cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
On the Risk Performance of Bays Empirical Bayes Procedures for Classification Between N(‐1,l) and N(1,1)

Summary In empirical Bayes decision making, the Bayes empirical Bayes approach is diccussed by Gilliland and Boyer (1979). In the finite state component case, the Bayes empirical Bayes procedures are shown to have optimal properties in a fairly general setting and believed to have small sample advantage over the classical rules. The flexibility of making desirable adjustments for these decision procedures by choice of prior enables one to set a proper strategy when dealing with actual problems. The applications of Bayes empirical Bayes procedures, however, create some interesting theoretical and computational problems as they are fairly complicated in structure. This paper gives a brief introduction into the Bayes empirical Bayes approach, and, to illustrate it, explicit results are given for testing H0: N(-1,1) against H1: N(1,1).
Gene expression profiling of rat brain neurons reveals angiotensin II-induced regulation of calmodulin and synapsin I: possible role in neuromodulation.

Angiotensin (Ang II) activates neuronal AT1 receptors located in the hypothalamus and the brainstem and stimulates noradrenergic neurons that are involved in the control of blood pressure and fluid intake. In this study we used complementary DNA microarrays for high throughput gene expression profiling to reveal unique genes that are linked to the neuromodulatory actions of Ang II in neuronal cultures from newborn rat hypothalamus and brainstem. Of several genes that were regulated, we focused on calmodulin and synapsin I. Ang II (100 nm; 1–24 h) elicited respective increases and decreases in the levels of calmodulin and synapsin I messenger RNAs, effects mediated by AT1 receptors. This was associated with similar changes in calmodulin and synapsin protein expression. The actions of Ang II on calmodulin expression involve an intracellular pathway that includes activation of phospholipase C, increased intracellular calcium, and stimulation of protein kinase C. Taken together with studies that link calmodul...
Crystal-field effects of paramagnetic Curie temperature

Abstract It is shown exactly that only the second order anisotropy can shift the paramagnetic Curie temperature. Effects of higher order exchange and electric multipole interactions are also discussed.
PROBLEMS OF THE CARLESS IN THE UNITED KINGDOM AND THE UNITED STATES

An examination of current population statistics shows that in the U.S. more than half of the population is without immediate access to a car, and in the U.K. more than three-fifths of the population is without access to a car. This phenomenon has been accentuated by national investment in both countries in major highway programs. The term carless refers to more than just households that own no cars. It extends, in households with cars to those without licenses (old and young), the handicapped, and even the licensed drivers who have no access to the family car when it is in use elsewhere (e.g. at work). The most severely effected are those in urban areas and especially the urban poor. Transportation expenses are limited for the poor when other family expenditures (food, shelter) take a high priority. Once the work trip has been satisfied, money for other trips, for the poor, is not always available. One solution to cost-free travel is pedestrianism (walking), but this too is difficult in urban areas where the pedestrian has been overlooked in favor of the car. Solutions to problems of the carless include dial-a-ride, better public transit, and better design of urban form.
Cultural influences on safety training among Vietnamese shrimp fisherman

Every ethnic group has its own cultural background and history that influences how it views health behaviors. Even though the fishing trades are among the most dangerous jobs in the world, there ha...
IMPLICATIONS OF TRIPLE CORRELATION UNIQUENESS FOR TEXTURE STATISTICS AND THE JULESZ CONJECTURE

Triple correlation uniqueness refers to the fact that every monochromatic image of finite size is uniquely determined up to translation by its triple correlation function. Here that fact is used to prove that every finite image composed of discrete colors is determined up to translation by its third-order statistics. Consequently, if two texture samples have identical third-order statistics, they must be physically identical images and thus visually nondiscriminable by definition. It follows that a third-order version of Julesz’s long-abandoned conjecture about spontaneous texture discrimination is necessarily true (notwithstanding such well-known counterexamples as the odd and even textures). The second-order (i.e., original) version of that conjecture is not necessarily true: physically distinct finite images with identical second-order statistics can be constructed, so counterexamples are possible. However, the counterexamples that one finds in the literature are either nonexact or difficult to reconstruct. A new principle is described that permits the easy construction of discriminable black and white texture samples that have strictly identical second-order statistics and thus provide exact counterexamples to the Julesz conjecture.
The mutability toward ultraviolet light of recombination-deficient strains of Escherichia coli.

Abstract Strains having recA and recC mutations were tested for UV mutability. A recA strain is UV-stsable at doses that are demonstrably mutagenic in its Rec+ derivative. Strains of recC genotype are not UV-stable, but produce UV-induced mutations at frequencies significantly lower than those produced at the same doses in Rec+ strains. The results support the hypothesis that most UV-induced mutations originate as errors in recombinational repair of single-strand gaps in DNA.
Biotic Soil Crusts of Oregon's Shrub Steppe: Community Composition in Relation to Soil Chemistry, Climate, and Livestock Activity

Abstract We examined biotic soil crust cover and composition at nine shrub-steppe sites in central and eastern Oregon, U.S.A. One pair of livestock-grazed and excluded transects was established at each site. Data were collected on the cover of biotic soil crust and vascular plant species, soil surface pH and electrical conductivity, and other environmental variables. Using gradient analysis, we found that differences in community composition among sites were most strongly related to soil pH, electrical conductivity (EC), and Calcareous Index Value (CIV; a scale representing the relative calcium carbonate content of soils). Other important variables included precipitation, elevation, aspect, and temperature. We found total crust cover to be highest at sites with lower pH, EC, and CIV. Dominant species differed markedly between the more calcareous sites with higher pH, and the less calcareous, lower pH sites. Livestock exclusion was not an important gradient in the ordination of these data, being overshadow...
Histopathological Evaluation of Liver, Pancreas, Spleen, and Heart from Iron-Overloaded Sprague-Dawley Rats*1,2:

The effects of increasing dietary levels of Fe on the histopathology of liver, pancreas, spleen, and heart were examined in a rat model for iron overload. Sprague-Dawley rats were fed diets containing 35, 350, 3,500, or 20,000 μg Fe/g, and, after 12 wk, there was a direct correlation between increased liver nonheme Fe and lipid peroxidation measured by the lipid-conjugated diene assay. Histopathological examination of tissues revealed the following: (a) hepatocellular hemosiderosis in all groups of rats, with a dose-related accumulation of cytoplasmic Fe-positive material predominantly in hepatocytes located in the periportal region (Zone 1), (b) myocardial degeneration and necrosis (cardiomyopathy) with hemosiderin in interstitial macrophages or in myocardial fibers of animals with heart damage, (c) splenic lymphoid atrophy affecting the marginal zone of the white pulp and hemosiderin deposition in the sinusoidal macrophages, and (d) pancreatic atrophy with loss of both the endocrine and exocrine pancrea...
The comparative study of medical systems as changing social systems.

Abstract Several field studies of African, Asian, and Central American medical systems are examined to show how these systems' constituent elements—illness perceptions, diagnosis categories, therapies—are structured by social relationships, roles, and statuses. These works, which focus on specific communities or clinical settings, and cover a restricted social scale and time depth, feature what is called micro-analysis. The common handicaps such studies have in accounting for sources of structural change in the medical system may be overcome by recourse to a complementary perspective, called macro-analysis. Here issues of power, authority, and resource allocation are addressed as intervening variables in the degrees of incorporation exercised by governmental and professional medical agencies, academic medical establishments, cultic and popular medical movements, economic and ecological factors, and the way these in turn shape the medical system, or pluralistic trends within it. The integration of the two types of analysis demonstrates, in material from Central Africa, nuances and patterns in the history of a pluralistic medical system not seen in other medical anthropological field studies, which are often encapsulated in a small-scale context, or given to pseudo-universalizations.
Proposed Refinement of Superpave High-Temperature Specification Parameter for Performance-Graded Binders:

A semiempirical approach developed to predict the viscoelastic response of a binder in repeated creep recovery tests is described. This model provides an avenue to predict the rut resistance (R) as a function of loading (time and load) and temperature from data at a single frequency or frequency sweeps when needed. Thus, it can be used to develop a grading procedure for asphalt binders that not only accurately captures the delayed elasticity of modified binders but also accounts for the effect of traffic speed and traffic loading. The current Superpave binder specification attempts to capture the relative high-temperature performance (i.e., resistance to rut) of a binder via the inverse shear loss compliance, 1/J" or G*/sin δ, at 10 rad/s. This parameter represents an improvement over the absolute viscosity because it is measured at a defined rate of deformation and accounts to some degree for the viscoelasticity of the binder via the phase angle. The parameter would correctly predict the relative R for a...
Jump relations of the quadruple layer potential on a regular surface in three dimensions

The jump relations of the quadruple layer potential on a regular surface in three dimensions are derived. The jumps are shown to be proportional to the product of the density of the potential and the mean curvature of the underlying surface.
Local Heat Transfer in a Rotating Two-Pass Triangular Duct With Smooth Walls

Earlier heat transfer studies with orthogonal rotation were conducted mostly on ducts of square cross section. This paper reports a different cross section, a triangular duct. Unlike a square cross section, the triangular shape provides more restriction to the formation of the secondary flows. Moreover, the studied orientation of the right triangular duct avoids formation of symmetric vortex structures in the crossflow plane. This paper presents turbulent heat transfer characteristics of a two-pass smooth-walled triangular duct. One pass is for radial outward flow and the other for radial inward flow. With rotation the radial outward and inward flow directions show different surface heat transfer characteristics. Like a square duct, differences between the trailing and the leading Nusselt number ratios for the triangular duct increase with rotation number. However, the rate of change of Nusselt number ratios with rotation number varies for the two duct geometries. Standard k- e model predictions for a radial outward flow situation show that the Nusselt number ratio variations with Reynolds number are not drastic for the same rotation number.
Polarization eigenvectors of surface-optical phonon modes in a rectangular quantum wire

Derivation des vecteurs propres de polarisation et des relations de dispersion des modes de phonons longitudinaux optiques (LO) et des phonons optiques de surface (SO) dans un fil quantique rectangulaire, dans l'approximation du continuum. Comparaison des modes SO et LO confines d'un câble quantique a une section efficace carree a la limite d'un vecteur d'onde de phonon s'annulant suivant l'axe du câble quantique. Dans ce cas, on montre que le mode SO domine le mode LO confine dans l'interaction avec les electrons et doit etre pris en compte dans le calcul de la vitesse de diffusion electron-phonon optique
Complement deficiency states and meningococcal disease

Analysis of complement deficiency states has supported the role of complement in host defense and elucidated diseases associated with defective complement function. Although neisserial infection plays a prominent role in these deficiency states, examination of individuals with late complement component deficiency (LCCD) reveals a particular propensity for recurrent meningococcal disease and provides important clues to the role of complement in neisserial infections. In response to meningococcal disease, LCCD individuals produce significantly greater amounts of antilipooligosaccharide (LOS) antibody which can kill group B meningococcus in a complement-sufficient in vitro system. Further studies of antibody cross-reactivity to other meningococci has led to a clearer understanding of its epitopic specificity. Nevertheless, epidemiologic evidence is consistent with the relative absence of protective immunity in LCCD persons following an episode of infection and supported by quantitation of antibody to capsular polysaccharide. However, compared to anti-LOS antibodies, anticapsular antibodies can offer immune protection to LCCD individuals via complement-dependent opsonophagocytosis--the only form of complement-mediated killing available to these persons. Thus vaccination of LCCD persons with capsular antigens is considered an important means of protecting these high-risk individuals against meningococcal disease.
Cortisol responses under different housing conditions in female squirrel monkeys

Abstract Adult female squirrel monkeys were housed in a group, in pairs or individually. Plasma levels of cortisol obtained under basal and stress conditions once weekly for four weeks were significantly lower in pair-housed females than in those living in a social group or individually. The increment in cortisol levels after stress (induced by handling and ether anesthesia) also was smaller in females housed in pairs. The cortisol values of the pair-housed females were positively correlated with those of their partners. Basal cortisol levels in the group-living females showed a significant rank-order correlation with dominance status. This indicated that social interactions in group-living animals can influence cortisol levels in a complex manner, either increasing or decreasing them. The relatively lower pituitary — adrenal activation when a single partner was present also indicated that the social environment can affect an individual's general level of arousal and subsequently alter the response to stressful stimuli.
Electrostatic wave generation above and below the plasma frequency by electron beams

The unmagnetized electrostatic dispersion equation is solved numerically to study the growth of electrostatic waves near the plasma frequency resulting from a unstable electron beam. An attempt is made to find the dispersion relations, frequencies of maximum growth, and the resonant or nonresonant character of the waves for particular beam parameters. It is found that the unstable waves do not have the Langmuir dispersion relation except in the limit of a very dilute beam with growth on the connected mode of O'Neil and Malmberg. The properties of the unstable mode depend strongly on beam parameters such as beam density, speed, and temperature.
Chlorpromazine inhibition of electron transport in Azobacter vinelandii membranes

Chlorpromazine was a potent inhibitor of O2-dependent malate oxidation, but not of H2 oxidation in Azotobacter vinelandii membranes. However, chlorpromazine did not significantly affect the activity of malate reductase or the reduction of cytochromes c and d. In the presence of chlorpromazine, cytochrome o failed to form a complex with CO. The site of action of chlorpromazine seems to be in the cytochromes c to cytochrome o branch, the pathway utilized by malate, succinate and NADH, but not by H2.
Serial position curves for item (spatial location) information: role of the dorsal hippocampal formation and medial septum

Animals were trained on an item recognition memory task for a list of 5 spatial locations. After reaching criterion performance the animals sustained small or medium-size dorsal hippocampal formation lesions, small or large medial septal lesions, or served as sham-operated or cortical controls. Following recovery from surgery, animals were retested for item recognition memory. Sham-operated and cortical control animals showed no deficits in performance. In contrast, animals with small dorsal hippocampal formation or medial septal lesions displayed a deficit for the early items, but had excellent memory for the last item of the list. Animals with medium-size dorsal hippocampal formation or large medial septal lesions displayed a deficit for both early and late items within the list. Because residual short-term memory capacity can be seen only with small hippocampal formation or medial septal lesions, it is suggested that the hippocampal formation and cholinergic input into the hippocampal formation via the medial septum code spatial information within a continuous extended time frame.
Antiviral activity of certain substituted purine and pyrimidine nucleosides.

Der virushemmende Effekt sowie die zytotoxische Aktivitat gewisser Purine und Pyrimidin-Nukleoside gegenHerpes-simplex-Virus bzw. Kulturen von BSC-1-Zellen werden beschrieben.
The adsorption and decomposition of benzene on Ni(100) and the effects of pre-adsorbed C, O, H, and Co

Benzene-d6 adsorption and decomposition on Ni(100) has been studied with temperature programmed desorption and Auger electron spectroscopy. Decomposition in the neighborhood of 472 K produces C(a) and D2(g), and occurs with simultaneous benzene desorption at sufficiently large coverages. Low temperature TPD spectra of benzene from clean Ni(100) and from several precovered Ni(100) substrates were similar. The substrates included are oxygen-, hydrogen-, carbon monoxide-, and carbon-covered Ni(100). All of the coadsorbates except hydrogen completely inhibit benzene decomposition. Hydrogen presaturation of the Ni(100) surface greatly reduces benzene decomposition, and hydrogen either reacts with or is displaced by post-dosed benzene to a small extent. Isotopic labelling experiments on clean Ni(100) showed that low temperature desorption states can freely interconvert. Features of the desorption and decomposition of benzene near 472 K indicate the existence of a variety of adsorption sites with a distribution of benzene adsorption strengths and decomposition facilities. A qualitative model involving benzene adsorption with a variety of bonding energies is presented.
Early membrane events monitored by changes in cell surface charge following specific antigen-lymphocyte binding.

Abstract Peripheral blood lymphocytes isolated from donors sensitized to the tuberculin antigen-purified protein derivative (PPD) were altered in electrophoretic mobility when incubated in vitro with the antigen. Initial exposure to PPD caused no measurable alteration of the electrophoretic mobility profile, but after a period of about 3.5 hr the mean mobility of approximately 50% of the cells was shifted by as much as 10% to a higher value (increased negative charge). This change in mobility was not observed for skin test-negative donors or for skin test-positive donors whose antigen-binding lymphocytes had been removed by an affinity chromatography column of PPD. The time lag of the mobility alteration as well as the large number of cells responding suggested that a factor(s) released into the cell culture medium was probably responsible for the shift of the mobility profile. In support of this hypothesis were the observations that the addition of either the protein synthesis inhibitor, puromycin, or cycloheximide during incubation with the antigen prevented these mobility changes; and supernatants from antigen incubations involving PPD skin test-positive donor lymphocytes were capable of causing mobility increases of PPD skin test-negative donor lymphocytes. Cell fractionation experiments indicated that T cells rather than B cells respond to the released factor(s). Additional kinetic studies on unfractionated lymphocytes showed that the mobility response was modulated in time with an oscillation period of about 2 hr. These results suggest that cell surface charge changes may require the involvement of some cyclic metabolic process at the lymphocyte surface or perhaps formation and regeneration of receptor—factor complexes.
Three-dimensional, nonlinear evolution of the Rayleigh-Taylor instability of a thin layer

The nonlinear evolution of the Rayleigh-Taylor instability of a thin sheet in three dimensions is studied numerically. Results show that erosion of mass at the top of the bubble is similar to that found in two-dimensional simulations, but mass flow into spikes is slower in three dimensions.
Proton affinities of polyglycines assessed by using the kinetic method

The proton affinities of a series of peptides, chosen to show the effects of chain length, were measured by the kinetic method using amines as standard reference bases. Proton affinities of polyglycines with residues ranging from 2 to 10 were measured and the values were found to increase as the number of residues increases.
Epinephrine elevation in plasma parallels canine cardiac hypertrophy.

Abstract Increased circulating epinephrine levels paralled cardiac hypertrophy in response to aortic constriction in the dog. Venous levels of epinephrine were significantly elevated at 24, 48, 72 and 96 hours postcoarctation. There were not significant arterial or venous alterations in norepinephrine levels. Dogs administered propranolol daily had no detectable hypertrophy 96 hours postcoarctation. We suggest that an increased epinephrine level may contribute to the physiological trigger(s) for cardiac hypertrophy.
Dedicating new real estate transfer taxes for energy efficiency: A revenue option for scaling up Green Retrofit Programs

As the labor market in the U.S. remains weak, with high unemployment and sluggish job growth, policymakers at various levels of government are looking for new ways to support job growth and investment during an increasingly tight fiscal climate. Policies that promote the “Green Economy” in general and energy efficiency in particular remain politically popular as potential win–win solutions that will create jobs and curb greenhouse gas emissions. Yet, efforts to promote energy efficiency in the residential sector through rebates and incentives alone have yet to reach critical mass. This paper outlines a policy option for state and local governments to use real estate transfer taxes to generate stronger incentives for home buyers to undertake significant retrofit projects at the time of sale. The economic impact of the proposed energy efficiency transfer tax (EETT) is then modeled for the State of North Carolina, using standard input–output techniques. Ultimately, based on housing sales figures from 2010, a new EETT of 2.5 percent on home purchases would generate a net positive increase of approximately 3485 direct construction jobs and 5900 annually total jobs for the state.
Further generalizations of the Brock-Carlitz identity

Abstract The paper deals with extensions of Carlitz and Cohen et al. of the Brock recurrence relation, which occurs in a sorting problem, and is connected with generating functions of the Jacobi polynomial. New expressions are also presented regarding the positivity of coefficients in the power series expansions of rational functions.
Controlled trial of fish oil for regression of human coronary atherosclerosis

Objectives. This randomized clinical trial tested whether fish oil supplements can improve human coronary atherosclerosis. Background. Epidemiologic studies of populations whose intake of oily fish is high, as well as laboratory studies of the effects of the polyunsaturated fatty acids in fish oil, support the hypothesis that fish oil is antiatherogenic. Methods. Patients with angiographically documented coronary heart disease and normal plasma lipid levels were randomized to receive either fish oil capsules (n = 31), containing 6 g of n-3 fatty acids, or olive oil capsules (n = 28) for an average duration of 28 months. Coronary atherosclerosis on angiography was quantified by computer-assisted image analysis. Results. Mean (±SD) baseline characteristics were age 62 ± 7 years, plasma total cholesterol concentration 187 ± 31 mg/dl (4.83 ± 0.80 mmol/liter) and triglyceride levels 132 ± 70 mg/dl (1.51 ± 0.80 mmol/liter). Fish oil lowered triglyceride levels by 30% (p = 0.007) but had no significant effects on other plasma lipoprotein levels. At the end of the trial, eicosapentaenoic acid in adipose tissue samples was 0.91% in the fish oil group compared with 0.20% in the control group (p 0.17 mm, or >2.6%. Conclusions. Fish oil treatment for 2 years does not promote major favorable changes in the diameter of atherosclerotic coronary arteries.
A nonsense mutation (R242X) in the branched‐chain α‐keto acid dehydrogenase E1α subunit gene (BCKDHA) as a cause of maple syrup urine disease

Mutation analysis of DNA from cultured amniocytes with absent branched-chain α-ketoacid dehydrogenase activity revealed a C to T transition producing a nonsense mutation (R242X) in exon 7 of the gene encoding the E1a subunit of this multienzyme complex (BCKDHA). This pregnancy occured in a large consanguinous pedigree with multiple individuals with maple syrup urine disease (MSUD). PCR amplification of the region surrounding exon 7 allowed the identification of this mutation as well as two other previously identified mutations which cause MSUD. hum Mutat 12:136, 1998. © 1998 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Examining the Effects and Quality of Interventions Based on the Assessment of Contextual Variables A Meta-Analysis

Interventions based on the results of functional behavioral assessment (FBA) have been the topic of extensive research and, in certain cases, mandated for students with disabilities under the Individuals With Disabilities Education Act. There exist a wide variety of methods for conducting such assessments, with little consensus in the field. The purpose of this study was to conduct a review and meta-analysis of single-case design studies focusing on interventions based on the assessment of contextual variables (i.e., circumstances that form the setting for the behaviors). Results indicated that although most studies demonstrated positive effects that were corroborated by a variety of effect size measures, few met the majority of evidence-based quality indicators. Implications for future research are provided.
Affiliations between bacteria and marine fish leeches (Piscicolidae), with emphasis on a deep-sea species from Monterey Canyon, CA.

Summary Leeches within the Piscicolidae are of great numerical and taxonomic importance, yet little is known about bacteria that associate with this diverse group of blood-feeding marine parasites of fish and elasmobranchs. We focused primarily on the bacteria from a deep-sea leech species of unknown identity, collected at ∼ 600 m depth in Monterey Canyon, CA, along with two shallow-living leech genera, Austrobdella and Branchellion, from Los Angeles Harbor, CA. Molecular analysis of all five leech species revealed a dominance of gammaproteobacteria, which were distinct from each other and from previously reported freshwater leech symbionts. Bacteria related to members of the genus Psychromonas (99% similarity in 16S rRNA) were dominant in the deep-sea leech species (80–94% of recovered ribotypes) collected over 19 months from two different locations. Psychromonas was not detected in cocoons or 2–16 week-old juveniles, suggesting that acquisition is via the environment at a later stage. Transmission electron microscopy did, however, reveal abundant bacteria-like cells near areas of thinning of the juvenile epithelial surface, as well as Psychromonas sparsely distributed internally. Electron and fluorescence in situ microscopy of adults also showed Psychromonas-like bacteria concentrated within the crop. Despite the apparent non-transient nature of the association between Psychromonas and the deep-sea leech, their functional role, if any, is not known. The prevalence, however, of an abundant bacterial genus in one piscicolid leech species, as well as the presence of a dominant bacterial species in singular observations of four additional marine species, suggests that members of the Piscicolidae, possibly basal within the class Hirudinea, form specific alliances with microbes.
A Review of: “Conjuring Black Funk: Notes on Culture, Sexuality, and Spirituality, Volume 1 Herukhuti (Hameed Williams)”

Conjuring Black Funk leaves the reader wanting more. As the title promises, this collection of reflections on a wide range of topics represents a beginning rather than an end. And as “notes,” many ...
Effects of low-dose naltrexone on analgesia produced by hydrocodone

Purpose To assess the impact of oral naltrexone (NTX) on the analgesic effects of oral immediate-release hydrocodone (HYIR) in healthy subjects with thermally induced hyperalgesia. Methods Subjects first received a thermal discomfort test to determine hyperalgesic response and their responsiveness to opioid analgesic effects. Subjects who qualified then entered a 4-way crossover, double blind phase in which they received HYIR + NTX placebo, or HYIR + NTX 0.25, 0.5, or 1.0 mg. Results No significant differences occurred between HYIR + NTX placebo and HYIR + NTX 0.25, 0.5, or 1.0 mg in thermal discomfort scores, pain latency, or other measures of hyperalgesia. There were no significant differences among treatments or consistent dose-related trends in the subjective opioid agonist effects of HYIR measured in this study. No safety concerns were associated with any HYIR and/or NTX dose. No adverse events commonly associated with opioid use occurred with the NTX 1.0 mg dose. Conclusion No dose of NTX studied resulted in a significant decrease in HYIR-induced analgesia. There was no consistent, dose-related NTX effect on the subjective opioid agonist effects of HYIR measured in this study. Clinical Pharmacology & Therapeutics (2004) 75, P71–P71; doi: 10.1016/j.clpt.2003.11.267
CFR and SNR Estimation Based on Complementary Golay Sequences for Single-Carrier Block Transmission in 60-GHz WPAN

The single-carrier block transmission (SCBT), a.k.a. single-carrier frequency-domain equalization (SC-FDE), is being considered as an option technique for the wireless personal area network (WPAN) operating at 60-GHz. To combat the inter-symbol interference (ISI) in non-line-of-sight (NLOS) environments, the frequency-domain equalization (FDE) based on the minimum mean square error (MMSE) criterion is much more effective than the one based on the zero forcing (ZF) criterion. However, MMSE-FDE needs the estimation of both the channel frequency response (CFR) and the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR). In this work, we estimated CFR and SNR based on the complementary Golay sequences whose sum auto-correlation has a unique peak and zero sidelobe. Through simulations, we proved that the proposed CFR and SNR estimation methods are very effective for SCBT system using MMSE-FDE.
The Gm and Inv allotypes of some Ashkenazic Jews living in Northern U.S.A.

Determination of the Gm haplotypes among the serum samples of 249 Ashkenazic Jews living in northern U.S.A. has confirmed the presence of Black African admixture and has established the presence of San (Bushman) admixture. A rough estimate indicates that the haplotypes from these sources contribute about 2% of the genome of the people sampled. The Inv allele frequency is very low (0.037 ± 0.009). This has been found in other Jewish populations and may be characteristic of Jews.
Personality and self-motivation during biochemical fatigue.

The present study was conducted to determine whether females exhibiting the Type A behavior pattern would exert greater effort and work to higher levels of physiological fatigue in a self-motivated ergometer test. Twenty female subjects, half of them Type A and the other half Type B, were administered an incremental ergometer test to determine their peak oxygen consumption value. On the first experimental session no experimenter encouragement was given to the subjects. Consequently the test measured physical motivation levels. During a second laboratory session, each subject was continuously encouraged by the experimenter to maintain exercising until she was truly incapable of further work. The highest rate of oxygen extraction during this latter session was considered the subject's maximum oxygen consumption (i.e., VO2 max). Type A and B subjects were compared in the nonmotivated testing session (experimental session 1) to their "true" individual capacities (maximum oxygen consumption demonstrated in experimental session 2). ANOVAs indicated no significant differences in self-initiated competitive behavior during a physical stressor.
Evaluation of Thiol Activated Proteases from Clam Viscera as a Rennet Substitute for Cheese-Making

Clam rennet, which is a crude enzyme preparation of cathepsin B-like protease from clam viscera was characterized and compared to porcine pepsin and calf rennet for its suitability as a milk coagulant in cheesemaking. Clam rennet was more proteolytic and produced a softer curd than the other two coagulants. However, influences of the pH and temperature on milk clotting with clam rennet were very similar to those of calf rennet. The cheddar cheese made from clam rennet was not inferior to the Cheddar cheese made from calf rennet. Quality enhancement occurred despite the view that high ratio of proteolytic to clotting activity is generally considered to be unfavorable for cheese-making. The higher proteolytic activity appeared to accelerate the ripening process. A small yield loss occurred as a result of excessive proteolysis during cheese-making.
LIGHT AND SCANNING ELECTRON MICROSCOPE STUDIES ON DRY BEANS: INTRACELLULAR GELATINIZATION OF STARCH IN COTYLEDONS OF LARGE LIMA BEANS (PHASEOLUS LUNATUS)

Light and scanning electron microscopy were employed to characterize intracellular configurational changes of starch granules during gelatinization as well as to estimate any apparent differences in gelatinization temperatures in standard and quick-cooking Lima bean cotyledons. Because of restrictions imposed by intact cell walls at gelatinization temperatures, dilation and protrusion of starch granules were impeded. Intracellular gelatinization of starch was initiated at about 76°C for water-soaked and at 85°C for salt-soaked (quick-cooking) beans and progressed successively through characteristic configurational changes until maximum expansion occurred at the boiling point (100°C). The stage of expansion was dependent only upon the temperature of the medium and independent of the time during which cells were held at any given temperature. Viewed under the microscope, each stage of gelatinization was populated by a distribution of granule configurations. At each temperature, water-soaked beans had consistently larger proportions of advanced stages of granule expansion. Even at the boiling point the state of expansion of starch granules appeared greater for the water-soaked than the salt-soaked beans. Nominal but finite birefringence remained in the starch granules of salt-soaked beans after cotyledons were held in boiling water for up to 90 min. In water soaked beans, birefringence of the starch granules was completely eliminated under the same conditions.
Boosting Blackjack Returns with Machine Learned Betting Criteria

This paper investigates a new method to boost Blackjack betting returns. We show betting criteria identified by genetic algorithm significantly outperform standard game theoretic criteria on ten different professional counting systems.
Creativity, simulation, and conceptualization

Understanding the role of simulation in conceptualization has become a priority for cognitive science. Barsalou makes a valuable contribution in that direction. The present commentary points to theoretical issues that need to be refined and elaborated in order to account for key aspects of meaning construction, such as negation, counterfactuals, quantification or analogy. Backstage cognition, with its elaborate bindings, blendings, and mappings, is more complex than Barsalou's discussion might suggest. Language does not directly carry meaning, but rather serves, along with countless other situational elements, as a powerful instrument for prompting its construction
Waveform-Agile Sensing for Tracking Multiple Targets in Clutter

In this paper, we consider the problem of scheduling the waveform transmitted by waveform-agile radar sensors to track multiple targets in clutter. A number of generalized frequency modulated chirps with trapezoidal envelope form the library of waveforms available to the sensors, which obtain measurements using a nonlinear observation model. A joint probabilistic data association filter is used to track the target, and the waveform selection is made so as to minimize the predicted mean square tracking error. We provide simulation results to show that the scheduling improves the tracking performance of multiple targets even in the presence of clutter.
Randomized, Controlled Trial of an Easy-to-Read Informed Consent Statement for Clinical Trial Participation: A Study of the Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group

Purpose: Studies have documented that the majority of consent documents for medical diagnosis and treatment are written at a reading level above that of the majority of the U.S. population. This study hypothesized that use of an easy-to-read consent statement, when compared with a standard consent statement, will result in higher patient comprehension of the clinical treatment protocol, lower patient anxiety, higher patient satisfaction, and higher patient accrual. Methods: A randomized controlled trial was conducted in 44 institutions that were members or affiliates of three cooperative oncology groups. Institutions were randomly assigned to administer either an easy-to-read consent statement or the standard consent statement to patients being recruited to participate in selected cancer treatment trials. Telephone interviews were conducted with a total of 207 patients to assess study outcomes. Results: Patients in the intervention arm demonstrated significantly lower consent anxiety and higher satisfacti...
Preclinical acute toxicity studies and rodent-based dosimetry estimates of the novel sigma-1 receptor radiotracer [18F]FPS

Abstract [ 18 F]1-(Fluoropropyl)-4-[(4-cyanophenoxy)methyl]piperidine ([ 18 F]FPS) is a novel high affinity (KD = 0.5 nM) sigma receptor radioligand that exhibits saturable and selective in vivo binding to sigma receptors in rats, mice and non-human primates. In order to support an IND application for the characterization of [ 18 F]FPS through PET imaging studies in humans, single organ and whole body radiation adsorbed doses associated with [ 18 F]FPS injection were estimated from distribution data obtained in rats. In addition, acute toxicity studies were conducted in rats and rabbits and limited toxicity analyses were performed in dogs. Radiation dosimetry estimates obtained using rat biodistribution analysis of [ 18 F]FPS suggest that most organs would receive around 0.012-0.015 mGy/MBq. The adrenal glands, brain, kidneys, lungs, and spleen would receive slightly higher doses (0.02-0.03 mGy/MBq). The adrenal glands were identified as the organs receiving the greatest adsorbed radiation dose. The total exposure resulting from a 5 mCi administration of [ 18 F]FPS is well below the FDA defined limits for yearly cumulative and per study exposures to research participants. Extended acute toxicity studies in rats and rabbits, and limited acute toxicity studies in beagle dogs suggest at least a 175-fold safety margin in humans at a mass dose limit of 2.8 μg per intravenous injection. This estimate is based on the measured no observable effect doses (in mg/m 2 ) in these species. These data support the expectation that [ 18 F]FPS will be safe for use in human PET imaging studies at a maximum administration of 5 mCi and a mass dose equal to or less than 2.8 μg FPS per injection.
Relative Equilibria for General Gravity Fields in the Sphere-Restricted Full 2-Body Problem

Equilibrium conditions for a mutually attracting general mass distribution and point mass are derived and their stability computed. The equilibrium conditions can be reduced to six equations in six unknowns, plus the existence of four integrals of motion consisting of the total angular momentum and energy of the system. The equilibrium conditions are further reduced to two independent equations, and their theoretical properties are studied. We derive three distinct conditions for a relative equilibrium which can be used to derive robust algorithms for solving these problems for non-symmetric gravity fields: a set of necessary conditions, a set of sufficient conditions, and a set of necessary and sufficient conditions. Each of these conditions is well suited for the computation of certain classes of equilibria. These equations are solved for non-symmetric gravity fields of interest, using a real asteroid shape model for the general gravity fields. Explicit conditions for the spectral and energetic stability of the resulting equilibria are also derived and computed for the shape of interest.
Pendelluft in the bronchial tree.

Inhomogeneous inflation or deflation of the lungs can cause dynamic pressure differences between regions and lead to interregional airflows known as pendelluft. This work first uses analytical tool...
Distinct Regulation of H2-M3-Restricted Memory T Cell Responses in Lymph Node and Spleen

CD8 T cell populations restricted by H2-M3 MHC class Ib molecules expand rapidly during primary Listeria monocytogenes infection but only minimally upon reinfection. In contrast, CD8 T cells restricted by MHC class Ia molecules undergo more delayed expansion during primary infection but rapid and robust expansion following reinfection. In this study we demonstrate that primary H2-M3-restricted CD8 T cell responses are unaffected by the frequency of naive MHC class Ia-restricted T cells during L. monocytogenes infection. The magnitude of H2-M3-restricted memory responses, in contrast, is down-modulated by increasing frequencies of MHC class Ia-restricted effector T cells following secondary systemic infection. Suppression by MHC class Ia-restricted T cells, however, is not a universal feature of MHC class Ib-restricted memory responses. Primary systemic L. monocytogenes infection followed by secondary tissue infection, for example, results in robust expansion of H2-M3-restricted memory T cells in draining lymph nodes, despite the activation of MHC class Ia-restricted memory T cell responses. Thus, whereas MHC class Ia-restricted memory T cell populations predominate in spleens following systemic reinfection, H2-M3-restricted memory T cell responses remain prominent in lymph nodes draining localized infections. Our studies demonstrate that interactions between CD8 T cell populations can differ, depending on the status of the responding T cells (naive vs memory) and the route of reinfection. These results may have important implications for prime-boost vaccination strategies.
A Theory of Endurance of Rural Nicaraguan Men

This article will discuss the model of endurance that emerged from data collected during field-workin rural Nicaragua. How rural Nicaraguan men maintain a stable line of endurance to maintain or attain health and well-being will be discussed. The key concepts that make up the model of endurance will be introduced. The interconnectedness of these concepts and the comprehensiveness of the model will be explained. A cultural case study will be presented to illustrate how the theory and model of endurance is operationalized. The information provided in this article can be used as a model for community and home health nurses who workin rural settings.
Indomethacin and ascorbate inhibit desmoid tumors

Administration of indomethacin caused complete resolution of a desmoid tumor after a partial response to radiation. In another patient, this drug caused an immediate response, then became ineffective. When large doses of ascorbic acid were given with indomethacin, slow resolution of the tumor began and has continued for 14 months. Treatment of a third case with indomethacin and ascorbic acid from the beginning produced shrinkage of the tumor which has continued to date.
A Mathematical Analysis of Membrane Separation Parameters for Liquid/Liquid Dialysis in Single or Multiple Stages

Abstract The effects of membrane separation parameters using liquid/liquid dialysis under idealized conditions and using hollow fiber geometry were calculated with the aid of a computer. These calculations were carried out for both single stage and multiple stages. Membrane separation parameters include the intrinsic properties of the membrane, the nature of the dialysis solvents, the flow rates of both feed and solvent streams, and the dimension of the hollow fiber. It was concluded that an efficient process using liquid/liquid dialysis requires a membrane with a high intrinsic permeability constant and a reasonable separation factor, as small an inner radius of hollow fiber as is practical, and a dialysis solvent with an acceptable activity coefficient for the key species and a flow rate suitably coupled to that of the feed.
A study of student performance on self-scheduled, computer-based examinations in a medical histology course: is later better?

Background: Student self-scheduling of computer-based examinations during a defined window of opportunity is a protocol used by some medical school courses and licensing bodies. Students scheduling late have more time to prepare, which may provide them with an unfair advantage.Methods: ANOVA was used to compare the average scores of three different cohorts of test-takers (early, middle and late) on 13 Microscopic Anatomy exams taken over a 3-year period (2003–2005) at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences.Results: On 11 of the 13 exams, the average score of students who took the exam last was lower than that of students who took the exam first. These differences were significant for eight (73%) exams. There were two exams on which the average score of students who took the exam last was higher than that of students who took the exam first, but these differences were not significant.Conclusions: Scheduling exams late in the window of opportunity does not appear to provide a performance advantage ...
A Physician on Capitol Hill: An Outsider on the Inside

From the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Clinical Scholars Program and the Leonard Davis Institute of Health Economics at the University of Pennsylvania and the Division of Child Development, Rehabilitation, andMetabolic Disease in the Department of Pediatrics, The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia Address correspondence to Manuel E. Jimenez, MD, 423 Guardian Dr, 13th Fl Blockley Hall, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104 (e-mail: mjimenez@upenn.edu).