cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Mercenary as Social Bandit: A Preliminary Look

This preliminary study views the actions of the modern mercenary as aform of social banditry. It concludes by pointing out the needfor further research into the mercenary and other types of social bandits to assist adequate theories of criminal and deviant behavior can be constructed.
Linear Multimodal Model for a Pressurized Gas Bladder Style Hydraulic Noise Suppressor

AbstractPressurized bladder style in-line hydraulic noise suppressors are commonly used in industry for broadband pressure ripple reduction, but predictive models for these suppressors are not available in the literature. To address this shortcoming, a linear acoustic model is developed for a commercially available suppressor, in which the acoustic field is analyzed through expansion into multiple radial modes. Bladder mass, perforate layer impedance, and inlet/outlet extensions are included in the model, and transmission loss predictions are validated against experimental data. The presented theoretical model has been shown to correspond well to experimental data at frequencies below about 1300 to 2300 Hz, depending on system and precharge pressures. In addition, simulations show that small variations in bladder precharge temperature or rubber bladder mass do not significantly affect transmission loss. While inclusion of the perforate layer significantly affects modeling results, it is observed that bett...
EFFECT OF 1-METHYL-2-MERCAPTOMIDAZOLE (METHIMAZOLE-TAPAZOLE) ON FEED CONSUMPTION IN THE RAT.

SummaryThe mean daily feed consumption of a group of 18 female Sprague-Dawley Rolfsmeyer rats weighing a mean of 215 g during a 10-day period was 6.40 g/100 g bw. The rats were then injected subcutaneously daily with 400 μg/100 g bw of methimazole to block iodine uptake. After 10 days mean daily feed consumption was reduced to 5.97 g/100 g bw, a reduction of 6.72%, after 20 days to 5.72 g, a reduction of 10.63%, and after 30 days to 5.98 g, a reduction of 6.56%. The reductions in feed were statistically significant at P = 0.005 at each time interval. The I131 uptake was reduced from 28.08% to 1.36% after 24 days of treatment. Mean thyroid weight increased from 10.96 ± .81 mg to 21.78 ± .91 mg, an increase of 98.72% during the 30-day period, then decreased to 16.73 mg during a 7-day withdrawal period. Since reduction of feed intake to the extent observed has been shown to have no significant effect on TSR determination, it was concluded that methimazole could be used safely in estimation of TSR.
An in vitro method to determine phosphorus digestibility of rainbow trout Oncorhynchus mykiss (Walbaum) feed ingredients

An in vitro method was developed to assess the digestibility of phosphorus in 12 plant and animal feed ingredients for rainbow trout Oncorhynchus mykiss (Walbaum). The method simulates the gastrointestinal tract of the rainbow trout with regard to pH and gastrointestinal enzymes. Phosphorus solubility was measured after acid digestion (pH 3) with and without gastric enzymes, after alkaline digestion (pH 9) with and without intestinal enzymes, and after a two-step process involving acid and alkaline digestion. Commercially available digestive enzymes from mammals were compared with digestive enzymes from rainbow trout. Correlating in vitro digestibility with in vivo digestibility showed that acid digestion with both commercial enzymes (r2=0.98, P < 0.05) and trout enzymes (r2=0.94, P < 0.05) predicted the in vivo digestibility of animal feed ingredients. Alkaline digestion with both enzyme systems (commercial r2=0.79; trout r2=0.74, P < 0.05) or without (r2=0.82, P < 0.05) enzymes predicted the in vivo digestibility of ingredients from animal byproducts but not those from plant products. The in vitro digestibility with two enzyme steps (acid and alkaline) predicted in vivo digestibility of plant and animal ingredients (r2=0.79 for commercial enzymes and r2=0.74 for trout enzymes) better than did one-step acid or alkaline digestion.
Operational analysis of processor speed scaling

This brief announcement presents a pair of performance laws that bound the change in aggregate job queueing time that results when the processor speed changes in a parallel computing system. Our laws require only lightweight passive external observations of a black-box system and they apply to many commonly employed scheduling policies. By predicting the application-level performance impact of processing speed adjustments in parallel processors, including traditional SMPs and now increasingly ubiquitous multicore processors, our laws address problems ranging from capacity planning to dynamic resource allocation. Finally, our results show that operational analysis---an approach to performance analysis traditionally associated with commercial transaction processing systems---usefully complements existing parallel performance analysis techniques.
Searching Chromatin for Stem Cell Identity

Stem cells encapsulate the fundamental problem of metazoan biology in miniature: How do cells establish and maintain their fates? Increasing evidence indicates that stem cell chromatin activates proliferation genes and represses differentiation genes. Understanding how these configurations are stabilized by Polycomb group proteins will advance our understanding of embryonic development, tissue homeostasis, regeneration, aging, and oncogenesis.
The cytoplasmic tails of the influenza virus spike glycoproteins are required for normal genome packaging.

Deletion of the cytoplasmic tails of the influenza A virus spike glycoproteins, hemagglutinin (HA) and neuraminidase (NA), has previously been shown to result in markedly defective virion morphogenesis (Jin et al., 1997, EMBO J. 16, 1236-1247). We have found that influenza A virus preparations lacking the HA and NA cytoplasmic tails (HAt-/NAt-) have a reduced vRNA to protein content, contain an increase in cellular RNA contaminants, and exhibit increased resistance to ultraviolet (UV) inactivation. There is also a direct correlation between abnormal virion morphology and reduced infectivity. The data suggest that the HAt-/NAt- virion population contains a broader range of number of packaged RNA segments than wild-type (wt) virus. Sucrose gradient centrifugation analysis indicated the presence of a subpopulation of virions with pronounced deformation in virion morphology and reduced infectivity. The role of the HA and NA cytoplasmic tails was examined further by using a trans-complementation assay and it was found that expression of wt HA and NA from cDNAs followed by HAt-/NAt- virus infection caused the formation of a pseudotype virus with wt sedimentation properties. Taken together the data indicate that the HA and NA cytoplasmic tails affect not only virion morphology but also proper genome packaging.
Capacity-achieving M-ary runlength-limited codes

We consider class of M-ary runlength-limited codes that achieve capacity and have the fewest number of encoder states. The codes apply to all M-ary (d,k) constraints with rational capacity. The codes have finite state encoders and sliding block with sliding block window size d plus 1.© (1995) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
The torus and the disk

This paper is a survey of a coherent program of mathematics spanning 28 years. It begins with questions concerning classification and structure in ergodic theory and abstract dynamical systems and describes the author's involvement with toral automorphisms, topological entropy, iteration of maps on the interval, symbolic dynamics, and ultimate engineering applications. It serves as a case study of how unplanned-for practical applications can result from the pursuit of mathematics for its own sake.
Identification of Essential Cannabinoid-binding Domains STRUCTURAL INSIGHTS INTO EARLY DYNAMIC EVENTS IN RECEPTOR ACTIVATION

The classical cannabinoid agonist HU210, a structural analog of (−)-Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol, binds to brain cannabinoid (CB1) receptors and activates signal transduction pathways. To date, an exact molecular description of the CB1 receptor is not yet available. Utilizing the minor binding pocket of the CB1 receptor as the primary ligand interaction site, we explored HU210 binding using lipid bilayer molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. Among the potential ligand contact residues, we identified residues Phe-1742.61, Phe-1772.64, Leu-1933.29, and Met-3636.55 as being critical for HU210 binding by mutational analysis. Using these residues to guide the simulations, we determined essential cannabinoid-binding domains in the CB1 receptor, including the highly sought after hydrophobic pocket important for the binding of the C3 alkyl chain of classical and nonclassical cannabinoids. Analyzing the simulations of the HU210-CB1 receptor complex, the CP55940-CB1 receptor complex, and the (−)-Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol-CB1 receptor complex, we found that the positioning of the C3 alkyl chain and the aromatic stacking between Trp-3566.48 and Trp-2795.43 is crucial for the Trp-3566.48 rotamer change toward receptor activation through the rigid-body movement of H6. The functional data for the mutant receptors demonstrated reductions in potency for G protein activation similar to the reductions seen in ligand binding affinity for HU210.
Capital tax competition: bane or boon

This paper reviews potential advantages and disadvantages of capital tax competition. Tax competition may introduce, mitigate, or exacerbate inefficiencies in both the private sector and the public sector. In different models, tax competition may either limit or increase public expenditures and taxes on mobile factors, with differing welfare consequences. We also discuss the implications of tax competition for redistributive policies and for policies dealing with risk, and we identify some of the possible empirical implications of tax competition. D 2003 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Transdermal fentanyl in postoperative pain

Background and Objectives The aim of this study was to determine the safety and effectiveness of a transdermal fentanyl delivery system for the relief of pain following abdominal surgery. Methods In a nonblinded, noncrossover, placebo-controlled study, 40 ASA I and II patients of both sexes, 18-69 years of age, who were scheduled for abdominal surgery under general anesthesia, were randomly divided into two groups of 20 patients each. Patients in group 1 received a trandermal patch containing 0.16 mg/cm2 of fentanyl, which was applied to the skin over the subclavian area 60 minutes before the induction of anesthesia. For body weight less than 60 kg, a 30 cm2 patch was applied, and for weight greater than 60 kg, a 40 cm2 patch was used. A second group of 20 patients received placebo patches of identical size. Approximately 20 to 30 minutes before the expected end of surgery, 60 mg ketorolac was administered intramuscularly. Patients were observed for 36 hours after placement of the patch. If patients reported their pain at rest as 5 or greater at rest on a 0-10 visual analog scale, they were given 30-mg increments of ketorolac 5 to 7 hours apart. If this regimen did not relieve their pain, they received 1,300 mg acetaminophen between two ketorolac doses. If despite this, they still had pain 30 minutes afterward, intravenous morphine was given, and the patients were excluded from further study. The patch was removed in four patients in the fentanyl group and seven in the placebo group for various reasons, which included inadequate pain relief requiring additional analgesia postoperatively and more than 1 μg/kg of sufentanil given intraoperatively or immediately prior to the end of surgery. During the 36-hour observation period, 30 doses of 30 mg ketorolac and 14 doses of 1.3 g acetaminophen were given to 13 patients in the placebo group and 18 doses of ketorolac and 8 doses of acetaminophen were administered to 16 in the fentanyl group. Results The differences in postoperative analgesic requirements were significant. Plasma fentanyl concentrations at 12 and 24 hours after the application of the fentanyl patch were 0.98 ± 0.14 ng/mL and 1.22 ± 0.17 ng/mL, respectively. At 8, 16, 24, and 36 hours after application of the patch, the pain relief, assessed by a VAS at rest and with movement, was similar in the two groups. In the fentanyl and control groups, 12 and 5 patients, respectively, experienced nausea, and 2 and 3 patients, respectively, vomited. Conclusions Similar postoperative analgesia was achieved with less parenteral analgesics in patients who received transdermal fentanyl preoperatively than in control patients. Fentanyl, 50-75 μg/h, administered in a transdermal delivery system, did not depress respiratory rate or hemoglobin oxygen saturation. Although the exact role of continuously administered opioids in managing acute postoperative pain has yet to be clearly defined, it is concluded that if properly used, this new transdermal device can be effective in providing a background of analgesia, which may assist in the management of acute postoperative pain as well as some chronic pain states.
Effect of injection time on postictal SPET perfusion changes in medically refractory epilepsy.

Single-photon emission tomography (SPET) brain imaging in epilepsy has become an increasingly important noninvasive tool in localizing the epileptogenic site. Ictal SPET demonstrates the highest localization sensitivity as compared with postictal and interictal SPET. While ictal SPET consistently reveals hyperperfusion at the epileptogenic site, postictal SPET reveals either hyper- or hypoperfusion depending on the timing of radiopharmaceutical injection. Much discussion in the literature exists about exactly when the transition from hyper- to hypoperfusion occurs at the epileptogenic site in postictal SPET. The systematic examination of two clinical variables – time of injection from seizure onset and offset – was useful in understanding postictal perfusion changes. Twenty-seven patients with medically refractory epilepsy receiving postictal and interictal SPET scans were studied. Quantitative SPET difference imaging was used to evaluate perfusion changes in relationship to injection time. Perfusion changes were found to reflect the time of injection in relation to seizure onset, but to be somewhat independent of seizure offset. Thus, the majority of patients (8/12, 67%) receiving postictal injections within 100 s after seizure onset demonstrated hyperperfusion, while all patients (15/15, 100%) receiving postictal injections more than 100 s after seizure onset showed hypoperfusion. The explanation of this phenomenon is unknown but the findings appear to parallel known changes in cerebral lactate levels.
Shared V-region antigens and cross-reacting specificities of human IgG anti-F(ab')2 and anti-DNA antibodies.

Abstract Affinity-isolated IgG anti-F(ab′) 2 (APAF) and anti-DNA (APAD) from normal subjects as well as patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) were studied for overlapping antibody specificities as well as shared V-region antigens using rabbit antisera prepared against F(ab′) 2 fragments of SLE IgG APAD or IgG APAF from normal individuals. When absorbed free of antibody reacting with normal human IgG, both types of rabbit anti-Ids showed cross-reacting antigenic determinants shared by APAF and APAD from both normals and SLE patients. Immunodepletion of APAD or APAF IgG fractions using immunoabsorbents composed of such rabbit anti-SLE F(ab′) 2 APAD or anti-normal IgG APAF antibodies produced substantial decrements (40–90%) in ELISA anti-F(ab′) 2 , anti-Sm, anti-Sm/RNP, and anti-DNA reactivity. Parallel decrements in human anti-DNA Id markers F4 and 3I were also recorded after immunoadsorbent depletions of SLE APADs. Absorption of rabbit IgG anti-SLE APAD F(ab′) 2 antibody with DNA–Sepharose produced a relative increment in ELISA anti-DNA reactivity but a marked parallel decrement in reactivity for the original SLE APAD immunogen. Eluates from DNA–Sepharose contained rabbit epibody showing moderate anti-DNA affinity and high-affinity anti-APAD idiotypic activity. This epibody fraction showed relative concentration of rabbit IgG antibodies capable of blocking combining sites of SLE IgG APAD reacting with DNA on the ELISA plate. Our findings indicate a previously unexpected close antigenic and specificity overlap between human IgG anti-F(ab′) 2 and anti-DNA antibodies. Moreover, they emphasize a surprising relative infrequency of anti-DNA idiotypic antibodies capable of blocking combining sites in animals immunized with SLE F(ab′) 2 APAD. This finding may relate to an intrinsic defect of anti-Id regulation in SLE.
Nonimaging aspects of follow-up in breast cancer reconstruction.

Follow-up of patients with breast cancer is directed to the early detection of recurrent or metastatic disease and the detection of new primary breast cancer. The survival benefit of early detection is limited to some patients with local failure or new primary tumors. That imaging is not used in follow-up of patients who have had breast cancer reconstruction is related to possible interference with this putative benefit by the reconstructive procedure. Such follow-up is accomplished by the patient's own surveillance, clinical examination, and laboratory testing supplemented by imaging studies
New species of the predominately temperate velvet ant genera Lomachaeta Mickel and Sphaeropthalma Blake from Central and northern South America (Hymenoptera: Mutillidae)

Abstract One new species of Lomachaeta Mickel and 15 new species of Sphaeropthalma Blake are described from Central America and northern South America: L. garm sp. nov. from Colombia, S. alsvid sp. nov. from Costa Rica, Mexico, Honduras and Nicaragua, S. arvak sp. nov. from Mexico and Guatemala, S. chupacabra sp. nov. from Mexico, S. freki sp. nov. from French Guiana, S. geri sp. nov. from Colombia, S. gullinbursti sp. nov. from Mexico, S. gulltopp sp. nov. from Colombia, Trinidad, and Venezuela, S. hati sp. nov. from Mexico and Guatemala, S. hrimfaxi sp. nov. from Costa Rica, S. hugin sp. nov. from Colombia, S. munin sp. nov. from Colombia, S. nosferatu sp. nov. from Venezuela, S. ratatosk sp. nov. from Guatemala, S. skinfaxi sp. nov. from Mexico, and S. skoll sp. nov. from Costa Rica, Nicaragua, and Panama. A preliminary key to the male Sphaeropthalma of this region is provided. Two new species-groups are proposed for Neotropical Sphaeropthalma. A new distribution record is given for L. hyphantria Pitts...
Activity of gamma interferon in combination with pyrimethamine or clindamycin in treatment of murine toxoplasmosis.

The activity of recombinant gamma interferon (rIFN-γ) in combination with either pyrimethamine or clindamycin was examined in a murine model of acute toxoplasmosis. Mice received either pyrimethamine or clindamycin alone or in combination with rIFN-γ. Significantly increased survival and/or time to death was observed in animals treated with pyrimethamine or clindamycin in combination with rIFN-γ compared to those that received treatment with any of the agents alone.
Fabrication of gold dots for DNA based nano-sensors

Here we report efforts towards fabrication of DNA based nanosensors, where DNA molecules were immobilized on gold-dot arrays. AFM was used as the main characterization tool. Two major challenges associated with characterizing these nanosensors are: 1) constructing small (<10 nm high) attachment sites on a flat surface to resolve the details of the hybridized DNA lattice and 2) fabricating attachment sites on a surface that allows the lattices to be well separated. We have chosen silicon as the substrate since atomically flat surfaces are readily available. For the formation of the gold-dot arrays, we combined e-beam lithography with metal deposition via an e-beam evaporation. The fabrication process was confirmed by AFM imaging. For DNA attachment we have used DNA functionalized on one end with multi-thiolated dendrimers, an attachment strategy developed in our lab. After exposing the surface to the DNA solution, the DNA was found to be attached to ~5% of the gold dots. To improve the attachment technique, oxygen plasma cleaning and ethanol treatment have been investigated. Finally, a higher yield (65% of total scanned areas) of DNA attachment to the gold dots was achieved.
Soliton dynamics in non-uniform fiber tapers: analytical description through an improved moment method

We develop an improved moment method to model soliton propagation in optical fibers. We account for the full Raman gain spectrum of the material and derive a system of coupled differential equations describing the evolution of five moments of the pulse, valid for arbitrary soliton durations. By comparing with the numerical solution of the generalized nonlinear Schrodinger equation, the improved moment method is shown to accurately represent soliton self-frequency shift under complex dispersion, nonlinearity, and Raman gain spectra. Numerical examples are presented for a dispersion-shifted fused silica fiber and a non-uniform ZBLAN fluoride fiber taper. The latter demonstrates an enhanced soliton self-frequency shift through axial dispersion and nonlinearity engineering along the taper length.
Effects of 3-acetylpyridine on the levels of several amino acids in different CNS regions of the rat

The effects of one intraperitoneal injection of 60–65 mg/kg of 3-acetylpyridine (3-AP) on the levels of aspartate, glutamate, GABA, taurine, glycine, and alanine in the cerebellum, medulla, telencephalon, and diencephalon-mesencephalon of the rat were studied at various times (4–28 days) after injection. In the first 4–7 days, the levels of glutamate, GABA, glycine, and alanine in the cerebellum were 10–30% higher in the 3-AP-treated rats than in the control animals. By day 14, the levels of these four amino acids were normal (in the case of glutamate and glycine) or below normal (for GABA and alanine). By day 21, the values for GABA and alanine returned to normal. In the first 7 days, the level of aspartate in the cerebellum was the same in both the 3-AP- and saline-injected groups. From days 14 to 28, the level of aspartate in the cerebellum was 10–20% lower in the 3-AP-injected group than in the saline-treated animals. The level of taurine in the cerebellum was 15–30% lower in the 3-AP group than in the control group from days 7 to 28. The pattern of changes observed in the medulla in the first 7 days was similar to that found in the cerebellum for this period. However, unlike the data for the cerebellum, the level of aspartate in the medulla was unchanged by the 3-AP injection from day 14 to day 28, and the level of glutamate in the medulla remained higher (10–15%) from days 14 to 28 in the 3-AP-injected animals with respect to control values. The levels of taurine in the medulla were lower (10–15%) from day 7 to day 28 in the 3-AP injected group with respect to control values. The injection of 3-AP did not alter the levels of aspartate, glutamate, GABA, taurine, glycine, or alanine in the telencephalon on days 7, 14, 21, or 28 and in the diencephalon-mesencephalon on day 21 with respect to control levels.
The solution of a one-phase Stefan problem with a forcing term by homotopy analysis method

In this paper, we use the homotopy analysis method (HAM), to obtain the solutions of the temperature distribution, the position of the moving boundary and the Stefan condition. There are advantages to using HAM, firstly it is independent of small/large physical parameters, there is flexibility on the choice of base function and initial guess of solution and lastly there is great generality. The results obtained from this method shows high accuracy, computational efficiency and a strong rate of convergence. Keywords : Dirichlet; Forcing Term; Homotopy Analysis Method; Stefan Problem.
Imaging for Suspected Scaphoid Fracture

M A ress t for t sens 6%. T AcHE PATIENT 21-year-old collegiate football player presents reatment of a wrist injury from a fall onto his tretched hand during practice. An evaluation in mergency room identified slight swelling, no ecc osis, tenderness in the anatomic snuffbox, tendern ver the distal pole of the scaphoid, and limitatio rist motion. Radiographs of the wrist, includ blique views and a posteroanterior view with the n ulnar deviation, were interpreted as normal. He iagnosed with a suspected scaphoid fracture, placed splint immobilizing the wrist and thumb, and refe o your office. He presents 1 week after the injury, o return to play. The physical and radiographic ex nations are repeated and the findings have not chan
A genetic association study of the mu opioid receptor and severe opioid dependence.

ObjectivesTwin, family and adoption studies have suggested that vulnerability to opioid dependence may be a partially inherited trait (Cadoret et al., 1986; Merikangas et al., 1998; Tsuang et al., 1998, 2001). Studies using animal models also support a role for genetic factors in opioid dependence,
A Methodology For Comparison Of Quality Of Radiologic Images From Different Screen/Film Combinations Based On Radiologists' Subjective Judgments

A method using radiologists' subjective judgments was developed to compare the quality of the diagnostic image information from two different screen/film combinations (Hi Plus/RPL versus Lanex/Ortho G). A sample of 148 comparison film pairs was obtained in the course of performing 74 urograms using the two film/screen combinations. Each film pair was evaluated by three radiologists, using a blind film reading format, in regard to: 1) anatomic diagnostic criteria visualization, 2) radiologic diagnostic certainty, 3) presence or absence of quantum mottle, and 4) prediction of which film of a pair was the rare earth screen/film combination. There was a significant difference favoring Hi Plus/RPL in perceived quality of visualization of anatomic criteria. However, the difference was more statistical than of practical importance. Diagnostic certainty differed only marginally and slightly favored the Hi Plus/RPL combination. No significant differences in perception of quantum mottle were attributable to either screen/film combination. Radiologists were able to correctly identify the screen/film combination a significant proportion of the time.© (1977) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Intersubjectivity and the Ego

Intersubjective analysts have made an important contribution to our current thinking regarding analyst-patient interaction and intersubjectivity has become a major influence in current American psychoanalysis. However, intersubjective and relational phenomena have not been integrated into the personality theory of psychoanalysis, as reflected currently in the structural theory/ ego psychology. Freud's theory of personality, as it has evolved into ego psychology, includes variables relating to the identical phenomena of human experience addressed by the relational and intersubjective analysts. The critiques of Freudian theory by these analysts evidence significant misperceptions about ego psychology. Intersubjective and relational processes are ego functions that can be subsumed within ego psychology without doing violence to their import. Intersubjectivity is the subjective experience of an interpersonal interaction that becomes part of intrapsychic structure. It is a component of the mentalization of int...
Force–temperature behavior of rigid rod polymeric fibers

The force versus temperature behavior (at constant length) of poly(p-phenylene benzobisthiazole) fibers (PBT) and Kevlar fibers has been investigated. Thermal expansion coefficients are evaluated for heat treated PBT (PBT-HT) and Kevlar 49, to be −1.1 × 10−6/°C and −3.2 × 10−6/°C, respectively. Kevlar 49, PBT-HT, and steel fibers exhibit a linear thermal elastic behavior whereas Kevlar 29 and as-spun PBT do not. Material changes which occur during heat treatment processing are detected in the force-temperature profile. A correspondence between the thermal and mechanical energy input which induces these material changes has been found.
Singular eigenvalue problems with eigenvalue parameter contained in the boundary conditions

In this paper I extend the analysis of regular problems containing the eigenvalue parameter in the boundary conditions given by Walter (1973) and myself (1977) to singular problems which involve the eigenvalue parameter linearly in a regular or a limit-circle boundary condition at the left endpoint. The formulation of the limit-circle boundary conditions follows that given in another paper by the present author in 1977, and has the advantage that a λ-dependent boundary condition at a regular endpoint becomes a special case of a λ-dependent boundary condition at a limit-circle endpoint. The simplicity of the spectrum is also built into the formulation given, and the spectral function is shown to have bounded total variation over (−∞, ∞) which is known in terms of the parameters of the λ-dependent boundary condition independently of the limit-circle/limit-point classification at the right endpoint. The theory is applied to the constant coefficient equation in [0, ∞) and the Bessel equation of order zero in (0, ∞), explicit formulae for the spectral function being obtained in each case. Finally, the question is posed as to whether the classical Weyl theory for problems not involving λ in the boundary conditions can also be formulated so as to involve spectral functions having bounded total variation.
Adverse effects of aluminum-containing antacids on mineral metabolism.

The beneficial effects of aluminum-containing ant­ acids for the treatment of peptic ulcer are well rec­ ognized. However, these antacids can cause adverse reactions. It is the aluminum which interacts in the intestine with anions, such as phosphate and fluo­ ride, and affects the absorption of these dietary and possibly also endogenously secreted elements. Aluminum forms insoluble complexes with the diet­ ary phosphate which becomes unavailable for ab­ sorption. In addition to the interaction of aluminum with the dietary phosphate and fluoride, the absorp­ tion of aluminum from these antacids and the depo­ sition of aluminum in various tissues has been re­ ported in recent years. The biologic consequences of the interaction of aluminum with dietary phosphorus in animals have been reported almost half a century ago,l and similar effects were reported in humans as long as four dec­ ades ago!-4 Relatively large amounts of antacids in­ creased the fecal phosphorus excretion, decreased urinary phosphorus, and increased urinary calcium excretion. This inhibition of the intestinal absorp­ tion of phosphorus suggested the therapeutic use of aluminum hydroxide for preventing the recurrence of phosphate-containing kidney stones. 5 Although inhibition of phosphorus absorption and the associ­ ated hypercalciuria have been clearly demonstrated, these early observations were not related to the pos­ sible adverse effects of aluminum-containing ant­ acids on bone and to the potential development of skeletal demineralization. It was not until 1960 that severe bone pain, osteomalacia, and pseudofractures were attributed to chronic ingestion of large amounts of aluminum hydroxide for several years.6 Shortly thereafter, the intake of large amounts of aluminum-containing antacids was reported to be associated with the phosphorus depletion syndrome
Disrupting Surfaces of Nef Required for Downregulation of CD4 and for Enhancement of Virion Infectivity Attenuates Simian Immunodeficiency Virus Replication In Vivo

The multifunctional simian and human immunodeficiency virus (SIV and HIV) Nef proteins are important for virulence. We studied the importance of selected Nef functions using an SIV Nef with mutations in two regions that are required for CD4 downregulation. This Nef mutant is defective for downregulating CD4 and, in addition, for enhancing SIV infectivity and induction of SIV replication from infected quiescent peripheral blood mononuclear cells, but not for other known functions, including downregulation of class I major histocompatibility complex (MHC) cell surface expression. Replication of SIV containing this Nef variant in rhesus monkeys was attenuated early during infection. Subsequent increases in viral load coincided with selection of reversions and second-site compensatory changes in Nef. Our results indicate that the surfaces of Nef that mediate CD4 downregulation and the enhancement of virion infectivity are critical for SIV replication in vivo. Furthermore, these findings indicate that class I MHC downregulation by Nef is not sufficient for SIV virulence early in infection.
Self-disclosure in prisoners.

Self-disclosing behavior in prisoners may be viewed as indicative of identification patterns during “prisonization.” To 65 military prisoners in their first month of imprisonment, a modified Jourard Self-disclosure Scale was administered twice. Disclosure was not significantly related to psychiatric diagnosis, type of offense, or biographical variables. However, differences among confiding targets were significant. Data did not support the presence of a clear “prisonization” process in this sample but suggested a continuity of tendencies to disclose self in free and prison settings.
Local regularization for n-dimensional integral equations with applications to image processing

We examine the method of local regularization for the solution of linear first-kind integral equations on . We provide a theoretical analysis of the method and prove that the regularized solutions converge to the true solution as the level of error in perturbed data goes to zero. We also develop an iterative numerical algorithm based on this theory and describe its implementation. Our testing with a number of examples shows that local regularization tends to perform better than a classical method we call Tik-CG (a method based on a conjugate gradient algorithm with stopping criteria applied to standard Tikhonov regularization) when performance is measured in terms of relative error in solutions and/or in perceived sharpness of images. Unfortunately, this improvement can come at a cost as testing shows that the local regularization algorithm tends to be slower than the Tik-CG approach when applied to 2D images. As we illustrate with our numerical results, however, a compromise can be found by using the converged Tik-CG image as the starting value for the iterative local regularization method.
METABOLIC PRECURSORS OF URINARY DEHYDROISOANDROSTERONE

EVER since dehydroisoandrosterone was first isolated from human urine in 1934 (1) the riddle of its precursor has plagued the biochemist and the clinician. Since it has recently been shown that dehydroisoandrosterone is excreted in normal urine in much larger amounts than hitherto recognized, and therefore that this substance is an important index of normal as well as abnormal adrenal cortical activity, the question of its precursor has assumed added importance. Especially is this true since the estimation of urinary dehydroisoandrosterone is probably as significant for evaluating adrenal cortical function as the determination of urinary corticoids. It is unnecessary to dwell upon the reasons why earlier workers reported low excretion values (of the order of 0.2 mg./day) (2) in the urine of normal men and women. It is well recognized now that vigorous acid hydrolysis alters a sensible fraction of the dehydroisoandrosterone sulfate present in any urine, resulting in an underestimation of the actual concent...
Single-molecule studies of the neuronal SNARE fusion machinery.

SNAREs are essential components of the machinery for Ca2+-triggered fusion of synaptic vesicles with the plasma membrane, resulting in neurotransmitter release into the synaptic cleft. Although much is known about their biophysical and structural properties and their interactions with accessory proteins such as the Ca2+ sensor synaptotagmin, their precise role in membrane fusion remains an enigma. Ensemble studies of liposomes with reconstituted SNAREs have demonstrated that SNAREs and accessory proteins can trigger lipid mixing/fusion, but the inability to study individual fusion events has precluded molecular insights into the fusion process. Thus, this field is ripe for studies with single-molecule methodology. In this review, we discuss applications of single-molecule approaches to observe reconstituted SNAREs, their complexes, associated proteins, and their effect on biological membranes. Some of the findings are provocative, such as the possibility of parallel and antiparallel SNARE complexes or of ...
Rumor routing algorthim for sensor networks

Advances in micro-sensor and radio technology will enable small but smart sensors to be deployed for a wide range of environmental monitoring applications. In order to constrain communication overhead, dense sensor networks call for new and highly efficient methods for distributing queries to nodes that have observed interesting events in the network. A highly efficient data-centric routing mechanism will offer significant power cost reductions [17], and improve network longevity. Moreover, because of the large amount of system and data redundancy possible, data becomes disassociated from specific node and resides in regions of the network [10][7][8]. This paper describes and evaluates through simulation a scheme we call Rumor Routing, which allows for queries to be delivered to events in the network. Rumor Routing is tunable, and allows for tradeoffs between setup overhead and delivery reliability. It's intended for contexts in which geographic routing criteria are not applicable because a coordinate system is not available or the phenomenon of interest is not geographically correlated.
RELATIONSHIP OF MIXED LYMPHOCYTE CULTURE RESPONSE TO HL-A HISTOCOMPATIBILITY ANTIGENS EFFECT OF ALLELE PLUS ONE ANTIGEN MATCH

The influence of varying degrees of incompatibility for HL-A antigens on one-way mixed lymphocyte cultures (MLC) has been investigated. Reactions have been compared to a simple expression of HL-A antigens, allele compatibility, and a proposal considering the potential influence of antigen matching in relationship to allele compatibility. As expected, HL-A compatibility was associated with nonstimulated cultures, but significant correlation was not observed when incompatibility was expressed in terms of HL-A antigen or allele mismatching. When the relationship of both was considered, however, a second distinctive group was demonstrated that shared one allele plus one antigen of the second allele. Within this group no stimulation, even with augmented culture conditions, was observed in some families. Employing these same criteria, there was no significant difference in the MLC response in those groups that were incompatible for both alleles regardless of the number of matched antigens or the group that shared an allele but differed by both antigens of the second allele. These results support the concept of an intimate relationship between the loci coding for HL-A antigens and mixed culture reactions. They suggest that HL-A haplotype incompatibility acting as a unit is the primary stimulus of the MLC response, and that the immunogenicity of the haplotype also relates to whether or not one antigen is common to the stimulating and responding cell.
Response of patients with myofascial pain-dysfunction syndrome to mock equilibration

Mock equilibration was performed on 25 patients with myofascial pain-dysfunction syndrome to assess the placebo component of occlusal modification. After two mock equilibrations for treatment of myofascial pain-dysfunction (MPD) syndrome, 16 out of 25 patients (64%) reported a total or nearly total remission of their symptoms. This suggests that occlusal equilibration should not be regarded as either specific or definitive therapy for the MPD syndrome.
On an identification problem arising in robust adaptive control

A plant is assumed to have both parametric uncertainty and nonparameterized dynamics. The nonparameterized dynamics are characterized as a stable factor perturbation with a known frequency-domain magnitude bound. A nonconservative bound on the finite-time energy of the perturbation output is constructed in real-time. The bound is used to achieve robust monotonic parameter convergence of a model reference adaptive controller.
Unexpected structural features of the hepatitis C virus envelope protein 2 ectodomain.

ABSTRACT Hepatitis C virus (HCV), a member of the family Flaviviridae, is a leading cause of chronic liver disease and cancer. Recent advances in HCV therapeutics have resulted in improved cure rates, but an HCV vaccine is not available and is urgently needed to control the global pandemic. Vaccine development has been hampered by the lack of high-resolution structural information for the two HCV envelope glycoproteins, E1 and E2. Recently, Kong and coworkers (Science 342:1090–1094, 2013, doi:10.1126/science.1243876) and Khan and coworkers (Nature 509[7500]:381–384, 2014, doi:10.1038/nature13117) independently determined the structure of the HCV E2 ectodomain core with some unexpected and informative results. The HCV E2 ectodomain core features a globular architecture with antiparallel β-sheets forming a central β sandwich. The residues comprising the epitopes of several neutralizing and nonneutralizing human monoclonal antibodies were also determined, which is an essential step toward obtaining a fine map of the human humoral response to HCV. Also clarified were the regions of E2 that directly bind CD81, an important HCV cellular receptor. While it has been widely assumed that HCV E2 is a class II viral fusion protein (VFP), the newly determined structure suggests that the HCV E2 ectodomain shares structural and functional similarities only with domain III of class II VFPs. The new structural determinations suggest that the HCV glycoproteins use a different mechanism than that used by class II fusion proteins for cell fusion.
Comparison of amyloid deposition in human kidney biopsies as predictor of poor patient outcome

Amyloidosis leads to deposition of abnormal protein with beta-pleated sheet structure in specific compartments of the affected organs. The histological localization of these amyloid deposits determines the overall survival of the patient. In this study we have assessed the histological localization and severity of amyloid deposition in 35 patients with biopsy-proven renal amyloidosis and have compared those to clinical parameters, histo-pathological injury criteria and respective patient outcome. Comparisons were statistically analyzed using thus comparison between the different study groups, which was done using Student t-test and analysis of variance. We find that the glomerulus is by far the most commonly and most severely affected renal compartment and patients with severe glomerular amyloidosis advance faster towards end stage renal disease (ESRD) and death, compared to those patients without glomerular amyloid deposits. Patients with severe glomerular amyloidosis showed higher serum creatinine and urine protein levels, while patients with severe vascular amyloidosis showed higher levels of interstitial inflammatory infiltrate. In kidneys affected by amyloidosis, the amyloid proteins are predominantly deposited along vessels, especially the small vessels including glomerular capillary loops. The severity of glomerular amyloid deposition enhances the risk of developing ESRD and increases the risk for premature death.
Comments on the homosexual role

Abstract The concept of the homosexual “role” has been the subject of heated debate in recent years. Some observers argue that the concept has no validity, since no one is socialized into this putative “role,” and no one learns to become a homosexual as a consequence of it. The author contends that this is a misunderstanding both of the nature of homosexuality and of the sociological concept of role. The fallacy lies in viewing homosexuality in essentialistic terms—that is, in terms of a single definitive indwelling and fixed criterion. In contrast, the author argues that homosexuality can most fruitfully be seen as a “mix” of characteristics, a series of dimensions—each one of which may be relevant for different purposes. Viewed in this light, “role” becomes a powerful analytic tool in understanding homosexuality.
Pope John Paul II's Evangelium Vitae and the 'Horizon of the Good'

This essay, for the inaugural issue of the Journal of Christian Legal Thought, invites readers to consider the lessons of Pope John Paul II’s “Evangelium Vitae” for modern lawyers. The essay argues that Pope John Paul’s well known encyclical is both a strong, eloquent defense of vulnerable human life, as well as a call to all those involved in the law to consider the demands of law, conscience, and morality in the public and private spheres.
The Influence of the Madden–Julian Oscillation on Northern Hemisphere Winter Blocking

AbstractThe persistent and quasi-stationary nature of atmospheric blocking is associated with long-lasting extreme weather conditions that influence much of the Northern Hemisphere during boreal winter. The Madden–Julian oscillation (MJO) has been previously shown to influence important factors for blocking, including Rossby wave breaking and the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO). However, the extent to which the MJO influences blocking across the Northern Hemisphere is not yet fully understood.Utilizing a two-dimensional blocking index, composites of North Pacific, North Atlantic, and European blocking are generated relative to MJO phase. In the west and central Pacific, all MJO phases demonstrate significant changes in blocking, particularly at high latitudes. A significant decrease in east Pacific and Atlantic blocking occurs following phase 3 of the MJO, characterized by enhanced convection over the tropical East Indian Ocean and suppressed convection in the west Pacific. The opposite-signed MJO heatin...
Reducing Dust in the Live-Hang Area of a Poultry Processing Plant

Abstract A semi-enclosed environmental chamber for the live hang area of a poultry processing plant was designed, constructed, and tested for the purpose of creating better working conditions for the personnel in this area. The chamber reduced the dust in the immediate area of the hangers and allowed the area to be cooled or heated as needed. With the working environment improved, health hazards associated with dust inhalation and personnel turnover, a major problem, should decrease and efficiency of workers should increase.
Application of probabilistic fiber-tracking method of MR imaging to measure impact of cranial irradiation on structural brain connectivity in children treated for medulloblastoma

We applied a modified probabilistic fiber-tracking method for the extraction of fiber pathways to quantify decreased white matter integrity as a surrogate of structural loss in connectivity due to cranial radiation therapy (CRT) as treatment for pediatric medulloblastoma. Thirty subjects were examined (n=8 average-risk, n=22 high-risk) and the groups did not differ significantly in age at examination. The pathway analysis created a structural connectome focused on sub-networks within the central executive network (CEN) for comparison between baseline and post-CRT scans and for comparison between standard and high dose CRT. A paired-wise comparison of the connectivity between baseline and post-CRT scans showed the irradiation did have a significant detrimental impact on white matter integrity (decreased fractional anisotropy (FA) and decreased axial diffusivity (AX)) in most of the CEN sub-networks. Group comparisons of the change in the connectivity revealed that patients receiving high dose CRT experienced significant AX decreases in all sub-networks while the patients receiving standard dose CRT had relatively stable AX measures across time. This study on pediatric patients with medulloblastoma demonstrated the utility of this method to identify specific sub-networks within the developing brain affected by CRT.