cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Crosstalk cancellation on linearly and circularly polarized communications satellite links

The paper discusses the cancellation network approach for reducing crosstalk caused by depolarization on a dual-polarized communications satellite link. If the characteristics of rain depolarization are sufficiently well known, the cancellation network can be designed in a way that reduces system complexity, the most important parameter being the phase of the cross-polarized signal. Relevant theoretical calculations and experimental data are presented. The simplicity of the cancellation system proposed makes it ideal for use with small domestic or private earth terminals.
Instanton-induced inelastic collisions in QCD

We show that the instanton-induced inelastic processes, leading to multigluon production in high-energy parton-parton scattering, are considerably enhanced (by a factor of $100)$ over the quasielastic ones. The basic instanton-induced inelastic contribution causes the parton-parton cross section to increase as $\mathrm{ln}s,$ due to prompt production of multigluon clusters of mass 2--3 GeV close to QCD sphalerons. The cross section is related to the Pomeron slope and intercept in the usual parametrization, which are evaluated. We show that the small intercept is due to the diluteness of the instantons in the QCD vacuum, while the small size of the Pomeron (seen via its slope) is related to the smallness of the instanton sizes.
Population Redistribution within the Rural—Urban Fringe: A Typology of Small Towns and Rural Municipalities in the State of New Jersey

This article provides additional evidence for the redistribution of population to the rural-urban fringe and identifies those types of municipalities that experienced the greatest growth during the 1970s. Furthermore, it finds that the factors that account for population growth at the rural—urban fringe are not only those associated with suburbanization, but also those associated with nonmetropolitan growth. It also demonstrates that population growth at the rural—urban fringe varies not only by municipal type but also by race. These observations have a number of important implications for the design and administration of programs and policies affecting rural—urban fringe communities.
Antecedents to and outcomes of reverse logistics metrics

Abstract Business to business reverse logistics processes are shaped in large part by a firm's strategy to meet regulatory (e.g. waste electrical and electronic equipment directive) and certification (e.g. ISO 14000) requirements. Firms adopt both recommended and internally developed reverse logistics metrics in order to monitor the performance of these processes along the entire value chain, and especially amongst both buyer and supplier marketing interactions. Unfortunately, literature regarding antecedents to and outcomes of reverse logistics metric development is scarce, leaving industrial marketing professionals with limited guidance as to how to establish and gain value from a sophisticated metric program. This study uses goal-setting theory and the knowledge-based view to conceptualize a model that examines transactions from the perspective of both the supplier (inbound reverse logistics) and customer (outbound reverse logistics) in a business to business context. This granular view reveals how actors occupying different supply chain positions manage collaborative marketing processes such as reverse logistics. Survey data were gathered from organizations affiliated with the United States Department of Defense supply chain and hypotheses were tested using partial least squares structural equation modeling. The results corroborate the assertion that information support capabilities and stated goals are antecedents to establishing metrics; however, the study uncovers outcome disparities between inbound and outbound reverse logistics processes. As the roles of both suppliers and customers in complying with take-back regulation continue to grow, the findings of this study provide marketing professionals and scholars with important insights regarding the use of reverse logistics metrics.
The Advertising Budget's Determinants in a Market with Two Competing Firms

This is an exploratory study of the determinants of the size of the advertising budget in duopolistic competition. The model is a computer simulation that embodies learning, a multipenod decision horizon, brand loyalty, and other basic features of competitive reality in a two firm market. Theoretical propositions are derived based on the postulated model. These include: Fixed production cost does not affect expenditures. Variable production cost is inversely related to expenditures. An increase in immediate advertising effectiveness increases expenditures. An increase in the lag coefficient increases expenditures. The greater the share-change coefficient, the greater are the expenditures. Initial expenditure levels have a strong effect on later levels. And the initial competition-reaction expectations have a strong effect at first, which later diminishes as firms learn how competitors behave.
The Syndrome of Severe Mitral Regurgitation with Normal Left Atrial Pressure

It has been generally thought that significant elevations of the left atrial and pulmonary vascular pressures occur in patients with mitral regurgitation of sufficient severity to produce serious disability and gross enlargement of the left atrium. Ten patients with severe mitral regurgitation have been encountered in whom gross left atrial enlargement was accompanied by normal left atrial and pulmonary artery pressures. These patients ranged in age from 8 to 49 years, all were in functional classes III or IV, and the average duration of symptoms was 7.3 years. Nine patients had rheumatic mitral regurgitation while one had a congenital lesion. Atrial fibrillation and the physical findings of pure mitral regurgitation were present in all patients, as was striking left atrial enlargement on their roentgenograms. Left atrial pressure, determined by left heart catheterization, averaged 9.1 mm. Hg and did not exceed 12 mm. Hg in any patient, and the V wave was not particularly prominent. The cardiac index was ...
Primary Hepatic Lymphoma: Dilemmas in Diagnostic Approach and Therapeutic Management

Primary hepatic lymphoma (PHL) is a very rare malignancy and is characterized by liver involvement at presentation with no affectation of the spleen, lymph nodes, peripheral blood, bone marrow, or other tissues until at least 6 months after diagnosis. PHL should be considered in the differential diagnosis in a patient with space-occupying liver lesions and normal levels of alpha-fetoprotein and CEA. A computed tomography (CT) scan is the commonly used modality for staging lymphomas. The widespread use of positron emission tomography/CT results in the improvement in the accuracy of detecting the extent of disease, response evaluation, and prognostication. The liver biopsy, due to its pleomorphic appearances in the needle biopsy specimen, can be very challenging. Current literature favors the combination of chemotherapy as the frontline treatment for its least invasiveness and improved survival. Favorable prognosis of PHL can be obtained by early surgery combined with chemotherapy in strictly selected patients. However, the optimal therapy is still unclear and the outcomes are uncertain.
A competitive model of local government organization: Implications for the process of community formation within metropolitan regions

This paper has been primarily concerned with the impact of alternative governmental structures on public sector efficiency within an urban region. In order to identify some of the implications of economies of scale in production and consumption of public goods, the presence of interjurisdictional externalities, congestion costs in public good consumption, and constraints in housing markets and the way in which these factors are influenced by varying degrees of jurisdictional consolidation, many limiting assumptions have been introduced. Factors such as interjurisdictional differentials in affluence, radical prejudice, suboptimization and externalities exert strong influences on the organizational structures that emerge in existing urban areas. Furthermore, the emergence of new factors (e.g., energy problems, transportation system options, institutional constraints imposed by the interaction of localities with federally funded programs) will no doubt affect the opportunity costs of alternative governmental structures and patterns of community formation. Further research concerning the impact of these additional forces and their relationship to the factors analyzed in the paper would be useful.
A recurrent network model for the phase invariance of complex cell responses

Abstract Cortical amplification is a mechanism for modifying the selectivity of neurons through recurrent interactions. Although conventionally used to enhance selectivity, cortical amplification can also broaden it, de-tuning neurons. Here we show that the spatial-phase invariance of complex cell responses in primary visual cortex can arise using recurrent amplification of feedforward input. Neurons in the model network respond like simple cells when recurrent connections are weak and complex cells when they are strong. Simple or complex cells can coexist in such a network, and they can have a range of selectivities for image characteristics such as spatial frequency.
Nerve growth factor-induced differentiation of PC12 cells employs the PMA-insensitive protein kinase C-zeta isoform

To elucidate the role of protein kinase C (PKC) in nerve growth factor (NGF)-induced differentiation, PMA downregulation of pheochromocytoma (PC12) cells was undertaken. Prolonged treatment (2 d) of PC12 cells with PMA (1 microM) resulted in depleting the cells of alpha, beta, delta, and epsilon-PKC isoforms, but had no effect on the expression of the atypical PKC isoform zeta. PC12 cells, which expressed only PKC zeta, were evaluated for their responses to NGF. Removal of the PMA-sensitive PKC isoforms enhanced the ability of NGF to promote neurite extension. Both the percentage cells with neurites and length of neurites were increased in the PMA-treated cells, whereas no effect was observed on the number of neurites per cell or branching of individual neurites. In addition, PMA downregulation resulted in an increase in the incorporation of 3H-thymidine without any significant effect on the expression of c-fos. Addition of NGF to PC12 cells depleted of the PMA-sensitive PKC isoforms resulted in the activation of PKC zeta (Wooten et al., 1994). To test whether the transient activation of PKC zeta is a necessary component of the neuritogenetic pathway, antisense oligonucleotide strategy was utilized to remove this particular PKC isoform. The addition of a 20-bp antisense oligonucleotide directed against the 5' coding sequence of PKC zeta attenuated NGF-induced neurite outgrowth in PC12 cells lacking PMA-sensitive PKC isoforms. Sense oligonucleotide directed at the same site was without effect on NGF responses. These data indicate that PKC zeta comprises a portion of the NGF pathway and underscores the importance of this isoform in neuronal differentiation. Moreover, these findings demonstrate that the PMA-insensitive pathway, which was previously characterized as PKC-independent, and the neurite induction pathway are synonymous and mediated by PKC zeta.
Electrophysiological parameters in anxiety and failure: Evaluation of doxepin and hydroxyzine

This double-blind investigation compared the effects of doxepin, hydroxyzine HCl, and placebo on muscle action potentials (MAPs) and skin conductance (GSR) parameters as functions of experiencing either success or failure in concept-identification performance of 30 psychiatric anxiety patients. Results showed the following: (1) increase in MAPs with failure, (2) reduction of MAPs by both medications, (3) a greater number of spontaneous GSRs in the success condition compared with the failure condition, and (4) a significant negative relationship between MAPs and GSRs.
A CRITICAL PLANE APPROACH TO MULTIAXIAL FATIGUE DAMAGE INCLUDING OUT-OF-PHASE LOADING

Abstract— A modification to Brown and Miller's critical plane approach is proposed to predict multiaxial fatigue life under both in-phase and out-of-phase loading conditions. The components of this modified parameter consist of the maximum shear strain amplitude and the maximum normal stress on the maximum shear strain amplitude plane. Additional cyclic hardening developed during out-of-phase loading is included in the normal stress term. Also, the mathematical formulation of this new parameter is such that variable amplitude loading can be accommodated. Experimental results from tubular specimens made of 1045 HR steel under in-phase and 90° out-of-phase axial-torsional straining using both sinusoidal and trapezoidal wave forms were correlated within a factor of about two employing this approach. Available Inconel 718 axial-torsional data including mean strain histories were also satisfactorily correlated using the aforementioned parameter.
Gingival Crivicular fluid antibody to Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans in periodontal disease

We identified antibody isotypes and subclass proportions in gingival crevicular fluid to understand the potential protective ability of these antibodies towards infection with Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans. Immunoglobulin G (IgG) 1–4 antibody levels to A. actinomycetemcomitans serotype b were quantified in serum and-gingival crevicular fluid from 20 periodontitis patients who had at least one subgingival plaque sample with cultivable A. actinomycetemcomitans. The subclass antibody levels in the patients' sera were IgG1 = IgG2)IgG3)IgG4. A portion of the gingival crevicular fluid samples had IgG (15.7%; range: 0–52%) and IgA (2.5%; range: 0–15%) antibody that was significantly elevated compared with serum. Gingival crevicular fluid samples with elevated IgG antibody were analyzed for the subclass distribution and showed elevated IgG3 (58%), IgG4 (35%), IgGl (25%) and IgG2 (25%) antibody in the gingival crevicular fluid. These results demonstrated a characteristic distribution of both serum and gingival crevicular fluid IgG subclass responses to A. actinomycetemcomitans. We also examined the sites with elevated antibody in each subclass for the presence of A. actinomycetemcomitans in the subgingival microbiota. The results showed that >95% of sites with elevated IgG4 were colonized, whereas (50% of sites with elevated IgG2 demonstrated this microorganism. IgG2 and IgG4 levels were primarily elevated in diseased sites, whereas IgG4 elevations were absent in healthy sites. The frequency and distribution of antibody in the gingival crevicular fluid as related to colonization with this microorganism were consistent with localized host-parasite interactions at individual tooth sites. The relative subclass distribution of elevated gingival crevicular fluid antibody was shown to be IgG3)Ig-G4)IgG2 = IgG1. These antibody types suggest that the potential exists for this local antibody to A. actinomycetemcomitans to play an important role in the gingival sulcus in relationship to colonization and clinical presentation.
Restrictions on the natural frequencies of an RC-RL network☆

Abstract The following problem is investigated: given any polynomial N ( s ) of the form N(s)= ∏ l n (s+p i ) ∏ l m (s+s i ) what are the necessary and sufficient conditions that N ( s ) be formed in the following manner: N(s)=A 0 ∏(s+a i ) + B i ∏(s+b i ) A 0 , B 0 > O where the − a i and − b i alternate at most in pairs along the negative real axis. Such formation is necessary for the − p i and − s i to be the natural frequencies of a network consisting of RC and RL subnetworks joined at two terminals. It is shown that N ( s ) may be so formed if and only if (a) for n=0, Σ l m arg s i ≥ π 2 (b) for n > 0, p i > 0 and Σ l m arg s i π 2 Also, a simple method is presented for finding suitable a i and b i whenever formation is possible. The result is expected to have application in the synthesis of both passive and active networks.
The role of pharmacologic manipulation in adrenal cortical scintigraphy

Adrenal scintigraphy is a unique nuclear medicine procedure that provides noninvasive, functional information concerning the status of the adrenal cortex. The uptake of iodocholesterol, in addition to localizing adrenal cortical abnormalities, can be manipulated to focus on adrenal cortical dysfunction in either the aldosterone, corticol, or androgen-producing portions of the adrenal cortex. The uptake of iodocholesterol correlates significantly with the abnormal secretion of cortisol in Cushing's syndrome, aldosterone in a model of adrenal zona glomerulosa function, and adrenal androgen secretion in hyperandrogenism. For these reasons, adrenal scintigraphy is an important diagnostic modality in the evaluation of adrenal cortical function.
A Facile and Highly Efficient Route to a Traceless π-Arene Chromium Linker. Applications to Synthetic and Combinatorial Chemistry

[reaction--see text] A simple and efficient method for the attachment of functionalized arene chromium carbonyls to a polymeric support has been developed. A highly efficient solid-phase synthesis of tertiary alcohols and esters was performed in a traceless manner using this strategy. The linker-fabrication protocol permits simultaneous immobilization of various substrates on the solid support.
Filter strip performance and processes for different vegetation, widths, and contaminants

Filter strips are widely prescribed to reduce contaminants in surface runoff from agricultural fields. This study compared performance of different filter strip designs on several contaminants and evaluated the contributing processes. Different vegetation types and widths were investigated using simulated runoff event on large plots (3 m × 7.5 or 15 m) having fine-textured soil and a 6 to 7% slope. Filter strips 7.5 and 15 m wide downslope greatly reduced concentrations of sediment in runoff (76-93%) and contaminants strongly associated with sediment (total P, 55-79%; permethrin, 27-83% 1(3-phenoxyphenyl) methyl (±)-cis,trans-3-(2,2-dichloroethenyl)-2,2-dimethylcyclopropanecarboxylate]). They had less effect on concentrations of primarily dissolved contaminants [atrazine, -5-43% (2-chloro-4-ethylamino-6-isopropylamino-s-triazine); alachlor, 10-61% [2-chloro-2'6'-diethyl-N-(methoxymethyl) acetanilide]; nitrate, 24-48%; dissolved P, 19-43%; bromide, 13-31%]. Dilution of runoff by rainfall accounted for most of the reduction of concentration of dissolved contaminants. Infiltration (36-82% of runoff volume) substantially reduced the mass of contaminants exiting the filter strips. Doubling filter strip width from 7.5 to 15 m doubled infiltration and dilution, but did not improve sediment settling. Young trees and shrubs planted in the lower one-half of otherwise grass strips had no impact on filter performance. Compared with cultivated sorghum [Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench] grass clearly reduced concentrations of sediment and associated contaminants in runoff, but not volume of runoff and concentration of dissolved contaminants. Settling, infiltration, and dilution processes can explain performance differences among pollutant types and filter strip designs.
Phencyclidine-induced stereotyped behavior in rats: Dose response effects and antagonism by neuroleptics

Abstract Phencyclidine hydrochloride produced a very characteristic and reproducible stereotyped behavioral syndrome in rats. Both the intensity and the duration of the phencyclidine-induced stereotyped behavior are elicited in a dose-dependent manner in the 2–16 mg/kg dose range. The predominant behavior elicited by low doses was repetitive lateral head swaying, while with higher doses circling and backward walking were observed in addition to the head swaying. This behavior was antagonized by the neuroleptic agents chlorpromazine, haloperidol, and pimozide, but not by α- or β-adrenergic blockers. These results indicate that the phencyclidine-induced stereotyped behavior may be mediated by central dopaminergic mechanisms.
A space-efficient fast prime number sieve

Abstract We present a new algorithm that finds all primes up to n using at most O( n log log n ) arithmetic operations and O( n (log n log log n) ) space. This algorithm is an improvement of a linear prime number sieve due to Pritchard. Our new algorithm matches the running time of the best previous prime number sieve, but uses less space by a factor of Θ ( log n ). In addition, we present the results of our implementations of most known prime number sieves.
Database requirements for a software engineering environment: criteria and empirical evaluation

Abstract The paper identifies the criteria that a database in a software engineering environment for large-scale system development should satisfy, and it discusses how GemStone, an object-oriented database manager, meets them. The criteria are derived from the requirements of software engineering rather than database technology. The criteria include support for (1) consistent data in a concurrent environment; (2) data integrity; (3) basic and complex data types; (4) data access by the end users; (5) configuration management; (6) tool development; (7) documentation; and (8) traceability for consistency and completeness checking. The discussion of GemStone is based on experiences with using it for developing a software maintenance tool. GemStone supports consistency and some concurrency and integrity and provides direct access to the database suitable for use by the software tool developer rather than the software engineer. It also supports extensibility and reusability well, but the software tool developer is responsible to create objects and methods that support documentation, version control for configuration management, complex data types, and traceability.
$K^+$ nucleon elastic scattering at 180° between 1.0 and 1.5 GeV/c incident momentum

Abstract We have measured the cross section at 180° for K + p and K + n elastic scattering in the momentum range 1.0 to 1.5 GeV/ c . The K + n cross section was measured on deuterium and the K + p on hydrogen and deuterium. We were thus able to measure directly the difference between free nucleon (proton) scattering and bound nucleon (proton) scattering at large angles. This difference was found to be small and within our experimental accuracy the K + p(n) cross section should be equal to the K + p (free) cross section at 180°. We found no evidence for an s -channel resonance Z ∗ in either the K + p or K + n system. A comparison of our data and those of other groups with theoretical predictions is given.
Is there an obstetric July phenomenon

Abstract Objective To estimate whether variations in intrapartum management and complications exist with regard to the time of delivery within the academic year. Methods The delivery records of 7814 patients were separated by both term half year and quarter. Statistical comparisons were made using χ2 tests of association (P Results There were 4082 deliveries in the first half and 3732 in the second half of the year from April 1996 through March 1999. The first half-year overall cesarean rate was higher (15.8% versus 14.3%, P Conclusion Although small differences in outcome exist with respect to the academic time of the year, the timing of these differences indicates that there is not a “July phenomenon” in obstetrics at our institution.
Unraveling the Genetic Predisposition to Differentiated Thyroid Carcinoma

Case-control studies have established with little doubt that the etiology of papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) and follicular thyroid carcinoma (FTC) is heavily influenced by hereditary factors, ie, predisposing genes. In classic studies from Utah (1) and Sweden (2), the risk to first-degree relatives of probands was 8- and 12-fold, respectively, being among the highest of all cancers (3) and sharing the top rankings with multiple myeloma and testicular cancer, among others. One interesting observation in this regard is that none of the 3 above-mentioned cancers is known to occur often in large families. Typical pedigrees often do not evoke Mendelian inheritance but instead are small with irregular transmission of the cancer phenotype. Perhaps most importantly, in these cancers, no predisposing genes have yet been detected that account for anything but a tiny fraction of all familial or sporadic cases. In contrast, some other cancers such as colorectal, breast, and prostate cancers have a substantially lower degree of heritability/familiality as shown in case-control studies (2- to 4-fold enrichment in first-degree relatives), yet gene mutations such as the mismatch repair genes and the BRCA genes account for sizeable fractions of the disease phenotypes.
The slack sodium-activated potassium channel provides a major outward current in olfactory neurons of Kv1.3-/- super-smeller mice.

The Kv1.3 voltage-dependent potassium channel is expressed at high levels in mitral cells of the olfactory bulb (OB). Deletion of the Kv1.3 potassium channel gene (Kv1.3−/−) in mice lowers the thre...
C0 finite element discretization of Kirchhoff's equations of thin plate bending

An alternative formulation of Kirchhoff's equations is given which is amenable to a standard C^0 finite element discretization. In this formulation, the potential energy of the plate is formulated entirely in terms of rotations, whereas the deflections are the outcome of a subsidiary problem. The nature of the resulting equations is such that C^0 interpolation can be used on both rotations and deflections. In particular, general classes of triangular and quadrilateral isoparametric elements can be used in conjunction with the method. Unlike other finite element methods which are based on three-dimensional or Mindlin formulations, the present approach deals directly with Kirchhoff's equations of thin plate bending. Excellent accuracy is observed in standard numerical tests using both distorted and undistorted mesh patterns.
2013 North American Serials Interest Group (NASIG) 28th Annual Conference: Art of Information, Architecture of Knowledge

The North American Serials Interest Group (NASIG) 28th annual conference: Art of Information, Architecture of Knowledge was held in Buffalo, New York on June 5–9, 2013. The conference's vision sess...
Marital adjustment in major depression

The association between depression and marital adjustment is examined in 45 married inpatients with major depression as compared to 45 normal controls from the same community. The marriages of the depressed couples were significantly worse in all areas of functioning than were those of the normals. Two risk factors which distinguished the families of origin of the depressed and normal couples were history of divorce and/or separation in parents and death in the family. In addition, twice as many of the children of the depressives had serious medical or psychiatric illness compared to those of the normals.
Radiographic findings in childre surveyed for enuresis

Abstract Over a one-year period 216 children had a radiographic survey of their urinary tract performed for the evaluation of enuresis with many of these having a precedent history of urinary infection as well. Significant urinary tract abnormalities were found in 27 per cent of the children. Clinical correlation was obtained in 135 of these childre with 19.3 per cent requireing surgery. The groups of children with a history of diurnal enuresis or urinary infection were quite different from the group with nocturnal enuresis alone. These differences are discussed.
Insurgent Compensation: Evidence from Iraq

Participating in insurgency is physically risky. Why do people do so? Using new data on 3,799 payments to insurgent fighters by Al Qa'ida Iraq, we find that: (i) wages were extremely low relative to outside options, even compared to unskilled labor; (ii) the estimated risk premium is negative; and (iii) the wage schedule favors equalization and provides additional compensation for larger families. These results challenge the notion that fighters are paid their marginal product, or the opportunity cost of their time. They may be consistent with a "lemons" model in which fighters signal commitment by accepting low wages.
The case metabolic alkalosis in a patient with cystic fibrosis

A 21-year-old woman with cystic fibrosis (CF) with recurrent admissions for CF exacerbations, diabetes mellitus, and allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis was hospitalized with shortness of breath and hemoptysis. During her course, she required intubation and was treated with several antibiotics including polymyxin and inhaled tobramycin on admission, then rifampin and intravenous (IV) tobramycin (dose of 7 mg/kg daily) beginning on hospital day 3. The tobramycin troughs ranged between o0.2 and 0.4. Initially, she had a chronic respiratory acidosis with normal serum electrolytes and creatinine. On day 7, she developed profound hypokalemia, hypomagnesemia, hypocalcemia, and metabolic alkalosis (Table 1), which persisted for 2 weeks despite aggressive electrolyte repletion with oral and IV potassium chloride, IV magnesium sulfate (640 mg/h), and IV calcium gluconate (400 mg/h). During the intensive care unit stay, the patient did not receive any loop diuretics and her serum creatinine was stable. The patient serum glucose levels were initially intermittently high but the electrolytes disturbances persisted even after her hyperglycemia was controlled on an IV insulin (mostly below 250 mg/dl). Additional evaluation showed serum parathyroid concentration of 17 pg/ml (10–65 pg/ml), inappropriately low for the level of hypocalcemia. The 24-h urine calcium was 440 mg/24 h. The urinalysis was negative for glucosuria and proteinuria. The fractional excretion of urate was 7.8% (normal: 6–20%); the fractional excretion of phosphorus was 10.25% (normal: 5–20%).
Familiar eyes are smiling: On the role of familiarity in the perception of facial affect

Quickly and accurately perceiving others’ facial affect is paramount for successful social interaction. This work investigates the role of familiarity in helping us to interpret others’ facial emotions. In Experiments 1 and 2, participants viewed several faces, some familiar and some novel, and judged how happy each face appeared. As predicted, results showed that familiar faces were perceived as happier than were novel faces. In Experiment 3, participants again viewed several faces, some familiar and some not, and rated the perceived anger or happiness of these faces. As expected, familiar faces were perceivedas happierand lessangry thanwere novel faces. Thus, these results suggestthat familiarity is one cue we use to interpret the facial affect of others. Copyright # 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Characterization of the Self Association of Avian Sarcoma Virus Integrase by Analytical Ultracentrifugation

Abstract Retroviral integration protein (IN) has been shown to be both necessary and sufficient for the integration of reverse-transcribed retroviral DNA into the host cell DNA. It has been demonstrated that self-assembly of IN is essential for proper function. Analytical ultracentrifugation was used to determine the stoichiometry and free energy of self-association of a full-length IN in various solvents at 23.3 °C. Below 8% glycerol, an association stoichiometry of monomer-dimer-tetramer is observed. At salt concentrations above 500 mm, dimer is the dominant species over a wide range of protein concentrations. However, as physiological salt concentrations are approached, tetramer formation is favored. The addition of glycerol to 500 mm NaCl, 20 mm Tris (pH 8.4), 2 mm β-mercaptoethanol significantly enhances dimer formation with little effect on tetramer formation. Furthermore, as electrostatic shielding is increased by increasing the ionic strength or decreasing the cation size, dimer formation is strengthened while tetramer formation is weakened. Taken together, the data support a model in which dimer formation includes favorable buried surface interactions which are opposed by charge-charge repulsion, while favorable electrostatic interactions contribute significantly to tetramer formation.
The depth dependence of earthquake duration and implications for rupture mechanisms

THE duration of rupture is a fundamental characteristic of earthquakes, and is important for understanding the mechanics of faulting1,2. The complexity of the seismic source and the incoherence of the high-frequency seismic wavefield often inhibit the identification, location and timing of features in the later part of earthquake rupture. Here we sum many teleseismic records from regional seismic arrays, producing an unusually clear depiction of the earthquake source at short periods by suppressing background noise and coda generated near the receivers. The ending, as well as the beginning, of rupture is clearly identifiable for most earthquakes examined. Measurements of 130 large earthquakes show that near 100 km depth, rupture duration averages 11 s when scaled to a moment of 1026 dyn cm; this decreases to 5.5 s at 650 km depth. Models of faulting suggest that duration should be inversely proportional to the shear-wave velocity and the cube root of stress drop. Thus, to explain the observed twofold decrease in duration with depth, stress drops would have to increase by a factor of four, as shear velocity increases with depth by only about 20%. However, observed stress drops show no strong trend with depth3,4, suggesting that the faulting process changes with depth.
Accurate solid modeling using polyhedral approximations

Although curved-surface solid modeling systems achieve a higher level of accuracy than faceted systems, they also introduce a host of topological, geometric, and numerical complications. A method for calculating accurate boundary representations of solid models is introduced that reduces the impact of these complications. The method uses a pair of bounding polyhedral approximations to enclose the boundary of each object. A structural analysis automatically determines where to make adaptive refinements to the polyhedrons to assure the topological validity of the results. Potential singularities are localized. The implementation is an experimental extension to the Geometric Design Processor (GDP) solid modeling system. >
Adolescents’ understanding of social class: a comparison of white upper middle class and working class youth

Abstract Purpose: Social class is increasingly being recognized as an important factor in the development of population-based variation in health among teens. However, little consensus exists regarding its measurement or conceptualization. Methods: This study examined beliefs about social class of 48 working class and 50 upper middle class 16-year-old, white teens. Results: Working class teens were more likely to misclassify themselves with regard to social class position. Significant class differences were present in beliefs regarding social mobility, parents' equity, equality of opportunity within society, and financial status as adults. How this conceptualization of social class translates into population-based variation in health remains an important area for further inquiry.
Novel cyclic templates of α-MSH give highly selective and potent antagonists/ agonists for human melanocortin-3/4 receptors

In an effort to develop highly selective and potent agonists and/or antagonists for the hMC3 and hMC4 receptors, a new approach involving the use of linker arms and a backbone to side chain cyclization strategy was employed. Three key analogues were identified to have the required selectivity and potency at the hMC3 or hMC4 receptors, implicated to play pivotal roles in energy homeostasis and other biological effects. The novel cyclic peptide (O)C-CH(2)-CH(2)-C(O)-c-[His(6)-D-Phe(7)-Arg(8)-Trp(9)-Lys(10)]-NH(2) (1) was found to be a highly selective and potent agonist of the hMC4 receptor. Structure-activity studies have shown that replacing the succinyl linker arm of 1 by an o-phthalic acid group and substituting a D-Nal(2')(7) residue in place of D-Phe(7) results in a potent antagonist 7 at the hMC4 receptor. Furthermore, increasing the 23-membered lactam ring of 1 by one carbon atom (succinyl --> glutaric acid linker) gives a highly selective and potent antagonist 9 for the hMC3 receptor. Analogues 1, 7, and 9 therefore represent the first examples of a class of cyclic melanotropin ligands with high selectivity and defined biological activities at the physiologically important hMC3 and hMC4 receptors.
Fluorescence of covalently attached pyrene as a general RNA folding probe.

Fluorescence techniques are commonly and powerfully applied to monitor biomolecular folding. In a limited fashion, the fluorescence emission intensity of covalently attached pyrene has been used as a reporter of RNA conformational changes. Here, we pursue two goals: we examine the relationship between tether identity and fluorescence response, and we determine the general utility of pyrene fluorescence to monitor RNA folding. The P4–P6 domain of the Tetrahymena group I intron RNA was systematically modified at multiple nucleotide positions with pyrene derivatives that provide a range of tether lengths and compositions between the RNA and chromophore. Certain tethers typically lead to a superior fluorescence signal upon RNA folding, as demonstrated by equilibrium titrations with Mg2+. In addition, useful fluorescence responses were obtained with pyrene placed at several nucleotide positions dispersed throughout P4–P6. This suggests that monitoring of tertiary folding by fluorescence of covalently attached pyrene will be generally applicable to structured RNA molecules.
Suppression of LPS-induced matrix-metalloproteinase responses in macrophages exposed to phenytoin and its metabolite,5-(p-hydroxyphenyl-), 5-phenylhydantoin

Phenytoin (PHT) has been reported to induce gingival (gum) overgrowth (GO) in approximately 50% of patients taking this medication. While most studies have focused on the effects of PHT on the fibroblast in the pathophysiology underlying GO, few studies have investigated the potential regulatory role of macrophages in extracellular matrix (ECM) turnover and secretion of proinflammatory mediators. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of PHT and its metabolite, 5-(p-hydroxyphenyl-), 5-phenylhydantoin (HPPH) on LPS-elicited MMP, TIMP, TNF-α and IL-6 levels in macrophages. Human primary monocyte-derived macrophages (n = 6 independent donors) were pretreated with 15-50 μg/mL PHT-Na+ or 15-50 μg/mL HPPH for 1 hour. Cells were then challenged with 100 ng/ml purified LPS from the periodontal pathogen, Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans. Supernatants were collected after 24 hours and levels of MMP-1, MMP-2, MMP-3, MMP-9, MMP-12, TIMP-1, TIMP-2, TIMP-3, TIMP-4, TNF-α and IL-6 determined by multiplex analysis or enzyme-linked immunoadsorbent assay. A dose-dependent inhibition of MMP-1, MMP-3, MMP-9, TIMP-1 but not MMP-2 was noted in culture supernatants pretreated with PHT or HPPH prior to LPS challenge. MMP-12, TIMP-2, TIMP-3 and TIMP-2 were not detected in culture supernatants. High concentrations of PHT but not HPPH, blunted LPS-induced TNF-α production although neither significantly affected IL-6 levels. The ability of macrophages to mediate turnover of ECM via the production of metalloproteinases is compromised not only by PHT, but its metabolite, HPPH in a dose-dependent fashion. Further, the preferential dysregulation of macrophage-derived TNF-α but not IL-6 in response to bacterial challenge may provide an inflammatory environment facilitating collagen accumulation without the counteracting production of MMPs.
Is There a New Treatment for Hypertensive Disease in the Horizon?: Role of Soluble Guanylate Cyclase

Left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) and fibrosis have received special attention as possible therapeutic targets in preventing cardiovascular complications of hypertension. Suppression of neurohormonal factors that predispose to target organ damage, in addition to blood pressure (BP) reduction, seems to be of importance in modulating cardiac remodeling and fibrosis in hypertensive heart disease. In the normal heart, the effects of endogenous hypertrophic/profibrotic factors, including angiotensin II (Ang II), aldosterone, and inflammatory cytokines, such as transforming growth factor-β, growth factors, and catecholamines, are balanced by the action of growth-inhibiting/antifibrotic factors, including NO, natriuretic peptides, and bradykinin. Previous studies have shown that atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) modulates cardiac hypertrophy and fibrosis in response to a variety of hemodynamic stresses.1–3 In the setting of hypertension or in the absence of the counterregulatory effects of ANP signaling, as in the ANP null ( Nppa −/−) or heterozygous ( Nppa +/−) mouse or the mouse lacking natriuretic peptide type A receptors ( Npr −/−), the unopposed profibrotic/hypertrophic factors predominate, and …
Coupling endoplasmic reticulum stress to the cell death program: role of the ER chaperone GRP78

Alterations in Ca2+ homeostasis and accumulation of unfolded proteins in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) lead to an ER stress response. Prolonged ER stress may lead to cell death. Glucose-regulated protein (GRP) 78 (Bip) is an ER lumen protein whose expression is induced during ER stress. GRP78 is involved in polypeptide translocation across the ER membrane, and also acts as an apoptotic regulator by protecting the host cell against ER stress-induced cell death, although the mechanism by which GRP78 exerts its cytoprotective effect is not understood. The present study was carried out to determine whether one of the mechanisms of cell death inhibition by GRP78 involves inhibition of caspase activation. Our studies indicate that treatment of cells with ER stress inducers causes GRP78 to redistribute from the ER lumen with subpopulations existing in the cytosol and as an ER transmembrane protein. GRP78 inhibits cytochrome c-mediated caspase activation in a cell-free system, and expression of GRP78 blocks both caspase activation and caspase-mediated cell death. GRP78 forms a complex with caspase-7 and -12 and prevents release of caspase-12 from the ER. Addition of (d)ATP dissociates this complex and may facilitate movement of caspase-12 into the cytoplasm to set in motion the cytosolic component of the ER stress-induced apoptotic cascade. These results define a novel protective role for GRP78 in preventing ER stress-induced cell death.
Transformation Plasticity of CeO2-Stabilized Tetragonal Zirconia Polycrystals: I, Stress Assistance and Autocatalysis

Transformation plasticity in CeO2-stabilized tetragonal zirconia polycrystals due to the tetragonal-to-monoclinic transformation was studied by inducing volumetric and shear deformation under compression and bending between the burst temperature of martensite (monoclinic) formation (Mb) and the burst temperature of austenite (tetragonal) formation (Ab). The stress-strain curve features a load drop, a perfect plastic regime, and an extended strain-hardening regime before the exhaustion of transformation. Macroscopic shear bands formed in the perfect plastic regime. The yield stress has a strong, positive pressure and temperature sensitivity but is strain-rate sensitive only in the last stage of deformation. These results are rationalized in terms of stress assistance to the transformation which, in a homogeneous tetragonal polycrystal, may propagate autocatalytically. Autocatalysis can be impeded by a second phase, such as monoclinic ZrO2 or Al2O3, and is suppressed at higher temperature. Flow localization is found to precede and precipitate crack formation. As a result, the actual fracture energy is much less than the total plastic work. The implications of stress-assisted, autocatalytic transformation on strength and toughness are explored.
The Importance of Diagnosing and Managing ICU Delirium

ICU delirium represents a form of brain dysfunction that in many cohorts has been diagnosed in 60 to 85% of patients receiving mechanical ventilation. This organ dysfunction is grossly underrecognized because a majority of patients have hypoactive or "quiet" delirium characterized by "negative" symptoms (eg, inattention and a flat affect) not alarming the treating team. Hyperactive delirium, formerly called ICU psychosis, stands out because of symptoms such as agitation that may cause harm to self or staff, but is actually rare relative to hypoactive delirium and associated with a better prognosis. Delirium is often incorrectly thought to be transient and of little consequence. After adjusting for numerous covariates, delirium is a strong, independent predictor of prolonged length of stay, reintubation, higher mortality, and cost of care. Expanded work on patient safety and recommendations by professional societies have established the importance of delirium monitoring and recommended it as standard practice in ICUs all over the world. This evidence-based review for physicians, nurses, respiratory therapists, and pharmacists will outline why it is imperative that patients be routinely monitored for delirium. This review will discuss modifiable risk factors for delirium, such as metabolic disturbances or potent sedative and analgesic medications. Attention to mitigating risk factors, along with recommended pharmacologic approaches such as antipsychotic medications, may provide resolution of delirium in some patients, while others will persist with refractory brain dysfunction and long-term cognitive impairment following critical illness.
Improving heat transfer performance of printed circuit boards

There is a trend continuing in the electronics industry where high reliability electronic packages are using standard epoxy glass and polyimide substrates over ceramic based substrates. This is a result of improved fabrication accuracy and consistent raw material properties. Increased processing power is resulting in increased heat generation. Printed circuit boards are becoming very dense as a result of improved fabrication processes that allow smaller vias, smaller trace line width/spaces and pad size. This is combined with designs that have multiple internal conductive layers that routinely reach 20 to 25 layers. This increased processing power is affecting printed circuit board designs for space electronic applications. The additional heat must be conducted from a microprocessor or power device through the printed circuit board to the board frame or chassis. This has been achievable for processing devices by utilizing thick copper layers and thermal vias to transfer the resultant heat. The result of increasing the copper thickness is an increase in mass which is an undesirable condition where the goal for electronics is a smaller and lighter electronic package.
Ataxia-Telangiectasia: A Neuro-Endocrine-Immune Disease? Alternative Models of Pathogenesis

Ataxia-telangiectasia (AT) is a disease characterized by early onset of a progressive cerebellar ataxia, sinopulmonary infections and dilated capillaries over the ears and eyes which are called “telangiectases”. AT affects approximately 1 in 30,000, however, this incidence varies from one ethnic group to another. Patients seldom live beyond twenty years although this pattern has been gradually extended, perhaps due to better pulmonary hygiene and antibiotics. Despite an early demise, approximately 1 in 8 children with this disease develop a maligancy, usually lymphoid. Such children also show signs of premature aging (Boder and Sedgwick, 1958; Gatti and Walford, in press). There is no effective treatment to halt the steady deterioration.