cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A Weighting Scheme for Open Information Extraction

We study the problem of extracting all possible relations among named entities from unstructured text, a task known as Open Information Extraction (Open IE). A state-of-the-art Open IE system consists of natural language processing tools to identify entities and extract sentences that relate such entities, followed by using text clustering to identify the relations among co-occurring entity pairs. In particular, we study how the current weighting scheme used for Open IE affects the clustering results and propose a term weighting scheme that significantly improves on the state-of-the-art in the task of relation extraction both when used in conjunction with the standard tf. idf scheme, and also when used as a pruning filter.
Biological derivation of a range of cephalometric norms for children of African American descent (after Steiner)

The purpose of this study was to report a normal range of anteroposterior apical base differences and concomitant interincisor inclinations and locations derived from a sample of American children (12 to 16 years) of African descent with normal occlusion (statistically defined). Standard cephalometric radiographs of 40 boys and 40 girls were traced and the Steiner Analysis performed. In addition to the ANB angle, 6 supplemental anteroposterior apical base separation estimators were measured, mean values established, and correlation (r) associations performed. The range of anteroposterior apical base difference was -0.5 degrees to 9.5 degrees estimated by the ANB angle or a linear distance of +/-6.5 mm using the Wits Appraisal. The angular and linear distance of the upper incisor to NA line (compensations) ranged from a low of 12 degrees and 3 mm to a high of 39 degrees and 14 mm. The angular and linear distance of the lower incisor to the NB line ranged from a low of 17 degrees and 3 mm to a high of 47.5 degrees and 17.5 mm. Biologically, the results suggested a wide range of equally acceptable sagittal apical base relationships and associated compensations in upper and lower incisor inclinations; normal occlusion was viewed as the reference point. Considering the usage of such descriptive terms as "ideal," "acceptable compromises," and "individualized treatment goals," to describe the angulation and inclination of the incisor teeth, the need for a distinction between biologically derived reference norms and esthetic preference reference norms is apparent when analyzing normal occlusion.
Rate of elimination of excess CO2 in humans.

This study examined the ability of the respiratory system of awake normal subjects to correct an acute disturbance in body CO2 stores produced by rebreathing. Thirteen subjects, after 10 min of O2 breathing, rebreathed CO2 for 4 min in order to increase CO2 stores. The rate of CO2 elimination (VelCO2) after rebreathing was measured breath by breath for the next 10 min. The VelCO2 was highest immediately after the end of rebreathing and then decreased non-linearly toward the pre-rebreathing level as stored CO2 decreased. The time for 90% of this change in VelCO2 to occur (T90) was measured as an index of the rate of correction of body CO2 imbalance. The T90 was independent of the peak PCO2 obtained by rebreathing, and changes in CO2 storage did not produce significant changes in T90. The value of T90 was 120±48 sec (mean±SD) and there was a significant negative correlation between T90 and the slope of the ventilatory response to CO2 among subjects (r = −0.864, P < 0.001). These results suggest that the capacity to eliminate the acutely stored CO2 in awake normal subjects is dependent on the ventilatory response to CO2. The data were further analyzed by using a mathematical model. Mathematical analysis confirmed the inverse relationship between CO2 sensitivity and T90. Models simulations also suggested that the restoration speed of CO2 balance under hyperoxic conditions is affected by brain blood flow but mainly determined by the sensitivity of central chemoreceptors.
Relative effects of scopolamine and electroconvulsive shock upon habit reversal in white rats.

30 adult male white rats were equally divided into control, scopolamine, and electroconvulsive shock groups to learn 20 successive reversal problems in an E-maze for water after 23 1/2 hr. of deprivation. The noncorrection method was used. After 1 mo. of preliminary training, each scopolamine animal received an intraperitoneal injection of 1 mgm of scopolamine hydrobromide per kgm of body weight while each in the shock group was given an ECS of 35 mA for .2 sec. at the end of every 10 daily trials. When a rat obtained 9 correct of 10 trials, the goal was switched to the opposite side of the maze. Controls were much superior to both experimental groups. While scopolamine animals experienced more detrimental effects initially, they caught up with the shock group and finally became superior. This shift is interpreted in terms of building tolerance to scopolamine and increasing anxiety to shock as effects of differential treatments accumulated.
Doping control analysis of bovine hemoglobin-based oxygen therapeutics in human plasma by LC-electrospray ionization-MS/MS.

Since January 2000, hemoglobin-based oxygen carriers, such as Hemopure, belong to the list of prohibited substances of the International Olympic Committee. Hemopure is based on bovine hemoglobin, which is intra- and intermolecularly cross-linked by glutaraldehyde units causing an average molecular weight of ∼250 000. Bovine and human hemoglobins differ by 15% in amino acid sequence; hence, tryptic digestion of these proteins generates species-common and -unique peptides. Those specific fragments originate from the α- and β-subunits of hemoglobin, such as bovine Hb peptides α69-90 (2367.2 Da) or β40-58 (2089.9 Da). By means of LC−MS/MS, peptides of human and bovine hemoglobin can be separated and identified, enabling the determination of compounds based on Hb of bovine origin and thus the administration of oxygen carriers such as Hemopure. Blank plasma samples were spiked with Hemopure or human or bovine hemoglobin, filtered, enzymatically digested, and analyzed on an Agilent 1100 Series HPLC interfaced to...
Selective habituation of defensive behavior: Evidence for predator-prey synchrony

The selective nocturnal persistence of death feigning, an antipredator behavior, was assessed in four studies involving single daily trials. In Experiments 1 and 2, White Leghorn chicks exhibited a progressive decline in death feigning durations in both the light and the dark phases of their photoperiods over 8 days, but resistance to habituation was greater at night. When nocturnal death feigning was induced to a habituation criterion (Experiment 3), it was extremely persistent and was not completely abolished in some chicks, even after 25 consecutive test days. Because nocturnal response durations of chicks tested cross-sectionally increased over the same developmental period (Experiment 4), a shifting developmental baseline was excluded as the basis for the declining response durations observed in the first three studies. The differential plasticity of death feigning at two times of day is consistent with the argument that predatorprey synchrony confers a selective advantage, and suggests an additional biological constraint on learning.
Genetic polymorphism of human salivary proline-rich proteins: Further genetic analysis

Electrophoresis of concentrated parotid saliva on slab polyacrylamide gels negatively stained with 3,3′-dimethoxybenzidine and hydrogen peroxide (DMB stain) showed nine phenotypes among the proline-rich proteins. These phenotypes are the expression of four autosomal codominant alleles. Gene frequencies are, for Caucasians, Pr 1=0.640, Pr 1′=0.005, Pr 2=0.080, Pr 2′=0.275; for Negroes, Pr 1=0.700, Pr 1′=0.050, Pr 2=0.080, Pr 2′=0.170; for Chinese, Pr 1=0.770, Pr 1′=0, Pr 2=0, Pr 2′=0.230. The presence or absence of another pair of proteins giving the same negative staining is inherited as an autosomal dominant trait (Db). Homozygous Db + + and heterozygous Db + − individuals could not be distinguished. The genetic determinant (Db) for this pair of proteins is either closely linked to or part of the Pr locus. Gene frequencies are, for Caucasians, Db +=0.12, Db −=0.88; for Negroes, Db +=0.56, Db −=0.44; for Chinese, Db +=0.07, Db −=0.93.
Behavior of Ionic Polymer-Metal Composites Under Subzero Temperature Conditions

Actuators that can operate within harsh environments, such as that of cold regions or outer space, could be quite useful. We have found that Ionic Polymer-Metal Composites (IPMCs) provide an attractive solution for cold operation actuators. This is because of their capability for soft actuation with relatively low voltages (1 to 5 V), durability and capability of operating within the subzero regime T < °C. The building block material of IPMCs, which is dependent upon hydration or weak chemical bonding by a solvent (typically water), experiences phase changes within the base material that results in an alteration of the performance of the material in terms of actuator performance. This alteration is to be expected, but the magnitude and degree of deviation from the actuation at normal room temperature are values of interest. An experimental apparatus is consructed in order to have a controlled temperature environment in which to analyze the material. The overall temperature within the reservoir, the temperature on the IPMC surface electrodes, the conductivity of the membrane and the blocking force were all measured and documented. The phase changes inherent at these low temperatures are investigated further by means of Differential Scanning Calorimeter to obtain the phase change temperatures. The electrical conductivity of the material was then used to help explain the phenomena for the overall change in behavior primarily at these phase change temperatures. The results are presented and interpreted to show that there is definite promise for these low temperature polymeric actuators to operate in practical applications. Also, some theoretical consideration is presented.Copyright © 2003 by ASME
Gender in the Gym: Evaluation Concerns as Barriers to Women’s Weight Lifting

Four studies examined why women appear to be less likely than men to lift weights, despite the documented health benefits. An archival analysis (“Study 1”) pointed to a cultural dissociation between women and strength-related exercise goals. Furthermore, a study of women in a university in the mid-Atlantic United States who envisioned lifting weights in public expressed greater evaluation concerns than those who envisioned doing aerobic exercise (“Study 2”); moreover, greater evaluation concerns seemed to deter them from weight lifting. These findings helped to shed light upon gender-differentiated patterns of gym equipment use (“Study 3a”) and reports of psychological discomfort in gyms (“Study 3b”). This work begins to illuminate the sociocultural context of women’s avoidance of certain types of exercise.
Prospective Elementary Teachers’ Understanding of the Nature of Science and Perceptions of the Classroom Learning Environment

This study investigated prospective elementary teachers’ understandings of the nature of science and explored associations with their guided-inquiry science learning environment. Over 500 female students completed the Nature of Scientific Knowledge Survey (NSKS), although only four scales were analyzed–Creative, Testable, Amoral, and Unified. The learning environment was assessed using previously-validated and reliable scales from What Is Happening In this Class? (WIHIC) and the Science Laboratory Environment Inventory (SLEI). Analyses indicated moderate multiple correlations that were statistically significant (p < 0.01) between Creative (R = 0.22), Testable (R = 0.29), and Unified (R = 0.27), and a positive learning environment. Regression coefficients revealed that Open-Endedness was a significant independent predictor of students’ understanding of the role of creativity in science (β = 0.16), while Cooperation, Open-Endedness, and Material Environment were linked with understanding the testable nature of science (β = 0.10–0.12). Interview questions probed possible relationships between an improved understanding of the nature of science and elements of a positive classroom environment. Responses suggested that an appropriate level of open-endedness during investigations was very important as this helped students grapple with abstract nature of science concepts and shift their conceptions closer to a more realistic view of scientific practice.
Modulation of neuropathic pain by a glial-derived factor.

Introduction. An unfortunate consequence of incomplete nerve injury is development of neuropathic pain and associated allodynia, a feeling of discomfort in response to benign stimuli. Nerve injuries induce alterations in cytokine expression by Schwann cells, locally at the site of injury, and by glia, remotely in the spinal cord. Although most cytokines are pronociceptive, one, glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF), appears to be antinociceptive. Methods. We have developed a novel method of delivering GDNF to the site of nerve injury. Using a model of partial nerve injury that reduces withdrawal thresholds to innocuous stimuli, we have found that local application of GDNF abolishes this allodynic behavior. Results. Intrathecal application of GDNF stimulates expression of somatostatin, a neuropeptide with potential analgesic properties. Moreover, stimulation of dorsal root sensory neurons with GDNF in vitro increases cell content of somatostatin, which, in turn, leads to increased secretion in response to depolarizing stimuli. Conclusion. We suggest that GDNF exerts its anti-allodynic effect via somatostatinergic mechanisms. Our observations suggest new approaches for treating nerve injury that may prove useful in preventing delayed complications that contribute to long-term debility.
The EO in OBM

Abstract Olson, Laraway, and Austin (2001) propose an increased emphasis on the establishing operation in organizational behavior management. Their proposal raises interesting questions about theory, science, and practice. (1) What should be the role of theory in behavior analysis? (2) Should we try to find problems that match our solutions or vice versa ? (3) What is the relative importance of the establishing operation and the performance-management contingency in managing organizational behavior? (4) Should theory and basic research be more informed by the issues raised in applied settings?
Mechanistic aspects of aminium salt-catalyzed Diels-Alder reactions: The substrate ionization step

Substituent effects in the aminium salt catalyzed Diels-Alder reactions of 2,3-dimethyl-1,3-butadiene with a series of meta and para substituted β-methylstyrenes are used to probe detailed mechanistic aspects of these reactions. Kinetic studies were carried out using two different aminium salt catalysts and also electrochemically, using anodic potentials corresponding to the oxidation potentials of the aminium salts. Substituent effects in the equilibrium oxidations of the styrene substrates to the corresponding cation radicals were also studied, via oxidation potential measurements. The results indicate rate determining one electron oxidation of the sytrenes to their cation radicals via an outer sphere electron transfer.
Restrictive lung disease and cor pulmonale secondary to polyostotic fibrous dysplasia

Polyostotic fibrous dysplasia is a rare benign pathological condition of bone in which proliferation of fibrous and osteoid elements results in expansile deformities of the skeleton. We present a case of polyostotic fibrous dysplasia in a young man in whom the severe deformities of the chest wall and spine produced restrictive lung disease, cor pulmonale and respiratory failure.
A county hospital surgical practice: a model for acute care surgery.

Abstract Background Trauma surgery has changed significantly over the past decade. Nonoperative evidence-based algorithms have become common and surgical trauma volume has become increasingly difficult to maintain. The acute care surgery (ACS) model, which integrates trauma, critical care, and emergency surgery, has been proposed as a future model of trauma practice. Methods Database information from an academic, county-based, trauma center was reviewed. A performance improvement surgical procedure database and level I trauma registry from 2005 were used to evaluate one center’s ACS practice. Results There were 2,276 cases performed by 7 full-time and 5 part-time surgeons. Elective cases accounted for 64% (1,480) of caseload, emergency/urgent general surgery accounted for 32% (719) of cases, and emergency trauma surgeries accounted for 4% (96 procedures in 77 patients). In all, 23% were performed after hours. The ACS model supported controllable hours, adequate surgical volume, excellent patient care, and an appealing clinical practice. Conclusion Surgical practice in a county-run trauma hospital can be similar to the ACS model, with positive results in terms of clinical volume and physician satisfaction. As clinical practices shift to the ACS model, there are lessons to be learned from currently existing, thriving, long-standing similar prototypes.
Internal Consistency in Components of International Management/International Business Syllabi: Roadmaps with Mixed Messages

Abstract The course syllabus is a contract between instructor and students, a schedule of course assignments and activities, and a roadmap delineating objectives and checkpoints in the course. It is also a planning and reference tool for both students and instructor, and it models professors' expectations for their students. This study investigated whether a sample of 191 international business/international management syllabi showed consistency between skill development objectives cited in the syllabus and actual topic areas covered in reading and other assignments, as well as with teaching methods employed. It also examined congruence between teaching methods and grading policies. The findings reveal a significant lack of consistency in the items examined. Potential problems likely from the resulting mixed messages are discussed.
Contemporary Management of Human Immunodeficiency Virus in Pregnancy

Contemporary management of HIV in pregnancy remains a moving target. With the development of newer antiretroviral agents with lower side-effect profiles and laboratory methods for detection and monitoring of HIV, considerable progress has been made. This review examines key concepts in the pathophysiology of HIV and pregnancy with emphasis on perinatal transmission and reviews appropriate screening and diagnostic testing for HIV during pregnancy. Current recommendations for medical, pharmacologic, and obstetric management of women newly diagnosed with HIV during pregnancy and for those women with preexisting infection are discussed. Preconception counseling for HIV+ women as well as postpartum issues are addressed.
Beat-by-beat vascular responses during anticipatory heart rate deceleration

The slowing of heart rate prior to an anticipated action is puzzling. Increased heart rate would seem biologically more appropriate. Beat-by-beat vascular measures were studied in order to see if heart rate slowing was associated with improved blood flow to the limb involved in the anticipated action. In 27 men, pulse wave velocity (PWV), pulse transit time (PTT), and pulse amplitude measures were collected from arterial and thumb sites. A paced auditory reaction time (RT) task with two levels of reward (incentive) was used. Beat-by-beat results showed a concomitance of heart rate slowing, PTT shortening, and pulse amplitude increase. These changes were interpreted as being due to vagal effects and their hemodynamic consequences. Pacing RT at fast speeds led to an elevated PWV, which suggested alpha sympathetic activation during periods requiring substantial effort. Tentatively, the results suggest that heart rate slowing is one aspect of an adaptive cardiovascular adjustment by joint vagal and alpha sympathetic activation.
Measurement of a plasma in the AC plasma display panel using RF capacitance and microwave techniques

The existence of a long-lived plasma in the gas volume is demonstrated by two techniques. By using a suitable RF frequency, the capacitance of plasma cells is shown to vary due to the production and decay of the plasma. In a special large-area cell constructed to minimize stray-capacitance problems, the plasma caused the capacitance to increase by a factor of 7 over the neutral value. This means that at the peak, the plasma filled about 6/7 of the discharge gap. By constructing a special-geometry plasma cell in the shape of a strip-transmission line, the microwave transmission properties were determined at 10 GHz. When the plasma is in the volume, the transmission is cut off. There is strong correlation between the capacitance variation and the microwave transmission variation. Depending on various conditions, the two techniques show the plasma to exist between 10 and 100 µs after the discharge-current peak. The plasma can be swept out of the volume by either positive- or negative-going applied voltage pulses. Thus the plasma is usually swept out upon the fall of the sustain voltage, especially when the sustain duty factor is less than 100 percent.
Possible role for H--Y antigen in the primary determination of sex.

IN mammals, the genetic basis of sex determination and differentiation seems to be simple1,2. A gene or set of genes on the Y chromosome causes the indifferent embryonic gonad to develop as a testis3. Thus an ovary develops in the absence of the Y and a testis in its presence. The testis then secretes testosterone which induces male development of the accessory glands and ducts4,5. The masculinising action of testosterone on its target cells is mediated by the product of a gene on the X chromosome. This product activates all the genes required for manifestation of the male phenotype in response to circulating testosterone1. Evidence for this crucial involvement of the X chromosome in male sexual differentiation comes from a mutation of the relevant gene in the mouse (Tfm), resulting in failure to respond to testosterone. A chromosomally XY animal with this mutant gene develops testes, because the Y chromosome is present, but shows no further male differentiation, thus exhibiting the syndrome known as ‘testicular feminisation’6. This insensitivity to androgen is caused by a mutational deficiency of the nuclear–cytosol androgen-receptor protein not only in mice7–9 but also in man10. Thus the part that the X chromosome plays in male sexual differentiation has been clarified at the level of an individual gene situated on this chromosome.
Midfacial Degloving Approach to the Nose, Sinuses, and Skull Base:

■ The midfacial degloving approach provides wide and comfortable exposure to the midfacial skeleton, all paranasal sinuses, and the anterior skull base.
Multiple sweeping using the Denavit–Hartenberg representation method

Abstract The method of consecutive revolving or extrusion of a geometric entity in a CAD system is typically used by a designer to represent complex solids. While it is evident that consecutive sweeping is a very effective tool, it has been restricted by the associated difficult mathematics in representing consecutive sweeps and in analyzing the resulting equations. The Denavit–Hartenberg (DH) method, first introduced in 1955 in the field of kinematics to mathematically relate motion between two coordinate frames, provides an effective formulation for characterizing the resulting solid model. Design variations imposed on sweep properties are easily propagated through the formulation to update the solid. This paper illustrates the use of the DH formulation for multiple sweeps and demonstrates the method through examples.
744. Novel Vectors for Gene Therapy: Covering the Spectrum of Primate AAV Diversity

Top of pageAbstract One strategy to enhance the performance of AAV vectors is to evaluate the impact of capsid variation present in natural isolates of AAV virus. Indeed, one of the first AAVs recovered by our recent screen of novel AAVs, called AAV serotype 8, demonstrated substantially improved gene transfer in liver. Further building on this theme, we generated a catalog of AAV vectors that capture the entire spectrum of natural capsid variation and have screened these vectors for gene transfer to a variety of targets. A total of 30 vectors were generated and optimized by site-directed mutagenesis and tested in vivo in liver and muscle. Minor variations in capsid sequence were found to impact gene transfer applications dramatically. In order to pinpoint domains or residues that correlate with suboptimal vector production, or in vitro or in vivo gene transfer, we performed an extensive structure-function analysis. This highlighted a class of residues on existing capsid sequences that were found to be of particular interest. Atypical residues in otherwise entirely conserved regions consistently correlated with a loss in vector performance. These residues, termed singletons, were reverted back to their conserved state. Both the original and the variant were compared in their ability to package and perform in vitro and in vivo in C57BL/6 mice. Expression of the reporter gene hAAT was used to measure gene transfer efficiency. Dramatic improvement as a result of singleton modifications was observed. Generally in vitro transduction was mildly improved with few exceptions. Singleton modification resulted in improved in vivo gene transfer to liver and muscle. There were few examples however where in vivo performance was decreased, highlighting the critical importance for tropism of these vectors. Interestingly, AAV6 was evaluated before and after removal of two singleton residues. Residue K531 was found to be responsible for the superior tropism in both liver and muscle when compared to the closely related AAV1. Data on 30 AAV based gene therapy vectors of a variety of serological profiles, isolated from 5 primate species and representing all AAV clades will be presented. Evaluation for gene transfer in muscle identified 10 vectors superior to or as efficient as AAV8. Several lead candidates have been identified for liver directed gene therapy, a subset of which is to be tested in non-human primates. This study approaches the development of second generation vectors using an approach more like that used to identify small molecule pharmaceutics. We start from a natural library of AAV gene transfer vehicles. Based on correlates of functionality with structure, the particle is then engineered into lead molecules for the tissue target of interest. It is deemed critical to progress several candidates through pre-clinical development, in order to overcome hurdles like species difference of gene transfer, serological burden of a target population and other forms of pre-existing immunity.
Structure and Development of the Public Relations Agency Industry in the United States: Operational Structure, Clients, Fees, and Talent

Any examination of the history, dynamics, and role of public relations and communication management consulting would be incomplete without an assessment of the structure and development of the public relations agency industry. This article provides a detailed look at how public relations is defined, regardless of what it might be called, along an assessment of the history and development of the public relations agency industry in the United States. In addition, the article provides detailed information about the organizational structure of public relations firms, agency clients, fees charged by these firms, the role played by global holding companies along with an explanation about talent and staffing challenges.
Aquatic faunal responses to an induced regime shift in the phosphorus-impacted Everglades

SUMMARY 1. Wetland eutrophication increases the susceptibility of native communities to invasion by opportunistic plant species, which then commonly form monotypic stands. Wetland aquatic fauna are negatively affected by associated changes of eutrophication in the physiochemical environment, habitat structural complexity and ecological interactions. In addition to reducing external nutrient loads, it is predicted that efforts that reduce the resilience of the altered ecosystem are required to accelerate ecosystem recovery. 2. We assessed small fish and decapod crustacean responses to a 3-year ecosystem scale experiment that tested the effectiveness of chemical treatment and controlled burning as a management strategy to accelerate the recovery of eutrophic Everglades marsh. The management strategy resulted in the removal, on average, of 91% and 81% of the emergent macrophyte cover in two regions differing in enrichment effects. The resulting open-water habitats were characterised by higher dissolved oxygen concentrations, greater periphyton and submersed aquatic vegetation and increased structural complexity. 3. The average combined density and biomass of small fish and decapod crustaceans did not differ significantly between dense emergent vegetation and created openings but regional and water year differences occurred. More importantly, community composition did differ between treatments, with the crayfish Procambarus fallax dominating in dense vegetation and small fish Gambusia holbrooki, Jordanella floridae and Poecilia latipinna and grass shrimp Palaemonetes paludosus dominating in open water. 4. We compared the whole body carbon (C), nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) contents (%) and C:N: P stoichiometry among small fish and decapod crustaceans. Fish had greater whole body C and P contents (low C:P) compared with the two crustaceans. While the management action did not alter the quantity (mg carbon m � 2 ) or energy (kcal m � 2 ) of fauna, the resultant shift in composition was coincident with an increase in the nutrient quality (mg P m � 2 and low C:P) of fauna. 5. Faunal community composition of the created open-water habitats in the eutrophic Everglades was similar to the oligotrophic Everglades; however, density and biomass were significantly lower for the oligotrophic region. Moreover, intraspecific comparisons showed that small fish and decapod crustaceans from the oligotrophic region were smaller and had lower whole body phosphorus contents than organisms from eutrophic regions. This suggests that phosphorus limitation in the Everglades extends beyond autotrophs to include consumers. 6. The high density of emergent macrophytes typically formed in eutrophic wetlands creates a physical barrier to predators, limiting the trophic transfer of energy. The combination of burning and chemical treatment not only maintained the abundance and biomass of aquatic fauna, but produced
Analysis of currency impact on international investment

Purpose – Aims to examine the currency impact on return, risk and market correlations from the perspective of both dollar and non‐dollar‐based investments.Design/methodology/approach – Monthly data on six stock index series and exchange rates from Financial Times Sources are used, covering the period 1988‐1997.Findings – Finds that the impact of exchange rate on returns measured in the investor's currency is generally negative for all investor groups, and it raises return volatility above the level of local markets most of the time. The correlation of returns is, however, lower than that of the local returns.Practical implications – The study reports little evidence of a forward hedge improving the return for investors, but the hedging does reduce volatility for four out of six investors.Originality/value – Whereas past studies examining market correlations, the risk‐return outcome of international investment, and/or the impact of exchange rate movement on the risk‐return out come, have generally used dol...
Targeted High Lung Concentrations of Itraconazole Using Nebulized Dispersions in a Murine Model

The purpose of this study was to investigate the delivery of itraconazole (ITZ) particles to a murine lung model by nebulization. Three ITZ formulations were prepared and characterized in the dry state using contact angle, dissolution, X-ray powder diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, and Brunauer–Emmett–Teller surface area analysis. Aerodynamic particle size distributions and lung deposition studies in 14 outbred male ICR mice were performed using aqueous dispersions of all the formulations. A separate dosing uniformity study was also performed to qualify use of the chamber. All formulations had an aggregated particle size of approximately 30 μm in diameter. Two formulations showed that 80% of the drug dissolved in less than 5 min. The remaining ITZ formulation had a slower dissolution and the lowest total emitted dose from the nebulizer used. High concentrations of ITZ were shown to be present in the mouse lung during the lung deposition study, up to 16.8 ± 0.13 μg/g (± SE) were achieved. Concentrations of up to 0.76 ± 0.03 μg/g (± SE) could be maintained from the single nebulized dose for at least 24 h. An effective method of targeted delivery of ITZ to the deep lung is presented that may be useful for the treatment and prevention of acute fungal infections.
On zero-dimensional rings of quotients and the geometry of minimal primes

The purpose of this paper is to examine the ways in which the structure of the Minimal Spectrum (Min(A )) of a commutative ring A is reflected in its maximal flat mono-epimorphism (Q,,,(A)) and its classical ring of Quotients (Q,,(A)). In the reduced case, there is an extensive literature [Ml, H & J, Mew, Q] on this subject. We focus attention on the subtleties created by non-trivial nilpotents. In general, there are homomorphisms relating Q,,,(A) and Q,,(A) to T(Min(A), 8) (0 denotes the structure sheaf of A). Examples are given to show that even in global flat dimension 1, these three objects can be distinct. With this potential in mind, we ask how such pathology can be eliminated. In particular, we show that for any commutative ring A, the following are equivalent:
Cumulative Activation of Voltage-Dependent KVS-1 Potassium Channels

In this study, we reveal the existence of a novel use-dependent phenomenon in potassium channels, which we refer to as cumulative activation (CA). CA consists of an increase in current amplitude in response to repetitive depolarizing step pulses to the same potential. CA persists for up to 20 s and is similar to a phenomenon called “voltage-dependent facilitation” observed in some calcium channels. The KVS-1 K+ channel, which exhibits CA, is a rapidly activating and inactivating voltage-dependent potassium channel expressed in chemosensory and other neurons of Caenorhabditis elegans. It is unusual in being most closely related to the Shab (Kv2) family of potassium channels, which typically behave like delayed rectifier K+ channels in other species. The magnitude of CA depends on the frequency, voltage, and duration of the depolarizing step pulse. CA also radically changes the activation and inactivation kinetics of the channel, suggesting that the channel may undergo a physical modification in a use-dependent manner; thus, a model that closely simulates the behavior of the channel postulates the existence of two populations of channels, unmodified and modified. Use-dependent changes in the behavior of potassium channels, such as CA observed in KVS-1, could be involved in functional mechanisms of cellular plasticity such as synaptic depression that represent the cellular basis of learning and memory.
Particle Derivation of Nuclear Rotation Properties Associated with a Surface Wave

The dynamical conception of nuclear rotation in terms of a surface wave on a droplet of irrotational fluid has achieved some success in spite of the great differences between nucleons and the particles of a normal classical fluid. As a justification for the simplifying assumption of irrotational fluid flow, the collective rotational energy is here derived from a suitable set of nucleon wave functions in the approximation in which there is a rotating distortion, slow compared with the internal nucleon motions. The wave functions are those of a three-dimensional harmonic oscillator that is made anisotropic by having the force constant along one axis different from those along the other two in a rotating cartesian coordinate system. For the case of steady rotation about a fixed axis, the perturbation problem with first-order wave functions leads to a second-order rotational energy which agrees with the droplet-model result. The observed level spacings appear to lie between this result and that of a rigid rotator, and the discrepancy is probably to be attributed to higher orders. The result is also derived by another method without introducing a steady rotation.
Tracking upper tropospheric water vapor radiances: A satellite perspective

Hourly observations of 6.7 μm “water vapor” radiances from geostationary satellites are used in conjunction with an objective pattern-tracking algorithm to trace upper tropospheric water vapor features from sequential images. Analysis of measurements covering the 3 month period of June-August 1987 illustrates a close relationship between the upper tropospheric moisture and the tropical circulation. Over humid tropical regions the movement of water vapor patterns reveals a diverging upper level flow away from centers of deep convection. Likewise, arid subtropical regions are characterized by converging upper level water vapor patterns indicating sinking air. The evolution of upper tropospheric moisture is also explored from a Lagrangian perspective by considering the change in moisture of a pattern as it is tracked from one image to the next. This analysis reveals that the clear-sky upper troposphere in both tropical and subtropical regions becomes increasingly drier with time reflecting the impact of large-scale subsidence in drying the troposphere. When separated according to cloud amount, water vapor patterns associated with clouds are observed to dry substantially slower than those without clouds, presumably due to the evaporation of cloud condensate. Trajectories of upper tropospheric moisture are also constructed by iteratively tracking water vapor patterns from successive satellite images. The trajectories reveal two distinct paths for water vapor patterns entering the dry subsidence region of the subtropical South Pacific. One path highlights the southward propagation of convective outflow from the tropics while the other path reflects the injection of moisture from eastward propagating subtropical disturbances. The existence of two distinct source regions suggests that a complete picture of the processes regulating the driest and most radiatively transparent regions of the subtropics will require an understanding of both types of convective systems.
Evaluation of solid electrolytes for high temperature lithium batteries: A preliminary study

Abstract The lithium ionic conductivity of materials prepared by reaction of lithium iodide with anhydrous and hydrated aluminum sulfate has been investigated b
Genetically determined stereoselective excretion of encainide in humans and electrophysiologic effects of its enantiomers in canine cardiac Purkinje fibers

Encainide metabolism is mediated by the polymorphically distributed cytochrome P450IID6, which displays stereoselectivity for some substrates. In this study we found that urinary recovery during steady-state encainide in three poor metabolizers was high (49% to 80%), consisted mainly of unchanged encainide, was nonstereoselective (± ratio, 0.985 to 1.049), and was unchanged by quinidine, a potent inhibitor of P450IID6. In contrast, in seven extensive metabolizers the ± urinary ratios were 1.20 ± 0.06 for encainide and 0.81 ± 0.06 (both p < 0.01) for the cytochrome P450IID6 products O-desmethylencainide plus 3-methoxy-O-desmethylencainide; with quinidine the total percentage recovery rose from 4% ± 4% to 37% ± 9% because of increased recovery of unchanged encainide and became nonstereoselective (± ratio, 0.84 ± 0.08 [encainide alone] versus 0.97 ± 0.05 [encainide plus quinidine]). In vitro, encainide enantiomers depressed the maximum rate of metabolism with similar frequency and concentration dependence. We conclude that (-)-encainide undergoes preferential metabolism by cytochrome P450IID6; however, this genetically determined stereoselective disposition is unlikely to play a major role in mediating the clinical actions of encainide. Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics (1991) 49, 488–496; doi:10.1038/clpt.1991.59
The role of vitamin D in psoriasis: a review.

Background and objective Psoriasis is a common, chronic autoimmune inflammatory skin disorder, which has potential systemic complications and is clinically defined by sharply demarcated, erythematous patches and plaques covered by a characteristic silvery white scale. Topical corticosteroids have widely been regarded as the mainstay first line of treatment. Recently, topical vitamin D analogs have been added to the first-line treatment repertoire as well, either as monotherapy or in combination with topical steroids due to synergistic, complementary effectiveness. In this paper, we review the role of vitamin D in the pathophysiology and treatment of psoriasis. Methods A comprehensive search of the Cochrane Library, MEDLINE, and PUBMED databases were performed to identify relevant basic science and clinical trial literature investigating the role of vitamin D in psoriasis. Primary endpoints in clinical trials were largely based on clinical improvement as assessed by the psoriasis area severity index score or physician's global assessment. Results and conclusion The role of vitamin D in psoriasis is complex and extensive. Oral and topical vitamin D therapies provide comparable efficacies to corticosteroids when used as monotherapy and may be superior when used in combination with a potent topical steroid. Additionally topical vitamin D analogs demonstrate a favorable safety profile with “steroid-sparing” effects. Thus, topical vitamin D derivatives should be considered an indispensable component of the current physician's arsenal in the treatment of psoriasis.
The evolution of the moon: A finite element approach

The present lunar evolution model analyzes the thermal history of a self-gravitating spherical planetary body, including the effects of viscous dissipation, internal melting, adiabatic gradient, core formation, variable viscosity, radioactive nucleide decay, and a depth-dependent initial temperature profile, together with physical parameters corresponding to the moon. Although no initial basalt ocean is assumed, partial melting is observed early in the model moon's history. This is suggested to be related to the formation of the basalt maria. The model's present lithospheric thickness is 600 km, with core-mantle temperatures close to 1600 K and surface heat flux of 25.3 mW/sq m. The finite element method is judged to be applicable to the problem of planetary evolution, although faster solution algorithms will be required for the examination of a sufficient number of models.
Autoradiographic Studies of Pear Pollen Tube Walls

Germinating pollen was supplied D-glucose-3H and myo-inositol-3H. Pollen tube growth was terminated at varying intervals and the cytoplasmic contents removed or left intact. Empty pollen tubes were treated with β-1,4-glucanase, β-1,3-glucanasc or pectinase and the residual radioactivity was determined. Analysis of autoradiograms showed the pollen tip contained primarily pectin, the subtending cell wall of the tube was primarily cellulose, or possibly hemi-cellulose, and callose accumulated most heavily toward the rear, older segments of the tube. Callose was also heavily formed in the tip region of non-growing tubes. Pectin formed from myoinositol appeared to be solubilized, or removed, from the wall to the cytoplasm with aging of the pollen tube.
A generating function that counts the combinatorial full-span sub array structure of a regular array with some applications to APL

Using a radically new way of representing arrays, we present a formalism that expands (or decomposes) a regular array into a weighted sum of null arrays. We show that this "polynomial" expansion (1.16) exhaustively represents the regular full-span array sub structure of the original array. Full-span means full length in the dimensions used. The polynomial is a generating function whose coefficients of which count and indicate the shape of the regular full-span sub arrays of the given regular array. These results are all structural. They do not use knowledge of the particular data contents of the arrays. We apply this new decomposition to catenation and lamination and uncover some new insights into array structure.The decomposition and the algebraic results provide a unifying view and new formalism for regular multi-dimensional arrays. It has application wherever multi-dimensional arrays are used, particularly to generalized hyper cube architectures, OLAP hierarchical data structures, and array oriented languages. It subsumes some previous results. Some of these applications are indicated with their bibliography.There is a combinatorial argument on the shape vector that could generate the coefficients, but it does not give the structural insight of this approach.
Fuel/Time Optimal Control of the Benchmark Problem

Design of fuel/time optimal control of the benchmark two-mass/spring system is addressed in the frequency domain. The optimal control profile is represented as the output of a time-delay filter, where the amplitude of the time-delayed signals are constrainted to satisfy the control bounds. The time delays of the filter are determined by solving a parameter optimization problem that minimizes a weighted fuel/time cost function subject to the constraint that the tune-delay filter cancel all the poles of the system and the control profile satisfies the rigid-body boundary conditions. It is shown that three control structures exist: a three-switch profile corresponding to the time optimal control problem that changes to a six-switch profile corresponding to a cost function that includes a small weight on the fuel. As the weight on the fuel increases beyond a critical value, the control profile changes to a two-switch profile. The value of the critical weight that represents the transition of the control profile from a six-switch to a two-switch control profile is determined.
The gene encoding the Ia antigen-associated invariant chain (Ii) is not linked to the H-2 complex.

The invariant (Ii) chain of murine Ia antigens is associated with the intracellular but not the cell-surface forms of the Aα:Aβ and Eα:Eβ Ia complexes1–3. Due to its unique subcellular localization, Ii has been postulated to play a part in the assembly4 or intraceUular transport2 of the Ia α:β complexes, which function in immune recognition5–7. A more general role for Ii in the transport of other cell proteins has also been suggested8. Because of the unusual subunit composition of Ia antigens and because the synthesis of α, β and Ii chains is coordinately regulated9, it was of interest to determine whether, like the α and β chains10–12, Ii is encoded by a gene in the I region of the H–2 histocompatibility complex. We report here the use of an Ii chain polymorphism present in Mus spretus13 to demonstrate that the gene for Ii is not linked to the H–2 complex. Thus, intracellular Ia antigens consist of the products of two linked genes and one unlinked gene.