cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Predicting influenza with dynamical methods

Prediction of influenza weeks in advance can be a useful tool in the management of cases and in the early recognition of pandemic influenza seasons. This study explores the prediction of influenza-like-illness incidence using both epidemiological and climate data. It uses Lorenz’s well-known Method of Analogues, but with two novel improvements. Firstly, it determines internal parameters using the implicit near-neighbor distances in the data, and secondly, it employs climate data (mean dew point) to screen analogue near-neighbors and capture the hidden dynamics of disease spread. These improvements result in the ability to forecast, four weeks in advance, the total number of cases and the incidence at the peak with increased accuracy. In most locations the total number of cases per year and the incidence at the peak are forecast with less than 15 % root-mean-square (RMS) Error, and in some locations with less than 10 % RMS Error. The use of additional variables that contribute to the dynamics of influenza spread can greatly improve prediction accuracy.
Resource Allocation in Uplink Multi-carrier MIMO systems for Low-complexity Transceivers

This paper proposes a resource-allocation method in a multi-carrier multiple-access channel with multiple antennas at the users and at the base station. Two additional constraints are imposed to reduce transceiver complexity. First, the number of users sharing a subcarrier is limited to the number of antennas at the base station, so that each receive dimension is not shared by more than one user; this reduces the decoding complexity of the receiver. Second, each user is forced to employ beam-forming by constraining its transmit covariance matrix to be rank-one. With these additional constraints, algorithms for user-selection and power allocation are presented. Numerical results show that the resulting sum-rate is very close to the sum-rate capacity and the user-selection does not affect the short-term fairness among users.
N-rasm-Transduced Fibroblasts Facilitate the Expansion and Engraftment of Umbilical Cord Blood Stem Cells.

Clinical trials using ex-vivo expanded umbilical cord blood (UCB) cells have thus far failed to demonstrate significant improvement in speed of hematopoietic recovery suggesting better understanding of self-renewal, proliferation, homing and engraftment capabilities of cord blood is needed. Recent progress has been made in the identification and understanding of the cellular niche for hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) within bone marrow however attempts to identify soluble factors that regulate HSC engraftment to bone marrow have been less successful. We have demonstrated that N-ras m transduced NIH 3T3 fibroblasts release soluble factors that support the ex-vivo expansion of UCB CD34+ hematopoietic progenitor cells (HPCs). UCB CD34+ cells were cultured in combination with cytokines : TPO, SCF, IL-6 and flt3-ligand(all at 100ng/ml). Significant (7-fold) expansion of total nucleated cells was seen on day 19 in cultures complemented with medium produced by N-ras m -transduced fibroblasts ( N-ras m medium), compared to control cells (GFP- transduced fibroblasts (GFP medium)). Maximum expansion of UCB CD34+ cells (2-fold) and the most primitive sub-population of CD34+ CD117+ cells (2-fold) were seen on day 4 in N-ras m medium cells compared to GFP medium cells. Furthermore, increased numbers of cycling cells were observed in UCB CD34+ cell cultures supplemented with N-ras m medium. Significant (3-fold) expansion of CD34+CXCR4+ cells enriched with the NOD/SCID mice engrafting cells, was also observed. This increased expansion of CD34+CXCR4+ cells correlated with a 3-fold increased engraftment of human UCB cells in a NOD/SCID mouse model confirming retention of engraftment capability of expanded cells. This data demonstrates that N-ras m -transduced fibroblasts secrete soluble factors that promote ex-vivo expansion and in -vivo engraftment of primitive human hematopoietic progenitor/stem cells derived from UCB. Proteins that are secreted by N-ras m -transduced fibroblasts that activate hematopoiesis are currently being identified. Our data demonstrates the potential of N-ras m -transduced fibroblasts as a reservoir for the discovery of novel secreted proteins that regulate ex-vivo expansion and engraftment of human UCB HSCs and may represent a potential novel expansion strategy allowing greater use UCB as a stem cell source for allogeneic transplantation.
Evaluation of late onset bipolar illness during menopause.

OBJECTIVE The purpose of this paper is to review the literature on bipolar illness and to discuss its relevance to the evaluation and treatment of bipolar illness during menopause. The hypothesis is that there is a group of patients who may present with commonly reported symptoms of menopause who are in fact, suffering from an underlying bipolar illness. METHOD The literature pertaining to gender differences in bipolar illness as well as the effect of major life events associated with the onset of bipolar illness is closely examined. RESULTS There is enough evidence to support the hypothesis that women in particular are vulnerable to bipolar illness of the rapid cycling type. Exacerbations of a previous existing condition or late-onset bipolar illness may be associated with major stressors and life events such as that experienced during menopause. CONCLUSIONS Gender differences in the course of bipolar illness and the greater prevalence of rapid cycling among bipolar women may in fact be a major consideration in the evaluation and treatment of symptoms during menopause.
The Death Camp Eldorado: Political and Economic Effects of Mass Violence

Transfer and redistribution of wealth accompany most violent conflicts throughout the world, yet the local-level political and economic effects of this phenomenon remain unexplored. We address this omission by examining the long-term impact on the surrounding communities of the Nazi death camp Treblinka in Poland, where nearly a million Jews were murdered. The assets of murdered Jews sometimes ended up in the hands of the local population. We are able to identify the enduring impact of these property transfers on local economic and political outcomes because the exact location of Treblinka was exogenous to the characteristics of surrounding communities. We find that communities located closer to the camp experienced a real estate boom but do not exhibit higher levels of economic and social development. These communities also showed higher support for an anti-Semitic party, the League of Polish Families. Our findings speak to an important but overlooked challenge to post-conflict reconstruction and reconciliation.
Design, fabrication, and characterization of a scalable tissue-engineered-electronic-nerve-interface (TEENI) device

In this study, we describe a novel peripheral-nerve interface which makes use of highly flexible multi-electrode arrays that are integrated into hydrogel-based scaffolds to form a hybrid tissue-engineered electronic construct. This tissue-engineered electronic nerve interface (TEENI) is designed to be scalable to high channel counts using multiple polyimide-based “threads” that are evenly distributed through a volume of the nerve equal to its diameter times the distance between one or more nodes of Ranvier. Such scalability could greatly increase the precision and resolution of motor-control and sensory-feedback signals exchanged between amputees and advanced upper-limb prosthetic devices.
Mineral- and Base-Catalyzed Hydrolysis of Organophosphate Flame Retardants: Potential Major Fate-Controlling Sink in Soil and Aquatic Environments.

The ubiquitous occurrence of organophosphate flame retardants (OPFRs) in aquatic and soil environments poses significant risks to human health and ecosystems. Here, we report on the hydrolysis of six OPFRs and three structural analogues in the absence and presence of metal (hydr)oxide minerals. Eight of the target compounds showed marked degradation in alkaline solutions (pH 9–12) with half-lives ranging from 0.02–170 days. Kinetics follow a second-order rate law with apparent rate constants for base-catalyzed hydrolysis (kB) ranging from 0.69–42 000 M–1 d–1. Although hydrolysis in homogeneous solution at circumneutral pH is exceedingly slow (t1/2 > 2 years, except for tris(2,2,2-trichloroethy) phosphate), rapid degradation is observed in the presence of metal (hydr)oxide minerals, with half-lives reduced to <10 days for most of the target OPFRs in mineral suspensions (15 m2/L mineral surface area loading). LC-qToF-MS analysis of transformation products confirmed ester hydrolysis as the active degradation...
Delusional Parasitosis Impeding Delivery of Acute Care in a Cancer Patient

Taking care of patients with delusional parasitosis can be challenging. This report illustrates the added management complexity and ethical dilemmas surrounding a patient who was newly diagnosed with an incurable lung cancer, while at the same time was suffering from delusional parasitosis. Her delusion was so profound that she blamed flukes for her respiratory failure and refused treatment of her cancer. This paper emphasizes making the right decision with the greater good in mind, even if this meant "yielding" to a patient's delusion and treating the non-existing parasitosis in order for her to allow us to also treat the cancer.
Spatial orientation: Model-based approach to multi-sensory mechanisms.

Abstract Perception of spatial orientation is generated through multimodal sensory integration. In this process, there are systematic errors with changes in the head or body position, which reflect challenges for the brain in maintaining a common sensory reference frame for spatial orientation. Here, we focus on this multisensory aspect of spatial orientation. We review a Bayesian spatial perception model that can be used as a framework to study sensory contributions to spatial orientation during lateral head tilts and probe neural networks involved in this process.
PyRTL in Early Undergraduate Research

Undergraduate research experiences are a promising way to broaden participation in computer architecture research and have been shown to improve student learning, engagement, and retention. These outcomes can be more profound and lasting if students experience research early. However, there are many barriers to early research in computer architecture some of which include the gap between pedagogy and research, the lower emphasis on hardware design compared to software in first year courses, and the lack of online resources. We propose lowering these barriers through a methodical approach by involving undergraduates in early research and by creating freely available and innovative educational tools for designing hardware.We present the experience of a team of undergraduate students with research over one academic year using a Python hardware description language, PyRTL. PyRTL was developed to enable early entry into digital design. Its overarching goals are simplicity, usability, clarity, and extensibility, a stark contrast to traditional languages like Verilog and VHDL that have a steep learning curve. Instead of introducing traditional languages early in the undergraduate curriculum, PyRTL takes the opposite approach, which is to build on what students already know well: a popular programming language (Python), software design patterns, and software engineering principles. The students conducted their research in the context of the Early Research Scholars Program (ERSP), a program designed to expand access to research among women and underrepresented minority students in their second year through a well designed support structure.
Mayr and Tinbergen: disentangling and integrating

Research on animal behavior is typically organized according to a combination of two influential frameworks: Ernst Mayr’s distinction between proximate and ultimate causes, and Niko Tinbergen’s “four questions” (mechanisms, development, survival value, and evolution). My aim is to debunk two common interpretive misconceptions about Mayr’s proximate–ultimate distinction and its relationship to Tinbergen’s four questions, and to offer a new interpretation that avoids both. The first misconception is that the proximate–ultimate distinction maps cleanly onto Tinbergen’s four questions, marking a boundary between Tinbergen’s evolutionary and survival value questions (ultimate) versus developmental and mechanistic questions (proximate). The second is that Mayr’s proximate–ultimate distinction is meant to rule out the relevance of proximate causes to evolutionary explanations. I argue that neither is plausible given the text and Mayr’s philosophical aims, namely, to argue that evolutionary biology cannot be reduced to either the physical sciences or to other areas of biology. Through a reconstruction of Mayr’s anti-reductionist argument, I develop an interpretation according to which the proximate–ultimate distinction marks two ways that teleological reasoning can be naturalistically grounded in biology, corresponding to Mayr’s distinction between teleonomic and adapted systems. Mayr distinguishes reduction, which the proximate–ultimate distinction is meant to block, from analysis, through which he allows that proximate causes, causes that are neither proximate nor ultimate, and chance can all contribute to evolutionary explanations. I conclude by suggesting some ways in which the interpretation defended here reframes our understanding of Mayr’s disagreements with some evolutionary-developmental biologists.
Methane Over-Oxidation by Extra-Framework Copper-Oxo Active Sites of Copper-Exchanged Zeolites: Crucial Role of Traps for the Separated Methyl Group.

Copper-exchanged zeolites are useful for stepwise conversion of methane to methanol at moderate temperatures. This process also generates some over-oxidation products like CO and CO2 . However, mechanistic pathways for methane over-oxidation by copper-oxo active sites in these zeolites have not been previously described. Adequate understanding of methane over-oxidation is useful for developing systems with higher methanol yields and selectivities. Here, we use density functional theory (DFT) to examine methane over-oxidation by [Cu3 O3 ]2+ active sites in zeolite mordenite MOR. The methyl group formed after activation of a methane C-H bond can be stabilized at a μ-oxo atom of the active site. This μ-(O-CH3 ) intermediate can undergo sequential hydrogen atom abstractions till eventual formation of a copper-monocarbonyl species. Adsorbed formaldehyde, water and formates are also formed during this process. The overall mechanistic path is exothermic, and all intermediate steps are facile at 200 °C. Release of CO from the copper-monocarbonyl costs only 3.4 kcal/mol. Thus, for high methanol selectivities, the methyl group from the first hydrogen atom abstraction step must be stabilized away from copper-oxo active sites. Indeed, it must be quickly trapped at an unreactive site (short diffusion lengths) while avoiding copper-oxo species (large paths between active sites). This stabilization of the methyl group away from the active sites is central to the high methanol selectivities obtained with stepwise methane-to-methanol conversion.
Indications for the Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillator (ICD)

Sudden cardiac death (SCD) has been a leading cause of mortality and health care utilization in the world. Since the development of the implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD), large randomized clinical trials have supported the ICD as first line therapy for patients who have or are at high risk of lethal ventricular arrhythmias (VA). The goal of this chapter is to discuss the indications for ICD implantation in heart failure patients.
Trichechus manatus latirostris (Manatee)

Lymphocyte cultures were used for these karyotypes which were kindly donated by Dr. D.A. Duffield, Los Angeles, California. They come from Florida manatees and pairing is arbitrary, following that of White et al. (1976). Only one previous manatee, T. inunguis has been studied with 2n=56 (Loughman et al., 1970).
Interstellar sulfur chemistry

The results of a chemical model of SO, CS, and OCS chemistry in dense clouds are summarized. The results are obtained from a theoretical study of sulfur chemistry in dense interstellar clouds using a large-scale time-dependent model of gas-phase chemistry. Among the results are the following: (1) owing to activation energy, the reaction of CS with O atoms is efficient as a loss mechanism of CS during the early phases of cloud evolution or in hot and oxygen-rich sources such as the KL nebula; (2) if sulfur is not abnormally depleted in dense clouds, then the observed abundances of SO, SO2, H2S, CS, OCS, H2CS, and SiS indicate that sulfur is mostly atomic in dense clouds; and (3) OCS is stable against reactions with neutral atoms and radicals in dense clouds.
Design and Test of a Gas-Adsorption System for the N. S. Savannah

This paper describes the design and engineering testing of a low-temperature adsorption unit installed on the N. S. Savannah, designed to remove and store fission-product gases for a 100-day period. Included is a description of the purification cycle, a discussion of design features and engineering test results, and a presentation of the design data for the adsorption of gases on activated charcoal at low temperatures.
Do the Study of Education and Teacher Education Belong at a Liberal Arts College

The question whether the study of education and teacher education belong at a liberal arts college deserves careful consideration. In this essay Bruce Kimball analyzes and finds unpersuasive the three principled rationales that are most often advanced on behalf of excluding educational studies, teacher education, or both from a liberal arts college. Specifically, Kimball argues that no principled definition of the conventional liberal arts disciplines excludes the study of education without barring other fields now regarded as legitimate, and consistency demands that all such fields be excluded if any are. In addition, teacher education, even if considered as merely “craft know-how” or as professional training, cannot be excluded from liberal arts colleges without arbitrarily classifying it as suspect and subjecting it to strict scrutiny. But the question of whether educational studies or teacher education fit any asserted definition of liberal education does not finally resolve the question of whether they belong in a liberal arts college. Kimball concludes by suggesting that there are moral and prudential reasons for liberal arts colleges to offer teacher education and, concomitantly, the study of education, even apart from the unpersuasive objections that they do not fit a definition of liberal education.
Implementing total quality management

Describes the results of a survey in manufacturing, distribution and service organizations concerning total quality management (TQM). These results proved that an effective TQM programme should contain consistent training of all employees; significant improvement in communication between departments; and development of the standards to measure and control the cost of quality. Based on the survey results, identifies quantitative relationships between quality improvement characteristics and different internal factors. Statistical regression models developed revealed leading predictors of a successful TQM programme.
Effect of norbinaltorphimine on ∆⁹-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC)-induced taste avoidance in adolescent and adult Sprague-Dawley rats.

The aversive effects of ∆9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) are mediated by activity at the kappa opioid receptor (KOR) as assessed in adult animals; however, no studies have assessed KOR involvement in the aversive effects of THC in adolescents. Given that adolescents have been reported to be insensitive to the aversive effects induced by KOR agonists, a different mechanism might mediate the aversive effects of THC in this age group. The present study was designed to assess the impact of KOR antagonism on the aversive effects of THC in adolescent and adult rats using the conditioned taste avoidance (CTA) procedure. Following a single pretreatment injection of norbinaltorphimine (norBNI; 15 mg/kg), CTAs induced by THC (0, 0.56, 1.0, 1.8, and 3.2 mg/kg) were assessed in adolescent (n = 84) and adult (n = 83) Sprague-Dawley rats. The KOR antagonist, norBNI, had weak and inconsistent effects on THC-induced taste avoidance in adolescent rats in that norBNI both attenuated and strengthened taste avoidance dependent on dose and trial. norBNI had limited impact on the final one-bottle avoidance and no effects on the two-bottle preference test. Interestingly, norBNI had no effect on THC-induced taste avoidance in adult rats as well. That norBNI had no significant effect on THC-induced avoidance in adults, and a minor and inconsistent effect in adolescents demonstrates that the aversive effects of THC are not mediated by KOR activity as assessed by the CTA design in Sprague-Dawley rats.
Sperm from beta 1,4-galactosyltransferase-null mice are refractory to ZP3-induced acrosome reactions and penetrate the zona pellucida poorly

A variety of sperm surface components have been suggested to mediate gamete recognition by binding to glycoside ligands on the egg coat glycoprotein ZP3. The function of each of these candidate receptors is based upon varying degrees of circumstantial and direct evidence; however, the effects on fertilization of targeted mutations in any of these candidate receptors have not yet been reported. In this paper, we describe the effects of targeted mutations in beta1,4-galactosyltransferase, the best studied of the candidate receptors for ZP3. Surprisingly, galactosyltransferase-null (gt[-/-]) males are fertile; however, sperm from gt(-/-) males bind less radiolabeled ZP3 than wild-type sperm, and are unable to undergo the acrosome reaction in response to either ZP3 or anti-galactosyltransferase antibodies, as do wild-type sperm. In contrast, gt(-/-) sperm undergo the acrosome reaction normally in response to calcium ionophore, which bypasses the requirement for ZP3 binding. The inability of gt(-/-) sperm to undergo a ZP3-induced acrosome reaction renders them physiologically inferior to wild-type sperm, as assayed by their relative inability to penetrate the egg coat and fertilize the oocyte in vitro. Thus, although ZP3 binding and subsequent induction of the acrosome reaction are dispensable for fertilization, they impart a physiological advantage to the fertilizing sperm. A second strain of mice was created that is characterized by a loss of of the long galactosyltransferase isoform responsible for ZP3-dependent signal transduction, but which maintains normal levels of Golgi galactosylation. Sperm from these mice show that the defective sperm-egg interactions in gt(-/-) mice are due directly to a loss of the long galactosyltransferase isoform from the sperm surface and are independent of the state of intracellular galactosylation during spermatogenesis.
Run-time systems for coordination

This chapter presents an overview of the past, current and possible future run-time systems for coordination. The main coordination language considered in the chapter is Linda. This is because Linda has clearly been the most successful coordination language that has made the transition from academic curiosity to wide-spread commercial use.
Performance of low melt alloys as thermal interface materials

This paper focuses on using low melt alloys (LMAs) containing In, Ga, Sn, and Bi as compliant high performance thermal interface material. The investigation described herein involves in-situ thermal performance of LMAs as a function of applied pressure as well as performance evaluation after accelerated life cycle testing which includes thermal cycling from -40°C to 80°C. Testing methodologies follow ASTM D5470 protocols. Measurements show that LMAs can offer thermal interfacial resistances as low as 0.006 cm2°C/W, and their performance is highly contingent upon the quality of the mating surfaces. The issue of LMA containment and dewetting are discussed along with the solutions to mitigate them. Finally, to compare the performance of LMAs, some commercial TIMs (grease, phase change material, heat spring and thermal pads) were also tested using the same methodology and apparatus.
Low-Income Students and the Socioeconomic Composition of Public High Schools.

Increasing constraints placed on race-based school diversification have shifted attention to socioeconomic desegregation. Although past research suggests that socioeconomic desegregation can produce heightened achievement, the “frog pond” perspective points to potential problems with socioeconomic desegregation in nonachievement domains. Such problems are important in their own right, and they may also chip away at the magnitude of potential achievement benefits. In this article, I report conducted propensity score analyses and robustness calculations on a sample of public high schools in the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health. As the proportion of the student body with middle- or high-income parents increased, low-income students progressed less far in math and science. Moreover, as the proportion of the student body with middle- or high-income or college-educated parents increased, low-income students experienced more psychosocial problems. Such patterns were often more pronounced among Af...
Growth hormone-releasing factor from ovine and caprine hypothalamus: isolation, sequence analysis and total synthesis.

Peptides with high intrinsic growth hormone releasing activity (growth hormone-releasing factor, GRF) were isolated from 2100 ovine and 2600 caprine (goat) hypothalami by means of acid extraction, immunoaffinity chromatography, gel filtration and reverse phase HPLC. Structural characterization of the 44 amino acid ovine peptide by gas-liquid phase sequencing and peptide mapping established its primary structure as Tyr-Ala-Asp-Ala-Ile-Phe-Thr-Asn-Ser-Tyr-Arg-Lys-Ile-Leu-Gly-Gln-Leu-Ser-Ala-Arg-Lys-Leu-Leu-Gln-Asp-Ile- Met-Asn-Arg-Gln-Gln-Gly-Glu-Arg-Asn-Gln-Glu-Gln-Gly-Ala-Lys-Val-Arg-Leu-NH2. Caprine GRF was found to possess the same sequence except for the replacement of the isoleucine residue in position 13 with valine and thus is identical to bovine GRF.
LAV Based Robust State Estimation for Systems Measured by PMUs

The weighted least squares (WLS) estimator is commonly employed to solve the state estimation problem in today's power systems, which are primarily measured by SCADA measurements, including bus power injection, branch power flow and bus voltage magnitude measurements. Despite being widely used, WLS estimator remains to be non-robust, i.e., it fails in the presence of bad measurements. The so called least absolute value (LAV) estimator is more robust, but is not widely used due to its higher computational cost. LAV estimator has the desirable property of automatic bad-data rejection provided that the measurement set does not include any “leverage measurements.” There will be two important advantages to using LAV estimator when systems are observed by phasor measurements: 1) if the measurement set consists of only phasors, the leveraging effect of measurements can be easily eliminated by strategic scaling; 2) computational performance of LAV estimator will become competitive with that of WLS due to the linearity of the estimation problem for phasor measurements. This paper demonstrates these advantages and argues that the LAV estimator will be a statistically robust and computationally competitive estimator for those power systems that will be measured entirely by PMUs.
Investigating Homophily in Online Social Networks

Similarity breeds connections, the principle of homophily, has been well studied in existing sociology literature. %Several studies have observed this phenomena by conducting surveys on human subjects. These studies have concluded that new ties are formed between similar individuals. This phenomenon has been used to explain several socio-psychological concepts such as segregation, community development, social mobility, etc. However, due to the nature of these studies and limitations because of involvement of human subjects, conclusions from these studies are not easily extensible in online social media. %Social media, which is becoming the infinite space for interactions, has exceeded all the expectations in terms of growth, for reasons beyond human mind. New ties are formed in social media just like the way they emerge in real-world. However, given the differences between real-world and online social media, do the same factors that govern the construction of new ties in real-world also govern the construction of new ties in social media? In other words, does homophily exist in social media? In this article, we study this extremely significant question. We propose a systematic approach by studying two online social media sites, BlogCatalog and Last.fm and report our findings along with some interesting observations.
Computer controlled fed-batch fermentation of the methylotroph Pseudomonas AM1

A simple on-line computer control strategy based on dissolved oxygen level readings has been developed to control methanol addition during a fermentation of the methylotroph Pseudomonas AM1. This strategy has led to significant and reproducible improvements in the performance of the fermentation.
Sodium-mediated modulation of aldosterone secretion: impact of converting enzyme inhibition on rat glomerulosa cell response to angiotensin-II.

Abstract Sodium restriction enhances the aldosterone response to angiotensin-II (All) in normal rats, but not in spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR). To determine whether a change and/or abnormality in the circulating or adrenal reninangiotensin systems are responsible for these observations, three groups of animals were studied on a low sodium diet with and without the administration of a converting enzyme inhibitor (enalapril). Sprague-Dawley and Wistar-Kyoto (normotensive rat strains) and SHR were placed on low sodium (0.1%) for 9 days, the last 4 days of which enalapril was administered to half of the animals. In all groups enalapril treatment resulted in a significant (P < 0.001) reduction in blood pressure, an increase in renin activity, and a reduction in plasma aldosterone when all of the animals were considered together, although the change in blood pressure achieved statistical significance only in the Wistar-Kyoto rats. Additionally, basal aldosterone output from isolated glomerulosa cells wa...
Optimal Timing of Colonoscopy to Screen for Cancer in Ulcerative Colitis

Abstract Patients with ulcerative colitis have a high risk of colon cancer that increases with duration of disease. Annual colonoscopy with biopsies for 99 patients with pancolitis and a mean durat...
Management structure and technology diffusion in Chinese state-owned enterprises

Abstract This paper identifies factors that can explain the variation in the diffusion of continuous casting technology among Chinese steel firms during the period 1985–1995. Potential factors affecting firm-level diffusion of continuous casting technology are tested econometrically using data from 75 Chinese steel firms. The results suggest that institutional factors, such as management structure, have had a significant influence on a firm's rate of diffusion. In particular, the results show that although centrally managed firms are typically the first to acquire a new technology, complete integration of the technology into the production process occurs more rapidly in firms that are locally managed. Furthermore, the results suggest that certain market factors are important in a locally managed firm's decision to convert, but seem to have played a lesser role in centrally managed firms. These results imply that although centrally managed firms have better access to new technologies due to their close ties to the central government, locally managed firms may possess a greater incentive to improve production efficiency through the incorporation of new technology.
Flexor reflex control of the external sphincter of the urethra in paraplegia

In paraplegics and quadriplegics a profound paralysis of skeletal muscles occurs below the level of the spinal lesion. Unexplained in this state is the development of an overactive external urethral sphincter, which interferes with emptying of the bladder and may lead to infection of the urinary tract. Studies of cats show that the discharge of motoneurons causing this contraction has all the characteristics of a flexor reflex.
Acylation and solubility of casein precipitated by carbon dioxide.

Casein precipitated from milk using carbon dioxide (CO 2 -casein) and calcium caseinate were acetylated and succinylated. Aqueous solubility of casein was measured at pH 3, 5, 7, and 9. Acetylation extent was lower for CO 2 -casein while both succinylated to similar extents. Solubility between the unmodified caseins was similar except at pH 5 with CO 2 -casein being less soluble. Succinylation enhanced solubility for both caseins at pH 5, 7, and 9 with similar solubility between the succinylated caseins at each pH. Acetylation enhanced solubility at pH 5, however CO 2 -casein still possessed lower solubility than calcium caseinate. Acylation and solubility behavior indicated structural features in CO 2 -casein which were not present in calcium caseinate.
Roles of the heparin and low density lipid receptor-related protein-binding sites of protease nexin 1 (PN1) in urokinase-PN1 complex catabolism. The PN1 heparin-binding site mediates complex retention and degradation but not cell surface binding or internalization.

We have previously described thrombin (Th)-protease nexin 1 (PN1) inhibitory complex binding to cell surface heparins and subsequent low density lipid receptor-related protein (LRP)-mediated internalization. Our present studies examine the catabolism of urinary plasminogen activator (uPA)-PN1 inhibitory complexes, which, unlike Th·PN1 complexes, bind almost exclusively through the uPA receptor. In addition, the binding site in PN1 required for the LRP-mediated internalization of Th·PN1 complexes is not required for the LRP-mediated internalization of uPA·PN1 complexes. Thus, the protease moiety of the complex partially determines the mechanistic route of entry. Because cell surface heparins are only minimally involved in the binding and internalization of uPA·PN1 complexes, we then predicted that complexes between uPA and the heparin binding-deficient PN1 variant, PN1(K7E), should be catabolized at the same rate as complexes formed with native PN1. Surprisingly, the uPA·PN1(K7E) complexes were degraded at only a fraction of the rate of native complexes. Internalization studies revealed that both uPA·PN1(K7E) and native uPA·PN1 complexes were initially internalized at the same rate, but uPA·PN1(K7E) complexes were rapidly retro-endocytosed in an intact form. By examining the pH dependence of complex binding in the range of 4.0–7.0, it was determined that the uPA·PN1 inhibitory complexes must specifically bind to endosomal heparins at pH 5.5 to be retained and sorted to lysosomes. These studies are the first to document a role for heparins in the catabolism of SERPIN-protease complexes at a point further in the pathway than cell surface binding, and this role may extend to other heparin-binding LRP-internalized ligands.
Multi-faceted approach to improve learning in pharmacokinetics.

Objectives. To integrate a series of educational strategies ranging from content delivery to assessment, including a change in philosophy regarding the use of in-class time, to enhance learning of pharmacokinetics. Methods. Several approaches were taken to develop a significant learning experience in the basic and clinical pharmacokinetics courses including games, a piloted multimedia module to offset content delivery and free-up class time, reflective writing, and an immediate feedback assessment. Games, a multimedia module, reflective writing assignments, and other innovative learning tools were incorporated into pharmacokinetics courses, as well as an assessment tool to provide immediate feedback. Results. Median examination scores did not improve following the incorporation of the teaching innovations; however, based on survey results, student satisfaction increased. Conclusions. Already high median examination scores (>90% from historical controls) did not improve; however, the effectiveness of the i...
Testing monotone effects of covariates in nonparametric mixed models

In a multi- factorial nonparametric mixed model, an asymptotic rank-based test on monotone influence of a covariate is developed. Most methods available in the literature cannot handle data with ties or dependent observations. The procedure proposed here does not assume continuous distributions and is thus applicable to data with ties. It can be used even for ordinal or binary data. Also, it can handle dependent observations, as, for example, in longitudinal data. Moreover, the test developed in this paper, as well as the estimate of the regression parameter for the covariate, is easy to compute and does not require iterative algorithms. The method proposed here contains the test based on Spearman’s rank correlation coefficient as a special case. The finite sample performance of the test procedure is analyzed by computer simulations. Some examples illustrate the application.
Nsync—a toolkit for building interactive multimedia presentations

This chapter discusses a multimedia synchronization toolkit, called Nsync, to address the complicated issues inherent in designing flexible, interactive multimedia presentations. The toolkit consists of two primary components, a declarative synchronization definition language, and a run-time presentation management system. The synchronization definition language supports the specification of synchronous interaction, asynchronous interaction, fine-grained relationships, and combinations of each through the use of conjunctive and disjunctive operators. Precomputed playout schedules are too inflexible to deal with asynchronous interaction, and a more adaptive presentation management system is required. Nsync's run-time system uses a novel predictive logic to predict the future behavior of a presentation. As the viewer makes decisions, the presentation is updated and new predictions are made to maintain consistency with the viewer's wishes and the integrity of the presentation's message. The Nsync toolkit has been completely implemented in the Tcl/Tk scripting language. The total implementation effort was about 3,500 lines of Tel code extending over a 6 months period. Although, Nsync can model any granularity of skew relationship, it cannot currently enforce them. To address this issue, some parts of the system would need to be reimplemented in a lower-level programming language, such as C or C++.
Metabolic Control of Persister Formation in Escherichia coli

Bacterial persisters are phenotypic variants that form from the action of stress response pathways triggering toxin-mediated antibiotic tolerance. Although persisters form during normal growth from native stresses, the pathways responsible for this phenomenon remain elusive. Here we have discovered that carbon source transitions stimulate the formation of fluoroquinolone persisters in Escherichia coli. Further, through a combination of genetic, biochemical, and flow cytometric assays in conjunction with a mathematical model, we have reconstructed a molecular-level persister formation pathway from initial stress (glucose exhaustion) to the activation of a metabolic toxin-antitoxin (TA) module (the ppGpp biochemical network) resulting in inhibition of DNA gyrase activity, the primary target of fluoroquinolones. This pathway spans from initial stress to antibiotic target and demonstrates that TA behavior can be exhibited by a metabolite-enzyme interaction (ppGpp-SpoT), in contrast to classical TA systems that involve only protein and/or RNA.
Die Aufschrift „neu“ als Qualitätssignal

In diesem Beitrag wird untersucht, welchen Effekt die Aufschrift „neu“ bei haufig gekauften Konsumgutern auf die Qualitatswahrnehmung der Konsumenten auslost. Dieses Signal zahlt zu den am haufigsten eingesetzten Werbeargumenten, allerdings ist uber seine Wirkung noch wenig bekannt. Zunachst wird theoretisch begrundet, warum das Attribut „neu“ als ein Qualitatssignal wirken konnte. Anschliesend werden Bedingungen formuliert, unter denen das Signal wirksam sein konnte. In zwei empirischen Studien wird sodann der Effekt dieses Signals uberpruft, um Empfehlungen geben zu konnen, wann dieses Signal verwendet werden sollte. Die Folgerung aus der vorliegenden Studie lautet, dass das Signal „neu“ bei etablierten Produkten verwendet werden kann, wenn „neu“ mit einem Argument verknupft wird, welches grundsatzlich objektiv prufbar ist und den Konsumenten einen hoheren Produktnutzen verspricht.
Separation of individual-level and cluster-level covariate effects in regression analysis of correlated data.

The focus of this paper is regression analysis of clustered data. Although the presence of intracluster correlation (the tendency for items within a cluster to respond alike) is typically viewed as an obstacle to good inference, the complex structure of clustered data offers significant analytic advantages over independent data. One key advantage is the ability to separate effects at the individual (or item-specific) level and the group (or cluster-specific) level. We review different approaches for the separation of individual-level and cluster-level effects on response, their appropriate interpretation and give recommendations for model fitting based on the intent of the data analyst. Unlike many earlier papers on this topic, we place particular emphasis on the interpretation of the cluster-level covariate effect. The main ideas of the paper are highlighted in an analysis of the relationship between birth weight and IQ using sibling data from a large birth cohort study.
Responses of enantioselective characteristics of imidazolinone herbicides and Chiralcel OJ column to temperature variations

Abstract Temperature affects not only the chromatographic characteristics of solute but may also alter the conformation of the stationary phase. However, temperature influences on enantioseparation of solute and conformation of chiral stationary phase (CSP) are seldom considered simultaneously. In this study, three temperature programs, a conventional heating procedure, a cyclic van’t Hoff program, and a step-temperature program, were employed to evaluate temperature effects on enantioseparation of five imidazolinone herbicides on Chiralcel OJ column and the conformational state of the stationary phase. The van’t Hoff plots of retention factor ( k ′), distribution constant ( K ) and separation factor ( α ) for imazapyr ( 1 ), imazapic ( 2 ), imazethapyr ( 3 ), and imazamox ( 4 ) were linear within 15–50 °C. Nonlinear van’t Hoff plots of α were observed for imazaquin ( 5 ) with mobile phase of n -hexane (0.1% TFA)-2-propanol at 70/30 or 60/40 (v/v). The large molecular size of imazaquin ( 5 ) and van’t Hoff plots of α were therefore more sensitive at detecting conformational changes of the stationary phase. Small but irreversible conformational changes occurred at 5–10 °C with the solvent ratio of 60/40. During the cyclic van’t Hoff program, reversible conformational changes were observed at ≥15 °C. A switch was even visible at about 25 °C with the solvent ratio of 60/40 during the re-cooling cycle. The cyclic van’t Hoff temperature program showed that using OJ column may yield satisfactory results at 15–50 °C but not at ≤15 °C. The step-temperature program showed that fast temperature changes over the 5–50 °C range may be performed on the coated OJ phase, and the recovery of enantioselectivity was relatively fast. This study shows that simultaneous evaluation of temperature effects on the chromatographic behavior of a chiral analyte and the conformational state of the chiral stationary phase provides more insights for understanding mechanisms of enantioseparation and selecting optimal separation conditions.
The classification, etiology, diagnosis, prognosis and treatment of radicular resorption of teeth☆

Abstract Radicular resorptions are classified in accordance with the etiology into two main groups as indicated in Table I. The resorptions listed as I a, occurring in conjunction with the other growth phenomena, are essentially normal in character, rather than pathologic, and require no treatment, but sometimes are incorrectly diagnosed. Those listed under the other headings are pathologic and most of them preventable. The clinical diagnosis of resorption may be made from a series of roentgenographs taken several months apart. Several angles for each tooth are necessary. From these roentgenographs, photographic enlargements may be made and used as a basis of further study. Mis-diagnosis of undeveloped roots may be avoided by comparing a series of such enlargements collected over a period of several years. The treatment of some of these resorptions may be either general or local in character, or both. The general treatment is conducted under the supervision of the pediatrician. Cases of malnutrition, from either hemoglobin or red blood cell deficiencies, demand constant and expert attention. Similarly, the cases in which calcium phosphorus balance is abnormal belong specifically to the physician. Is it not necessary to suggest that a complete physical examination be made which will include the various laboratory tests—an examination which should be periodic if the orthodontic treatment extends over a year? The local treatment usually is simple. If an infection from a pulp canal has developed, let the tooth and canal be sterilized and filled properly; or failing that—extracted. In cases of occlusal or mechanical trauma, the force should be relieved, or even removed entirely. This part of the research, however, is incomplete and requires further study and experiment.
REVIEW OF FAN LIFE EVALUATION PROCEDURES

Improving the reliability of air cooled electronic equipment must include focusing on the life expectancy of the fans or blowers. Evaluating fan failure behavior, however, is not a trivial problem, as vendors report very little information on this subject. Even when product literature provides such data, one vendor’s results are generally impossible to compare with another’s due to different test procedures, different assumptions, and different calculation methods, not all of which are explicitly defined. This paper is designed to help thermal and component evaluation engineers who have been assigned the task of sorting through these sometimes conflicting, often incompatible, claims regarding fan quality. We start with a definition of fan failure in terms of rotational speed, running current, and acoustic noise. Some basic statistical principles, such as Weibull hazard rate, Mean Time To Failure (MTTF) and L10 life, are presented in the reliability section, leading into methods for the estimation of fan life. Booser’s equation for grease life is included and its limitations for modern greases are noted; the standard equation for bearing rating life is also covered. To verify calculated fan life estimates, a designed experiment may be performed. A basic formula for the design of a fan life experiment is given, together with a brief analysis of published failure data from such an experiment. Most fan life tests are conducted under stress conditions, such as high temperature, that accelerate fan failures. The final section discusses accelerated life testing, including potential pitfalls. Simulating a mini-textbook, the paper contains valuable everyday reference material, including sample calculations to illustrate the concepts reviewed.
Central bank independence: A research note on the case of the United Kingdom

Abstract After reviewing the theories accounting for the adoption of central bank independence, the research note examines how well they apply to the British case. It appears British constitutional reforms and political imperatives, reinforced by global developments, best explain the 1997 reform of the Bank of England. The note ends with a caution about the trend toward central bank independence.
Interleukin-6 (IL-6) and C-reactive protein (CRP) Responses to Immunization in Premature Babies † 1007

Interleukin-6 (IL-6) and C-reactive protein (CRP) Responses to Immunization in Premature Babies † 1007