cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Effects of inhibitors on anion exchangers in rabbit renal brush border membrane vesicles.

Abstract Cl-formate, Cl-oxalate, and SO4-CO3 exchange participate in Cl and organic anion transport across the brush border membrane of the rabbit proximal tubule. To determine the functional similarity of these transporters to each other and to band 3, we characterized, in isolated membrane vesicles, the inhibition of these transporters by compounds known to inhibit erythrocyte band 3. 4,4'-Dinitro-2,2'-disulfonic stilbene (DNDS), diphenylamine-2-carboxylate (DPC), flufenamate, and 4-aceto-4'-isothiocyano-2,2'-disulfonic stilbene (SITS) were effective inhibitors of Cl-oxalate and SO4-CO3 exchange, suggesting at least some common structural motifs between these exchangers and band 3. Cl-formate exchange was relatively insensitive to DNDS and DPC but sensitive to flufenamate (IC50 = 43 microM). Sensitivity to DNDS but not 4-amino-4'-amino-2,2'-disulfonic stilbene, a feature of band 3, was seen only for the SO4-CO3 exchanger. None of the exchangers had significant affinity for dipyridamole, furosemide, or probenecid. Finally, the presence of DPC or flufenamate increased the IC50 for reversible inhibition by DNDS, consistent with at least a partial overlap between the disulfonic stilbene and diphenylamine carboxylate binding sites of the Cl-oxalate exchanger. We next examined the effect of irreversible SITS binding. The Cl-oxalate exchanger was inhibited 90%, consistent with its high affinity for reversible inhibition by stilbenes. SITS pretreatment caused 50% inhibition of the Cl-formate exchanger, consistent with the reduced affinity of this exchanger for reversible binding of stilbenes. Despite the high sensitivity of the SO4-CO3 exchanger to reversible inhibition by stilbenes, SITS pretreatment caused < 20% irreversible inhibition of this exchanger. Finally, we characterized the stilbene inhibition of the Cl-oxalate exchanger in more detail. The presence of oxalate increased the IC50 for reversible inhibition by DNDS or SITS, implying that oxalate can directly compete at the reversible stilbene binding site of the Cl-oxalate exchanger. However, oxalate could not protect against covalent inactivation of the Cl-oxalate exchanger by SITS, indicating the presence of a separate site for irreversible binding of disulfonic stilbenes. These results suggest a dissociation between the sensitivities of proximal tubule anion exchangers to reversible and irreversible inhibition by disulfonic stilbenes. In contrast to band 3, the Cl-oxalate exchanger must possess separate sites for reversible and irreversible interaction with stilbenes, with only the former overlapping the substrate binding site.
The preference for a 3' homologous end is intrinsic to RecA-promoted strand exchange.

The recA protein (RecA) promotes DNA pairing and strand exchange optimally in the presence of single-stranded binding protein (SSB). Under these conditions, 3' homologous ends are essential for stable joint molecule formation between linear single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) and supercoiled DNA (i.e. 3' ends are 50-60 times more reactive than 5' ends). Linear ssDNAs with homology at the 5' end do not participate in pairing. In the absence of SSB, the strand exchange reaction is less efficient; however, linear ssDNAs with 3' end homology are still 5- to 10-fold more reactive than those with 5' end homology. The preference for a 3' homologous end in the absence of SSB suggests that this is an intrinsic property of RecA-promoted strand exchange. The preferential reactivity of 3' homologous ends is likely to be a consequence of the polarity of polymerization of RecA on ssDNA. Specifically, since RecA polymerizes in the 5'----3' direction, 3' ends are more likely to be coated with RecA and, hence, will be more reactive than 5' ends.
Have we been successful? Monitoring horizontal forest complexity for forest restoration projects

Forest management today often seeks to restore ecological integrity and enhance human well-being by increasing forest complexity, resilience, and functionality. However, effective and financially expedient monitoring of forest complexity is challenging. In this study, we developed a practical and inexpensive technique to measure horizontal forest complexity. This monitoring method uses intuitively understandable data (imagery) and facilitates stakeholder participation in the adaptive management process within collaborative projects. We used this technique to determine if current restoration projects are successfully achieving their spatial restoration goals. We focused on the Colorado Front Range Landscape Restoration Initiative (CFRLRI) as a representative of the typical collaborative restoration projects underway in formerly fire-dependent dry conifer forests. The developed monitoring method is practical and cost-effective by using free aerial imagery to map, quantify, and analyze the distribution of canopy cover pre- and post-treatment. We found the CFRLRI has successfully reduced canopy cover (from 44 to 26% on average) and increased some aspects of horizontal forest complexity. The application of these monitoring techniques has allowed the CFRLRI collaborative group to objectively quantify changes to horizontal forest complexity, and has facilitated stakeholder communication about forest spatial patterns. These methods could be adapted for use by other similar forest restoration projects around the world by utilizing increasingly available satellite or aerial imagery.
Conditions of Oscillation for Waveguide Mounted Tunnel Diodes

Double frequency oscillation was observed in a waveguide mounted tunnel diode circuit, due to the frequency dependency of the waveguide's distributed parameters. A general analysis of the frequency dependent diode load is made and conditions of oscillation are formulated. The analysis is extended to a 1N3219A diode mounted in a tapered RG-52/U waveguide used as an oscillator. The load impedance to the tunnel diode is derived with the diode mounted at the center of the waveguide. A numerical example involving the RG-52/U waveguide mount is presented verifying the existence of double frequency oscillation and exemplifying the oscillation conditions stated. Off center diode mounting is examined. It is concluded that the waveguide mount's distributed parameters are highly frequency dependent at the center of the guide and thus double frequency oscillation can exist when a tunnel diode is mounted at that point. With the diode mounted at any other point, only one oscillation frequency can be observed. The frequencies of oscillation of a waveguide mounted tunnel diode oscillator are determined only by the real roots of the resistive component of the total tunnel diode load impedance.
Aftermath of a patient's suicide: a case study.

TOPIC. Nurse psychotherapists often feel poorly prepared to cope with a patient's death by suicide. The psychotherapist may identify with the family, feel sad at the death, and be plagued by feelings of guilt and responsibility. PURPOSE. A case study illustrates the meaning of the loss to the therapist and the influence on professional identity, self-confidence, and self-esteem. SOURCES. Case study and review of the literature from Medline, psychinfo, and CINAHL. CONCLUSIONS. Therapists experience their own grief as a lack of omnipotence over suicide, and the fear of their colleagues' responses. Understanding bereavement and factors influencing bereavement may help therapists facilitate and reduce negative consequences of their own grief.
D-glutamine produces seizures and retrograde amnesia in the chick.

Abstract D-glutamine, 6 μmols/chick, injected intracranially one min after training, produces retrograde amnesia when tested 24 and 48 hr post training on an avoidance task. D-glutamine also produces ectostriatal seizures that correlate with amnestic activity.
Variation Exists in Rates of Admission to Intensive Care Units for Heart Failure Patients Across Hospitals in the United States

Background—Despite increasing attention on reducing relatively costly hospital practices while maintaining the quality of care, few studies have examined how hospitals use the intensive care unit (ICU), a high-cost setting, for patients admitted with heart failure (HF). We characterized hospital patterns of ICU admission for patients with HF and determined their association with the use of ICU-level therapies and patient outcomes. Methods and Results—We identified 166 224 HF discharges from 341 hospitals in the 2009–2010 Premier Perspective database. We excluded hospitals with <25 HF admissions, patients <18 years old, and transfers. We defined ICU as including medical ICU, coronary ICU, and surgical ICU. We calculated the percent of patients admitted directly to an ICU. We compared hospitals in the top quartile (high ICU admission) with the remaining quartiles. The median percentage of ICU admission was 10% (interquartile range, 6%–16%; range, 0%–88%). In top-quartile hospitals, treatments requiring an I...
Using Non-Destructive technologies and methods in Bridge management systems

There are over 570,000 bridges in the United States, with 12% of those located in urban areas. Of the urban bridges, 10% are structurally deficient and 22% are functionally deficient. As the thousands of bridges are an important component of the automotive transportation infrastructure, their maintenance is of utmost importance. This paper has emphasizes the importance of bridge maintenance systems (BMS) in keeping the U.S. inventory of bridges well maintained and functional. Also highlighted is the value of non-destructive evaluation technologies and methods, and the role they can play in BMS. Some of the issues and concerns associated with using NDS methods to assess the condition of bridges are highlighted.
SERUM PRO-PROSTATE SPECIFIC ANTIGEN PREFERENTIALLY DETECTS AGGRESSIVE PROSTATE CANCERS IN MEN WITH 2 TO 4 NG/ML PROSTATE SPECIFIC ANTIGEN

ABSTRACT Purpose: Pro forms of prostate specific antigen (PSA) have been reported to be more cancer specific markers of prostate cancer than total PSA and they also may preferentially detect the more aggressive forms of the disease. Materials and Methods: Research immunoassays with high specificity for pro-PSA forms were used to study 1,091 retrospective serum specimens, including 555 with 2 to 4 and 536 with 4 to 10 ng/ml PSA, from men enrolled in prostate cancer screening studies who underwent prostate biopsy. Results: In the 2 to 4 ng/ml PSA range the ratio of pro- to free-PSA (percent pro-PSA) using a cutoff of 1.8% for recommending prostate biopsy detected 90% of cancers, including 16 of 16 extracapsular tumors and 28 of 29 tumors with a pathology Gleason score of 7 or greater, while avoiding 19% of unnecessary biopsies. Serum percent pro-PSA was significantly increased for Gleason score 7 or greater vs less than 7 (p = 0.0018). In the PSA range of 4 to 10 ng/ml percent pro-PSA had the highest cancer specificity, avoiding 31% of unnecessary biopsies, while detecting 34 of 35 cancers with a pathology Gleason score of 7 or greater and 29 of 31 extracapsular tumors. Neither percent free PSA nor complexed PSA enhanced the detection of aggressive cancers in the 4 to 10 ng/ml PSA range. Conclusions: Percent pro-PSA was superior to percent free and calculated complexed PSA for the detection of prostate cancer in the PSA range of 2 to 10 ng/ml and it had selectivity for detecting more aggressive cancers, as indicated by Gleason score 7 or greater and/or extracapsular tumor extension.
Composite issues in rotor hub structure design

Abstract While the use of composites in rotor hubs has produced many benefits, it has also revealed weaknesses in application. In order to design a structurally efficient composite hub, weakness issues in structures and materials need to be addressed. This paper discusses the structural and material aspects of these issues.
The Newsvendor Problem in a Global Market: Optimal Centralized and Decentralized Control Policies for a Two-Market Stochastic Inventory System

The global markets of today offer to the "style goods" producer more selling opportunities and pose new challenges in production planning and coordination. From a production management standpoint the opportunity to exploit the difference in timing of the selling season of geographically dispersed markets for "style goods" is important for improving the firm's profitability. In this paper we examine the above issue with an insightful model of a producer of "style goods" selling the goods to two markets a primary and a secondary market with nonoverlapping selling seasons. We refer to this problem as the "global newsvendor" problem. For the above two market stochastic inventory systems we first develop optimal centralized control policies. Then we demonstrate the suboptimality of decentralized production control policies, with the production centers at each market treated as independent profit centers and a constant transfer price being used to coordinate their production. We propose as an effective alternative a decentralized production control structure with a nonlinear pricing scheme for production coordination among centers administered through an intermediate organizational unit. In our modeling, we explicitly consider the effects of exchange rate uncertainty on the production planning decisions.
Cure mechanism and properties of acrylosilane coatings

Abstract Acrylosilane resin, a copolymer of trialkoxysilylalkyi methacrylate and other acrylic monomers, was developed for use as a vehicle resin for weather and chemical resistant coatings. This report discusses the crosslinking mechanism, hydrolysis and condensation reactions with two types of hardening catalysts: organotin and organic acid. This report also demonstrates the advantages of its coating properties in weather resistance, acid resistance, stain resistance, and adhesion to anodized aluminum. The coating properties are a function of its crosslinking mechanism.
Risk factors for gestational trophoblastic neoplasia.

Abstract A case-control study to determine the gynecologic and reproductive risk factors for gestational trophoblastic neoplasia was conducted in the Baltimore Metropolitan Area. All cases (N = 190) that were pathologically diagnosed from 1975 to 1982 as hydatidiform mole, invasive mole, or choriocarcinoma were ascertained. Slides were independently reviewed by two pathologists. Cases were matched by age, race, and last menstrual period to controls who were delivered of normal pregnancies at term. In the analysis of medical record and interview data, factors found to be positively associated with gestational trophoblastic neoplasia included professional occupations (odds ratio = 2.56, p
Comparing two sets of corresponding six degree of freedom data

Abstract This paper is concerned with comparing two sets of corresponding six degree of freedom data that consist of both object position and object orientation. Specifically, the best rotation and translation that aligns the position and orientation of one data set to the other is constructed by solving an optimization problem. In addition, a statistical method that identifies outliers in the data sets is proposed.
This Little Piggy Went to Press: The American News Media's Construction of Animals in Agriculture

This textual analysis examines the representations of farmed animals in national print and broadcast news discourse in over 100 stories published from 2000 to 2003. Findings show these American news media largely support the speciesist status quo by favoring elite viewpoints and failing to provide balance. Although exceptions are provided, news media often objectify nonhuman animals discursively through: 1) commodification, 2) failure to acknowledge their emotional perspectives, and 3) failure to describe them as inherently valuable individuals.
The Encounter with the Unfamiliar

Some patients and some Rorschachers pay insufficient attention to the rich and variegated world of the Rorschach stimuli. The Rorschach stimuli have been either ignored or miscast as blank screens or receptive x-ray film, as unstructured or ambiguous, when they are best described as unfamiliar. Examiner unfamiliarity – in fact, ignorance about the stimuli – is unacceptable, since testing is an encounter between the known (what we know about the test stimuli) and the unknown (what we want to know about the patient’s personality). The more that is known about the stimuli, the more that is potentially knowable about the patient. Greater attention to the test stimuli may enrich the interpretive yield of the Comprehensive System, the use of which is the bedrock of reliable and valid Rorschach interpretation. Hoping to encourage more attention to the contribution of the stimulus factors to the response, I explore here various perceptual dimensions of the inkblots, occasionally illustrating them with clinical ex...
On the relationship between product substitutability and tacit collusion

This paper examines the effect of increased product substitutability on quantity-setting firms’ ability to sustain tacit collusion in a market. It uses a general demand function and the trigger strategy of Friedman (Friedman JW. 1971. A non-cooperative equilibrium for supergames. Review of Economic Studies 38: 1–12) to show that while increased product substitutability hinders sustainability of tacit collusion in the case of linear and concave demand functions, it may either hinder or facilitate firms’ ability to sustain tacit collusion in the case of convex demand functions. Thus, this paper adds to the growing view that one must use a case-by-case analysis in judging whether firms in more homogenous product markets find it easier or harder to tacitly collude. Copyright © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Towards a Natural History of Religion

Abstract Taking as point of departure Walter Burkert's work, this article seeks to theorise the relationship between needing and getting, choreographed by ritual and mythology, and the formal excess that characterises religious practices. While the formal complexity that characterises ritual activity and doctrinal elaboration reminds us of the parallels between religions and the aesthetic realm, the fact that the satisfaction of the needs of organisms is sought against a background of scarcity reminds us of the role of power. It is, however, to work—that is, to what human organisms generally do in order to satisfy their needs—that one must turn, if one is to understand religion. Despite the formal parallels between the organisation of work and the organisation of rituals, and of the role played by rituals in the timing of agricultural and other kinds of labour, ‘work’ is largely absent from studies of religion. This absence, related to the turning away from concepts even vaguely connected with Marx, seems to go hand in hand with the repression of the working body in contemporary ‘theory’. Rejecting such repression, this article focuses on human labour as a key for understanding the emergence of religion.
Space utilization of Peromyscus: Social and spatial factors

Abstract Space utilization of Peromyscus maniculatus bairdi and P. leucopus noveboracensis was studied in laboratory enclosures. After 1 week, individuals were given access to twice as much space for an additional week. The new area was either vacant or was occupied by a similarly experienced conspecific of the same or opposite sex. Patterns of space utilization and reaction to the doubling of space were species specific. Each species displayed specific patterns of social behaviour and only P. maniculatus reproduced. Both species exhibited similar patterns of space utilization in the presence of another individual. Social regulation of space utilization did not result from territorial defence of mutually exclusive areas, but from the initial mutual avoidance of two individuals.
Magnetospheric current sheets

A review is presented of theories and observations of current sheets in the magnetosphere, emphasizing the magnetopause and tail current sheets. Theoretical models of the magnetopause current sheet can be divided into two types: specular reflection and fluid models containing no external magnetic field, and models with an interplanetary/magnetosheath magnetic field. Our understanding of the first type is much better than of the second, although magnetospheric observations indicate that the external magnetic field plays an important role. Most of the theoretical models of the tail current sheet attempt to arrive at an understanding of the reconnection process or start with the assumption that reconnection is important. Observations are reviewed and implications for the models are discussed.
Analyses of on-orbit determinations of the Clouds and the Earth's Radiant Energy System (CERES) thermistor bolometer sensor zero-radiance offsets

The Clouds and Earth's Radiant Energy System (CERES) missions were designed to measure broadband earth-reflected shortwave solar (0.3 micrometers to less than 5.0 micrometers) and earth-emitted longwave (5.0 micrometers to greater than 100 micrometers) radiances as well as earth-emitted narrow-band radiances in the water vapor window region between 8 micrometers and 12 micrometers. However, the CERES scanning thermistor bolometer sensor zero-radiance offsets were found to vary as much as 1.0 Wm (exp -2) sr (exp -1) with the scan angle measurement geometry due to gravitational forces and systematic electronic noise. To minimize the gravitational effects, the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) Spacecraft CERES sensors' offsets were derived on-orbit as functions of scan elevation and azimuth angles from the January 7-8, 1998 radiometric observations of deep cold space, representative of a 3 K blackbody. In this paper, the TRMM/CERES six orbit data base of on-orbit derived offsets is presented and analyzed to define the sampling requirements for the CERES sensors located on the Earth Science Enterprise (ESE) Terra Spacecraft and on the Earth Observing System (EOS) Afternoon (PM-1) Spacecraft, scheduled for launches in 1999 and 2000, respectively. Analyses of the TRMM/CERES shortwave sensor earth radiance measurements indicate that offsets can be determined on-orbit at the plus or minus 0.02 Wm (exp -2) sr (exp -1) precision level. Offset measuring techniques and sampling requirements are discussed for the TRMM and ESE missions. Ground, pre-launch Terra CERES cross-track scan offsets are presented and described which were measured as a function of scan angle.
Validation of TRMM Precipitation Radar through Comparison of Its Multiyear Measurements with Ground-Based Radar

A procedure to accurately resample spaceborne and ground-based radar data is described, and then applied to the measurements taken from the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) Precipitation Radar (PR) and the ground-based Weather Surveillance Radar-1988 Doppler (WSR-88D or WSR) for the validation of the PR measurements and estimates. Through comparisons with the well-calibrated, non-attenuated WSR at Melbourne, Florida for the period 1998-2007, the calibration of the Precipitation Radar (PR) aboard the TRMM satellite is checked using measurements near the storm top. Analysis of the results indicates that the PR, after taking into account differences in radar reflectivity factors between the PR and WSR, has a small positive bias of 0.8 dB relative to the WSR, implying a soundness of the PR calibration in view of the uncertainties involved in the comparisons. Comparisons between the PR and WSR reflectivities are also made near the surface for evaluation of the attenuation-correction procedures used in the PR algorithms. It is found that the PR attenuation is accurately corrected in stratiform rain but is underestimated in convective rain, particularly in heavy rain. Tests of the PR estimates of rainfall rate are conducted through comparisons in the overlap area between the TRMM overpass and WSR scan. Analyses of the data are made both on a conditional basis, in which the instantaneous rain rates are compared only at those pixels where both the PR and WSR detect rain, and an unconditional basis, in which the area-averaged rain rates are estimated independently for the PR and WSR. Results of the conditional rain comparisons show that the PR-derived rain is about 9% greater and 19% less than the WSR estimates for stratiform and convective storms, respectively. Overall, the PR tends to underestimate the conditional mean rain rate by 8% for all rain categories, a finding that conforms to the results of the area-averaged rain (unconditional) comparisons.
Increased progenitor cell proliferation in the peripheral blood of patients with bronchial asthma: The role of nitric oxide

Abstract Background: Asthma exacerbation is associated with increased numbers of circulating CD34 + progenitor cells, which may migrate to airways and develop into mature cells under the effects of cytokines and hematopoietic factors. Nitric oxide (NO) generation is enhanced in asthma and is known to suppress human hematopoiesis. Objectives: We studied circulating progenitor cells in the blood of patients with varying severity of asthma and examined the contribution of NO to their proliferation into eosinophil-forming colonies ex vivo. Methods: With use of multiparameter flow cytometric analyses, the cell numbers and intracellular inducible NO synthase (iNOS) immunoreactivity of circulating CD34 + cells in peripheral blood was measured. The serum level of GM-CSF or IL-5 was also determined. The colonies grown from progenitor cells were cultured in methylcellulose either in the presence or absence of growth factors, including GM-CSF, stem cell factor, and IL-3. Results: A significantly greater number of circulating CD34 + cells increased together with higher intracellular iNOS immunoreactivity in moderate asthmatics compared with mild intermittent asthmatics and healthy subjects. There was no significant difference in iNOS immunoreactivities or CD34 + progenitor cell numbers between healthy subjects and those with mild intermittent asthma. Serum levels of GM-CSF or IL-5 were significantly higher in all asthmatics compared with healthy subjects and correlated with circulating CD34 + cells. A greater number of colonies was grown either in the presence or absence of growth factors with a higher percentage of cells of eosinophil lineage in asthmatics than in health subjects. N G -nitro-L-arginine methyl ester potentiated and sodium nitroprusside inhibited the colony growth in both asthmatic and healthy subjects without a significant change in the percentage of eosinophil lineage. Conclusions: The production of NO from progenitor cells or other circulating cells may act in an autocrine or paracrine fashion to regulate progenitor cell growth and colony formation. However, this is not sufficient to control the increased proliferation of progenitor cells observed in asthma. (J Allergy Clin Immunol 1999;104:803-10.)
The night eating syndrome: a progress report

The night eating syndrome (NES) is an eating disorder marked by a delay in the circadian pattern of eating that disrupts sleep. Studies have shown that those with NES eat a significant proportion of their calories after their evening meal and wake up during the night to eat. However, the timing of the sleep cycles are phase appropriate, with similar bedtimes and morning wake up times as control subjects, suggesting that the delayed eating rhythm may secondarily disrupt sleep. A case study and an open-label trial with SSRIs suggest that they may treat NES effectively. Randomized controlled trials are needed.
An enzymatic-isotopic microassay for putrescine

Abstract A highly sensitive enzymatic isotopic microassay procedure for the measurement of putrescine (1,4-diaminobutane) is described. The method depends on the enhancement by putrescine of the decarboxylation of S- adenosyl - L -[carboxy- 14 C ] methionine by baker's yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) S- adenosyl - L - methionine decarboxylase in the presence of varying amounts of putrescine. The quantity of 14CO2 evolved is a linear function of the amount of putrescine present. This method was used to measure the putrescine content of various tissues.
Investigating the different characteristics of weekday and weekend crashes

Abstract Introduction This study provides a systematic approach to investigate the different characteristics of weekday and weekend crashes. Method Weekend crashes were defined as crashes occurring between Friday 9 p.m. and Sunday 9 p.m., while the other crashes were labeled as weekday crashes. In order to reveal the various features for weekday and weekend crashes, multi-level traffic safety analyses have been conducted. For the aggregate analysis, crash frequency models have been developed through Bayesian inference technique; correlation effects of weekday and weekend crash frequencies have been accounted. A multivariate Poisson model and correlated random effects Poisson model were estimated; model goodness-of-fits have been compared through DIC values. In addition to the safety performance functions, a disaggregate crash time propensity model was calibrated with Bayesian logistic regression model. Moreover, in order to account for the cross-section unobserved heterogeneity, random effects Bayesian logistic regression model was employed. Results It was concluded that weekday crashes are more probable to happen during congested sections, while the weekend crashes mostly occur under free flow conditions. Finally, for the purpose of confirming the aforementioned conclusions, real-time crash prediction models have been developed. Random effects Bayesian logistic regression models incorporating the microscopic traffic data were developed. Results of the real-time crash prediction models are consistent with the crash time propensity analysis. Furthermore, results from these models would shed some lights on future geometric improvements and traffic management strategies to improve traffic safety. Impact on Industry Utilizing safety performance to identify potential geometric improvements to reduce crash occurrence and monitoring real-time crash risks to pro-actively improve traffic safety.
A refinement of the existence and uniqueness theorem for the Vlasov-Poisson system

Abstract In a recent paper Horst shows that if a classical solution to the Vlasov-Poisson system ceases to exist then at this point in time not only does velocity support become unbounded but support in position space becomes unbounded also (assuming compactly supported initial data). In the present paper we formulate this result another way and give a different proof. It is shown that an a priori bound on the support of solutions in position space leads to an a priori bound on the support in velocity space and hence existence and uniqueness of solutions. Thus a necessary and sufficient condition for solvability is that the system admit an a priori bound on the support in position space alone. This gives a refinement of Wollman ( J. Math. Anal. Appl. , 90 1982, p. 141, Theorem 2.1).
Androgen deficiency and the aging male: new urologic perspectives.

Among the most prominent health care issues of the 21st century are those relating to aging. Indeed, the elderly represent the fastest growing segment of our population. Typically, a urology practice includes a significant number of elderly males, providing the physician with both a challenge and an opportunity. Androgen deficiency in the aging male, with its detrimental effects on bone, muscle and body composition, sexual function, and psychological well-being, is an area of increasing interest in both the lay press and the medical community. The urologist must understand the pathophysiology of androgen deficiency in the male, recognize and investigate the subtle signs and symptoms of hypogonadism, determine the appropriateness of treatment, and offer informed options to the patient. Health care professionals have a responsibility to make “healthy” aging a priority.
Dithiafulvene (1,3‐dithiole): Monomers and polymers

Preparation et polycondensation des bis(hydroxymethyl)-4,5, hydroxymethyl-4 et dihydrazide-4,5 benzylidene-2 dithiole-1,3 avec le terephtalaldehyde, le diisocyanate de p-phenylene et l'oxy bis(chlorure de benzoyle)
Spinal administration of prostaglandin E2 or prostaglandin F2α primarily produces mechanical hyperalgesia that is mediated by nociceptive specific spinal dorsal horn neurons

The effects of intrathecal (i.t.) administration of prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) and prostaglandin F2 (PGF2) on behavioral and spinal neuronal responses to mechanical and thermal stimuli were examined in rats. i.t. Administration of either PGE2 (1-100 nmol) or PGF2 (1-100 nmol) produced a robust, dose-dependent mechanical hyperalgesia, but only a weak thermal hyperalgesia and touch-evoked allodynia. Spinal administration of either PGE2 (100 pmol-100 nmol) or PGF2 (1-100 nmol) produced dose-dependent increases in responses of nociceptive specific (NS) neurons to mechanical stimuli, but only modest increases in wide dynamic range (WDR) neurons to mechanical stimuli. Spinal administration of PGE2 produced a bi-directional, dose-response effect on thermally-evoked responses of both WDR and NS neurons when prostaglandin-induced changes in background discharges were controlled for. Thermally evoked responses of WDR and NS neurons were decreased at lesser doses of PGE2, but this trend reversed with greater doses, such that responses of WDR neurons were significantly increased at the greatest dose tested at some test temperatures. PGF2 generally produced non-significant increases in thermally evoked neuronal responses, and this trend occurred primarily in WDR neurons. Both PGE2 and PGF2 produced increases in background discharges of WDR and NS neurons, although this effect was most consistently observed with WDR neurons and PGE2. These behavioral and electrophysiological data suggest that mechanical hyperalgesia induced by spinal administration of PGE2 and PGF2 is mediated mainly by changes in NS neurons. The weak thermal hyperalgesia may reflect changes in WDR neurons.
Update and Review of Racial Disparities in Sepsis

Abstract Background: Sepsis is an excessive systemic inflammatory response activated by invasive infection. There has been substantial epidemiologic literature addressing perceived disparities in sepsis by demographic factors such as gender and race. There also have been multiple examinations of the disparities of sepsis with regard to environmental and socioeconomic factors. This paper reviews the current epidemiologic literature evaluating the association of race with the development of sepsis and its associated outcomes. Methods: Review of pertinent English-language literature. Results: Race is a marker of poverty, preexisting conditions, increased allostatic loads, and decreased access to health systems. Racial disparities and the incidence of sepsis likely are explained by a multiplicity of environmental factors that are not captured by administrative data. Conclusion: Race is a surrogate for many intangible factors that lead to the development of sepsis and inferior outcomes.
A Comparison of the Views of College of Business Deans and Faculty on Undeserved Authorships

Deans and faculty at Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business-accredited colleges of business were surveyed on the extent and impact of the occurrence of undeserved authorships in business journal articles. Eighty percent of the deans and faculty responding acknowledged the occurrence of undeserved authorships in published business journal articles. There were disagreements on the extent of occurrence, with the deans reporting a lower rate of occurrence than faculty. Deans also indicated less impact of undeserved authorships on promotions, tenure awards, and merit increases than did faculty. With the strong increase in pressure to publish in order to be promoted, colleges of business need to be aware of the possibility of undeserved authorships.
Characteristic polynomials of symmetric matrices

Let f(x) be a monic, irreducible separable polynomial of degree n over a field F of characteristic not 2. Let 2 k−1≤n≤2 k . We show that if f(x) is the charactersic polynomial of a symmetric matrix over F then the discriminant of f(x) is a sum of 2 k squares in F. The converse holds when n=2 and when n=3 and F is a finite extension of , but the converse fails for n≥4.
The effect of leverage on bargaining with a corporation

This paper shows that the choice of a capital structure by a firm affects the bargaining posture of its shareholders vis-a-vis its suppliers of specialized production factors. The pricing of the firm's securities and the choice of a capital structure are analyzed in light of this effect of debt financing.
A minimal model of liver glycogen metabolism; feasibility for predicting flux rates.

A minimal model of glycogen metabolism can allow the estimation of the flux rates in the glycogen pathway from the time course of the intermediates in the pathway, measured during substrate administration and hormonal stimulation. The comprehensive model of El-Refai & Bergman (Am. J. Physiol. 231, 1608, 1976) consisting of six compartments and 26 non-estimable parameters has successfully accounted for the responses of hepatic glycogenic intermediates in response to a glucose load in hepatocytes (Katz et al., J. biol. Chem. 253, 4530, 1978), in perfused liver (Nordlie et al., J. biol. Chem. 255, 1834, 1980) and during refeeding in vivo (Van DeWerve & Jeanrenaud, Am. J. Physiol. 247, E271, 1984). The comprehensive model is here reduced to a minimal model, consisting of five compartments representing extracellular and intracellular glucose, glucose-phosphate, uridine diphosphate glucose (UDPG), glycogen, and five parameters estimated from the hepatic response to a given stimulus. Estimation of these parameters requires the measurement of the net hepatic glucose balance, the net gluconeogenic flux, and the time course of glycogenic intermediates responding to a hormone or substrate stimulus. The hepatic glycogenolytic response predicted by the comprehensive model in response to an increase in glucagon is closely fitted by the minimal model. When Gaussian distributed random error was added, 0–5% SD in the glucose and glycogen compartments and 0–10% SD in the glucose-phosphate and UDPG compartments, the hepatic response predicted by the minimal model was virtually free of the added error, and the model parameters were found to be within 30% of their true values. When the minimal model was used to interpret the experimental response to an increase in glucose concentration it predicted that: (1) glucokinase can phosphorylate glucose at rates similar to maximal rates of net glycogen synthesis; (2) futile cycling at the glycogen/glucose-1-phosphate level can limit glycogen synthesis; and (3) glucose-6-phosphatase inhibition by glucose has a significant role in net glycogen synthesis.
Head circumference is an independent clinical finding associated with autism.

Occipitofrontal circumference (OFC) is one of the few physical findings in autism that varies significantly from the norm and is distinct and measurable. As part of a study of genetic heterogeneity of autism, we scrutinized data from a large sample of patients with idiopathic autism (N = 137), using OFC as the categorizing variable. The OFC standard deviation (OFCSD) values of the autistic propositi (0.61+/-1.6) varied significantly from that of the normal population (0.0+/-1.0), (P 2.0, N = 32) with the normocephalic individuals (-2 SD < OFCSD < +2 SD, N = 95) showed no significant differences in sex ratio, morphological status, IQ, seizure prevalence, or recurrence risks. The macrocephalic individuals were slightly less apt than those with normocephaly to have a family history of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) (P<0.05). Each clinical subgroup of autism propositi, defined on the basis of phenotypic status, type of onset, seizure history, or IQ, had a higher than normal mean OFC indicating that macrocephaly is an independent clinical trait in autism. As in the non-autistic population, macrocephaly was highly familial with 45% of the macrocephalic and 37% of the normocephalic propositi having at least one macrocephalic parent. Microcephaly, however, was an independent significant variable that predicted the presence of other phenotypic or genetic traits and outcome. The microcephalic patients were more likely to have abnormal physical morphology, structural brain malformations, lower IQ, and seizures. Their sex ratio was closer to normal, and their relatives had a higher incidence of seizures.
Using thin client technology to reduce complexity and cost

The number and complexity of workstations in campus environments requires new approaches to efficient use of computing resources. The constant barrage of spyware, adware, and viri that can consume seemingly endless amounts of staff time aggravates this. Further, the demand for ever increasing amounts of stations in a wide variety of locations to make access more convenient for our customers delivers an additional draining point. Creative use of thin client technology can decrease both management complexity and IT staff time. We will show in various examples how we used thin clients in very different scenarios to provide a high level of customer satisfaction and decreased support strain for IT staff.
Evolution of morphology and composition in three-dimensional fully faceted strained alloy crystals

Abstract Alloy structures such as core-shell particles, heteroepitaxial multilayers and nanowires have received a lot of attention in recent years due to their applications in logic, energy storage and optoelectronics. In typical growth conditions, the surfaces of these structures are usually faceted i.e. they adopt low-energy singular crystalline orientations. For alloy systems, the growth law for a fully faceted structure requires the specification of the normal velocity of each facet, the incorporation rate of each alloy component on the surface, and the exchange of surface atoms with the bulk. The latter process requires consideration of both surface segregation and possibly bulk material transport. By using only fundamental concepts of thermodynamics, we derive the governing equations for the growth of strained and fully faceted two-component crystals in regimes where surface material transport may be governed by surface-attachment limited kinetics or surface diffusion limited kinetics. In both cases we derive a very compact form for the surface mass fluxes from chemical potentials that account for the constraint stemming from the fact that while the growth rate of each alloy component can vary along the surface (as governed by the individual chemical potentials), their sum should remain constant along the facet and should be equal to the growth velocity of the facet. Within our approach, the dynamics of surface segregation and other important features of faceted crystal growth that lead to compositional patterning such as a kinetic barrier for exchange of alloy components between different facets emerge in a very natural fashion.
Measurement of murine serum amyloid P component by rate nephelometry

Abstract Murine serum amyloid P component (SAP) is an acute-phase protein that is increased 2–10-fold in concentration following appropriate inflammatory or infections stimuli. Previous studies of the acute-phase SAP response have employed quantitative immunoelectrophoresis or radioimmunoassay to measure SAP concentration. A rate nephelometric procedure has been developed which measures SAP concentration rapidly and with equivalent or greater precision than the previously applied techniques. This simple method will facilitate experimental and clinical studies of the acute-phase response.
Integration of five Southeast Asian accessions into the world-wide phenetic relationships of Hydrilla verticillata as elucidated by random amplified polymorphic DNA analysis

Abstract Random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) markers were analyzed for five new accessions of Hydrilla verticillata (L.f.) Royle collected from southeast Asia (Vietnam and Thailand). These were compared to 12 accessions that had been analyzed in a previous study. Five primers produced 91 loci which were used to calculate the Dice similarity metric which was in turn used to compare the accessions phenetically using both the neighbor-joining algorithm and the unweighted pair-group arithmetic average clustering (UPGMA) method. The US dioecious accessions, as previously, clustered closest to a plant from Bangalore, India. The US monoecious accessions again clustered with a Seoul, Korean accession. The five Southeast Asian accessions clustered loosely near accessions from Pinang Island, Malaysia, Rawa Pening, Indonesia and Tainan, Taiwan, but showed less phenetic similarity to the Asian accessions.
Mating prior to overwintering in the imported willow leaf beetle, Plagiodera versicolora (Coleoptera : Chrysomelidae)

. 1. We report on the mating status of overwintering adults of the imported leaf beetle, Plagiodera versicolora Laicharting. This species overwinters as adults, under the bark of willow trees. 2. Individuals were collected both in the autumn, just after initiation of diapause, and in the spring, just before natural termination of diapause. From the autumn sample, we discovered that diapause can be terminated by husbanding the adults at 4°C for 4 weeks. 3. Most females lay fertile eggs upon the termination of diapause; however, a significant number of females lay non-fertile eggs after overwintering in the field. 4. Many females mate with more than one male before entering diapause. Progeny analysis using allozyme genetic markers shows that, on average, females who are fertile upon termination of diapause utilize sperm from 1.2 males to fertilize their eggs.
Effect of Glucocorticoids and Gamma Radiation on Epidermal Langerhans Cells

The effect of 750 rads of gamma radiation on the rate of return of epidermal Langerhans cells (LC) following suppressive doses of topical glucorticoids was studied in guinea pigs. Gamma radiation alone had no effect on the LC as assessed by staining for cell membrane ATPase activity and Ia antigen. It did, however, delay the expected return of Ia but not ATPase surface markers on the LC after perturbation with glucocorticoids. The delayed return of surface Ia antigen is possibly related to a radiation-induced defect in the production of a required lymphokine and/or in intracellular Ia transport. Although our data do not rule out a cytolytic effect of steroids on the LC, they do strongly suggest that, at least in part, glucocorticoids act on the LC by altering cell surface characteristics.
DETECTION OF FISSURES IN RICE GRAINS USING IMAGING ENHANCEMENT

ABSTRACT Rapid moisture adsorption by low-moisture rice grains may cause the grains to fissure. The combination of physical properties such as stress and strain has a continuous influence on the rice grain. Rice grains with stress fissures break more readily than sound kernels during harvesting, handling, milling, and transporting, and thereby reduce the quality and market value of the rice grain. Stress fissure detection remains one of the most important tasks in rice grain quality inspection. A machine vision system was used to obtain images of fissured rice grains. The system consisted of a CCD (Charge Coupled Device) black/white camera, an image frame grabber, and a computer. An image processing program (Image-Pro Plus) was used to study and evaluate the images. The procedures to detect fissures in rice grain using Image-Pro Plus were developed. The fissure pattern difference between long and medium grain rice was recognized after analyzing the processed images of the fissured grains. The computer vis...