cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Modeling and Control of Mobile Surveillance Networks Using Mutational Hybrid Systems

Pervasive surveillance can be defined as continuous monitoring and tracking of multiple targets in a large monitored region so that they do not leave the field of view (FOV) of the sensors observing them. Despite the limited sensing capability and range of the individual sensors, the surveillance network can track targets over a large region based on transferring the target tracking task. The challenge for such large scale networked systems is to design an efficient and scalable modeling and analysis tool and devise stable control algorithms for accomplishing the surveillance task. Mutational analysis and shape based control have been proposed to overcome the limitations of current feature (point) based visual servoing techniques, however, they fail to capture the discrete switching nature of the surveillance task of tracking the target using multiple sensors. This paper presents a mutational hybrid model for such pervasive surveillance networks which retains the advantages of using mutational equations while also being able to model the discrete switching between various sensors. We also present an example pervasive surveillance scenario modeled using the proposed method and experimental results verifying the proposed approach.
The mobile intrusion detection and assessment system (MIDAS)

A description is presented of MIDAS, the Mobile Intrusion Detection and Assessment System. MIDAS is a security system that can be quickly deployed to provide wide area coverage for a mobile asset. MIDAS uses two passive infrared imaging sensors, one for intruder detection and one for assessment. Detected targets are tracked while assessment cameras are directed to view the intruder location for operator observation and assessment. The dual sensor design allows simultaneous detection, assessment, and tracking. Control and status information is provided to an operator using a color graphics terminal, touch panel driven menus, and a joystick for control of the assessment sensor pan and tilt. >
A Simple Numerical Algorithm and Software for Solution of Nucleation, Surface Growth, and Coagulation Problems

In this article, a simple numerical method to solve the general dynamic equation (GDE) has been described and the software made available. The model solution described is suitable for problems involving gas-to-particle conversion due to supersaturation, coagulation, and surface growth of particles via evaporation/condensation of monomers. The model is based on simplifying the sectional approach to discretizing the particle size distribution with a nodal form. The GDE developed here is an extension of the coagulation equation solution method developed by Kari Lehtinen, wherein particles exist only at nodes, as opposed to continuous bins in the sectional method. The results have been tested by comparison where simple analytical solutions are available, and are shown to be in excellent agreement. By example we apply the model to the formation and growth of Aluminum particles. The important features of the model are that it is simple to comprehend; the software, which we call nodal GDE solver (NGDE), is relatively compact; and the code is well documented internally, so that users may apply it to their specific needs or make modifications as required. The C files mentioned in this article are available online at http://taylorandfrancis.metapress.com/openurl.asp?genre= journal&issn=0278-6826. To access this file, click on the link for this issue, then select this article. In order to access the full article online, you must either have an institutional subscription or a member subscription accessed through www.aaar.org.
Behavioural mechanisms of invasion and displacement in Pacific island geckos (Hemidactylus)

The house gecko Hemidactylus frenatus is currently displacing an ecologically similar, all-female parthenogenetic gecko H. garnotii on a global scale. We tested the previously proposed hypotheses that resource competition is responsible for this displacement, and that competitive interference occurs through male aggression. We quantified consumption of insect resources and behavioural interactions in dyads and triads composed of different combinations of sexes and species. Geckos consumed fewer insects when in pairs than when they were alone, indicating general evidence of resource competition. However, resource consumption of parthenogenetic H. garnotii was not negatively affected by the presence of invasive H. frenatus, suggesting that resource competition is not the primary mechanism of displacement. Males were aggressive towards conspecific males, but showed little aggression towards conspecific females and parthenogenetic females; females and parthenogens displayed little aggression. Male H. frenatus courted and copulated with both conspecific and heterospecific females in dyads and in triads and, by some measures, showed a preference for larger H. garnotii females. When paired with females or parthenogens, males consumed fewer resources because they turned their attention to courtship. Evidence of interspecific courtship suggests that sexual interference may be a more likely mechanism of displacement. Our results exclude the possibility that courtship decreases resource consumption in H. garnotii, but further study is required to determine whether interspecific mating disrupts parthenogenetic reproduction. This study demonstrates the importance of testing commonly invoked mechanisms of invasion and displacement by quantifying individual behaviour in an experimental setting.
Is It Time For An Exchange Traded Futures Contract Based On A Housing Price Index

There is not a good hedging instrument to absorb housing price risk. An exchange traded futures contract based on a hedonic or repeat sale housing price index would help homeowners, originators, home builders, and others hedge housing price risk, but it does not exist, yet. We discuss the need and why it may be time for its introduction.
Dynamic mechanical studies of endgroup‐modified polystyrene

Polystyrenes having both modified and unmodified endgroup structures were synthesized. These polystyrenes were then subjected to dynamic mechanical testing below their glass transition temperature. The modified structures were shown to influence the β transition of polystyrene. While the mechanism of this secondary transition has been speculated but never unequivocally substantiated in the past, the evidence presented here strongly support the idea that the β transition of polystyrene arises from chain-end motions.
Suppression of neoplastic transformation in vitro by low doses of low LET radiation.

A major concern of exposure to low doses of radiation is the risk of cancer induction. Epidemiologic data are rarely powerful enough to accurately discriminate this risk at doses <10 cGy. In order to gain insight into events at these low doses, laboratory-based studies of relevant endpoints are required. One such endpoint is radiation-induced neoplastic transformation in vitro. Such studies can provide quantitative dose-response data, as well as insights into underlying cellular and molecular mechanisms. Data are presented that indicate that low doses of low LET radiation can suppress neoplastic transformation in vitro to levels below that seen spontaneously. Mechanisms involved include both the death of a subpopulation of cells prone to spontaneous neoplastic transformation and the induction of DNA repair. The relative contributions of these mechanisms is dose-dependent. The relevance of these observations to radiation risk estimation is discussed.
Impact of Protein Shedding on Detection of Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis by a Whole-Cell Immunoassay Incorporating Surface-Enhanced Raman Scattering

The etiological agent of Johne9s disease is Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis. Controlling the spread of this disease is hindered by the lack of sensitive, selective, and rapid detection methods for M. avium subsp. paratuberculosis. By using a recently optimized sandwich immunoassay (B. J. Yakes, R. J. Lipert, J. P. Bannantine, and M. D. Porter, Clin. Vaccine Immunol. 15:227-234, 2008), which incorporates a new monoclonal antibody for the selective capture and labeling of M. avium subsp. paratuberculosis and surface-enhanced Raman scattering for sensitive readout, detection limits of ∼630 and ∼740 M. avium subsp. paratuberculosis cells/ml are achieved in phosphate-buffered saline and whole milk samples, respectively, after spiking with heat-treated M. avium subsp. paratuberculosis. Surprisingly, these detection limits are 3 orders of magnitude lower than expected based on theoretical predictions. Experiments designed to determine the origin of the improvement revealed that the major membrane protein targeted by the monoclonal antibody was present in the sample suspensions as shed protein. This finding indicates that the capture and labeling of shed protein function as a facile amplification strategy for lowering the limit of detection for M. avium subsp. paratuberculosis that may also be applicable to the design of a wide range of highly sensitive assays for other cells and viruses.
uvby photometry of the magnetic CP stars 20 Eridani, HR 1297, 12 Canis Majoris, and HD 134214

Dierential Stromgren uvby observations from the Four College Automated Photoelectric Telescope (FCAPT) are presented for the mCP stars 20 Eri, HR 1297, 12 CMa, and HD 134214. Adelman & Boyce found suggestions that the light curves of 20 Eri change between observing seasons. Observations for two additional seasons conrm this behavior and lead to an improved period of 1.928890 days. For HR 1297 a new period of 15.7490 days was derived. The uvby light curves now appear to be the same for dierent observing seasons. 12 CMa is found to be a photometric variable with the 2.18010 day period determined from magnetic measurements by Bohlender et al. Observations of the rapidly oscillating Ap star HD 134214 conrm the lack of photometric variability which is not associated with the rapid oscillations.
Chickenpox—A Disease Predominantly Affecting Adults in Rural West Bengal, India

Outbreaks of chickenpox were observed every year from 1970-74 in a small West Bengel village. The cases did not follow any definite pattern and were scattered throughout the village each year, occurring between March and June. Sixty-three per cent of cases occurred in people over 15 years old; the mean age at which infection took place was 23.4 years. The attack rate in susceptible children below the age of eight was very low. The transmission of the disease even in contact families was very low, although most families lived in small one-room houses. Epidemiological interference is suggested as a possible cause of the low infectiousness of this otherwise highly-communicable disease.
Ruminations on Lo Sucio as a Latino Queer Analytic

This essay considers lo sucio —a Latino vernacular for dirty, nasty, and filthy—as a Latino queer analytic. I situate lo sucio in relation to contemporary neoliberal projects that disappear the most vulnerable and disenfranchised by cleaning up spaces and populations deemed dirty and wasteful. Moreover, my initial ruminations of lo sucio , as a queer analytic, is invested in contributing to conversations that explore Latina queer genders and sexualities as sensate. Accordingly, lo sucio smells, acts, and tastes like the collateral genders of a world invested in the fiscal benefits of normative sexual intimacies. In this essay, lo sucio is in conversation with three racialized discourses of difference: first, lewd, obscene, offensive hypersexual undisciplined bodies; second, darkened, suspect citizens perpetually untrustworthy, impure, and disloyal to the state; and third, diseased “cultures of poverty” subjects overdetermined to fail to arrive to normative gender and sexuality.
The Traveling Salesman Goes Shopping: The Systematic Deviations of Grocery Paths from TSP-Optimality

We examine grocery shopping paths through the lens of the Traveling We examine grocery shopping paths through the lens of the "Traveling Salesman Problem" (TSP), a classic paradigm from the field of operations research. We define the "TSP-optimal" path for each shopper as the shortest path that connects all of his purchases, and we study the systematic deviations seen in his actual behavior. We decompose the length of each observed path into three components: the length of the TSP-optimal path, the additional distance due to order deviation (i.e., not following the TSP-optimal order of category purchases), and the additional distance due to travel deviation (i.e., not following the shortest point-to-point paths). We then explore the relationship between these deviations and purchase behavior. Among other things, our results show a strong relationship between order deviation and basket size, but no association between travel deviation and basket size. Finally, we look at the implications of relaxing three of the rigid assumptions of the TSP by allowing for: (1) varying degrees of "forward-lookingness" across shoppers based on their observed order of purchases, (2) the possibility of unplanned purchases, and (3) the possibility of planned category visits but no resulting purchases.
Induction of Daptomycin Heterogeneous Susceptibility in Staphylococcus aureus by Exposure to Vancomycin

We studied vancomycin and daptomycin susceptibility in methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus from patients exposed to vancomycin, glycopeptide-intermediate S. aureus, and S. aureus passaged in vancomycin-containing medium. A correlation between vancomycin and daptomycin heteroresistance was noted in some strains, suggesting that exposure of S. aureus to vancomycin may affect susceptibility to daptomycin.
Dead Heat: The 2006 Public Choice Society Election

In 2006, the Public Choice Society chose a new president using approval voting. There were five candidates, and the election was extremely close. We indicate the sources of support of the different candidates, based in part on spectral analysis, by voters who cast between one and five votes. Using preference information that was also gathered, we show that two candidates different from the approval voting winner, including the apparent Condorcet winner, might have won under different voting systems. Because most voters did not indicate their complete preference rankings, however, these differences are hardly robust, especially since the outcome was essentially a dead heat.
The mold-specific MS8 gene is required for normal hypha formation in the dimorphic pathogenic fungus Histoplasma capsulatum

The dimorphic fungus Histoplasma capsulatum is the etiologic agent of one of the most common systemic mycoses of humans, histoplasmosis. In the environment, H. capsulatum grows in a differentiated mold form and shifts to an undifferentiated yeast form after mold fragments or spores are inhaled. This mold-to-yeast shift is required for disease. Little is known about the molecular biology of dimorphism in Histoplasma, and most studies have been directed toward yeast-specific genes. While it is important to examine the role of genes upregulated in the yeast morphotype, genes which are silenced in the yeast (i.e., mold-specific genes) may also play a critical role in dimorphism. To begin to examine this hypothesis, we report here the first misexpression and knockout analysis of a mold-specific gene in Histoplasma. The strongly expressed MS8 gene encodes a predicted 21-kDa protein extremely rich in glycine and glutamine. Forced expression of MS8 driven by the TEF1 promoter in yeast did not alter the yeast morphology at 37°C or mold formation at 25°C. Yeast expressing MS8 did exhibit clumping in liquid medium and formed “sticky” colonies on agar plates. Allelic replacement of MS8 was accomplished by a positive-negative selection procedure. ms8 knockout mutants formed apparently normal yeast at 37°C but gave rise to aberrant mycelia at 25°C. The mold colonies of the knockouts were less than half as large as normal, had a granular surface, produced a dark-red pigment, and formed short hyphae which were 40% wider with a distinctive twisted “zig-zag” shape.
The Great Inflation: Inflation, Inflationary Expectations, and the Phillips Cycle 1960–2002

Given the ongoing concern with controlling inflation, it is timely to take another look at the “Great Inflation” of 1966-1983 and to try to understand the process that led to ever-higher peaks of inflation and interest rates. How was this apparently intractable dynamic reversed? While a member of the Board of Governors, Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke set forth three explanations for the decline in macroeconomic volatility: structural change, improved macroeconomic policies, and good luck. While luck is not controlled by government, and government has only tangential influence on structural change, macroeconomic policy is solely the responsibility of the federal government, particularly the Federal Reserve System. Improvements of monetary policy were largely responsible for taming the Great Inflation, but new threats—including the dimming of memory—are current challenges to preventing its recurrence.
Traffic-related air toxics and preterm birth: a population-based case-control study in Los Angeles county, California

Background: Numerous studies have associated air pollutant exposures with adverse birth outcomes, but there is still relatively little information to attribute effects to specific emission sources or air toxics. We used three exposure data sources to examine risks of preterm birth in Los Angeles women when exposed to high levels of trafficrelated air pollutants - including specific toxics - during pregnancy. Methods: We identified births during 6/1/04-3/31/06 to women residing within five miles of a Southern California Air Quality Management District (SCAQMD) Multiple Air Toxics Exposure Study (MATES III) monitoring station. We identified preterm cases and, using a risk set approach, matched cases to controls based on gestational age at birth. Pregnancy period exposure averages were estimated for a number of air toxics including polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), source-specific PM2.5 (fine particulates with aerodynamic diameter less than 2.5 μm) based on a Chemical Mass Balance model, criteria air pollutants based on government monitoring data, and land use regression (LUR) estimates of nitric oxide (NO), nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and nitrogen oxides (NOx). Associations between these metrics and odds of preterm birth were estimated using conditional logistic regression. Results: Odds of preterm birth increased 6-21% per inter-quartile range increase in entire pregnancy exposures to organic carbon (OC), elemental carbon (EC), benzene, and diesel, biomass burning and ammonium nitrate PM2.5, and 30% per inter-quartile increase in PAHs; these pollutants were positively correlated and clustered together in a factor analysis. Associations with LUR exposure metrics were weaker (3-4% per inter-quartile range increase). Conclusions: These latest analyses provide additional evidence of traffic-related air pollution’s impact on preterm birth for women living in Southern California and indicate PAHs as a pollutant of concern that should be a focus of future studies. Other PAH sources besides traffic were also associated with higher odds of preterm birth, as was ammonium nitrate PM2.5, the latter suggesting potential importance of secondary pollutants. Future studies should focus on accurate modeling of both local and regional spatial and temporal distributions, and incorporation of source information.
Iron Metabolism in the Reticuloendothelial System

Comprised mainly of monocytes and tissue macrophages, the reticuloendothelial system (RES) plays two major roles in iron metabolism: it recycles iron from senescent red blood cells and it serves as a large storage depot for excess iron. Although iron recycling by the RES represents the largest pathway of iron efflux in the body, the precise mechanisms involved have remained elusive. However, studies characterizing the function and regulation of Nramp1, DMT1, HFE, FPN1, CD163, and hepcidin are rapidly expanding our knowledge of the molecular aspects of RE iron handling. This review summarizes fundamental physiological and biochemical aspects of iron metabolism in the RES and focuses on how recent studies have advanced our understanding of these areas. Also discussed are novel insights into the molecular mechanisms contributing to the abnormal RE iron metabolism characteristic of hereditary hemochromatosis and the anemia of chronic disease.
A Percolation-Theoretic Approach to Spin Glass Phase Transitions

The magnetically ordered, low temperature phase of Ising ferromagnets is manifested within the associated Fortuin—Kasteleyn (FK) random cluster representation by the occurrence of a single positive density percolating cluster. In this paper, we review our recent work on the percolation signature for Ising spin glass ordering — both in the short-range Edwards—Anderson (EA) and infinite-range Sherrington—Kirkpatrick (SK) models — within a tworeplica FK representation and also in the different Chayes—Machta—Redner two-replica graphical representation. Numerical studies of the ±J EA model in dimension three and rigorous results for the SK model are consistent in supporting the conclusion that the signature of spin-glass order in these models is the existence of a single percolating cluster of maximal density normally coexisting with a second percolating cluster of lower density.
Radioimmunoassay Studies on Plasma and Pituitary LH Levels and the Half-Life of Circulating LH in Intact and Castrated Gerbils

Pituitary and plasma LH and the half-life of circulating LH were measured in individual male Mongolian gerbils using a double antibody radioimmunoassay which was shown to be specific for LH in the gerbil. Pituitary LH was not changed within 4 days after castration, but was greatly increased by 54 days. Plasma LH concentration was increased within 24 hours after castration and was 10-30 times greater than control values after 4 days. Although plasma LH continued to rise gradually, approximately doubling between 4 and 54 days, considerable variation in LH levels was observed between consecutive samples. The half-life of ovine LH and endogenous and exogenous gerbil LH in the male gerbil was approximately 40 mins. The mean half-life of endogenous LH in 44-day castrates was not different from that of iv-injected homologous LH in non-castrates as determined by measuring the rate of LH disappearance from the blood after hypophysectomy. The circulating half-life of ivinjected ovine 125I-LH in the gerbil was deter...
Optimism and Fundamentalism

Explanatory style from nine religious groups, representing fundamentalist, moderate, and liberal viewpoints, was investigated by questionnaire and by blind content analysis of their sermons and liturgy. Fundamentalist individuals were significantly more optimistic by questionnaire than those from moderate religions, who were in turn more optimistic than liberals. The liturgy and sermons showed the parallel pattern of optimism. Regression analyses suggested that the greater optimism of fundamentalist individuals may be entirely accounted for by the greater hope and daily influence fundamentalism engenders, along with the greater optimism of the religious services they hear.
Efficient Semi-supervised and Active Learning of Disjunctions

We provide efficient algorithms for learning disjunctions in the semi-supervised setting under a natural regularity assumption introduced by (Balcan & Blum, 2005). We prove bounds on the sample complexity of our algorithms under a mild restriction on the data distribution. We also give an active learning algorithm with improved sample complexity and extend all our algorithms to the random classification noise setting.
National sources of vital status information: extent of coverage and possible selectivity in reporting

The completeness of death reporting and characteristics of deaths not found by the Social Security Administration, Internal Revenue Service, Veterans Administration, and National Death Index were investigated in a follow-up study (1965-1983) of mortality among 18,313 randomly selected Vietnam-era veterans. Overall, 97% of all known deaths identified by these means had been found by the National Death Index (for the years 1979-1983), 83% by the Social Security Administration files, 80% by the Veterans Administration file, and only 23% by the Internal Revenue Service file. Coverage by the Veterans Administration file differed considerably by time period of death; 28% of deaths occurring in 1965-1971 appeared in the Veterans Administration system compared with 87% in 1972-1983. Social Security Administration coverage varied somewhat over time-87% in the period from 1965-1981 and 64% in 1982-1983. Deaths not found by the National Death Index or the Veterans Administration file occurred more frequently among those with certain characteristics, such as nonwhite racial background, nonhonorable discharge, and low rank at discharge. There were no such differences for deaths found by the Social Security Administration. Importantly, these characteristics were strong predictors of subsequent mortality. Thus, in studies of mortality, there is a potential for bias when certain reporting sources are used to the exclusion of others.
Effects of acculturation on prenatal anxiety among Latina women

Anxiety in pregnancy has been associated with adverse birth outcomes. Relatively few studies have investigated how acculturation affects mental health in pregnancy among Latinas. The goal of this study was to determine if acculturation was associated with anxiety over the course of pregnancy in a sample of predominantly Puerto Rican women. Women were recruited in pregnancy for participation in Proyecto Buena Salud, a prospective cohort study of Latina women (n = 1412). Acculturation was measured via the Psychological Acculturation Scale (PAS), language preference and generation in the USA. Anxiety was measured using the State-Trait Anxiety Instrument. Linear and logistic multivariable regressions were used to investigate associations. After adjustment, women with bicultural identification had significantly lower trait anxiety scores in early pregnancy (β = -3.62, SE = 1.1, p < 0.001) than low acculturated women. Women with higher levels of acculturation as indicated by English-language preference (β = 1.41, SE = 0.7, p = 0.04) and second or third generation in the USA had significantly higher trait anxiety scores in early pregnancy (β = 1.83, SE = 0.6, p < 0.01). Bicultural psychological acculturation was associated with lower trait anxiety in early pregnancy, while English-language preference and higher generation in the USA were associated with higher trait anxiety in early pregnancy.
The heterologous expression of a Glycine max homolog of NONEXPRESSOR OF PR1 (NPR1) and α-hydroxynitrile glucosidase suppresses parasitism by the root pathogen Meloidogyne incognita in Gossypium hirsutum

ABSTRACTExperiments in Glycine max (soybean) identified the expression of the salicylic acid signaling and defense gene NONEXPRESSOR OF PR1 (NPR1) in root cells (i.e., syncytium) parasitized by the plant parasitic nematode Heterodera glycines undergoing the process of resistance. Gm-NPR1-2 overexpression in G. max effectively suppresses parasitism by H. glycines. The heterologous expression of Gm-NPR1-2 in Gossypium hirsutum impairs the ability of the parasitic nematode Meloidogyne incognita to form root galls, egg sacs, eggs and second-stage juvenile (J2) nematodes. In related experiments, a G. max β-glycosidase (Gm-βg-4) related to Lotus japonicus secreted defense gene α-hydroxynitrile glucosidase LjBGD7 suppresses M. incognita parasitism. The results identify a cumulative negative effect that the transgenes have on M. incognita parasitism and demonstrate that the G. max–H. glycines pathosystem is a useful tool to identify defense genes that function in other agriculturally relevant plant species to pla...
Coded-excitation Raman spectroscopy for ethanol chemometrics of tissue

Raman spectroscopy of bulk tissue is challenging due to sample auto-fluorescence and weak Raman cross-sections of most molecules. We investigate the use of coded-excitation Raman spectroscopy coupled with an iterative algorithm for Raman signal estimation.
Sex Differences in Response to Obscenities and Bawdy Humor

Cameron ( 2 ) sampled words from college students' conversations and concluded that females' dialogues yielded about the same frequency (but not the same kind) of obscenities as found in males' remarks. However, research with written d~aloguer in which students were free to write in their conversational sryle indicated that 6996 males but only 42% females included at least one obscenity in their reports ( 3 ) . T o examine these sex differences a questionnaire was devised to ascertain usage of I 2 1 obscenities, administered anonymously and voluntarily to 41 males and 75 females (modal ages 20 and 19 yr.) in a course on sexual behavior. Only a small number of expressions were used in equal accord by both sexes, with males being familiar and using more frequently a greater range of obscenities. A scale of "increasing anger" from 1 to 1 0 was proposed to evaluate seven obscenities of varying severiry and gender reference, which were familiar and might be spoken in casual, opposite-sex conversations. Females indicated greater anger if they were to hear these obscenities from a male rather than a female; and males claimed more anger (bu t at a consistently lower rating) if they were to hear such expressions from a girl rather than another male. A second i n v c s t ~ ~ a t ~ o n involved censorship and humor ratings of 10 bawdy stories based on black ghetto humor (1 ) . examined in a context of one of three censorship criteria (Johnny Carson Show, today; Johnny Carson Show, 1984; Educational TV, today). The stories were counterbalanced and administered voluntarily to small groups totaling 57 white males and females {modal ages 21 and 20 yr.) from another class in sexual behavior. Females were consistently stricter in censoring stories than males but the ratings were too variable for statistical confirmation. Humor judgments were made independently of censorship criteria and sex differences were present, males rating the stories significantly higher on humor than females (F,,loa = 9.33, < 0.01). Sex differences were also apparent in a 2 x 10 analysis of the story liked least (Xe ' = 31.35, p < 0.001), with 53% females and 15 % males most disliking a long story containing many obscenities about jungle animals, and 40% males but only 7 % fema!es most disliking a short story with no obscenities, entitled "Drawers." Differences in ratings of humor could reflect greater familiarity of white males with black humor. However, the stories liked least were criticized as pointless by both sexes, suggesting that obscenities may have been evaluated as facilitative o r detrimental conrlngent on the cleverness of the author in using a logical sequence of events to deliver a punch I~ne .
Impact of Obesity on Outcomes in a Multiethnic Cohort of Medical Intensive Care Unit Patients

Purpose:To examine the association of obesity with in-hospital mortality and complications during critical illness.Methods:We performed a retrospective analysis of a multiethnic cohort of 699 patie...
Calcium Homeostasis and Bone Metabolism

Parathyroid hormone and thyrocalcitonin act in opposite directions to provide the key elements in a reciprocal control system that guards calcium's availability. The former (with vitamin D) acts to stimulate bone resorption, the latter (with phosphate) to inhibit it. As the complexities of the system are worked out, the derangements occurring in certain bone diseases are becoming better understood.
Prognosis and its related factors of pulmonary sarcoidosis

The prognosis of pulmonary sarcoidosis depends on the persistence of activity over time and on the degree of functional failure of the involved organs. Some discrepancies of the reported outcome can be ascribed to fundamental differences in the type of disease, or ethnic differences. The purpose of the present paper is to review data of the prognosis of pulmonary sarcoidosis in Japan and to identify the factors predicting the final outcome at diagnosis. Among 277 patients with pulmonary sarcoidosis, followed at Kyushu University Hospital during a 32-year period from 1956, 115 patients (36 men and 79 women) were studied cross-sectionally, to analyse the prognostic factors, retrospectively. Ocular sarcoid involvement and the association of chronic tonsillitis are important prognostic factors for predicting the evolution and outcome of pulmonary sarcoidosis.
Improving 5-FU with a novel dihydropyrimidine dehydrogenase inactivator.

GW776C85 is a new drug that has been shown to be an effective inactivator of dihydropyrimidine dehydrogenase (DPD). Preclinical studies demonstrated that administration of GW776C85 with 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) resulted in several desirable pharmacologic effects. Initial clinical data on 5-FU combined with GW776C85 suggest potentially increased antitumor activity in at least some malignancies with tolerable toxicity, as well as several distinct economic and quality-of-life advantages including the following: (1) The possibility of administering 5-FU as an oral drug due to excellent bioavailability of 5-FU following inactivation of DPD; (2) a cost-effective alternative to continuous or protracted infusion of 5-FU without the need for hospitalization or surgical placement of an intravenous access and availability of an ambulatory pump; and (3) potential for less interpatient variation of 5-FU toxicity (eg, in host tissues, such as bone marrow and gastrointestinal mucosa cells) due to inactivation of DPD in essentially all patients treated, permitting better 5-FU dosing guidelines. Finally, because tumors may theoretically become resistant to 5-FU by increased levels of DPD, the use of GW776C85 to inactivate DPD may provide a potential means by which tumor resistance can be reversed. [ONCOLOGY(Suppl 4):51-56, 1998]
Transcriptional Behavior of LCR Enhancer Elements Integrated at the Same Chromosomal Locus by Recombinase-Mediated Cassette Exchange

Efficient integration of transgenes at preselected chromosomal locations was achieved in mammalian cells by recombinase-mediated-cassette-exchange (RMCE), a novel procedure that makes use of the CRE recombinase together with Lox sites bearing different spacer regions. We have applied RMCE to the study of the human beta-globin gene Locus Control Region by integrating at the same genetic locus in MEL cells, a LacZ gene driven by the human beta-globin promoter linked to HS2 and HS3 alone or in combination with HS4. Expression studies at the cell population level and in individual cells before and after induction of differentiation with hemin or DMSO show that the presence of these enhancers is associated with variegated patterns of expression. We were able to show that the LCR fragments tested act by controlling both the probability of expression and the rate of transcription of the linked beta-globin promoter. Both of these factors were also dependent on the state of differentiation of the MELc and on the presence of a second transcription unit located in cis. The ability to manipulate by RMCE constructs integrated into chromosomes should help in the creation of complex, rationally designed, artificial genetic loci.
Preparing a Food List for a Total Diet Study

The chapter describes which food consumption data can be used to construct a TDS food list, based on which sampling plan will be constructed, and be decided which foods will be pooled before analysis. The primary objective of this food list is to include all those foods which potentially contribute to dietary exposure of the selected components. The chapter describes also how the foods are prioritised and selected depending on the objective, purpose, and funds of the TDS. In addition, criteria are given on how to pool collected food samples before analysis as well as practical hinds of how to obtain a TDS food list from different food consumption data.
Is Fiscal Policy Possible? Is It Desirable?

Forty years ago, at about the time of the International Economic Association’s first World Congress, no one would have bothered to ask the questions that make up the title of this chapter. Jan Tinbergen had made us aware that a society needs as many independent policy instruments as it has independent policy goals it would like to achieve. In the macroeconomic policy field, there were obviously multiple goals, and therefore a need for several instruments. The separate and joint roles of fiscal and monetary policy were a common topic of discussion.
Automated DNA sequence using fluorescence detection

A critical technique in modern biological and medical research is the sequence analysis of DNA. Every time a new gene is cloned, its sequence must be determined to permit further research. Conventional techniques for DNA sequencing, although powerful and effective, are extremely time-consuming, repetitive, and laborious, employ hazardous and unstable radioisotopes, and are not suited to very large-scale sequencing projects such as the analysis of the human genome. For these reasons, we developed an automated DNA sequencing method which uses fluorescent tags in place of radioisotopes for detection. The fluorescent tags are detected using a high-sensitivity laser-based detector, and the resultant data are analyzed by microcomputer to yield automatically the DNA sequence. A commercial version of this instrument has been developed, which has a theoretical capability of sequencing 10,000 bases of DNA per day.
Improved cardiac gating at 3T with the “3D-QRS” method utilizing MRI-compatible 12-lead ECGs

Background Blood is rapidly ejected from the left ventricle during early systole, travels in the aortic arch perpendicular to the MRI’s main field, thus generating a Magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) voltage which is larger than the real ECG QRS complex in high field MRI. The MHD voltage (VMHD) is severally irregular in patients with arrhythmia, since arrhythmic ECG beats are interleaved between successive sinus rhythm (SR) beats. The VMHD overlay in ECG traces can result in intermittent QRS detection, leading to blurred images and longer scan times. Since accurate gating is essential for successful cardiac imaging, we developed a “3D-QRS” method for real-time detection of the QRS complex based on 12-lead ECG traces acquired inside the MRI. We validated this method at 3T in patients with Premature Ventricular Contractions (PVCs), Atrial Fibrillation (AF) and in an exercising athlete with time-varying heart rate.
Stereotypes of Sex Offenders’ Romantic Partners Predict Intent to Discriminate

Registered sex offenders’ family members perceive themselves to be the direct targets of public scrutiny, ostracism, harassment, and employment discrimination. Study 1 offers a preliminary exploration of the stereotypes of registered sex offenders’ romantic partners. Participants’ open-ended responses were coded and subjected to inter-rater reliability, using a coding scheme that was both exploratory in nature, while also informed by theory and research. Partially supporting our hypotheses, participants primarily perceived sex offenders’ romantic partners as fearful, vulnerable, deviant, and mentally ill, but also as good, forgiving people who want to help reform the offender. In Study 2, we developed an attitudes toward sex offenders’ partners scale, designed to measure participants’ endorsement of stereotypes about offenders’ partners. As predicted, endorsement of negative stereotypes about offenders’ romantic partners (i.e., that they are deviant and predatory, as well as fearful and vulnerable) predicted greater support for sex offender legislation and less support for hiring offenders’ partners across a variety of employment contexts. Moreover, political conservatives were more likely than liberals to discriminate against offenders’ partners in job hiring contexts—an effect statistically explained by conservatives’ endorsement of negative stereotypes about offenders’ partners.
The Role of Stem Cell Mobilization Regimen on Lymphocyte Collection Yield and Survival after Autologous Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation in Multiple Myeloma.

We previously have reported that autograft absolute lymphocyte count (A-ALC) is a possible prognostic factor for survival after autologous peripheral blood stem cell transplant (ASCT) for myeloma (MM). Factors affecting A-ALC in MM are unknown. We hypothesize that method of stem cell mobilization, hematopoietic growth factor (HGF) vs. HGF+Cytoxan chemotherapy (C+HGF), directly affects A-ALC collection. 191 consecutive MM patients between 1994 and 2004 were analyzed retrospectively. Patients generally were mobilized with C+HGF prior to 2003. Thereafter, C+HGF was reserved largely for those with ≥4% circulating peripheral blood plasma cells (PC), a negative prognostic indicator. No patients were transplanted in disease relapse or refractory disease. Patients also were matched for age, sex, β2-microglobulin, conventional cytogenetics, LDH, c-reactive protein, number of prior therapies, plasma cell labeling index (PCLI), pre-mobilization ALC, and % bone marrow (BM) PC. The groups HGF (n=80) and C+HGF (n=111) differed with respect to the conditioning regimen (p < 0.0001), and presence of (≥4%) circulating peripheral blood PC (p<0.005). The primary end-point of the study was to assess the correlation between HGF vs C+HGF, and A-ALC. The secondary endpoint was to determine if HGF vs C+HGF affected survival post-ASCT. Patients mobilized with HGF had a higher A-ALC compared to those mobilized with C+HGF [0.764 x 109 lymphocytes/kg (range: 0.146–1.803) vs. 0.212 (range: 0.016–1.26), p<0.0001]. No association was identified between A-ALC and conditioning regimens (p = 0.19) and PC (p = 0.31). Median overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) were longer in those mobilized with HGF vs. C+HGF (not reached vs. 48 months, p<0.0150; not reached vs. 21 months, p<0.007, respectively). Multivariate analysis demonstrated that age ≥50 vs age ≤50 (p<0.05) and A-ALC ≥0.5 vs <0.5x109 lymphocytes/kg (p<0.0397) were independent predictors of OS. Factors influencing PFS in the multivariate analysis included circulating PC ≥4% vs <4% (p<0.0157), PCLI ≥ 1% vs PCLI ≤ 1% (p<0.0107), and A-ALC ≥0.5 vs <0.5x109 lymphocytes/kg (p<0.0042). On multivariate analysis, the method of stem cell mobilization and the conditioning regimen did not have a statistically significant effect on either OS or PFS. We hypothesize that the differences in PFS and OS seen between the HGF vs C+HGF mobilization groups are mediated through the A-ALC. These data suggest that mobilization regimens should not only collect CD34+ stem cells, but also be optimized to collect an A-ALC target which may impact on PFS and OS post-ASCT.
A Systems Biology Model for the Coagulation Network in Non-Bleeding State Describes Baseline Activity of Coagulation

Coagulation is a process crucial to stop bleeding from a damaged vessel. The network is comprised of a complex interplay of various pro-coagulant and anti-coagulant factors. Several systems models for the coagulation pathway have been published, as a way to investigate the pathway complexity. Most published models describe the thrombin generation profile (TGA) or prothrombin time (PT) following extrinsic pathway activation by tissue factor, or activated partial prothrombin time (aPTT) through activation of the intrinsic pathway by contact activation. In the clinical setting, thrombin-anti-thrombin complex (TAT) and prothrombin fragment 1+2 (PF1+2) are often used as biomarkers for in vivo coagulation activity in the non-bleeding state. Even in the absence of any treatment, there are detectable levels of PF1+2 and TAT in healthy volunteers indicating low level coagulation activity exists in the normal baseline, non-bleeding state. In this study, we developed a mathematical model for coagulation to describe the baseline activity of PF1+2 and TAT. We then used the model to understand the impact of the coagulation pathway activity during non-bleeding state on thrombin generation activated by tissue factor. First, a coagulation model from Hockin et al. (J Biol Chem. 2002;277(21):18322-33) was modified to describe internally generated data for thrombin generation and aPTT modulation following addition of various concentrations of recombinant factor VIIa or plasma derived factor Xa to normal or hemophilic human plasma. Next, protein synthesis and degradation were incorporated into the model and platelet-dependent reactions were tuned down to describe the baseline coagulation activity in non-bleeding healthy subjects. Using a simulated annealing algorithm, the new parameters were optimized to fit published data for PF1+2 and TAT in healthy volunteers and changes of PF1+2 following treatment with eptacog alfa (recombinant factor VIIa). In the model, the baseline coagulation activities can be described by a very low level of tissue factor, which is much lower than the detection limit of a regular ELISA method. Using this baseline model, we tested the effect of this baseline coagulation activity on tissue factor-activated thrombin generation, and found that very small baseline levels of activated enzymes significantly shorten the lag time of thrombin generation, but did not affect the peak thrombin. We also performed a global sensitivity analysis to identify key proteins in the coagulation network whose modulation will have the biggest impact on PF1+2 and TAT levels. Disclosures Lee: Pfizer Inc.: Employment. Nayak: Pfizer Inc.: Employment. Pittman: Pfizer Inc.: Employment. Arkin: Pfizer Inc.: Employment. Martin: Pfizer Inc.: Employment. Heatherington: Pfizer Inc.: Employment. Vicini: Pfizer Inc.: Employment. Hua: Pfizer Inc: Employment.
Mixed optimization for constrained resource allocation, an application to a local bus service

The present paper follows up on Vazquez-Abad (2013), where we applied the ghost simulation model to a public transportation problem. The ghost simulation model replaces faster point processes (passenger arrivals) with a "fluid" model while retaining a discrete event simulation for the rest of the processes (bus dynamics). This is not an approximation, but an exact conditional expectation when the fast process is Poisson. It can be interpreted as a Filtered Monte Carlo method for fast simulation. In the current paper we develop the required theory to implement a mixed optimization procedure to find the optimal fleet size under a stationary probability constraint. It is a hybrid optimization because for each fleet size, the optimal headway is real-valued, while the fleet size is integer-valued. We exploit the structure of the problem to implement a stopped target tracking method combined with stochastic binary search.
The role of social capital and labour exchange in the soils of Mediterranean Chile

The unirrigated Mediterranean region of Central Chile is characterised by high levels of soil degradation and rural poverty. One of the main institutional approaches to these issues have mainly focused on promoting the forest industry’s entrance along with the introduction of agricultural machinery and more efficient agricultural methods. These have been sponsored as an answer for the needed development, which, in most cases, is far from being suited to the ecological and cultural contexts. This article analyses the main historical and sociocultural factors behind this socio-environmental issue, emphasizing how qualitative factors related to the loss of social capital and the disintegration of communities have had fundamental implications for the environmental problem of soil degradation. Finally, it examines regional social dynamics and traditional agricultural activities that propose social cohesion and territorial empowerment as the bases for sustainable agriculture in environmentally vulnerable regions.
Severe Male Breast Enlargement.

An 11-year-old boy presents with grade 3 gynecomastia, with sagging breasts and darkened areolas.