cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Further observations on the nature of prosopagnosia

Two new cases of prosopagnosia are described and compared with pertinent clinical material from the English language literature. The interpretation of this disorder most compatible with the clinical data appears to us to be that there is an underspecification of visuoperceptive information preventing both the formation of significant face images and the retrieval of well-known face memoranda existing within a relatively intact visual remote memory store. Failure of formation of immediate memoranda of similarly complex visual images is also commonly observed but does not seem to be a requirement for the symptom of prosopagnosia. Conceptualizing this abnormality as simply a material specific visual agnosia of images beyond the classifier level would still appear to be acceptable if less informative.
A pleiotropic mutant of Rhodopseudomonas capsulata defective in nitrogen metabolism

Wild type strains of Rhodopseudomonas capsulata typically can use N2, NH+4, or various nitrogenous organic compounds as N sources for photosynthetic growth. One class of mutants selected for inability to grow on N2 (Nif-) also shows simultaneous loss of capacity to obtain N from numerous organic substrates. When supplied at relatively high concentrations, ammonia can be used as the sole N source for growth of such strains. Enzymatic analysis of one mutant (W11) indicates that the pleiotropic effect on N nutrition is neither due to detectable alteration in the activities of nitrogenase or the initial enzymes responsible for bulk assimilation of ammonia (glutamine synthetase and glutamate synthase) nor to absence of systems required for catabolism of organic N sources. The phenotype of W11 (Nit-; defective in N metabolism) appears to result from loss of ability to grow using low concentrations of ammonia (supplied externally or generated in vivo).
An Integrated Modeling Approach to Total Watershed Management: Water Quality and Watershed Assessment of Cheney Reservoir, Kansas, USA

Degradation of water quality is the major health concern for lakes and reservoirs in the central regions of the United States as a result of heavily devoted agricultural production. A vital key to the development of a reservoir management strategy is to identify nutrient loading that describes associated water quality conditions in reservoirs. This study integrated AnnAGNPS watershed and BATHTUB lake models to simulate actual lake water quality conditions of Cheney Reservoir, KS, and demonstrated the use of the coupled model for simulating lake response to changes in different watershed land use and management scenarios. The calibrated current-conditions model simulated in-lake reductions as much as 52% for TN, 48% for TP, and 70% for chlorophyll a due to conversion to native grass, and increases as much as 4% for TN, 9% for TP and 6% for chlorophyll a due to conversion of land from the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) to cropland (15.5% of watershed). This model also demonstrated an increase in chlorophyll a (19%) as the lake sediment capacity was reached over the next century.
Investigation of the interlayers between cemented carbides and titanium carbide coatings obtained by chemical vapor deposition

Abstract Data are presented on the microstructure, microhardness and chemical composition of the interlayers between cemented carbides and chemically vapor-deposited TiC coatings. The carbon: metal ratios of the cubic carbides across the interlayers were obtained by Auger depth profile analysis. The mechanisms of nucleation and diffusional growth of the η-carbide skeleton at the upper layer of the substrate are discussed. It is proposed that a cubic carbide phase acts as a carbon donor and thus inhibits the localized formation of the η-carbide skeleton and retains the integrity of the surrounding network.
The advantages of using triple-marker screening for chromosomal abnormalities

Abstract OBJECTIVE : Our purpose was to assess the utility of triple-marker serum screening for chromosomal abnormalities. STUDY DESIGN: Our laboratory received 10,605 samples that were between 15 and 22 weeks' gestation for maternal serum screening of chromosomal abnormalities. Triple-maker maternal serum screening consisted of α-fetoprotein, human chorionic gonadotropin, and unconjugated estriol in conjunction with maternal age. Women ≥35 years old were first offered amniocentesis. If they refused amniocentesis, they were offered the screening test. A second-trimester risk for trisomy 21 ≥ 1:270 was considered screen positive. Patients were screen positive for trisomy f8 if all three markers were low: α-fetoprotein ≤0.75 multiples of the median, unconjugated estriol ≤ 0.60 multiples of the median, and human chorionic gonadotropin ≤0.55 multiples of the median. RESULTS: The initial screen-positive rate was 8.3% (880 women); amniocentesis was offered to 766 (7.2%). Twelve of 16 ascertained cases of trisomy 21 (75%), two of three cases of trisomy 18 (67%), five cases of 45,X karyotype, and one case each of 45,X/46,XX, 47,XXY, 47,XYY, 46,XX,ins(2)(q21p13p15)mat, and 69,XXX karyotypes were identified in the screen-positive patients. All four known cases of trisomy 21 in the 886 women ≥35 years old who were screened were detected, with a 21% false-positive rate. Omitting unconjugated estriol from our screening program would have resulted in detecting nine of 16 trisomy 21 and six of 12 other chromosomal abnormalities. The false-positive rate would have remained the same. CONCLUSION: In our sample cohort addition of unconjugated estriol to the screening program resulted in an increased detection rate of chromosomal abnormalities with no change in the false-positive rate. Considering the advancement in screening for chromosomal abnormalities, maternal age alone as an indicatio for amniocentesis should be reevaluated.
Developmental toxicity of prenatal exposure to toluene.

Organic solvents have become ubiquitous in our environment and are essential for industry. Many women of reproductive age are incresingly exposed to solvents such as toluene in occupational settings (ie, long-term, lowconcentration exposures) or through inhalant abuse (eg, episodic, binge exposures to high concentrations). The risk for teratogenic outcome is much less with low to moderate occupational solvent exposure compared with the greater potential for adverse pregnancy outcomes, developmental delays, and neurobehavioral problems in children born to women exposed to high concentrations of abused organic solvents such as toluene, 1,1,1-trichloroethane, xylenes, and nitrous oxide. Yet the teratogenic effects of abuse patterns of exposure to toluene and other inhalants remain understudied. We briefly review how animal models can aid, substantially in clarifying the developmental risk of exposure to solvents for adverse biobehavioral outcomes following abuse patterns of use and in the absence of associated health problems and co-drug abuse (eg, alcohol). Our studies also begin to establish the importance of dose (concentration) and critical perinatal periods of exposure to specific outcomes. The present results with our clinically relevant animal model of repeated, brief, high-concentration binge prenatal toluene exposure demonstrate the dose-dependent effect of toluene on prenatal development, early postnatal maturation, spontaneous exploration, and amphetamine-induced locomotor activity. The results imply that abuse patterns of toluene exposure may be more deleterious than typical occupational exposure on fetal development and suggest that animal models are effective in studying the mechanisms and risk factors of organic solvent teratogenicity.
On the perfectly reflecting boundary conditions

(1984). On the perfectly reflecting boundary conditions. Communications in Partial Differential Equations: Vol. 9, No. 10, pp. 943-953.
Factor VIII inhibitors: A clinical overview

There is much evidence to indicate that inhibitors to Factor VIII in patients with classical hemophilia are the result of an immunological response to exposure to material (VIII:C or VIII:CAg) that is absent or present in reduced amounts in these patients. The inhibitor is an antibody that is usually restricted in immunochemical composition and in many instances contains predominantly or exclusively gamma G3 or gamma G4 heavy chains. Exposure to Factor VIII in many inhibitor patients leads to typical anamnestic responses with marked increases in the level of the inhibitor. The tendency to develop inhibitors and the clinical characteristics of the inhibitor may be affected by genetic factors, basal levels of Factor VIII:C and/or VIII:CAg, and the nature and amount of the "immunizing" material. Currently accepted therapeutic modalities are aimed primarily at the management of acute bleeding episodes.
Interactions between groundwater and surface water in a virginia coastal plain watershed. 1. Hydrological flowpaths

A field study of surface water and groundwater interactions during baseflow and stormflow conditions was performed at the Reedy Creek watershed in the Virginia Coastal Plain. Three estimates of the average saturated hydraulic conductivity (Ks) of the unconfined aquifer were in reasonable agreement (ranging from 0.0033 to 0.010 cm/s), indicating that baseflow in the creek is entirely from the drainage of shallow groundwater from the relatively thin (1–6 m thick) unconfined aquifer. This relatively permeable surficial aquifer was found to be underlain by dark, olive grey, clay-silt and diatomaceous Miocene deposits of low permeability known as the Calvert Formation, which is believed to function as a confining bed in the area. A chemical hydrograph separation technique was used to resolve the contributions of [old] (pre-event) and [new] (event) water to stormflow. Results from a major rainstorm indicated that old water dominated the stormflow response of the watershed, although the new water contribution approached 40% at the hydrograph peak. Stormflow at Reedy Creek appears to result from saturation overland flow from variable source areas which include the stream channels and a significant part of the riparian wetland area. This response appears to be attributable to the transient dynamics of the shallow groundwater flow system and to the formation of localized groundwater mounds which raise the water-table to the wetland surface.
Dynamics of Salol at Elevated Pressure

The dielectric R relaxation was measured in salol over a range of temperatures at pressures as high as 0.7 GPa. The application of pressure causes a shift of the excess wing, relative to the primary R peak, indicating that the two processes have a distinct origin. Over all measured conditions, the response to pressure of the R relaxation and the dc-conductivity can be described as a volume-activated process, with the respective activation volumes exhibiting the same temperature dependence. When these results are compared to published viscosity data for salol, decoupling is observed at higher pressures and lower temperatures. The steepness index ( Tgnormalized temperature dependence of the R-relaxation times) decreases with pressure by -0.011 per MPa. Near Tg, the relaxation is governed equally by volume and by thermal energy, the usual result for molecular glass formers in the absence of extensive intermolecular hydrogen bonding.
Discrepant values, correlated measures: cross-city and longitudinal comparisons of self-reports and urine tests of cocaine use among arrestees

Abstract The validity of offenders' reports of illegal drug use has been challenged with data from the Drug Use Forecasting (DUF) program showing large discrepancies between arrestees' self-reports of cocaine use and the results of urine tests. The underreporting of drug use within populations, however, does not invalidate self-reports as indicators of drug use across populations if the ratio between self- reports and more objective indicators is reasonably stable. The study reported here tested this hypothesis with cross-sectional data from 13 DUF sites and longitudinal data from the St. Louis DUF program. The cross-city and longitudinal analyses both show a strong relationship between self-reports and urine tests for recent cocaine use by male arrestees that holds up under alternative model specifications and sample configurations. If these results are reproduced in subsequent research, they may have wide application in criminal justice settings and could reduce reliance on drug testing to estimate drug use for populations.
Combination of Raman data and ab initio calculations for the determination of the conformational stability of the Oxalyl halides

Abstract From a combination of the Raman spectral data and ab initio calculations, the relative conformational stabilities have been determined for the oxalyl halides in both the gaseous and liquid states.
Unusual geometries and questions of oxidation state in potential Sn(III) chemistry.

A mixed-valence compound (Sn2I3(NPPh3)3) with nonequivalent Sn atoms in characteristic 2+ and 4+ Sn geometries, raised the idea of an average Sn3+ structure. The extended structures of Sr4Sn2Se9 and Sr4Sn2Se10 contain an unusual Sn2Se6 subunit, which has two equal Se−Sn−Se angles close to 160°. This was suggestive of a Sn3+/Sn3+ compound, similar to the putative transition state for the valence state interchange in the molecular compound. These interesting geometrical features of two quite different molecules prompt a series of computations, a detective story of geometries and oxidation states, which concludes tentatively that the Sn with the abnormal angle in the extended structure is still likely to be formally Sn4+.
Boltzmann distribution of bond orientations and perpendicular anisotropy in amorphous rare-earth-transition-metal films.

We show that the Boltzmann distribution of bond orientations induced by a perpendicularly magnetized layer in the growth process of an amorphous rare-earth--transition-metal film always leads to the bulk perpendicular magnetic anisotropy, irrespective of the specific functional form of the bond energy. The initial perpendicularly magnetized layer can arise from the surface anisotropy produced by antiparallel dipoles or even from spontaneous magnetization.
Anogenital distance and dominance status in male house mice (Mus domesticus)

Factors influencing the tendency to be aggressive were investigated in male house mice using a series of paired encounters. Body size, body lenght, body temperature, age, and anogenital distance were measured on all males. Paired encounters were conducted using a standard mouse cage as an arena. Across 64 males involved in 224 encounters, the tendency to be dominant and win encounters was significantly correlated only with anogenital distance (r = 0.383). These findings suggest that there are significant behavioral effects in male mice that could parallel the intrauterine position and related prental hormone effects that have been elucidated in female house mice and other rodents. © 1995 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Effects of precursor additives on the stability of plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposited a-GeC(O):H films

Germanium- and carbon-based films were deposited by plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition from tetramethylgermane (TMGe) with additions of oxygen, hydrogen, or argon. The index of refraction, extinction coefficient, and optical gap and Fourier transform infrared spectra of the films were measured as well as their stability in regular ambiance. It was found that the films deposited from pure TMGe were stable in time only if deposited at a negative bias above -250 V direct current. Films deposited at a bias of -150 V direct current could be stabilized by significant additions of oxygen to the plasma and complete stabilization was achieved at O 2 /TMGe ratios larger than 3 in the gas feed when GeO x films containing small amounts of C and H were obtained. Additions of hydrogen or argon to TMGe had only slight effects in improving the stability off the films.
Trace formulas for Toeplitz matrices with piecewise continuous symbols

asymptotically for certain functions f and for 4, a piecewise continuous function. The more general problem has been studied for smooth 4 in [9] and also for many other classes of operators [7, 8, lo]. It of course yields information about determinants by choosing f to be the logarithm and gives information about the behavior of the eigenvalues of T,,[&]. Closely related to the matrix T,[q5] is the Toeplitz matrix T,: HZ + Hz, where HP= {fELP(S’)If,=O, k<O}
New insights on Illinoian deglaciation from deposits of Glacial Lake Quincy, central Indiana

Abstract The deposits of Glacial Lake Quincy overlie a diamicton associated with the classically defined Illinoian limit in central Indiana. This lake covered at least 180 km 2 with a depth of > 20 m and developed when the Illinoian ice sheet retreated 15 km from the maximum limit, causing lake impoundment against Devore Ridge. Overflow from Glacial Lake Quincy eroded across the ridge forming a number of steeped-walled outlets. A section along Mill Creek exposes a sedimentologic sequence associated with Glacial Lake Quincy from a subglacial diamicton to ice-proximal to ice-distal glacial lacustrine sediments. We report new optical ages by multiple aliquot regenerative dose procedure for the fine-grained rhythmically bedded sediments presumed to represent the lowest energy depositional facies, dominated by suspension settling, which maximized sunlight exposure. In turn, optical ages were determined on the fine-grained (4–11 μm) polymineral and quartz fractions under infrared and blue excitation, which yielded statistically similar ages. Optical ages span from ca. 170 to 108 ka, with the average of 16 optical ages indicating deglaciation at ca. 135 ka, generally coincident with Marine Oxygen Isotope Stage 6-to-5 transition and rise in global sea level.
Change in adult self-esteem: a longitudinal assessment.

This is a longitudinal investigation of self-esteem change in an adult population. The analysis addresses two limitations in earlier studies: the use of convenience samples of children and adolescents, and cross-sectional or short-duration longitudinal studies of self-esteem change. Participants are 97 randomly selected married couples interviewed at two points in time separated by 13 years. Two components of the self were measured: self-esteem and reflected appraisals (perception of others' evaluation). Contrary to precious research on self-esteem change, a significant decline was found in all components of the self for both husbands and wives. The decline in self-esteem was not a function of age, education or income. The decline was more likely to occur for high, rather than low, self-esteem participants. This finding is attributed to the demands on higher self-esteem participants to maintain or enhance self-esteem and the caution of low self-esteem participants to engage in behaviours that would threaten the self.
Digital mockups for the testing of a medical ventilator

Medical devices have become more difficult to test as hardware and software complexity grows. Device manufacturers must meet minimum standards while striving to reduce product development time. New techniques for providing comprehensive testing need to be developed that can be easily configured, cover a broad range of test scenarios, and facilitate automation. Digital mockups describe a method of testing a cyber-physical device wherein a digital model of the environment is used to stress a real device's embedded software and functionality. We demonstrate the use of a digital mockup to test a medical ventilator device. A lung model is hosted on an FPGA and connected to a ventilator by bypassing the ventilator's transducers. PC-based manager software allows user configuration in real-time of both the device and the model to facilitate test automation. An XML model description is embedded in the digital mockup framework to facilitate communication between the FPGA and PC software.
VIRAL INFECTIONS: THE MOST COMMONLY IDENTIFIED CAUSE OF FEVER IN CHILDREN WITH CHEMOTHERAPY-INDUCED NEUTROPENIA † 1041

VIRAL INFECTIONS: THE MOST COMMONLY IDENTIFIED CAUSE OF FEVER IN CHILDREN WITH CHEMOTHERAPY-INDUCED NEUTROPENIA † 1041
Potential contribution of naïve immune effectors to oral tumor resistance: role in synergistic induction of VEGF, IL-6, and IL-8 secretion

The aim of this study is to identify the phenotype of resistant oral tumors, and to delineate the contribution of immune effectors to resistance of oral tumors. UCLA-1 oral tumors which were resistant to NK cell mediated cytotoxicity secreted increased amounts of IL-6, IL-1β, GM-CSF, and IL-8 when cultured with or without immune effectors. In addition, the levels of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) secretion in the co-cultures of naive immune effectors with UCLA-1 rose significantly when compared to tumor cells alone. IL-2 activated NK cells decreased VEGF secretion in all tumor cells. However, NK cells which were induced to undergo cell death with anti-CD16 antibody were not only unable to decrease VEGF secretion, but they also contributed further to the increase in VEGF secretion by oral tumors. Overall, we show in this paper that naive as well as non-viable immune effectors may contribute to the growth and resistance of oral tumors by triggering the secretion of key tumor cell growth factors.
Design of three-dimensional, millimeter-scale models for molecular folding.

This communication describes the fabrication of three-dimensional structures of organic polymers using principles of design inspired by protein folding. The structures consist of rigid polyhedral components with dimensions of a few millimeters (“microdomains”), representing α-helical and β-sheet secondary structures, connected with flexible linkers representing loops or turns. These structures were fabricated from polyurethane using photolithographic and soft lithographic techniques. The surfaces of the microdomains were patterned into hydrophobic and hydrophilic regions, and a hydrophobic photocurable liquid (serving both as lubricant and adhesive) was selectively precipitated onto the hydrophobic areas. The unfolded structures were suspended in water and agitated by tumbling. Self-assembly occurred through coalescence of the thin films of hydrophobic liquid, and was caused by minimization of the free energy of the interface between the liquid adhesive and the water. The self-assembled structures were lo...
Motivational group counseling for low-performing students

Abstract Group counseling approaches for low-performing students were compared on self-concept, locus of control, school grades, attitude, and behavior. Data analysis showed group counseling to be effective
Customer and household matching: resolving entity identity in data warehouses

The data preparation and cleansing tasks necessary to ensure high quality data are among the most difficult challenges faced in data warehousing and data mining projects. The extraction of source data, transformation into new forms, and loading into a data warehouse environment are all time consuming tasks that can be supported by methodologies and tools. This paper focuses on the problem of record linkage or entity matching, tasks that can be very important in providing high quality data. Merging two or more large databases into a single integrated system is a difficult problem in many industries, especially in the wake of acquisitions. For example, managing customer lists can be challenging when duplicate entries, data entry problems, and changing information conspire to make data quality an elusive target. Common tasks with regard to customer lists include customer matching to reduce duplicate entries and household matching to group customers. These often O(n 2 ) problems can consume significant resources, both in computing infrastructure and human oversight, and the goal of high accuracy in the final integrated database can be difficult to assure. This paper distinguishes between attribute corruption and entity corruption, discussing the various impacts on quality. A metajoin operator is proposed and used to organize past and current entity matching techniques. Finally, a logistic regression approach to implementing the metajoin operator is discussed and illustrated with an example. The metajoin can be used to determine whether two records match, don't match, or require further evaluation by human experts. Properly implemented, the metajoin operator could allow the integration of individual databases with greater accuracy and lower cost.
Alcohol Drinking and Total Mortality Risk

To evaluate further the relation between alcohol consumption and total mortality, we have carried out new Cox proportional hazards model analyses of 21,535 deaths through 2002 in the Kaiser Permanente study. This follow-up includes 2,618,523 person-years of observation, with a mean follow-up of 20.6 years. We adjusted for age, sex, ethnicity, body mass index, marital status, education, and smoking. New methodology was used to stratify light-moderate drinkers into groups felt more or less likely to include under-reporters. The analysis reconfirms that the relation of alcohol drinking to total mortality is J-shaped, with reduced risk (mainly because of less cardiovascular disease) for lighter drinkers and increased risk for persons reporting more than 3 drinks per day. Infrequent (occasional) drinkers have risk similar to that of lifelong abstainers, while former drinkers are at increased risk, especially for noncardiac death. The general shape of the relation of alcohol to mortality is similar for men and women. Age differences are substantial, with the apparent benefit from light-moderate drinking not seen before middle life. Our data indicate further that the apparent magnitude of benefit of lighter drinking is probably reduced by systematic underreporting.
Prognosticators for Visual Outcome in Sarcoid Uveitis

Purpose: The purpose of the study is to delineate the visual prognosticators in sarcoid-associated uveitis given the current standards of care. Methods: The records of 60 patients with sarcoid-associated uveitis who were observed for at least 6 months were studied retrospectively. Multivariate regression models using the generalized estimating equations approach to adjust for the correlation between fellow eyes were applied to determine disease, patient, and treatment characteristics that altered the odds of visual rehabilitation. Results: One hundred twelve eyes of 43 women and 17 men who met the inclusion criteria were identified. Seventy-seven percent of patients were white, 15% black, and 8% of Hispanic origin. Uveitis developed in the patients at a mean age of 42 (range, 482) years. Of the 112 affected eyes, 81% had granulomatous and 15% nongranulomatous uveitis. Most patients (66%) had anterior or intermediate uveitis alone. Ninety-one percent had chronically smoldering disease; another 7% had recurrent flares, and only 1 patient had a monophasic acute course to her uveitis. Vision-threatening complications developed in many patients, including 58% in whom cystoid macular edema developed and 25% in whom media opacities developed, requiring cataract surgery or vitrectomy or both. Overall, 34% of treated eyes and 51% of patients had final visual acuities that were superior to their acuities at presentation. The factors most significantly associated with a final visual acuity of worse than 20/40 after controlling for potential confounders were as follows: delay in presentation to a subspecialist (odds ratio [OR] = 2.94, P=0.05), total duration of uveitis (OR = 1.04, P = 0.09), development of cystoid macular edema (OR = 0.37, P = 0.07) or glaucoma (OR = 4.54, P = 0.02), presence of intermediate (OR = 5.00, P = 0.01) or posterior uveitis (OR = 8.33, P = 0.04), and systemic steroid use (OR = 0.30, P = 0.03) were the parameters most strongly correlated with a lack of visual acuity improvement. Delay in presentation to a subspecialist (OR = 20.00, P = 0.01), development of glaucoma (OR = 50.00, P = 0.005), presence of intermediate (OR = 25.00, P = 0.02) or posterior uveitis (OR = 50.00, P = 0.02), black race (OR = 11.11, P = 0.02), (log) visual acuity at presentation (OR = 0.05, P = 0.0001), and use of systemic steroids (OR = 0.07, P = 0.02). Conclusion: Multivariate outcomes analysis, particularly after correcting for the correlation between fellow eyes, is a useful analytic tool for optimization of standards of care and for disease risk stratification to aid both physicians and patients.
Sucht und Armut: epidemiologische Zusammenhänge und präventive Ansätze

Einleitung In Deutschland leben 15% der Bevolkerung in Einkommensarmut. Berichtet wird daruber, wie stark Suchtprobleme (Tabak, Alkohol, illegale Drogen) in der Armutsbevolkerung verbreitet sind, und welche armutsbezogenen suchtpraventiven Ansatze moglich waren.
Switching Costs in Netherlands Energy Markets: Can Liberalisation Bring Benefits to Small Customers?

We use data from a consumer survey to uncover factors deterring consumer switching in liberalised residential energy markets in The Netherlands. We find that actual or perceived switching costs represent an important barrier for switching energy suppliers. This enables incumbent firms to charge higher markups than entrants. We analyse the welfare consequences of switching costs in two scenarios, a pessimistic one in which switching costs remain at the level measured in the survey and an optimistic one in which they decline enough for the market to reach a competitive equilibrium level. The paper concludes with a discussion of policy options for reducing switching costs.
Automatically computing path complexity of programs

Recent automated software testing techniques concentrate on achieving path coverage. We present a complexity measure that provides an upper bound for the number of paths in a program, and hence, can be used for assessing the difficulty of achieving path coverage for a given method. We define the path complexity of a program as a function that takes a depth bound as input and returns the number of paths in the control flow graph that are within that bound. We show how to automatically compute the path complexity function in closed form, and the asymptotic path complexity which identifies the dominant term in the path complexity function. Our results demonstrate that path complexity can be computed efficiently, and it is a better complexity measure for path coverage compared to cyclomatic complexity and NPATH complexity.
Purification of plasma membranes of rat liver, application of zonal centrifugation to isolation of cell membranes

Abstract 1. 1. Subcellular components of rat liver were separated with the zonal centrifuge. The distribution of mitochondria, lysosomes, and endoplasmic reticulum was monitored by analysis of fractions for succinate dehydrogenase (EC 1.3.99.1), acid phosphatase (EC 3.1.3.2), and glucose-6-phosphatase (EC 3.1.3.9), respectively 5′-Nucleotidase (EC 3.1.3.5) was used to measure the distribution of plasma membrane among the subfractions. 2. 2. Fractionation in a density gradient of sucrose resulted in separation of 5′-nucleotidase with two general classes of particles, one of relatively low sedimentation rate, and the other of high sedimentation rate. Whereas more rapidly sedimenting 5′-nucleotidase-rich membranes were free of glucose-6-phosphatase, the slowly sedimenting particles were coincident with glucose-6-phosphatase activity. 3. 3. Plasma membranes were isolated by a combination of rate-zonal and isopycnic centrifugation.
Sarcoplasmic Ca2+ transients during the contractile cycle of single barnacle muscle fibres: measurements with arsenazo III-injected fibres.

Single muscle fibres fromBalanus nubilus were injected with the metallochromic Ca2+ indicator arsenazo III; multi-wavelength microspectrophotometry was used to monitor changes in the absorption spectrum of such fibres during isometric tension transients elicited by electrical stimulation. Differential absorbance changes, recorded in the 660–720 nm region of the spectrum, were characterized by rapid, nearly linear increases during constant current depolarizing pulses (25–200 ms); upon termination of electrical stimuli the increased differential absorbance described an exponential (k=0.6–2.0 s−1) decay toward baseline levels. The maximal increases in these absorbance signals preceded the peaks of the tension transients by 300–400 ms at 15–17° C. Calibration of these optical transients indicated that the initial velocity of the rising phase corresponded to a 0.03 µm ms−1 increase in sarcoplasmic free Ca2+. Appreciable tension was not generated until the apparent peak magnitude of the free Ca2+ transient exceeded 2 µm; a further three-fold increase (from 2 to 6 µm) in the maximal value of the free Ca2+ transient was accompanied by a 20-fold increase in the magnitude of the tension transient.
Moisture diffusion and its impact on uniaxial tensile response of biobased composites

Abstract Biobased composites made from biopolymers and plant-based fibers are being evaluated for construction applications as replacements for wood or petroleum-based composites and plastics. The biobased composites studied here have been demonstrated to rapidly biodegrade in anaerobic conditions to methane thereby reducing construction-related landfill waste and producing a useful end product, namely fuel for energy or a feedstock to grow more biopolymer. To be a useful in construction, susceptibility to moisture and eventual moisture resistance is necessary. Diffusion properties and mechanical properties are characterized in various moisture and temperature conditions for hemp/cellulose acetate and hemp/poly(β-hydroxybutyrate) composites. The composites were observed to follow Fick’s 2nd law of diffusion. The tensile moduli of elasticity were found to decrease with full moisture saturation while the ductility increased and the ultimate strength did not change significantly. Measured diffusion coefficients are compared to petroleum-based and other biobased composites.
Regional Differences in Reactive Gliosis Induced by Substrate-Bound β-Amyloid

Abstract Regions of gliosis surround deposits of (β-amyloid peptide (βAP) in senile plaques of Alzheimer's disease (AD). The association between reactive astrocytes and βAP in senile plaques is most pronounced in cortex and hippocampus but not at other anatomical sites of βAP deposition. We hypothesized that this region-specific pathology in AD could be attributed to differences in glial reactivity in different parts of the central nervous system (CNS). To test this hypothesis, we assayed astrocytes from cerebral cortex, hippocampus, cerebellum, and spinal cord for cellular responsiveness to substrate-bound βAP in vitro . Astrocyte reactivity was monitored by morphological changes, increased deposition of chondroitin sulfate proteoglycan-containing matrix, and alterations in proteoglycan metabolism. Based on these criteria, only cortical and hippocampal astrocytes showed marked reactivity to immobilized βAP. In cortical and hippocampal cultures only, immobilized βAP resulted in increased total radiosulfate incorporation into proteoglycans which was mainly found in the cell/matrix rather than in the media-associated compartment. There were also differences in the proteoglycan synthesis patterns of astrocyte cultures isolated from these CNS regions. These findings suggest that (1) astrocytes are regionally heterogenous in their reactive response to βAP and (2) that specific molecules, in addition to βAP, may exist following trauma or disease which trigger reactive states in astroglia in the cerebellum or spinal cord. These local differences in the interaction between βAP and surrounding astrocytes may play a role in the region-specific pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease.
Periodic recurring series

1. THEOREM. Let x be restricted to rational integral values, and let a1, . . ., ar be constant rational numbers not all zero.
Solid-State 13C NMR Investigation of the Oxidative Degradation of Selectively Labeled Polypropylene by Thermal Aging and γ-Irradiation

Unstabilized polypropylene (PP) films having selective ^(13)C isotopic labeling were subjected to thermal aging at 50, 80, and 109 °C and to γ-irradiation at 24 and 80 °C. The oxidized films were examined using solid-state ^(13)C nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. Dramatic differences were found in the type and distribution of oxidation products originating from the three carbon atom sites within the PP macromolecule (tertiary carbon, secondary carbon, and methyl side group). Most of the oxidation products that formed on the polymer chain originated through chemical reactions at the PP tertiary carbons. Under all of the aging conditions examined, tertiary peroxides (from the PP tertiary site) were the most abundant functional group produced. Also originating from the PP tertiary carbon were significant amounts of tertiary alcohols, together with several more minor products that included “chain-end” methyl ketones. No significant amount of peroxides or alcohols associated with the PP secondary carbon sites was detected. A substantial yield of carboxylate groups was identified (acids, esters, etc.). The majority of these originated from the PP secondary carbon site, from which other minor products also formed, including in-chain ketones. We found no measurable yield of oxidation products originating from reaction at the PP methyl group. Remarkably similar distributions of the major oxidation products were obtained for thermal aging at different temperatures, whereas the product distributions obtained for irradiation at the different temperatures exhibited significant differences. Time-dependent concentration plots have been obtained, which show the amounts of the various oxidation products originating at the different PP sites, as a function of the extent of material oxidation.
Sexual Orientation Disclosure to Health Care Providers Among Urban and Non-Urban Southern Lesbians

Concerns regarding sexual orientation disclosure to health care providers have been suggested as a barrier to care which may account for documented differences in the health care utilization of lesbians relative to heterosexual women. This study explored the correlates of sexual orientation disclosure to health care providers among 934 lesbian women living in urban and non-urban areas of the South. Psychosocial resources, such as self-esteem, social support, and mastery, along with several lesbian-specific experiences (proportion of lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender friends, access to the lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender community, degree of being "out"), were all independently associated with greater likelihood of having disclosed to a health care provider. Internalized homophobia and lesbian-related stigma decreased the likelihood of disclosure. Lesbians living in non-urban areas were significantly less likely to have disclosed than women in urban areas, suggesting that disclosure may present a special concern for populations in non-urban areas.
Neighboring Information and Distributions of Agents' Characteristics Under Uncertainty

Abstract This paper proposes a topological structure for information. Specifically, information is considered an arbitrary sub-σ-field of the σ-field (of measurable subsets of states of the world) which represents events. A complete metric is defined on the space of all equivalence classes of sub-σ-fields; its uniformity is the same for all probability measures (on the abstract measurable space of states of the world and events) which are uniformly absolutely continuous. With this topology, economic behavior depends continuously on the agent's information; demand functions under uncertainty are jointly continuous in utilities, endowments, and information. Moreover, the value of information is a continuous function of the information sub-σ-field. Technical properties of the topology are also given.
An Analysis of a Unified Pricing Model for Multiservice Networks

There has been recent interest in employing unified pricing schemes for supporting both quality-of-service (QoS) and best-effort traffic within multiservice networks. This article presents an analytical approach for the design and analysis of this class of network pricing control. In particular, the authors propose an approximation method to estimate overall user value arising from all traffic types, given the routes for QoS traffic. Their approach considers admission control as both a resource allocation issue and a pricing control decision for QoS traffic in a combined QoS and best-effort environment. The authors show how to convert the price-based admission control decision to a resource-based blocking problem. The experimental results showed that the proposed analytical model is quite accurate as compared to simulation results. The authors also present the numerical results of performance analysis for multiservice networks using their proposed approximation method. Their approach can be used to predict the performance and parameter settings for a wide range of combined QoS and best-effort pricing schemes.
Pancreatic Polypeptide Administration Enhances Insulin Sensitivity and Reduces the Insulin Requirement of Patients on Insulin Pump Therapy

Introduction:The effects of pancreatic polypeptide (PP) infusion were examined in patients on insulin pump therapy to determine whether PP administration can reduce insulin requirements in patients with type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) or type 3c diabetes mellitus (T3cDM; pancreatogenic).Methods:Ten subjects with long-standing T1DM (n = 7)or T3cDM (n = 3)on insulin pump treatment received a 72 h subcutaneous infusion of 2 pmol/kg/min bovine PP or saline by portable infusion pump in a single-blinded, randomized, crossover design.Results:Pancreatic polypeptide infusion raised plasma PP levels to 450–700 pmol/liter. Daily insulin infusion requirements (I) fell from 48 ± 6.9 to 40 ± 7.5 U on day 2 (p < .05)and from 46 ± 7.7 to 37 ± 6.6 U on day 3 (p < .05)of PP infusion compared with saline. Corrected for average blood glucose concentration (G), I/G fell in 10/10 subjects during the second 24 h period and in 7/10 subjects during the third 24 h period; sensitivity to insulin, calculated as 1/(I/G), increased 45...
Animal models of IBD: linkage to human disease

Spontaneous development of intestinal inflammation in many different kinds of genetically engineered mice as well as the presence of numerous susceptibility genes in humans suggests that inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is mediated by more complicated mechanisms than previously predicted. The human genetic studies implicate some major pathways in the pathogenesis of IBD, including epithelial defense against commensal microbiota, the IL-23/Th17 axis, and immune regulation. Murine IBD models, which are genetically engineered to lack some susceptibility genes, have been generated, and have provided useful insights into the therapeutic potential of targeting the susceptibility genes directly or their downstream pathways indirectly for IBD. This review summarizes current information related to the function of IBD-associated genes as derived from genetically engineered mouse models.
The dependence of Δ and Tc on hopping and the temperature variation of Δ in a layered model of HTSC

Abstract The dependence of T c and Δ on the interlayer hopping energy t and the function Δ( T ) are calculated for the model proposed previously in ref. [1] consisting of alternating superconducting and normal layers with considerably different effective masses, with hopping between adjacent layers. No limitations on the value of t are imposed apart from t ⪡ ω D . The ratio 2Δ min T c can differ from the BCS value 3.52 in either direction. For sufficiently large values of t , the temperature dependence of Δ deviates markedly from the BCS curve.
Costs of vasospasm in patients with aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the impact of vasospasm on costs, length of stay, and mortality among inpatients with aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage. METHODS: We combined hospital accounting and physician billing data for a consecutive cohort of 198 patients who underwent surgical clipping or endovascular coiling for subarachnoid hemorrhage repair. We considered patients with transcranial Doppler (TCD) velocity of 120 cm/s or greater in the middle cerebral artery to have TCD-defined vasospasm and patients with delayed ischemic neurological deficit to have symptomatic vasospasm. We compared outcomes of patients with TCD-defined vasospasm (n = 116) and those without (n = 73) and patients with symptomatic vasospasm (n = 62) and those without (n = 127), adjusting for demographic and clinical characteristics. RESULTS: In adjusted analyses, the incremental cost attributable to TCD-defined vasospasm was 1.20 times higher (95% confidence interval, 1.06-1.36; P = .004) than for patients withoutTCD-defined vasospasm. Length of stay was an estimated 1.22 times longer for patients with TCD-defined vasospasm (95% CI, 1.07-1.39; P < .01). For symptomatic vasospasm, adjusted costs were 1.27 times higher (95% CI, 1.12-1.43; P <.001) and length of stay was an estimated 1.24 times longer (95% CI, 1.09-1.40; P < .01) for patients with vasospasm than for those without. There was no significant relationship between either type of vasospasm and in-hospital mortality. CONCLUSION: Patients with subarachnoid hemorrhage and TCD-defined or symptomatic vasospasm incur higher inpatient costs and longer hospital stays than those without vasospasm.
Feeding Behavior of Larvae of the Western Corn Rootworm: Normal Larvae and Larvae Maxillectomized with Laser Radiation,

Larvae of Diabrotica virgifera LeConte (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) cannot live on the roots of oats, but our results showed that rootworm larvae were more attracted to oat roots than they were to corn roots and feeding was initiated on oat roots. No maxillectomized larvae, maxillectomized and labiumectomized larvae, or normal larvae ingested an appreciable amount of oats. The maxillary palpi were important in the detection of sucrose (a feeding stimulant), and appeared to inhibit feeding when sucrose was absent. However, the maxillae were not the only receptors that detected sucrose absence. Other receptors also appeared to detect a feeding deterrent in oat roots. Rootworm larvae seemed constantly to test their substrate with their maxillary palpi, and the palpi continually inhibited the biting response unless they contacted positive stimuli. If the substrate contained a feeding stimulant such as sucrose, the stimulant was detected partly by the maxillary palpi, and the larvae continued to feed. But if a substrate such as oat roots also contained a strong deterrent substance, this negative stimulus was detected by receptors other than the maxillary palpi and feeding ceased. We used laser radiation to maxillectomize rootworm larvae. This technique may be useful in maxillectomizing other small insects and in studying the function of other sense organs.
The Effect of Victim Participation on Parole Decisions: Results From a Southeastern State

Advances in victims' rights in many states have generated numerous changes which potentially affect offenders' dispositions. One of the most pro found of these changes in the last two decades has b...
Effects of Median Cortex Lesions on the Maternal Behavior of the Rat

This study explores the relation of cortical lesions to the rat's maternal behavior. Rather precise electrolytic lesions were made in the anterior and posterior cingulate areas of the median cortex. A quantitative measure of maternal behavior was obtained by a continuous recording of the rat's movements about the observation box and her picking up and depositing of pups in response to scattering the litter and directing air and heat blasts onto the litter. Data indicate (1) the lesions were differential in their effect. Only the anterior cingulate lesions produced significant disruptions in the maternal behaviors. (2) The lesions disrupted only certain sequential aspects of the maternal activities. The groups did not differ in their over-all retrieving behavior or in the number of pups they removed from the air blast. However, the anterior cingulate lesioned animals were observed to carry their pups several times around the observation box before depositing them; thus they carried their pups over signific...