of vitamin A had little, if any, effect on retinal pigment epithelial retinyl ester content or composition. Vitamin E deficiency resulted in significant increases in retinal pigment epithelial retinyl palmitate content and in palmitate-to-stearate ester ratios in rats fed all three levels of vitamin A, but had little effect on retinal pigment epithelial retinyl stearate content. In other tissues, vitamin E deficiency has been shown to lower vitamin A levels, and its widely accepted that this effect is due to autoxidative destruction of vitamin A. The increase in retinal pigment epithelial vitamin A ester levels in response to vitamin E deficiency indicates that vitamin E does not regulate vitamin A levels in this tissue primarily by acting as antioxidant, but rather may act as in inhibitor of vitamin A uptake and/or storage. The effect of vitamin E on pigment epithelial vitamin A levels may be mediated by the vitamin E-induced change in retinyl palmitate-to-stearate ratios.
Biotransformation and elimination of 14C-trichlorofluoromethane (FC-11) and 14C-dichlorodifluoromethane (FC-12) in man.

Radiocarbon-labeled trichlorofluoromethane (FC-11; 14CCl3F) and dichlorodifluoromethane (FC-12; 14CC12F2) were separately inhaled by a female subject and a male subject. A predetermined volume of fluorocarbon (1000 ppm; 100 µCi) in air was delivered through a nonrebreathing system and a tight-fittin
Crystal structure of rubidium cyanide at 4 K determined by neutron powder diffraction

The crystal structure of RbCN at 4 K has been determined by neutron powder diffraction. The structure is monoclinic, space group $\mathrm{Cc} ({C}_{s}^{4})$, and is very similar to that determined recently for ${(\mathrm{KCN})}_{x}{(\mathrm{KBr})}_{1\ensuremath{-}x}$. No evidence for ordering of the ${(\mathrm{CN})}^{\ensuremath{-}}$-ion dipoles is found at 4 K.
Mathematical simplification of a PET blood flow model

The positron emission tomography (PET) H/sub 2//sup 15/O bolus injection model for cerebral blood flow (CBF) requires calculation of a certain double integral that, when calculated, provides the pixel values of a reconstructed image (PET number) in terms of the tissue flow, the arterial input function, a decay constant for /sup 15/O, the partition coefficient and a camera calibration constant that relates the flow-dependent integrated tissue activity to the measured PET number (cts/pixel). The tissue activity is assumed to be zero at the time of injection. A mathematical simplification, changing the order of integration, enabled the integration with respect to time to be performed analytically before the integration of the arterial input function. As a result of this simplification, only single integrals remain to be calculated numerically; cubic spline integration was used to calculate numerically these remaining integrals. This technique increases the accuracy and speed of evaluating blood flow without making simplifying assumptions. Similar simplifications may be applicable to other physiological models. >
Corticotropin regulates trans-synaptically the activity of septo-hippocampal cholinergic neurones

The activity of septo-hippocampal neurones is affected by the action on cholinergic perikarya in the septum of a variety of putative neurotransmitters, including substance P and beta-endorphin. (The latter is released in the septal region from neurones which originate in the medial basal hypothalamus.) It has also been reported that two other neuropeptides, corticotropin (ACTH1-24) and alpha-melanotropin (alpha-MSH), affect acetylcholine turnover in septo-hippocampal neurones in a manner that is not blocked by transection of the afferents to the hippocampus, from which it has been inferred that the neurotransmitters act directly on the hippocampus. We now describe experiments with corticotropin which show that the effect is rather the influence on septo-hippocampal cholinergic neurones of peptidergic neurones within the septum.
Managerial Interpretations of the Role of Information Systems in Competitive Actions and Firm Performance: A Grounded Theory Investigation

Using an interpretive grounded theory research approach, we investigate the utilization of organization-wide information systems in the competitive actions and responses undertaken by top managers to sustain their firms' leading competitive position. Our central contribution is a model that explicates the role of information systems in the process by which competitive actions or responses are conceived, enacted, and executed, and resulting impacts on firm performance---issues that have been largely missing from contemporary research in both the information systems and competitive dynamics domains. This study has important implications for both research and practice. Specifically, researchers should consider organizational context; the intentions and actions of key players; and the process of conceiving, enacting, and executing competitive actions or responses carried out by the organization to account for the impact of information systems on firm performance. Findings suggest that when managers envision information systems as a resource that provides opportunities for competitive actions rather than viewing information systems in a service role, competitive advantages will evolve. Furthermore, practitioners will be better able to leverage information systems investments if they recognize the embedded role of information systems within the competitive actions or responses a firm undertakes to maintain or improve relative performance.
UV-induced reversion of his4 frameshift mutations in rad6, rev1, and rev3 mutants of yeast

The UV-induced reversion of two his4 frameshift alleles was much reduced in rad6 mutants of Saccharomyces cerevisiae, an observation that is consistent with the hypothesis that RAD6 function is required for the induction of all types of genetic alteration in misrepair mutagenesis. The reversion of these his4 alleles, together with two others of the same type, was also reduced in rev1 and rev3 mutant strains; in these, however, the extent of the reduction varied considerably with test allele used, in a manner analogous to the results in these strains for base repair substitution test alleles. The general features of UV-induced frameshift and substitution mutagenesis therefore appear quite similar, indicating that they may depend on related processes. If this conclusion is correct, greater attention must be given to integrating models which account for the production of nucleotide additions and deletions into those concerning misrepair mutagenesis.
Role of peripheral corticotropin-releasing factor and urocortin II in intestinal inflammation and motility in terminal ileum

Corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) and the closely related family of neuropeptides urocortins (Ucns) are ancient paracrine-signaling peptides secreted in both the central and peripheral neural circuits. CRF and Ucns released from the CNS (central) regulate a plethora of physiological processes that include food intake, inflammation, and bowel motility and permeability. In the gastrointestinal tract, CRF actions are largely proinflammatory, whereas the effects of the Ucn subtypes can be either pro- or antiinflammatory. Central (intracerebroventricular) or peripheral (i.p.) administration of CRF or Ucns inhibits gastric emptying and promotes colonic motility. To ascertain the role of peripherally expressed CRF and UcnII in gastrointestinal inflammation and motility, we generated ileum-specific phenotypic knockouts of these peptides by using RNA interference. Long dsRNA effectively silenced basal expression of CRF and UcnII in ileum. Control dsRNA or saline treatment did not affect CRF or UcnII expression. In an experimental model of toxin-induced intestinal inflammation, inhibition of CRF ablated the inflammatory response (measured by epithelial damage, mucosal edema, and neutrophil infiltration). UcnII dsRNA treatment did not alter the inflammatory response to toxin. Furthermore, ileal motility was increased after site-specific inhibition of both CRF and UcnII. Thus, we demonstrate that ileal-specific CRF promotes inflammation and both CRF and UcnII modulate bowel motility.
Automatic construction of restriction site maps

A computer program is described which constructs maps of restriction endonuclease cleavage sites in DNA molecules, given only the fragment lengths. The program utilizes fragment length data from single and double restriction enzyme digests to generate maps for linear or circular molecules. The search for a map can be limited to the unknown (insert) region of a recombinant phage or plasmid. Typical restriction maps with four or five enzymes which cut at three to five unknown sites can be calculated in a few minutes.
Attributional Style, depression, and anxiety: An evaluation of the specificity of depressive attributions

The reformulated model of learned helplessness and depression postulates that depressed patients will attribute the causes of negative outcomes to internal, global, and stable factors. They may also make maladaptive attributions about the causes of positive outcomes. In the present study, the specificity of these attributional patterns to depressed patients was examined by comparing Attributional Style Questionnaire scores of samples of depressed patients (diagnosed as dysthymic disorder), anxiety disorder patients, and normals. Support for the reformulated model was evident for attributions of negative outcomes. Dysthymic patients demonstrated the hypothesized attributional pattern for negative outcomes, but anxiety patients did so only if they were also depressed. The attributions of dysthymic patients for positive outcomes did not differ from those of normal subjects, but several differences arose between the attributions for positive outcomes of highly depressed dysthymic patients and those of nondepressed anxious patients. Findings are compared to previous research, and implications of these results for the study of cognitive factors in anxiety disorders are discussed.
Modification of ferrography method for analysis of lymphocytes and bacteria

Abstract Problems associated with the analysis of low magnetically susceptible or diamagnetic biological particles in ferrography are related to the unoptimal fluid dynamics, the low magnetic field strength and gradients and the lack of effective magnetizing agents. Flow geometry optimization in slide ferrography has been undertaken with the specific aims of obtaining a thinner flow channel, better-defined fluid flow geometry, uniform distribution of particles within the flowing volume, containment of the flowing liquid sample, exposure of all flowing particles to the magnetic field, and differentiation of deposition layers formed by different forces, i.e. magnetic, gravitation and flow related. These specific aims were attained by adopting a novel slide scheme which at present reduces the fluid flow thickness by tenfold and increases the peak relative magnetostatic force by up to three orders of magnitude, compared with the conventional slide ferrography. The novel slide ferrography scheme, combined with the use of the strongest permanent magnet available, is better suited to the analysis of biological particles than conventional ferrography is. Where native mononuclear blood cells showed no response to the magnetic field when treated with erbium, mononuclear cells which had been cultured for as short as 24 h and as long as 72 h show magnetically induced deposition after erbium treatment. Non-specific labeling with cationized ferritin causes the magnetic deposition of all cells studied, i.e. native and cultured human lymphocytes, and mouse lymphoma cells (YAC-1). Modified slide ferrography shows that the bacterium Escherichia coli has a high affinity for erbium ions and becomes readily magnetized and separated. Observations of bacterial magnetic deposition are possible in unstained slide mounts using scattered light. Scattered-light intensity correlated with the bacterial cell concentration in the samples analyzed by ferrography.
Multiple and cooperative trans-activation domains of the human glucocorticoid receptor

Abstract A 30 amino acid peptide (referred to as τ2) that functions as an activation domain has been localized in the carboxyl terminus of the human glucocorticoid receptor. This sequence, when fused to yeast GAL4 as part of the ligand binding domain, generates a hormone-inducible activator. τ2 functions in a position-independent fashion and leads to a progressive gain of function when multimerized. A similar and independent activity has also been identified in the amino terminus of the receptor. These two sequences, although structurally unrelated, are both acidic in character and thus may have certain properties in common with yeast activator sequences.
Were cell phones associated with lower crime in the 1990s and 2000s

Empirical studies of the crime decline of the 1990s and early 2000s have focused on factors such as: incarceration, economy, policing, demographics, security-related technology, and abortion. One recent analysis examined the growth in mobile phone technology, finding tentative support for a deterrent effect, but is in need of expansion and replication. The current study uses national-level data from 1984 to 2009 and performs time-series analysis to examine the relationship between cell phone ownership and a range of crime types. Results indicate a significant, negative relationship between changes in cell phone ownership rates and changes in the property crime index, even with controls for relevant crime-drop variables, but a very minimal relationship to the violent crime index. Implications and directions for future research are noted.
The Cinematic Incarnation of Frazier's Black Bourgeoisie: Tyler Perry's Black Middle-Class

Images of Black Americans in modern cinema often depict negative stereotypes of working- and lower-class Blacks. Yet, with the rise of the Black middle-class and the increasing inclusion of Blacks in positions of power within the mass media, more images of middle-class Blacks have begun to appear, particularly through the work of Tyler Perry. We find that Perry’s images largely reflect E. Franklin Frazier's characterization of middle-class Blacks in The Black Bourgeoisie (1957), where Perry frames them as (1) materialistic and status-obsessed, (2) dysfunctional and abusive, and (3) disdainful of working- and lower-class Blacks. We also argue that he is creating new controlling images like the “Emasculated Black Gentleman.” In these ways, Perry’s images may have detrimental consequences including perpetuating Black stereotypes, reinforcing existing class and gender tensions in Black America, and impeding the life chances of middle-class Blacks by suggesting that they are unsuitable for assimilation and integration.
Bound states in photonic crystal waveguides and waveguide bends

We investigate the mechanism for the appearance of bound states in two-dimensional photonic crystal waveguides and contrast it with the corresponding mechanism for conventional guides. It is shown that the periodicity of the photonic crystal can give rise to frequency ranges above cutoff where no guided modes exist in the waveguides. Such mode gaps make possible the creation of bound states in constrictions and in bends. Bound states are found to correspond to analogous cavity modes and it is shown that their appearance strongly depends on the lattice geometry and cannot be described in a one-dimensional framework.
A trans-paradigm theoretical synthesis of cognitive dissonance theory: Illuminating the nature of discomfort

In a trans-paradigm theoretical synthesis of cognitive dissonance research, we examined theoretical variables (e.g., choice, consequences, etc.) and their relationships with dissonance effect sizes. We used structural equation analyses, performed within and across five research paradigms (induced compliance, insufficient justification, disconfirmed expectancies, selective exposure, and free choice), and corresponding to major versions of cognitive dissonance theory, to test several theoretically derived models. None of these models supported Festinger's notion that discomfort mediates dissonance effects. Consistent with conceptualisation of guilt as the drive component of dissonance theory, guilt strongly predicted dissonance effect sizes, virtually irrespective of which model was tested. A theory integrating the guilt and dissonance theories is stronger than either set of theories in isolation.
An improvement over deeply nested IF-THEN-ELSE control structures

This paper describes an alternative to deeply nested IF-THEN-ELSE control structures within high-level language programs. This alternative improves the maintainability and extensibility of programming technique uses a CASE or SELECT control structure nested within an iterative DO structure that causes all previously nested IF-THEN-ELSE control structures to become equal in level to the second nested IF. This technique promotes quicker success by programmers other than the author when they make later modifications to the programs because of the reduction in program complexity.
Dynamical and optical properties of warm dense hydrogen

We report dynamical and optical properties of hydrogen (deuterium) around the region of the principal Hugoniot that starts from the cryogenically cooled molecular liquid. These properties were determined by finite-temperature density functional (FTDF) molecular dynamics (MD) simulations within the local density and generalized gradient approximations. The principal Hugoniot, calculated from the FTDF-MD equation of state, agrees with gas-gun and recent laser-shock experiments for pressures up to 50 GPa. However, the maximum compression of the FTDF-MD Hugoniot (4.6 at 52 GPa) significantly differs from that of the laser shock experiment (6 at about 150 GPa). On the other hand, the optical reflectivities show reasonable agreement with the laser measurements for pressures up to 70 GPa. The system smoothly dissociates along the Hugoniot with the electrical conductivity reaching a value of 4000 ${\ensuremath{\Omega}}^{\ensuremath{-}1}{\mathrm{cm}}^{\ensuremath{-}1}$ at maximum compression. We also obtain good agreement with previous tight-binding and ab initio molecular dynamics studies.
Residential segregation by race in cities and the employment of blacks in insurance occupations during the early 20th century

Abstract Black entrepreneurs established viable insurance companies in the early 20th century, responding to the need to provide insurance to those black consumers who were rejected or mistreated by insurance firms owned by whites. Adding to this account, one study has proposed that black employment in the insurance industry was also encouraged by residential segregation by race. In the present investigation, a regression analysis of census data for 22 southern and 42 northern cities in 1940 finds modest support for this proposal. The rate of the employment of blacks as “insurance agents and brokers” was positively associated with an index of black residential segregation in northern cities only. Moreover, the rate of black employment in these insurance occupations was higher in southern cities, and there was indirect evidence that this higher rate may have resulted from an old tradition of insurance enterprise among blacks in the South.
Physeal slope in Perthes disease

In 40 children with unilateral Perthes' disease, we measured the physeal slope, the angle between the physeal plane and the axis of the femoral shaft, from radiographs taken early in the disease. Thirty-seven of the 40 hips were classified as Catterall grades III and IV. Heat-at-risk signs were present in 23. We found no statistically significant difference in the physeal slope between the involved and normal hips (p = 0.20), those with or without head-at-risk signs (p = 0.96), those with or without lateral epiphyseal subluxation (p = 0.82), and different Catterall (p = 0.56) or lateral pillar (p = 0.67) gradings.