cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Serum polysaccharide level in the normal state.

Summary and ConclusionsStudies of serum polysaccharides were made on a total of 66 normal persons including fetal, children, young adult, and aged representatives.The serum polysaccharide (both non-glucosamine and glucosamine) was lowest in the fetal group and highest in the aged representatives, the children and young adult groups being intermediate, thus showing a tendency to increase with age.Concentrations of serum polysaccharide (both non-glucosamine and glucosamine) for young adults were significantly higher than those of fetal serums, and significantly lower than for the aged. The total protein for young adults was significantly higher than in fetal sera. Significant positive correlations were found between non-glucosamine polysaccharide and total protein and also between non-glucosamine polysaccharide and glucosamine.In the same individual, non-glucosamine serum polysaccharide and glucosamine were subject to about the same variation as serum protein over a period of sixteen months. Small variation...
Age- and sex-dependent amphetamine self-administration in rats

Rationale Recreational drug use peaks in the developmental stage of adolescence, and exposure to drugs during adolescence may predict drug dependence in adulthood. Nevertheless, adolescent drug vulnerability is not widely studied in animal models of drug intake, and very few studies have investigated sex differences in drug-related behavior during adolescence.
Sodium intake in goldfish

Les poissons rouges sentent le manque de sodium et, lorsqu'ils sont places dans de l'eau contenant tres peu de sodium, leur preference pour les aliments contenant du sel est accrue.
The determination of work function from the ratio of positive to negative surface ionization of an alkali halide

Abstract The work function and its temperature dependency has been measured for a (110) oriented tungsten surface in the temperature range 1800 to 2200 °K. The method consisted of determining the ratio of positive to negative surface ionization of a NaCl beam impinging on the (110) tungsten surface. The recent spectroscopic determination of the halogen electron affinities makes possible a reliable calculation of the work function from these data. The results are compared with those obtained independently by the more conventional retarding potential method. Mean values for the parameters in the equation φ = φ0 + αT for the (110) tungsten surface are φ 0 = 5.03 ± 0.15eV and α = −(1.4 ± 0.2) × 10 −4 eV °K .
Molecular genetic studies of ADHD: 1991 to 2004.

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is highly heritable but is likely a complex disorder involving multiple genes of moderate effect (Smalley [1997: Am J Hum Genet 60:1276–1282]). Over 100 studies have examined the genetics of ADHD by linkage or association, though no article has presented a comprehensive overview of all published reports. We reviewed all ADHD studies, including 3 genome-wide linkage studies, and association studies of 94 polymorphisms in 33 candidate genes. To simplify comparisons across heterogeneous articles, demographics and comorbidity were ignored; analyses of subtype and haplotypes were excluded; and only the most positive finding for each polymorphism in a study was reported. Thirty-six percent of all findings were positive (P ≤ 0.05), 17% were trends (0.05 0.15). Studies utilizing dimensional measures of ADHD tended to result in higher rates of positive findings than those using categorical diagnoses (χ2 = 5.6, P = 0.018), and case-control studies tended to result in higher rates of positive findings than family-based studies (χ2 = 18.8, P < 0.001). However, for either dichotomy, no significant difference remained when analyzing only studies using both methods within the same population and polymorphism. Evidence for association exists for four genes in ADHD: the dopamine D4 and D5 receptors, and the dopamine and serotonin transporters; others are promising but need further replication, including the dopamine D2 and serotonin 2A receptors. All candidate gene approaches continue to face the problem of relatively low power, given modest odds ratios for even the best replicated genes. © 2004 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
The use of competitive affinity chromatography for the isolation of proteins which promote transcription.

Abstract A method is described for isolating proteins which bind preferentially to specific sequences of DNA and is used to enrich prepagations in proteins promoting eukaryotic gene transcription. An ion-exchange fraction which promotes the transcription of the ovalbumin gene in in vitro runoff assays was isolated from the oviducts of diethylstibesterol-stimulated chicks. This fraction was recirculated between two coupled columns, one containing random sequences of prokaryotic DNA and the other a specific cloned DNA fragment from the 5′ region of the ovalbumin gene. Rerciculation was performed in the presence of a decreasing salt gradient, after which columns were disconnected and separately eluted. The eluate obtained from the column containing cloned DNA showed a preference for binding to DNA fragments derived from the ovalbumin gene when examined in nitrocellulose filter binding assays. This fraction retained the ability of its precursor to promote gene transcription in a concentration-dependent manner. Active preparations were also examined in assays measuring total RNA synthesis from native DNA templates. Although the fraction isolated from the column of specific DNA had no detectable RNA polymerase activity itself, it enhaced the activity of calf thymus RNA polymerase II. The method presented should find general application in the purification of factors which regulate biological processes by binding to specific sequences of DNA.
Bull markets and bull sessions

Frankfurt's (2005. On bullshit. Princeton: Princeton University Press) having given the term ‘bullshit’ philosophical respectability is quite timely for an understanding of the financial services industry. There is no doubt a preponderance of financial bullshitting nowadays, much more in fact than in the not so distant past. Some of this might indeed be as harmful as Frankfurt claims bullshit can be. On the other hand, in financial services as in many other human activities, bullshit is not only inevitable, but it also performs a variety of useful functions for individuals and for society. As a species, we may not have evolved to the point of making optimal probabilistic decisions in the stock market, as behavioral finance consistently illustrates, but we have certainly evolved enough to bullshit about it. We have also evolved the ability to detect financial bullshit, which may serve to mitigate its deleterious consequences.
The noncavitating performance and life of a small vane-type positive displacement pump in liquid hydrogen

The low flow rate and high head rise requirements of hydrogen/oxygen auxiliary propulsion systems make the application of centrifugal pumps difficult. Positive displacement pumps are well-suited for these flow conditions, but little is known about their performance and life characteristics in liquid hydrogen. An experimental and analytical investigation was conducted to determine the performance and life characteristics of a vane-type, positive displacement pump. In the experimental part of this effort, mass flow rate and shaft torque were determined as functions of shaft speed and pump pressure rise. Since liquid hydrogen offers little lubrication in a rubbing situation, pump life is an issue. During the life test, the pump was operated intermittently for 10 hr at the steady-state point of 0.074 lbm/sec (0.03 kg/sec) flow rate, 3000 psid (2.07 MPa) pressure rise, and 8000 rpm (838 rad/sec) shaft speed. Pump performance was monitored during the life test series and the results indicated no loss in performance. Material loss from the vanes was recorded and wear of the other components was documented. In the analytical part of this effort, a comprehensive pump performance analysis computer code, developed in-house, was used to predict pump performance. The results of the experimental investigation are presented and compared with the results of the analysis. Results of the life test are also presented.
Proline betaine is a highly effective osmoprotectant for Staphylococcus aureus

Proline betaine is an osmoprotectant that is at least as effective as glycine betaine, and more effective than L-proline, for various strains of Staphylococcus aureus, and Staphylococcus epidermidis and Staphylococcus saprophyticus. 13C NMR studies revealed that proline betaine accumulated to high levels in osmotically stressed S. aureus, but was also detected in organisms grown in its presence in the absence of osmotic stress. Competition experiments indicated that proline betaine was taken up by the proline transport systems of S. aureus, but not by the high affinity glycine betaine transport system.
Pulse Switching: Toward a Packet-Less Protocol Paradigm for Event Sensing

This paper presents a novel pulse switching protocol framework for ultra light-weight wireless network applications. The key idea is to abstract a single Ultra Wide Band (UWB) pulse as the information switching granularity. Pulse switching is shown to be sufficient for on-off style event monitoring applications for which a monitored parameter can be modeled using a binary variable. Monitoring such events with conventional packet transport can be prohibitively energy-inefficient due to the communication, processing, and buffering overheads of the large number of bits within a packet's data, header, and preambles for synchronization. The paper presents a joint MAC-routing protocol architecture for pulse switching with a novel hop-angular event localization strategy. Through analytical modeling and simulation-based experiments it is shown that pulse switching can be an effective means for event networking, which can potentially replace the traditional packet transport when the information to be transported is binary in nature.
The impact of corporate outsourcing on company value

Abstract Companies worldwide are expanding their use of outsourcing for services and products. This article appraises what is known about the impact of outsourcing on company value, and the emergent picture is not an unblemished one. Company managers frequently complain about the downsides, some companies have retrieved what they had sourced out, failures can be seen here and there, and the long-term potential consequences of outsourcing too much are yet to be seen. Still, the weight of the research evidence indicates that, when well designed and well managed, outsourcing reduces operating cost, enhances competitive strategy, and enlarges shareholder value.
Transient elevation of serum thyroid hormone levels following lithium discontinuation.

Lithium therapy has been associated with altered thyroid function and even goiter in as many as half of chronically treated patients. We describe the case of a 16-year-old boy who developed transient hyperthyroxinemia after discontinuation of chronic lithium therapy. The lack of clinical hyperthyroidism and the gradual resolution of the biochemical abnormalities in this patient pointed to the benign character of his condition known as “euthyroid hyperthyroxinemia”.
Electronic Structure of Metallocene-based Polymers

The band structures of metallocene-based polymers in which the nearest metalloecenes were directly linked by a C-C bond have been determined by employing the tight-binding crystal orbital (CO) method. In particular, we determined the band structures of metallocene-based alternate copolymers whose metal sequences in a unit cell were Fe-Co, Fe-Fe-Co-Co, Fe-Ni, Ru-Co and Os-Co. The band structures of alternate copolymers of Fe-Co and Fe-Ni possessed a partially occupied (PO) band whose crystal orbitals were extremely localized at the 3d orbitals of cobalt or nickel atom. Alternate copolymers of Ru-Co and Os-Co had the same tendency as that of band structure of Fe-Co. Therefore, it was clear that the band structures of the metallocene-based alternate copolymers were considered to be a superposition of the polymetallocenylenes. Furthermore, we examined the effect of inserting the bridging part of boron-, phosphorus-, and sulfur bridges between the nearest ferrocenes upon the band structures of ferrocene-based polymers. The electronic structure of the boron-bridged polymer was similar to that of the silicon-bridged polymer whose band structure was determined in our previous study. On the other hand, the phosphorus- and sulfur-bridged polymers yielded two degenerated HO bands whose COs were localized at P or S 2p orbitals.
Using spreadsheet to teach on-line statistical process control

Abstract This paper gives the design considerations for on-line statistical process control (SPC) using spreadsheet software. The system combines a data acquisition system, data translation board, spreadsheet package, and a microcomputer. The objective of this paper is to demonstrate, by means of examples, how a microcomputer spreadsheet software and a data translation board can be used to teach on-line SPC as an alternative to the expensive commercial SPC software. Moreover, in the training and education environment, computer simulated data can be used for different case studies. Experience in using this approach to teach on-line SPC will be described.
Efficiency of water for extraction of total nonstructural carbohydrates from plant tissue

Water extraction of grass and legume tissue did not remove all of the nonstructural carbohydrate. Most of the starches remained in the water-extracted residue, except in com and sorghum where the starch is largely water-soluble amylose.
Home Range, Population Structure, and Spatial Organization of California Ground Squirrels

Home-range size and spatial organization were described for a population of California ground squirrels ( Spermophilus beecheyi ) in which maternal relationships and residence time were known for individuals. Home-range sizes as determined by harmonic-mean transformation for female California ground squirrels were similar to those reported for females of some populations of sciurids, but the home ranges of males were smaller than those reported for other spermophile males. Home-range sizes of females were larger than those of males. No significant difference in size of home ranges of males was detected between breeding and postbreeding seasons. Neither females nor males had exclusive use of their home ranges. More female yearlings established burrow systems near their natal burrows than did males. Each young female that was retrapped as a yearling had established a home range adjacent to or overlapping that of her mother. After establishing burrow systems as yearlings, adults typically exhibited multiyear site fidelity. Both females and males probably lived near descendent kin.
Verbal versus manual reaction time in schizophrenic and normal subjects

On the assumption that schizophrenia involves a disturbance in interpersonal relations it is predicted that the verbal reaction time responses of schizophrenic subjects should have disproportionate...
Enumeration of Bradyrhizobium japonicum in soil subjected to high temperature: comparison of plate count, most probable number and fluorescent antibody techniques

The survival of BradyrMzobium japonicum strains in autoclaved and non-autoclaved soil at various temperatures for up to 18 days was determined by plate count, plant infectivity-most probable number (MPN) and modified fluorescent antibody (FA) techniques. The high-temperature tolerant strains studied were BR587, NC1005 and NC1033, and the high-temperature intolerant strains studied were NCI028, 3Ilb24 and 311b123. Each strain was exposed individually in a sandy loam soil at 28, 33 or 37°C under humidity controlled conditions. Those strains reported to be tolerant to elevated temperature in pure culture decreased by <101.5 cells g−1 when enumerated by plate count after high-temperature exposure in autoclaved soil. Based on plate counts, the population of two of the three high-temperature intolerant strains added to autoclaved soil decreased by more than 103 cells g−1 soil after exposure to elevated temperatures. In non-autoclaved soil, the population of all inoculated strains decreased after exposure to elevated temperature when enumeration was by the plant infectivity-MPN technique. In autoclaved soil at 28°C, the correlation between plate count and FA enumerations was significant at the 0.05 probability level for four of the six strains (r2 = 0.65). After high-temperature incubation, counts based on the FA technique were not correlated with plate counts of intolerant strains or MPN enumeration of tolerant and intolerant strains (r2 = 0.004). Differential survival of B. japonicum strains in autoclaved soil at high temperature as enumerated by plate counts confirms the designation of temperature tolerance made by Munevar and Wollum (1981). However. MPN enumeration of bradyrhizobia in the non-autoclaved system did not follow the original temperature tolerance classifications. Enumeration by FA procedures did not show a decrease in population after exposure to high temperature as observed with the plate and MPN counts. Thus, the FA technique may not adequately indicate population dynamics in short-term ecological studies.
Intraabdominal pseudocysts as a complication of ventriculoperitoneal shunts.

Ventriculoperitoneal (VP) shunts are the predominant mode of therapy for children with hydrocephalus. VP shunts divert cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) away from the ventricles, preventing increases in intracranial pressure that might lead to neurologic sequelae. The peritoneal cavity is an ideal place for CSF diversion because the fluid is efficiently and rapidly absorbed. VP shunts are used routinely to treat hydrocephalus resulting from various neurologic congenital abnormalities, subarachnoid hemorrhage, and tumors. The first description of shunting cerebrospinal fluid into the peritoneum was by Ferguson in 1898, when he passed a U-shaped silver wire from the subarachnoid space to the peritoneum through the fifth lumbar vertebra. Reported outcomes were dismal; one patient died shortly after operation and the other died 3 months later after some improvement. Nicoll fashioned an anatomic shunt by attaching omentum to a spinal dura defect in 1905. In the same year, Kausch used the first rubber ventriculoperitoneal shunt in a patient who survived for 2 years with a brain tumor. Autopsy revealed a scarred, yet patent rubber VP shunt. Cushing persisted with the use of a silver cannula passed through the lumbar vertebra. He quickly abandoned this technique after 2 of 12 patients died from intussusception. The modern VP shunt era for the treatment of hydrocephalus was started in 1948 by Cone, Lewis, and Jackson and later by Ames. Ames’ technique and outcome are better publicized. He abandoned lumbar shunts in infants secondary to the small spinal canal size, so the ventricle was used exclusively in infants. During a 9-year period he placed approximately 120 VP shunts with only four deaths attributable to the operation, all from infection. During this same period, the longestfunctioning shunt known lasted 6 years. VP shunt placement today is not without potential complications. Frequently the distal intraabdominal tubing becomes kinked or obstructed by fibrous bands or omentum. Symptoms of increased intracranial pressure occur and require repeat laparotomy. Other noted shunt complications include infection, perforated viscus (eg, gallbladder or bowel) by direct catheter erosion, bowel obstruction, volvulus, ascites, hydrocele, scrotal entrapment, and ileus. Abdominal peritoneal pseudocysts (APC) are a relatively uncommon complication with reported occurrence rates of 0.7% to 4.5%. A total of 204 case reports of APC have been cited since the first by Harsh in 1954 (Table 1). With more patients surviving longer, the incidence of APC might increase. In addition, most of these patients present with abdominal complaints. The general surgeon, not the neurosurgeon, will frequently be called on to diagnose and treat APC. This review article discusses the etiology, presentation, diagnosis, and treatment of APC.
Modeling sea clutter as a nonstationary and nonextensive random process

Sea clutter is the backscattered returns from a patch of the sea surface illuminated by a radar pulse. It is of great importance to develop statistical models that properly characterize radar clutter returns. A lot of effort has been made to fit various distributions to the observed amplitude data of sea clutter. However, the fitting of those distributions to real sea clutter data is not excellent, and using parameters estimated from those distributions is not very effective for detecting targets within sea clutter. This may be due to the fact that sea clutter data is highly non-stationary. This non-stationarity motivates us to perform distributional analysis on the data obtained by differencing amplitude data of sea clutter. By systematically analyzing differenced data of 280 sea clutter time series measured under various sea and weather conditions, we show that differenced data of sea clutter are well fitted by the Tsallis distribution. The latter is obtained by maximizing the Tsallis entropy, a generalization of the Shannon (or Boltzman-Gibbs) entropy. Interestingly, we find that the nonextensitivity parameters estimated from the Tsallis distribution may be used to help detect low observable targets within sea clutter.
Regulatory Dualism as a Development Strategy: Corporate Reform in Brazil, the U.S., and the EU

Countries pursuing economic development confront a fundamental obstacle. Reforms that increase the size of the overall pie are blocked by powerful interests that are threatened by the growth-inducing changes. This problem is conspicuous in efforts to create effective capital markets to support economic growth. Controlling owners and managers of established firms successfully oppose corporate governance reforms that would improve investor protection and promote capital market development. In this article, we examine the promise of regulatory dualism as a strategy to diffuse the tension between future growth and the current distribution of wealth and power. Regulatory dualism seeks to mitigate political opposition to reforms by permitting the existing business elite to be governed by the old regime, while allowing other firms to be regulated by a new parallel regime that is more efficient. Regulatory dualism goes beyond similar but simpler strategies, such as grandfathering and statutory menus, by incorporating a dynamic element that is key to its effectiveness, but that requires a sophisticated approach to implementation. A paradigmatic example of regulatory dualism is offered by Brazil’s “New Market” (Novo Mercado), a voluntary premium segment within the Sao Paulo Stock Exchange that allows companies to commit credibly to significant protection of minority shareholders without imposing reform on companies controlled by the established elite. Yet regulatory dualism as a strategy for capital market reform is not unique to Brazil, nor is it suited just to developing countries. The long-standing U.S. approach to state-level corporate chartering is arguably better understood as a form of regulatory dualism than -- as is the custom -- as a form of regulatory competition, and the same can be said of EU corporate law post-Centros. The dramatic failure of Germany’s Neuer Markt illustrates some of the pitfalls of regulatory dualism. If thoughtfully deployed, however, regulatory dualism holds substantial promise in overcoming political barriers to reform, not just of corporate governance and capital markets, but of other economic institutions as well.
NONCONVENTIONAL FINITE ELEMENT MODELS FOR NONLINEAR ANALYSIS OF BEAMS

In this study, mixed finite element models of beam bending are developed to include the membrane forces and shear forces in addition to the bending moments and displacements. Mixed finite element models were developed based on the weighted residual statements of governing equations. The Euler–Bernoulli beam theory (EBT) and the Timoshenko beam theory (TBT) are used. The effectiveness of the new mixed models is evaluated in light of other mixed models to show the advantages. Each newly developed model is examined and compared with other models to verify its performance under various boundary conditions. In the linear analysis, solutions are compared with available analytical solutions and solutions of existing models. In the nonlinear case, direct and Newton–Raphson methods are used to solve the nonlinear equations. The converged solutions are compared with available solutions of the displacement models. Post-processed data of the mixed model developed herein shows better accuracy than the conventional dis...
Legislative Constraints: A Path to Peace?

Tsebelis’ veto players theory predicts that legislative veto players constrain the executive’s political decisions because their approval is needed to implement policy change. This study extends the veto players argument into international conflict literature, specifically in regard to legislative constraints emanating from the number of legislative veto players, their policy preferences, and their internal cohesion. A cross-sectional, time-series dyadic data analysis shows that, in general, an increase of legislative constraints notably reduces the likelihood of the onset of militarized interstate disputes. However, while legislative constraints in democratic and mixed dyads are likely to discourage democratic executives’ use of force, those in autocratic dyads do not produce effective pacifying effects.
A Logical Measure Function

By a logical measure (for a given language) we mean a syntactically defined function which associates some value with each well-formed formula of the language. Various such logical measures have played a fundamental role in the development of Logic and the Philosophy of Science. The purpose of this paper is to define a logical measure which has much wider applications than measures so far studied.The new measure has two fundamental advantages, which will be referred to throughout the paper. First of all it can be applied to more (and richer) languages than the older measures. Most of the measures now in use are restricted to the first-order functional calculus, and frequently even to a first-order calculus with one-place predicates only. The measure to be defined will be applicable to richer languages as well, e.g., to functional calculi of all finite orders. But even as far as the first-order functional calculus is concerned, the new measure has a great advantage: We do not have to require that the atomic sentences of the calculus be independent. The previous measures depended in their construction on the requirement that “the basic statements of the language express independent facts.”By an atomic sentence we mean a well-formed formula formed by applying an h-place primitive predicate to h individuals (a well-formed formula no part of which is well-formed); by a permissible conjunction we mean a conjunction of atomic sentences and negations of other atomic sentences; and the requirement of independence is that an atomic sentence (or its negation) is logically implied by a permissible conjunction only if it (its negation) is one of the components of the conjunction.
Non-Optimal Mechanism Design

The optimal allocation of resources in complex environments�like allocation of dynamic wireless spectrum, cloud computing services, and Internet advertising�is computationally challenging even given the true preferences of the participants. In the theory and practice of optimization in complex environments, a wide variety of special and general purpose algorithms have been developed; these algorithms produce outcomes that are satisfactory but not generally optimal or incentive compatible. This paper develops a very simple approach for converting any, potentially non-optimal, algorithm for optimization given the true participant preferences, into a Bayesian incentive compatible mechanism that weakly improves social welfare and revenue. (JEL D82, H82, L82)
Antennule morphology and flicking kinematics facilitate odor sampling by the spiny lobster, Panulirus argus.

Many arthropod olfactory appendages bear arrays of hair-like chemosensory sensillae. Odor molecules in the fluid around the animal must reach the surfaces of those hairs to be sensed. We used the lateral flagellum of the olfactory antennule of the spiny lobster, Panulirus argus , as a system to study how the morphology, orientation, and motion of sensilla-bearing appendages affects the small-scale water flow within the hair array. We tested whether antennule flicking enables lobsters to take discrete odor samples by measuring flow fields through an aesthetasc array on a dynamically scaled physical model of a P. argus antennule. Particle image velocimetry revealed that the magnitude and duration of velocity through the aesthetasc array during the rapid flick downstroke is just enough to allow complete replacement of the fluid entrained within the hair array. The complex zig-zag arrangement of aesthetascs hairs, combined with their offset orientation along the antennule, generates flow velocities that are uniform along the length of the hairs. This increases fluid exchange during the flick and reduces the boundary layer thickness surrounding the hairs. The return stroke occurs at about a quarter the speed of the flick, but the velocity of the fluid between the aesthetascs is approximately 25 times slower. The retained fluid during the return stroke remains virtually unstirred and sufficient time occurs for odor molecules to diffuse to aesthetasc surfaces.
Improving power efficiency of coded OFDM with feedback

Coding with diversity is one of the keys to reliable wireless communication over fading channels. Adaptive modulation can provide additional performance improvement which may be significant when the channel diversity orders are small. In this letter, we propose adaptation algorithms for improving the power efficiency of coded orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) on fading channels. We derive simple power-loading and bit-loading algorithms for achieving a fixed throughput and reliability with minimal transmitter power. We illustrate the performance of our schemes using simulations.
Cell Segmentation Using Front Vector Flow Guided Active Contours

Phase-contrast microscopy is a common approach for studying the dynamics of cell behaviors, such as cell migration. Cell segmentation is the basis of quantitative analysis of the immense cellular images. However, the complicated cell morphological appearance in phase-contrast microscopy images challenges the existing segmentation methods. This paper proposes a new cell segmentation method for cancer cell migration studies using phase-contrast images. Instead of segmenting cells directly based on commonly used low-level features, e.g. intensity and gradient, we first identify the leading protrusions, a high level feature, of cancer cells. Based on the identified cell leading protrusions, we introduce a front vector flow guided active contour, which guides the initial cell boundaries to the real boundaries. The experimental validation on a set of breast cancer cell images shows that the proposed method demonstrates fast, stable, and accurate segmentation for breast cancer cells with wide range of sizes and shapes.
Carotenoids, Vitamins C and E, and Mortality in an Eiderly Population

In 1981-1984, the nutritional status of 747 noninstitutionalized Massachusetts residents aged 60 years and over was assessed. Nine to 12 years later, the vital status of these subjects was determined. The data of a subset of 725 community-dwelling volunteers was used to examine associations between mortality and the nutrient antioxidants (carotenoids and vitamins C and E) in plasma, diet, and supplements. Results indicated that subjects with plasma vitamin C levels in the middle and high quintiles had a lower overall mortality (relative risk (RR) = 0.64, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.44-0.94 and RR = 0.54, 95% CI 0.32-0.90, respectively) than those in the lowest quintile even after adjustment for potential confounders. These associations were largely due to reduced mortality from heart disease. Subjects in the highest quintile of total intake of vitamin C also had a significantly lower risk of overall mortality (RR = 0.55, 95% CI 0.32-0.93) and mortality from heart disease (RR = 0.38, 95% CI 0.19-0.75) than did those in the lowest quintile after potential confounders were controlled for. Intake of vegetables was inversely associated with overall mortality (p for trend = 0.003) and mortality from heart disease (p for trend = 0.04). No other significant associations were observed. In conclusion, the results indicate that high intakes and plasma levels of vitamin C and frequent consumption of vegetables may be protective against early mortality and mortality from heart disease.
High-resolution gaming: Interfaces, notifications, and the user experience

Advances in technology and display hardware have allowed the resolution of monitors - and video games - to incrementally improve over the past three decades. However, little research has been done in preparation for the resolutions that will be available in the future if this trend continues. We developed a number of display prototypes to explore the different aspects of gaming on large, high-resolution displays. By running a series of experiments, we were not only able to evaluate the benefits of these displays for gaming, but also identify potential user interface and hardware issues that can arise. Building on these results, various interface designs were developed to better notify the user of passive and critical game information as well as to overcome difficulties with mouse-based interaction on these displays. Different display form factors and user input devices are also explored in order to determine how they can further enhance the gaming experience. In many cases, the new techniques can be applied to single-monitor games and solve the same problems in real-world, high-resolution applications.
Levy Noise Benefits in Neural Signal Detection

We use the Ito calculus to prove that a general type of white Levy noise will benefit subthreshold neuronal signal detection if the noise process's scaled drift velocity falls inside an interval that depends on the threshold values. Levy noise generalizes Brownian motion and includes several important jump and impulsive random processes often found in neural and financial-engineering models. A global Lipschitz condition implies that additive white Levy noise can increase the mutual information or bit count of several feedback neuron models that obey a general stochastic differential equation. Simulation results show that the same 'stochastic resonance' noise benefit occurs for at least some impulsive or infinite-variance (stable) Levy noise processes.
The modulation of tissue factor by endothelial cells during heat shock.

Tissue factor (TF) initiates the extrinsic coagulation cascade on the surface of macrophages and endothelial cells. In septic patients, the extrinsic coagulation cascade is activated. When septic patients are febrile, mortality is decreased. The purpose of this study was to investigate the role of elevated temperatures on TF expression by endothelial cells during a sepsis-like challenge. Human endothelial vein cells (HUVECs) were incubated with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) or interleukin-1β (IL-1β) for 0, 2, 4, 6, or 8 h. At the 0-h time point, some HUVECs were heat shocked at 43 °C for 2 h and then recovered at 37 °C for 0, 2, 4, or 6 h. Heat-shocked and non-heat-shocked LPS-stimulated HUVECs were analyzed for TF-specific mRNA expression by ribonuclease protection assay (RPA), surface TF expression by flow cytometry, and TF activity by a two-stage clotting assay. Heat shocked LPS-stimulated HUVECs expressed significantly reduced TF-specific mRNA, TF surface protein levels, and TF surface activity when compared with non-heat-shocked, LPS-stimulated HUVECs (p
A Twist on Quantification: Measuring the Site Occupancy of S-Nitrosylation

The use of mass spectrometry (MS) as a tool to study proteins and their posttranslational modifications (PTMs) is gaining wider acceptance by the cardiovascular research community. A unique advantage of MS is the potential for large-scale quantitative analysis of protein abundance between biological samples. Several techniques have been developed for this purpose (Online Table I), some of which have been adapted for PTMs. The MS analysis of any PTM can be significantly enhanced if it is preceded by a chemical or immunoaffinity enrichment strategy targeting a PTM’s unique physical property. For example, phosphorylation can be enriched by exploiting its negative charge, classically using a positively charged metal affinity column, whereas acetylation can be enriched using antibodies against its acetyl group. Several strategies have also been developed to examine Cys modifications, including S-nitrosylation (SNO, also known as S-nitrosation).1–7 The most widely used of these techniques is the biotin switch assay.7 This assay was initially presented as a method for the enrichment and identification of SNO-modified proteins but has evolved into a powerful and flexible technique to identify and quantify many different oxidative PTMs. Advances in the configuration of this assay have allowed researchers to progress from straightforward protein-level identifications to the individual modified amino acid and then to site-specific quantification (Figure).8–12 A key factor in the improvement of this approach has been the introduction of isotope-labeled thiol-reactive affinity tags (Online Table I). These reagents have permitted the simultaneous MS analysis of ≥2 samples to measure differences in Cys modification at individual residues. Figure. Options for the …
Conservative fluid therapy in septic shock: an example of targeted therapeutic minimization

Intravenous fluids (IVFs) represent a basic therapeutic intervention utilized in septic shock. Unfortunately, the optimal method for administering IVFs to maximize patient outcomes is unknown. A meta-analysis of four randomized trials of goal-directed therapy did not demonstrate a significant reduction in mortality (odds ratio 0.609; 95% confidence interval 0.363 to 1.020; P = 0.059), whereas 18 trials with historical controls showed a significant increase in survival (odds ratio 0.580; 95% confidence interval 0.501 to 0.672; P < 0.0001). Based on these data, clinicians should be aware of the potential for harm due to the excessive administration of IVFs to patients with septic shock.
RHEOLOGICAL BEHAVIOR OF PROCESSED MUSTARD. II. STORAGE EFFECTS

Samples of processed yellow mustard with three different particle size distributions (slightly-coarse, standard, and fine) were prepared according to a standard formulation and pilot-plant replication of the commercial methodology and stored for 3 months at 5°C, 25°C, and 45°C. After 3-month storage at 45°C, all samples showed visible liquid separation (syneresis) and aggregation of colloidal particles, as indicated by increase in dpop and decrease in % colloids. The fine milled samples exhibited syneresis and an increase in dpop after 3-month storage even at 25°C. The bimodal distribution did not show significant changes as a result of aggregation. In general, increase in dpop increased apparent viscosity (ηap), flow behavior index (n) from the Herschel-Bulkley model, and exponent n″ from the loss modulus (G″) power law equation. As dpop increased, Bingham yield stress so), plastic apparent viscosity (ηp), shear stress constant (A) from the Weltman stress decay model, yield stress (so) and consistency index (m) from the Herschel-Bulkley model, exponent n’ from the storage modulus (G') power law equation, and minimum values of loss tangent (tan δ) decreased. In heterodisperse semi-solid foods such as processed mustard, the particle size distribution influences the structure (i.e., packing) and the rheological behavior. Therefore, time and temperature dependent instabilities such as syneresis may be minimized by controlling particle size distribution during processing.
Pore scale analysis of the impact of mixing-induced reaction dependent viscosity variations

Expanding interest in enhanced subsurface natural resource recovery and carbon sequestration motivates study of reacting flows in porous media. In this work, we examine the case of reaction products that increase or decrease the viscosity of the fluid. Parallel reactant streams flow through porous media and react transversely along the centerline. We utilize a pore scale, finite element numerical method that couples the reaction with fluid flow through two arrangements of porous media at three Damkohler (Da) numbers and two viscosity conditions. When the product increases the fluid viscosity, the flow velocity is reduced and higher amounts of product are formed due to increased diffusion time. Conversely, reduced fluid viscosity leads to greater fluid velocity and lower amount of product formation. An exception is the viscous thinning case of high Peclet (Pe) number and high Da where an instability develops (in low Reynolds (Re) number flow) that enhances mixing between the reactants, resulting in increasing product formation.
Sexual Intercourse: You, Me, and the Microbe Makes Three

To the Editor.— In a recent article by Ellison and McGregor,1the recurrence of lower-extremity streptococcal erythroderma in women was found to be related to intercourse. We have observed postcoital urinary tract symptoms in two men with prostatitis. Report of Cases.—Case 1.— A 26-year-old man was admitted to the hospital for shaking chills and 40.1°C temperature. In the previous six months he had experienced four flares of chronic prostatitis for which he was being treated with sulfamethoxazole and trimethoprim, 160/800 mg twice daily. Cultures were never taken. The night of admission he had had intercourse with his wife, during which he experienced bilateral inguinal pain. Within minutes after ejaculation, fever and chills developed. He noticed dysuria and cloudy urine. However, during hospitalization all cultures (blood for bacteria and fungi [four]; urine for bacteria [one]; and urethra for bacteria [one],Neisseriagonorrhoeae[two],Chlamydia[one], andUreaplasma[one])
Operational domains for circuit- and packet-switching

The performance of circuit-switched and of packet-switched networks are portrayed as surfaces in a three-dimensional evaluation space. The intersection of these surfaces defines two operational domains-one optimal for circuit-switching and one for packet-switching. This result is applied to network planning in future operational domains.
"A Few of the Brightest, Cleanest Mexican Children": School Segregation as a Form of Mundane Racism in Oxnard, California, 1900-1940.

In this article, David G. Garcia, Tara J. Yosso, and Frank P. Barajas examine the early twentieth-century origins of a dual schooling system that facilitated the reproduction of a cheap labor force and the marginalization of Mexicans in Oxnard, California. In their analysis of the 1930s Oxnard Elementary School District board minutes, alongside newspapers, maps, scholarly accounts, and oral history interviews, they argue that school segregation privileged Whites and discriminated against Mexicans as a form of mundane racism. The authors build on previous scholarship documenting the pervasiveness of racism in U.S. society to define mundane racism as the systematic subordination of Mexicans that occurred as a commonplace, ordinary way of conducting business within and beyond schools. Their findings complicate narratives that emphasize complete segregation in “Mexican schools,” while acknowledging the resistance of parents and the resilience of their children.
Direct determination of ((sd)/sup 3/)/sub 5/2ts1/2/(1p/sup -2/)/sub 01/ component in /sup 17/O(g. s. )

Data for the reaction /sup 17/O(/sup 3/He,p)/sup 19/F to the predominantly five-particle, two-hole 3/2/sup +/ state at 3.91 MeV in /sup 19/F are used to estimate the amount of three-particle, two-hole configuration in /sup 17/O(g.s.). The result is 4--6%.
Legionella pneumophila: The Organism and Its Implications

Legionnaires’ disease, a systemic illness caused by Legionella pneumophila , has a high mortality rate when untreated. L pneumophila is found in aquatic environments and is spread by aerosolization. Growth of this organism requires special media containing ferric iron and L-cysteine, and identification is made by staining, cultural, biochemical, and serological methods. Individuals infected with legionnaires' disease usually have some predisposing factor that makes them vulnerable to the disease. Erythromycin is the drug of choice for treatment. The opportunistic nature of L pneumophila makes preventive measures especially important in hospitals and convalescent settings.
Charge Recombination Dynamics in Sensitized SnO2/TiO2 Core/Shell Photoanodes

Studies have been conducted to examine the mechanisms of charge recombination in dye-sensitized SnO2/TiO2 core/shell films. Nanostructured SnO2/TiO2 core/shell films varying in TiO2 shell thicknesses were prepared via atomic layer deposition and sensitized with a phosphonate-derivatized ruthenium chromophore [Ru(bpy)2(4,4′-(PO3H2)2bpy)]2+. Transient absorption spectroscopy was used to study the interfacial charge recombination dynamics for these core/shell materials. Charge recombination for sensitized, as-deposited SnO2/TiO2 core/shell systems is dominated by a tunneling mechanism for shell thicknesses between 0 and 3.2 nm, with β = 0.25 A–1. For shell thicknesses greater than 3.2 nm, recombination primarily proceeds directly via electrons localized in the relatively thick TiO2 shell. Annealing the SnO2/TiO2 core/shell structure at 450 °C affects the recombination dynamics substantially; charge recombination dynamics for the annealed films do not show a dependence on shell thickness and are comparable to...
The Applications of Sensory Analysis in Meat Processing

The Sensory analysis method is widely used in food producing,the processing,the storing,the trade,the consumption,etc.It plays an important role in the meat market survey,the new product development and production and the quality control.
Clinical Validation of R-T Estimation for CoaguChek XS INR Results

Background: Despite the emergence of several new oral anticoagulants, warfarin remains a widely used form of anticoagulation that continues to have a role in the treatment of cardiac and thrombotic conditions. Objective: The goal of this study was to evaluate whether the R-T estimation, an equation developed in a previous study, was a valid clinical tool in managing patients’ warfarin therapy in an anticoagulation clinic in lieu of obtaining a venipuncture international normalized ratio (INR) secondary to a high CoaguChek XS (CXS) INR. Methods: This study used a randomized double-blind method to compare the clinical decisions made using venipuncture or CXS machine and recorded the INR, percentage dose change, time to clinical decision from check-in, and scheduled follow-up. Results: In the analysis of the difference in percentage dose change, a 1.0% (95% CI = −0.78 to 2.68; P = 0.27) difference was observed overall, and a 1.2% (95% CI = −0.59 to 2.95; P = 0.18) difference was observed in the 4 to 5.9 subg...