cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A Method for the Statistical Analysis of Time-Energy Budgets

In this paper I outline a method for estimating the sampling variance of estimates of mean daily energy expenditure of free-ranging animals, based on time-energy budgets. This method combines estimated components of variation from laboratory and field observations into a single estimate of the overall sample variance. An approximate confidence region for the mean daily ex- penditure can be constructed as well. I illustrate these methods by applying them to the energy budget of the Golden-winged Sunbird (Nectarinia reichenowi) originally published by Gill and Wolf (1975). The total sample variance of the mean daily energy expenditure, when that expenditure is esti- mated from the time-energy budget approach, is a sum of many terms, including the products of the variances of individual variables, the squared estimates of the mean of individual variables, and the products of the estimated means and covariances among the variables. Thus, the estimated sample variance will usually be large. Any biases in estimation will be propagated throughout the calculations, and errors of staggering magnitude can result. Knowledge of the components of total sampling vari- ance and the sensitivity of these estimates to the various sources of bias should aid field biologists in designing time-energy budget studies so that the maximum possible reliability can be achieved.
Effects of stroma-free hemoglobin solutions on isolated perfused rabbit hearts and isolated perfused rat kidneys.

"S t r oma- f r ee " hem og 1 obi n so I u t i on s (S F H ) ca use he mo d y n a mi c alterations i ndicative of vasoconstriction. We studied vasoconstrictor activity in isolated rabbit hearts and rat kidneys of unmodified SFH and of SFH modified by pyridoxalation or glyoxalation, with or without glutaraldehyde cross-linking. The purity and chemical composition of the solutions, all prepared by other laboratories, were not characterized by us. In isolated hearts SFH prepared b y conventional methods had potent v asoconstrictor activity. Pyridoxalation or purification by ion exchange chromatography did not alter t he constrictor activity. Decreased constrictor activity w as observed with human SFH cross-linked by glutaraldehyde treatment, or purified by affinity chromatography, and with bovine SFH purified by ultrafiltration and preparative HPLC. In isolated kidneys modified and unmodified SFH increased renal vascular resistance and decreased glomerular filtration rate with no morphologic evidence of tubular damage.
A GTPase-independent Mechanism of p21-activated Kinase Activation REGULATION BY SPHINGOSINE AND OTHER BIOLOGICALLY ACTIVE LIPIDS

p21-activated kinases (PAKs) are serine/threonine kinases that have been identified as targets for the small GTPases Rac and Cdc42. PAKs have been implicated in cytoskeletal regulation, stimulation of mitogen-activated protein kinase cascades, and in control of the phagocyte NADPH oxidase. Membrane targeting of PAK1 induced increased kinase activity in a GTPase-independent manner, suggesting that other mechanisms for PAK regulation exist. We observed concentration- and time-dependent activation of PAK1 by sphingosine and several related long chain sphingoid bases but not by ceramides or a variety of other lipids. Although phospholipids were generally ineffective, phosphatidic acid and phosphatidylinositol also had stimulatory effects on PAK1. Lipid stimulation induced a similar level of PAK1 activity as did stimulation by GTPases, and the patterns of PAK1 autophosphorylation determined after partial tryptic digestion and two-dimensional peptide analysis were similar with each class of activator. Lipid stimulation of PAK1 activity was dependent upon intact PAK kinase activity, as indicated by studies with a kinase-dead PAK1 mutant. Treatment of COS-7 cells expressing wild type PAK1 with sphingosine, fumonisin B, or sphingomyelinase, all of which are able to elevate the levels of free sphingosine, induced increased activity of PAK1 as determined using a p47(phox) peptide substrate. Studies using PAK1 mutants suggest that lipids act at a site overlapping or identical to the GTPase-binding domain on PAK. The inactive sphingosine derivative N,N-dimethylsphingosine was an effective inhibitor of PAK1 activation in response to either sphingosine or Cdc42. Our results demonstrate a novel GTPase-independent mechanism of PAK activation and, additionally, suggest that PAK(s) may be important mediators of the biological effects of sphingolipids.
Conditional sign-solvability

Sign-solvable linear systems were introduced by economists in modelling economic systems where only qualitative information is known. We introduce the idea of a conditionally sign-solvable linear system [email protected] = b by relaxing the definition of sign-solvability so as not to require that each linear system with the same sign pattern as [email protected] = b has a solution. Conditional sign-solvability is more widely applicable than sign-solvability. We show that the study of conditional sign-solvability reduces to the study of L-matrices and matrices that we call conditionally S^*-matrices. Some basic properties of conditionally S^*-matrices are obtained.
Cadherin-Mediated Cell–Cell Contact Regulates Keratinocyte Differentiation

Cell–extracellular matrix (ECM) and cell–cell interactions regulate keratinocyte cell fate and differentiation. In the present analysis, we examined the differentiation of primary human keratinocytes cultured on micropatterned substrates that varied the extent of cell–cell contact while maintaining constant cell–ECM areas. Bowtie-shaped micropatterned areas (75–1600μm 2 ) were engineered to either permit or prevent cell–cell contact for pairs of adherent keratinocytes. Cell pairs with direct cell–cell contact exhibited enhanced expression of the differentiation markers involucrin and keratin 10 compared to cells with no cell–cell contact. In contrast, available cell-spreading area, as regulated by pattern size, did not alter keratinocyte involucrin expression. Disruption of E-cadherin binding by either antibody blocking or expression of a dominant-negative receptor diminished the ability of micropattern-regulated cell–cell contact to modulate involucrin expression. These results demonstrate that cadherin-mediated cell–cell contact regulates early keratinocyte differentiation independently from changes in cell shape.
Assessing the Accountability of Government-Sponsored Enterprises and Quangos

Government-sponsored enterprises (GSEs) and quasi-autonomous non-governmental organizations (quangos) comprise a powerful organizational sector that has been criticized for its lack of accountability to governments and their citizens. These organizations are established to serve the public as a whole by targeting the needs of particular groups or fulfilling specific functions. Often they use practices adopted from the business sector, and sometimes they enter the marketplace as profit-making enterprises. In light of the contribution of GSE Fannie Mae to the 2008 world economic crisis, the impact of this sector on effective democratic government bears further examination. In this article, I present a systems model that suggests how researchers might comprehensively assess the accountability of organizations in this sector, here termed the “gray sector,” with respect to their government missions. I focus on four systems dimensions: mission, organizational design, organizational outcomes, and the information feedback process. Organizational design and the nature of the sector population are cited as emerging issues of particular importance.
Prokinetic agents increase plasma albumin in hypoalbuminemic chronic dialysis patients with delayed gastric emptying.

Abstract Hypoalbuminemia is a surrogate of malnutrition in patients with end-stage renal disease undergoing chronic dialysis and commonly improves with prescription of adequate nutrition and dialysis. Nevertheless, some patients remain hypoalbuminemic for poorly understood reasons. We tested the hypotheses that chronic dialysis patients who remain hypoalbuminemic despite prescription of adequate nutrition and dialysis (1) have delayed gastric emptying, and (2) that prokinetic agents will increase plasma albumin (P alb ) levels in patients with delayed gastric emptying. We retrospectively identified 99 of 343 hemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis patients with hypoalbuminuria (P alb alb levels over the subsequent 6 months and met inclusion and exclusion criteria. Gastrointestinal symptom scores determined by an administered questionnaire were not different in hypoalbuminemic and normoalbuminemic patients. Conversely, the half-time (T 1/2 ) for radionuclide gastric emptying was longer in hypoalbuminemic than normoalbuminemic patients (74.5 ± 7.4 versus 46.7 ± 4.6 minutes; P 1/2 decreased to 53.9 ± 3.3 minutes ( P alb increased from 3.1 ± 0.2 to 3.5 ± 0.2 mg/dL ( P alb level correlated with the net decrease in gastric T 1/2 ( r 2 = 0.4; P alb levels in response to prokinetic agents.
The molybdate-stabilized glucocorticoid binding complex of L-cells contains a 98-100 kdalton steroid binding phosphoprotein and a 90 kdalton nonsteroid-binding phosphoprotein that is part of the murine heat-shock complex

This paper summarizes our work performed with glucocorticoid-binding complexes in molybdate-stabilized cytosol prepared from 32P-labeled L-cells. In our early work, we showed that cytosol prepared from 32P-labeled L-cells contains two phosphoproteins (a 90 and a 98-100 kdalton protein) that elute from an affinity resin of deoxycorticosterone agarose in a manner consistent with the predicted behavior of the glucocorticoid receptor. Both phosphoproteins are immunoadsorbed onto protein-A-Sepharose from molybdate-stabilized cytosol incubated with a monoclonal antibody against the receptor. The 98-100 kdalton phosphoprotein binds steroid and the 90 kdalton phosphoprotein is a structurally different, nonsteroid-binding protein that is bound to the untransformed, molybdate-stabilized glucocorticoid receptor. The 90 kdalton protein reacts on Western blots with a monoclonal antibody raised against a 90 kdalton protein from the water mold Achlya ambisexualis. This antibody recognizes an epitope that is conserved in 90 kdalton phosphoproteins from rodent and human cells, and it reacts with the 90 kdalton phosphoprotein that copurifies with the molybdate-stabilized, untransformed chick oviduct progesterone receptor. The 90 kdalton nonsteroid-binding phosphoprotein is an abundant cytosolic protein that dissociates from the glucocorticoid receptor when it is transformed, and unlike the steroid-binding protein, it does not bind to DNA. The 90 kdalton phosphoprotein determines the acidic behavior of the untransformed glucocorticoid receptor on DEAE-cellulose. This abundant cytosolic 90 kdalton phosphoprotein reacts with rabbit antiserum raised against the gel purified 89 kdalton chicken heat-shock protein (hsp89). This antiserum recognizes 90 kdalton heat-shock proteins in human, rodent, frog and Drosophila cells. Immunoadsorption of molybdate-stabilized cytosol with antibody directed against the 98-100 kdalton steroid receptor results in the immune-specific adsorption of a 90 kdalton phosphoprotein that reacts with anti-hsp89 antibody on Western blots. These observations suggest that, like the transforming proteins from several avian sarcoma viruses, the untransformed glucocorticoid receptor exists in a complex with the 90 kdalton heat-shock protein.
Vibrational spectra and bonding in metal carbonyls VI. Evidence for a π-interaction between manganese pentacarbonyl and the perfluoromethyl group

Abstract The infrared spectrum of CF 3 Mn(CO) 5 has been investigated in the gas phase. The CF stretching bands are found at 1045 and 1063 cm p−1 and the shapes of the band envelopes indicate that these are the frequencies of the e and a 1 modes, respectively. Using these and other data, a calculation of the CF force constants in CF 3 Mn(CO) 3 and CF 3 I was made, the results (in md./A) being 4.6 and 5.9 respectively. This very substantial reduction in CF 3 Mn(CO) 5 is attributed to CF bond weakening by overlap of filled metal d π orbitals with CF σ antibonding orbitals.
Chromosomes of lemuriformes. I. A chromosome complement of Lepilemur mustelinus (I. Geoffroy 1851).

Discoveries of fossil hominids, particularly at Olduvai Gorge, Tanzania, in the late 1950s and early 1960s served as an important catalyst for stimulating the multi- interdisciplinary approach which now characterizes African paleoanthropology. While discovery of fossil hominids will always play a central role, it is the strategic implementation of a diverse set of inquiries which promises to generate the most rewarding and comprehensive details of how we became human. Field work by the Omo Research Expedition and the Koobi Fora Research Project contributed significantly to development of the strategy of paleoanthropology, emphasizing integration of specialists from geology, biology and the social sciences. In Ethiopia the ongoing Hadar Research Project has applied the integrated, multidimensional strategy of paleoanthropology resulting in important additions to our understanding of early hominid origins. The pace of fossil hominid discoveries is picking up in Africa, and there is every reason to believe that major contributions to human evolutionary studies will be forthcoming.
The efficiency of paying compensation in the Pigovian solution to externality problems

Abstract This note examines the efficiency of giving the victim of an externality the revenue raised by a tax on the injurer when the injurer and victim bargain with each other and act strategically. If the government has full information about the externality problem, then compensation is compatible with, but is not required for, the attainment of efficiency. If the government has limited information, then the desirability of compensation depends on the parties' behavior. In general, there is not an a priori case against compensation.
THE RATE OF RESPIRATION IN ERYTHROCYTES

1. Erythrocytes, both nucleated and non-nucleated, have been found to respire at rates comparable to that of other resting tissues (30 to 70 mm. 3/ grm./ hr.). 2. The rate of oxygen consumption of erythrocytes in the intact animal is probably higher than the rates found in these experiments. 3. A great but temporary increase in the oxygen consumption of erythrocytes invariably occurs upon haemolysis by lytic agents. 4. The increase in the oxygen consumption of erythrocytes upon haemolysis is due to an increase in metabolism accompanying a liberation of cell contents. 5. The material which respires is not limited to particles of microscopic size alone, for the filtrate obtained by passing a haemolysed red-cell suspension through a Berkefeld filter still shows considerable respiratory activity.
Simulation of the Hurricane Dennis storm surge and considerations for vertical resolution

A high-resolution storm surge model of Apalachee Bay in the northeastern Gulf of Mexico is developed using an unstructured grid finite-volume coastal ocean model (FVCOM). The model is applied to the case of Hurricane Dennis (July 2005). This storm caused underpredicted severe flooding of the Apalachee Bay coastal area and upriver inland communities. Accurate resolution of complicated geometry of the coastal region and waterways in the model reveals processes responsible for the unanticipated high storm tide in the area. Model results are validated with available observations of the storm tide. Model experiments suggest that during Dennis, excessive flooding in the coastal zone and the town of St. Marks, located up the St. Marks River, was caused by additive effects of coincident high tides (~10–15% of the total sea-level rise) and a propagating shelf wave (~30%) that added to the locally wind-generated surge. Wave setup, the biggest uncertainty, is estimated on the basis of empirical and analytical relations. The Dennis case is then used to test the sensitivity of the model solution to vertical discretization. A suite of model experiments is performed with varying numbers of vertical sigma (σ) levels, with different distribution of σ-levels within the water column and a varying bottom drag coefficient. The major finding is that the storm surge solution is more sensitive to resolution within the velocity shear zone at mid-depths compared to resolution of the upper and bottom layer or values of the bottom drag coefficient.
Atomic spectral lines when a quark is embedded in the nucleus

There has been a recent claim for the observation of fractionally charged particles. If this evidence is to be interpreted as due to a quark embedded in a heavy nucleus, a natural follow-up is to look for ''quark atoms'' through their spectral lines. The recent technique of single-atom detection may be one way of doing this. Such searches will require as inputs knowledge of the spectroscopic transitions in the quark atom. The presence of the quark causes large shifts in spectral lines which fall in the visible and near-visible regions and a simple technique is presented based on interpolations in isoelectronic series for estimating these shifts quickly and accurately for any atom. Results are also presented for the x-ray transitions in heavy atoms and very accurate results for the various series in quark hydrogen. The techniques and results of this paper may also be relevant for searches in laboratory and astrophysical spectra.
Call for Research: Detecting Early Vulnerability for Psychiatric Hospitalization

This study delineated the extent to which a broad set of risk factors in youth, a period well suited to primary prevention strategies, influences the likelihood and timing of first lifetime psychiatric hospitalizations. Logistic regression was used to delineate early risk factors for psychiatric hospitalization among Americans in a nationally representative survey (NCS-R, Part II, 2001–2003: N = 5,692). Results suggest that inpatient stay is more common and happens at earlier ages among Americans who report growing up with versus without: (1) depressed parents or caregivers, (2) family members who victimized them, or (3) one of three child mental illnesses (conduct, oppositional defiant, or separation anxiety disorder). In order to prevent inpatient stay, findings call for longitudinal research on early vulnerability for psychiatric hospitalization among families with: (1) depressed parents of children or adolescents, (2) violence against children, and (3) children that have externalizing or separation anxiety disorders.
Relativistic effects on line strengths for transitions in the hydrogenic isoelectronic sequence

Relativistic line strengths have been computed for a large number of transitions using Dirac wave functions for the one-electron, hydrogen-like ions. As expected, the results indicate that relativistic effects are quite small for low stages of ionization. However, in general, they also remain small throughout a large portion of the isoelectronic sequence, becoming typically of the order of 10 percent in the vicinity of Z = 50, after which they grow quite rapidly. This suggests that for multielectron ions a basically nonrelativistic theory might well be adequate for light atom isoelectronic ions through as much as 30 or 40 stages of ionization.
Carbachol and Bradykinin Increase the Production of Diacylglycerol from Sources Other than Inositol‐Containing Phospholipids in PC12 Cells

: Both carbachol and bradykinin increased diacylglycerol formation in PC12 pheochromocytoma cells. The effect of carbachol was apparent only in cells that had been treated with nerve growth factor. Incubation of the cells in Ca2+-free medium attenuated carbachol-stimulated diacylglycerol formation but did not reduce the response to bradykinin. Pretreatment of the cells with pertussis toxin did not affect either carbachol- or bradykinin-stimulated diacylglycerol formation; therefore, the inhibitory guanine nucleotide Gi probably does not mediate this response. The time course of carbachol-stimulated diacylglycerol accumulation did not coincide with the time course of inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate (IP3) production. IP3 was elevated at the earliest time measured, 15 s, and then slowly declined so that by 5 min IP3 levels were only 50% of maximal. Diacylglycerol levels, in contrast, were not elevated for the first 2 min and then peaked at 5 min. These data indicate that hydrolysis of phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate was not the major source of the diacylglycerol peak at 5 min. To investigate the source of diacylglycerol, I examined the fatty acid composition of the diacylglycerol by prelabeling the cells with [3H]palmitic acid and [14C]stearic acid. The 14C/3H ratio in diacylglycerol should reflect the phospholipid(s) from which it is derived. The 14C/3H ratio of the increment in diacylglycerol produced by carbachol and bradykinin was intermediate between the 14C/3H ratios of phosphatidylcholine and phosphatidylinositol. The 14C/3H ratio in triacylglycerol was similar to that of phosphatidylcholine. These data indicate that carbachol and bradykinin stimulate the formation of diacylglycerol from sources other than inositol-containing phospholipids; phosphatidylcholine and triacylglycerol are two possible sources of this diacylglycerol.
Synthesis and turnover of nuclear proteins

1. The turnover of proteins labeled with tritiated amino acids has been followed over several cell cycles in Chinese hamster cells in culture. Radioactive proteins are no longer detectable in chromosomes of the third metaphases following labeling. The experiment is interpreted as evidence of general turnover of chromosomal proteins (including histones) during cell growth and division. 2. In labeling experiments with amoeba all nuclear proteins were found to undergo turnover, even in the absence of cell division. 3. C14 amino acid labeling suggests that a small amount of histone synthesis may take place in the pre- and post-DNA synthesis periods.
Bilateral Jugular Venous Blood Flow by Thermal Dilution

Measurements of internal jugular venous flow were made in 12 patients with severe cerebral vascular disease. Flow rates were determined by the thermal dilution method, using room temperature physiological (heparinized) saline as an indicator infused at a constant rate. The major sources of error (indicator mixing) were studied under highly controlled in vitro experiments. Total jugular venous outflow was substantially below mean values of total cerebral flow for normal subjects and somewhat below the mean values for demented patients. Free communication between the two jugular veins via the torcular was observed in all patients. Following unilateral venous compression, the differential shift to the contralateral vein was not always equal to the precompression total flow. This would seem to indicate that this maneuver produces some diversion of flow to other venous channels and suggests that total cerebral blood flow can be obtained reliably only through bilateral measurements.
Arsenal of plant cell wall degrading enzymes reflects host preference among plant pathogenic fungi

Background The discovery and development of novel plant cell wall degrading enzymes is a key step towards more efficient depolymerization of polysaccharides to fermentable sugars for the production of liquid transportation biofuels and other bioproducts. The industrial fungus Trichoderma reesei is known to be highly cellulolytic and is a major industrial microbial source for commercial cellulases, xylanases and other cell wall degrading enzymes. However, enzyme-prospecting research continues to identify opportunities to enhance the activity of T. reesei enzyme preparations by supplementing with enzymatic diversity from other microbes. The goal of this study was to evaluate the enzymatic potential of a broad range of plant pathogenic and non-pathogenic fungi for their ability to degrade plant biomass and isolated polysaccharides.
Ethical and Value Issues in Insurance Coverage for Cancer Treatment

Many new cancer drugs provide only limited benefits, but at very great cost, for example, $200,000–$300,000 per quality-adjusted life year produced. By most standards of value or cost-effectiveness, this does not represent good value. I first review several of the causes of this value failure, including monopoly patents, prohibitions on Medicare’s negotiating on drug prices, health insurance protecting patients from costs, and financial incentivesofphysicianstousethesedrugs.Besidesvalue or cost-effectiveness, the other principal aim in health care resource allocation should be equity among the population served. I examine several equity considerations—priority to the worse off, aggregation and special priority to life extension, and the rule of rescue— and argue that none justifies greater priority for cancer treatment on the grounds of equity. Finally, I conclude by noting two recent policy changes that are in the wrong direction for achieving value in cancer care, and suggesting some small steps that could take us in the right direction. The Oncologist 2010;15(suppl 1):36–42
How Good Is Good Enough? A Multidimensional, Best-Possible Standard for Research Design

Recent years have seen a shift in methodological emphasis from the observable properties of a sample to its unobservable properties, that is, judgments about the process by which the data were gene...
Painless swelling of the anterior maxillary gingiva

The patient, a 30-year-old white female, was referred by her dentist to an oral and maxillofacial surgeon in March 1983 with a chief complaint of painless swelling involving the maxillary right labial attached gingiva and alveolar mucosa (Fig. 1). Swelling in the area had been noticed by the patient two years previously. At that time she was pregnant, and following a normal delivery, the swelling appeared to decrease in size. However, progressive enlargement was noted over the past three to four months, with the lesion now measuring 2.5 x 2.5 cm, and extending from teeth numbers 5 through 8. The lesion was semi-firm on palpation, with the overlying mucosa being smooth, slightly shiny without ulceration and of normal color. There was no history of drainage from the area, and periodontal probing failed to reveal any evidence of periodontal disease. Periapical and panoramic radiographs demonstrated normal dental and osseous structures with no apparent abnormalities. An incisional biopsy was obtained under local anesthesia. Surgically, the underlying bone cortex was observed to be intact.
A Metacommentary on the Current Debate on the Problematique of Filial Piety

Why filial piety NOW? Indeed, why now rather than earlier or later? Why has there been a sudden outburst of scholarly energy and zeal for it? All I can say is that there must be good reason. Here I will not venture to speculate. Let us leave conjectural answers to the deep psychology and sociology of philosophy, that is, the snowballing dynamics of motivational factors in the specific social context. I am delighted and honored to have been invited to join the continuing and animating conversation of Confucianism and the problematique of filial piety in the way I understand them. I would not pretend to add anything significant to the well-groomed and detailed arguments of LIU Qinping and GUO Qiyong (see Liu 2007 and Guo 2007). It may sound odd and even contradictory to say that both Liu and Guo are equally convincing with their profuse textual citations to back up their claims (albeit lacking at time specificities). Every story or issue has at least two sides—yin and yang sides, as it were, which are complementary. How many references of corruption (favoritism and nepotism) do we find in the entire corpus of Confucius’ and Mencius’ writings? The rejuvenation of Confucian and post-Confucian ethics is not stillborn in their debate. Yet it must be said that the debate between Liu and Guo has the undercurrent of a post-Maoist re-appreciation and reappropriation of Confucianism. There is an issue which I wish to take up with Liu. Since favoritism/nepotism has been and is pervasive in different cultures throughout history, his argument would, I think, be enhanced and more convincing had he shown its direct linkage to specific types of Dao (2008) 7:131–134 DOI 10.1007/s11712-008-9058-9
Electron beam effects on polymers. II. Surface modification of bis‐GMA substrates by functionalized siloxane oligomers

Surface modification of polymer films via electron beam irradiation was studied using the methacrylic acid derivative of the diglycidyl ether of bisphenol A, commonly called bis-GMA, as a curable substrate. Functionalized polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) oligomers were utilized as surface modifiers. Considerable changes in the wetting characteristics were observed for the siloxane modified bis-GMA surfaces by critical surface tension measurement. For dosages up to 5 Mrads, the dosage level strongly affects the critical surface tension of the polymer. This result implies differences in the concentration of the attached PDMS oligomers to the bis-GMA substrate. The methacrylate-terminated PDMS was observed to be more effective in lowering the critical surface tension than a similar vinyl-terminated PDMS. Higher molecular weight and multifunctional PDMS coatings resulted in somewhat lower critical surface tensions in the dosage range applied in this study. The surface thickness of the functionalized PDMS coatings which were bonded to the substrate surface depended on the molecular weight of the surface modifiers as obtained by XPS analysis. Peel tests of the uncoated and PDMS coated bis-GMA clearly resulted in agreement with the critical surface tension data. Chemical inertness and poor wettability of PDMS provided the PDMS coatings with enhanced resistance to chemical degradation caused by a 24-h exposure to aqueous nitric and acetic acid.
Microsimulation in Travel Demand Modeling: Lessons Learned from the New York Best Practice Model

Microsimulation is increasingly assuming a major role in the advancement of demand-modeling practice. At the same time, it is attracting growing attention from the larger transportation-planning community. Four basic advantages of microsimulation versus conventional fractional-probability models are examined. The first is the technical advantage related to computational savings in the calculation and storage of large multidimensional probability arrays. The second is the meaningful advantage gained in the explicit modeling of various decision-making chains and time—space constraints on individual travel that allows for behavioral realism in the demand-modeling procedure. The third relates to the variability of microsimulation outcomes, which can yield full information about the distributions of the travel demand statistics of interest rather than single deterministic estimates or average values. As soon as constraints are introduced into the modeling framework (which often is done at the destination choic...
Love, Aggression and Satisfaction in Dating Relationships

This study examined (1) whether certain lovestyles facilitate aggression in dating relationships and (2) the effects of aggression on relationship satisfaction (i.e. its main, mediating and moderating effects). The sample consisted of 149 female undergraduate students involved in an ongoing heterosexual dating relationship. Multiple regression analyses indicated that Mania was the strongest predictor of courtship aggression. In terms of the impact of aggression on relationship satisfaction, aggression had a main effect on satisfaction as well as moderated the relationship between certain lovestyles and satisfaction. However, aggression did not mediate the association between lovestyles and satisfaction. The implications of, and some possible explanations for, these findings are discussed.
Hemostatic resuscitation for acute traumatic coagulopathy

Trauma resuscitation paradigms have changed considerably over the last twenty years. Originally, the goal was to normalize a blood pressure as quickly as possible. Large volume crystalloid resuscitation was used to accomplish this. Standard therapy was that any patient with suspected bleeding received a two liter crystalloid bolus as initial therapy. It was often repeated and blood transfusion therapy was used relatively late. Fresh frozen plasma and platelets were also used relatively late, often after patients had received ten units of red cells. Dilutional anemia was relatively common. Patients with large volume blood loss often died from what was termed, "the bloody vicious cycle," of hypothermia, acidosis and coagulopathy.
First Pertussis Vaccine Dose and Prevention of Infant Mortality

BACKGROUND: American infants are at highest risk of severe pertussis and death. We investigated the role of ≥1 pertussis vaccinations in preventing pertussis-related deaths and risk markers for death among infants aged METHODS: We analyzed characteristics of fatal and nonfatal infant pertussis cases reported nationally during 1991–2008. Infants were categorized into 2 age groups on the basis of eligibility to receive a first pertussis vaccine dose at age 6 weeks; dose 1 was considered valid if given ≥14 days before illness onset. Multivariable logistic regression was used to estimate the effect of ≥1 pertussis vaccine doses on outcome and risk markers. RESULTS: Pertussis-related deaths occurred among 258 of 45 404 cases. Fatal and nonfatal cases were confirmed by culture (54% vs 49%) and polymerase chain reaction (31% vs 27%). All deaths occurred before age 34 weeks at illness onset; 64% occurred before age 6 weeks. Among infants aged ≥42 days, receiving ≥1 doses of vaccine protected against death (adjusted odds ratio [aOR]: 0.28; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.11–0.74), hospitalization (aOR: 0.69; 95% CI: 0.63–0.77), and pneumonia (aOR: 0.80; 95% CI: 0.68–0.95). Risk was elevated for Hispanic ethnicity (aOR: 2.28; 95% CI: 1.36–3.83) and American Indian/Alaska Native race (aOR: 5.15; 95% CI: 2.37–11.2) and lower for recommended antibiotic treatment (aOR: 0.28; 95% CI: 0.16–0.47). Among infants aged CONCLUSIONS: The first pertussis vaccine dose and antibiotic treatment protect against death, hospitalization, and pneumonia.
Admixture of Poisson MRFs: A Topic Model with Word Dependencies

This paper introduces a new topic model based on an admixture of Poisson Markov Random Fields (APM), which can model dependencies between words as opposed to previous independent topic models such as PLSA (Hofmann, 1999), LDA (Blei et al., 2003) or SAM (Reisinger et al., 2010). We propose a class of admixture models that generalizes previous topic models and show an equivalence between the conditional distribution of LDA and independent Poissons--suggesting that APM subsumes the modeling power of LDA. We present a tractable method for estimating the parameters of an APM based on the pseudo log-likelihood and demonstrate the benefits of APM over previous models by preliminary qualitative and quantitative experiments.
A transducer for the measurement of finger joint moments

A device capable of simultaneously measuring the isometric moments generated about the metacarpophalangeal (MP), proximal interphalangeal (PTP), and distal interphalangeal (DIP) joints of all four fingers has been developed. The design utilizes a four-bar linkage to transmit moments, but not forces, to the device. This linkage allows the same device to fit a wide range of hand sizes without recalibration. The device was constructed out of aluminum bars which are strapped to each joint segment and to the back of the hand. Strain gauges mounted to the aluminum bars measure the bending moment on the device, which is directly related to the moment applied about the joint center of rotation. Because of the unique design of the device, it is not necessary to have accurate measurements of the joint center of rotation in order to get accurate moment information. A single device is capable of generating independent measurement of MP extension/flexion, PIP extension/flexion, and DIP extension/flexion. Four of these devices can be used to make simultaneous measurements of all the moments generated by all four fingers. The device also acts as a splint, allowing each joint to be positioned and locked at any angle through the range of motion of the joint. The device is accurate to within /spl plusmn/5.6% of each reading for moments from 10 N/spl middot/cm to 100 N/spl middot/cm and within /spl plusmn/2.0 N/spl middot/cm for moments of 10 N/spl middot/cm or less. If the device configuration is constrained, the accuracy can be improved to /spl plusmn/0.8% of full scale (100 N/spl middot/cm) and /spl plusmn/0.21 N/spl middot/cm for moments of 10 N/spl middot/cm or less. The device can measure both flexion and extension moments up to 100 N/spl middot/cm, and can allow the joints to be fixed at any angle from approximately 10 to 800.
Statin use after renal transplantation: a systematic quality review of trial-based evidence

Background and Objectives. HMG-CoA reductase inhibitor (statin) therapy reduces cardiovascular risk in the general population and may modulate rejection in solid organ transplant recipients. We assessed whether current clinical evidence supports the use of statins to improve cardiac and/or renal outcomes after kidney transplantation. Methods. We performed a systematic review of randomized, controlled intervention trials of statins among renal allograft recipients. Clinical trials published between January 1, 1993 and January 1, 2004 were identified by systematic search of electronic databases. Eligible studies measured the impact of therapy on acute allograft rejection, surrogates of cardiovascular risk and/or cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. We abstracted descriptive summaries of trial design elements and primary effect estimates, and assessed trial quality with a standardized quality evaluation tool. Results. Thirteen eligible trials were identified. Statin therapy was associated with less acute allograft rejection in two early studies but was ineffective in three subsequent, larger trials. Therapeutic benefit was also seen in six of seven small studies that evaluated cardiovascular risk surrogates. Statin use did not significantly alter the primary composite outcome in a single large cardiac events trial, but was associated with reductions in secondary end-points of cardiac death analysed alone or with myocardial infarction. Important design distinctions included statin preparation and dose, concomitant interventions, study power and randomization methods. Median total quality scores were 52 for the rejection trials, 41 for the studies of cardiovascular risk surrogates and 69 for the cardiac events trial, and showed a trend towards variation by outcome measure (P ¼ 0.05). Conclusions. Heterogeneous study designs and methodological quality contribute to discrepant conclusions on the benefit of statin therapy to renal allograft recipients. Trial-based clinical evidence does not support the use of statins to lower acute rejection risk after kidney transplantation, but does indicate effectiveness for improvement in cardiovascular risk markers and possibly for reduction of clinical cardiac events.
Naming and verbal memory skills in adults with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder and Reading Disability

Research suggests that children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and Reading Disability (RD) can be differentiated based on their performance on measures of naming and verbal memory. It is not known whether this same pattern characterizes adults with these disorders. In this study, adults with and without ADHD and RD were compared on naming and verbal memory abilities. Results did not support the hypothesis that adults with ADHD and RD are significantly different from each other, or from a contrast group, on naming and verbal memory measures after controlling for Full-Scale IQ (FSIQ). These results were replicated across two sets of classification criteria used to identify diagnostic groups. Factors that could account for the inconsistency in research findings with children and adult subjects are discussed.
SEMAFOR: Frame Argument Resolution with Log-Linear Models

This paper describes the SEMAFOR system's performance in the SemEval 2010 task on linking events and their participants in discourse. Our entry is based upon SEMAFOR 1.0 (Das et al., 2010a), a frame-semantic probabilistic parser built from log-linear models. The extended system models null instantiations, including non-local argument reference. Performance is evaluated on the task data with and without gold-standard overt arguments. In both settings, it fares the best of the submitted systems with respect to recall and F1.
Variations in Parenting and Adolescent Outcomes Among African American and Latino Families Living in Low-Income, Urban Areas

Drawing from social disorganization theory, this study examined how perceived neighborhood conditions modified associations between parenting and delinquency, depressive symptoms, and school problem behavior among more than 800 African American and Latino 10- to 14-year-olds participating in Welfare, Children, and Families: A Three-City Study. Permissive and disengaged parenting, maternal involvement, and punitive parenting were associated with youth outcomes in varying ways depending on perceived neighborhood context and a youth's race, ethnicity, and gender. Neighborhood-modifying influences on parenting were stronger for African Americans as compared to Latinos and for males as compared to females. Findings suggest that the stakes of uninvolved and permissive parenting for problematic youth outcomes are greater in higher risk neighborhoods. In addition, among African American males, punitive parenting is less strongly associated with poor youth outcomes when mothers perceive that the neighborhood poses...
Our housing, our selves: A longitudinal investigation of low-income women's participatory housing experiences

Abstract This study explored the relationship between low-income urban mothers and their residential environments. The participants were women who lived in inadequate housing sometimes located in treacherous, drug- and crime-plagued neighborhoods. Conceptual content cognitive mapping (“3CM”) [Kearney and Kaplan (1997). Environment and Behavior , 29 (5), 579–617], a qualitative/quantitative hybrid methodology, was used to obtain the mothers’ perspectives on both the positive and negative aspects of their housing experience as well as their sense of well-being. The women were followed through the process of partnering with a nonprofit, self-help housing organization, constructing new housing for themselves, and relocating to these new homes. One year later, the same methodology was employed. Results indicate that while living in inadequate housing, many women worried a great deal about their children and felt significant dissatisfaction with their housing. Despite these circumstances, however, they maintained a strong sense of self confidence, optimism, and determination, not unlike Antonovsky's sense of coherence [Antonovsky (1979). Health, stress and coping . San Francisco: Jossey-Bass Publishers; Antonovsky (1987). Unraveling the mystery of health . San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass Inc., Publishers]. Following relocation, the women were extremely satisfied with their new housing and seem to have a greater sense of well-being. They expressed fewer worries, and seemed to have even stronger sense of coherence.
Yesterday’s dinner, tomorrow’s weather, today’s news? US newspaper coverage of food system contributions to climate change

Background: There is strong evidence that what we eat and how it is produced affects climate change. Objective: The present paper examines coverage of food system contributions to climate change in top US newspapers. Design: Using a sample of sixteen leading US newspapers from September 2005 to January 2008, two coders identified ‘food and climate change’ and ‘climate change’ articles based on specified criteria. Analyses examined variation across time and newspaper, the level of content relevant to food systems’ contributions to climate change, and how such content was framed. Results: There were 4582 ‘climate change’ articles in these newspapers during this period. Of these, 2?4% mentioned food or agriculture contributions, with 0?4% coded as substantially focused on the issue and 0?5% mentioning food animal contributions. The level of content on food contributions to climate change increased across time. Articles initially addressed the issue primarily in individual terms, expanding to address business and government responsibility more in later articles. Conclusions: US newspaper coverage of food systems’ effects on climate change during the study period increased, but still did not reflect the increasingly solid evidence of the importance of these effects. Increased coverage may lead to responses by individuals, industry and government. Based on co-benefits with nutritional public health messages and climate change’s food security threats, the public health nutrition community has an important role to play in elaborating and disseminating information about food and climate change for the US media.
The Future of Research in Myasthenia

Myasthenia results from dysfunction of the neuromuscular synapse (ie, the neuromuscular junction [NMJ]), causing clinical “fatigue,” which is defined as muscle weakness that worsens with muscle use and improves with rest. Electrodiagnostic testing demonstrates either decremental compound muscle action potentials in response to repetitive nerve stimulation at slow rates, generally 2 to 3 Hz, or increased synaptic jitter measured by single fiber electromyography. The majority of the myasthenic disorders result from dysfunction of the postsynaptic component of the NMJ, although involvement of either the synaptic cleft or the presynaptic motor nerve terminal can occasionally produce myasthenia.
Complex and non-redundant signals from individual odor receptors that underlie chemotaxis behavior in Drosophila melanogaster larvae

The rules by which odor receptors encode odors and allow behavior are still largely unexplored. Although large data sets of electrophysiological responses of receptors to odors have been generated, few hypotheses have been tested with behavioral assays. We use a data set on odor responses of Drosophila larval odor receptors coupled with chemotaxis behavioral assays to examine rules of odor coding. Using mutants of odor receptors, we have found that odor receptors with similar electrophysiological responses to odors across concentrations play non-redundant roles in odor coding at specific odor concentrations. We have also found that high affinity receptors for odors determine behavioral response thresholds, but the rules for determining peak behavioral responses are more complex. While receptor mutants typically show loss of attraction to odors, some receptor mutants result in increased attraction at specific odor concentrations. The odor receptor mutants were rescued using transgenic expression of odor receptors, validating assignment of phenotypes to the alleles. Vapor pressures alone cannot fully explain behavior in our assay. Finally, some odors that did not elicit strong electrophysiological responses are associated with behavioral phenotypes upon examination of odor receptor mutants. This result is consistent with the role of sensory neurons in lateral inhibition via local interneurons in the antennal lobe. Taken together, our results suggest a complexity of odor coding rules even in a simple olfactory sensory system.
Textual History as Language History? Text Categories, Corpora, Editions, and the Witness Depositions from the Salem Witch Trials 1

This is the author's accepted manuscript. The published version is available at http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/00393274.2012.668071