cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Placebo responses in Parkinson's disease

Parkinson's disease (PD) patients exhibit strong placebo responses in clinical trials. Patient characteristics that affect placebo include patients' expectations of good outcomes, genetic variants, and personality. The presence of motor fluctuation and high baseline UPDRS motor scores predicted placebo response. However, gender, age, duration of PD, religion, or level of education do not correlate with placebo response. PD patients who are preconditioned with active treatment such as apomorphine have more robust placebo effects. Studies that focused on patients with motor fluctuations, surgical intervention, or higher probability of placebo assignment had higher rates of placebo response. Patients view participating in placebo-controlled trials positively. Placebo effect can be measured objectively using neuroimaging and neurophysiological techniques. PET studies show that placebo-induced improvement is associated with dopamine release in the dorsal striatum and that the expectation of receiving the reward, not the reward itself, increased dopamine release in the ventral striatum. Expectations of benefitting from repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation also induced dopamine release. Expectations of receiving a dopaminergic drug induced changes in fMRI in a reward-learning task. Single cell recordings demonstrate that placebo response is associated with changes of single neuronal activities in the basal ganglia circuit. These studies demonstrate that placebo effects are genuine biological responses to the administration of placebo. In clinical trials, we can use several approaches to minimize placebo responses. In clinical practice, we can use approaches to harness the power of placebo and minimize nocebo effects to improve patients' outcome.
Treatment of Peanut Allergy.

1. Amy Burris, MD*,† 2. Theresa Bingemann, MD*,† 1. *Department of Medicine: Allergy, Immunology, and Rheumatology and 2. †Division of Pediatric Allergy and Immunology, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY Peanut allergy (PA) affects 0.5% to 2% of children and is often a persistent condition that poses the risk of life-threatening reactions on exposure to peanut. It is the most common food allergy to cause anaphylaxis and death. Because allergy testing does not predict the severity of reactions, it is imperative that peanut-allergic children have access to epinephrine autoinjectors at all times. Although cutaneous reactions, including generalized urticaria, angioedema, and atopic dermatitis, are the most common, anaphylaxis accounts for more than one-third of reactions. Recently, research has focused on prevention strategies for PA. In high-risk infants, early introduction of peanut at younger than 11 months of age plays a crucial role in preventing PA. Conversely, avoidance of peanut is associated with increased risk of PA. Guidelines recommend early introduction of peanut to infants with no eczema or mild to moderate eczema. Infants with severe eczema should be promptly referred to an allergist for evaluation of peanut sensitization before introduction. Disruption of the skin barrier, as with eczema, plays a role in the development of food allergy. Transcutaneous exposure of food allergens may promote allergic sensitization, whereas allergen exposure through the gut may promote tolerance. Studies show that increased environmental peanut exposure leads to increased risk of PA, especially in children with eczema. Aggressive emollient therapy early in life may decrease the risk of developing eczema. Studies examining the role of early emollient therapy and development of food allergy are ongoing. The cross-reactivity between peanut allergens and environmental allergens means that apparent sensitization to peanut does not necessarily …
American Indians and Alaska Natives in the COVID-19 Pandemic: The Grave Burden We Stand to Bear

The United States is bearing witness as a crisis-within-a-crisis unfolds across Indian Country, where a persistently underfunded system with inadequate resources and outdated facilities set the stage for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) to overwhelm Tribes. Now is the time to reimagine our way forward as a country beyond the pandemic. To address these issues, we recommend that (1) the federal government appropriately fund the Indian Health Service and work more closely with tribal governments, and (2) programs that recruit, train, and retain American Indian and Alaska Native (AIAN) health professionals be expanded. We offer guidance on decisive and impactful steps that can be taken, together, today.
Benchmarking Computational Integration Methods for Spatial Transcriptomics Data

Abstract The increasing popularity of spatial transcriptomics has allowed researchers to analyze transcriptome data in its tissue sample’s spatial context. Various methods have been developed for detecting SV (spatially variable) genes, with distinct spatial expression patterns. However, the accuracy of using such SV genes in clustering cell types has not been thoroughly studied. On the other hand, in single cell resolution sequencing data, clustering analysis is usually done on highly variable (HV) genes. Here we investigate if integrating SV genes and HV genes from spatial transcriptomics data can improve clustering performance beyond using SV genes alone. We evaluated six methods that integrate different features measured from the same samples including MOFA+, scVI, Seurat v4, CIMLR, SNF, and the straightforward concatenation approach. We applied these methods on 19 real datasets from three different spatial transcriptomics technologies (merFISH, SeqFISH+, and Visium) as well as 20 simulated datasets of varying spatial expression conditions. Our evaluations show that the performances of these integration methods are largely dependent on spatial transcriptomics platforms. Despite the variations among the results, in general MOFA+ and simple concatenation have good performances across different types of spatial transcriptomics platforms. This work shows that integrating quantitative and spatial marker genes in the spatial transcriptomics data can improve clustering. It also provides practical guides on the choices of computational methods to accomplish this goal.
Plant flavonoid apigenin inhibits prostate carcinogenesis by suppressing β-catenin signaling pathways

4197 Deregulation of β-catenin signaling is an important event in the genesis of several human malignancies including prostate cancer. β-catenin is an intracellular anchoring protein and together with E-cadherin constitutes the adherent junction essential for epithelial cell homeostasis. Perturbation in the expression or function of these proteins results in loss of intercellular adhesion, with possible consequent cell transformation and cancer progression. Increased nuclear levels of β-catenin have been observed in prostate cancer, a finding that correlates with anti-apoptosis and enhanced cell invasiveness. Using the transgenic adenocarcinoma of the mouse prostate (TRAMP) model, we evaluated the efficacy of apigenin, a plant flavonoid commonly present in fruits and vegetables, in inhibiting prostate carcinogenesis and investigated its mechanism of action. Eight week old male TRAMP mice were randomly divided into three groups. Oral intake of apigenin at 20-μg/mouse/day to one group and at 50-μg/mouse/day to a second group (gavaged in 0.2 ml vehicle containing 0.5% methyl cellulose and 0.025% Tween 20) was provided for six days per week for 20 weeks; mice in the third group received vehicle only and served as controls. Studies from two independent experiments, conducted on 6 mice in each test group, showed that the cumulative incidence of prostate cancer development at 28 weeks of age in control animals was 100% (12/12) as observed by tumor palpation, whereas 75% (9/12), 42% (5/12) and 33% (4/12) of the animals exhibited distant metastases to lymph nodes, lungs, and liver. Apigenin feeding to TRAMP mice from 8-28 weeks of age was accompanied by a marked reduction in tumor growth with no evidence of metastasis. Apigenin feeding resulted in a significant decrease in dorso-lateral and ventral lobes of the prostate and genitourinary weight. Sequential MRI analysis documented that mice fed higher doses of apigenin had smaller prostate volumes than control mice and mice fed smaller doses of apigenin. Histopathological examination of apigenin-fed animals showed reduced proliferation, which correlated with serum apigenin levels. Feeding apigenin further resulted in increased levels of E-cadherin and decreased levels of nuclear β-catenin, and their key targets c-Myc and cyclin D1 in the dorso-lateral prostates. Treatment of DU145 human prostate cancer cells with 20 and 40 μM apigenin also increased protein levels of E-cadherin and reduced nuclear β-catenin expression, an effect similar to the exposure of cells to β-catenin siRNA. Diminished nuclear β-catenin levels exhibit reduced transcriptional activity, resulting in decreased c-Myc and cyclin D1. Taken together, these findings suggest that plant flavonoids, in particular apigenin may be beneficial in reducing the incidence and the aggressiveness of prostate cancer, at least in part by inhibiting β-catenin signaling pathways.
Evidentiary and Procedural Rules Governing Expert Testimony

Expert testimony plays a critical role in criminal litigation. The legal system has developed both evidentiary and procedural rules to govern the use of experts. The rules of evidence specify the conditions under which expert testimony may be admitted at trial and thus considered by the trier of fact. The rules of procedure cover related issues, such as pretrial discovery of scientific reports and the appointment of defense experts. This article explains and critiques these legal rules. The concluding section recommends ways in which these rules can be improved.
The Unconscionability Game: Strategic Judging and the Evolution of Federal Arbitration Law

This Article uses recent developments in the enforcement of arbitration agreements to illustrate one way in which strategic dynamics can drive doctrinal change. In a fairly short period of time, arbitration has grown from a method of resolving disputes between sophisticated business entities into a phenomenon that pervades the contemporary economy. The United States Supreme Court has encouraged this transformation through expansive interpretations of the Federal Arbitration Act. But not all courts have embraced arbitration so fervently, and therefore case law in this area is marked by tension and conflict. The thesis of this Article is that we can better understand developments in arbitration doctrine by viewing the case law as the product of an ongoing strategic interaction between courts with differing preferences regarding the spread of arbitration. As the Supreme Court has shut off most other means of resisting arbitration, the state law doctrine of unconscionability has in the last several years become a surprisingly attractive and successful tool for striking down arbitration agreements. The nature of unconscionability analysis is that it is flexible, which provides opportunities for courts skeptical of arbitration to use the doctrine to evade the Supreme Court's pro-arbitration directives while simultaneously insulating their rulings from Supreme Court review. Sophisticated resistance to arbitration is just one side of the story, however. The approach employed in this Article examines the judicial system as a whole, including the ways pro-arbitration courts respond, sometimes indirectly, to what they perceive as manipulation of unconscionability. The suspicion that some courts are disfavoring arbitration drives pro-arbitration courts to change their strategies, such as by establishing new doctrine that facilitates monitoring and shifts decisionmaking authority. This strategic framework can help us make sense of otherwise puzzling trends in arbitration doctrine and can help us predict what moves will be next. Although the specific subject matter is arbitration, this analysis is also aimed at those interested in more general problems of judicial federalism.
Indomethacin induces rat uterine contractions in vitro and alters reactivity to calcium and acetylcholine

The initial contractions of uteri in vitro from castrated, estrogen-treated rats, were markedly diminished following replacement with fresh bathing medium. Indomethacin and aspirin (10(-5) to 10(-4)M) strongly stimulated such quiescent preparations and reduced their subsequent responsiveness to Ca++. Reintroducing the initial bathing medium (which contained prostaglandin-like material), or adding prostaglandin F2alpha to the fresh medium, initiated uterine contractions and restored responsiveness to calcium ion. Injections of indomethacin into castrated, estrogen-treated rats reduced initial in vitro uterine motility, abolished production of prostaglandin-like compounds, and prevented either indomethacin, aspirin, or Ca++ from stimulating uterine contractions. Uterine responsiveness to acetylcholine in vitro was significantly reduced in rats pretreated with indomethacin.
Postneonatal Mortality Among Normal Birth Weight Infants in Alabama, 1980 to 1983

To identify reasons for the racial differential in postneonatal deaths and possible intervention strategies, Alabama's linked birth-death file was used to evaluate causes of postneonatal mortality for the 1980 to 1983 cohorts of normal birth weight infants. Causes were aggregated into six categories, and cause-specific rates were compared by race and by urban-rural residence. Both total and cause-specific postneonatal mortality rates among black infants were two or more times higher than for white infants, except for congenital anomalies. The greatest differential was for infection-related deaths. Rural residence increased both the risk of postneonatal death and the magnitude of the racial differential. The risks were especially elevated for deaths due to infection and "systemic causes" (including those in the perinatal category). Only 26% of postneonatal deaths were probably not preventable, and nearly one third were clearly preventable. Potential prevention strategies include injury control, prevention of infectious diseases, and prompt treatment of infectious diseases. Language: en
Entity-Life Modeling

This chapter contains sections titled: Introduction Modeling Software on Event Threads Discovering and Choosing Event-Thread Models Event-Thread Patterns for Resource Sharing Portraying the World in Software Conclusion Appendix 4A: Summary of Terms Exercises ]]>
Racial Differences in First Names in 1910

This research examines concentration and similarity in the first name distributions of African Americans and whites resident in Mississippi in 1910. Data are drawn from the Public Use Sample of the 1910 Census, with names added from microfilm copies of original Census manuscripts. We find little difference in the degree of concentration of the name distributions and only modest dissimilarity in name choice. Multivariate analysis using age as a proxy for period of name assignment (birth cohort) indicates that racial differentiation in name choice increased over the period 1870 to 1910 primarily as a result of changes in the name choices of whites. We discuss these results in conjunction with the recent work of Lieberson and Bell (1992) on contemporary racial differences in naming patterns. Lieberson and Bell (1992) argue that African Americans in the contemporary period emphasize group differences by choosing “African” or “African sounding” names. In Mississippi in the period between the abolition of slave...
SOAP BOX OR BOX OF SOAP

Mass media in the USA have hosted news content and delivered audiences to advertisers. While advertiser support for traditional news media has been dropping, activities of online ‘citizen journalists’ have been on the rise. A key question for both traditional news organizations and citizen journalists is who will pay for online news. In-depth interviews were used to gain insight into consumer understanding of changes in the relationship between news and advertising as both adapt to the online environment. Three types of news and advertising users emerged: engagers, receivers, and avoiders. The research also identified three approaches to user-generated content: broad participation, participation primarily in interpersonal exchanges, and avoidance. Implications are discussed for how these consumer perceptions and activities might shape future funding of online news.
RECENT DEVELOPMENTS IN DATA WAREHOUSING

Data warehousing is a strategic business and IT initiative in many organizations today. Data warehouses can be developed in two alternative ways -- the data mart and the enterprisewide data warehouse strategies -- and each has advantages and disadvantages. To create a data warehouse, data must be extracted from source systems, transformed, and loaded to an appropriate data store. Depending on the business requirements, either relational or multidimensional database technology can be used for the data stores. To provide a multidimensional view of the data using a relational database, a star schema data model is used. Online analytical processing can be performed on both kinds of database technology. Metadata about the data in the warehouse is important for IT and end users. A variety of data access tools and applications can be used with a data warehouse – SQL queries, management reporting systems, managed query environments, DSS/EIS, enterprise intelligence portals, data mining, and customer relationship management. A data warehouse can be used to support a variety of users – executives, managers, analysts, operational personnel, customers, and suppliers. Data warehousing concepts are brought to life through a case study of Harrah’s Entertainment, a firm that became a leader in the gaming industry with its CRM business strategy supported by data warehousing.
Semantics of Programming Languages: Structures and Techniques

Semantics of Programming Languages exposes the basic motivations and philosophy underlying the applications of semantic techniques in computer science. It introduces the mathematical theory of programming languages with an emphasis on higher-order functions and type systems. Designed as a text for upper-level and graduate-level students, the mathematically sophisticated approach will also prove useful to professionals who want an easily referenced description of fundamental results and calculi. Basic connections between computational behavior, denotational semantics, and the equational logic of functional programs are thoroughly and rigorously developed. Topics covered include models of types, operational semantics, category theory, domain theory, fixed point (denotational). semantics, full abstraction and other semantic correspondence criteria, types and evaluation, type checking and inference, parametric polymorphism, and subtyping. All topics are treated clearly and in depth, with complete proofs for the major results and numerous exercises.
Calcium regulation and cellular electrophysiology

The multifunctional Ca/sup 2+//calmodulin dependent protein kinase (CaMKII) is an enzyme whose regulatory role in the heart is well documented. Despite its known action on a wide range of intracellular targets, the functional role of CaMKII in cardiac myocytes has yet to be fully determined. Due to its potential importance in cell rate dependence and arrhythmogenesis, we integrate dynamic CaMKII activity into a new mathematical model of the canine ventricular myocyte. We use the model to investigate the ionic mechanisms underlying dependence of the Ca/sup 2+/ transient (CaT) and action potential duration (APD) on pacing rate. Computer simulations identify the importance of the L-type Ca/sup 2+/ current and CaMKII to the normal rate dependence of APD and the CaT. Our results suggest that suppression of CaMKII activity may be an important component of the remodeling process in myocardial infarction.
Demonstration of the national agricultural decision support system

The National Agricultural Decision Support System (NADSS) is a web based geospatial decision support system used to aid producers and decision makers in analyzing and effectively mitigating the effects of drought. The NADSS application is unique in its implementation, containing web-based implementations of commonly utilized drought indices including the Newhall Simulation Model (NSM), Palmer Drought Severity Index (PDSI), and the Standardized Precipitation Index (SPI). By combining information (generated by the indices) and climate and agricultural data, NADSS is able to define parameters to analyze risks associated with drought. This report outlines a demonstration of the web implementation of these tools and the value they provide.
Effect of Soil-Particle Size Contrast on Capillary Barrier Performance

Capillary barriers, consisting of sloping layers of fine over coarse soils, have been investigated as an alternative for hydraulic isolation of buried waste. Based on analytical results, it is known that the lateral diversion of water over a capillary barrier interface is maximized as the soil-particle size contrast becomes infinitely large. However, practical limitations affecting interface integrity and slope stability restrict the reasonable particle-size contrast. In this note, design guidance is provided for selection of soil-particle size contrast in a capillary barrier system. Results indicate that near-maximum lateral diversion of water can be obtained with a modest contrast between the fine and coarse materials of a capillary barrier. For a given combination of infiltration rate, interface slope, and fine material characteristics representing the most conservative case, 80% of the maximum diversion can be obtained with an underlying coarse material that is only 2.5 times coarser than the overlying fine material, 90% of the maximum diversion is obtained.
Age-dependent appearance of non-major histocompatibility complex-restricted helper T cells

T cells which recognize antigen in association with self major histocompatibility complex (MHC) molecules are positively selected within the thymus. This results in skewing of the T-cell repertoire toward the recognition of antigenic peptides presented by self MHC molecules. While the thymus gland involutes at a relatively young age, bone marrow function and the size of the peripheral T-cell pool are maintained with age. We have investigated the MHC restriction of helper T-cell function for B-cell production of specific antibody in mice of different ages. Splenic helper T cells from 2- to 3-month old mice immunized with phosphocholine-keyhole limpet hemocyanin conjugate were MHC-restricted as defined by their capacity to induce phosphocholine-specific antibody synthesis by syngeneic but not by allogeneic B cells. In contrast, splenic T cells from immunized 18- to 20-month-old mice induced specific anti-phosphocholine antibodies by both syngeneic and allogeneic B cells. No evidence of polyclonal immunoglobulin synthesis was detected. The ability of T cells from old mice immunized with phosphocholine-keyhole limpet hemocyanin to induce phosphocholine-specific antibody synthesis by B cells from allogeneic mice was inhibited by T cells from immunized young mice. These findings suggest that non-MHC-restricted T-cell helper activity in old mice results from the loss of T cells, present in young mice, which suppress non-MHC-restricted helper cells.
Modeling intrinsic ion-channel and synaptic variability in a cortical neuromorphic circuit

In this paper, the design of a neuromorphic cortical neuron with synaptic and ion-channel variability is presented and and simulated using carbon nanotube circuit elements. Since the variability could be because of noise or chaos, in this paper, both possible sources of variability are considered by embedding either Gaussian noise or a chaotic signal into the synaptic circuit and the axon circuit and observing the results. The paper also presents a chaotic signal generator using carbon nanotube transistors that could be embedded in the electronic neural circuit. The circuit uses a chaotic piecewise linear one-dimensional map implemented by switched-current circuits. The design was simulated using carbon nanotube SPICE models. Spontaneous firing of neurons due to intrinsic variability was demonstrated.
Drusen of the optic nerve associated with retinitis pigmentosa.

• Globular excrescences of the optic nerve associated with retinitis pigmentosa have been interpreted as drusen or as astrocytic hamartomas. The histopathologic and ultrastructural findings of globular excrescences of the peripapillary region of the optic nerve associated with retinitis pigmentosa were described in a 22-year-old patient who died in a car accident. From our findings we conclude that the globular excrescences of the optic nerve associated with retinitis pigmentosa are definitely drusen and not astrocytic hamartomas.
The Koszul formulae for graded Lie-Cartan pairs (super BRS operator)

Abstract This note is a sequel to the paper [1] codifying the Z /2-graded (i.e. fermionic) differential calculus within the frame of «graded Lie-Cartan pairsa. We here present in this frame the Koszul formulae for the generalized exterior derivative, resp. the generalized covariant exterior derivative. The latter yields in particular the cohomological aspect of the «super BRS operatora.
Radiological Control of Gold Octahedral and Prism Nanoparticles

We report on a fundamental morphology growth of gold-based nanoparticles by solution radiolysis. Radiolysis of pure gold-polymer solutions of different dose rates and aging time is examined. A detailed description will be presented of the experimentation, testing and analysis. In particular, we will present data on the formation of gold nano-octahedra and -prism particles. The γ-irradiations were carried out with a 60Co source of 1.345 × 105 Ci (Sandia National Laboratories Gamma Irradiation Facility (GIF). Nanoparticle characterization techniques included are UV-vis and TEM. Similar to what has been seen in earlier silver nanoparticle studies, dose rate dictates the size of nanoparticles formed. At high dose rate, all reducing species are produced and scavenged within a short time, and then coalesce into separate nanoparticles. At low dose rate, the coalescence process is faster than the production rate of the reducing radicals. The reduction of radicals occurs mainly on clusters already formed. The differences in the morphologies result from a combination of dose rate, aging and lack of radical scavengers (e.g. isopropyl alcohol), resulting in either gold nano-spheres, octahedral or prism nanoparticles. The progressive evolution with dose rate of the UV-visible absorption spectra of radiation-induced metal clusters is discussed.
The effect of sterol carrier protein on squalene synthesis.

Summary Sterol carrier protein from liver has been shown to bind the squalene precursor presqualene pyrophosphate but not farnesyl pyrophosphate. This protein fraction also stimulated the enzymatic conversion of farnesyl pyrophosphate to both presqualene pyrophosphate and squalene. A heated, high-speed supernatant fraction from yeast also was shown to bind presqualene pyrophosphate and to enhance the conversion of farnesyl pyrophosphate to presqualene pyrophosphate and squalene.
Binding of monoclonal anti-native DNA autoantibodies to DNA of varying size and conformation.

Abstract A microchemical assay for phosphorus was applied to the measurement of DNA in immune complexes formed with monoclonal or serum anti-DNA autoantibodies and DNA of varying size and conformation. Two monoclonal antibodies were produced by hybridomas derived from spleen cells of autoimmune MRL-lpr/lpr mice and were purified from culture fluid by affinity chromatography on columns of goat anti-mouse Ig-Sepharose. Double-helical DNA fragments were prepared by brief digestion of calf thymus DNA with micrococcal and S1 nucleases and fractionation on Sepharose 4B; their double-stranded structure was confirmed by measurement of thermal denaturation. Immune complexes were formed with monoclonal or serum antibodies and native DNA or DNA fragments or denatured DNA; the complexes were precipitated with goat anti-mouse IgG and washed, and DNA phosphorus content of the precipitates was measured. With one monoclonal autoantibody (H241), there were discontinuous increases in the amount of DNA that could be bound (and decreases in the antigen concn required for half-maximal binding) as the DNA size increased. There were especially marked increases in binding efficiency as fragment size increased from an average of 100 (range 85–105) to an average of 150 (range 105–170) base pairs, and again between 450 (range 360–620) and 600 (range 425–825) base pairs. A second monoclonal antibody (H143) did not show significant variation in binding with DNA fragments larger than 300 base pairs. With smaller fragments, the amount of DNA bound by H143 was reduced, but the DNA concn required for half-maximal binding was not. Affinities of these monoclonal antibodies were within the spectrum of human systemic lupus erythematosus serum IgG anti-DNA autoantibodies. The dependence of binding on mol. wt is important in the evaluation of these monoclonal antibodies as biochemical reagents and as potential participants in formation of immune complexes in vivo .
Monte Carlo investigation of thrust imbalance of solid rocket motor pairs

A technique is described for theoretical, statistical evaluation of the thrust imbalance of pairs of solid-propellant rocket motors (SRMs) firing in parallel. Sets of the significant variables, determined as a part of the research, are selected using a random sampling technique and the imbalance calculated for a large number of motor pairs. The performance model is upgraded to include the effects of statistical variations in the ovality and alignment of the motor case and mandrel. Effects of cross-correlations of variables are minimized by selecting for the most part completely independent input variables, over forty in number. The imbalance is evaluated in terms of six time - varying parameters as well as eleven single valued ones which themselves are subject to statistical analysis. A sample study of the thrust imbalance of 50 pairs of 146 in. dia. SRMs of the type to be used on the space shuttle is presented. The FORTRAN IV computer program of the analysis and complete instructions for its use are included. Performance computation time for one pair of SRMs is approximately 35 seconds on the IBM 370/155 using the FORTRAN H compiler.
Week-of-the-month effect in Pacific Basin stock markets: Evidence of a new seasonal anomaly

The existence of widely differing opinions on the degree of market efficiency continues to make the Efficient Market Hypothesis (EMH) one of the most controversial and timely issues in finance. Until recently, academic scholars have almost universally supported most of the EMH (see, for example, Boldt and Arbit [3], and Lease and Lewellen [12]), while professional money managers and institutional investors have indignantly rejected the theory. Conclusions drawn from earlier studies suggest the existence of a reasonable degree of market efficiency, yet recent research efforts indicate that the markets may not be as efficient as was previously believed (for example, see Jensen [lo], and Rosenberg, Reid, and Lanstein [14]). These studies identified anomalies which indicate either that variables other than risk were responsible for the returns on different stock investments over time or that these tests did not properly capture risk. In either case, some investments appeared to generate abnormal returns. The better known seasonal anomalies identified in the literature include the following: (a) Weekend effect: The overwhelming evidence associated with this anomaly suggests that stock returns are statistically negative on Monday and positive on Friday. In addition to the United States, this anomaly has also been detected in many overseas financial markets (see, for example, Aggarwal and Rivoli [l], Flannery and Protopapadakis [4], French [5], Gibbons and Hess 161, and Jaffe and Westerfield [S]). (b) Y eurend efect: According to this anomaly, the returns in January are higher than the returns during any other month of the year. The vast majority of studies testing for the existence of this phenomenon
The role of the elastase of Pseudomonas aeruginosa in experimental infection

Abstract The characteristic vascular lesion described in human systemic infections due to P. aeruginosa has been experimentally produced in mice infected with this microorganism. Since a prominent microscopic finding in the experimental vascular lesions is the destruction of the elastic laminae, the elastase produced by the same pathogenic strain of P. aeruginosa was assayed against elastin in vitro . The in vitro studies indicate that the enzymatic activity is near its optimum at physiologic pH and temperature, and activity is only slightly inhibited by normal human serum. Sera from patients with extensive burns, some infected with P. aeruginosa , and from ‘vaccinated’ human subjects all contained low levels of serum elastase inhibitor similar to normal persons.
Sex Inequality at Higher Levels in the Hierarchy: An Intraorganizational Perspective

The relationship of sex-based wage inequality to level in the hierarchy is investigated for 2,631 employees of a large financial services organization. As hypothesized, men earned more than women overall, and the wage gap between men and women was greater at higher levels in the hierarchy than at lower levels in the hierarchy. The effects of performance ratings on salary also differed by level. At higher levels, the impact of each increase in performance rating was greater for men than women, whereas at lower levels the impact was similar between men and women.
El tiempo en tus manos. Anamnesis en movimiento

El imaginario de la historiografia aun no se ha acomodado a las nuevas formas de entender el tiempo que se desprenden tanto de la invencion del cine como de las propuestas que Einstein y Minkowski desarrollaron poco despues en el campo de la fisica, especialmente la de una realidad espacio-temporal. Pero estos planteamientos deben ampliarse ademas con la perspectiva de una dimension de caracter real-imaginario que a las cuatro dimensiones tradicionales anade la visualizacion que, a traves del movimiento, proponen las formas cinematicas. Esta visualizacion convierte el espacio-tiempo en un dispositivo hermeneutico con el que pensar la realidad.
Studies of deionization and impedance spectroscopy for blood analyzer

Blood analysis provides vital information for health conditions. For instance, typical infection response is correlated to an elevated White Blood Cell (WBC) count, while low Red Blood Cell (RBC) count, hemoglobin and hematocrit are caused by anemia or internal bleeding. We are developing two essential modules, deionization (DI) chip and microfluidic cytometer with impedance spectroscopy flow, for enabling the realization of a single platform miniaturized blood analyzer. In the proposed analyzer, blood cells are preliminarily sorted by Dielectrophoretic (DEP) means into sub-groups, differentiated and counted by impedance spectroscopy in a flow cytometer. DEP techniques have been demonstrated to stretch DNA, align Carbon Nanotubes (CNT) and trap cells successfully. However, DEP manipulation does not function in biological media with high conductivity. The DI module is designed to account for this challenge. H Filter will serve as an ion extraction platform in a microchamber. Sample and buffer do not mix well in micro scale allowing the ions being extracted by diffusion without increasing the volume. This can keep the downstream processing time short. Micro scale hydrodynamic focusing is employed to place single cell passing along the central plane of the flow cytometer module. By applying an AC electrical field, suspended cells are polarized, membrane capacitance C m , cytoplasm conductivity σ c , and cytoplasm permittivity e c will vary as functions of frequency. Tracing back the monitored current, the numbers of individual cell species can be evaluated.
A note on some laws of the iterated logarithm

Abstract Some function space laws of the iterated logarithm for Brownian motion with values in finite and infinite dimensional vector spaces are shown to follow from Hincin's classical law of the iterated logarithm and some martingale techniques. A law of the iterated logarithm for Brownian motion in a differentible manifold is also stated.
The effect of interleukin 11 on thrombocytopenia associated with tyrosine kinase inhibitor therapy in patients with chronic myeloid leukemia

BACKGROUND. During therapy with tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs), approximately 20% to 50% of patients with chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) develop grade ≥3 thrombocytopenia leading to treatment interruptions and dose reductions. Interleukin 11 (IL-11) reduces the incidence and the severity of thrombocytopenia in solid tumors. METHODS. The authors investigated the efficacy and safety of low-dose IL-11 for improving thrombocytopenia associated with TKI therapy in 14 patients with CML. The starting dose of IL-11 was 10 μg/kg 3 times weekly, and the dose was escalated by 1 dose level every 2 weeks if the patients had no sustained platelet increase. RESULTS. The median patient age was 52 years. The median platelet count at the time IL-11 was started was 37 × 109/L. All patients had prior TKI dose reductions. After the initiation of IL-11, 8 of 14 patients (57%) had an increase in platelet count with a median peak platelet count of 110 × 109/L. One additional patient had no platelet increase but was able to tolerate an imatinib dose increase. Eleven patients had a decrease in the number of days of TKI therapy interruption secondary to thrombocytopenia after the initiation of IL-11 (6% of total treatment time vs 34% of total treatment time before IL-11). Therapy was well tolerated. CONCLUSIONS. The current results indicated that IL-11 may correct thrombocytopenia associated with TKI therapy for patients with CML and that it has a favorable toxicity profile. Cancer 2008. © 2008 American Cancer Society.
Functional Expression of P-Glycoprotein in the Hepatic Canalicular Membrane of Developing Rats †

□ P-glycoprotein (P-gp), the multidrug resistance gene product, is expressed in a normal liver exclusively on the canalicular membrane of the hepatocyte. The objective of this study was to examine the effect of age on the P-gp transport system using canalicular membrane (cLPM) vesicles isolated from the liver of developing (22 days old) and adult rats. No differences in protein yield, intravesicular volumes, and enrichments of cLPM enzymes or enzymes representing contamination of subcellular organelles were found for vesicles isolated from both groups, demonstrating the isolation of similar cLPM vesicle preparations. The transport of daunomycin (DNM), a P-gp substrate, was used to study age-related functional differences in P-gp. DNM uptake in the presence of ATP was greater than uptake in the absence of ATP in both young and adult cLPM vesicles, showing that P-gp is functional in both groups. In young and adult groups only ATP was a potent stimulator of transport when compared with ATP degradation products and a nonhydrolyzable ATP analogue. Although ATP-dependent uptake tended to be greater in the adult compared to the young, there was no statistically significant difference in DNM kinetics (Vmax, km, γ) between groups. Canalicular membrane from the young rats showed decreased fluidity, as assessed by the fluorescence polarization of 1,6-diphenyl-1,3,5-hexatriene; however there was no significant difference between groups. Examination of P-gp expression using the monoclonal antibody C219 revealed similar levels of expression in the young as in the adult. Our results suggest that P-gp in the bile canaliculus of developing rats is functional with similar levels of function and expression as observed in the adult.
Stepwise Excitation Processes in Photodissociation and Detection

Two-photon processes in which stationary intermediates are involved in the excitation are discussed, and three processes are described in detail: (a) stepwise 2-photon laser induced dissociation of NCNO at wavelengths 600–800 nm, followed by detection of the CN fragment via laser induced fluorescence (LIF); (b) detection of HONO via a 2-frequency scheme, in which dissociation is induced at 355 nm and is followed by LIF detection of the OH fragment; (c) stepwise 2-frequency 2-photon ionization detection of nascent PO produced via the collision free IR photolysis of aliphatic phosphonates and phosphites. Absorption throughout the B2Σ+-X2 system of PO is followed by ionization using 266 nm radiation.
Laser/matter interaction at intensities of 1012 W/cm2 and below

For single pulsed laser-matter interactions at sufficiently high intensity, the electron density in the ablated vapor is large enough to absorb the laser radiation before it can reach the dense target material. The resulting interaction can be described in terms of energy flows: laser energy is absorbed in the plasma in front of the target and reappears as thermal electron energy and secondary radiation, part of which impinges upon and heats the dense target material at the dense material-vapor interface. This heating in turn drives ablation, thereby providing a selfconsistent mass source for the laser absorption, energy conversion, and transmission. Under typical conditions of laser intensity, pulse width and spot size, the flow patterns can be strongly two-dimensional. We have modified the inertial confinement fusion code LASNEX to simulate gaseous and some dense material aspects for the relatively low intensity, long pulse-length conditions of interest in many laser-related applications. The unique aspect of our treatment consists of an ablation model which defines a dense material-vapor interface and then calculates the mass flow across this interface. The model, at present, treats the dense material as a rigid, two-dimensional simulational mass and heat reservoir, suppressing all hydrodynamical motion in the dense material. The modeling is being developed and refined through simulation of experiments, as well as through the investigation of internal inconsistencies, and some simulation of model problems. The computer simulations and additional post-processors provide a wealth of predictions for possible measurements, including impulse given to the target, pressures at the target interface, electron temperatures and densities, and ion densities in the vapor-plasma plume region, transmission and emission of radiation along chords through the plume, total mass ablation from the target and burn-through of the target material at selected radial locations. We will present an analysis of some relatively well-diagnosed experimental behavior which has been useful in development of our modeling.
The role of intraoperative transesophageal echocardiography in the diagnosis and correction of a malfunctioning St. Jude's mitral valve

T RANSESOPHAGEAL echocardiography (TEE) is widely used in the operating room to assess the adequacy of mitral valve replacement and repair surgery. The superior imaging capabilities and reliable clinical information provided by TEE of prosthetic valves has been well established. 1 Reported is a case in which intraoperative TEE was essential in the diagnosis and correction of a malfunctioning St. Jude valvular prosthesis (St. Jude Medical, St. Paul, MN) in the mltral valvular position that was not apparent using standard hemodynamic monitoring.
Spectral fingerprints of bacterial strains by laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy

Laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) is used to record the plasma emission for the colonies of vegetative cells or spores of five bacterial strains: Bacillus thuringiensis T34, Escherichia coli IHII/pHT315, Bacillus subtilis 168, Bacillus megaterium QM B1551, and Bacillus megaterium PV361. The major inorganic components of the bacterial samples, including Ca, Mn, K, Na, Fe, and phosphate, are clearly identified from the breakdown emission spectra. The bacterial spores accumulate a lot of calcium that shows strong LIBS emission at 393.7 and 396.9 nm. The diverse emissions from the phosphate component at 588.1 and 588.7 nm provide a fingerprint for bacterial strains. The relative change of inclusions in the bacteria is clearly distinguished by two-dimensional charts of the bacterial components. The results demonstrate the potential of the LIBS method for the rapid and low false-positive classification of bacteria with minimum sample preparation.
Generalized harmonic oscillator shell model and generalized oscillator transformation brackets

Abstract The motivation for using a generalized harmonic oscillator shell model with any number (≦ A ) of different oscillator lengths and of separated centers of well is discussed. Formulas, including recursion formulas and expansion theorems, are obtained by means of generating functions for the calculation of matrix elements of many-body operators. Most of the generating functions in the model have a simple form, for which recursion formulas can be classified, enumerated, and given in simple standard forms. The simplicity of the generating functions also enables explicit expressions for the matrix elements to be written down in a number of equivalent ways. Of particular interest are the generalized two-body transformation brackets to the relative and c.m. representation, with which matrix elements of a general two-body potential and of the Brueckner-Bethe reaction matrix can be calculated. A significant result is that the formulas in this generalized oscillator shell model are very similar to those in the usual oscillator shell model with unseparated centers of well. This means that relatively minor modifications of available computer codes will make possible calculations in the generalized oscillator shell model. The generalized oscillator wave functions can be used as quantum mechanical cluster wave functions and, more generally and also more satisfactorily, as generator-coordinate wave functions. It is hoped that these wave functions will be useful in problems of nuclear reactions as well as in those of nuclear structure.
Determination of chlorpyrifos in fruits and vegetables by ELISA and confirmation by GC‐AED

A commercial polyclonal plate ELISA was validated for the analysis of chlorpyrifos in fruits and vegetables. Produce was extracted by high speed homogenization 10 g of a homogeneous subsample in 20 ml of methanol for 3 min followed by clean‐up with C18 Sep‐Paks. All samples and standards were analyzed in 10% final methanol concentration. Reproducibility studies yielded per cent coefficients of variation (%CVs) from 2.1 to 20. Fruits and vegetables fortified at five different levels demonstrated percent recoveries ranging from 77 to 92 (%CVs of 4.0 to 14) for chlorpyrifos. A comparison of the analysis of 35 positive chlorpyrifos samples between ELISA and a gas chromatography‐atomic emission detector method indicated good agreement with a correlation coefficient of 0.967 and a slope of 0.9583.
THE TAX EQUITY EFFECTS OF THE SUBSTITUTION OF MUNICIPAL ELECTRIC PROFITS FOR PROPERTY TAXES

Many municipalities own and operate the electric companies which service their population, or act as distributors of electricity which they purchase from privately owned electric companies. Municip...
The search for patterns in yearly Arctic sea ice extents and declines

As Arctic regions become more accessible due to unprecedented warming, there is a growing need for better predictions of when sea ice is navigable and when freeze-ups occur. Previous research and observations have found that thermodynamic effects, in the form of solar radiation and albedo feedbacks, are important factors in the year-to-year variability of sea ice melting and freeze-up timing, but a better understanding is needed.