cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
How companies can use hedging to create shareholder value.

This article provides a framework for designing and evaluating corporate risk management and hedging programs. Corporate risk management has the potential to create substantial shareholder wealth by protecting companies from unexpected events that could force them to put their strategic investment plans on hold or even endanger their existence. However, assessing the performance of risk management, and how it is expected to increase the value of the enterprise, is a difficult undertaking because the costs of risk management tend to be much easier to quantify-indeed, they often appear directly on the firm's bottom line-than the benefits. The author begins by discussing how to evaluate the benefits and costs of a risk management program in general terms, and then focuses more directly on the assessment of corporate hedging programs, which are generally conducted with derivatives. In practice, there are many obstacles to designing and carrying out a successful hedging program. But one of the most common has been the tendency of top managements to insist that hedging programs be 'costless.' The author argues that just as the purchase of fire insurance is not viewed as waste of funds or a bad investment if the insured house does not burn down, the use of derivatives in a well-designed hedge should not be viewed as a mistake if the derivative position produces losses. To guard against this mistake, the people who design and implement risk management strategies must ensure that their CEOs and boards understand the possible outcomes of the strategy-including losses on derivatives position-and how the strategy itself increases the (expected) value of the firm. Further, management should attempt to communicate the principles underlying its risk management program and the value created by its hedging strategy to the investment community. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Purchase Intentions and Purchase Behavior

This paper provides a framework for collecting, analyzing, and interpreting purchase intentions data.
Regional Winners and Losers in the Reagan Budget Cuts: Who Got What Where?

In this paper, the spatial allocation of federal expenditure changes from the last year of the Carter Administration to the first year of the Reagan Administration (fiscal year 1981 to fiscal year 1982) is examined. Federal expenditures are divided into several categories and subcategories, and their allocations by state are mapped. Although some spatial patterns are evident in total federal expenditures and for some of the major categories of expenditure, there is often little agreement in the regional patterns of winning and losing states.
Practicing vision: Integration, evaluation and applications

Abstract Computer vision has emerged as a challenging and important area of research, both as an engineering and a scientific discipline. The growing importance of computer vision is evident from the fact that it was identified as one of the ″Grand Challenges″ and also from its prominent role in the National Information Infrastructure. While the design of a general purpose vision system continues to be elusive, machine vision systems are being used successfully in specific application domains. Building a practical vision system requires a careful selection of appropriate sensors, extraction and integration of information from available cues in the sensed data, and evaluation of system robustness and performance. We discuss and demonstrate advantages of (i) multi-sensor fusion, (ii) combination of features and classifiers, (iii) integration of visual modules, and (iv) admissibility and goal-directed evaluation of vision algorithms. The requirements of several prominent real world applications such as biometry, document image analysis, image and video database retrieval, and automatic object model construction offer exciting problems and new opportunities to design and evaluate vision algorithms.
The Surveyability of Mathematical Proof: A Historical Perspective

This paper rejoins the debate surrounding Thomas Tymockzko’s paper on the surveyability of proof, first published in the Journal of Philosophy, and makes the claim that by attending to certain broad features of modern conceptions of proof we may understand ways in which the debate surrounding the surveyability of proof has heretofore remained unduly circumscribed. Motivated by these historical reflections, I suggest a distinction between local and global surveyability which I believe has the promise to open up significant new advances in the philosophy of mathematics.
A comparison of the largest rainfall-runoff floods in the United States with those of the People's Republic of China and the world

Abstract The maximum historic rainfall-runoff floods measured in the United States, the People's Republic of China and the world all plot close to a smooth curve of drainage area versus discharge. In the United States, the possibility that flood peaks were overestimated and the closeness of these peaks to the probable maximum floods suggest that this limiting curve of maximum floods will not significantly change position with more data. Data for future floods that plot above this curve need to be examined carefully. The most likely interpretations for new data points above the curve would be the confusion of a mud or debris flow with a water-dominated flood, or the damming of channels by debris or a landslide and subsequent bursting. In the United States, excluding Hawaii, the largest measured historic floods in basins less than about 1000 km2, all occurred in arid and semi-arid areas. In China, the majority of the largest measured historic floods occurred in the east and southeast in basins on the windward side of mountainous areas, and in locations affected by typhoons. One extraordinary flood that exceeds any other recorded flood in the world for the size of the drainage basin in which it occurred is the New Caledonia flood of December 24, 1981 on the Ouaieme River. Worldwide, the largest measured historic floods occurred primarily between 40°N and 40°S latitude on streams and rivers near coastal areas.
Effect of selected exercises on in-shoe plantar pressures in people with diabetes and peripheral neuropathy

Abstract Background In people with diabetes and peripheral neuropathy (DM+PN), injury risk is not clearly known for weight bearing (WB) vs. non-weight bearing (NWB) exercise. In-shoe peak plantar pressures (PPP) often are used as a surrogate indicator of injury to the insensitive foot. Objective Compare PPPs in people with DM+PN during selected WB and NWB exercises. Methods Fifteen subjects with DM+PN participated. PPPs were recorded for the forefoot, midfoot, and heel during level walking and compared to; WB exercises – treadmill walking, heel and toe raises, sit to stands, stair climbing, single leg standing; and NWB exercises – stationary bicycling, balance ball exercise and plantar flexion exercise. Results Compared to level walking; mean forefoot PPP during treadmill walking was 13% higher, but this difference was eliminated when walking speed was used as a covariate. Mean PPPs were similar or substantially lower for other exercises, except for higher forefoot PPP with heel raise exercises. Conclusions Slow progression and regular monitoring of insensitive feet are recommended for all exercises, but especially for heel raises, and increases in walking speed. The remaining WB and NWB exercises pose no greater risk to the insensitive foot due to increases in PPP compared to level walking.
India's Rise as a Software Power: Governmental Policy Factors

The Indian government's policies toward an open, global market, support of educational institutions, and enhancement of appropriate infrastructure helped enable their software industry to become critical components of India's economic growth in the 1990s. The Technical, Organizational, and Personal perspective (T, O, and P) model is utilized to examine different affects that each perspective, inclusive of government policies, has on a socio-technical system (Software development in India). The Indian government has provided substantial economic liberalization to support their software industries, though continued reform is necessary to ensure that they remain a software superpower.
The computer manager

The manager of data processing or computation in an organization faces a variety of problems both technical and managerial. Little has been done, at this time, to determine what the unique characteristics of this particular manager might be. This research was therefore undertaken in an effort to learn some of the general attributes about computer managers. The research project is expected to continue into the future; therefore, this is a preliminary report.
Relative Efficiencies of CpM(CO)nCH3 and CpM(CO)nPh (M = Cr, Mo, W, and Fe) Complexes in Photoinduced DNA Cleavage

The relative efficiencies of photoinduced DNA cleavage by complexes of the type CpM(CO)nR (M = Cr, Mo, or W, n = 3, R = CH3 or Ph; M = Fe, n = 2, R = CH3 or C6H5) have been investigated using a plasmid relaxation assay. Only the tungsten and iron complexes reproducibly caused single strand scission, in addition to which the iron systems efficiently gave double strand cleavage. The iron complexes gave strand scission at lower concentrations than the corresponding tungsten systems, with the phenyl complexes producing more damage than the methyl systems.
The role of testosterone in the organization, maintenance and activation of pup-killing behavior in the male rat.

Abstract When placed together with a group of newborn pups, an adult male rat will usually kill and devour the pups whereas a female usually will not. The present experiment was designed to further examine the role of testosterone in the development and exhibition of this sexually dimorphic behavior by controlling the presence or absence of testosterone during three age spans: Days 2–30, 31–90, and 91–120. The results indicate that it is meaningful to use the developmental concepts of organization and activation with regard to the hormonal control of pup-killing behavior, but exposure to testosterone between organization and activation (i.e., maintenance) was not necessary.
Restoration of the Epstein-Barr Virus ZEBRA Protein's Capacity to Disrupt Latency by the Addition of Heterologous Activation Regions

The ZEBRA protein has a unique biological function among herpesviral proteins. It is responsible for the disruption of Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) latency and the induction of the lytic cycle. ZEBRA is a bZIP transcriptional activator which binds as a dimer to 7-bp response elements within EBV promoters and is directly involved in the stimulation of virus replication at the EBV lytic origin. We have employed the ZEBRA/EBV biological system to test whether a heterologous activation domain can substitute for another activation domain (the ZEBRA domain). The ZEBRA activation region was replaced with the potent acid activation region from the herpes simplex virus VP16 protein or with the activation region of the EBV R protein. Both chimeras were found to transactivate model and native promoters at equivalent or better levels than ZEBRA itself. Activation was not target- or cell-type dependent, nor was it dependent on the presence of virus. These activation domains restored ZEBRA's ability to induce early antigen and to stimulate origin replication to levels that were equal to or greater than those of wild type. These studies suggest that the specificities of some of the known biological functions of ZEBRA are not dependent upon the nature of the activation domain present within ZEBRA.
Characteristics and Behaviors of Older Male Anabolic Steroid Users

Objective:To compare and contrast the characteristics of 2 groups of men ≥40 years old: reported anabolic–androgenic steroid (AAS) users and nonusers.Design:Cross-sectional survey.Setting:Thirty-ei...
TU-FF-A1-03: Dose Verification in Proton Therapy Via Imaging Gamma-Ray Emission

Purpose: To investigate gamma‐ray emission image during the treatment of proton therapy as a possible method to verify dose delivering, such as dose value and its distribution Method and Materials: In this study, MCNPX 2.5 was used to simulate a simplified broad beam proton therapy treatment system, in which two broadening scatters were used to broad the initial mono‐energy 200 MeV beam. The beam was broadened from initial radius of ∼5 mm to that of ∼40 mm. In this simulation, protons,neutrons, electrons, and photons have been transported. In front of water phantom there is a water telescope to adjust the range of the broadened bream of proton before it ejects in to a water phantom. The images of emitted gamma‐ray were obtained on the two image planes which were 20 cm from the surface of the phantom and were parallel and perpendicular to the beam respectively. The gamma‐ray lines emission from annihilation of positrons and inelastic scatter of protons with oxygen nuclei were investigated. Additionally the image of gamma‐ray line emission from neutron capture was obtained also Results: Association between the gamma‐ray emission images and delivered dose was found.The intensity of image was related to the energy and flux of the beam. The longitude distribution of intensity of image related to the energy spectrum of ejected beam. For a beam with a given energy spectrum, the image intensity is proportional to the flux of beam. The image of gamma‐ray from neutron is closely related to the secondary dose that was mainly attributed to the neutrons generated in the treatment nozzle Conclusion: The simulation shows that the image of gamma‐ray emission is closely related to the energy and flux of proton beam. The projected 2‐D distribution of delivered dose could be estimated based of the observed emission images.
Distinct and separable activities of the endocytic clathrin-coat components Fcho1/2 and AP-2 in developmental patterning

Clathrin-mediated endocytosis requires the coordinated spatial and temporal recruitment of adaptor, sorting and cargo proteins. Traub and colleagues investigate this process during zebrafish development and report that the AP-2 adaptor protein complex has a key, early role in clathrin-coated bud formation. Fcho1/2, though necessary for proper development, seems to act downstream of AP-2.
Virtualized Disaster Recovery Model for Large Scale Hospital and Healthcare Systems

Healthcare organizations face rising costs in effective management of hospital information systems. Adding to this burden is the Joint Commissionâ€™s mandate for disaster preparedness, which demands restoring access to information after unexpected catastrophes. Disaster recovery within healthcare organizations is essential because of its inherent critical nature and the possible lossesâ€™ impact on patientsâ€™ lives. This paper presents a virtualized disaster recovery model and presents steps for setting up the recovery environment and implementing the virtualized plan across multiple network systems. A large scale hospital and healthcare system in Minnesota participated in this study, and results indicate that the virtual model can provide acceptable performance when a limited number of client workstations are functioning. However, its performance is not as good as the traditional physical model, and its workload performance decays much quicker. Future research is suggested that tests more sophisticated models and incorporates finer granularity in the tabular distribution methodology.
Derivation of guidelines for blasting floating ice

Abstract Empirical prediction curves for ice blasting are given, and their derivation and use is explained. Alternative forms of the curves, which relate more closely to conventional underwater explosion technology, are developed and examined. Results of experiments with gas blasting devices are summarized and discussed in relation to the cratering effects of conventional explosives. There is a brief discussion of the energetics of ice fragmentation, effects of surface charges are outlined, and penetration by shaped charges is described.
The renormalized two-scale method

We show that, by uniting the two-scale method with the counterterm method of renormalized perturbation, one obtains approximate solutions of nonlinear motions which hold for all times.
Nonwork-to-work spillover: A more balanced view of the experiences and coping of professional women and men

A more balanced view of nonwork-to-work spillover was advanced here. The concentration of research on the negative side may serve to support some damaging assumptions about professional women. A sample of 221 experienced managers indicated how parenting, community work, and recreation affected work both positively and negatively, and the extent they used certain coping strategies. Women comprised 35% of the sample and ethnic minorities comprised 18%. The managers agreed more strongly with statements about positive nonwork-to-work spillover than with those about the negative side. Women and men reported largely the same levels of nonwork involvement, time commitment, satisfaction, positive spillover, and use of the coping strategies. Compared to men, women did report lower negative spillover overall, and greater use of the strategies when they were parents. The findings suggest that employers should be less concerned with how active women are in nonwork, and more concerned with how well both men and women manage their various life domains.
NASA thermal control technologies for robotic spacecraft

Technology development is inevitably a dynamic process in search of an elusive goal. It is never truly clear whether the need for a particular technology drives its development, or the existence of a new capability initiates new applications. Technology development for the thermal control of spacecraft presents an excellent example of this situation. Nevertheless, it is imperative to have a basic plan to help guide and focus such an effort. Although this plan will be a living document that changes with time to reflect technological developments, perceived needs, perceived opportunities, and the ever-changing funding environment, it is still a very useful tool. This presentation summarizes the current efforts at National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)/Goddard and NASA/JPL to develop new thermal control technology for future robotic NASA missions.
Cohesin Interaction with Centromeric Minichromosomes Shows a Multi-Complex Rod-Shaped Structure

Cohesin is the protein complex responsible for maintaining sister chromatid cohesion. Cohesin interacts with centromeres and specific loci along chromosome arms known as Chromosome Attachment Regions (CARs). The cohesin holocomplex contains four subunits. Two of them, Smc1p (Structural maintenance of chromosome 1 protein) and Smc3p, are long coiled-coil proteins, which heterodimerize with each other at one end. They are joined together at the other end by a third subunit, Scc1p, which also binds to the fourth subunit, Scc3p. How cohesin interacts with chromosomes is not known, although several models have been proposed, in part on the basis of in vitro assembly of purified cohesin proteins. To be able to observe in vivo cohesin-chromatin interactions, we have modified a Minichromosome Affinity Purification (MAP) method to isolate a CAR-containing centromeric minichromosome attached to in vivo assembled cohesin. Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) analysis of these minichromosomes suggests that cohesin assumes a rod shape and interacts with replicated minichromosome at one end of that rod. Additionally, our data implies that more than one cohesin molecule interacts with each pair of replicated minichromsomes. These molecules seem to be packed into a single thick rod, suggesting that the Smc1p and Smc3p subunits may interact extensively.
The significance of coronary calcification detected by fluoroscopy. A report of 360 patients.

Cardiac fluoroscopy to detect coronary calcification was performed on 360 patients before undergoing coronary arteriography for proven or suspected coronary artery disease. Among the 154 patients in whom coronary calcification was identified, 97% had significant coronary disease angiographically (≧ 70% stenosis). In this group, the distribution of one, two, and three vessel coronary disease was 9%, 25%, and 66% respectively. The prevalence of coronary calcification increased with age and severity of coronary disease, but no difference in males versus females was demonstrable. The angiographic severity of coronary disease increased with multiple vessel calcification; three vessel disease occurred in 45%, 66%, and 82% of patients with one, two, and three vessel calcification, respectively. Patients with hyperlipidemia or hypertension had no significant difference in the prevalence of coronary calcification. Among the 267 patients with significant coronary lesions, 56% had calcification detected by fluorosco...
Wundt's schema of sensory affect in the light of research on gustatory preferences

According to Wundt's schema of sensory affect, increases of stimulus intensity above threshold are felt as increasingly pleasant up to a peak value beyond which pleasantness falls off through indifference to increasing unpleasantness. In psychophysical studies salty and sour taste solutions follow such a biphasic curve. Bitterness is mostly increasingly unpleasant, sweetness is mostly increasingly pleasant to a maximum with little fall off with stimulus intensity. Individual differences among adult subjects reveal some — e.g., sugar dislikers — bitter likers who depart from, or attenuate, these general trends. Studies of one- to three-day-old human neonates show rejection and negative affect for sour and bitter, but only acceptance and pleasant affect for sugar. Taste preferences of animals, albeit with expections in some species, show mostly increasing aversion for acid and quinine, biphasic preference curves for salt and sugar. When post-ingestive effects are eliminated, animals show only increasing preference for sugar as concentration increases again, a departure from the Wundtian schema. Stimulus intensity, however, is only one factor influencing hedonic value which may be drastically changed by satiety, physiological need, and learning.
Spherical FAIMS: comparison of curved electrode geometries

High-field asymmetric waveform ion mobility spectrometry (FAIMS) can operate at atmospheric pressure to separate gas-phase ions on the basis of a difference in the mobility of an ion at high fields relative to its mobility at low field strengths. Several novel cell geometries have been proposed in addition to the commercially available planar and cylindrical designs. Nevertheless, there is still much to explore about three-dimensional (3-D) curved cell geometries (spherical and hemispherical) and comparison to two-dimensional (2-D) curved geometries (cylindrical). The geometry of a FAIMS cell is one of the essential features affecting the transmission, resolution, and resolving power of FAIMS. Electric fields in a spherical design allow advantages such as virtual potential wells that can induce atmospheric-pressure near-trapping conditions and help reduce ion losses. Curvature of electrodes enables the ions to remain focused near the gap median, which help to improve sensitivity and ion trapping at higher pressures. Here we detail the design and characterization of a novel FAIMS cell having spherical electrode geometry and compare it to hemispherical and cylindrical cells. These FAIMS cells were interfaced with a quadrupole ion trap mass spectrometer in this study. Several structural classes of common explosives were employed to evaluate the separation power of these geometries. FAIMS spectra were generated by scanning the compensation voltage (CV) while operating the mass spectrometer in total ion mode. The identification of ions was accomplished through mass spectra acquired at fixed values of CVs. The performance of FAIMS using cylindrical, hemispherical, and spherical cells was compared and trends identified. For all trials, the best transmission was obtained by the spherical FAIMS cell while hemispherical FAIMS provided the best resolution and resolving power.
Diabetes and thyroid disease: nursing care to improve outcomes for patients living in poverty.

A primary goal of nurses providing care for persons who have diabetes mellitus or thyroid disease is improving the health outcomes for those persons. Improving health outcomes for these individuals can seem a daunting task when considering all elements of the care process, let alone all of the differences in the lives of those individuals. The process for care of the individual who has diabetes or thyroid disease is similar: assessment/diagnosis, care planning, treatment/interventions, and management/evaluation. This process of care is improved for individuals when there is an understanding of the disease and an understanding demonstrated by the nurse of ‘‘where those individuals come from’’ (ie, socioeconomic status [SES], educational level, race, ethnicity). For persons who have diabetes or thyroid disease and live in poverty, improving the care process, and ultimately health outcomes, must include the nurse’s understanding of poverty. The purpose of this article is to provide nurses with a basic understanding of the resource issues, ‘‘hidden rules,’’ and characteristics that are associated with persons who live in poverty. Most importantly, some basic strategies to improve the health outcomes of patients who have diabetes or thyroid disease and live in poverty are provided. The first step toward improving health outcomes for persons who have diabetes or thyroid disease is to have a basic understanding of the scope of these diseases and their relationship to poverty in the United States. The number of Americans who have diabetes has more than doubled over the last 20 years, from 5.8 million to 14.7 million. Unfortunately, the United States also has the largest number of diabetics of all the developed countries in the world [1]. It is estimated that by the year 2025, approximately 22 million Americans will have diabetes [2]. Although any portion of the
Does Discrimination Terminology Create Response Bias in Questionnaire Studies of Discrimination

Gender or race terminology in assessment instruments used for discrimination research may influence the self-report of experienced discrimination. The authors assessed the frequency of negative events associated with typical reports of discrimination while manipulating instructions to prepare respondents for questions about discriminatory events versus everyday life events. Samples of 135 White females and 170 African Americans were examined independently. Self-reports of the frequency of experienced discrimination varied according to the type of instructions given, with higher scores occurring in the discrimination-instructions condition. Attributional tendency for unfair or bad treatment and membership in pro-ingroup organizations are two respondent characteristics that relate to response bias. The authors suggest more extensive research on the complex issues involved in producing psychometrically sound depictions of the frequency of modern discrimination through the use of self-report questionnaire items.
Phylogeny of ensign scale insects (Hemiptera: Coccoidea: Ortheziidae) based on the morphology of Recent and fossil females

The Ortheziidae (ensign scale insects) is a morphologically well-defined family. The morphology and occurrence in the fossil record suggests a probable early origin of the family in scale insect evolution. The present phylogenetic analysis – based on 69 morphological characters of female ortheziids, using 39 exemplar Recent species – provides the first analytical assessment of relationships among living genera of the family, as well as the relationships of eight fossil species, based on complete, well-preserved specimens in amber. Monophyly of the subfamilies Newsteadiinae, Ortheziinae and Ortheziolinae is supported, but Nipponortheziinae is found to be paraphyletic by inclusion of the Ortheziolinae. Thus, the subfamily Ortheziolinae is reduced in rank to tribe Ortheziolini stat.n., which now includes Matileortheziola Kozar & Foldi, Ortheziolacoccus Kozar, Ortheziolamameti Kozar and OrtheziolaSulc. Consequently, the tribes Matileortheziolini, Ortheziolacoccini and Ortheziolamametini are synonymized (syn.n.) here under Ortheziolini. Five new species and one new genus of fossil ensign scales are described from three amber deposits: Burmortheziagen.n. with type species Burmorthezia kotejaisp.n. and also B. insolitasp.n., both in mid-Cretaceous Burmese amber (98 Ma) and Arctorthezia balticasp.n. in Eocene Baltic amber (c. 43 Ma) based on second-instar nymphs; Mixorthezia kozarisp.n. and M. dominicanasp.n. in Miocene Dominican amber (c. 17 Ma) based on adult females. Fossil placements are unambiguous, with Burmorthezia forming a stem to crown-group (Recent and Tertiary) Ortheziidae. A summary of described fossil ortheziids is provided.
A feasibility study simulating superconducting magnetic separators for weakly-magnetic ores

Abstract A “straight-wire” flow-through magnetic ore separator has been designed, built, and successfully used to separate magnetite from synthetic slurries. The purpose of these experiments was to simulate the field profile of a “straight-wire” superconducting magnetic separator which would be capable of separating weakly-magnetic hematite ore from typical slurries. Magnetite is used as the test mineral because it experiences the same magnetic forces at low field as does hematite at high field; thereby making possible less expensive low-field simulation. The present separator concept is based on the fact that there is a particle concentration profile due to the gravity field for low-velocity turbulent flow. When an upward magnetic force is applied, the concentration profile of magnetic particles can be reversed leaving the nonmagnetic particles flowing alone at the bottom of the channel. By means of a divider at the end of the channel, the concentrate is separated from the tailings. It is shown that the time needed to deflect hematite particles in a narrow cylindrical channel concentric with the superconducting wire is small enough so that high throughputs in the turbulent flow region are possible. In the case of a high-field superconducting separator, the centrifugal force could replace gravity by rotating the flow around a straight-wire conductor.
A reduced-order analytical model for the nonlinear dynamics of a class of flexible multi-beam structures

Abstract Nonlinearities in the differential equations of motion of dynamical systems can play, under certain conditions, such a dominant role that the motion described by linearized differential equations bears no resemblance to the actual motion exhibited by the systems. For a structure, nonlinearities are due to material behavior and to deformation. The latter are called “geometric nonlinearities” and, even for linear (i.e., Hookean) materials and small deformations, their effect can be dramatic. To investigate the nonlinear behavior of a dynamical system by making use of analytical techniques, one must start the analysis by formulating a set of mathematically consistent differential equations of motion for the system. Furthermore, the equations must be cast in a form that makes them amenable to the application of known analytical methods, such as perturbation techniques, to investigate the motion. The work presented in this paper addresses the formulation of such equations for a class of multi-beam structures. Each beam in the structure may have arbitrary cross section variation along its span, but behaves as inextensional. The structure may have any number of beams and supports, and may carry any number of lumped masses along its span.
Shamrock Surfactants: Synthesis and Characterization

Two types of a new class of surfactants with three headgroups, which possess the general structure 1, have been prepared. Within structure 1, a central headgroup is connected to two flanking headgroups by hydrocarbon chains. The term "shamrock" is used to describe surfactants of structure 1, denoting their triple-headed character and reflecting the fact that shamrocks have leaflets in groups of three. The major lipophilic character of shamrock surfactants is provided by the two hydrocarbon chains linking the three headgroups and not by long-chain alkyl groups appended to the linking hydrocarbon chains or the headgroups. The new surfactants are 2a (2,2,15,15,28,28-hexamethyl-2,15,28-triazonianonacosane triiodide), 2b (2,2,15,15,28,28-hexamethyl-2,15,28-triazonianonacosane trichloride), 3a (O,O'-di-[10-(N,N,N-tripropylammonio)decyl]phosphorodithioate bromide), and 3b (O,O'-di-[10-(N,N,N-tributylammonio)decyl]phosphorodithioate bromide). Compound 14 (2,2,9,9,16,16-hexamethyl-2,9,16-triazoniaheptadecane triiodide) was prepared for comparison with 2a. Surfactants 2 and 3 were characterized in water by measurement of their Krafft temperatures and critical aggregation concentrations, and their aggregates were studied by 1H NMR spectroscopy, dynamic laser light scattering, and phase-contrast optical microscopy. Aqueous 2b was also studied by cryo-etch high-resolution scanning electron microscopy, which revealed irregularly shaped cells containing a complex matrix of surfactant. Coacervates were observed by optical microscopy upon the hydration of 2 and 3.
Basal LAT-diacylglycerol-RasGRP1 Signals in T Cells Maintain TCRα Gene Expression

In contrast to the well-characterized T cell receptor (TCR) signaling pathways that induce genes that drive T cell development or polarization of naive CD4 T cells into the diverse T(H)1, T(H)2, T(H)17 and T(reg) lineages, it is unclear what signals maintain specific gene expression in mature resting T cells. Resting T cells residing in peripheral lymphoid organs exhibit low-level constitutive signaling. Whereas tonic signals in B cells are known to be critical for survival, the roles of tonic signals in peripheral T cells are unknown. Here we demonstrate that constitutive signals in Jurkat T cell lines are transduced via the adapter molecule LAT and the Ras exchange factor RasGRP1 to maintain expression of TCRα mRNA and surface expression of the TCR/CD3 complex. Independent approaches of reducing basal activity through the LAT-diacylglycerol-RasGRP pathway led to reduced constitutive Ras-MEK-ERK signals and decreased TCRα mRNA and surface TCR expression in Jurkat cells. However, loss of TCR expression takes several days in these cell line experiments. In agreement with these in vitro approaches, inducible deletion of Lat in vivo results in reduced TCRα mRNA- and surface TCR-expression in a delayed temporal manner as well. Lastly, we demonstrate that loss of basal LAT-RasGRP signals appears to lead to silencing or repression of TCRα transcription. We postulate that basal LAT-diacylglycerol-RasGRP signals fulfill a regulatory function in peripheral T lymphocytes by maintaining proper gene expression programs.
Further experiences with Δ1, 9 alpha fluoro, 16 alpha hydroxyhydrocortisone (triamcinolone) in treatment of patients with rheumatoid arthritis

Cumulative observations concerning the use of triamcinolone in 74 patients with rheumatoid arthritis and in 15 with related rheumatic syndromes are reported. Anti-inflammatory properties of this steroid were confirmed. Although disturbances in electrolyte metabolism were not observed, the usual undesirable effects resulting from the administration of glucocorticoids were noted. Es reportate observationes cumulative in re le uso de triamcinolona in 74 patientes con arthritis rheumatoide e in 15 patientes con syndromes rheumatic affin. Le qualitate anti-inflammatori de iste steroide esseva confirmate. Ben que disturbationes in le metabolismo electrolytic non esseva observate, le usual effectos adverse que resulta del administration de glucocorticoides esseva observate.
Noninvasive squamous lesions in the urinary bladder: a clinicopathologic analysis of 29 cases.

Noninvasive squamous lesions are distinctively uncommon in biopsies of the urinary bladder with the exception of nonkeratinizing squamous metaplasia. The clinical significance of these squamous lesions in the bladder remains to be explored. A total of 29 cases of transurethral biopsies and resection
Effects of Extended Time Allotments on Reading Comprehension Performance of College Students With and Without Learning Disabilities

Students with disabilities often receive test accommodations in schools and on high-stakes tests. Students with learning disabilities (LD) represent the largest disability group in schools, and ext...
A Case Report of Periodic Adrenocorticotropin-Antidiuretic Hormone Discharge Syndrome with Abnormal Growth Spurt

We report a 6-year-old girl with periodic adrenocorticotropin-antidiuretic hormone (ACTH-ADH) discharge syndrome who showed accelerated height growth without pubertal signs. The levels of insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I) and sex steroids were elevated during the spurt. Although the mechanism of hypersecretion of these hormones could not be elucidated, we speculate that it was due to extreme stimulation of the pituitary-adrenal axis or other pathway which would induce excess of adrenal sex steroid during the attack.
Absorption Bands of Liquid and Vapour Amines

BY measuring, below wave-length 4 μ, the absorption of secondary and tertiary solid and liquid amines, it was shown that the N-H bond has a strong characteristic absorption band around 3 μ, (Proc. U.S. Nat. Acad. Sci., 12, 74; 1926). It seemed, from the data on various substances by other workers, that this was an overtone of a fundamental at 6 μ.
Effect of a intrauterine foreign body during the estrous cycle on plasma progesterone in guinea pigs.

SummaryThe progesterone concentration in peripheral plasma of sham-operated guinea pigs increased significantly during the estrous cycle from a nondetectable concentration at estrus to a maximum concentration on day 10, followed by a rapid decline. In the presence of an IUFB in both uterine horns, the progesterone concentration did not increase after day 4 of the cycle. Over the next 8 days, a slow decline in concentration occurred. The length of the estrous cycle was significantly shorter in animals having IUFB than in sham-operated animals.
Steroids in early ARDS

Measurements and main results: There were 177 patients with ARDS (placebo, n = 92; corticosteroids, n = 85) including 129 (placebo, n = 67; corticosteroids, n = 62) nonresponders and 48 (placebo, n = 25; corticosteroids, n = 23) responders. In nonresponders, there were 50 deaths (75%) in the placebo group and 33 deaths (53%) in the steroid group (hazard ratio 0.57, 95% confidence interval 0.36-0.89, p = .013; relative risk 0.71, 95% confidence interval 0.54-0.94, p = .011). The number of days alive and off the ventilator was 2.6 +/6.6 in the placebo group and 5.7 +/8.6 in the steroid group (p = .006). There was no significant difference between groups in responders. There was no significant difference between groups in the two subsets of patients without ARDS. Adverse events rates were similar in the two groups.
The biogenesis of anthocyanins. V. Evidence for the mediation of pyrimidines in anthocyanin synthesis.

Abstract Anthocyanin synthesis in Spirodela oligorrhiza is inhibited by thiouracil and also by other compounds which interfere with pyrimidine or purine metabolism. These include (in order of increasing effectiveness) benzimidazole, 2,6-diaminopurine, quinine, azaadenine and azaguanine, the last-named compound being 650 times stronger as an inhibitor than thiouracil. With the exception of that due to benzimidazole, these inhibitions of pigment formation are partially or largely reversed by certain pyrimidines and purines. Another adenine derivative, 6-furfuryl-adenine or “kinetin” also causes clear inhibition. In the case of thiouracil, the inhibition is exerted in the light but not in the dark. The inhibition in the light is completely reversed by copper ions or by uracil or thymine, and partially reversed by adenine and hypoxanthine. However, plants preilluminated in a thiouracil solution produce no pigment in the dark even in the presence of uracil. The evidence, together with that previously presented, supports the idea that there are at least two stages in anthocyanin production: (a) a light reaction in which a copper enzyme participates and which probably involves the synthesis either of a nucleotide, or of one or more pyrimidines or purines, and (b) a dark reaction utilizing the products of this light reaction for formation of anthocyanin.
Molecular cloning, tissue distribution, and expression of a 14-kDa bile acid-binding protein from rat ileal cytosol

Abstract A cDNA clone encoding the major intestinal cytosolic 14-kDa bile acid-binding protein (14-kDa I-BABP) was isolated from a rat ileal lambda gt22A library following immunoscreening using a monospecific antiserum raised against a 14-kDa polypeptide found in the rat ileal cytosol. One clone of 516 bp encoded a 128-amino acid protein with a predicted molecular mass of 14,544 Da. The deduced amino acid sequence of 14-kDa I-BABP showed 100% homology to rat intestinal 15-kDa protein (I-15P) and 72% homology to porcine 15-kDa gastrotropin, whereas comparison of I-BABP to rat 14-kDa fatty acid-binding proteins of liver, intestine, and heart revealed homologies of 44%, 25%, and 28%, respectively. Northern blot analysis revealed a single transcript of approximately 0.5 kb in ileum and ovary; however, the abundance of I-BABP mRNA was much greater in ileum than in ovary. No transcript was seen in RNA extracted from stomach, jejunum, colon, liver, adrenal, brain, heart, kidney, or testis. Transfection of the I-BABP cDNA into COS-7 cells resulted in the expression of a 14-kDa protein that was identical to the ileal cytosolic I-BABP as determined by immunoblotting. Photoaffinity labeling of expressed 14-kDa protein was saturable with respect to increasing concentrations of 7,7-azo[3H]taurocholate (Km, 83.3 microM; Vmax, 6.7 pmol/mg per 5 min). Taurocholate inhibited 7,7-azotaurocholate labeling by > 96% with lesser inhibition by taurochenodeoxycholate (83.1%), chenodeoxycholate (74.6%), cholate (50.5%), and progesterone (38.5%), whereas oleic acid and estradiol did not inhibit binding.
Evaluation of efficacy of traditional Chinese medicines in the treatment of childhood bronchial asthma: clinical trial, immunological tests and animal study

Traditional Chinese medicines (TCM) have been used to treat bronchial asthma for several centuries and a certain degree of clinical benefit has been observed; however, scientific substantiation is lacking. A multicenter, double-blind and placebo-controlled study was therefore conducted to evaluate the clinical efficacy in terms of symptom score, medication score, morning and evening PEFRs, and changes of immunoregulatory function, such as distribution of lymphocyte subsets and in vivo and in vitro production of lymphokines (IFN-gamma and IL-4) and inflammatory mediators (histamine, PGE2 and LTC4). Furthermore, the protective effect of TCM on the late asthmatic reaction (LAR) was evaluated by using asthmatic guinea pigs. Three hundred and three asthmatic children were classified by Chinese doctors, according to a standardized questionnaire designed on the basis of basic logic of Chinese medicine, into three groups of specific constitution (group A, B and C). Group A consisted of 32 herb A-treated patients and 34 placebo-treated; group B, 74 herb B-treated and 64 placebo-treated; and group C, 55 herb C-treated and 44 placebo-treated. The study period was six months. The results were: 1) Both treatment group and placebo group showed an improvement in all clinical parameters, thus demonstrating a placebo effect. However, the improvement was usually greater in the former than the latter, although only the difference in PEFR was significant; 2) Herb A could increase total T cell and decrease B cell; 3) Herb A and B enhanced production of PGE2 but not LTC4, IFN-gamma and IL-4; 4) There was a general tendency for in vivo and in vitro production of histamine to decrease at the end of study in both treatment group and placebo group; however, the decrease was significantly greater in the former than the latter; 5) In asthmatic guinea pigs, 10-day's pretreatment with Chinese herbs could reverse the decrease of sGaw, suppress eosinophilia in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF), prevent the eosinophil infiltration of airways, increase PGE2 production and decrease LTC4 production in serum and BALF. Thus, traditional Chinese medicines did show a certain degree of clinical efficacy. The decreased production of histamine and LTC4, increased production of PGE2 that were found in both asthmatic children and asthmatic guinea pigs, and prevention of occurrence of LAR by suppressing eosinophil infiltration of airways and preserving airway conductance that were observed in asthmatic guinea pigs after allergen challenge might be used to account partly for the effectiveness.
Fuzzy logic approach to multitarget tracking in clutter

Fuzzy logic is a discipline which seeks to provide a framework for imitating human-like thought processes, or 'approximate reasoning.' In this paper a fuzzy logic approach is taken to the problem of multitarget tracking in clutter. Fuzzy logic methods are used to evaluate returns for processing by a Kalman filter modified to treat target source uncertainty. The method is developed and demonstrated with a noise-driven simulation and an actual sequence of infrared images.© (1991) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Current And Future Developments In Radiation Therapy Treatment Planning

The advent of computed tomography (and other imaging techniques), the availability of interactive raster scan graphics display, and the rapidly diminishing cost of memory have made possible new approaches to long-standing problems in radiation therapy. These include: the secure definition (and display) of anatomy in all three dimensions; the synthesis of a variety of diagnostic studies; the identification of a target volume and of critical adjacent structures; the simulation (in three dimensions) of any available radiation field; the development of tools for guiding the treatment set-up and for its confirmation; and the comparison of alternative treatment strategies. Remote interactive planning is also desirable. We describe the implications for image archiving in providing these capabilities.
Preservice Teachers' Perceptions of the Environment: Does Ethnicity or Dominant Residential Experience Matter?

In this study, the authors used drawings and sentence completions to investigate how 118 preservice elementary teachers defined the environment. The authors also examined the influence of ethnicity and dominant residential experience on the preservice teachers' perceptions of the environment. From the results of their study, the authors suggest that these preservice elementary teachers did not possess the knowledge necessary to be considered environmentally literate according to the North American Association for Environmental Education (NAAEE, 2004b) Guidelines for the Initial Preparation and Professional Development of Environmental Educators. Using the data in their study, the authors suggest that, contrary to popular assumptions, neither ethnicity nor dominant residential experience had a significant influence on participants' perceptions of the environment.
Disparities in vascular surgery: Is it biology or environment?

Disparities in health care are well documented for several racial, ethnic, and gender groups. In peripheral arterial disease, differences in prevalence, treatment selection, treatment outcomes, and resulting quality of life have negative effects on some minority groups and women. It may be easy to document disparities, but it is harder to understand their underlying causes. Are there biologic differences between members of racial and ethnic groups that influence disease presentation and outcomes? Or is the socioeconomic environment that surrounds them the true driver of observed differences? This article reviews the evidence for racial and gender disparities in vascular surgery and presents some potential mechanisms that may explain the disparities.