cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A Systematic Approach to Identify Markers of Distinctly Activated Human Macrophages

Polarization has been a useful concept for describing activated macrophage phenotypes and gene expression profiles. However, macrophage activation status within tumors and other settings are often inferred based on only a few markers. Complicating matters for relevance to human biology, many macrophage activation markers have been best characterized in mice and sometimes are not similarly regulated in human macrophages. To identify novel markers of activated human macrophages, gene expression profiles for human macrophages of a single donor subjected to 33 distinct activating conditions were obtained and a set of putative activation markers were subsequently evaluated in macrophages from multiple donors using integrated fluidic circuit (IFC)-based RT-PCR. Using unsupervised hierarchical clustering of the microarray screen, highly altered transcripts (>4-fold change in expression) sorted the macrophage transcription profiles into two major and 13 minor clusters. Among the 1874 highly altered transcripts, over 100 were uniquely altered in one major or two related minor clusters. IFC PCR-derived data confirmed the microarray results and determined the kinetics of expression of potential macrophage activation markers. Transcripts encoding chemokines, cytokines, and cell surface were prominent in our analyses. The activation markers identified by this study could be used to better characterize tumor-associated macrophages from biopsies as well as other macrophage populations collected from human clinical samples.
Prospective evaluation of arthroscopic rotator cuff repairs at 5 years: part II–prognostic factors for clinical and radiographic outcomes

Background A rotator cuff registry was established to prospectively evaluate the effectiveness of all-arthroscopic repairs. The purpose of this study is to report prognostic factors for successful clinical and radiographic outcomes at 5 years. Methods One-hundred ninety-three patients underwent all-arthroscopic rotator cuff repairs. Pre- and intraoperative data were compared to the American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeon (ASES) score, range of motion, muscle strength, and ultrasound results at 5 years using univariate, and multivariate analyses. Results At 5 years, 106 patients completed follow-up. There were no pre- or intraoperative variables that were predictive of an ASES score >90. Factors predictive of a radiographic defect were larger size of the lesion (OR 1.72, 95% CI 1.04-2.85, P = .03), multiple tendon involvement (OR 5.56, 95% CI 1.23-25.22, P = .02), older age (OR 1.15, 95% CI 1.04-1.28, P = .01), concomitant biceps (OR 16.16, 95% CI 3.01-86.65, P = .001), and acromioclavicular joint procedures (OR 6.70, 95% CI 1.46-30.73, P = .01). Radiographic healing did not correspond to clinical outcomes. Resolution of a radiographic defect was seen in 14 patients. Younger age (OR 0.84, 95% CI 0.74-0.95, P = .004) and single-tendon tears (OR 7.59, 95% CI 1.71-84.45, P = .04) were predictive. Discussion Larger tears in older patients who undergo concomitant procedures are predictive of radiographic defects at 5 years; however, radiographic healing did not correspond to clinical results. Younger patients with single tendon tears are more likely to undergo spontaneous resolution of a radiographic defect. This information can be useful in counseling patients regarding the mid-term results of this procedure.
The moderating effects of parenting styles on African-American and Caucasian children's suicidal behaviors.

Given that parenting practices have been linked to suicidal behavior in adolescence, examining the moderating effect of parenting styles on suicidal behavior early in development could offer potential insight into possible buffers as well as directions for suicide prevention and intervention later in adolescence. Hence, the moderating effects of parenting styles, including authoritarian, permissive, and features of authoritative parenting, on depressed and aggressive children’s suicidal behavior, including ideation and attempts, were evaluated with young children (N = 172; 72% male, 28% female) ranging from 6 to 12 years of age. African American (69%) and Caucasian (31%) children admitted for acute psychiatric inpatient care completed standardized measures of suicidal behavior, depressive symptoms, and proactive and reaction aggression. Their parents also completed standardized measures of parental distress and parenting style. Hierarchical regression analyses revealed that, while statistically controlling for age and gender, children who endorsed more depressive symptoms or reactive aggression reported more current and past suicidal behavior than children who endorsed fewer depressive or aggressive symptoms. The significant positive relationship observed between depressive symptoms and childhood suicidal behavior, however, was attenuated by parental use of authoritarian parenting practices for African-American and older children but not for younger and Caucasian children. The ethnic/racial difference observed for the buffering effect of authoritarian parenting practices offers potential theoretical and clinical implications for conceptualizing the moderating effects of parenting styles on African-American and Caucasian children’s suicidal behavior.
Modeling of lattice parameter in the Ni-Al system

Considering the effects of temperature and composition, a phenomenological description of lattice parameters in solid states was developed. The lattice parameter of the pure element is modeled under the assumption of a linear temperature dependence of thermal expansion, while the lattice parameters of substitutional solid-solution phases are treated similar to the Gibbs-energy modeling in the CALPHAD (CALculation of PHAse Diagram) approach. Using this model, the lattice parameters of the γ and γ′ phases in the Ni-Al system were analyzed and the model parameters were evaluated. The calculated lattice parameters and mismatches show good agreement with existing experimental data.
Pulse tube refrigeration for detectors

High purity germanium (HPGe) gamma-ray detectors are used for nondestructive assay. Liquid nitrogen (LN2), a cryogen, is commonly used to cool these detectors. Cryogen use is associated with several health risks and operational problems. This has prompted the development of cryogen-free refrigeration. A new generation of commercial pulse tube refrigerator (PTR) has been developed during the last decade. A unique feature of the PTR is the absence of cold moving parts. This significantly reduces the generated noise and vibration. In the following report, LN2, a modified Joule–Thompson cooler, and a PTR unit are examined and their cooling effectiveness with HPGe gamma-ray detectors compared. Overall, PTR is an engineering equivalent to LN2 and modified Joule–Thompson cooler systems used in gamma spectroscopy and eliminate the health and physical hazards associated with LN2 systems without adding hazards.
Temperature histories from tree rings and corals

Recent temperature trends in long tree-ring and coral proxy temperature histories are evaluated and compared in an effort to objectively determine how anomalous twentieth century temperature changes have been. These histories mostly reflect regional variations in summer warmth from the tree rings and annual warmth from the corals. In the Northern Hemisphere, the North American tree-ring temperature histories and those from the north Polar Urals, covering the past 1000 or more years, indicate that the twentieth century has been anomalously warm relative to the past. In contrast, the tree-ring history from northern Fennoscandia indicates that summer temperatures during the ‘Medieval Warm Period’ were probably warmer on average than those than during this century. In the Southern Hemisphere, the tree-ring temperature histories from South America show no indication of recent warming, which is in accordance with local instrumental records. In contrast, the tree-ring records from Tasmania and New Zealand indicate that the twentieth century has been unusually warm particularly since 1960. The coral temperature histories from the Galapagos Islands and the Great Barrier Reef are in broad agreement with the tree-ring temperature histories in those sectors, with the former showing recent cooling and the latter showing recent warming that may be unprecedented. Overall, the regional temperature histories evaluated here broadly support the larger-scale evidence for anomalous twentieth century warming based on instrumental records. However, this warming cannot be confirmed as an unprecedented event in all regions.
Attenuation of host defense function of lung phagocytes in young cystic fibrosis patients.

Background Recent reports suggest that endotoxin exposure can blunt phagocyte functions. The aim of this study was to examine whether lung phagocytic cells have altered host defense function in young cystic fibrosis (CF) patients, and to explore the contribution of neutrophil elastase (NE) and surfactant proteins to these effects.
Activation of the γ-secretase complex and presence of γ-secretase-activating protein may contribute to Aβ42 production in sporadic inclusion-body myositis muscle fibers.

Abstract The muscle-fiber phenotype of sporadic inclusion-body myositis (s-IBM), the most common muscle disease associated with aging, shares several pathological abnormalities with Alzheimer disease (AD) brain, including accumulation of amyloid-β 42 (Aβ42) and its cytotoxic oligomers. The exact mechanisms leading to Aβ42 production within s-IBM muscle fibers are not known. Aβ42 and Aβ40 are generated after the amyloid-precursor protein (AβPP) is cleaved by β-secretase and the γ-secretase complex. Aβ42 is considered more cytotoxic than Aβ40, and it has a higher propensity to oligomerize, form amyloid fibrils, and aggregate. Recently, we have demonstrated in cultured human muscle fibers that experimental inhibition of lysosomal enzyme activities leads to Aβ42 oligomerization. In s-IBM muscle, we here demonstrate prominent abnormalities of the γ-secretase complex, as evidenced by: a) increase of γ-secretase components, namely active presenilin 1, presenilin enhancer 2, nicastrin, and presence of its mature, glycosylated form; b) increase of mRNAs of these γ-secretase components; c) increase of γ-secretase activity; d) presence of an active form of a newly-discovered γ-secretase activating protein (GSAP); and e) increase of GSAP mRNA. Furthermore, we demonstrate that experimental inhibition of lysosomal autophagic enzymes in cultured human muscle fibers a) activates γ-secretase, and b) leads to posttranslational modifications of AβPP and increase of Aβ42. Since autophagy is impaired in biopsied s-IBM muscle, the same mechanism might be responsible for its having increased γ-secretase activity and Aβ42 production. Accordingly, improving lysosomal function might be a therapeutic strategy for s-IBM patients.
Development of monoclonal antibodies specific for human glandular kallikrein (hK2) : Development of a dual antibody immunoassay for hK2 with negligible prostate-specific antigen cross-reactivity

Abstract Objectives. Human glandular kallikrein (hK2) is a protein that is 80% homologous to prostate-specific antigen (PSA), and, like PSA, is localized to the prostate. We developed a specific immunoassay for hK2 that can be used to evaluate its clinical diagnostic utility. Methods. We developed monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) specific for hK2 by immunizing with hK2 and screening for clones reactive with hK2 and not PSA. Prototype sandwich assays using these mAbs were tested, and the optimum pair selected. Purified hK2 was used as standard and PSA cross-reactivity was assessed in the assay. Both hK2 and hK2-alpha 1 -antichymotrypsin (ACT) complexes have been identified in sera of patients with prostate cancer (PCa). Serum samples (n = 671) from healthy volunteers and patients with prostate disease were assayed for hK2 and PSA levels. Results. The assay had a detection limit of less than 0.12 ng/mL and a less than 0.5% cross-reactivity with PSA. The assay preferentially detected free hK2 with a 3.5-fold higher molar response than with hK2-ACT. The mean serum concentration of hK2 in normal control samples was low (0.33 and 0.37 ng/mL for normal healthy men and women, respectively) but was elevated in patients with prostate disease (0.86 and 6.77 ng/mL for patients with benign prostatic hyperplasia and PCa, respectively). Negligible cross-reactivity to hK2 was measured by Tandem PSA assays (Hybritech). Conclusions. Significant concentrations of hK2, relative to PSA, were detected in human serum, especially in patients with prostate disease. Serum hK2 concentrations were not proportional to PSA concentration. Therefore, hK2 has the potential to be an independent and clinically useful marker for PCa.
Patient Preferences for the Chemoprevention of Colorectal Cancer

Although evidence suggests that aspirin and celecoxib may reduce the risk of colorectal cancer (CRC), these drugs can also cause harmful side effects. The aim of this study was to characterize patient preferences for celecoxib and aspirin. Participants completed a computer-based patient decision-making questionnaire that included an educational component outlining the benefits and harms of celecoxib and aspirin. Under the base conditions 7.4% would take celecoxib and 43.6% would take aspirin; males were more willing than females to take aspirin. Patients identified the increased risk of myocardial infarction and gastrointestinal events as the primary reasons for their unwillingness to take celecoxib and aspirin, respectively. A majority of subjects would not take either drug, after considering their benefits and harms, although participants were almost six times more likely to take aspirin than celecoxib. These data serve to inform physicians and researchers regarding the variability and factors that affect patient preferences for CRC chemoprevention.
Microwave dissipation due to vortices in YBa/sub 2/Cu/sub 3/O/sub 7-x/ thin films for magnetic fields applied at small angles from the ab-planes

YBa/sub 2/Cu/sub 3/O/sub 7-x/ thin films patterned in a meander line resonant structure are used to probe vortex dynamics at microwave frequencies. We perform highly sensitive measurements of the changes in surface resistance /spl Delta/R/sub s/(H,T,/spl theta/) of YBa/sub 2/Cu/sub 3/O/sub 7-x/ thin films as a function of applied dc field, temperature, and angle of the applied field relative to the ab-planes. We observe that the component of the magnetic field normal to the planes produces substantially more dissipation than the component parallel to the planes. Also, the surface resistance R/sub s/ vs. H data for magnetic fields applied at small angles from the ab-planes shows two regions of markedly different field dependence separated by a crossover field H*. For applied fields H>H* we have linear dependence of R/sub s/ on applied field with a steep slope. For applied fields H >
Sex differences in spatial navigation and perception in human adolescents and emerging adults

Males typically outperform females on spatial tasks, beginning early in life and continuing into adulthood. This study aimed to characterize age and sex differences in human spatial ability using a virtual Water Maze Task (vWMT), which is based on the classic Morris water maze spatial navigation task used in rodents. Performance on the vWMT and on a task assessing visuospatial perception, Mental Rotations Test (MRT), was examined in 33 adolescents and 39 emerging adults. For the vWMT, significant effects of age and sex were observed for path length in the target region (narrower spatial sampling), and heading error, with emerging adults performing better than adolescents, and an overall male advantage. For the MRT, males scored higher than females, but only in emerging adulthood. Overall, sex differences in visuospatial perception (MRT) emerge differently from those observed on a classic navigation task, with age and sex-specific superior vWMT performance likely related to the use of more efficient strategies. Importantly, these results extend the developmental timeline of spatial ability characterization to include adolescent males and females performing a virtual version of the classic vWMT.
The larval chondrocranium of Pelodytes punctatus, with a review of tadpole chondrocrania.

The larval chondrocranium of the pelobatoid anuran Pelodytes punctatus was studied, using Alcian blue-alizarin stained and cleared whole preparations, serial sections, and gross dissections. This beaked tadpole is an unspecialized pond dweller and its chondrocranium closely resembles those of other ecologically similar tadpoles of diverse systematic relationships. Detailed analysis, however, shows many differences among the chondrocrania of anuran larvae. Among other features, these include the configurations of suprarostrals, fronto-parietal fenestrae, palatoquadrate suspensoria, the ligamentum or cartilago tectum of the muscular process of the quadrate and the circumoral ligaments. The lateral circumoral ligament permits differentiation of beaked discoglossoidean and ranoidean larvae. Microhyloids conform to the ranoidean pattern in this feature. Pipoids either lack it or seem to conform to the discoglossoidean pattern. Use of these larval features as key characters enables assignment of Pelodytes to an uncertain position among pelobatoid frogs. This is totally congruent with previous assignments based on adult features and is used to support the hypothesis that anuran phylogenies based on larval characters will closely resemble, in major features at least, those based solely on adult characters.
Recent approaches to extreme value estimation with application to wind speeds. Part I: the pickands method

The last 15 years have seen the development of a new body of theory and of a new generation of statistical estimation procedures applicable to extreme data. Essentially these approaches emphasize the primacy of the information concerning the largest of the extremes (the tails), as opposed to information inherent in the bulk of the extreme data (tile body of the distribution). One potentially attractive feature of some of these approaches is that, in principle, they make it possible to ascertain whether the distribution thai best fits a given set of extreme data has a finite tail. Whether extreme ~ind speed distributions have finite tails is a matter of great interest in structural engineering since the answer to this question may affect significantly the estimation of safety factors for wind-sensitive structures. Failure probability estimates based on the assumption that wind speeds are described by the Gumbel distribution (which has infinite upper tail) were shown to be unrealistically high (Ellingwood et a1,1980; Simiu, Shaver, and Filliben, 1981). This may be the case because the probability of occurrence of very high speeds, rather than being finite as in the Gumbel model, is in fact zero, since it is obvious on physical grounds that extratropical wind speeds must be bounded. It is natural to ask whether modern statistical methods can estimate those bounds from available sets of extreme wind speed data, and if so, what is the minimum size of the data sample that would allow the estimates to be made with acceptable confidence. Tile present work is motivated by these questions. It is part of a long<erm project aimed at evaluating various estimation methods Z a the theory of extremes. We examine two such methods here: (1) a condi t iona l mean exeeedanee ( C M E ) slope estimation method (Davisson-Smith,1990); and (2) the P iekands method (Pickands,1975). Both are based on the Generalized Pareto Distribution (GPD) model for excesses over a threshold. The GPD was shown to arise as a limiting distribution for excesses over thresholds if and only if the parent distribution tends asymptotically to one of the extreme value
Poly(2-decylthieno[3,4-b]thiophene-4,6-diyl). A new low band gap conducting polymer

A new low band gap conducting polymer, poly(2-decylthieno[3,4-b]thiophene-4,6-diyl) (5), predicted to have nearly equi-energetic aromatic and quinonoidal forms, was synthesized by a multistep sequence involving FeCl3 polymerization of 2-decylthieno[3,4-b]thiophene (7) and studied. A film of 5 showed a vis−NIR spectral λmax = 925 nm, a band edge band gap of 0.92 eV, and an FeCl3-doped conductivity of 3.1 × 10-3 S cm-1. A CHCl3 solution showed λmax = 739 nm and a band-edge band gap of 0.98 eV. GPC (polystyrene standards) gave a number-average molecular weight, Mn, of 52 000 with a polydispersity Mw/Mn of 1.7. The band gap of 0.92 eV makes 5 one of the lowest band gap organic polymers known.
When Is Defendant Status a Shield or a Liability? Clarification and Extension

Previous research has documented that an offender's status may be a protective shield or a harmful liability. One model (Rosoff, 1989) contends that status effects are moderated by offense magnitude, with status providing a shield for minor offenses, but acting as a liability for major offenses. Another model (Skolnick & Shaw, 1994) asserts that the professional relatedness of an offense moderates status effects, with status acting as a shield for professionally unrelated offenses and as a liability for professionally related offenses. A study is presented to determine the moderator of these status effects. Clarifying and extending prior research of the investigators, 120 participants read one of 12 hypothetical civil case summaries and rated defendant liability, monetary damages, and other evaluative judgments. A 3×2×2 factorial design varied offense severity, defendant status, and the professional relatedness of the offense. Results strongly supported professional relatedness as the moderator of status effects, extending previous findings from criminal to civil proceedings and eliminating alternative hypotheses suggested by the earlier work.
Understanding the pyrolysis of CCA-treated wood: Part I. Effect of metal ions

Abstract The influence of several inorganic compounds (K2Cr2O7, CrO3 and CuSO4) on the pyrolysis of southern pine wood has been investigated. The wood powder was pre-treated with various inorganic compound solutions prior to the pyrolysis and the distribution and yields of the pyrolysis products were obtained by gas chromatography and quantitative 31P nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) analyses. Our experiments showed that K2Cr2O7 and CuSO4 salts promoted the formation of levoglucosan (LG). In particular, the former providing higher LG yields up to 26.7%. The CrO3 treatment induced the production of low tar and high char yields, with a very low yield of LG and high yield of levoglucosenone (LGO). The underlying reasoning behind these findings may be due to an acidic catalysis mechanism, which promotes cellulose depolymerization and dehydration processes. Due to acid-catalyzed lignin condensation reactions, the yield of lignin degradation products from the pyrolysis of pre-treated wood was found to dramatically decrease in comparison to untreated wood.
Clinical advances in pulmonary arterial hypertension: the year in review.

Purpose of review The purpose of this review is to summarize the last year of literature developments in the field of pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH), with a focus on clinical research. Recent findings Pulmonary vascular research has expanded rapidly over the last decade, resulting in a change in the treatment strategy for PAH. Epidemiologic data from recent registries suggest that patients with PAH are increasing in age and comorbidities. In the modern treatment era, risk stratification for early mortality is increasingly used to guide clinicians in the choice of pulmonary vasodilator therapy. Risk-score calculators have been published and validated for PAH, currently in both the United States and Europe. In addition to increased comorbidities, pulmonary hypertension centers are encountering complicated management situations in these patients, such as pregnancy. Current data suggest that mortality for pregnant pulmonary hypertension patients remains high, although not as high as historical reports. Oral prostacyclin and prostacyclin agonist therapies are currently under investigation to aid in the management of these patients. Summary Despite treatment advances, mortality remains high for PAH patients. Careful evaluation and risk stratification will help guide the appropriate treatment for PAH patients. Additional therapies are on the horizon for the management of this progressive disease.
K. H. RAU AND THE ECONOMIC LAW OF MARKET AREAS

It is well-known that the economic law of market areas was first discovered by Launhardt (1882, 1885, 1900-1902) in Europe and independently discovered by Fetter (1924) in the United States. This paper shows that the seeds of the law of market areas are contained in a letter of K. H. Rau to M. Quintelet published in 1841, and that Rau's name deserves to be mentioned alongside those of Launhardt, Cheysson, and Fetter, as writers who contributed substantially to the developments of the law of market areas.
Nursery Crop Growth Response to Municipal Biosolids: Species Salt and Xeric Adaptation a Key Factor?

ABSTRACTGrowth responses of potted ornamental crops to municipal biosolids in the semiarid southwestern USA are not adequately known. In 10- to 11-wk greenhouse pot studies, we evaluated the effects of dried biosolids-amended growing media on four ornamental crop species: Garden chrysanthemum (Dendranthema Xgrandiflorum ‘Megan’), butterfly bush (Buddleia davidii ‘Nanho Blue’), Japanese honeysuckle (Lonicera japonica ‘Purpurea’), and blanket flower (Gaillardia Xgrandiflora ‘Goblin’). The biosolids were composted without bulking agents (100% sewage sludge) and incorporated into growing media at rates ranging from 0 to 593 kg m−3, or 0 to 72% by volume. Biosolids increased substrate pH from 5.8 to 7.2 and electrical conductivity (EC) from 2.6 to 47.3 dS m−1. Any addition of biosolids (≥30 kg m−3) reduced total plant dry matter (DM) of chrysanthemum. Conversely, shoot DM of blanket flower and butterfly bush increased by four- to five-fold at biosolids rates of 59 to 148 kg m−3 (7 to 18% by volume) with corres...
INTERPLANETARY PROPAGATION OF SOLAR ENERGETIC PARTICLE HEAVY IONS OBSERVED AT 1 AU AND THE ROLE OF ENERGY SCALING

We have studied ~0.3 to >100 MeV nucleon^(–1) H, He, O, and Fe in 17 large western hemisphere solar energetic particle events (SEP) to examine whether the often observed decrease of Fe/O during the rise phase is due to mixing of separate SEP particle populations, or is an interplanetary transport effect. Our earlier study showed that the decrease in Fe/O nearly disappeared if Fe and O were compared at energies where the two species interplanetary diffusion coefficient were equal, and therefore their kinetic energy nucleon^(–1) was different by typically a factor ~2 ("energy scaling"). Using an interplanetary transport model that includes effects of focusing, convection, adiabatic deceleration, and pitch angle scattering we have fit the particle spectral forms and intensity profiles over a broad range of conditions where the 1 AU intensities were reasonably well connected to the source and not obviously dominated by local shock effects. The transport parameters we derive are similar to earlier studies. Our model follows individual particles with a Monte Carlo calculation, making it possible to determine many properties and effects of the transport. We find that the energy scaling feature is preserved, and that the model is reasonably successful at fitting the magnitude and duration of the Fe/O ratio decrease. This along with successfully fitting the observed decrease of the O/He ratio leads us to conclude that this feature is best understood as a transport effect. Although the effects of transport, in particular adiabatic deceleration, are very significant below a few MeV nucleon^(–1), the spectral break observed in these events at 1 AU is only somewhat modified by transport, and so the commonly observed spectral breaks must be present at injection. For scattering mean free paths of the order of 0.1 AU adiabatic deceleration is so large below ~200 keV nucleon^(–1) that ions starting with such energies at injection are cooled sufficiently as to be unobservable at 1 AU. Because of the complicating factors of different spectral break energies for different elements, it appears that SEP abundances determined below the break are least susceptible to systematic distortions.
Aging and memory in a two-dimensional electron system in Si

Abstract The relaxations of conductivity after a temporary change of carrier density n s during the waiting time t w have been studied in a strongly disordered two-dimensional electron system in Si. At low enough n s n g ( n g —the glass transition density), the nonexponential relaxations exhibit aging and memory effects at low temperatures T. The aging properties change abruptly at the critical density for the metal–insulator transition n c n g . The observed complex dynamics of the electronic transport is strikingly similar to that of other systems that are far from equilibrium.
Does bovine growth hormone possess rapid lipolytic activity

The growth promoting and rapid lipolytic activity associated with bovine growth hormone can be separated by chromatography on QAE Sephadex A-25. The contaminant responsible for the lipolytic effect was identified as bovine thyroid-stimulating hormone.
Modeling web data

We have created three testbeds of web data for use in controlled experiments in collection modeling. This short paper examines the applicability of Ziff's and Heaps' laws as applied to web data. We find extremely close agreement between observed vocabulary growth and Heaps' law. We find reasonable agreement with Ziff's law for medium to low frequency terms. Ziff's law is a poor predictor for high frequency terms. These findings hold for all three testbeds although we restrict ourselves to one here due to space limitations.
Sulfur Surprises in Deep Geological Fluids

Prized for their deep-blue color, the mineral lazurite and the rock it dominates, lapis lazuli, have been quarried for millennia in a few localities such as the Sar-e-Sang mines in Badakhshan province, Afghanistan. The ultramarine stones have contributed to jewelry boxes and pigment bases from before King Tut's reign to modern times. Their remarkable coloration originates from charge transfer between groups of the trisulfur anion, S3− ( 1 , 2 ). It is so striking a hue that French postmodernist Yves Klein famously created his own version of this pigment to coat his friends and his sculptures in blue, foreshadowing today's Blue Man Group. On page 1052, Pokrovski and Dubrovinsky ( 3 ) provide new evidence that S3− may be far more common than previously realized.
Kolmogorov-Landau inequalities for monotone functions

where llfll = ess su~-~~~~~ If(t Kolmogorov [2] suceeded in finding the best possible constants in (1) where the norm is as in (2). Except for isolated results, no new progress was made until Schoenberg and Cavaretta [3] found the best possible constants for llfll = su~~>~ If(f We propose to prove inequalities about various clases of monotone functions which yield, as special cases, pointwise inequalities of the form (1). For example,
Confucius and Aristotle on the Goods of Friendship

This essay discusses the goods of friendship as they are articulated by Confucius, Mencius, and Aristotle. It is argued that since Confucius and Mencius tend to conceive personal relationships in hierarchical terms, they do not directly address the goods of symmetrical friendships. Using Aristotle’s account of friendship, I argue that friendship is necessary for the cultivation of virtue outside the family. This is supported by discussing the virtues of generosity, trust, and wisdom as they develop within family life and then are refined in friendships. Lastly, as Confucius, Mencius, and Aristotle agree that the good friendship is necessarily a virtuous one, I consider what value aesthetic friendships have.
Strange bedfellows: Dynamics of government‐business relations between Chinese local authorities and Taiwanese investors

China poses a theoretical challenge in that corruption and rent‐seeking activities have not hindered foreign direct investment and economic development. Studies in development have documented the problems of rent‐seeking. International capital presumably hesitates to step into a Third‐World country such as China, which cannot protect private property rights with a comprehensive legal framework. However, for the last decade in China export promotion, foreign capital, and industrial development have proceeded simultaneously. This research argues that local officials helped investors overcome the problem of high transaction costs during a period of institutional uncertainty and local informal rules supplied foreigners with effective protection of property rights under corrupt circumstances. By controlling rent‐seeking activities, local officials created a wide variety of ad hoc patronage for private and foreign investments within their administrative domain. In return, local governments received extrabudgeta...
Changes in Open Field Behavior, Spatial Memory, and Hippocampal Parvalbumin Immunoreactivity Following Enrichment in Rats Exposed to Neonatal Anoxia

Abstract Behavioral and neurochemical changes following enriched housing were studied in Wistar rats neonatally exposed to anoxia (100% N2for 25 min at approximately 30 h after birth) or to sham treatment. Neonatal anoxia provoked transient hyperactivity during the P25–P40 period, and spatial memory disturbances persisting into adult life. Enriched housing, from P21, at weaning, to P60, improved behavior in open field and spatial memory abilities in a water maze, reducing the deficits that followed neonatal anoxia. Changes in the expression of the calcium binding protein parvalbumin were present in the CA1, CA3, and DG regions of the hippocampus in both sham-treated and anoxic rats exposed to enrichment. The present findings give further support to the evidence of a positive effect of enriched housing on behavior and learning of normal and lesioned animals, which is sustained by modifications in neuronal activity, and suggest that modifications in the environment can be useful to counteract the development of some neurological disturbances that follow neonatal insults, e.g., perinatal asphyxia.
Resumption of female reproductive function following renal transplantation.

Menstrual patterns and fertility were studied in 27 renal transplant survivors aged 13 to 39 years. Amenorrhea was present before transplant in 26 women. Recovery of regular menses correlated with the level of renal function and the frequency and severity of rejection episodes. Five pregnancies occurred in four patients. All of these patients were delivered successfully of healthy babies in the face of unaltered immunosuppressive therapy. Vaginal delivery was feasible in three instances, but obstruction of the fetal head by the graft necessitated cesarean section in two women. Renal function declined in the third trimester in most cases, but returned promptly to normal after delivery. Determination of urinary estriol levels and combined intravenous pyelography and x-ray pelvimetry aided in the management of the pregnancies. Graft-directed antibodies were not induced by the fetuses in the cases studied.
HIV in the inner cities: epidemiologic trends and their influence on policy-making decisions.

AIDS in the inner cities represents a multilevel problem with extensive social and medical aspects. Concurrent epidemics of drug use and sexually transmitted diseases fuel the HIV epidemic in the inner city. The response to the epidemic has met with limited success to date, due in part to poor communications and mistrust between existing institutions in the inner cities. Policies and programs that address the cofactors as well as the existing rivalries are likely to have a better impact and solution to the questions raised.
Logical approximation for program analysis

The abstract interpretation of programs relates the exact semantics of a programming language to a finite approximation of those semantics. In this article, we describe an approach to abstract interpretation that is based in logic and logic programming. Our approach consists of faithfully representing a transition system within logic and then manipulating this initial specification to create a logical approximation of the original specification. The objective is to derive a logical approximation that can be interpreted as a terminating forward-chaining logic program; this ensures that the approximation is finite and that, furthermore, an appropriate logic programming interpreter can implement the derived approximation. We are particularly interested in the specification of the operational semantics of programming languages in ordered logic, a technique we call substructural operational semantics (SSOS). We show that manifestly sound control flow and alias analyses can be derived as logical approximations of the substructural operational semantics of relevant languages.
An agent-based approach for coordinating product design workflows

New product development processes in manufacturing organizations are distributed and knowledge-intensive. Such product development processes interleave complex manual and software-enabled design decision-making activities. In current approaches to product development, design activities are accomplished by teams of engineers in an ad hoc, resource-intensive manner. Though well-developed tools exist for enabling individual engineering activities, support for autonomous coordination of distributed design tasks is minimal. In this paper, we present an Agent-based Process Coordination (APC) framework for distributed design process management. The proposed approach embeds autonomous agents in a workflow-based distributed systems infrastructure. The framework utilizes a centralized decision-making and task sharing approach to support design activities. A design process plan is executed by a centralized coordination agent with the help of service agents. We evaluate the applicability of the APC framework to support design in an industrial context with a case study. The study illustrates the utility of deploying agent-based workflow technologies to: (a) enable incremental and large-scale process and product knowledge acquisition and management, (b) facilitate design process knowledge reuse in different contexts, and (c) support distributed dynamic process management.
Acute Toxicity of Isopropyl Methylphosphonic Acid, a Breakdown Product of Sarin, to Eggs and Fry of Golden Shiner and Channel Catfish

Several countries, including the United States, have agreed to destroy stockpiled chemical warfare agents in accordance with the Chemical Weapons Convention Treaty of 1993. Sarin is one of many chemical warfare agents (CWA) designated for destruction. In the event of an accident during incineration, sarin or its decomposition products have the potential to be expelled into the environment. Sarin hydrolyzes into isopropyl methylphosphonic acid (IMPA), a compound detected in groundwater from prior CWA production. This study determined the acute toxicity of IMPA to golden shiner, Notemigonus crysoleucas, and channel catfish, Ictalurus punctatus, eggs and 15-posthatch (dph) fry. The median lethal concentration (LC50) values at time of hatch for golden shiner and channel catfish eggs were 66.6 mg/L (hatched in 72 hr) and 167.5 mg/L (hatched in 168 h) IMPA, respectively. The 96-h LC50 estimates for 15-dph golden shiner and channel catfish fry were 93.9 and 144.1 mg/L IMPA, respectively. The lowest LC50 value fr...
Passive stability in a metabolic network.

Abstract The problem of the stability of cellular systems to environmental changes is reviewed with particular reference to bacteria. Experimental evidence is presented for the range of stability in intermediate metabolism. A model system, “the biochemical vat” is then proposed to study metabolic stability. The model system includes all those properties of intermediate metabolism which arise from ordinary chemical kinetics. The differential equations governing the behavior of the vat are formulated. A number of approaches to the solutions of the equations are discussed. The construction of an analogue computer is outlined and the results of some computations are presented. The problem of a satisfactory mathematical representation of stability is discussed and a few stability measures are proposed. Lastly, a group of general conclusions, emerging from the previous analysis, is presented.
Modulated phase of phospholipids with a two-dimensional square lattice.

We report an observation of a modulated phase of phospholipids in which intrabilayer density modulations form an in-plane square lattice. Similar to the well-known ripple (P{sub {beta}}{sup '}) phase, this phase can be induced by either dehydration or cooling from the liquid crystalline (L{sub {alpha}}) phase. However, further lowering of hydration or temperature induces either an untilted straight-chain gel phase (L{sub {beta}}), or the tilted L{sub {beta}}{sup '} phase after a brief appearance of the P{sub {beta}}{sup '} phase. The structural characteristics of this phase support the notion that the coupling between variations in local chain tilt and bilayer shape plays an important role in the formation of modulated phases.
Improving Teacher Preparation Through an Electronic Data Management System: A Lens for Reflective Practice

The focus of this article is how technology, specifically, the utilization of an electronic data management system, can be integrated into the college classroom as a lens for reflective practice on teacher preparation. In addition to using a traditional Teacher Evaluation Questionnaire (TEQ) for feedback, the instructor documented the impact of instructional practices by entering assessment rubrics as fields in the electronic data management system. Teacher candidate scores were collected and analyzed over multiple semesters in order to make improvements to instruction. The changes to instructional practices were evidenced in higher scores on assessment rubrics following course revisions. Using an electronic data management system offers the instructor an additional resource to engage in reflective practice.
Flexible empirical Bayes estimation for wavelets

Summary. Wavelet shrinkage estimation is an increasingly popular method for signal denoising and compression. Although Bayes estimators can provide excellent mean-squared error (MSE) properties, the selection of an effective prior is a difficult task. To address this problem, we propose empirical Bayes (EB) prior selection methods for various error distributions including the normal and the heavier-tailed Student t-distributions. Under such EB prior distributions, we obtain threshold shrinkage estimators based on model selection, and multiple-shrinkage estimators based on model averaging. These EB estimators are seen to be computationally competitive with standard classical thresholding methods, and to be robust to outliers in both the data and wavelet domains. Simulated and real examples are used to illustrate the flexibility and improved MSE performance of these methods in a wide variety of settings.
Associative ionization of laser excited Rydberg sodium-atoms

Abstract Associative involving collision of Rydberg Na-atoms and ground state Na(3s) atoms has been observed for principal quantum numbers as high as 31. The data indicate that, for quantum numbers n>14, the cross-sections of Na+2 formation are greater than 102 A2.
Serum Copper and Oral Estrogen

In their article on serum copper alteration after ingestion of an oral contraceptive OLeary and Spellacy state that "the mechanism of action of this increase is unknown but may represent a variation in the plasma proteins that bind the various metals." The effect of the principal steroidal constituents of the oral contraceptive used mestranol and norethynodrel as described by these authors is neither unexpected nor unique. The effect of estrogens on serum copper and ceru loplasmin has been recognized for over a decade after a two- to threefold increase in serum copper and ceruloplasmin during pregnancy was reported in 1947 by Holmberg and Laurell. For example Russ and Raymunt found that serum copper and ceruloplasmin in a variety of patients was increased 2-3 times after the administration of .25-1.0 mg of ethinyl estradiol per day for 3-4 weeks an effect exceeding that noted by OLeary and Spellacy. It has been postulated that this estrogen action is mediated through increased biosynthesis or secretion of ceruloplasmin or both by the liver. Thus the changes in serum copper and presumably ceruloplasmin appear to represent a typical response to moderate estrogen or steroid treatment an effect well known in the literature.(FULL TEXT)
An indirect resilience to addiction.

What makes certain individuals more vulnerable to drug abuse than others? A study finds that potentiation of glutamatergic inputs to nucleus accumbens indirect pathway neurons may protect against compulsive drug-seeking.
Isolation, purification and characterization of bovine epidermal transglutaminase.

Abstract A crosslinking enzyme, epidermal transglutaminase, was isolated from soluble proteins of glabrous cow snout epidermis. This enzyme stabilized fibrin clots rendering them insoluble in 2% acetic acid. It also catalyzed the incorporation of the fluorescent amine, dansyl cadaverine, into casein. Epidermal transglutaminase was purified by chromatography upon DEAE-Sephadex A-50, zone electrophoresis in Pevikon, and Sephadex G-200 gel permeation chromatography. The highly purified substance, which had a specific activity of 3267 amine-incorporating units/mg per h and a molecular weight of 55 000, behaved as a single molecular species in the analytical ultracentrifuge. It had a sedimentation coefficient of 4.4 S and migrated as a γ-globulin at pH 8.6; it displayed anomalous migration in polyacrylamide gels containing sodium dodecyl sulfate. The enzyme was dependent upon free calcium ions and a reduced sulfhydryl group for activity. The apparent K m for dansyl cadaverine was 1.2 · 10 −4 at pH 7.5. Monospecific antiserum to bovine epidermal transglutaminase precipitated with the enzyme in agar. The antiserum prevented fibrin crosslinking but enhanced incorporation of dansyl cadaverine into casein by the enzyme. The epidermal enzyme differed biochemically and immunochemically from bovine plasma transglutaminase (Factor XIII).
Predictive factors for response to anti-thymocyte globulin in acquired aplastic anemia.

Abstract Lymphocyte phenotype, bone marrow cellularity, in vitro marrow growth potential, and treatment responses were examined in 22 patients with acquired aplastic anemia who were given anti-thymocyte globulin. Eleven of 22 patients (50 percent) had a significant hematologic response within three months of therapy, confirming the effectiveness of this therapy. Pretreatment fetal hemoglobin concentration, age, sex, severity of pancytopenia, degree of maximal lymphopenia, and total hemolytic complement consumption did not affect response. Patients with severe disease who were treated within 16 weeks after diagnosis had a higher response rate (55 percent) than those treated after 16 weeks (20 percent). In patients with severe disease, a higher pretherapy bone marrow cellularity (p