cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Psychotherapy in Schizophrenia

The treatment a mentally ill person receives depends to a large extent on the therapist’s theoretical conceptions about the nature of the illness. In schizophrenia, there has been a continuous controversy around the question of whether its origin was of a psychological or an organic nature. Kraepelin, who in 1890 had reported that a series of mental disease pictures had a common course, namely termination in a special kind of mental weakness, attributed the illness to some underlying organic, assumedly inherited predisposition. People suffering from this illness (to which he gave the name Dementia Praecox) were considered not accessible to treatment, and their communication was labeled meaningless and not understandable. The abnormal behavior and the disturbed symbolic processes of these patients seemed to him an expression of some organic abnormality, probably of the brain.
Reliable Hardware Architectures of the CORDIC Algorithm With a Fixed Angle of Rotations

Fixed-angle-rotation operation of vectors is widely used in signal processing, robotics, and graphics. Various optimized coordinate rotation digital computer (CORDIC) designs have been proposed for uniform rotation of vectors through known and specified angles. Nevertheless, in the presence of faults, such hardware architectures are potentially vulnerable. In this brief, we propose efficient error detection schemes for cascaded single-rotation CORDIC which hamper the performance of the architectures negligibly. We present signature-based schemes for this CORDIC variant to detect both transient and permanent faults. We further present how such schemes can be applied to other variants of CORDIC. The effectiveness of the proposed designs is assessed through field-programmable gate array implementations and error simulations. The results give confidence for the proposed efficient architectures which can be tailored based on the reliability requirements and overhead tolerance.
PREGNANCY LOSSES: PREVALENCE, TIMING AND ASSOCIATED CAUSES

It is clear that high-producing lactating dairy cows experience substantial losses of pregnancy from fertilization to delivery of a live newborn. On most farms, producers and veterinarians only recognize fetal losses that occur after day 40 or 50 of gestation. In most cases, causative agents cannot be determined. However, the majority of losses of pregnancy occur during the embryonic stages of development. Among the several factors that increase the risk for pregnancy loss are oocytes of low quality, due to stresses such as high body temperature or prolonged follicular dominance; diseases; the metabolic status of the cow and consequent changes in BCS, which result in delays in resumption of ovarian cyclicity; and embryo toxicants such as gossypol.
Biogeographic and conservation implications of revised species limits and distributions of South Asian birds

Patterns of breeding species richness and endemism of South Asian birds are described and depicted. The impacts of a taxonomic revision on these patterns and on threat levels of the region’s avifauna are discussed.
Millimeter wave signal transmission using uncoated telecommunications-grade distributed feedback lasers

Summary form only given. In conclusion, we have demonstrated efficient fiber-optic transport at mm-wave frequencies using an uncoated single contact DFB laser. These results indicate that simple, low-cost mm-wave optical transmitters can be constructed for fiber-fed antennas in mm-wave wireless picocellular networks and mm wave phased-array antenna systems.
Gender differences in information processing and transparency: cases of apparel brands’ social responsibility claims

Purpose – The purpose of this study was to understand how male and female consumers differently evaluate sustainability claims from brands and how brands’ sustainability efforts and the presence/absence of information transparency in the claims affect their brand schemas differently. Design/methodology/approach – Five hundred participants were recruited for an online experiment implementing both treatment and message variance. PROCESS, a recently developed regression-based bootstrapping technique was used to test the hypotheses. Findings – Males were more likely than females to rely on their existing schemas for judgment in case of Made in USA but not Fair Labor claims. The presence of information transparency in claims reduced participants’ reliance on their schemas. Practical implications – The findings might be helpful for brands to design marketing claims with specific customer segments to stand out amidst advertisement clutter. Especially, brands targeting male consumers might try to build strong bra...
Efficient Network Utilization for Multimedia Wireless Networks

In this paper, we present an access scheme to satisfy the QoS requirements for two classes of traffic during the contention phase of packet-switched wireless communications. In the proposed scheme, difierent classes of users contend with other users for resources based on controlled class-dependent permission probabilities. We prove that our algorithm is stable for a large class of arrival processes. Under certain QoS requirements, we derive an upper-bound on the throughput for a general class of random access algorithms. We show that the throughput of our algorithm asymptotically approaches this upper-bound. We also show, through numerical examples, that our algorithm achieves high network utilization.
Membership algebra as a logical framework for equational specification

This paper proposes membership equational logic—a Horn logic in which the basic predicates are equations t = t′ and membership assertions t : s stating that a term t belongs to a sort s—as a logical framework in which a very wide range of total and partial equational specification formalisms can be naturally represented. Key features of this logic include: simplicity, liberality and equational character; generality and expressiveness in supporting subsorts, overloading, errors and partiality; and efficient implementability in systems such as Maude. The paper presents the basic properties of the logic and its models, and discusses in detail how many total and partial equational specification formalisms, including order-sorted algebra and partial membership equational logic, can be represented in it, as well as the practical benefits in terms of tool reusability that this opens up for other languages, including CASL.
Improved method for azole antifungal susceptibility testing.

A reproducible method is described for the determination of the MICs of ketoconazole, miconazole, fluconazole, and itraconazole with sharp endpoints when employed with either yeasts or molds. A semisolid medium is used with controlled pH and standardized inoculum. The time of reading results is a critical factor in the conduct of this test. The medium is simple to prepare and has a relatively long refrigerator shelf life in a user-ready state, requiring only the addition of a freshly prepared inoculum after restoration to room temperature. Images
Intolerance of Ambiguity and Student Performance in Social Work Education.

Abstract Social workers are called upon to assist people in coping with complex, often apparently insoluble, problems. Given that our goal is to assist people in finding their own satisfactory solutions, it is valuable to know the extent to which social workers entering the profession can tolerate these ambiguous problems sufficiently to allow clients to explore a broad range of solutions. This article presents data on the relationship between intolerance of ambiguity and a variety of performance and preference measures of 212 BSW and MSW students. Implications of these relationships for social work education are discussed.
Physical Activity and Its Association with Insulin Resistance in Multicenter AIDS Cohort Study Men

The association between physical activity (PA), degree of insulin resistance (IR), and HIV infection is unclear. We hypothesized that PA might differentially affect the degree of IR through the direct and indirect influences of HIV, antiretroviral medications, and sociodemographic characteristics. The International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ) was administered to Multicenter AIDS Cohort Study (MACS) participants from 4/2010 to 3/2011 to generate metabolic equivalents (METs) total score and PA category. We determined the concurrent homeostatic model assessment IR (mmol/liter) (HOMA-IR) value from fasting glucose and insulin. We examined the HIV-PA relationship using quantile regression and the HIV-PA-HOMA-IR value relationship using linear regression. Among the 1,281 men, the proportions of men in the low (25% in HIV(+) vs. 23% in HIV(-)), moderate (26% vs. 27%), and high (49% vs. 49%) PA categories were similar by HIV status. The HOMA-IR value was higher among the HIV(+) men (p<0.001), and both HIV infection and low PA were associated with a higher degree of IR (p<0.0001 and p=0.0007). However, the PA-HOMA-IR value interaction was not different by HIV status. The HOMA-IR value was higher among HIV(+) men although the PA was similar. It is unknown if more exercise will overcome the metabolic derangements associated with HIV and its treatment.
A Prediction Model for Functional Outcomes in Spinal Cord Disorder Patients Using Gaussian Process Regression

Predicting the functional outcomes of spinal cord disorder patients after medical treatments, such as a surgical operation, has always been of great interest. Accurate posttreatment prediction is especially beneficial for clinicians, patients, care givers, and therapists. This paper introduces a prediction method for postoperative functional outcomes by a novel use of Gaussian process regression. The proposed method specifically considers the restricted value range of the target variables by modeling the Gaussian process based on a truncated Normal distribution, which significantly improves the prediction results. The prediction has been made in assistance with target tracking examinations using a highly portable and inexpensive handgrip device, which greatly contributes to the prediction performance. The proposed method has been validated through a dataset collected from a clinical cohort pilot involving $15$ patients with cervical spinal cord disorder. The results show that the proposed method can accurately predict postoperative functional outcomes, Oswestry disability index and target tracking scores, based on the patient's preoperative information with a mean absolute error of $0.079$ and $0.014$ (out of $1.0$ ), respectively.
Complex segregation analysis of dental morphological variants

A set of 20 morphological variants of the dental crowns and four characteristics of the jaws are tested for probable mode of inheritance using the complex segregation analysis method of Morton et al. (Am. J. Hum. Genet. 23:602–611, 1971). Models tested include three two-allele single-locus models (dominant, codominant, and recessive) and a model employing the polychotomized normal distribution of liability (an additive polygenic model), with transmissibility estimated via maximum likelihood. Most of the traits studied are observed using ordinal scales with several grades, and many are tested using more than one dichotomy of their scale. These multiple analyses allow for an examination of such factors as trait incidence on the results of the statistical analysis. The results of the analysis yield propositions of major genes for 13 of the 24 traits examined. Two traits give good evidence of being polygenic in origin. The remaining nine characters present methodological problems that do not allow for a definite conclusion on their mode of inheritance at this time. The ability to test varying levels of transmissibility in the polygenic model allows for an estimation of the percentage of trait variance determined by familial factors. Estimates of transmissibility for all characters examined range from 0 to 1, with a mean of 0.36. These findings may suggest a large environmental role in the development of dental crown morphology. However, the possibility exists that difficulties in the ability to classify the expression of certain traits consistently result in overestimates of the environmental influences on the development of those characters.
Some factors determining municipal revenue bond interest costs

Abstract This paper tests for variations in risk premiums on municipal revenue bonds that are related to the geographic location of the issuer, the issue's second rating, and secondary collateral provisions. The empirical findings indicate that investors required risk premiums that depended on local economic conditions. Issuer borrowing costs were also shown to be related to factors that cause or reinforce segmentation of the tax-exempt bond market.
Visible and near ultraviolet spectra of low-pressure rare-gas microwave discharges.

The spectral emission characteristics of three commercial low pressure rare gas discharge lamps wire obtained in the near ultraviolet and visible wavelength range. All three lamps show a definite continuum over the entire wavelength range from 0.185 to 0.6 micrometers. Considerable line emission is superimposed on much of the continuum for wavelengths greater than 0.35 micrometers. These sources were used to make transmittance measurements on quartz samples in the near ultraviolet wavelength range.
Soliton propagation in optical fibers with random perturbations

Abstract Effects of randomly varying parameters of optical fibers on soliton propagation are studied numerically by using the propagating beam method. The results show that N=3 and higher order solitons are strongly influenced by the random perturbations in dispersion and nonlinearity of the fibers. The lowest two order solitons, however, can stably transmit in such fibers and should be used for communication applications.
Bilirubin UDP‐glucuronosyltransferase 1A1 gene polymorphisms: Susceptibility to oxidative damage and cancer?

The UDP-glucuronosyltransferase 1A1 (UGT1A1) gene product catalyzes the glucuronidation of serum bilirubin as part of normal heme catabolism. Recently, TA repeat polymorphisms containing five, six, seven, and eight TA dinucleotides in a putative TATA box in the promoter region of the UGT1A1 gene have been described. TA repeat number modulates UGT1A1 transcriptional activity and the quantity of enzyme available to conjugate serum bilirubin. Serum bilirubin is a known antioxidant, and low serum bilirubin has been associated with increased risk for coronary artery disease and inhibition of reactive oxygen species (ROS)-induced damage to erythrocytes in vitro. We hypothesize that the UGT1A1 TA repeats or other functional polymorphisms resulting in lower serum bilirubin levels may be predictive of genetic susceptibility to oxidative damage and cancer. Exposure-related or endogenous production of ROS may impact the integrity of cellular macromolecules and infrastructure, lead to DNA base changes or chromosomal aberrations, and induce toxicity or apoptosis. ROS damage to lipoproteins may be a factor in formation of atherogenic plaques in coronary heart disease. Thus, cellular oxidative stress could contribute to tumorigenesis through mutagenic or epigenetic pathways, and higher serum bilirubin levels should inhibit this process. No definitive studies have been performed, but in a small prospective study of colon cancer, serum bilirubin levels were observed to be lower in these cases. Another study has suggested a link between UGT1A1 alleles, estrogen metabolism, and risk in breast cancer. Epidemiologic studies examining variation in ROS metabolism, ROS damage, bilirubin, and cancer risk will demonstrate the value of this hypothesis.
Pipe-to-pipe impact tests☆

Abstract Existing licensing criteria express what damage shall be assumed for various pipe sizes as a consequence of a postulated break in a high energy system. The criteria are contained in Section 3.6.2 of the Standard Review Plan, and the purpose of the program described with this paper is to evaluate the impact criteria by means of a combined experimental and analytical approach. A series of tests has been completed. Evaluation of the tests showed a deficiency in the range of test parameters. These deficiencies are being remedied by a second series of tests and a more powerful impact machine. A parallel analysis capability has been developed. This capability has been used to predict the damage for the first test series. The quality of predictions has been improved by tests that establish post-crush and bending relationships. Two outputs are expected from this project: • - data that may, or may not, necessitate changes to the criteria after appropriate value impact evaluations. • - an analytic capability for rapidly evaluating the potential for pipe whip damage after a postulated break. These outputs are to be contained in a value-impact document and a program final report.
Diabetes in urban African Americans. XII. Anthropometry for assessing municipal hospital outpatients recently diagnosed with type 2 diabetes.

Objective: Abdominal obesity is associated with insulin resistance and cardiovascular risk factors, but there has been little information published to advance the use of abdominal anthropometry in the care of diabetic patients. Research Methods and Procedures: A cross-sectional survey of municipal hospital outpatients recently diagnosed with type 2 diabetes (73 men and 142 women of whom 89% were African Americans). Age-adjusted linear regression was used to compare the supine sagittal abdominal diameter (SAD), supine waist circumference, four anthropometric ratios, and the body mass index (kg/m2) for their ability to predict serum fasting C-peptide and lipid levels. Results: The best predictor of log-transformed C-peptide was SAD/height (p<0.0001 for men; p = 0.0003 for women). SAD/thigh circumference was the best predictor of log-transformed triglycerides for men (p = 0.002) and of total cholesterol/HDL cholesterol for women (p = 0.043). The body mass index was less able to predict C-peptide, HDL cholesterol and total cholesterol/HDL cholesterol than was SAD/height or SAD/thigh circumference or waist circumference/height. Discussion: Anthropometric indices of abdominal obesity appear to be correlated with insulin production and lipid risk factors among municipal-hospital, type 2 diabetic patients much as they are in other studied populations. Since anthropometric data are inexpensively obtained and immediately available to the practitioner, their utility for preliminary clinical assessment deserves to be tested in prospective outcome studies.
A magnetoencephalography investigation of neural correlates for social exclusion and self-control

Past research indicates that social exclusion leads to self-control failure. The present research examined the neural substrates of this effect. Participants were randomly assigned to either a social exclusion (n=15) or control (n=15) condition. Self-control was assessed by having participants solve 180 moderately difficult math problems while measuring how quickly they identified a supplied answer as correct or incorrect. Magnetoencephalography (MEG) was used to assess neural activity during this task. Socially excluded participants showed lesser activity in occipital and parietal cortex from 100-350 ms after the presentation of the math problems. When presented with the answers, socially excluded participants showed lesser activity in several regions, including occipital, parietal, and right prefrontal cortex from 100-300 ms post-stimulus. Furthermore, activation in the parietal and right prefrontal cortex mediated exclusion-control performance differences on math problems. The findings suggest that social exclusion interferes with the executive control of attention, and this effect is manifest in specific aspects of cognitive performance and brain function.
How Polymorphic Warnings Reduce Habituation in the Brain: Insights from an fMRI Study

Research on security warnings consistently points to habituation as a key reason why users ignore security warnings. However, because habituation as a mental state is difficult to observe, previous research has examined habituation indirectly by observing its influence on security behaviors. This study addresses this gap by using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to open the "black box" of the brain to observe habituation as it develops in response to security warnings. Our results show a dramatic drop in the visual processing centers of the brain after only the second exposure to a warning, with further decreases with subsequent exposures. To combat the problem of habituation, we designed a polymorphic warning that changes its appearance. We show in two separate experiments using fMRI and mouse cursor tracking that our polymorphic warning is substantially more resistant to habituation than conventional warnings. Together, our neurophysiological findings illustrate the considerable influence of human biology on users' habituation to security warnings.
Tow pullout behavior of polymer-coated Kevlar fabric

Tow pullout response of polymer-coated woven Kevlar fabric is investigated experimentally. Various material microstructures are created by applying heat and pressure to polymer-coated fabric to change polymer surface morphology. The pullout behavior is studied by conducting tow pullout tests using a pullout fixture. Single tow is pulled from the fabric loaded with tension in the direction transverse to that of pull. The tests are performed at various loading rates to investigate rate sensitivity of pullout load and energy. Load versus displacement data is obtained, from which the peak loads and pullout energies are computed. The results are compared with baseline neat fabric as well as baseline fabric with polymer coating. The results of the investigation show that for the Kevlar fabric under consideration, the neat fabric shows no loading rate dependence. On the other hand, the polymer-coated fabric shows loading rate dependence. Moreover, the heat-compressing of the fabric seems to have significant influence on tow pullout behavior. The results of pullout tests show that by simply compressing the fabric in the presence of heat may influence the interactions at tow cross-over regions to results in higher pullout energy.
Catenable double-ended queues

Catenable double-ended queues are double-ended queues (deques) that support catenation (i.e., append) efficiently without sacrificing the efficiency of other operations. We present a purely functional implementation of catenable deques for which every operation, including catenation, takes O(1) amortized time. Kaplan and Tarjan have independently developed a much more complicated implemen-tation of catenable deques that achieves similar worst-case bounds. The two designs are superficially similar, but differ in the underlying mechanism used to achieve efficiency in a persistent setting (i.e., when used in a non-single-threaded fashion). Their implementation uses a technique called recursive slowdown, while ours relies on the simpler mechanism of lazy evaluation.Besides lazy evaluation, our implementation also exemplifies the use of two additional language features: polymorphic recursion and views. Neither is indispensable, but both significantly simplify the presentation.
Follow-on offerings

Abstract Previous research has determined that lockup provisions essentially defer sell-offs of shares by insiders, and therefore cause a pronounced decline in share price at the time the lockup provisions expire. However, some IPOs involve follow-on offerings that may allow some insiders to sell their shares before the lockup provision has expired. Our objective is to determine how follow-on offerings alter firm value above and beyond the typical lockup effects, and whether the effects are conditioned by firm-specific variables. We find that follow-on offerings elicit an average market response of 3.21% over a three-day period surrounding the filing date. In addition, the offerings experience adverse effects as of lockup expiration that are about 3.75% worse than other IPOs, after considering other factors. Based on the share price response at the time of the follow-on offering along with the share price response at the time of lockup expiration, the cumulative effects for IPOs complemented by follow-on offerings are about 6.96% weaker than for IPOs not complemented by follow-on offerings. Overall, follow-on offerings may benefit some insiders who can circumvent the lockup expiration date, at the expense of other investors.
Extremal properties of collections of subsets containing no two sets and their union

Abstract An improved size bound and a set of Lubell-Yamamoto type inequalities are obtained for collections of the indicated type. The bound is of the form ( n [ n 2 ] +( 2 n n ) .
The electron spin resonance spectra of niobium(IV) species in hydrochloric acid and ethanol-hydrochloric acid mixtures

Electron spin resonance studies of NbCl4 in concentrated hydrochloric acid show two species to be present. These are identified as the oxopentachloroniobate(IV) ion and the oxotetachloroaquoniobate(IV) ion from their electron spin resonance parameters. A third species, the hexachloroniobate(IV) ion, is also present and can be isolated as the cesium salt. Solutions of niobium(IV) produced by zinc reduction of Nb(V) in hydrochloric acid or HCl-saturated ethanol contain the oxotetrachloroaquoniobate(IV) ion and the oxotetrachloroethanolatoniobate(IV) ion respectively. Calculation of the normalization constant for the ground state |B>∗ molecular orbital for the oxo species indicate considerable delocalization of unpaired spin density into the equatorial chlorine p-π orbitals.
Bidirectional contrast, matching, and power functions obtained in sucrose consumption by rats

Rats were given alternating 1-min access to two tubes containing sucrose solutions that varied in concentraton (32% vs. 2%, 32% vs. 4%, 32% vs. 8%, and 32% vs. 16%). Lick rate for 32% sucrose was higher when the alternative tube contained a lower concentration solution than when both tubes contained 32% (a positive-contrast effect), and lick rate for the lower concentration solution (2%, 4%, 8%, or 16%) was lower when the alternative tube contained 32% than when both tubes contained the lower concentration solution (negative contrast effect). Proportion of licks made for 32% under contrast conditions tended to match the proportion of concentration available from that tube. Regression analysis of the ratio of licks made to the two tubes under contrast conditions as a function of ratio of concentrations available indicated a good fit to a power function with an exponent of 1.13, within the range of those typically found in human magnitude estimation studies of relative sweetness.
Dynamics of magnetization reversal in amorphous films of rare earth-transition metal alloys

Computer simulations of a two-dimensional lattice of magnetic dipoles are performed on the Connection Machine. The 256 x 256 hexagonal lattice is a discrete model for thin films of amorphous rare earth-transition metal (RE-TM) alloys, which have application as the storage media in erasable optical data storage systems. In these simulations the dipoles follow the dynamic equation of Landau-Lifshitz-Gilbert under the influence of an effective field arising from local anisotropy, near-neighbor exchange, classical dipole-dipole interactions, and an externally applied field. Using mean-field theory, we have calculated the temperature dependencies of the subnetwork magnetizations, the effective fields, the gyromagnetic coefficient, and the Gilbert damping parameter. These results are then used in the simulation of the thermomagnetic recording process, where a focused laser beam creates a hot spot and allows an external magnetic field to reverse the direction of local magnetization. The onset of nucleation and the dynamics of growth/contraction by domain wall motion have been studied by means of these simulations.
Heterogeneity in signaling pathways of gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine tumors: a critical look at notch signaling pathway

The molecular pathogenesis of gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine tumors is largely unknown. We hypothesize that gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine tumors are heterogeneous with regard to these signaling pathways and these differences could have a significant impact on the outcome of clinical trials. We selected 120 well-differentiated neuroendocrine tumors including tumors originating in pancreas (n=74), ileum (n=31), and rectum (n=15). Immunohistochemistry was performed on tissue microarrays using the following antibodies: NOTCH1, HES1, HEY1, pIGF1R, and FGF2. Gene profiling study was performed by using human genome U133A 2.0 array and data were analyzed. The gene profiling results were selectively confirmed by using quantitative reverse-transcription PCR. Initial immunohistochemical analysis showed NOTCH1 was uniformly expressed in rectal neuroendocrine tumors (100%), a subset of pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (34%), and negative in ileal neuroendocrine tumors. Similarly, a downstream target of NOTCH1, HES1 was preferentially expressed in rectal neuroendocrine tumors (64%), a subset of pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (10%), and uniformly negative in ileal neuroendocrine tumors. Messenger RNAs for NOTCH1, HES1, and HEY1 were 2.32-, 2.44-, and 2.39-folds, respectively, higher in rectal neuroendocrine tumors as compared with ileal neuroendocrine tumors. Global gene expression profiling showed 95 genes were differentially expressed in small intestinal vs rectal neuroendocrine tumors, with changes as high as 50-fold. These genes were concentrated in several signal transduction pathways including cancer endocrine pathway and cell growth/proliferation pathway. The differential expression of selected genes including ISL LIM homeobox 1, cathepsin B, glucagon, and tryptophan hydroxylase 1 were confirmed by qPCR and immunohistochemistry. Our results confirm the heterogeneity in signaling pathways of gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine tumors. NOTCH1 inhibitors are unlikely to provide benefit in ileal neuroendocrine tumors; conversely, their efficacy in rectal neuroendocrine tumors needs further study. Further analysis of signaling pathways is critical for designing clinical trials in gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine tumors.
Non-trivial t-designs without repeated blocks exist for all t

We study several classes of arrays generalizing designs and orthogonal arrays. We use these to construct non-trivial t-designs without repeated blocks for all t.
Isolated cutaneous epithelioid hemangioendothelioma

Epithelioid hemangioendothelioma (EHE) is a rare tumor of vascular endotheium that is considered to be of borderline malignancy. It was first described by Weiss and Enzinger in 1982.1 Typical sites of involvement include soft tissue and less frequently, liver and lung. Only three patients with cutaneous involvement have been reported, 24 and two had concomitant bone involvement. Our case is the second reported incidence of EHE confined to the skin.
TRICHLOROETHYLENE ACTIVATES CD4+ T CELLS: POTENTIAL ROLE IN AN AUTOIMMUNE RESPONSE*

Trichloroethylene is an industrial solvent and has become a major environmental contaminant. Autoimmune-prone MRL +/+ mice were treated for up to 22 weeks with trichloroethylene in the drinking water (0, 2.5, and 5.0 mg/mL) in order to study the immunoregulatory effects of this environmental toxicant. After only 4 weeks of treatment, trichloroethylene was shown to promote the expansion of CD4+ T cells that expressed a memory/activation phenotype (i.e., CD44hi CD45RBlo) and secreted high levels of IFN-gamma, but not IL-4. In addition, trichloroethylene treatment accelerated the development of an autoimmune response in the MRL +/+ mice as evidenced by an earlier appearance of antinuclear antibodies and increased levels of total IgG2a. MRL +/+ mice treated with trichloroethylene for 22 weeks also contained antibodies specific for trichloroethylene adducts, suggesting the activation of trichloroethylene-specific T cells. The results suggest that trichloroethylene can stimulate antigen nonspecific as well as specific T cells that are capable of promoting autoimmunity in genetically predisposed individuals.
HURRICANE KATRINA AND THE RACIAL GULF: A Du Boisian Analysis of Victims' Experiences

Americans like to believe that “we are all in the same boat” when disaster strikes. Using a Du Boisian framework, this article provides a multivariate analysis of survey data from victims of Hurricane Katrina to determine whether there were racial differences in their perceptions about rescue and relief efforts. The data collected from survivors show that Blacks and Whites drew very different lessons from the tragedy. There was widespread agreement among Black survivors that the government's response to the crisis would have been faster if most of the storm's victims had been White. Whites, in contrast, were more likely to feel that the race of the victims did not make a difference in the government's response. Less than half of White victims, but more than three-quarters of Black victims, held that Hurricane Katrina pointed out persisting problems of racial inequality. There were, however, few racial differences in perceptions about the role of income in the aftermath of Katrina. Most Blacks and Whites agreed with the idea that low-income and middle-income victims of the hurricane received similar treatment. But when asked a similar question about the role of race, racial differences reemerged. Also, rather than this being a difference of opinion only between poor Blacks and middle-class Whites, these results suggest that there were also differences between the lowest-income Blacks and middle-income Blacks and perhaps an even larger difference between middle-income Blacks and middle-income Whites in terms of how they viewed the government's response. Income and other sociodemographic differences did not explain racial differences in perceptions about the role of race in the aftermath of the hurricane. The article concludes that the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina exposed the wide gulf between the nation's haves and have-nots as well as the nation's persistent racial divide.
Synthesis of 4-substituted 2-azetidinones

Abstract 4-Substituted 2-azetidinones were obtained in excellent yields from the reaction of various cuprates with 4-acetoxy-2-azetidinone.
Interrupted ultrasonic bolt load measurements using the pulsed phase-locked loop system

A method of reacquiring a previous phase lock-point using the pulsed phase-locked loop (PPLL) ultrasonic system in situations where the measurement is interrupted such as by removing and recoupling the transducer is developed. Operation of the PPLL is mathematically analyzed in the time domain rather than in the conventional frequency domain, providing a method of characterizing multiple lock-points. The general lock-point reacquisition method that follows from the model relies on measurement over a frequency range that spans several lock-points and is demonstrated to work well for interrupted measurements on threaded fasteners. The method is analyzed for sensitivity to signal noise, and an equation is derived, expressing the number of lock-points over which to measure for successful lock-point reacquisition as a function of signal noise level. Experimental verification on a glass block shows that theoretical values obtained with this model are in good agreement with measurements. Automation of the method presented has been demonstrated, showing that it offers a practical, objective approach to making interrupted load measurements, thereby greatly widening the range of applications of the PPLL.
Enhanced Aqueous Photochemical Reaction Rates after Freezing

Sunlit snow/ice is known to play an important role in the processing of atmospheric species, including photochemical production of NO(x), HONO, molecular halogens, alkyl halides, and carbonyl compounds, among others. It has been shown that a liquid-like (quasi-liquid or disordered) layer exists on the surface of pure ice and that this quasi-liquid layer is also found on the surface of ambient snow crystals and ice at temperatures similar to polar conditions. However, it is unclear what role the liquid-like fractions present in and on frozen water play in potential photochemical reactions, particularly with regard to organic substrates. Here, we report a detailed study of enhanced rates of photochemical nucleophilic substitution of p-nitroanisole (PNA) with pyridine, a well-characterized and commonly used actinometer system. Reaction rates were enhanced by a factor of up to approximately 40 when frozen at temperatures between 236 and 272 K. Reaction rates were dependent on temperature and solute concentration, both variables that control the nature of the liquid-like fraction in frozen water. The results obtained indicate that a major portion of the organic solutes is excluded to the liquid-like layer, significantly impacting the rate of the photochemical nucleophilic substitution reaction studied here. Also, the direct comparison of liquid-phase kinetics to reactions occurring in frozen water systems is drawn into question, indicating that a simple extrapolation of liquid-phase mechanisms to snow/ice may not be valid for certain reactions.
Pathologic Voice Type and the Acoustic Prediction of Severity

We hypothesized that acoustic measures would predict dysphonic severity with differential results for pathological voice types. An instructional program based upon synthesized voice signals was dev...
Development of positive optical photoresists: Adaptive control

Abstract The microlithographic process is a series of irreversible steps. The final important step, resist development, has one useful available on-line process measurement. Interferometry was used to measure the penetration depth of the developer solution into the resist film and the rate of development. A mathematical model describing development was simplified for identification purposes and combined with a Kalman filter algorithm to determine the best possible estimate of penetration depth. A combined state and parameter estimation scheme, based on the steady-state Kalman filter estimator, was derived and installed for on-line estimation. The estimator was particularly useful in calculating the time for the development to break through to the substrate, while the parameter identification yielded an accurate model which aided in determining the total process time. the optimal development control policy was shown to be singly switched bang—bang between development and rinse solutions. A model describing post-breakthrough dissolution was used to determine the total development time, based on knowledge of the development rate parameter. Experimental results indicated that the control policy and identification algorithm provide tight adaptive control on the desired line width, despite continually changing environmental conditions.
A refined mixed-type plate bending element.

Triangular plate bending element using Herrmann variational method, deriving matrices for finite elements
A performance comparison of current HPC systems: Blue Gene/Q, Cray XE6 and InfiniBand systems

We present here a performance analysis of three of current architectures that have become commonplace in the High Performance Computing world. Blue Gene/Q is the third generation of systems from IBM that use modestly performing cores but at large-scale in order to achieve high performance. The XE6 is the latest in a long line of Cray systems that use a 3-D topology but the first to use its Gemini interconnection network. InfiniBand provides the flexibility of using compute nodes from many vendors that can be connected in many possible topologies. The performance characteristics of each vary vastly, and the way in which nodes are allocated in each type of system can significantly impact on achieved performance. In this work we compare these three systems using a combination of micro-benchmarks and a set of production applications. In addition we also examine the differences in performance variability observed on each system and quantify the lost performance using a combination of both empirical measurements and performance models. Our results show that significant performance can be lost in normal production operation of the Cray XE6 and InfiniBand Clusters in comparison to Blue Gene/Q. Performance analysis of system sub-system performance and of production applications on three HPC systems.Demonstration of higher scalability of Blue Gene/Q in comparison to Cray XE6 and InfiniBand clusters.Quantification of the performance lost due to production usage using validated performance models.
Isolation, characterization, and evolutionary divergence of mouse RNase 6: evidence for unusual evolution in rodents.

The evolution of the ribonuclease A (RNase A) vertebrate-specific enzyme family is interesting in that specific gene lineages appear to be responding to unique selective pressures in wildly diverse manners to generate proteins that are capable of reducing the infectivity of viruses, killing systemic pathogens, and inducing the growth of blood vessels all while maintaining the signature motifs of a ribonuclease. In this paper, we present the DNA sequence and gene structure of Mus musculus RNase 6 and examine the expression pattern and enzymatic activity of the recombinant protein. M. musculus RNase 6 has a limited expression pattern compared to human RNase 6 and is an efficient ribonuclease, with a catalytic efficiency 17-fold higher than that of human protein. Evo- lutionary analysis reveals that RNase 6 was subject to unusual evolutionary forces (dN/dS = 1.2) in an ancestral rodent lineage before the separation of Mus and Rattus. However, more recent evolution of rodent RNase 6 has been relatively conserved, with an average dN/dS of 0.66. These data suggest that the ancestral rodent RNase 6 was subject to accelerated evolution, resulting in the conserved modern gene, which most likely plays an important role in mouse physiology.
Biomimetic Synthesis and Characterization of Magnetic Proteins (Magnetoferritin)

A new synthesis of the magnetic protein magnetoferritin is reported. Addition of increments of Fe(II) to anaerobic solutions of the demetalated protein, apoferritin, at pH = 8.6 and 65 °C, followed by stoichiometric amounts of the oxidant trimethylamine-N-oxide (Me3NO), results in the formation of a dispersed magnetic bioinorganic nanocomposite. By limiting the Fe:protein ratio to not more than ∼140 atoms/protein molecule and the Fe(II):Me3NO ratio to 3:2 in each increment, ferrimagnetic nanocrystals of magnetite/maghemite (Fe3O4)/(γ-Fe2O3) are synthesized in the 8 nm diameter protein cage. Controlling the number of stepwise cycles of the Fe(II)/oxidant additions produces biomimetic proteins with different iron loadings (100, 260, 530, 1000, 2040, and 3150 Fe atoms/protein molecule) and concomitant changes in the size of the inorganic nanocores. Magnetoferritins prepared with less than 1000 Fe atoms/molecule were discrete nanocomposites with protein-encapsulated magnetic cores. Samples with higher iron lo...
Effects of Racial and Expressive Cues on Probability Learning in Children.

Summary.-Four groups of Ss were exposed to a probability-learning task in which they were to guess which of two stimuli would appear. The stimuli were either pictures of angry or smiling faces which were either distinctively white or Negro in appearance. When the input ratio was 70% angry to 30% smiling faces, Ss underestimated the dominant input. When the input ratio was reversed (70% smiling, 30% angry), expectancies for dominant stimulus more closely approximated the input ratio. Racial cues were not a determinant for choice responses even though such cues were apparently highly visible for most Ss. The basic paradigm for a probability-learning task involves S's choosing from among a set of experimentally defined alternative responses. Once a response selection is made, S receives feedback from E regarding the correctness of his choice. In this design, each response has some fixed probability of being reinforced on a given crial regardless of S's present or past choices. Investigators of probability learning have typically used affectively neutral stimuli (e.g., colored lights) in the choice situation. Some recent studies such as those by Solley and Messick (1957) and Rosenhan and Messick (1966) have used instead affectively loaded input. The results of these studies have shown that Ss tend to underestimate dominant input having a negaclve valence. In the study by Rosenhan and Messick ( 1966) Ss were shown prcrures of smiling and angry faces in a probability-choice situation. When the input ratio was 70% angry to 30% smiling faces, Ss markedly underestimated the dominant input, i.e, angry faces. When the ratio was reversed in favor of smiling faces, Ss more closely approximated the dominant input. In the study by Rosenhan and Messick, the pictured faces, whether smiling or angry, were strongly suggestive of white individuals. Would the results be the same if an experimental group were exposed to faces which were distinctively Negro in appearance? Because of the social significance of race in our society, the addition of this variable might interact with expressive cues in influencing choice. For example, it may be that a dominant input of angry Negro faces might be more threatening to white Ss than a dominant input of angry white faces and would, therefore, be underestimated to a greater extent. The purpose of the present study was thus to investigate the separate and interactive effects of racial and expressive cues on expectancies formed in a probability learning situation.
The metropolitan region: from concepts to indicators of urban sustainability

The metropolitan region is regarded as the most appropriate unit to address sustainable urbanism. However, the metropolitan region's building blocks, from region to city to neighborhood to building site, are rarely invoked in recent discussions of urban sustainability. This paper broadens the discourse by defining sustainability as having the enduring qualities of built and natural environments, highlighting the connection of each scale to the sustainability of the metropolitan region as a whole. In addition, I review the implications for indicators and standards that operationally benchmark sustainability in cities and regions. The paper concludes with a discussion that draws on regionalism's better known holistic connotations of urban sustainability, with an emphasis on form, function and the limits of regionalism.
Behavioural Effects of Interference with the Postnatal Acquisition of Hippocampal Granule Cells

MULTIPLYING cells of the nervous system, unlike differentiating and mature cells, are extremely radiosensitive1–3, which allows selective elimination of the postnatally forming basket, stellate and granule cells in the cerebellar cortex4,6. The proliferating precursors of these cells are killed by one or two doses of 150–200 R X-irradiation, but the cerebellum must be exposed to up to 8 repeated doses during early infancy to prevent regeneration6,7. Such schedules of low-level irradiation do not produce pathological changes in the prenatally-formed, differentiating Purkinje cells, as shown by electron microscopy8. As most granule cells of the dentate gyrus of the hippocampus originate postnatally in altricial species9–12, irradiation of the infant rat hippocampus using a schedule derived from previous cerebellar autoradiographic and irradiation studies6,7 should reduce the population of granule cells without directly harming the prenatally-formed pyramidal cells of Amnion's horn.
Extrarenal Wilms' tumor: report of a case and review of the literature.

A case of an extrarenal Wilms tumor arising in the inguinal region of a 2-month-old boy is described. A review of the literature indicates that nine welldocumented cases of extrarenal Wilms tumor have previously been described. Four of these tumors arose within teratomas. The remaining five cases, in which no teratomatous components were encountered, probably arose in embryologic rests of renal tissue. Cancer 40:3087-3091, 1977.